Actually having seen the way the VA operates I'd say NO, the suicide thinking person needs to see an outside doctor, The VA is woefully inadequate to even X-Ray and busted toe, with my X-Ray being put on hold due to a broken X-Ray machine, every 30 days per instruction I called and the machine was still Broken, 90 days later I went to an outside doctor. Then there is audiology, a broken hearing aid sent me to call Audio for help, eight calls long waits just to have the phone hung up.
I had to go to a Vets advocate to even get started and here I sit three months later without my left hearing aid. Calling to even make an appointment results in a long time ringing just to have the phone hung up, My family listened to this Charade on speaker phone during a two hour ordeal.
The VA cannot or will not handle Suicides.
Sorry, but all I use them for is Service connected services.
If reality is relative, perhaps VA should be judged by comparable civilian standards. In my state, if you find someone who needs care for addiction, the SOP is a bed will be available in 5 to 6 months. That is, relatively speaking, 30 days is a good deal better. I found it ironic to understand that a person who can wait upwards of half a year does not truly need care. The system generally - at least here - is badly failing. In rural parts of the USA, the SOP is to send the patient to a city. Indeed, in remote Alaska, the primary coping mechanism of a village is to put the patient on a plane with a one way ticket. The village is almost never going to be able to cope with local resources.
As bad as the VA is, it is not the worst medical system in the US (that distinction belongs to the Indian Health Service)....but at least so far the VA is not treating veterans to suicide assistance like in Canada.
After 26 years of service, my discharge physical after Desert Storm was done aboard a Destroyer Tender in Marseilles, France. My actual date of retirement was 3 weeks hence on the day of arrival stateside in Mayport. The doc said they could certify no VA disabilities, that I'd have to do it stateside at a Naval Hospital. All I wanted was OUT. Got 0% VA disabilities. No regrets. Three months after I retired, I got a letter from .gov telling me (essentially) that the "free healthcare for life" I had been promised over 26 years would now cost me a deduction from my retired pay. To me, the tone and tenor of that letter was "join this new HMO & pay up" or "go eff yourself". I joined. I paid. I was angry.
Some points. Many vets have valid needs. More than a few have bogus claims. (I know a Vietnam War draftee who is still getting a $50 check every month for jock itch.) Illegal aliens are getting Medicaid, so I hear. Many able-bodied people can get a Social Security disability retirement if they are persistent and hire a lawyer. Anyone can walk in to an ER and get treatment, sue if denied, or stiff the hospital when billed for care. Most of the good people I know have earned their healthcare through their job. But there are so many entitled parasites feeding at the trough. I do not count vets among them. My takeaway is that .gov simply doesn't care. It's root hog or die for the productive and freebies to the parasites who'll reliably vote to sustain the progressive kleptocrats. We are near or past the 51% tipping point. I don't see .gov rewarding vets or anyone else possessed of similar values with anything. Which is not to say we should give up. Geez, this is an emotional issue and depressing.
Final thought. What causes depression? Does a chemical imbalance in the brain cause depression? Does depression cause a chemical imbalance in the brain? Can medication help? Counseling? Is depression cyclic, just a part of life, afflicting people in different degrees? Is it genetic? Is one's PTSD caused by TBI or accumulated stress? We just went through a 20-year war with men doing back to back deployments. Their tribulations make my own seem very small. God bless those folks. We rehab our ships when they return, but our people? I do not think there is any settled science about depression. Psychology is not a real science IMO. A person in a low spot needs a good attentive friend, foremost. We can do that for one another.
I injured my hand. As my wife drove me toward the VA hospital, I called Tricare to get a referral to Urgent Care. That was an exercise in futility, so we continued to the VA hospital. At the hospital I had trouble translating from bureaucratese to English. 'Are you here as a blah blah blah or a blah blah blah?' I impatiently answered "I'm here because I hurt my hand!" She figured it out, I guess.
Then my wife and I went back to the ER and waited. And waited. And then there was more waiting. Hours sitting on the comfy ER bed. I decided that (a) the cut on my hand had healed or at least closed up and (b) I was sick of waiting for nothing. So I tried to walk out. Oh, boy, was that a problem. I think the guy was ready to restrain me, just to keep me from walking out. I played nice and he promised to get a doctor to look at me right away. Then a few minutes of discussion and the doc looked at my hand and we were done.
Next time I'll pay out of pocket essentially anywhere to avoid the hassle.
One of the problems is our lack of understanding of suicide, with the exception of the real gesture or act, and then rarely other than the point of acting. Certainly a call for help needs immediate response and we are failing miserably at that, as recounted in the blog today. We seem to be limited to only a response at the point of crisis in most cases. Retired Army Major General Dana Pittard called out soldiers after a spate of suicides, and the call was personal accountability and resilience. He was attacked for that, being labeled as unsympathetic and not understanding to the war veteran community- himself a combat veteran who struggled with it himself, even as those he was speaking to were youngsters who had yet to deploy, in a force that was no longer deploying to high intensity combat. We saw that in Training and Education Command, a few infantry NCO combat veterans who were suffering (handled with a bag of prescription drugs), but generally Marines who had yet to complete Entry Level Training. It seems a mix of those who had genuine emotional and mental injury, and those who seemed fragile. The TECOM solution to failing the Airborne PFT for a future rigger being screened for Jump School was physical training remediation. The student opted for a shot gun in his mouth. It is hard to reconcile this phenomenon. I cannot recall a case that did not catch those closest to the Marine by surprise- not the command, but those within the command close to the Marine. We seem to chase symptoms. I cannot believe that is the best we can do.
