PTSD Can Look Like Other Disorders

I was working with George the other day and he brought up an issue he has been working through. Since George is pushing 80 years old and struggles with anger issues, it was suggested by his family he get help for his anger. George claims to have a horrible temper, and it is backed up by his wife. George’s aggression appears to be consistent and long lasting. The VA had diagnosed George with Bi-polar disorder 20 years ago. Since George was diagnosed some 20 years ago with bi-polar I started to look at the diagnosis, asked some questions and found George does not have bi-polar disorder, he has PTSD.

Since I specialize in PTSD I look for certain telltale signs. After talking to George, I noticed the PTSD right away. I wondered how any clinician, especially one at the VA could miss the PTSD signs, they were glaring. George has most PTSD symptoms, not liking crowds, hypervilligance, anger, nightmares, flashbacks, history of drug use, and multiple other PTSD signs. George was wounded in combat, and lost friends. He has had several brushes with death throughout the years, usually caused by his PTSD thrill seeking and drug use, but now he is too old to go out seeking danger to get his adrenaline up, he is 10 years clean from drug use and finally has a decent relationship. Georges thrill seeking now involves getting in arguments with others, displaying aggression, even with his family, to get his adrenaline up. I thought to myself, how could a clinician miss this. The answer was in the PTSD itself.

What George failed to mention to his previous therapist is his drug use. George started using drugs to self-medicate to handle his PTSD while in Vietnam. The drugs would send George into what looked like a state of mania to the clinician. Once the mania was gone George would slip into a depression, the therapist was seeing the two major signs of bi-polar, mania and depression. The cycle continued for years, solidifying their diagnosis. When given this information it is easy to see how a therapist could mistake PTSD for bi-polar.

Clinicians often get criticized for mis-diagnosing clients. George did not give his VA clinician all the facts. The shame and guilt of using illicit drugs prevented him from getting a proper diagnosis. Since the therapist was at the VA George also feared losing his benefits because he was a drug addict. This train of thought is common amongst veterans, and even the public.

People who have drug problems are looked down on, even if they are self-medicating for their PTSD. George did not realize what he was doing, he was in survival mode trying to manage his PTSD by using drugs, making things worse.

When seeing a therapist, it is imperative that you tell them everything that is going on. The therapist should not judge you for your actions, if they do you need to find a new therapist. Therapist are trained not to judge and must maintain confidentiality, even if you broke the law and used illicit drugs. George did not give his clinician all the pieces of the puzzle 20 years ago.

If he had he might not be trying to get VA compensation for his PTSD at 78 years old. He might have had his disability pension 20 years ago.

For questions or comments, I can be reached at afterdutyvets@gmail.com or visit our website at marriedtoptsdpro.com and like us on Facebook at Married to PTSD Pro.

More Veterans Running for Public Office

I was talking to Jeff the other day about politics and how things have gotten so far out of hand.

Many people don’t know that presently there are the least number of veterans serving in Congress in the history of the United States. Veterans make up 20 % of the Senate and 19 % of the House of Representatives. Forty years ago, 81% of Senators and 75% of the House of Representatives were veterans serving in congress. In recent years politics has been something that a lot of veterans have steered clear of because of its toxicity and costs. I believe veterans can be good for politics because making rank in the military requires being a politician to a point. So many veterans, especially those who retire at higher ranks both enlisted and officer had no choice but to play politics to make rank.

Everyone in the military understands the need to work with, and respect each other who have differing views. I believe this is what’s lost on Congress today, the unwillingness to collaborate across party lines. Present politicians are not willing to work with anyone who is not in their party or follow their beliefs. This is detrimental to our country; we need people like veterans who know how to work with people they disagree with. Veterans know how to compromise and do what’s best for the country. Veterans know how to do what is right and follow through, veterans vowed to defend the constitution of the United States, with their lives. Veterans have proven their patriotism and know how to work hard and get things done. To veteran’s mission accomplishment comes first, regardless of the obstacles or operating environment. If nothing else military veterans are very resourceful, veterans can do absolutely anything with positively nothing. Someone needs to make things happen in politics, and I believe veterans can make that difference. I feel veterans need to support any veteran who decides to run for Congress or any public office for that matter. It doesn’t matter party affiliation, what matters supporting our fellow veterans and their political endeavors to keep the United States the greatest country in the world.

