Petition Tag - ptsd

RICHARD GARDENER'S THREAT THERAPY IS EXPERIMENTAL, SCIENTOLOGY. IT HIDES THE SEX OFFENDERS BEHIND THE VAIL OF THE FAMILY COURT. IT IS CONDUCTED BY SADISTIC CONTRACTED DR WHICH TRAUMATIZE THE CHILDREN.

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Related links with more information, documents, survivor accounts, media coverage, etc. about Straight Inc.

http://survivingstraightinc.com/home

"Straight, Inc. (1976-1993) publicly claimed to rehabilitate teenage drug users by using tough love and Alcoholics Anonymous principles. Straight, Inc. provided NO professional counseling: Straight, Inc.'s "treatment model" relied exclusively on "positive peer pressure" from unprofessional staff (program graduates) and from the teenage clients. Straight, Inc. claimed to have an astronomically high success rate and was supported by both the Reagan and Bush administrations."

"However, Straight, Inc. did not publicly reveal what many survivors will tell you. The REAL Straight, Inc. was a facility that used coercive thought reform (aka mind control, brainwashing), public humiliation, sleep & food deprivation, extremely harsh confrontational tactics, kidnapping, isolation and emotional, mental, psychological, verbal and physical abuse to forcibly break us down then remold us in the Straight, Inc. image. Straight, Inc. also operated in secrecy, just like a cult (Straight, Inc. has been listed on at least 2 cult expert websites). No outsiders were ever permitted to know what really went on. Straight's rules and our fear of harsh punishment prevented us from talking to outsiders or from reporting abuses."

More links:

http://survivingstraightinc.com/newspaper__magazine_articles_covering_straight_inc_1976-1993

http://survivingstraightinc.com/document_library

http://survivingstraightinc.com/straight_articles_and_information - lots of articles, books, radio shows, etc. here written by journalists, cult and drug war experts, addictions experts, etc.

Also, here is a link to the petition that was posted on another site - the old version has technical difficulties that cannot be repaired - 583 signatures collected there.

http://www.petitiononline.com/petitions/295561me/signatures

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**New The Phil show Goes half way and changes name of show to "Heroes in Pain", but yet no formal apology to our Veterans**

Please read the story that was posted in You Served.

We’ve received a lot of response about last week’s show, “Heroes in Pain,” which focused on the epidemic of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a condition that torments so many lives, including soldiers who’ve put their lives on the line serving our country. Some viewers expressed concern, and even disappointment, with the show’s original title, “Heroes to Monsters?” Our intent was to acknowledge the question so often cited in the media, not to make a statement, and to emphasize the severity of the pain and suffering our guests say they experience. In doing so, we unintentionally offended some of our viewers, and have therefore changed the title to more accurately reflect the show’s content.

I’m glad the show stirred so many of you to respond. Our goal is, and always will be, to call attention to the challenges our returning soldiers face, including PTSD. I really wanted you to hear firsthand the effects that PTSD can have on war heroes and their families, and I’m grateful to our guests for being so candid and honest about their experiences. I hope other media outlets will join us in talking openly about these challenges and our need as a society to respond with compassionate action. Two of my three sisters married fighter pilots (Vietnam era), and my nephew flew many missions as a Navy fighter pilot in Iraq and Afghanistan, so the lives of our veterans hits very close to home.

They should have just said, “Hey guys, we’re just going to change the name, so could you kindly back off? Oh and we’re going to leave that damaged goods voice over bit in the preview.”

Did Dr. Phil ever stop to point out that most veterans with PTSD don’t end up setting their wives on fire or stabbing people repeatedly in the face? Of course not. Indeed, recent research has found that the link between PTSD and violent behavior is actually weak.
How many veterans with PTS have never committed an act of violence. How many haven’t committed a crime? I can tell you that the number of veterans that have not outnumbers those that have by far. How many people saw this show and the numerous reports in the media of bad behavior by those with PTS? How many of those now assume everyone with PTS is dangerous? Far more than anyone knows or is willing to admit. The potential number scares me to even think about.

What Dr. Phil should have written, in my opinion, is this. “We are deeply saddened that we handled this topic so poorly. We regret not inviting additional veterans with PTS that have learned to live with their illness as part of our support and treatment plans for Matt and Mark. We are currently planning a follow up show that will feature veterans that defy the myth and stereotype furthered by our show and many in the media. An overwhelming majority of veterans diagnosed with PTS are not violent, monsters, or damaged goods.”

