PTSD Hell: It's Like Brainwashing

PTSD victims have unfortunately discovered the standard meds and treatments by the VA don’t work - but bad as it may be in the long run, alcohol, tobacco, cannabis and other illegal drugs will help, even if for only a short time.

(SALEM, Ore.) - Time introduced its article with: “Trauma of War: Private Hell of PTSD”. That statement is NOT quite factual, individual PTSD affects everybody, spouses, family, friends and the public.

We have had an epidemic of suicides, murders, divorces, alcoholism, drug abuse and every other malady of social harm.

I have written and posted that PTSD is part of the Military Training for battle – You don’t think so?!? “You are the best trained, best equipped soldier in history”. Go through a combat course through barbwire, simulated grenade explosions, sometimes blood and guts with machine guns firing real ammo a foot over your head. These simulated battle courses are as frightening as the real thing to a recruit, but fortunately there are few physical casualties. The effect on the brain is burnt into your soul. YES THIS KIND OF STUFF IS VERY CLOSE TO THE REAL THING.

Privates who are at the bottom of the military “food chain” get the full brunt of this “brainwashing”. I’m calling it what it is without apology.

I don’t know which is worse, doing the above or being ordered to do it. Privates take orders which are frequently dumb. Whether this accounts for the 70% of total casualties, dead and wounded, I will leave up to the readers. Many will know exactly what I am talking about.

Time Magazine has a sub heading How one Army town is dealing with PTSD (Well – not really). It points out how a Delta Force Commander reacted with combat hypervigilance to a day at Disneyland. Many of those sounds are similar to the staccato roar of battle. He damn near choked Goofy to death for closely confronting him – that’s PTSD.

This Seal Commander has gone to 64 memorial services for his men. If that wouldn’t cause PTSD nothing will.

Navy SEALS are certainly among the best trained of our military forces, and a person might presume they would be immune from PTSD. NOT SO. It can get to anybody from Private to General though some of the latter have only slight hesitation about sending their underlings into real harm's way.

Navy SEAL Commander Waddell had a hard time even admitting to himself that he had PTSD but he DOES have many of the signs and symptoms. If he can have it, almost anyone of lower rank can have it also.

People who write about PTSD usually condemn the PTSD victim for alcoholism and drug abuse. We victims have unfortunately discovered the standard meds and treatments by the VA don’t work - but bad as it may be in the long run, alcohol, tobacco, cannabis and other illegal drugs will help, even if for only a short time.

I have mentioned the suicides and murders etc. At the same time I was successfully treating about 1000 PTSD Veteran Victims with MEDICAL CANNABIS and they all said cannabis is better than ANY prescription medicine.

Time's article is/was excellent, but I wish they would have at least mentioned CANNABIS giving some relief.

Before any of that, Phil Leveque was a Combat Infantryman in the U.S. Army in WWII. He suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder more than 60 years after the war, and specialized in treating Veterans with PTSD during his years as a doctor in Molalla, Oregon. Do you have a question, comment or story to share with Dr. Leveque?
Email him: ASK DR. LEVEQUE
More information on the history of Dr. Leveque can be found in his book, General Patton's Dogface Soldier of WWII about his own experiences "from a foxhole". Order the book by mail by following this link: DOGFACE SOLDIER OF WWII If you are a World War II history buff, you don't want to miss it.

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S. LaMarche; December 14, 2009 8:51 am (Pacific time)

Thank you Doc for this information.,in this traditional time of peace and hope I would that one day "we would learn war no more".,until that day it is my hope that those who stand in the way and prefer/enforce denial to effective PTSD treatment, via cannabis or others that WE know work, that they take their collective heads out from where the moon don't shine and get out of the way. a hundred suicides a week!!...damn!!

Chuck Palazzo December 14, 2009 12:05 am (Pacific time)

Any and all help should be welcomed by the VA and the US Government. I will never forget the machine gun fire a foot over my head as the DI continued his screaming. Nor will I ever forget the deaths of my brother Marines, the innocent Vietnamese and even the VC and NVA - it all equals PTSD when we returned, if we were fortunate (or unfortunate) to survive the battles. Its stupidity that we, as a government wont sanction or even acknowledge that we can indeed help those who suffer - whether it be cannabis or anything else that would help. 100 Vets committing suicide per week? God help us. Thanks Doctor, for the further insight, as always.

Anonymous December 11, 2009 6:04 pm (Pacific time)

Support Medical Cannabis Access Florida Voters: Download Florida petition at: http://www.pufmm.org/petition.php In California: vote YES on Legalizing Marijuana at: www.yes390.org Support Leap.cc - Police Against Prohibition Support MPP.org - MJ Lobby in Wash, DC

scottportraits December 11, 2009 6:03 pm (Pacific time)

The "afterlife" of combat includes divorce and despair, substance abuse and spousal abuse, joblessness and homelessness -- and, in extreme cases, suicide. Why don’t you reader’s look up how Israel and other countries (except the USA) are using cannabis boiled oil as a remedy for PTSD war vets with suicidal impulses. Go ahead, do a google search and see if you can find the articles that tell of the Israeli study and how they boil marijuana in vegetable oil. They strain it, and bottle it like cough syrup. The soldiers take it by tablespoons – it tastes rank – and there’s no smoking. This method worked so well that other countries (not the USA) use this method for shattered war vets. Bosnia, Canada, New Zealand, France, Holland, Germany, England…….even a country or two in Africa, I recall. There is much terrorism and war in the world now; and it’s all over the globe. In America alone the suicide level has reached (as of 2005) about 100 soldiers a week. That’s right, about 100 vets kill themselves EACH WEEK here at home, and we refuse to use the known technique discovered by the Israelis. Ask why, dear readers, ask your elected officials ‘why’ ??? Support Medical Cannabis Access Florida Voters: Download Florida petition at: http://www.pufmm.org/petition.php In California: vote YES on Legalizing Marijuana at: www.yes390.org Support Leap.cc - Police Against Prohibition Support MPP.org - MJ Lobby in Wash, DC

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