Why should we support veterans in politics? To start with, research suggests that veterans are more likely than non-veteran politicians to work with their colleagues across the aisle. Veterans often have a deeper appreciation of national security decisions. For example, research suggests that veterans in elected and appointed offices have historically had a significantly lower propensity to commit U.S. military forces to disputes overseas. Effective public service requires sacrifice, veterans have a proven history and willingness to serve something that is larger than themselves. Veterans have received some of the best exposure and leadership training through the military. Veterans know how to lead and get things done, just what we need, someone to make things happen.

According to With Honor there have been over 300 former service members running or have run for congress in this year’s primary’s and midterm elections. With Honor helps support veterans no matter the party the candidates are affiliated with. Veterans need to become more involved to make positive changes in the country, just the way they made positive changes to their troops and fellow service members lives. It will be hard to maintain veterans’ benefits with such a small voice in congress, veterans need to help increase the number of veterans representing the veteran and countries causes.

Please go check out this cross-partisan super pact called With Honor who is financially supporting some veterans seeking political careers.

For questions or comments, I can be reached at afterdutyvets@gmail.com or visit our website at marriedtoptsdpro.com and like us on Facebook at Married to PTSD Pro.

For more information about veterans running for congress check out With Honor at https://www.withhonor.org/

What Has Happened to Our Country?

I try to not get political in my writings, but I am seeing actions that make me worry about our democracy. I was talking to Michael, a good friend and an Iraqi freedom veteran with a purple heart and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Politically we agree on few things, but that’s OK we are still friends and respectfully hear each other out. We believe we can still be friends and agree on absolutely nothing politically. Why can’t others act the way Michael and I do, to others it’s all about getting their way. Our society has lost compassion for each other. As Sebastian Junger put it, our soldiers are fighting for an ideal that does not exist anymore outside the military, the right to have an opinion and not be condemned for having that opinion. We as a country are so divided that we are ceasing to function as the great society our founding fathers designed in the Constitution.

The first thing I have noticed is a lack of compromise from our elected officials. This lack of compromise has spread to the general public via social media and partisan news organizations. It’s irrelevant which party you follow as a veteran, our elected leaders on both sides are not doing what is best for the country we fought and died for. Our elected leaders have become sheep to the special interest and bullies who threaten them. Politicians have become all about getting re-elected, not what is best for our country. Politicians and society appears to have lost a fundamental part of being an American, respect for each other and differing opinions. It appears the politicians are bringing their constituents down with them. The lack of compassion and civility on both sides of the political isle has become an embarrassment. The tit for tat has got to stop for the United States to be successful. It’s irrelevant which party you follow, both are responsible for the situation. It is ok to disagree, but do we have to be nasty about it? As a mental health professional, I know what the lack of civility does to the human psyche. People pick sides and start fights because they believe “I’m right, you’re wrong, shut up “without hearing the other side out and looking at facts. All we do is watch the polarized news organizations we choose and refuse to look at how others think and feel about a given situation.

Our politicians need to stop believing they must win at all cost. It’s not about winning or losing, it is about making the United States the best country in the world. Society has let politicians and the media divide us. Non-politicians spend so much time fighting each other that the politicians are free to do what they please, their constituents are too busy fighting each other to pay attention to what they are doing. Politicians are not civil to each other or their constituents who disagree with them, they appear to have a lack of loyalty to our country and a loyalty to their political affiliation and special interest.

Millions of veterans have given their lives to defend the Constitution of the United States. Military veterans from all branches have gotten out of the military and returned home to a divided country, the likes we have not seen since Vietnam. Don’t all Americans deserve respect, compassion, and the hope of a better life. I know that’s what I fought for, not the partisan fighting that the United States has become. I know some will disagree, but to me this is not whatI risked my life for. I want the United States to be Shining City President Regan envisioned, “a tall, proud city built on rocks stronger than oceans, windswept, God-blessed, and teeming with people of all kinds living in harmony and peace; a city with free ports that hummed with commerce and creativity. And if there had to be city walls, the walls had doors and the doors were open to anyone with the will and the heart to get here”. Somehow I feel we have lost our way, we need to find our way back to the country we deserve and the ideals all veterans have fought for.

For questions or comments, I can be reached at afterdutyvets@gmail.com or visit our website at marriedtoptsdpro.com and like us on Facebook at Married to PTSD Pro.