They should have left off the slimely marketing of The PTSD Breakthrough at the end of the “apology” as well. In case you’re unaware, Dr. Frank Lawlis is the author of The PTSD Breakthrough and is also the chairman of the Dr. Phil Advisory Board. By the way, the show is listed with it’s original title on Dr. Phil’s bio page of Dr. Lawli

THIS IS THE COMMENTS THAT DR. PHIL STATED ON HIS SHOW ABOUT OUR VETERANS.

PTSD: civilians just love to paint veterans as riddled with this disease, causing them to become violent, unhinged lunatics who will explode at the slightest provocation.

Look at just about any news story where a violent crime is committed by a veteran, and PTSD is almost immediately floated as the reason. In the media narrative, violence and PTSD go hand-in-hand. At the same time, troops are criticized for not coming forward and admitting they have a problem, and seeking help for it. (Gee, could it possibly be because we paint veterans with PTSD as homicidal lunatics?)

Dr. Phil, arguably one of the most popular talk show hosts on the planet, decided to feature this issue on his show this week. And while he could have taken a reasonable approach, he went straight for the gut instead. Titling the show “From Heroes To Monsters”, he painted a picture of vets with PTSD as ticking time bombs of violence, describing them as damaged goods who “destroy families” and “dismantle marriages”.

Editor note: the video after the jump WILL autoplay.

One of Dr. Phil’s guests, Matt, is a former Marine who struggles with PTSD. He speaks about how, while deployed to Afghanistan, he repeatedly stabbed an enemy combatant in the face, even after he was dead, to get his anger out. He also claims he saw “lots” of innocent people killed, including women and children. (His last name isn’t given, so it’s impossible to verify his claims of killing women and children while deployed to Afghanistan.)

After Matt, Dr. Phil featured Mark and Heather. Mark is another veteran with PTSD who admits he has violent rages, says his life has been destroyed, and is afraid of what he will do to his family. Heather’s husband, Duane, had PTSD. He beat her and set her on fire.

The common thread between all of these stories: violence. Did Dr. Phil ever stop to point out that most veterans with PTSD don’t end up setting their wives on fire or stabbing people repeatedly in the face? Of course not. Indeed, recent research has found that the link between PTSD and violent behavior is actually weak. Another dirty little secret Dr. Phil didn’t feel was necessary to point out: civilians get PTSD, too. In fact, anyone can get it — anyone who has been through a trauma. According to the VA, about 7-8% of the general population will get PTSD at some point in their lives. For veterans, the risk is slightly higher, although not by much at 11-20%. And, believe it or not, the symptoms of PTSD do not include sudden violence such as setting your wife on fire or stabbing people in the face. Common symptoms include reliving the event, avoiding situations that remind you of it, feeling numb, feeling jittery, suddenly being angry or irritable, having trouble sleeping, etc. Setting your wife on fire? Not so much a normal occurrence. While relationship problems and violence may occur, acting as if it is a foregone conclusion (as Dr. Phil did) and saying that vets with PTSD are “monsters” is ridiculous and offensive.

It has been noted time and again, including here at You Served, that there is a stigma associated with veterans who have PTSD. While things may slowly be getting better, we still have a long way to go. And clearly, that goes for civilians as well. When the leading daytime talk show host runs a show calling veterans with PTSD “monsters” and “damaged goods”, it’s no wonder that there is a stigma attached to PTSD. The media gleefully paints vets who struggle with it as ticking time bombs, as stereotypes of lunatics about to snap at any given moment. The narrative isn’t new… but I don’t ever recall seeing veterans being so blatantly insulted by being called “monsters” and “damaged goods”.

I’m curious if Dr. Phil honestly thinks it’s helpful to paint such a negative, violent picture of veterans struggling with PTSD. I would wager he doesn’t care at all about how this affects our military. Because if he did, this show wouldn’t have existed. What he has done is continue to spread a false and harmful narrative about our troops, which spreads the stigma associated with PTSD even further. And what does that do? It encourages veterans who are struggling with symptoms of PTSD to become even more reluctant to come forward and seek help. Why would they? They’re being told that they’re monsters, damaged goods, violent abusive lunatics. While Dr. Phil is by no means the only perpetrator, this is by far the worst example I have seen in the media.

Having PTSD does not make you “damaged goods”. Does having cancer make someone damaged? What about depression, or bipolar disorder, or any number of other diseases? Telling someone who has PTSD that they are a monster and therefore need to get help makes about as much sense as telling a woman who has breast cancer that she’s damaged goods and therefore needs chemotherapy. It’s not going to encourage anyone to actually seek help. What it will surely do for vets, though, is reinforce the idea that they are somehow broken, that they’ll be judged and punished for having PTSD, and make them think that they are right to not tell anyone and to not get help. None of our troops who are afflicted with PTSD are monsters, they are not damaged, and 99% of them are not violent, homicidal maniacs about to snap at any moment.

