Pentagon counts 40,000 with post-traumatic stress disorder but thinks many more keep it secret

PAULINE JELINEK
AP News

May 27, 2008 12:42 EST

Pentagon figures show 40,000 U.S. troops have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder since 2003. But officials believe many more are keeping their illness secret.

Army Surgeon General Eric Schoomaker says officials have no reliable figures on how many troops have PTSD or how many have sought treatment for it after serving in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

That's because officials are encouraging troops to get help � even if they go to civilian therapists and don't report it to the military. The 40,000 cases are only those the military knows of.

Many troops don't report getting treatment � or don't get help � because they're embarrassed or fear it will hurt their careers. Marines and Army soldiers have been the hardest hit.

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And according to the Veterans Disarmament act, that Bush signed, these vets could be banned for life from owning a firearm, which might have an overall bearing on whether or not some of these soldiers are reporting their problems.

dont woory pal......bush will be packing his bags soon!

And to top it off, the VA pysch. department is understaffed and has had it's monies decreased in the last five years. The vets will be on a waiting list and will not be able to obtain a sufficient amount of appointments.

ya think??? it's sad and wrong...you guys give your lives so we can sleep safe and sound every nite in our nice warm comfy beds...are used up for someone elses stupid agenda, give until you can give no more and then come home to be treated like sh*t i apologize and try and use my vote that you make sure i have to make things better for our service men and women..it's funny...just an hour ago i was talking to my son, who was rejected from the military b/c of eye problems that several surgeries were never able to correct that i fell a very strong emotional tie to you all as if you're my own children

brenda

It is more than that you can be sure. Any soldier who has seen any "action" has it. I am sure it is under reported as there is such a stygma with claiming to have a mental disorder of any kind.

Wars postings give me post traumatic stress.
Next he will tell you he is conservative.
Just like ole John McCain.
But he is the lesser of evil compared to the other crap...........now a pause while war shouts and yells about my response on how witty and how smart he is.

Since you've got nothing more to contribute than personal attacks, please, tell everyone, exactly what you think Conservatism is supposed to be?
Because I'm telling everyone here that John McCain is NOT representitive of true conservatism. He pretends he is conservative and his supporters are 1 of 3 things: Brainwashed, Morons or also faking at conservatism.

No Response? here let me help you.

True conservatives are interested in taking care of our nation, not everyone elses. True conservatives are interested in sound money, currency backed by a commodity rather than air, words and blind faith. True conservatives want to restrict and reduce the Federal government and give more power to individual states.

True conservatives place soldiers in harms way only if there is an attack on American soil and they finish the job, not divert immense amounts of precious resources and American military blood, sweat and tears to a nation that couldn't have mounted a military response strong enough to defeat a high school football team, nor do they engage in propping up other Governments, Holding hands with Dictators or Nation Building.

True conservatives live like conservatives, rather than running around flaunting money and power, comprimising moral values for kickbacks and lobbyist funded junkets and vacations, True conservatives stand for and on solid principles, consistent voting records. True Conservatives would not have accepted the Presidency based on the ruling of the Supreme Court, rather than on the popular vote of the American citizens.

True Conservatives live the Platform, but they don't try to force their beliefs on others from behind the threat of force.

Have A Nice Day!

hmmmmmmmm you dont think I already know this??? Young kids...........babies almost my son's age........having to see that...........

Im sorry.........I cant say anymore

I'm not sure I get what you mean here.

Oh, DUH... you're talking about the initial post.

How about True Conservatives take their marching orders from the Constitution of the United States and don't turn to Lawyers to worm their way around that Grand Document to do whatever their ego desires.

