The Warrior's Brain
PTSD and TBI: What Works and What Doesn't

TBI presumably can make the soldier/Marine more susceptible to PTSD but the differences seem slight while the overlap seems to be great.

X-Ray of soldier's brain. Courtesy: vawatchdog.org

(SALEM, Ore.) - My text comes from two sources, the fist from National Council on Disability, titled 'Invisible Wounds' and the second, Newsweek's 'The Warrior's Brain'.

The first was put together by 25 people including two PH.d.'s and one Education Doctor (E.D.). It seems the rest were qualified because they worked for the government! The document was 63 pages long. It was pretty general and generic and probably cost a lot of money. The main information I got from it was, "current efforts (BY VA and DoD are inadequate) to insure the psychological health of our fighting forces". AMEN. They estimated that of 560,000 troops, up to 40% of the Middle east veterans had come combination of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). Some 220,000 victims.

The other article, two years later, indicated two million one hundred thousand troops, with 40% or 800,000 troops would be victims.

TBI's are the modern name for 'shellshock' or concussion only it seems worse this time around with much larger bombs and artillery. This seems to produce an effect something like "punch drunk" boxers, football players and has some similarities to Parkinson's, dementia and Lou Gehrig's Disease (ALS),

Clinical depresion (misnamed- it is anguish) has caused an epidemic of suicides in veterans AND active combatants.

TBI presumably can make the soldier/Marine more susceptible to PTSD but the differences seem slight while the overlap seems to be great.

The various and numerous treatments by DoD, Tricare and VA Medicos leave very much to be desired, in fact their treatments have far more failures than successes.

And those organizations decry the use of drugs of abuse, usually alcohol and marijuana, which the veterans use preferentially, to the zombifying and/or addicting drugs prescribed wholesale by those DoD and Tricare doctors, then they blame a victim for using a 'medication' which works.

I have sought and welcomed any email to my Website which indicate any medical or non-medical treatment by the above mentioned agents which were satisfactory or even tolerable to the victims. In three years, after some 170 postings and 27 videos, have I had anything more than a few positive results.

In the meantime, the alcoholism, prescription drug and non-prescription drug abuse is soaring and thousands of victims are going back to or starting marijuana use.

THE VETERANS TREATMENT IS DREADFUL, CAN'T THEY DO ANY BETTER?

Footnote:

National Council on Disability - 'Invisible Wounds'

The Warrior's Brain - Newsweek

Dr. Phil Leveque is Salem-News.com’s Medical Expert.
Dr. Leveque has a PhD in Pharmacology and Toxicology, with degrees in chemistry and biochemistry, working as an osteopathic physician and forensic toxicologist. He is currently a non-practicing physician in Oregon who has testified in over 400 court cases as an expert witness and continues to share his wisdom through speaking engagements and special events, as well as with readers far and wide. Phil Leveque has always been a fighter, from his days in the Army during World War Two, when he captured 26 Nazi officers in a single day -by himself - to the rigors of being a Professor while also a full-time medical student.

He spent 25 years as a Professor, teaching in 10 different colleges and universities in the U.S., and two years teaching in Africa through the University of London where he had the opportunity to help train the first physicians in Tanzania. He was also offered the position of Chief Toxicologist for Baltimore, Maryland, offered Chairman of Pharmacology in Texas and Deanship at the Osteopathic College in California.

He then settled down as a retired professor in Oregon, and continued to pursue an occupation as an osteopathic physician and forensic toxicologist.

Dr. Leveque was an integral force in the passing of Oregon’s Medical Marijuana Act in 1998, and co-founder of the THC Clinic in Portland, Oregon. He was a vigilant patient activist throughout his battle with the Oregon Medical Board, earning him the moniker “Most dangerous doctor in Oregon” and continues to serve the public good as a national spokesperson. (For consult or to invite Dr. Leveque to your event, contact via email, below)

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