M.E.N.D. FOR MALE SURVIVORS OF MST

M.E.N.D. FOR MALE SURVIVORS OF MST: Board endorsment of http:/www.protectourdefenders.com/

noreply@blogger.com (M.E.N.D. FOR MALE SURVIVORS OF MST) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 17:29:00 +0000

M.E.N.D. FOR MALE SURVIVORS OF MST: Board endorsment of http:/www.protectourdefenders.com/

Board endorsment of http:/www.protectourdefenders.com/

noreply@blogger.com (M.E.N.D. FOR MALE SURVIVORS OF MST) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 17:23:00 +0000

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF
M.E.N.D. 4 MALE SURVIVORS OF MST
AT A SPECIAL EMERGENCY MEETING VOTED 100% TO PLACE A ENDORSING STATEMENT IN SUPPORT OF http:/www.protectourdefenders.com/
A NEW NON-PROFIT WORKING FOR THE GOOD OF SURVIVORS OF MST ON THIS WEBSITE.
REV. DR. WAYNE EDWARD MAY FOUNDER AND MST SURVIVOR DISCHARGED HONORABLY FROM THE U.S. ARMY JUNE 1980

Veterans Services Office celebrates first anniversary

noreply@blogger.com (M.E.N.D. FOR MALE SURVIVORS OF MST) — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 15:17:00 +0000

Veterans Services Office celebrates first anniversary

Veterans from WWII to today are seeking assistance

FREEHOLD, NJ – The Monmouth County Veterans Services Office celebrates its first anniversary on Friday, Nov. 11, which is Veterans Day. Freeholder Amy A. Mallet, who steered the initiative, says the office has been an absolute success.

“Our dedicated veterans’ service officers have helped veterans and their families gain access to more than $175,000 in benefits that they are entitled to but had trouble getting on their own,” Mallet said. “This money is keeping people in their homes and saving lives.”

The county’s Veterans Services Office, CVSO, was created at no additional cost to taxpayers by training existing staff from the disabilities office and using existing office space. Currently, two veterans’ services officers meet daily with veterans to help them fill out paperwork and better understand the programs and services that they have access to as a result of their service to our country.

“Whether coming home from a current conflict or a member of the greatest generation or any veteran in between, we must do everything we can to show our gratitude to these men and woman and their families,” Mallet said.

In its first year of operation, the CVSO has:

· filed 180 compensation and pension claims with the United States Department of Veterans Affairs on behalf of veterans with 33 of the cases adjudicated by the VA so far;

· scheduled another 40 appointments to file claims with the VA;

· processed 1,112 unduplicated, incoming requests for information and assistance;

· referred veterans from World War II to the present day to counseling and resources for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression, service connected disabilities, peer to peer support and more.

“Veterans report that they are very pleased to have a local full service Veterans Services Office in Monmouth County,” Mallet said. “Instead of having to travel to Newark, local veterans and their families are able to ask for and receive the help that they need closer to home.”

The majority of veterans who have filed claims served “In Country” in Vietnam. Their claims range from service-related PTSD to illness and diseases related to Agent Orange exposure.

The veterans’ services officers have also assisted World War II veterans with compensation claims and counseling referrals for untreated PTSD due to combat engagement with enemy forces more than 65 years ago. Many of these veterans are now in their late 80’s and early 90’s.

“Most recently we have begun seeing young veterans who grew up in Monmouth County,” Mallet said. “They are beginning to visit the office and file claims for PTSD and other service connected disabilities.”

Many veterans are referred by the CVSO to the Vet2Vet program for peer supportive services for PTSD, depressions and other adjustment issues. All veterans in need of counseling are referred to services with no cost and with little or no wait time.

Training to be a better Not- For- Profit

noreply@blogger.com (M.E.N.D. FOR MALE SURVIVORS OF MST) — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 15:37:00 +0000

M.E.N.D.4 MALE SURVIVORS OF MILITARY SEXUAL TRAUMA, Founder Wayne Edward May and Vice Chairman of our Board Steven Krietzberg are in New York City at The Foundation Center taken classes to help make our Not-For-Profit the best to serve our Veterans. Thanks to Wayne and Steven for this hard work.
Danielle Martin Volunteer Executive Director Art With A Heart NJ "The Art Program Of M.E.N.D. 4 MALE SURVIVORS OF MST

Help Us End Military Sexual Trauma Now.

noreply@blogger.com (M.E.N.D. FOR MALE SURVIVORS OF MST) — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 20:19:00 +0000

noreply@blogger.com (M.E.N.D. FOR MALE SURVIVORS OF MST) — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 20:39:00 +0000

The Military's Secret Shame - Newsweek

noreply@blogger.com (M.E.N.D. FOR MALE SURVIVORS OF MST) — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 02:24:00 +0000

The Military's Secret Shame - Newsweek

Veterans Information Seminar

noreply@blogger.com (M.E.N.D. FOR MALE SURVIVORS OF MST) — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 18:16:00 +0000

