Hi this is Brian Wiklendt again with Garfinkel Schwartz Defense Base Act law firm. I’m located here
in Maitland Florida in our main office.
I’ve been traveling a lot. Hurricanes
dodging them that kind of thing. We’re back up to speed here in Florida. We got
lucky this time in central Florida.
PTSD No. 1 Injury Among Contractors in 2017
At any rate what I wanted to do is explain to you that I’ve that
gotten some statistics that are somewhat troubling for the overseas contractor
community in terms of PTSD. That PTSD No. 1 injury among contractors in 2017.
As of this year, 2017, PTSD is the most prevalent injury
that has been reported out of all injuries that occur to overseas contractors
mainly in Iraq and Afghanistan.
And the PTSD injuries are covered by the Defense Base Act which is what I specialize in. And I wanted to try to touch base with what to
do when you come back and you’re starting not to feel yourself or your family
says you’re just not the same person you used to be.
Your personality’s different. What’s going on? It’s a very
troubling and very fearful type situation that requires help from a
professional. And I understand that a lot of my clients and potential clients
have problems and issues dealing with the reality that they might need some
help.
Contractor PTSD Not Identified
No Exit Interview
One of the biggest problems that overseas contractors have
that I deal with are that you don’t get an exit interview. Once something
happens once an incident or something happens that’s horrific warlike military
people get briefed they have to be seen by someone they have to be cleared they
have to undergo testing and things like that to make sure that they get the
help that they need now that PTSD is prevalent and has to be addressed by the
VA.
Unfortunately overseas contractors get a plane flight home
and that’s it. Or at least they think that all they get is to go to the airport
and go home. So there’s really there’s no counseling that happens there’s
nothing that happens so people are left out on their own to try to figure out
how to deal with this.
Can’t Fight Through PTSD
A lot of my clients say "I’m going to try to fight
through this thing I’m going to try to deal with this. I don’t want people to
not hire me because I’ve been labeled as a person with PTSD or I don’t want
people to take my guns away all kinds of issues that occur that a person just
does not want to seek treatment. Seek Treatment for Your Benefit
But the honesty of the situation is you need to seek
treatment for your own benefit. And if it comes or it enters into your mind and
you and you can say, “this thing is affecting me to such a degree that I can’t
work in certain areas anymore. I can’t deal with crowds. I can’t deal with loud
noises. I’m having issues at home with my family. I have angry outbursts,” you just
have to go see somebody.
We Advance Medical Evaluations
Our law firm advances the costs to do medical evaluations if
you don’t have the means to go do that yourself. We can facilitate that. We
can’t pay for medical treatment but we can pay for an evaluation and advance
those costs hopefully to recoup them in the future when a claim is filed. And
so it’s really tough to say this is tough love but if you have issues and your
family is telling you need some help you’ve got to listen to them.
Focus On Treatment Options
And don’t worry about your guns and don’t worry about your
future employment. There’s treatment options. There are so many that are
popping up every day new treatment option around the world. Very creative treatment
options. Treatment options include:
K9s for Warriors programs that have dogs.
There’s equine therapy
There’s all kinds of memory eye movement therapy
There’s Tetris (playing the game Tetris tends to help people
with PTSD)
New PTSD Treatments Every Day
There’s just so many different things that are coming out
every day that are very helpful to people. There are new PTSD treatments every
day. Most people don’t know about them. Most of them should be covered by your
insurance company under the Defense Base Act down the road.
PTSD is Prevalent
And like I said this has become a very well-known prevalent
problem. It it’s not called shell shock anymore it’s not something to hide
from. And the treatment that you can receive will definitely hopefully be to
your benefit through clinical trials through counseling through medications all
kinds of different options that are out there.
And like I said this is this is a hot button issue this is
no longer a taboo type situation. You shouldn’t be afraid of that label because
hopefully you’ll get better and with treatment you’ll gradually get better and
better and better and then obviously the jobs will be afforded to you in the
future and things like that will go your way.
So don’t try to hide from the fact that you’re going to need
professional help and try to and get it when you come to the resolution that I
need some that I’m going to be limited in some way whether that’s work whether
that’s home life I can’t do the things I used to do I I’m I can’t get out of
bed in the morning I can’t sleep all those things combined could create a
diagnosis of PTSD.
PTSD is From a Traumatic Event
And like I said PTSD is recognized as a disease. It’s not something
to handle on your own accord. It wasn’t because of you. It’s something that you
experienced a traumatic event and it caused you mental anguish and harm that
you need to get taken care of.
So again I don’t want to beat a dead horse but please get
treatment. Go to the resources on our website about PTSD and get help if you
need it. And call me or call my staff anytime and we’ll help you get the
resources that you might need or at least give you the options for you to
choose from if you so choose in in the future. Be safe and take care. Thank
you.
