Soldiers' emotional battle scars put doctors in dilemma

[unhappycamper]

Soldiers' emotional battle scars put doctors in dilemma
By Hal Bernton, The Seattle Times
Stars and Stripes online edition, Sunday, July 26, 2009

SEATTLE — Tim Juneman went to a Department of Veterans Affairs psychiatrist in January 2008 to talk about his recurrent thoughts of suicide.

The 25-year-old Washington State University student was an Iraq war veteran who had survived a year of tough fighting that left him with a twin diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury.

His biggest worry, according to notes taken by the VA psychiatrist, was a looming call back to active duty by the Washington National Guard. The order would have sent the specialist back to Iraq.

A VA psychiatrist hospitalized Juneman but never notified the National Guard unit of his patient's distress over redeployment. Juneman was released that month, then missed follow-up appointments.

In early March 2008, Juneman hanged himself in his Pullman apartment. His body was discovered some 20 days later, The Spokesman-Review newspaper reported.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=63897

[Mari333]

1. war, what is it good for, absolutely nothing.

knr

[TexasObserver]

2. Recommend

[Heidi]

3. Recommended.

And good morning to you! :pals:

:kick:

[PuraVidaDreamin]

4. Well it might be time for more action UHC

been thinking about you! Hope all's well.

Sarah, Diane, & I are scheming. :hug:

[ejpoeta]

5. was he notified of redeployment or something?