Time	Tuesday, March 29 · 7:00pm - 8:30pm

Location	Knights of Columbus, Council 1672 70 East Main Street Freehold, NJ RSVP's are appreciated but not necessary. Please RSVP by calling 732-616-8855 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 732-616-8855 end_of_the_skype_highlighting or emailing vegand@verizon.net. Free informational seminar for Veterans and their families. keynote speaker will be Amy Mallet Light refreshments will be served and handouts will be provided. Topics to be covered include: Medical, mental health and social services offered by the U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs, N.J. Dept. Military & Veterans Affairs and Monmouth County Veterans Services. Non-profit and for-profit organizations that may assist veterans to get the services they need, when ineligible for certain programs. Please park in the side lot, or in the overflow parking lots located at Amboy Bank or the Elk’s Club across the street from the Knights of Columbus. http://tinyurl.com/VETERANSINFO

Psychiatric service dogs

noreply@blogger.com (M.E.N.D. FOR MALE SURVIVORS OF MST) — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 16:31:00 +0000

Psychiatric service dogs

Psychiatric service dogs

A psychiatric service dog is a specific type of service dog trained to assist their handler with a psychiatric disability, such as post-traumatic stress disorder or schizophrenia.
Although assistance dogs have traditionally helped with people with disabilities such as blindness or more recently deafness or mobility disabilities, there are a wide range of other disabilities that an assistance dog may be able to help with as well, including psychiatric disabilities.

Training

Like all assistance dogs, a psychiatric service dog is individually trained to do work or perform tasks that mitigate their handler's disability. Training to mitigate a psychiatric disability may include providing environmental assessment (in such cases as paranoia or hallucinations), signalling behaviors (such as interrupting repetitive or injurious behaviors), reminding the handler to take medication, retrieving objects, guiding the handler from stressful situations, or acting as a brace if the handler becomes dizzy.
Psychiatric service dogs may be of any breed or size suitable for public work. Some psychiatric service dogs are trained by the person who will become the handler- usually with the help of a professional trainer. Others are trained by assistance or service dog programs. Assistance dog organizations are increasingly recognizing the need for dogs to help individuals with psychiatric disabilities.

Accessibility

In the United States, the Americans with Disabilities Act defines a disability as "a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities of such individual," and therefore allows handlers of psychiatric service dogs the same rights and protections afforded to those with other types of service animals. Service dogs, including psychiatric service dogs, are allowed to accompany their handler in any location that is normally accessible to the public whether or not health codes or business policy normally would allow a dog to enter, provided the dog behaves properly and does not interfere with normal operations (e.g. barking, biting, defecating, or obstructing other people) or pose a direct threat to the safety of others.

Source

Description above from the Wikipedia article Psychiatric service dogs, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors here. Community Pages are not affiliated with, or endorsed by, anyone associated with the topic.

Tsongas presses Defense Secretary Gates on Sexual Assault in the Military 02/16/11

noreply@blogger.com (M.E.N.D. FOR MALE SURVIVORS OF MST) — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 20:23:00 +0000

Gates calls Tsongas suggestion “reasonable” and promises to consider legal access for victims and examine why victim conversations with advocates, attorneys are not privileged

WASHINGTON, DC – February 16, 2011 – The House Armed Services Committee today held a hearing to examine the Pentagon’s budget request for the coming fiscal year which featured testimony from Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen. Fifth District Congresswoman Niki Tsongas, a member of the Committee who is leading efforts to prevent sexual assault in the military and better protect servicemembers who have been victims of sexual assault, pressed Secretary Gates on the issue of sexual assault in the military and the Pentagon’s attempts to address it.
Tsongas asked the Secretary why the Department of Defense does not grant privileged communication between victims of sexual assault and their advocates or attorney’s saying, “In 2010, there were 3,230 reported sexual assaults in the military. But by the Pentagon’s own estimate, as few as 10 percent of sexual assaults are reported. The VA estimates that 1 in 3 women veterans report experiencing some form of military sexual trauma. The FY 2011 National Defense Authorization Act required that the Department look into the feasibility of providing a military lawyer to all victims of sexual assault. While this is a good first step, I was disappointed that provisions contained which guarantees all victims the right to legal counsel and protects the confidentiality of conversations between victims and Victim Advocates, were not included in the final version of the FY 2011 NDAA. We would be shocked if conversations between a client and their attorney or advocate were not privileged in the civilian world, and similar rights must be afforded to servicemembers who may be the victim of a crime. Why would the Department resist such a common-sense measures?”
Secretary Gates responded by saying, “I hadn’t realized that the Department had resisted it and I must say, these things sound to me like reasonable actions, so I will take out of this hearing the charge to look into, if we opposed it, why we opposed it, and why we shouldn’t go forward on our own without legislative action.”
This statement by Secretary Gates represents a potential major breakthrough in the effort to provide victims of sexual assault in the military with better representation and support. Last year, the House approved bipartisan legislation, authored by Congresswoman Tsongas and Congressman Michael Turner (R-OH) which would have granted victims of sexual assault the right to legal counsel as well as the right to keep conversations between the victim and Victim Advocates privileged. Tsongas and Turner will be reintroducing their bill entitled the Defense Sexual Trauma Oversight and Good Governance Act (Defense STRONG Act) in the coming weeks.

