VA COVER Commission wants to know your mental health care experiences

I have been seen by many so called drs in the VA system and only one has taken the time to look at my body and he was an American. All the rest look at the computer while talking with me and updating my prescriptions. I have been to VA’s in IL, NC and CA. The foreign Drs can barely understand and makes me just what to mumble to see if they get the message. While an intern in Durham, an employee in a Tennessee VA admitted to rescheduling appointments so that the appointments would not be seen as late.
The psychiatrist I am currently seeing treats me like a number, one down, one to go. As Viet Nam vet whose days are numbered due to exposure to agent orange and god knows what else, we should be treated like we were treated than we were upon return to CONUS.

I’m 100% service-connected disabled – majority is ‘TBI” – with occasional “PTSD” appearing on my VA records. 3 x Iraq, 2 x Astan. I received a fully trained PTSD support dog from a non-profit in the fall of 2018. It changed my life. I had been on as many as 6 meds – now I am on one. I was trudging through each day like a robot zombie – totally void of emotion and feeling – never cried, never laughed. Now I am interacting with others – my relationships with family and friends is improving dramatically. I’d encourage those of you interested in a service dog to explore this route. Mine was given, all expenses paid, by an org called Got Your Six PTSD Support Dogs – you can apply online. There’s others providing them as well.
It worked for me – really worked. The VA offers a stipend to help with pet insurance and food – of course I was denied. Go figure.

I served 36 years, 21 Active Duty and 15 in the reserves. Service includes 15 1/2 years Active Army, and 5 1/2 in the Coast Guard. Upon retirement I went on to obtain my MA in Human Developmental Counseling from a CACREP Certified Program (required by the VA) through U of I. I am licensed and Nationally Certified. I am also rated at 90% disability which puts me in a prioritized hiring position. I went back to school to achieve this, not because I want to make a killing, trust me, Counselors do not make a lot of money, but for my brothers and sisters who served and got F’d up during their service.

After hearing all of this rhetoric about how they care about our mental health, I have applied to the VA and guess what? Here I sit, not hired. I don’t want to go work at a substance abuse center, unless it’s for Veterans, I don’t want to sit in some college hearing some 19 year old complaining about the stress over a paper and too much homework. I want to be there for my Veteran Family. I can speak the language of both ground and sea going forces, and I have the vast experience to understand where, how possibly why. I want to help you men and women work through things and get you to a full and happy life. Yet I can’t even get an interview from the VA. If I ever get hired, I will be here for each of you. Thank you for your service – one and all.

The mental health services in the Salem, and Porland Oregon area sucks, the last 2 Psychiatrist should have there license revoked, 1 had me on a drug that made me think of suicide 247 while I was taking to him about places that have assisted suicide just because he looked at me and said and I quote Maybe you should just go there then! My words to him were not nice as I exited his office. And he’s still there because they can’t get anyone to work there, I took myself off that med needless to say it put me in the hospital a private hospital because and the VA would not take me unless I would say I want to commit suicide and I would not say that because I was not suicidal after getting off that med but my head was really wacked out and I needed help, then by chance I seen a good dr. That got me on the right med and was really helping me then he quit the VA, so now I feel like I’m back out here hanging on a limb, the worst part you get a good dr. Build some trust then they leave because of the VA Bureaucratic bull s#!+, if your a vet dont come to Oregon the VA here is under staffed and about 1/2 shouldn’t even be practicing medicine

Once again rural America is forgotten. As a Chaplain I will relay to you what veterans have told me.
1. They need doctors who are Americans and can speak English better so we can understand them and they us. Most of these doctors are from Pakistan and the middle-earth, you cannot understand what they are saying.
2. Get doctors and social workers who actually listen to you and stays off their computers and cellphone when you talk to them.
3. Get doctors who are veterans who can relate to what we tell them. Everytime we talk to them they just want to go over the horror and carnage. I been coming for 10 years and we still have not gotten passed that. How can you heal if these doctors and social workers will not let us?
4. What with all the pills? You see the psychiatrist for 3 minutes, they don’t listen to you and just give you more pills, they don’t care. In group you might talk but with them [psychiatrists] it just popping pills.
5. We been telling the VA for decades how to improve mental health but they do not listen. They only want to run you through to get to the next patient.