Managing PTSD is a Lifelong Process

I am starting to see an uptick in Vietnam veterans seeking help for their mental health issues. Many of them have been suffering from PTSD for most of their lives, some their whole life.

I was working with John a 74 years old Vietnam Combat veteran who was struggling with his temper as he’s gotten older. John’s temper had started to scare his family, they suggested he get help. John had been dealing with his PTSD since childhood, and the Army exacerbated the symptoms. John has made it 74 years without getting in trouble for his temper because he found ways to work through the frustration and temper. John came to see me in hopes of finding another way to control his temper because his physical disabilities prevent him from doing what had worked in the past.

John set his life up, so he could work through his hypervilligance. He worked a job as a heavy equipment operator which allowed him to have a safe comfort zone. No one could approach John without him knowing, this helped limit some of the triggers. John also stayed busy by having multiple jobs and owning several businesses throughout his 74 years, leaving him little time to think about his PTSD. Being a business owner allowed John to control his environment, he could hire people to do the tasks he struggles with due to his PTSD. John showed another major sign of PTSD, taking risks. Having his own business was not a risk but using his life savings to start it was. John’s risks were evident away from work too. John rode motorcycles, dirt bikes, and talked about how he would drive crazy as a young man. He hiked for miles in steep, rough terrain, he gambled, picked fights, and had affairs. If John had taken just one of these risks it could be thought of as having a momentary lapse in judgement, but John took multiple risks for multiple years, he was always doing something risky.

As time went on John got smarter, he started doing taekwondo for the excitement of fighting to get his adrenaline up. It worked for years until his body gave up and he was unable to do what he needed to maintain the excitement. He started shooting weapons for a while until his eyesight started to go and his shoulder started to give him problems. Over the years John has found other ways to get his adrenaline up, but that recently came to an end due to his health. John can’t do the physical things he used to do to let out his frustration. His temper has flared up and he has lost his way to physically work through the issue. John’s temper has started to scare people, especially his family. He gets aggravated at the littlest things, sometimes for no reason at all. He is quick to pick fights with family members, even his wife, children and grandchildren. John’s short temper has created issues away from his family also, he rails against people for doing things he doesn’t like, causing altercations in public. Picking fights helps John get his adrenaline up to deal with his PTSD, it can be a dangerous coping skill.

As you can see from John’s story he has found a way of working through his PTSD throughout his life. He has changed his tactic’s as the ones have stop working or couldn’t do them anymore. John did not see any of these issues as a problem until recently when it was suggested by his family he get help for his anger. After working through his recent anger issues, John has learned to control his anger.

It makes me wonder what is going to happen to our newest combat veterans, are they going to be like John? If you spot some of these signs in veterans, get them to help while they are still young. The risky behavior can be dangerous, don’t do what John did and wait until he was 74 years old and scaring his family before getting help.

For questions or comments, I can be reached at afterdutyvets@gmail.com or visit our website at marriedtoptsdpro.com and like us on Facebook at Married to PTSD Pro.

To find a therapist visit Psychology Today, put in your zip code, and a list of certified therapist will be presented.

Military Brats, The Undervalued Patriots

I have been working with a 15-year-old military brat named Casandra for almost a year now. It is interesting to see how different she is than most kids her age. She is a Navy brat who has lived all over the world before her dad retired. Casandra struggles fitting in at school because she is seen as an outsider. She has different life experiences than most children her age and struggles with other children who don’t have the discipline she has to follow the rules. This often gets her in trouble with the other kids because they don’t like being challenged for their negative behavior. Military brats have lived their lives moving around the world, going to different schools, moving during the school year, and having to constantly make new friends. I know military brats that went to nine schools in 12 years, that would be hard on any kid even without the other issues of being a military brat.

Because the Department of Defense cannot give a solid number of military brats in the United States. There is an estimated 15 million Americans who are or were military brats. These “Brats”as we call them are a large sub-culture of the United States. In today’s politically correct world civilians scoff at calling them brats, but most military brats are proud to be a “brat”. Growing up a “brat” can be tough. Many lived in a disciplined military household where their parents had lofty expectations for them. Discipline was demanded, especially those of career military because their parents had to answer for their brat’s behavior. Many “Brats” carry that discipline into their civilian lives and onto their children. Military brats have been studied by social psychologist, but little long-term research has been done on the sub-culture.