Tuesday in Washington DC with the staff of M.E.N.D. 4 MALE SURVIVORS OF MST

noreply@blogger.com (M.E.N.D. FOR MALE SURVIVORS OF MST) — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 22:17:00 +0000

Group of MST Survivors at The National Press Club

Well Tuesday February 15th 2011 for Survivors of Military Sexual Trauma (Military Rape and Sexual Assault) will be a day we never will forget, it was the day that a group of brave Sisters and Brothers Survivors filed a Class Action Lawsuit IN THE UNITED STATE DISTRICT COURT FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA.against Former Secretary of Defense Donal Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and
The Pentagon. They accuse the U.S. military of permitting a culture that tolerates rape and sexual assault. Seeking accountability in the armed forces. If you would like to know more here is a list of Media that covered this story.

CNN Piers Morgan Tonight:
• http://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/bestoftv/2011/02/16/exp.piers.morgan.military.women.cnn
• http://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/bestoftv/2011/02/16/piers.female.soldier.abuse.claims.cnn

AP (Wednesday):
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110216/ap_on_re_us/us_military_sex_abuse_3

AP (Tuesday):
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/15/AR2011021501072.html

NBC Nightly News / MSNBC:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/41610279#41610279

NBC Today / MSNBC:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/41596467#41596467

New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/16/us/16military.html

CNN:
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2011/02/15/tsr.starr.alleged.assaults.cnn?iref=allsearch

Newsweek / The Daily Beast:
http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2011-02-15/robert-gates-sued-over-us-militarys-rape-epidemic/

ABC News:
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/17-veterans-sue-pentagon-mishandled-rape-cases/story?id=12926111

BBC News:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12469368

AOL News:
http://www.aolnews.com/2011/02/15/17-victims-sue-pentagon-over-plague-of-sexual-violence/

Examiner News:
http://www.examiner.com/female-veterans-affairs-in-national/military-rape-and-sexual-assault-lawsuit-against-secretary-of-defense-gates

Military Times:
http://www.militarytimes.com/news/2011/02/military-sexual-assault-lawsuit-021511w/

Huffington Post:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/15/veterans-say-rape-cases-m_n_823307.html

Talking Points Memo / TPM Muckraker:
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/02/military_personnel_say_pentagon_ignores_sexual_assaults_harassment_video.php

Daily Mail (UK):
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1357230/US-veterans-sue-Pentagon-rape-sexual-abuse-comrades.html

UPI:
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2011/02/15/Lawsuit-Military-allowed-rape/UPI-57371297817062/

Voice of America:
http://www.voanews.com/english/news/usa/Pentagon-Sued-For-Allegedly-Mishandling-Sexual-Assualt-Complaints-116266729.html

Sky News:
http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Donald-Rumsfeld-Named-In-Lawsuit-Alleging-US-Military-Ignored-Rape/Article/201102315932456?lpos=World_News_First_Home_Article_Teaser_Region_3&lid=ARTICLE_15932456_Donald_Rumsfeld_Named_In_Lawsuit_Alleging_US_Military_Ignored_Rape

Boston Globe:
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2011/02/16/veterans__sue_over_sexual_abuse/

Huffington Post:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/15/veterans-say-rape-cases-m_n_823307.html

KNSD-NBC 7 (San Diego):
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local-beat/Did-the-Military-Turn-Blind-Eye-on-Rape-Victims--116281569.html

WDTN-NBC 2 (Dayton, OH):
http://www.wdtn.com/dpp/news/local-woman-reacts-military-sex-assault-report

WCVB-ABC 5 (Boston):
http://www.thebostonchannel.com/r/26877078/detail.html

WUSA- News 9 (Washington, D.C.):
http://www.wusa9.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=136165&catid=373
http://www.wusa9.com/video/default.aspx?aid=99165&storyid=136165

TBD-ABC 7 (Washington, D.C.):
http://www.tbd.com/articles/2011/02/sex-assault-lawsuit-seeks-dod-changes-53122.html

KFOR-NBC 4 (Oklahoma City, OK):
http://www.kfor.com/news/local/kfor-news-military-rapes-story,0,7329024.story

CTV (Canada):
http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/World/20110215/us-military-sexual-assaults-110215/

Democracy Now:
http://www.democracynow.org/2011/2/16/headlines/veterans_file_class_action_suit_over_sexual_abuse_in_military

Press TV (Iran):
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/165426.html

New York Times Caucus Blog:
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/16/the-early-word-budgets-and-uprisings/?partner=rss&emc=rss

Georgetown Patch:
http://georgetown.patch.com/articles/georgetown-law-firm-represents-victims-in-military-rape-and-sexual-assault-litigation

Ms. Sparky Blog:
http://mssparky.com/2011/02/soldiers-sue-dod-for-retaliation-against-rape-victims-gates-and-rumsfield-named/