Personal attacks? And yours are not? You say your conservative but I have yet to see you say or post anything derogatory about the democrats. Wow. Did you think you told me something new about the democrat in republican clothing John McCain? I also know for a fact that the consensus in the Army is they want to stay in Iraq and Afghanistan. Did I take a survey? Nope. Just the amount of people I have talked to in the Army. Blacks are voting for Obama because he's black. Women are voting for Hillary because she's a woman. I am voting for the one who is the lesser piece of crap. As far as a woman president. I don't have a problem voting for someone like Margaret Thatcher or Condy Rice. Last one kills two birds with one stone. I just can't figure out your mindset and why you feel the desire to post politics everyday on a dating site. It baffles me that you have that much free time. I place you in the category of dragon and madman. Now I'm pi@@ed that I've wasted my time talking with someone that doesn't give a damn about my response because he convinced he's already right. And for you mirror. I have seen most of you responses to anything is a smiley face. Your weak.

Lets start from the beginning, Point out where I have said: Marine1488, you're a moron, Marine, you're weak, Marine1488 I think you and Cheney ought to start dating, because that's the kinds of things you've been posting, not me.

If you're really saying that you've never seen me post anything critical of democrats, then you're just not looking hard enough, but I see through the false left/right paradign and focus instead on what I feel is right or wrong.
I also feel like I have the right to show other Americans of all political leanings that not all Conservatives place themselves on some moral and political pedestal and will call the Party out when it deserves to be called out, plus as a true Conservative, I know that more Government is the answer to nothing and because the GOP has lost it's way, I feel obliged, as my civic duty to point out examples of that. Besides, Democrats aren't making the GOP look like it's all warmongering, corrupt and evil, NeoCon Globalists are.
Just because my brand of conservatism doesn't match up with the Lovers of War and the forcing of ideas of morality on America brand of Conservatism the NeoCons have convinced Americans and some Republicans is the only representation of Conservatism, doesn't make me any less a conservative.
I could care less what the bleating masses of Limbaugh/Hannity republicans think about this, The NeoCon brand of the GOP is dying and not far down the line the Party Members who also apply to the same brand of Conservatism that I do will be a majority, thats just the numbers, eventually the dinosaurs of the party will be extinct, you know, the people who will only vote the party line instead of issues and truth. When you look at the numbers of new republicans that have been brought in by Pauls campaign and how many of them are now running for local offices and helping orchestrate change in the platform, you'll know what the future holds there.

How interesting, we must just be talking to completely different ends of the military, because the soldiers I've talked to all believed in going after Bin Laden and Al Qaeda, but aren't so sure what they've been doing in Iraq, that they don't see an end to having themselves and their Battles with boots on the ground in Babylon, the resounding message I've heard is: They're tired.
Vote for whomever you want,I'm going to vote for the guy who's been telling the truth since this whole debacle called an election season started,the guy who was right on Iraq, right on the economy and his voting record matches what he says he's going to do... that's Dr.Paul.

You think you've been wasting your time? Dealing with those who toss insults instead of producing intelligent, thoughtful posts and debating the information gets old. The first post out from you was personal attack insults and I have yet to see much else from you, heck, you finish the post I'm responding to with a personal attack on another poster.
As far as posting on a dating site, I've said this before, I'll say it again, I didn't build the site, I didn't put the forum here, I'm just participating in the threads.

"Blacks are voting for Obama because he's black. Women are voting for Hillary because she's a woman."
I don't think this is completely true, maybe in pockets, but it's not the prevalent movement of this country, if it was, then Hillary would have put up an even bigger fight and McCain wouldn't stand a chance.
Place me in whatever category you want to,I don't give a rats, but I noticed that you never bothered to actually answer the question. Exactly what is it that you think Conservatism is supposed to be?

You also realize that if we all went to psychologists most of use would be diagnosed with something.

If I remember rightly, I think someone, who isnt here, might have mentioned that the person who goes to war isnt the same person who comes home. A little piece of them dies.

So, why send your people to die from the inside?

You would for vote for Condy Rice?!

Actually, black people aren't voting for Obama because he's black and women aren't voting for Hillary because she is a woman.

The demogaphics are showing that it's more of an age difference - not a color/sex difference.

And today My PTSD councilor told me our troops only killed 3000 non-combatants,