Can an entire class of ships get a VA appointment, or will it just become an Unauthorized Absence? Gallows humour is a military tradition, plus it helps to embrace the suck.
VA's are like other medical centers: No two are created equal. Which is sad in a way. As they say "If you've been to one VA Medical Center, you've been to one VA Medical Center." But the problem is that some a really dysfunctional, and every single one of them is understaffed in one way or another.
Some of the Porch know that my late spouse (Most know of her as "The Doctor") retired from 30+ years of private medical practice to achieve her dream of finishing out her professional career the way she started: Working with her fellow veterans (She started as a US Army doctor in the 80s. Many of her patients were retirees or VA referrals). In general, while there were many times she had to remind herself that the VA was *just* like the Army (Not in a good way) , at her VA Medical Center (Fargo, ND) the whole ethos there was "ownership" of "Our Veterans." They work closely with the two large healthcare entities in town and frequently referred their veterans out to those hospitals when necessary. Their reputation is such that they're often seen as a place other VA folks want to come to. I know there are a lot people just want to leave.
I will note that as a person "of a certain age" I get most of my medical care from the two outside facilities, but also have a VA Primary physician who can see my charts, etc. if necessary. But, in the 5 months since my wife's untimely and sudden passing, *none* of the many healthcare providers I've seen have done anything more than express their sympathy at my loss. ONLY the VA has been proactive, had some folks casually check in and chat with me and even give me contact info for an informal get-together of people in the same situation. No one else said a word. Only the VA. For that, I will always be grateful.
In my very limited experience with VA medicine, I got the feeling that they desperately wanted to treat me for PTSD for something...whether it be combat related (didn't see any), sexual assault (never happened) or whatever else they could convince me that I was suffering from. It was ridiculous. I went in for service connected spine issues and they are asking if/when I was sexually assaulted...
Actually having seen the way the VA operates I'd say NO, the suicide thinking person needs to see an outside doctor, The VA is woefully inadequate to even X-Ray and busted toe, with my X-Ray being put on hold due to a broken X-Ray machine, every 30 days per instruction I called and the machine was still Broken, 90 days later I went to an outside doctor. Then there is audiology, a broken hearing aid sent me to call Audio for help, eight calls long waits just to have the phone hung up.
I had to go to a Vets advocate to even get started and here I sit three months later without my left hearing aid. Calling to even make an appointment results in a long time ringing just to have the phone hung up, My family listened to this Charade on speaker phone during a two hour ordeal.
The VA cannot or will not handle Suicides.
Sorry, but all I use them for is Service connected services.
If reality is relative, perhaps VA should be judged by comparable civilian standards. In my state, if you find someone who needs care for addiction, the SOP is a bed will be available in 5 to 6 months. That is, relatively speaking, 30 days is a good deal better. I found it ironic to understand that a person who can wait upwards of half a year does not truly need care. The system generally - at least here - is badly failing. In rural parts of the USA, the SOP is to send the patient to a city. Indeed, in remote Alaska, the primary coping mechanism of a village is to put the patient on a plane with a one way ticket. The village is almost never going to be able to cope with local resources.
Seems like perhaps an interim contracted service with regional specialists would help everyone. (Who lives within reasonable access.)
As bad as the VA is, it is not the worst medical system in the US (that distinction belongs to the Indian Health Service)....but at least so far the VA is not treating veterans to suicide assistance like in Canada.
After 26 years of service, my discharge physical after Desert Storm was done aboard a Destroyer Tender in Marseilles, France. My actual date of retirement was 3 weeks hence on the day of arrival stateside in Mayport. The doc said they could certify no VA disabilities, that I'd have to do it stateside at a Naval Hospital. All I wanted was OUT. Got 0% VA disabilities. No regrets. Three months after I retired, I got a letter from .gov telling me (essentially) that the "free healthcare for life" I had been promised over 26 years would now cost me a deduction from my retired pay. To me, the tone and tenor of that letter was "join this new HMO & pay up" or "go eff yourself". I joined. I paid. I was angry.
Some points. Many vets have valid needs. More than a few have bogus claims. (I know a Vietnam War draftee who is still getting a $50 check every month for jock itch.) Illegal aliens are getting Medicaid, so I hear. Many able-bodied people can get a Social Security disability retirement if they are persistent and hire a lawyer. Anyone can walk in to an ER and get treatment, sue if denied, or stiff the hospital when billed for care. Most of the good people I know have earned their healthcare through their job. But there are so many entitled parasites feeding at the trough. I do not count vets among them. My takeaway is that .gov simply doesn't care. It's root hog or die for the productive and freebies to the parasites who'll reliably vote to sustain the progressive kleptocrats. We are near or past the 51% tipping point. I don't see .gov rewarding vets or anyone else possessed of similar values with anything. Which is not to say we should give up. Geez, this is an emotional issue and depressing.