Ms. Magazine:
http://www.msmagazine.com/news/uswirestory.asp?ID=12859

Newser:
http://www.newser.com/story/112133/female-vets-sue-pentagon-over-sex-abuse.html

New Civil Rights Movement:
http://thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/pentagon-faces-class-action-suit-exposing-military-sexual-abuse-crisis/legal-issues/2011/02/15/17430

KSFX-Ozarks FOX (Springfield, MO):
http://ozarksfirst.com/fulltext?nxd_id=405516

Slate:
http://slatest.slate.com/id/2285413/

Care 2 Blog:
http://www.care2.com/causes/womens-rights/blog/women-sue-military-for-ignoring-rape/

America Blog:
http://www.americablog.com/2011/02/sexually-abused-vets-file-class-action.html

Wilmington (OH) News Journal:
http://www.wnewsj.com/main.asp?SectionID=49&SubSectionID=156&ArticleID=188259

Please add any media not listed and a link if you can.

Till we meet again remember what
Winston Churchill said "IF YOU'RE GOING THROUGH HELL, KEEP GOING"

| MSTnews | Military Sexual Trauma lawsuit–the day after. |

noreply@blogger.com (M.E.N.D. FOR MALE SURVIVORS OF MST) — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 14:31:00 +0000

| MSTnews | Military Sexual Trauma lawsuit–the day after. |

"PETITION TO END RAPE, SEXUAL ASSAULT AND SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN THE MILITARY" petition signature - mendmst@gmail.com

noreply@blogger.com (M.E.N.D. FOR MALE SURVIVORS OF MST) — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 03:51:00 +0000

"
Hi,

I wanted to draw your attention to this important petition that I recently signed:

"PETITION TO END RAPE, SEXUAL ASSAULT AND SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN THE MILITARY"
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/endmilitaryrape/

I really think this is an important cause, and I'd like to encourage you to add your signature, too. It's free and takes just a few seconds of your time.

Thanks!
------------------------------

Standing up for all MST survivors Thank You My Sisters and Brothers for doing this great work!

Committee on Veterans Affairs: Press Releases

noreply@blogger.com (M.E.N.D. FOR MALE SURVIVORS OF MST) — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 03:31:00 +0000

Committee on Veterans Affairs: Press Releases

Why Military Sexual Trauma May Cause Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

noreply@blogger.com (M.E.N.D. FOR MALE SURVIVORS OF MST) — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 17:04:00 +0000

http://www.casapalmera.com/articles/symptoms-of-post-traumatic-stress-disorder-and-military-sexual-trauma/

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder & Military Sexual Trauma

Military sexual trauma (MST) takes place when sexual abuse, whether it is verbal or physical, occurs among men and women of the military. Out of all the women who claim to have experienced this sexual trauma in the military, 40 to 60% developed post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In fact, out of every other type of trauma that can occur in the military, sexual trauma is the number one cause of PTSD. Also, rape is probably the most common form of sexual assault which causes PTSD. For victims of sexual abuse, trauma therapy and post traumatic stress disorder treatment at a trauma treatment center is often very beneficial.
Those who have endured sexual trauma in the military are more prone to developing post traumatic stress disorder than those who have experienced sexual trauma outside of the military. A lack of medical and emotional assistance or high stress levels may be a reason victims of MST are more prone to PTSD. Another reason why those who have experienced military sexual trauma often develop PTSD is because a fellow colleague or person respected by the victim is often the perpetrator. This sexual abuse would make further working difficult, especially if the victim must obey and continue to respect the perpetrator.
If the victim is sexual assaulted or harassed in the place they call home or work, fear is much more likely to take place because a once “safe-haven” is now a place of anxiety and bad memories. This type of crime may also hinder the person from achieving further goals and accomplishments out of helplessness. It may also be more difficult for a person to leave this type of a situation in the military, which puts a person at further risk for victimization. Other members of the military service often consider reporting such a negative crime about another soldier wrong and either will not believe the victim or will ignore them. For military members who have chosen to report sexual assault and were not believed or were blamed for the experience, PTSD is more common. Post traumatic stress disorder treatment centers are available to anyone looking to find military sexual trauma recovery. These centers offer a wide variety of specialized programs as well as therapy sessions. Often times, these PTSD treatment facilities are helpful in reducing the severe complications which may be associated with MST.

Symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Symptoms associated with PTSD include:

Nightmares
Little interest in participating in enjoyable activities
Negative physical reactions in response to stressful situations
Hypervigilance
Anger
Poor concentration
Depression
Flashbacks
Feelings of detachment
Avoidance of places and things that may remind the person of the trauma
Low sleep quality
Anxiousness
Hallucinations

The following symptoms which arise in someone with PTSD can be difficult to deal with. In addition to this, if symptoms are allowed to continue without proper trauma therapy or post traumatic stress disorder treatment, complications may worsen.

