Police Officer and Chimp PTSD?

[phorsenuf]

A claim of PTSD is certainly understandable for police officers and fire fighters. What I have a real problem with is the hypertension/heart disease claims. I see those conditions as life style and genetics. Hypertension and heart disease affect people across all walks of life. Lots of people have stressful jobs and I don't think that those conditions should be considered work related.

From the Mayo clinic;
Researchers have also studied the link between heart disease and mental health conditions related to stress, such as anxiety, depression, and isolation from friends and family. While it's thought that these conditions may be linked to coronary artery disease, there's no evidence they're linked to high blood pressure. Instead, it may be that the hormones produced when you're emotionally stressed may damage your arteries, leading to heart disease. It may also be that being depressed or hopeless may cause self-destructive behavior, such as neglecting to take your medications to control high blood pressure or other heart conditions.

once the stressor disappears, your blood pressure returns to normal. However, even temporary spikes in blood pressure — if they occur often enough — can damage your blood vessels, heart and kidneys in a way similar to long-term high blood pressure.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/stress-and-high-blood-pressure/HI00092

I would venture to guess that having PTSD would contribute to this.

 

[DawnCt1]

From the Mayo clinic;
Researchers have also studied the link between heart disease and mental health conditions related to stress, such as anxiety, depression, and isolation from friends and family. While it's thought that these conditions may be linked to coronary artery disease, there's no evidence they're linked to high blood pressure. Instead, it may be that the hormones produced when you're emotionally stressed may damage your arteries, leading to heart disease. It may also be that being depressed or hopeless may cause self-destructive behavior, such as neglecting to take your medications to control high blood pressure or other heart conditions.

once the stressor disappears, your blood pressure returns to normal. However, even temporary spikes in blood pressure — if they occur often enough — can damage your blood vessels, heart and kidneys in a way similar to long-term high blood pressure.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/stress-and-high-blood-pressure/HI00092

I would venture to guess that having PTSD would contribute to this.

I agree with that. Stress is a major component to hypertension and heart disease. I am just pointing out that stressful jobs are not the exclusive domain of law enforcement and fire fighters. Many people work at very stressful jobs, and with nearly 10% unemployment, the remaining workers are very stressed, and yet, it seems that only law enforcement and fire fighters are allowed to have it considered work related. Those kinds of claims have broken the banks of cities and municipalities.

 

[Aisling]

I haven't read all the responses, but that is as ridiculous as saying that our service men should not be able to claim PTSD because they should expect that.

This is a touchy subject for me as my father has PTSD stemming from Vietnam. It is a completely debilitating, awful condition. You obviously do not understand what PTSD is.

I don't believe my response was ridiculous. Maybe because this is unfortunately a touch subject for you, you're opinion is based on emotion instead of rationalization. I believe you if you say your father has PTSD. I also know that there were many many lawsuits from 9/11 responders fighting for disability compensation due to what they said was PTSD. From what I've read, 90% of the cases were dismissed on the basis that while the incident was traumatic to them, they didn't have clinically diagnosed PTSD.

I'm sorry about your father.

 

[xoprincessmomxo]

I don't believe my response was ridiculous. Maybe because this is unfortunately a touch subject for you, you're opinion is based on emotion instead of rationalization. I believe you if you say your father has PTSD. I also know that there were many many lawsuits from 9/11 responders fighting for disability compensation due to what they said was PTSD. From what I've read, 90% of the cases were dismissed on the basis that while the incident was traumatic to them, they didn't have clinically diagnosed PTSD.

I'm sorry about your father.

It was ridiculous in the fact that you seem to think that PTSD just goes along with the territory. You are hugely misinformed if you think that seeing gruesome things is the sole cause of PTSD. While being in the military, police force, or other job like that you should expect to see horrible things, there is no way they should have to expect to go through a horrific situation that damages them so severely that working, connecting socially, and day to day activities should be so impaired that the likelihood of them ever functioning normally is miniscule. Severe PTSD (most likely accompanied by depression) damages them so completely that they will never be the person they once were. My rationalization: If someone who puts their life on the line for our safety, be it military, police, firefighter, and they are clinically diagnosed as having PTSD from an on the job incident, then they should be taken care of.

 

[DawnCt1]

I don't believe my response was ridiculous. Maybe because this is unfortunately a touch subject for you, you're opinion is based on emotion instead of rationalization. I believe you if you say your father has PTSD. I also know that there were many many lawsuits from 9/11 responders fighting for disability compensation due to what they said was PTSD. From what I've read, 90% of the cases were dismissed on the basis that while the incident was traumatic to them, they didn't have clinically diagnosed PTSD.

I'm sorry about your father.

I don't believe that your response was ridiculous either. Many are personalizing this subject. You have made an excellent point. Not all claims are valid. Not all claimants are honest. That is a sad fact.

 

[Aisling]

It was ridiculous in the fact that you seem to think that PTSD just goes along with the territory. You are hugely misinformed if you think that seeing gruesome things is the sole cause of PTSD. .

I'm sorry you misinterpreted my post. I'm not misinformed.

 

[xoprincessmomxo]

As horrible as it was for him, he's a police officer that should expect to see gruesome things during his career.

I'm sorry you misinterpreted my post. I'm not misinformed.

Where'd I misinterpret?

Nowhere was I disputing that some people are dishonest about it. THere are dishonest people everywhere. I was disputing the fact that they should not have to expect to go there job and end up with PTSD and be SOL.

As for dishonesty about PTSD, I am sure that it happens. But, if they are clinically diagnosed, it would be hard to fake true, severed PTSD.

 

[Aisling]

Where'd I misinterpret?

I didn't say, or believe, that PTSD goes along with the territory. I said that the expectation of seeing gruesome/disturbing things is drilled in to them during training. I can't say if they ever expected to see a chimp rip off a woman's face, but I know they're trained to expect to see dogs rip off people's faces.

 

[Buckeye Princess]

If you've read Atlas Shrugged you know the Randian view on suffering. I have to say I agree.