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Depression Community
This patient support community is for discussions relating to depression, counseling, sleep problems, and nutrition.
Vietnam War PTSD
by buddyboy801, Jul 25, 2008 12:13PM
Is there a syndrome/symptom of depression showing up in Vietnam War era military personnel who did not participate in the War directly? I served in the Air Force from 1964-1985 and had strong feelings about the war while it was happening and some of them continue to this day. I cannot seem to hear, see, or read anything about the war-time experiences of my fellow vetereans without having tears well up. Though I volunteereed for assignment to Vietnam officially five times, the Air Force did not see fit to send me there. The closest I got was an assignment to Thailand for the year 1968. My feelings are not debilitating but they do scare me sometimes in their intensity, even these many years after the fact. Are there any others out there like me?
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I am a Vietnam Era veteran who never spent any time in theater, but I also suffer from some of the symptoms you describe.
The VA, however, will not acknowledge a diagnois of PTSD unless you can prove that ou served in a cobat position or that thee was a specific factor that caused you to suffer from the PTSD(i.e. rape, beating, observing a suicide, etc.).
If these feelings that you have are bothersome to you, the Veterans Administration has information available to those sufferring from PTSD at:
http://www.ncptsd.va.gov/ncmain/index.jsp
which is the National Center for PTSD. They can provide you with the resources necessary to treat your symptoms.
Jikan
i'm an air force vet (a female vet) also....i served 1985-1997. i have PTSD from MST (military sexual trauma).
are you service-connected for any disabilities? if so, do you get any medical care at a VAMC? maybe make an appt with the nearest VAMC mental health folks.....they understand vets PTSD issues where civilian pdocs/tdocs just don't get it. even if the VA won't acknowlege your PTSD symptoms, that doesn't mean you can't get help for them.
take good care of yourself...