#veterans&039; mental health

[theangrycorpsman]

Mental Health and PTSD: Understanding and Managing the Impact of Trauma

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that affects many people who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event. It can have a significant impact on a person’s life, making it difficult to cope with everyday activities and leading to a range of physical and emotional symptoms. In this blog post, we will explore the causes and symptoms of PTSD, as well as effective…

[gonzoduran]

Community Heroes: Elizabeth Nuñez

Elizabeth Nuñez recently celebrated her one-year anniversary as the Deputy Director of MusArt Music Management (MusArt). Although she has been part of the organization for many years, it was only last year that Nuñez was formally asked to join the executive board of the organization to represent it and help it grow further. MusArt, led by Daniel Guzman, a decorated combat marine, unites…

[filosofablogger]

A Man Of Conscience

A Man Of Conscience

Sean Doolittle is a pitcher for the Washington Nationals, the baseball team that won the World Series on Wednesday after beating the Houston Astros in game #7.  As is tradition, the winning team has been invited to a ceremony at the White House slated for tomorrow afternoon.  Sean Doolittle will not attend.  I’ll let him tell you the reason in his own words.

“There’s a lot of things, policies…

[unclesamsmisguidedclub]

Gun Control vs Mental Health Issue: The Push To Take Veterans Guns

Gun Control vs Mental Health Issue: The Push To Take Veterans Guns

Everytown for Gun Safety is pushing for more red flag laws to take veterans guns…a gun control plan to handle a mental health issue. They want the VA to be more involved, and veterans are not happy about it.

If there is any group in the United States that shouldn’t be disarmed, it’s our military veterans. Everytown claims it’s to “prevent suicides.”  The statistics they use are misleading…there…

[mikesgroi21]

NOTP PODCAST: ANGELA COBB This week my guest on the NOTP Podcast is stand up comedian Angela Cobb! We sat down after doing stand up (see what I did there?) on John Larocchia's…

[veterans-news-blog]

Media Release – DVA Veterans' Health Week

[medicalcodingjob]

Readers And Tweeters: No Rush To Judge Patients Who Leave The ER Without OK

Readers And Tweeters: No Rush To Judge Patients Who Leave The ER Without OK

Letters to the Editor is a periodic feature. We welcome all comments and will publish a selection. We edit for length and clarity and require full names.

At The ER, It’s Hurry Up And Wait

At least the patients mentioned in “As ER Wait Times Grow, More Patients Leave Against Medical Advice” (May 17) were allowedto leave. An emergency room may not be a safe place for people and they may wish to…

[whytehousetv]

Trump Signs Veterans’ Mental Health Legislation On Tuesday, President Donald Trump signed legislation that supports veterans' mental health as they transition from service to civilian life. Trump says, "we will not rest until all of America's great veterans receive the care they have earned."

[pjstafford]

Last Saturday night I was at a David Duchovny concert in Vancouver.  The concert venue was at the Imperial - a great venue- but in a neighborhood that the Urban Dictionary says is the worst neighborhood in all of Canada and some homeless advocacy groups argue  is the poorest neighborhood in all of North America.  Many of us at the concert had traveled to Vancouver from across the globe and there was some fear and trepidation which I over heard from other concert goers about this neighborhood. I had worked as a homeless advocate and have been on the board of a homeless shelter in the 90′s in Albuquerque.  I want to share my viewpoints of my experience in the worst neighborhood in Canada from an X-File frame of view because what brought me to Vancouver on October 14 was, of course, to see David Duchovny in Vancouver where the X-files was and is being filmed during a week-end which included 1013 Friday.  How does homelessness and the X-file find a theme together?  That is outlined in the link to the video above.  

I guess one way to set the mood is to say that my friend and I were only spending a week-end in Vancouver, but many other David Duchovny fans had been in Vancouver a week and had been to many famous filming sites.  My friend and I were staying at a Ramada fairly near the venue.  We drove through the area at first looking for parking before deciding that the valet parking at the Ramada was the best choice.  As we drove by I said- looking at the homeless and the city streets and remembering the video above- “oh, my God, this is the neighborhood they shot “Home Again” in.”  I realize, of course, the complete insensitivity to the plight of homelessness to see it in such focused X-file terms, but it was my frame of mind at the time.  My friend and I did in fact look for the filming sites of “Home Again” as we walked around the neighborhood, but because it is from the last season which we have not yet seen hundreds of times (only dozens) we were unable to locate exact locations.  We did watch the episode again back in Seattle the night before I flew home.  

