The Army, the VA and My Life

A lot of friends have asked what is going on with the VA/Army. It’s hard to explain but I’ll do my best here.

There are two separate entities I’m battling with, the Army and the VA. I gave over 10 years of distinguished service to the Army. Upon returning from Iraq I started to show signs of PTSD. In November of last year I snapped and I call this the major onset of PTSD. It sent me into a constant state of hyperarousal and I “lost it” during an Army drill weekend. All parties determined I shouldn’t go to drills due to this. As such, I requested a medical evaluation board (MEB) this past summer. I’m still waiting to hear when my MEB will take place. The MEB will determine if I’m “fit for duty” to keep serving. Unfortunately, I am not. Being around the military sends me into all kinds of panic, aka triggers. This is documented at the VA. In the meantime, I have requested various forms of help from the Army. Last night I received an email that said: NO!; on all accounts that the Army will not be helping me over this hurdle and I should start going back to drills. Still no word on my MEB.

While all that is going on I continue to be aggressive in seeking treatment at the VA. Dealing with the VA is in itself two separate entities: one is for treatment and the other for compensation. I started seeing the VA for my back pain within 4 months of coming home and mental health within 6 months of coming home. It took two years for the VA to do anything significant about my back and at least a year to be diagnosed with PTSD. I filed my VA compensation claim as soon as I noticed my work performance was diminishing and I realized I did in fact suffer from PTSD. Well, that was several months ago. The VA didn’t look at my file until November (six months after I filed). This whole time I’ve been proactive in “getting help”. Still, my symptoms have worsened and I’ve struggled to maintain any form of normalcy.

So, not only is the Army fighting against me, the VA has dragged their feet. I’m fighting two wars, one with the Army and one with the VA. Although, recent efforts look promising for the processing of my claim with the VA, so I remain hopeful. Fingers crossed.

The War At Home is in full swing but I carry on as much as I possibly can. I’ve isolated myself more and more and find my symptoms getting worse. I stopped being a drunk early this year and have taken various steps to stay healthy. I’ve been aggressive and resilient in learning this new normal but have been fighting the war alone. These are the things I’m up against: lack of any help with the Army, the VA waiting too long to give me proper care, and waiting many moons to receive any financial help from the VA.

Hope this helped ease the confusion. As always, thanks for reading!

<3 Jamie