There are both pro’s and con’s when it comes to growing up a military brat. Let’s start with the positive. To start off with, military brats make friends easy and adjust quickly to challenging situations. Change is their normal, not their exception. Brats are known to have very resilient personalities, exceptional social skills, and are more likely to be proficient in foreign languages. Brats can adapt to their situation because they have had to. Schools on, or near Military bases are more accepting of the new kid for the most part because the other kids have been there. Brats are known to be more accepting to differences in their peers, have little issues with race and ethnicity, and are generally more open with their thoughts. Military brats are also more susceptible to work in a helping and community serving profession’s such as the military, teaching, counseling, police, nursing and foreign service work.

Even though being a brat has pro’s, there are also some con’s. Many brats can have one or both of their parents gone for extended periods of time, they change schools constantly, and must leave friends behind and make now ones. Studies show some former military brats struggle to develop and maintain deep, lasting relationships. Brats can feel like outsiders in U.S. civilian culture. The lifestyle of consistently moving can prevent brats from getting close to friends, brats often limit their relationship out of self-preservation.

The stress of having a parent deployed to a war zone can have long lasting effects on a brat’s psyche. When parents return from war, a different parent comes home. That stress can have everlasting effects on the brats, a drastic change in a parent due to a combat related disability is stressful and change the dynamic of the family dramatically. To brats of deployed personnel, the reality of losing a parent can be a real fear. This fear can be increased if they have a friend who has lost a parent or had a parent who was injured. Some military brats may exhibit symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Avoidant Personality Disorder, and Separation Anxiety Disorder due to their parents military service.

Military brats don’t get the credit they deserve. They have served their country, some of them giving more than some people have ever given to our country. Casandra is struggling to fit in, she has moved so much she fears making close friends because they might leave her, or she will leave them. She also struggles staying in one place, every two years she gets antsy and wants to move. Staying in one place is not her normal. On top of her issues with making friends, Casandra’s father has PTSD and I fear it is rubbing off on her. She is a smart young lady who gets strait “A’s” and has a bright future. I am glad she is seeing me now to deal with the issues of being a brat before she grows up. If you know a “brat” give them credit, they have sacrificed for our country too.

For questions or comments, I can be reached at afterdutyvets@gmail.com or visit our website at marriedtoptsdpro.com and like us on Facebook at Married to PTSD Pro.

The VA is Not Alone in Causing Veterans Stress

I have been working with a client who is a retired military member. Sergio is having trouble with TRICARE and getting the services he needs for his wife. Sergio has been using TRICARE since he retired and hasn’t had any problems until the last five years with getting what he needs. Sergio’s spouse has a life-threatening medical issue and they are getting the run-around by TRICARE about authorizations and referrals to see a medical specialist. I know from experience he is not alone. I too have been getting the runaround by TRICARE, especially when it concerns needing a medical specialist. Since TRICARE has been taken over by Humana military in the eastern region, and Health Net Federal Services LLC in the western region things appear to have gotten worse. I have a daughter on the east coast who’s an office manager for a specialist, she informed me that TRICARE on the East coast is no better than what we have here on the West coast. TRICARE’s customer service is inadequate, there has become a shortage of medical doctors who now take TRICARE. In my opinion the customer service TRICARE provide has declined with each new contract.

Tricare contract has changed 4 times since 1994, it appears each change has caused a decline in services. TRICARE use to be a premiere insurance but appears to be failing over the recent years and has become, just another insurance company. Tricare claims they seek to improve the delivery, quality, and cost of health care services from previous contracts. From what I have seen there is a decline in services, payments to physicians, co-pays, and treatment with each change. I used to tell doctors I have TRICARE and they said, that’s good insurance, now I tell them I have TRICARE and they say, OH! I have had TRICARE since it was CHAMPUS. The changes throughout the years have not been for the better.

In the last change in 2016 TRICARE changed our primary care physician without notifying us. My wife went to an acute care facility away from our home area after receiving an authorization from TRICARE. She was told by TRICARE over the phone that we needed to get an authorization from our primary care physician after we went to acute care. We went to our primary care physician once we returned home to get the after the event authorization, that’s when we found that our primary care doctor was no longer our primary care doctor, TRICARE had changed it without telling us. We have had the same primary care doctor since I retired, and he still took TRICARE, but TRICARE wanted us to go see someone else. It took us weeks to get our primary care provider back, in the meantime we were stuck with the acute care bill. These types of actions by the insurance company is what causes a lapse in the continuity of care for the patient. When doctors are changed, medical issues get missed, and people can die. It’s not about the quality of care for the patient that TRICARE wants their beneficiaries to believe, it is about profits for their shareholders. As the years have progressed the co-pays have increased, causing more out of pocket expenses.