On Saturday morning we decided to walk to the Ovaltine Restaurant (the filming location of a scene in Jose Chung) and to go by the venue.  We found ourselves walking down what I now realize is the area considered the worst two blocks in at least Canada and possibly North America.  The poverty was clear- people living in tents on the street a few blocks away from some fine, upscale and beautiful neighborhoods.  We then went to the Ovaltine Restaurant, the venue, back to the hotel for an hour of two, back to the venue to stand in line (starting at noon), walked back through the neighborhood to gastown for a bite to eat and back to the venue to stand in line again, before taking a cab back to the hotel after the concert.  

I want to state fairly clearly that there was not one time I felt scared or fearful (although I would not walk back to the hotel in the evening because I am not foolish) and the only time I was asked for money was after leaving the venue after the concert.  As we walked down the blocks at 9 a.m on a Saturday morning, we were greeted with “Good morning Ladies” and comments that our coffee cups were pink.  When our way was blocked and I said “excuse me” people moved out of the way politely.  There was nothing unpleasant about that walk except for being confronted with the fact that poverty exists and people (human beings) live in horrific conditions day in and day out.  

As we stood in line for 6 hours to see a concert, there was an need on an occasion to use a restroom.  The coffee shop sometimes let you and sometimes said that it was just for customers so my friend and I started using the community center on the corner which was truly more of a homeless center.  Again, I was greeted, offered water and shown the restroom.  My friend found blood in one of the restrooms so we climbed the stairs to use one on the other floor.  There were food being served, there were disposable containers for needles, there were signs telling people where to go if they were overdosing.  People were being afforded respect and dignity.  I was impressed.  

Here are some statistics from “Addressing Homelessness in Metro Vancouver” a white paper published in February 2017.  

An estimated 80% of homeless people suffer a chronic health issue (45% suffer two or more health conditions concurrently)15 b. 44% of sheltered and 55% of unsheltered homeless have an addiction (2014)16 c. 33% of sheltered and 36% of unsheltered homeless suffer mental illness (2014)10 d. 30% of sheltered and 27% of unsheltered homeless have a physical disability (2014)1

As we stood in line several neighborhood people talked to us.  We actually had sandwiches we did not want to eat, but couldn’t find any person that wanted the sandwiches.  Again most neighborhood people were polite, courteous and curious about why so many of us were waiting in line in front of a concert venue 6 hours before the doors opened.  I laughed on and off for hours at a woman who said “what are you protesting?”  I told my friend that we were the laziest protesters ever - no signs, no marching, no chanting- worst protest ever.  At one point a women who appeared to be suffering from withdrawal of some time fell.  Other people in line offered her assistance but she could not focus on them enough to accept their help.  She was in her own world.  After a few minutes when I witnessed her getting her shaking under control and her checking her legs to see if she was hurt, i went up to her.  From her perspective I was a big brown blob walking up to her and I startled her.  I told her that when she was ready I was willing to help and she desperately reached for my hands.  I helped her up and she grasped a tree until she was ready to stand and walk on her own.  I offered her food.  She did not want it.  She never asked for money.  Never threatened me.  

The next morning I woke up thinking of that episode “Home again” and the point of the episode.  I wondered how many of us X-Files fans might have thought back to that episode that night having experienced these and other moments.  The point - people are not trash.  They are not disposable.  They are not to be discarded.  I can walk away from that neighborhood and I can avoid the similar downtown areas in Albuquerque, but the people and the problem still exist.  From my experience in Albuquerque I know the underlying issues of homelessness - mental health issues, substance abuse, traumatic brain injuries, lack of literacy, lack of job skills, disenfranchisement from society, family and friends having giving up on them.  I know that veterans make up a large percentage of our homeless population in America, I know that senior citizen homeless numbers rose drastically in 2008 and subsequent years when retirement savings were loss and, like Vancouver, native people are a higher percentage in the homeless population than in the general population.  We can look to our educational systems, our prisons systems, our health care services (especially for the mentally ill), our foster care systems and juvenile care systems and to our economy.  The reality is a whole lot of us who go through our lives as hard working, normal citizens are closer to homelessness than we would like to admit.  In the past year I had to borrow money from friends and move into a friends home because of unemployment and I actually consider myself a fairly successful human.  We are all just humans doing the best we can in our life with what we have.  Nothing could remind us more of that than having spent so much time in that area around people who despite their issues were polite and courteous to us. 

