Pre-existing Post Rape Syndrome

Now I've blogged regularly about the military's propensity to discharge soldiers based on pre-existing conditions pulled out of their ass without proof. The basic gist is they develop mental conditions while in the service of the military, especially issues such as severe PTSD, and get kicked out without military benefits and long and often difficult fight with the Veterans Affairs Administration to get medical help.

At the end of this post is the posts on these related news items and demands my congress to address the problem. But right now I'm adding a new one to the list. Rape victims being kicked out of the military without benefits for having "pre-existing personality disorders" without any proof of such pre-existing conditions, conveniently timed after they've reported rape.

From CNN (Read the full article for individual cases they profiled):

CNN has interviewed women in all branches of the armed forces, including the Coast Guard, who tell stories that follow a similar pattern -- a sexual assault, a command dismissive of the allegations and a psychiatric discharge.

...

The latest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, known as the DSM-IV, defines a personality disorder as a long-standing, inflexible pattern of maladaptive behavior and coping, beginning in adolescence or early adulthood.

That would mean women like Schroeder, Moore and McClendon had a pre-existing personality disorder when they joined the military. Someone with personality disorder tends to get fired from jobs, get in trouble with the law or at school or is unable to maintain relationships.

"It makes absolutely no sense medically for people to be diagnosed all of a sudden after being sexually assaulted as an adult in the military to say 'No, you've had this all along,'" says Bhagwati, of the Service Women's Action Network.

"These women have clearly been able to function. They've made it through basic training. They've made it through all the follow-on training. Many of them are deployed overseas in war, and they've done fine there. But, when they're sexually assaulted, and then report it, it seems very suspicious that the military would suddenly stamp them with a pre-existing condition that bars them from serving anymore."

Dr. Liza H. Gold, a clinical professor of psychiatry at Georgetown University School of Medicine, says it's a rule of thumb among psychiatrists not to diagnose someone with a personality disorder in the middle of a traumatic experience like a divorce, litigation or the aftermath of a sexual assault.

The DSM-IV says: "When personality changes emerge and persist after an individual has been exposed to extreme stress, a diagnosis of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder should be considered."

Also, by definition, a personality disorder diagnosis cannot be caused by another psychiatric condition, such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Gold says.

After as many people were screwed over with PTSD and other psychological problems incurred and/or aggravated in the service being denied benefits, this is just a whole new slap in the face that appears to have been going on at the same time. The military's zero tolerance policy appears to be more about saving its own ass and money while they fuck over rape victims and other veterans.

If the military's practice of getting people fucked up and dumped onto the street without benefits after they've served their country honorably doesn't piss you off, you're reading the wrong blog.


Following up on these older posts:

Personality Disorder Scam...: ...becomes Multiple Personality Disorder Scam. Military changes tactics to avoid congressional investigation.

Widespread 'Isolated Incidents': About a stunning admission of a military doctor that they are being pressured generally to avoid diagnosing PTSD in returning soldiers... caught on tape.

Dr. Phil on VA Failings: Dr. Phil puts the spotlight on veterans and the bureaucracy that regularly fails them while the bureaucracy responsible pulls the 'isolated incident' routine.

Bombshell: The VA Shredder Scandal reveals a depressing peek into what lows the bureaucracy will sink at the expense of disabled veterans.

Pentagon Disorder Update: Finally some action to tackle the personality disorder scam to defraud veterans of their earned benefits.

Pentagon Disorder Update: Finally some action to tackle the personality disorder scam to defraud veterans of their earned benefits.

Pentagon Disorder: Part II: More of the personality disorder scam stories and a PBS special giving the issue more public attention. Still no action.

Shhh...afting Veterans: VA employee caught red handed suggesting that her staff misdiagnose PTSD patience in order to save money.

What's More Disgraceful?: New stories of the military misdiagnosing service connected ailments as a pre-existing Personality Disorder, and the denial of benefits that result.

Psychological "Friendly" Fire: Veterans struggling with the VA claims backlog and bureaucracy and how the misconceptions and deceptions pushed by the Pentagon are making it even harder for returning veterans to deal with the VA bureaucracy.

Pentagon Disorder: The Personality Disorder Scam. The DoD takes service connected disabled vets and says they have pre-existing mental problems that get the government off the hook for paying for benefits for their war time and service connected disabilities. A real travesty.

More Vet Funding But...: Some good improvements on Vet funding, but still no movement on the Personality Disorder scam being used to deny benefits to veterans.