Symptoms of Military Sexual Trauma

Reactions in response to MST differ according to each individual’s unique experience. Also, the way the victim is treated when the subject is brought up greatly affects the severity and duration of MST symptoms. Symptoms which may arise as a result of MST include:

Depression
Health complications
Anxiety
Poor relationships
Drug and alcohol abuse
Humiliation
Psychological damage and strain
Problems at work
Sexual dysfunction
Post traumatic stress disorder
Guilt
Nightmares

Another problem associated with this form of trauma is difficulty placing trust in others. This is especially true among those who were assaulted by someone they knew well or respected. Women and men who experience MST along with other forms of military trauma tend to experience more psychological damage and are more prone to PTSD.
For men who have experienced sexual trauma, Post traumatic stress may be more severe as males are known to be dominant rather than submissive. Also, because male sexual assault is much rarer and less commonly discussed, keeping military sexual trauma a secret is much more common as these men experience a certain type of embarrassment and shame from the situation.
PTSD treatment facilities and trauma treatment centers may be helpful if you or a loved one has experienced military sexual trauma. Trauma therapy and PTSD programs available at these rehab centers reduce symptoms of PTSD and MST as well as provide skills for an individual to succeed in life outside of a trauma treatment center.

About.com Article: MST in Men

noreply@blogger.com (M.E.N.D. FOR MALE SURVIVORS OF MST) — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 16:44:00 +0000

	Post Traumatic Stress (PTSD)

The following article from About.com was forwarded to you by Wayne Edward May.

MST in Men
http://ptsd.about.com/od/ptsdandthemilitary/a/MSTMen.htm?r=et

This email was not initiated by personnel at About.com or the Post Traumatic Stress (PTSD) site.
About does not monitor these emails and is not responsible for any comments or contents forwarded by the sender.

Our Contact Information: 249 West 17th Street, New York, NY, 10011
© 2007 About, Inc.

This request to subscribe came from IP address 96.242.61.61.

MST rampant in US Military

noreply@blogger.com (M.E.N.D. FOR MALE SURVIVORS OF MST) — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 08:03:00 +0000

Statistics and soldiers' testimonies reveal a harrowing epidemic of sexual assault in the US military.
Dahr Jamail Last Modified: 21 Dec 2010 13:22 GMT

Sexual assault within the ranks of the military is not a new problem. It is a systemic problem that has necessitated that the military conduct its own annual reporting on the crisis.

A 2003 Air Force Academy sexual assault scandal prompted the department of defense to include a provision in the 2004 National Defense Authorization Act that required investigations and reports of sexual harassment and assaults within US military academies to be filed. The personal toll is, nevertheless, devastating.

Military sexual trauma (MST) survivor Susan Avila-Smith is director of the veteran's advocacy group Women Organizing Women. She has been serving female and scores of male clients in various stages of recovery from MST for 15 years and knows of its devastating effects up close.

"People cannot conceive how badly wounded these people are," she told Al Jazeera, "Of the 3,000 I've worked with, only one is employed. Combat trauma is bad enough, but with MST it's not the enemy, it's our guys who are doing it. You're fighting your friends, your peers, people you've been told have your back. That betrayal, then the betrayal from the command is, they say, worse than the sexual assault itself."

On December 13, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and other groups filed a federal lawsuit seeking Pentagon records in order to get the real facts about the incidence of sexual assault in the ranks.

The Pentagon has consistently refused to release records that fully document the problem and how it is handled. Sexual assaults on women in the US military have claimed some degree of visibility, but about male victims there is absolute silence.

Pack Parachute, a non-profit in Seattle, assists veterans who are sexual assault survivors. Its founder Kira Mountjoy-Pepka, was raped as a cadet at the Air Force Academy. In July 2003 she was member of a team of female cadets handpicked by Donald Rumsfeld, at the time the secretary of defense, to tell their stories of having been sexually assaulted. The ensuing media coverage and a Pentagon investigation forced the academy to make the aforementioned major policy changes.

Report reveals alarming statistics

Mountjoy-Pepka often works with male survivors of MST. She stated in a telephone interview that four per cent of men in the military experience MST. "Most choose not to talk about it until after their discharge from the military, largely because the post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in over 60 percent of MST cases is too overwhelming," she informed Al Jazeera.

Last week the Pentagon released its "annual report on sexual harassment and violence at the military service academies". At its three academies, the number of reports of sexual assault and harassment has risen a staggering 64 percent from last year.

The report attributes the huge increase to better reporting of incidents due to increased training and education about sexual assault and harassment. Veteran's Administration (VA) statistics show that more than 50 percent of the veterans who screen positive for MST are men.

According to the US Census Bureau, there are roughly 22 million male veterans compared to less than two million female vets.

In Congressional testimony in the summer of 2008, Lt. Gen. Rochelle, the army chief of personnel, reported the little known statistic that 12 percent (approximately 260) of the 2,200 reported rapes in the military in 2007 were reported by military male victims.

Due to their sheer numbers in the military, more men (at a rough estimate one in twenty), have experienced MST than women.

Shamed into silence

Billy Capshaw was 17 when he joined the Army in 1977. After being trained as a medic he was transferred to Baumholder, Germany. His roommate, Jeffrey Dahmer, by virtue of his seniority ensured that Capshaw had no formal assignment, no mail, and no pay. Having completely isolated the young medic, Dahmer regularly sexually assaulted, raped, and tortured him.

