One Common Cause says the Honeymoon Is Over and I couldn't agree more.
In reference to this BBC File on 4 programme, The Minister for Personnel, Welfare and Veterans, Andrew Robathan questioned PTSD screening, saying:
"I think most expert opinion is that you should not screen people for mental health issues because first of all there is no scientifically robust way that you can do that and indeed the downside of suggesting that people have mental health problems when actually they do not have, is actually quite immense and of great concern"
He is correct to be concerned. Why? Well, let me introduce you to Dr. Thomas Szasz, Professor of Psychiatry Emeritus and highlight The Thud Experiment and make more prominent this video entitled, Psychiatry: No Science, No Cures, which tells it how it is.
The Minister has been conditioned into believing PTSD is a mental health problem. The expert opinion from the aforementioned videos falls into the category that backs his concerns and make it quite clear that the only science behind mental health diagnosis and treatment is pseudo-science. This has implications for the Mental Health Pilots and the Medical Assessment Programme for Mental health. In all, over the decades countless millions have been thrown at psuedo-science and all it has done is rubber neck the symptoms and signs and distract from making progress with an effective treatment, where progress is desperately needed.
Non-mental health matters however have objective clincal tests available to guide diagnosis. It's this inability to screen for PTSD in a scientifically robust way that concerns the Minister, but the Minister needs to realise that if you can screen for PTSD in a scientifically robust way, then PTSD cannot be a mental health problem! A small matter that I've been banging on about to the MoD and others for years.
So, I welcome this shift by the Minister, but it does not go far enough, becuase we absolutely need PTSD screening and I know how it can be done. I know that PTSD (for want of another term) is NOT a "mental health" problem ending in disorder, but a disabling physical injury whose cause is biochemical. This should be music to the ears of the new Minister for Veterans, an ex-SAS man, and the new Defence Secretary who used to be a Dr.
I am willing to sit down with Defence Ministers and explain how screening for PTSD can be achieved before during and after service in a way that is 100% objective using existing clinical tests. How without reference to that cesspool of psych*ists, their subjective pseudo-science and snake oil treatments it is possible to eliminate the stigma by eliminating the mental health label and improve outcomes by eliminating the inappropriate drugs and treatments.
They would then have the ability to recruit only those that show up negative and then monitor. Those cases testing positive after combat could not be argued and for the first time there would a proper handle on prevalence.
I believe the PTSD screening I have in mind will result in a healthier Armed Forces all round which means a reduced demand for medics and money saved on pharmaceutics.
Now is the time to see right and do it by ending the political expediency and love affair with quack charlatans and move toward addressing PTSD from a more sane and objective clinical standpoint.
The Minister also said:
We have made it clear in our Programme for Government that rebuilding the military covenant is one of the highest priorities for Defence.
The ball is in the Ministers court. I know my sites are watched by the MoD and that they have my number, so let's see if the Ministers are as serious as I am, or if they are all talk and no action.