The men and women who serve in our Armed Forces give up so much. They sacrifice their time with their families, their bodies, and their lives. For some, they sacrifice their mental health. This does not make them broken, or crazy, or violent, and it especially does not make them monsters. Meanwhile, here is Dr. Phil, taking the sacrifice and exploiting it, calling our troops — who have already given up so much for us — monsters. He should be ashamed of himself.

If he has any honor at all, any gratitude for the service of our veterans, he’ll issue an apology and a retraction. You can contact the Dr. Phil Show at:

Read more at YouServed: http://www.vamortgagecenter.com/blog/2012/04/20/dr-phil-vets-with-ptsd-are-damaged-goods-monsters/#ixzz1sijhpckP

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PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is a debilitating condition that follows a terrifying event an invisible wound and epidemic causing incredible pain and suffering often death.

Re-traumatization patterns appear to be the result of further exposure to trauma and/or psychotropic drugs indicating further transformation of the Amygdala, Medial Prefrontal Cortex, and Hippocampal Function. Symptoms only to name a few include feeling detached from others and emotionally numb.

Appearing to be often an intentional oversight and it is an invisible wound that can be inflicted and manipulated with intent. The result of Government lack of acknowledgement and accountability is certainly questionable.

As a result survivors are left often with next to no alternative but to seek truth for themselves. With often next to no alternative.

A great deal of further research must be done in respect to more effective treatment and cause. PTSD sufferers are being denied their innate human right to Freedom.

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* More veterans are committing suicide than are dying in combat.

*Veterans Affairs (VA) Statistics: Average of 18 vets commit suicide each and every day.

*Suicide rates researched by CBS new between 2004-2005...and the rates are raising fast...
Results 2004:
Overall Rates
Veterans: 17.5 to 21.8 per 100,000
Non-Veterans: 9.4 per 100,000
Male Rates
Veterans: 30.6 to 38.3 per 100,000
Non-Veterans: 18.3 per 100,000
Female Rates
Veterans: 10.0 to 12.5 per 100,000
Non-Veterans: 4.8 per 100,000

Results 2005:
Overall Rates
Veterans: 18.7 to 20.8 per 100,000
Non-Veterans: 8.9 per 100,000
Male Rates
Veterans: 31.5 to 35.3 per 100,000
Non-Veterans: 17.6 per 100,000
Female Rates
Veterans: 11.1 to 12.3 per 100,000
Non-Veterans: 4.5 per 100,000

*Troubling new data show there are an average of 950 suicide attempts each month by veterans who are receiving some type of treatment from the Department of Veterans Affairs...about 18 veteran suicides a day, about five by veterans who are receiving VA care.

*In fiscal 2009, which ended Sept. 30, there were 1,621 suicide attempts by men and 247 by women who served in Iraq or Afghanistan, with 94 men and four women dying.

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A Petition to Secretary Robert Gates and Secretary Eric Shinseki.

The Purple Heart should be awarded to Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans who have service-related Traumatic Stress.

Denying Iraq and Afghanistan veterans suffering from PTSD the Purple Heart is a grave injustice.

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The intent of the petition is to get veterans who suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) proper treatment.

It was reported that more than 32,000 military service men and women from Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) who were discharged from the military between 2001-2005 were found by Veterans Affairs examiners to have mental health problems, including substance abuse (www.military.com article Mental Health Plagues Current Vets).

The bill Joshua Omvig Veteran Suicide Prevention act does just that. The bill was named after a young marine who committed suicide due to untreated PTSD. At this point it is reported that The following areas are addressed with the bill: to military and veterans: Staff Education, Screening of Veterans Receiving Medical Care, Tracking of Veterans, Counseling and Treatment of Veterans, Designation of Suicide Prevention Counselors, Best Practices Research, Sexual Trauma Research, 24-Hour Mental Health Care, Hotline, Outreach and Education for Veterans and Families, and Peer Support Counseling Programs.

This comprehensive plan goal is to limit incidents of suicide among veterans by allowing detailed preventive actions. The bill has recently passed in the House of Representatives on 3/21/07 unanimously, the next step is to be presented to Senate.

Whether you are for or against this war, military and veterans are suffering from mental issues. I am sure many of you are connected to military in some way. Whether it is you, family, friends, coworkers or people in your community, the bill will help the well being of many.

Please support this law by signing this petition to ensure that our military men and woman are receiving proper medical and mental health treatment.

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This does not include children with medical disabilities such as Down Syndrome.

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