Dahmer went on to become the infamous serial killer and sex offender who murdered 17 boys and men before being beaten to death by an inmate at Columbia Correction Institution in 1994.

Capshaw reflects back, "At that young age I didn't know how to deal with it. My commander did not believe me. Nobody helped me, even though I begged and begged and begged."

The debilitating lifelong struggle Capshaw has had to face is common among survivors of military sexual assault.

Later during therapy he needed to go public. Since then he says, "I've talked to a lot of men, many of them soldiers, who are raped but who won't go public with their story. The shame alone is overwhelming."

In 1985 Michael Warren enlisted in the navy and for three years worked as a submarine machinist mate on a nuclear submarine. One day he awoke to find another soldier performing fellatio on him.

He recollects with horror, "I was paralyzed with fear. I was in disbelief... shame. When I reported it to the commander he said it was better for me to deal with it after being discharged. Nobody helped me, not even the chaplain. The commander at the processing centre wouldn't look me in the face. When I filled out my claim later they didn't believe me. It's so frustrating."

Armando Javier was an active duty Marine from 1990 to 1994. He was a Lance Corporal at Camp Lejeune in 1993 when he was raped.

Five Marines jumped Javier and beat him until he was nearly unconscious, before taking turns raping him. His sexual victimization narrative reads, "One of them, a corporal, pulled down my shorts and instructed the others to 'Get the grease'. Another corporal instructed someone to bring the stick. They began to insert the stick inside my anus. The people present during this sadistic and ritual-like ceremony started to cajole, cheer, and laugh, saying "stick em' - stick-em'."

Extreme shame and trauma compelled him not to disclose the crime to anyone except a friend in his unit. He wrote in his account, "My experience left me torn apart physically, mentally, and spiritually. I was dehumanized and treated with ultimate cruelty, by my perpetrators%u2026 I was embarrassed and ashamed and didn't know what to do. I was young at that time. And being part of an elite organization that values brotherhood, integrity and faithfulness made it hard to come forward and reveal what happened."

The reality of being less equal

Women in America were first allowed into the military during the Revolutionary War in 1775 and their travails are as old. Drill instructors indoctrinate new recruits into it at the outset by routinely referring to them as "girl," "pussy," "bitch," and "dyke."

A Command Sergeant Major told Catherine Jayne West of the Mississippi National Guard, "There aren't but two places for women - in the kitchen or in the bedroom. Women have no place in the military."

She was raped by fellow soldier Private First Class Kevin Lemeiux, at the sprawling Camp Anaconda, north of Baghdad. The defense lawyer in court merely wanted to know why, as a member of the army, she had not fought back.

The morning after the rape, an army doctor gave her a thorough examination. The army's criminal investigation team concluded her story was true. Moreover, Lemeiux had bragged about the incident to his buddies and they had turned him in. It seemed like a closed case, but in court the defense claimed that the fact that West had not fought back during the rape was what incriminated her. In addition, her commanding officer and 1st Sergeant declared, in court, that she was a "promiscuous female."

In contrast, Lemeiux, after the third court hearing of the trial, was promoted to a Specialist. Meanwhile his lawyer entered a plea of insanity.

He was later found guilty of kidnapping but not rape, despite his own admission of the crime. He was given three years for kidnapping, half of which was knocked off.

The long term affects of MST

Jasmine Black, a human resources specialist in the Army National Guard from June 2006 to September 2008 was raped by another soldier in her battalion when she was stationed in Fort Jackson, South Carolina. She reported it to her Sexual Assault Response Coordinator (SARC) and the Military Police, but the culprit was not brought to book.

After an early discharge due to MST and treatment at a PTSD Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program (PRRTP) facility, she was raped again by a higher-ranking member of the air force in February 2009.

Administrator for a combat engineering instruction unit in Knoxville, Tennessee, Tracey Harmon has no illusions. "For women in the military, you are either a bitch, a dyke, or a whore. If you sleep with one person in your unit you are a whore. If you are a lesbian you are a dyke, and if you don't sleep with other soldiers you are a bitch."

Maricela Guzman served in the navy from 1998 to 2002 as a computer technician on the island of Diego Garcia. She was raped while in boot camp, but fear of consequences kept her from talking about it for the rest of her time in the military. "I survived by becoming a workaholic and was much awarded as a soldier for my work ethic."

On witnessing the way it treated the native population in Diego Garcia, she chose to dissociate from the military. Post discharge, her life became unmanageable. She underwent a divorce, survived a failed suicide attempt and became homeless before deciding to move in with her parents. A chance encounter with a female veteran at a political event in Los Angeles prompted her to contact the VA for help. Her therapist there diagnosed her with PTSD from her rape.

The VA denied her claim nevertheless, "Because they said I couldn't prove it since I had not brought it up when it happened and also because I had not shown any deviant behavior while in the service. I was outraged and felt compelled to talk about what happened."

The department of defence reported that in fiscal year 2009, there were 3,230 reports of sexual assault, an increase of 11 percent over the prior year.

