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Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Should Be Investigated By Government, Urges MP

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First Posted: 20/12/2011 06:40 Updated: 18/02/2012 09:12   PA

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Civilian doctors understand "very little" about post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) when it appears in veterans long after they have retired, a Tory MP claimed as he urged the Government to investigate the treatment of a former SAS soldier.

Stephen Phillips, MP for Sleaford and North Hykeham, said "lessons plainly need to be learned" by the Government following the death of Martin Pratt, after battling with alcoholism.

Mr Phillips said the case showed civilian doctors knew very little about what to look for when facing veterans who could be suffering from PTSD long after they had retired from the military.

It was now up to civil servants at the Ministry of Defence and Department of Health to start working together to better diagnose and treat the mental illness.

In a question to defence minister Andrew Robathan, he said that Mr Pratt's experiences with the SAS were "sufficiently traumatic that long after he left the army, he suffered from severe post-traumatic stress disorder which ultimately led to alcoholism and the death of a much-loved husband, father and grandfather".

Mr Phillips added: "Now it seems clear that there is little understanding in the civilian medical community of patients like this, of later-life PTSD in military personnel and very little joined-up thinking between agencies responsible for the care of veterans.

"I hope you can assure Martin's family and the whole House that you will look in to this case in detail with your colleagues at the Department of Health so that the lessons which plainly need to be learned, are learned."

Mr Robathan said there was a joint initiative between the MoD and the Department of Health to deal with the problem.

The Government was also taking forward the recommendations of a report by Tory MP Andrew Murrison, which has come up with a range of measures to help those suffering from mental health problems as a result of serving in conflicts.

"We are very concerned about this," Mr Robathan added.

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Michael Vlahos Michael Vlahos: Did We Lose the War? Mark C. Russell, Ph.D., ABPP Mark C. Russell, Ph.D., ABPP: Preventing Military Misconduct Stress Behaviors Francine Shapiro, Ph.D. Francine Shapiro, Ph.D.: Baby Boomers and Distant Dads Scott Mendelson, M.D. Scott Mendelson, M.D.: What Is PTSD?: A Post-Hasan Primer E. C. Hurley, Ph.D. E. C. Hurley, Ph.D.: Being a Veteran Can Be Hazardous to Your Health Francine Shapiro, Ph.D. Francine Shapiro, Ph.D.: Why Our Unconscious Rules Us and What to Do About It Francine Shapiro, Ph.D. Francine Shapiro, Ph.D.: How Memories Keep Us Apart: The Past Is Present Mark C. Russell, Ph.D., ABPP Mark C. Russell, Ph.D., ABPP: Underestimating the True Prevalence of War Stress Injury in the Military E. C. Hurley, Ph.D. E. C. Hurley, Ph.D.: Veterans and PTSD Treatment E. C. Hurley, Ph.D. E. C. Hurley, Ph.D.: When Veterans Come Home

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Prove It theres no test
31 Fans
15:37 on 21/12/2011
Disgusting! they can't do enough turn a man / woman into emotionless killing machine to defend Govt decisions - they can do & spend as little possible once the usefulness has run out & illness they've known about for many, may years has struck!
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venlafaxine
28 Fans
22:15 on 20/12/2011
Had a friend who served abroad in war situation - saw people being burnt alive - horrific flashbacks,
Felt as though the upper middle of LHS of brain had damage or fused.
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venlafaxine
28 Fans
22:08 on 20/12/2011
They've served in the forces & happened defending the country, the forces Doctors should look after them even after their service! Civilian GP's are useless they don't want to get involved & coercing, it doesn't bring money into their surgeries like blood tests & asthma clinics etc. (Most clinics are unnecessary especially once they've got your blood pressure down they then take you of medication! Next year it's gone up???? What they term mental illness, means possibly long term illness as they know very little & no actual cure.
Civilian NHS Psychiatrists don't even speak they just hand out horrific side effect medication & tell you it's in the mind - but 50% who take the medication end up poisoned in A&E! Everything is based on theory back in the Victorian era or voted on in a handbook in the USA. They don't know if mental illness is psychological or physical or the mind & brain are the same thing. Shock or cortisol rushes to the brain possible causing the damage to nerve endings & the emotion / Physical pain centre of the brain is fused / burnt out, so everything in turn is heightened - They pain the feel is not distinguished by the brain - not evolved to do that. Psychotropic drugs are standard but everyone is individual, tardive dyskenasia common damage. Benzo cause anxiety & psychosis etc.
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Angelic Stormz
1 Fans
19:15 on 20/12/2011
Some people do not believe in this symptom, medically. And, they are considered to haven mental problems when predisposed to ptss/ptsd - It does happen years later, especially when given no choice to deal with it.
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Roger Arbroath
7 Fans
15:27 on 20/12/2011
The whole issue of PTSD needs serious study. It is not just people in the forces that can suffer but also many folk in civilian life after such as car accidents, etc. PTSD can affect not only their personal lives but also their relationships with their employer and following on from that, their careers. Instead of wasting al of the money on foreign aid we should divert some into meaningful research.
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venlafaxine
28 Fans
00:31 on 21/12/2011
Prescribed medication such as Bezo group or any Psychotropic can trigger Psychosis just like illegal drugs, leading to PTSD & Depression or other mental illness. Depends who's sensitive - It kind of rewires the brain.
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Prove It theres no test
31 Fans
14:25 on 20/12/2011
NHS - "Civilian GP's" - Are cr*p & get a few hours training in "any mental illness" - they usually make the conditions worse & cause more stress. They know only very little about the brain! Psychiatry is still in the Victorian era & behind all other area's of medicine.
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sabpol
12 Fans
13:40 on 20/12/2011
my son left the army in 2003 because his now ex wife didn't like army life, 12 months later she wanted a divorce, my son found out later that she had been having affair with another squaddie it started while my son was in afghanistan, he found it hard to cope on civvy street and finally took his life last year, his GP was treating him for depression, which wasn't helping, he was also seeing a counsellor and one of the things he told her was that the happiest time in his life was when he was in the army, our heroes need more help
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JRWaddy
19 Fans
12:52 on 20/12/2011
Great pic of soldier & doggie...... Is the dog a sufferer too ?
More seriously & more sadly I have knowledge of the effects.
The stiff upper lip is, sometimes, difficult to do.
Good luck mates. If it helps, and yes he has helped me, Splike Milligan, the well known typing error, in his writing does allow a smile through adversity.
And no, my situation is not due to PTSD I am glad to say.
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sunderland71
2 Fans
11:12 on 20/12/2011
This has been known since WW1, do something about it
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HUFFPOST BLOGGER
Lawyer13
retired Lawyer, General and Psychiatric Nurse, wit
3594 Fans
 
11:11 on 20/12/2011
This finding is by no means new, it can be triggered by stress at any time, and can be difficult to treat, at least there is help available to our ex-service personnel.
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sunderland71
2 Fans
11:31 on 20/12/2011
Unfortunately their is still a hugh stigma connected with this while still serving. Theres tons of policy but little understanding as I for one has found out
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Prove It theres no test
31 Fans
14:27 on 20/12/2011
There's stigma in civilian life & NHS too!
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HaltStamataDer
0 Fans
12:23 on 20/12/2011
I have had it from 1955. Masked mostly, but it grows stronger with each passing day, let alone years! Turned down by "Combat Sress", due to their internal problems. Since then, only the RBL has done as much as they can. NO-ONE ELSE!
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