Customer Reviews

Military Veterans PTSD Reference Manual

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As one who has had to deal with PTSD and have spent the past 10 years as an Veterans Advocate, I find this book very useful. From the beginning of the history, definitions cause and effects to treatment. The coverage of dealing with the Department of Veterans Affairs is a step by step guide to filing a claim with a good insight on what to expect along the way with detailed information on how to proceed.

I would strongly recommend this book for veterans that are dealing with or think they may have PTSD and for their families to get a better understanding and for any Veteran advocate that may not be up on the condition. A well done guide without a doubt.

My beloved vet was very grateful to receive this book to help with negotiating the terrain to getting his disability needs met. One person's (I.S.Parrish) experience of negotiating the terrain speaking to others trying to do the same. How much more helpful can we be as human beings?

When I recieved this book, I immediately went to work preparing my response to the VA concerning my PTSD claim. First of all, Mr. Parrish's recommendations for a PTSD package is inconsistant with how the VA has asked for this information. The book does not speak to "PTSD Questionnaires" given to me by the VA. Mr. Parrish's recommendations for a PTSD package are very extensive and I will take them to heart. I fear that the this 2001 book is out of date with the way things are done in 2006. The publisher and editor have not been diligent to ensure that the index and table of contents are accurate and lead you to the exact page that contains the subject you are looking for. The printer has not ensured the clarity and quality expected. There are many shaded blocks of information that I cannot read because the printer made the shading too dark. Basically, it contains information that I paid for that I can't read. There are numerous typos, misspellings, and other editorial errors. If I had it to do over again, I would return this book and get my money back and, find another resource that was better published, written and more current.

While the book looks like a typical field manual, the content is far more accessible and helpful. Wish the VA and rest of the military bureaucracy would do things like this. Great resource and immediately helpful if you are needing to be able to work with the VA, whether for PTSD or not.

This is a tremendous book. Anybody...I say again, ANYBODY...who is going through the VA hassles necessary (- necessary to the VA, anyway) absolutely needs this book at hand. I spent more than a decade in serious hate of the VA - their attitudes at times made me suicidal. Parrish's book changed all of that in less than 6 months. You can fight the system by yourself if you want, and if you're lucky you'll find - at best - a cushioned brick wall to beat your head against. Or you can buy this book, read it, and follow the advice and counsel that it contains...and save yourself years of misery and non-response. That is, 20 years suffering at 10% disability, in my case; and a few months after the Parrish book, 80% with NO ARGUMENT FROM THE @#&*-ing VA. Life is too short for government crap, so buy the thing and smile on the way to the bank.

...as a female veteran the book did not address my concerns as much as I had hoped it would. I passed it along to a male veteran and am hoping to someday provide a like-version for female veterans. The primary difference is that many female veterans (and more male veterans) are coming forward to report sexual assault. As with combat it is not an easy situation and definitely entails many of the same consequences, but with different treatment modalities. There are few places for female veterans to go for treatment and while by law treament is mandated, normally it is not (at least not without fighting for it). The book was helpful in showing some of the resources and encouraging veterans to fight for what they deserve and for that it is quite valuable. It is a good start and very supportive of your other writings.

Great book with lots of good information for anyone in the military and especially their spouses. It should be a must have book, I kept telling someone that they had symptoms of PTSD but they did not want to hear it, thought it would hurt their military record. This is something many servicemen and women get when in WAR situations. So don't worry just get the help needed and this book is there to tell you if you do or do not have PTSD and if so where and how to go about getting the help needed.I only hope this person has gotten some help needed by now.

I consider this the Bible when it comes to filing a PTSD claim. No veteran should be without it.

The VA claims system is adversarial and often the labyrinthine paper barriers and hostile workers defeat sick and wounded vets. Vets need help, both from organizations who provide it, and guides like this one. However, this one shares a notable gap in its coverage with most others; it does not address the needs of women veterans nor of male veterans whose PTSD does not arise, or at least entirely arise, from combat stressors. While female vets are now exposed to combat in record numbers, they are also raped and sexually assaulted in staggering numbers. They may well suffer from PTSD as a result, and such claims can be extremely difficult to establish, since witnesses seldom exist. Males also can suffer from PTSD from non-combat related traumas, including sexual assault and rape. Those who write guides such as this need to widen their perspective to deal with ALL vets with PTSD