However, as high as the military's own figures are of rape and sexual assault, victims and advocates Al Jazeera spoke with believe the real figures are sure to be higher.

Veteran April Fitzsimmons, another victim of sexual assault, knows what an uphill battle it is for women to take on the military system. "When victims come forward, they are ostracized and isolated from their communities. Many of the perpetrators are officers who use their ranks to coerce women to sleep with them. It's a closely interwoven community, so they are safe and move fearlessly amongst their victims."

Her advice to women considering joining the US military?

"The crisis is so severe that I'm telling women to simply not join the military because it's completely unsafe and puts them at risk. Until something changes at the top, no woman should join the military."

Research support was provided by the Investigative Fund at The Nation Institute

America's Dirty Little Secret: Male on Male Military Sexual Trauma

noreply@blogger.com (M.E.N.D. FOR MALE SURVIVORS OF MST) — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 07:57:00 +0000

Thousands of men have been raped by other men while serving in the military. It's something that the U.S. Marine Corp and Navy flatly refuses to even acknowledge. The statistics in the articles below represent 50% of our Armed Forces due to the denial of the problem. After listening to the NOW story Public Television last night about our service women being victims of rape by male soldiers, I thought about veterans I've known who have been subject to rape as well. So I went searching on the Internet this morning and found the following great articles. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From the Boston Globe Sexual assault in the shadows

Male victims in military cite devastating impact on career, life

EVANSVILLE, Ind. -- The call came shortly after dinner on a raw night this winter. Mark Partridge sprang to the phone, eager to talk to his 20-year-old son, Brian, who had been based for more than a year on the USS Ardent, a minesweeper patrolling the Persian Gulf. Fulfilling a childhood dream to follow his father into service, it had been a moment of triumph when Brian landed a berth on the sleek gray ship. But what his father now heard on the other end of the line was anything but triumphant. His only child was nearly hysterical, on the brink of tears. "Dad, I've been raped," the young man shouted, as both men recall it. "There's blood all over the place." "Who did this?" demanded his father. "Where is he?" "I don't know," said Partridge, standing in the apartment of the man he says assaulted him. "I beat him up bad." "Go to the base security," his father commanded. "Right now." Partridge did just that. And then, almost immediately, he found himself caught in a legal labyrinth: Partridge's account met mounting skepticism from military investigators, and he soon faced charges himself -- a familiar pattern, according to other servicemen who have alleged abuse and some counselors who treat them. In the end, humiliated and terrified of what might await him in the brig, Partridge agreed to an other-than-honorable discharge, abandoning his military career. His case is unusual only in that he is talking about it. At a time when sexual assaults on women in uniform -- from the Air Force Academy to Iraq -- have scandalized the public and put the Pentagon on the defensive, the troubling incidence of sex crimes against men in the service has languished in the shadows, comparatively unremarked. It is well-populated shade. A Pentagon study of sexual assault in the military released in May found that 9 percent of the 2,012 reported victims of sexual assault in the armed forces in 2002 and 2003 were men. Most said they were assaulted by fellow servicemen. Those figures include 118 service members, some of them men, who say they were sexually assaulted during the current conflict. In addition, the US Department of Veterans Affairs has found more men than women reporting that they experienced unwanted sexual attention during their service years -- from rape to verbal harassment. In fiscal year 2003, for example, 10,693 male veterans told the VA they had experienced such treatment, compared with 9,348 women. The gender gap between those totals isn't surprising; far more men than women are served by the VA. Still, the sheer number of men who raise this issue with the VA screeners hints at the magnitude of the issue the military confronts. "This is a subject that has been vastly overlooked," said US Representative Louise M. Slaughter, Democrat of New York, and a strong advocate for sexual assault victims in the armed services. "I don't think any of us think of men as being rape victims, and certainly the military does not. I suspect men are quiet about it, because they want to preserve their career in the military." The US Department of Defense declined to discuss the incidence of sexual assaults on men or how the armed services are addressing the issue. But the department did express concern that the number of male rapes may be underreported. "We recognize that sexual assaults are seriously underreported," said Charles S. Abell, principal deputy under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness, in a statement, "and we have no reason to doubt that it is even more so in the case of male victims." The Globe interviewed eight men who said they were victims of sexual assault while in the military. While four of them said they never reported the offenses during their time in service, the other four said they did and wound up facing penalties themselves. One, a former US Marine who said he was beaten and sexually assaulted in 1975 while in basic training, said he was dubbed a "training failure" after he complained and was required to leave the service. Another, a Boston man who said he was raped while in basic training in the Army in 1978, was fined for an offense he says his commander never specified. Partridge was apparently the only one of the eight whose alleged assailant faced charges. All of the men were reluctant to be named, in part out of fear that going public could jeopardize their VA benefits, in part out of embarrassment or shame. For if male rape is a topic that causes squeamishness in civilian society, it is, the men say, nearly taboo in the overwhelmingly male and hierarchical culture of the military, where two men having sex remains a crime. In the end, only four of the eight would consent to be quoted by name. Met with disbeliefPetty Officer 3d Class Brian Partridge says he did precisely what a rape victim in the military is supposed to do. After hanging up with his father, he called his superior officer and remained in the apartment until two officers from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service arrived. He told them that after a night of drinking with other sailors at several local bars, he returned to the apartment of one of them for the night because the base curfew had passed. Shortly after he went to sleep in the guest bed, he woke up to find his friend sexually assaulting him. Partridge, a slender man with trim blond hair, said he threw off his assailant and, enraged, beat him until the other man fled. The following day, Partridge was questioned again at length. But this time, he said, the investigating officers did not seem to believe him. "They were making sly comments. They asked me three or four times if I was sure I wasn't gay, which I most definitely am not," Partridge said. "They were just not listening to me." Several weeks later, Partridge said, his story had been "completely turned around" by investigators, and he was given a choice: admit to participating in consensual sodomy and to beating up the other man, or face court-martial on both counts. If convicted, he would probably have received a prison sentence and dishonorably discharged. Partridge decided to accept what he and his father concluded was "the lesser of two evils." In March, he admitted to the charges and received an other-than-honorable discharge. Now living with his parents, he recently started work on a construction site. Lieutenant Christopher Servello, a spokesman for the US Navy, said the other sailor was charged with an offense in lieu of a court-martial and discharged. Servello would not say what the charge was or what kind of discharge the sailor received. The sailor could not be reached by the Globe. Although Partridge authorized the release of his military records, the Navy declined to provide them to the Globe. Servello said that Partridge's naval attorney and his sexual assault counselor were unwilling to be interviewed. But one naval official, in a letter to US Representative John N. Hostettler of Indiana, who looked into the matter at Partridge's request, said that service investigators "determined that the alleged sexual assault was actually a case of consensual sodomy." For Mark Partridge, a Navy veteran himself, the outcome has been shattering. Devastated by the emotional storm that engulfed their only child, he and his wife separated for four months before reuniting in July. But he wonders whether his son will ever recover. "They ruined him for life, you know," declared the elder Partridge. "What happens to you when they throw you out and make you look like the dirty guy? How do you explain any of this to an employer? How do you explain any of it at all?" And then he cried. Culture of aggressionMale victims in the service tend to be young, often newcomers to the deck or the field. Some have experienced personal misfortune, such as a previous incidence of abuse or the breakup of their family, and may project vulnerability, according to therapists who work with them. But because so few cases are reported, little more is known about why some men in uniform become victims of sexual assault. Like rape of any kind, male-on-male assault is viewed by specialists as, in most cases, an act of power, not sexuality. Only about 2 to 5 percent of the men assaulted in the military are believed to be homosexual, according to estimates by some therapists. The therapists know less about the perpetrators; they rarely have clinical contact with them. But some believe that aspects of military culture may abet sexual abuses. "Sexual assault in the military goes back to the beginning of time and mostly of men," said John Carracher, a clinical psychologist with the VA Medical Center in West Palm Beach, Fla., who works with men who have been sexually assaulted. "The culture itself contributes to all forms of aggression, and that includes rape." Still, there is little, if any, evidence that male-on-male rape is more common in the armed services than in civilian society. The finding of the 2004 Pentagon Task Force Report on Care For Victims of Sexual Assault -- that 9 percent of those alleging sexual assault are men -- falls in the midrange of similar surveys outside the military. While the surveys cannot be compared directly, the US Department of Justice's National Violence Agains