There is more but this is a broad overview. You really should go to the smaller VAs and talk the veterans, not just the Administrators, Directors, Social Workers, Doctors and Nurses.

Thank you

The VA Gulf Coast Med Center in Biloxi Mississippi is terrible for mental health concerns. Twice I went to the mental health bldg. The first time I needed to talk to someone about a buddy of mine who committed suicide while talking to me on the phone. I was told to go see the chaplain. The next time I was told ” you are a hateful person get out of my office now ”
I decided these people cause more suicides than they stop.
The medical clinics are almost as bad.

Hello and you said you want to know how is our mental health and my health, will let me till you like it is, but ( who ever reading these my life health, if you been in the army then you understand ) I was dratted then and volunteer from active duty to 1973 to April 30 1997 honorable discharge.
1. 1st you dont know how i feel being 70% combat disability, and the money i recieve is not worth it the pain i deal daily in my life. the pain daily, cant go to sleep, thinking over and over of all what i encounter during before, during, after my duty. why these thing happen , sometime i feel doing bad of my life, we serve and protect these country USA, most people in USA do not appreciated of our service, but I believe continue my service, after all , but at these time i am on pain,think crazy over and over what went wrong to serve these country for freedom? and why? I want to live and so turn around to God will help me to over come my pain. and also think what my father teach and advice me, ( that there is no replacement of positive attitude.)
2. During my time serve and protect these country for 25 years , 19 days and 5 hours, always believe that when I take my oath as said I always protect these country, which I did. during my army time for 25 years we trained how to kill the enemy and protect our self, to be a good soldier which during the training no matter what is the weather conditions we accomplished the training. is hot, cold, rain, snow, dust storm and others , we in-hill bad air pollution, we cold food, drink water we dont know if safe water to drink or not,, during the training no sleep and very tired, and do my duty in good manner, bottom line is I am very much disturb.that is some people do not respect who serve these country. Again during the active duty that went we get sick we go to sick call and give as a pain killer, but for me during my tour during the training I feel chest pain number of time but no doctor x-ray or checked why I have a chest pain and also number of time feel high blood pressure and never longed in to my health records. At Fort Knox Ky, on the way home after training I pass out while I am driving due to my cold, and over fatigue
3. here is all my assignment from 1973 – 1976, i was station in Germany town of Gaisen, and duty was maintenance/recovery .during these tour of duty to secure the .west German border, which few meter away the distance from east, we in the west German side and very scary that is at anytime the enemy can kill as in few meter distance. and we get paid for private salary is about over 100.00 dollar a month. we do a 100% duty and now I saw and think over and over about all my duty was so sad and not appreciated why? and I go crazy?. all my life is dedicated to my service in these country to protect the freedom.
4. Duty assessment 1976 -1980 Fort Hunter Legit, CA was detail for lazier experimenting and we encounter all kind of health problem and training to get the job done, we encounter of all health problem the weather rain or sunshine hot weather and where we sleep or live is not standard of living is very poor and these situation the chain of command aware of,( BUT WE DO OUR DUTY) I am not complaining and I am telling the facts/true of what we did as a soldier, During these tour of duty is individual to coop with the situation the condition where we sleep is ww two building, and we eat what ever in the chow hall serve. Again what we did and support these laser experimental is mission accomplish and we never told as what is the results of the experiment, I re-enlist again to go back in Germany.
5. Again I was station in Amburg west Germany, assign to 2nd Armor Regiment 1989 to 1990, near to the Czechoslovakia border, duty is more is very much hard due to 100% mental and fitness, 30 day tour and Locke down in the barracks and always ready in few second and ready for duty, and everybody knows there duty/responsibility with no mistake is ready to execute to kill the enemy, during the tour of duty our equipment’s 100% combat ready and we all have a secret clearance others is top clearances. During the locked down in the barracks is very much to coop because the situation, your mental situation must be 100% mission oriented, ( YOUR LIFE EITHER YOU LIVE OR DIE) is very much so hard to understand if the situation occur, and so i was thinking all those time is very dangerous situation and it drive me crazy, while we are assign to guard these area, the Pres directed to new mission Oct 1990 we are GOING TO IRAQ , Nov 1990 my unit 2nd ACR get ready IRAQ mission,Every received physical, my situation is I am having a sinusitis, having chest pain ones a week and border line for diabetes, so we went to Saudi Arabia first to processed our equipment before war IRAQ, these duty is 100% mental and fitness. being ( MSG Sgt E-8)