A couple of the issues TRICARE patience are facing is the increase in co-pays and getting to see specialist. The co-pays used to be small and now they are double what they were in the past, that includes prescription medication. Sergio explained his wife’s issues needed a specialist and TRICARE tried to send them to a provider in Orange County. Sergio found a specialist at Loma Linda and had to fight TRICARE to see the specialist who is an hour closer than the oneTRICARE wanted her to go to see, Sergio stated they could not explain why, my guess is the specialist in Orange County was cheaper.

The loss of providers is astronomical for the Veterans community. I have seen where veterans have tried to make appointments in our area and many providers have left TRICARE due to the low payment for services and TRICARE’s notoriously slow payment to their providers. I have seen providers wait up to 6 months for payment of services, and some have stopped taking TRICARE because they cannot get paid.

All these issues place a high burden on veterans and their families. Constantly fighting the insurance company for what veterans have earned for them and their family causes undue stress.

The constant changing of insurance providers, the changing of primary care providers without letting the veteran know, and the increase in co-pays increase the stress of veterans and their families. The inability to find a provider all ads stress to those who have served. Since September is Suicide Awareness Month I wanted to float the idea that having to fight the insurance companies adds stress to already venerable veterans like Sergio and his family, most veterans are elderly, and the undo stress is hard on them. Senior citizens are the biggest risk for suicide. The stress of dealing with TRICARE or any insurance company does not help.

For questions or comments, I can be reached at afterdutyvets@gmail.com. A free suicide training is available at marriedtoptsdpro.com and you can visit the Veteran Suicide Awareness Project for more information on veterans’ suicide.

Nature Can Help With PTSD

Kevin came to me one day and asked, what I can do to help me deal with my Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The answer I gave him might come as a surprise to some, but not those who work with PTSD clients. I like to tell people outside sports is a great outlet for a lot of folks with PTSD. Outside activity is good for the psyche, especially hiking, camping, or fishing. The idea is to be in the moment and not be in your head where the flashbacks live. When you are outside you focus on the here and now, not the past. I believe sports like basketball, football, soccer, or baseball are not as good because the competition can be a trigger and frustrating. Also, there tend to be a crowd at these events where nature activities can be done with limited crowds.

Hiking can be a great way to deal with PTSD. Going for a walk in the woods can be very therapeutic for most people. Hiking can be done alone, with family, or with a group of trusted friends. Any way you look at it, hiking can keep you in the here and now which is helpful when combating PTSD. Understanding that you are in a safe place can be comforting and helpful. Being in the woods can be relaxing and give someone with PTSD the quiet time they need to slow their brains down and combat their hypervilligance. Like hiking camping can be good too.

Camping is good for PTSD because you can get away from the crowds and have some quality time with your family, friends, or alone. Camping gets you into a comfort zone and connect you with nature, helping you feel safe and secure. Camping is peaceful and quiet especially if you combine hiking into a remote area to camp. When I lived in Alaska there were thousands of veterans who lived in the “bush” for the peace and quiet, they hiked into the wilderness, built a cabin back in the woods where they could be left alone. I am not advocating someone go into the wilderness and be alone, I am advocating that it is healthy from time to time to get out of your head and reconnect with the solitude of nature, especially if it involves fishing.

Fishing is one of the best things for PTSD, especially fly fishing. The quiet and serenity of fly-fishing is one of the most therapeutic things someone with PTSD can do. The cadence and the rhythm of casting the fly, reading the streams, matching the hatch, all place the individual in a trance like state if done correctly. Fly-fishing is proven throughout the years to be successful in helping veterans work through their PTSD. There are several groups dedicated to teaching veterans how to fly fish. During the time they are fly-fishing veterans are in the moment, not worried about the problems or troubles, they are focused on what they’re doing.