Final thought. What causes depression? Does a chemical imbalance in the brain cause depression? Does depression cause a chemical imbalance in the brain? Can medication help? Counseling? Is depression cyclic, just a part of life, afflicting people in different degrees? Is it genetic? Is one's PTSD caused by TBI or accumulated stress? We just went through a 20-year war with men doing back to back deployments. Their tribulations make my own seem very small. God bless those folks. We rehab our ships when they return, but our people? I do not think there is any settled science about depression. Psychology is not a real science IMO. A person in a low spot needs a good attentive friend, foremost. We can do that for one another.
I injured my hand. As my wife drove me toward the VA hospital, I called Tricare to get a referral to Urgent Care. That was an exercise in futility, so we continued to the VA hospital. At the hospital I had trouble translating from bureaucratese to English. 'Are you here as a blah blah blah or a blah blah blah?' I impatiently answered "I'm here because I hurt my hand!" She figured it out, I guess.
Then my wife and I went back to the ER and waited. And waited. And then there was more waiting. Hours sitting on the comfy ER bed. I decided that (a) the cut on my hand had healed or at least closed up and (b) I was sick of waiting for nothing. So I tried to walk out. Oh, boy, was that a problem. I think the guy was ready to restrain me, just to keep me from walking out. I played nice and he promised to get a doctor to look at me right away. Then a few minutes of discussion and the doc looked at my hand and we were done.
Next time I'll pay out of pocket essentially anywhere to avoid the hassle.
One of the problems is our lack of understanding of suicide, with the exception of the real gesture or act, and then rarely other than the point of acting. Certainly a call for help needs immediate response and we are failing miserably at that, as recounted in the blog today. We seem to be limited to only a response at the point of crisis in most cases. Retired Army Major General Dana Pittard called out soldiers after a spate of suicides, and the call was personal accountability and resilience. He was attacked for that, being labeled as unsympathetic and not understanding to the war veteran community- himself a combat veteran who struggled with it himself, even as those he was speaking to were youngsters who had yet to deploy, in a force that was no longer deploying to high intensity combat. We saw that in Training and Education Command, a few infantry NCO combat veterans who were suffering (handled with a bag of prescription drugs), but generally Marines who had yet to complete Entry Level Training. It seems a mix of those who had genuine emotional and mental injury, and those who seemed fragile. The TECOM solution to failing the Airborne PFT for a future rigger being screened for Jump School was physical training remediation. The student opted for a shot gun in his mouth. It is hard to reconcile this phenomenon. I cannot recall a case that did not catch those closest to the Marine by surprise- not the command, but those within the command close to the Marine. We seem to chase symptoms. I cannot believe that is the best we can do.
Can an entire class of ships get a VA appointment, or will it just become an Unauthorized Absence? Gallows humour is a military tradition, plus it helps to embrace the suck.
https://www.navytimes.com/news/your-navy/2023/04/19/future-lcs-cleveland-launches-strikes-tugboat/
VA's are like other medical centers: No two are created equal. Which is sad in a way. As they say "If you've been to one VA Medical Center, you've been to one VA Medical Center." But the problem is that some a really dysfunctional, and every single one of them is understaffed in one way or another.
Some of the Porch know that my late spouse (Most know of her as "The Doctor") retired from 30+ years of private medical practice to achieve her dream of finishing out her professional career the way she started: Working with her fellow veterans (She started as a US Army doctor in the 80s. Many of her patients were retirees or VA referrals). In general, while there were many times she had to remind herself that the VA was *just* like the Army (Not in a good way) , at her VA Medical Center (Fargo, ND) the whole ethos there was "ownership" of "Our Veterans." They work closely with the two large healthcare entities in town and frequently referred their veterans out to those hospitals when necessary. Their reputation is such that they're often seen as a place other VA folks want to come to. I know there are a lot people just want to leave.
I will note that as a person "of a certain age" I get most of my medical care from the two outside facilities, but also have a VA Primary physician who can see my charts, etc. if necessary. But, in the 5 months since my wife's untimely and sudden passing, *none* of the many healthcare providers I've seen have done anything more than express their sympathy at my loss. ONLY the VA has been proactive, had some folks casually check in and chat with me and even give me contact info for an informal get-together of people in the same situation. No one else said a word. Only the VA. For that, I will always be grateful.
In my very limited experience with VA medicine, I got the feeling that they desperately wanted to treat me for PTSD for something...whether it be combat related (didn't see any), sexual assault (never happened) or whatever else they could convince me that I was suffering from. It was ridiculous. I went in for service connected spine issues and they are asking if/when I was sexually assaulted...