is very much mission oriented how to accomplish and ready for WAR,.that all those training I received and used to engage the mission for WAR, Before the war started we are engage to get our job ready example, we paint all equipment’s for brown over 1000 equipment’s.and we are in the IRAQ/Sudi Arabia Border, while we are getting ready for war that is we encounter for these 1. when we paint all shipments for brown, with no paint mash while we are painting, and smile that carp paint is bad for your health, 2. we smile pit smoke is smile bad, 3. smile dust and during the dust storm we must stop working and cover your entire body specially my head and my face cover with my towel still smile dust , Now in my situation every week the doctor eject my nose to clear my clogged, i feel very much sick, have a chest pain, head ache , sinusitis, i feel so bad but we continue the mission, ALL THESE HEALTH PROBLEM-WAS NOT RECORDED TO MY HEALTH RECORDS, BEFORE DURING ,AFTER THE WAR, there is no time.
6. During the war , we go crazy that we encounter all these bad area and no choice but take it, there is no way to turn around back and do the job that your life is endanger, we smile bad air black oil smoke, smile daily bad smoke and when the have dust storm is very bad, we see number of dead human there body was spread cut, I have the photo which i give you a copy
during the war, I see deed body,smile bad air, i feel and smile dust storm, my hear was damage for big artillery boom sound, jet big sound that travel fast enough, burn pit smile, and more, during the war i feel bad and i dont relay care any more of myself, what ever being a soldier we fight, either die or survive we really tired and fatigue, no sleep, when we eat the dust is on your food, ( yeah 1990 November and we have a thanksgiving turkey and it really look good and while eating the dust storm arrived and my dinner was sad and i through away my food because is full of dust, i was crying and sad because my family thinking about me how is my thanks giving if we have a turkey. i told her my food is looks good but went the dust storm arrive screw or spoiled the whole thing and through my food away.
7. During the desrt storm we the 2nd ACR all soldiers experience and encounter all those problem that i mention these letter and now when we return from the war we went home and take a physical and some of the soldier have a physical problem, now here is the problem when we apply for disability the VA inform as is not combat disability and is not in our medical records, and these is how i am having a a big problem and my question is why? During the war we en-hill bad air, smile pit smoke, smile oil smoke ,we eat food with dust, we drink with dust, we smile dust and encounter deed body smile , smile deed animals and is all in our brain will not be remove and always there the rest of my life, we did our duty and before during after those we smile and all encounter is not in our records because we are in combat and no time to record these situation. I feel so bad we did the job and i feel taking my life away because we accomplish the job and return home safe for others. that is so bad and then the VA will not understand , during the gulf war i am having a problems already, these illnesses following our life. these MSG E-8 need help want to live for few years.these is my part of my life being in the army i will till you more next email. I was so mad because i apply for my disability for my heart that i have a coronary problems which 2015 I received 4 stent at the Fort Lewis WA, and June 2019 again received 2 stent have a heart problem and i apply again the VA reason is not combat disability and disapprove my rating heart problem, or I spend 1,200,000 pesos or 24, 000.00 dollar for my saving for my two stents.
which i pay my own saving money which the VA will not help me nor give me assistance , and its sad in my situation and i was thinking that i wish during the operations of my heart i be deed so no more pain and now i am having difficult problem and thinking so much. thank you

robert gaspar

Attention Cover survey group ! You are missing input from a LARGE group of Veterans…. VISN 22 GREATER LOS ANGELES DESERT PACIFIC . Why would you want to miss a grassroots group. On the WLA Campus alone see how mental health has evolved. Just a thought.