so now the military is using a shady little trick to deny us soldiers needed mental health treatment.....by saying there was a personality disorder in existance before they entered into service, they are trying to say the ptsd some soldiers experience is a pre-existing consition. personality disorders are considered "axis 2" disorders, and like other non-changable conditions such as mental retardation, are never covered by insurance as they are considered inherent to the individual and not as a disease or treatable condition.

as i know very well, insurance has the right to deny treatment for pre existing conditions for up to a year....

one of the most interesting aspects of post traumatic stress is that it is considered to be the ONLY mental health condition that is entirely unrelated to internal disturbances, ptsd always involves a real-life unexpected stressful situation that puts strain on the brain
A National Center for PTSD Fact Sheet explains:
(by a.j. mahari

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, is a psychiatric disorder that can occur following the experience or witnessing of life-threatening events such as military combat, natural disasters, terrorist incidents, serious accidents, or violent personal assaults like rape [childhood sexual abuse]. People who suffer from PTSD often re-live the experience through nightmares and flashbacks, have difficulty sleeping, and feel detached or estranged, and these symptoms can be severe enough and last long enough to significantly impair the person’s daily life.


PTSD is marked by clear biological changes as well as psychological symptoms. PTSD is complicated by the fact that it frequently occurs in conjunction with related disorders such as depression, substance abuse, problems of memory and cognition, and other problems of physical and mental health. The disorder is also associated with impairment of the person’s ability to function in social or family life, including occupational instability, marital problems and divorces, family discord, and difficulties in parenting.

the above article goes on to talk about ptsd and borderline personaltiy disorder or bpd. bpd often is present in individuals have a strong history of abusire and traumatic experiences....however, ptsd is not caused by the personality disorder. anyone can respond to situations with ptsd, and for each tour of duty a person spends in a combat zone, the likelyhood that the experience will result in ptsd increases....

i understand the military is broke. i understand that bush has not starved the government, but has instead traded social services for high tech highly expensive weaponry....but it is not appropriate to deny any soldier treatment for a condition they now have which is a direct result of combat in service to the protection of this country....

Song of the day: where have all the flowers gone- peter paul and mary