Sunday, May 9, 2010

Close Call - PTSD

Just missed going on the NICS background lists as mentally incompetent thanks to the smiling lady at the Veterans Administration. At the urging of friends, applied for and was approved for VA medical care. It is not something that I need or want to use now. In the future, who knows? Can’t hurt to get it set up, right?

Said lady was screening me as part of the process to set me up with a primary care facility and primary care person. Lots of questions. Inoculations, medical history, surgeries, etc. and then the Post Trauma Stress Disorder screen. Four simple questions. Having been a salesman most of my life, I can spot setup questions as fast as they are uttered along with the body language and voice tones of the questioner. Me, admit to PTSD? No way, but she almost got me. Then the sex questions. “Was I every subjected to…………”? Answer, “Yes”. “Have you suffered trauma because of this”. Answer, “No, the trauma was suffered by the person making the unwelcome advances”. End of questions. Thanks to the senior Senator from New York (a gutless asshole who has never once put his personal safety on the line, who wants to disarm you and me while he is licensed CCW) most vets can be barred from purchasing firearms just by answering four generic questions the wrong way. If I am wrong about this, please correct me.

I was treated well at the VA Hospital. The process was fast, well structured, and the personal comportment of the staff I encounter was very professional.

As to PTSD, I know some veterans have been emotionally devastated by their service experience. In no way do I not respect their experiences. The majority are, I believe, like me. I was an asshole when I went into the Army. The Army didn’t cause that. When I got out I was the same, only with some stress added.

1 comment:

Old NFO said...

Oh damn, I'll have to watch that- I have an appt with them next month. THANKS!