If fly-fishing isn’t your thing, bass and trout fishing may be the answer. I’m not talking about throwing the worm out and just sitting on the bank, and drinking beer. I am talking about what a friend calls “fish hunting”. Fish hunting is the art of trying to find the pattern fish are on for that day. Fish move around a lake or river based on temperature, sunlight, weather fronts, water flow and oxygen levels. Finding where the fish are located is a challenge, making them bite is another one. During certain times of the year and certain times of the day fish move around the lake or river and develop a pattern. Trying to figure out that pattern puts someone with PTSD in a focused state and not thinking about their triggers. Reading the bank contour and structure of the lake keeps someone with PTSD in the moment. Fishing is how I get my sanity, and I know it works for other people too, especially those with PTSD. Like so many other people I use fishing as an escape to get away from all the hassles of normal day-to-day life.

I know they’ll be people out there especially spouses who think I am crazy for saying hiking, camping, and fishing can help with PTSD, but it has been proven time and time again. Being in the moment and not worried about all the outside influences that trigger a person with PTSD is good. I told Kevin that he needed to investigate getting out of the house and getting into nature to help him deal with his PTSD. I encourage anyone who has PTSD, or any anxiety disorder to take the time and go into nature and relax. Being in the moment and not worried about the triggers of everyday life is very therapeutic.

For questions or comments, I can be reached at afterdutyvets@gmail.com or visit our website at marriedtoptsdpro.com and like us on Facebook at Married to PTSD Pro.

For more information about learning how to fly fish contact

Project Healing Waters

www.projecthealingwaters.org

760-780-7216

jim.owner@projecthealingwaters.org

Is the VA Being Set Up for Failure?

The more I think about it, the more I get angry at the way Veterans and the Veterans Affairs (VA) are being treated. It appears that the Current Administration and Congress want the VA to fail. With the VA not having a leader since March it makes you wonder who’s running the ship. It is unlikely an interim leader, such as we have now, can control the VA and all its moving parts. If he/she makes a decision as the interim leader the VA employees will be skeptical about following because the decision will likely change once a new VA Secretary is chosen.

The last VA Administrator, David Shulkin was fired after 13 months on the job. Secretary Shulkin had his flaws, but it appears to me that he was making positive changes how ever small. He did not have the needed time to make any major changes. The VA is the largest health care provider in the nation and has the fifth largest budget of all United States agencies. It’s going to take time and continuity to turn the US’s fifth largest ship around. The VA’s secretary position being empty appears to not be a huge issue to some but it bothers me. Every day the VA does not have a permanent leader, is another day it will take to fix the problems at the VA. 

It is the administrations responsibility to place someone in the VA secretary position. It is congresses job to over see the VA and its inner workings. It does not matter who the VA secretary is. Congress controls the VA, its funding and oversight of the operation, and they are failing us. It feels like fixing the VA is not a top priority to them. Part of the problem might be that congress presently has the least number of veterans who have served in the military in history. The biggest thing that needs to change is the revolving door of VA secretaries. There have been 6 VA secretaries since 2014. The next one will be 7, and we don’t know who that will be. The present administration has fired 2 VA secretaries since taking office. There have been 2 acting secretaries in the present administration. It is not good for any organization to have such a high turnover, especially one as big as the VA. The previous administration had some continuity, there were 2 full time and one acting secretary in the 8 years. What needs to happen is to stop putting political appointees to the position. 

Political appointees are the yes men of the world. I know I disliked yes men while I was in the military. Political appointees make veterans a political football and subject to the divisive politics we have had for the last 8-10 years. In my humble opinion, we need an enlisted veteran with experience running a large corporation to give it a try. We have tried politicians, military officers, lawyers, and CEO’s or major corporations. Its time to try an enlisted person with a background in running a large organization. 

I know it is difficult to deal with the VA. But the VA will fail if we can’t get a VA secretary to stay in place for multiple years and under multiple presidential administrations. The person who is placed at the top of the VA should be there for a minimum of 5 years to be able to make necessary changes, and see them through. It is difficult for veterans to feel they are being taken care of if the rules and the leadership changes every year. I believe the secretary of the VA should not be a political appointee, they should be chosen by congress, voted on and approved by both houses, and agreed to by Veterans Service Organizations. No politicians should be placed as the secretary of the VA. We deserve to be given the best leadership possible, not some political buddy of the president from either party.

For questions or comments, I can be reached at afterdutyvets@gmail.com or visit our website at marriedtoptsdpro.com and like us on Facebook at Married to PTSD Pro.