I know our fan groups are a socially conscious and caring group of people who donate to all kinds of causes - let David Duchovny issue a post asking people to donate to charities on his birthday and beautiful things happen.  The proceeds from this concert went to hurricane victim.  This is a fan group which organizes volunteer and donation events for charities in honor of Gillian Anderson’s and Scully’s birthday.  The holiday season is ahead of us .  I am especially asking something of every one who attended that concert and interacted that night with a person who lives on the street in the worst neighborhood of North America.  If you fall into this category, than this holiday season in honor of “Home Again” and the X-files they do something in your communities to alleviate the effects of homelessness, reduce the possibility of someone becoming homeless or end some of the underlying causes of homelessness - take blankets or socks to a shelter, donate to a literacy program, call your legislators and demand better services for addiction treatment.   Buy subways cards and pass them out whenever you see someone with a sign saying hungry.  

At the very least, the next time you are in a situation where you are going to interact with homeless individuals (perhaps because of a David Duchovny concert), please treat people with respect and kindness.  People are not trash.  They are not disposable.  I was reminded of this last Saturday.  

[focusonthegoodnews]

The VA Is Now Offering Transition Services Specially Tailored for Female Veterans

The VA Is Now Offering Transition Services Specially Tailored for Female Veterans

Good News Notes:

“The Department of Veterans Affairs is teaming up with the Department of Defense to offer Women’s Health Transition Training (WHTT) for female service members who are transitioning to civilian life.

The voluntary training program is in addition to the normal Transition Assistance Program (TAP) that all separating military members are required to attend, and is not a…

[tallmantall]

James Donaldson on Mental Health - Veteran's Suicide Prevention Forum Aims to Prevent Unnecessary Deaths

Let's keep all of our Veterans in our thoughts and prayers!

James Donaldson notes: As I’m slowly getting on top of my physical health issues, I am turning more and more of my time and efforts towards mental health issues, especially pertaining to our young people and student-athletes.

Having gone through a recent bout of depression and suicidal thoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story,…

[ustribunenews-blog]

Mike Coffman (R) introduce new legislation in House "Veterans Treatment Court Improvement Act of 2017"

Mike Coffman (R) introduce new legislation in House “Veterans Treatment Court Improvement Act of 2017”

New bill introduced: To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to hire additional Veterans Justice Outreach Specialists to provide treatment court services to justice-involved veterans, and for other purposes.

Republican Representative Mike Coffman from the state of CO, along with fifty-three cosponsors, introduced bill H.R.2147 on Apr 26, 2017. The bill is mainly related to these subjects…

[unclesamsmisguidedclub]

American Legion Report: VA Hiring and Prescription Drug Practices Undermining Suicide Prevention?

American Legion Report: VA Hiring and Prescription Drug Practices Undermining Suicide Prevention?

Military Times noted that a report from the American Legion suggests that  VA hiring practices and overuse of anxiety medications may be standing in the way of proper suicide prevention in veterans. The overuse of those medications is something Rick at Uncle Sam’s Misguided Children has been trying to say for years.

The availability of alternative treatments, better VA hiring practices – all of…

[mikesgroi21]

NOTP PODCAST: ANGELA COBB This week my guest on the NOTP Podcast is stand up comedian Angela Cobb! We sat down after doing stand up (see what I did there?) on John Larocchia's…

[medicalcodingjob]

Military Doctors In Crosshairs Of A Budget Battle

Military Doctors In Crosshairs Of A Budget Battle

This story also ran on ABC News. This story can be republished for free (details).

The U.S. military is devising major reductions in its medical corps, unnerving the system’s advocates who fear the cuts will hobble the armed forces’ ability to adequately care for health problems of military personnel at home and abroad.

The move inside the military coincides with efforts by the Trump…

[tallmantall]

James Donaldson on Mental Health – Many Soldiers Who Attempt Suicide Have No Prior Mental Health Diagnosis

James Donaldson on Mental Health – Many Soldiers Who Attempt Suicide Have No Prior Mental Health Diagnosis

James Donaldson notes: I am turning more and more of my time and efforts towards mental health issues, especially pertaining to our young people and student-athletes.

Having gone through a recent bout of depression and suicidal thoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in…