New youtube video about MST by M.E.N.D.

noreply@blogger.com (M.E.N.D. FOR MALE SURVIVORS OF MST) — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 03:27:00 +0000

Thanks to the staff of volunteers we were able to do a short video about Male MST please also remember to join us on Facebook and to visit our web page at M.E.N.D. 4 MALE SURVIVORS OF MST
Our staff will be in Washington DC on Tuesday when Susan Burke, a highly regarded Washington DC based attorney is to file a class action lawsuit to change how the U.S. military deals with rape and sexual assault committed by its personnel. The suit will ask for damages as well as changes in the military’s practices. As Burke puts it, “You shouldn’t have to agree to be raped in order to sign up and serve your country.”

I am so Blessed

noreply@blogger.com (M.E.N.D. FOR MALE SURVIVORS OF MST) — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 05:58:00 +0000

Well its a little after midnight here is the great little town of Bradley Beach New Jersey I am so happy to have a great person to talk too about my MST and my road of rediscovery. I just found out on Thursday I was lucky that I was sent to this great person I was blessed. I was told how hard it is to find the help I now get and how many male and female MST survivors have just given up and live with it. Thanks be to God for all he sends my way. This Art work was done for M.E.N.D 4 MALE MST SURVIVORS By A great friend and fellow Veteran Gerald Wingman Green http://www.facebook.com/friends/edit/#!/MachSpeedWingman

Finding and Choosing a Therapist My story and hints from the VA

noreply@blogger.com (M.E.N.D. FOR MALE SURVIVORS OF MST) — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 03:47:00 +0000

When I got my C-file 20 plus years later I started having flash back dreams about the Rape and I then became very depressed and called the Suicide Hotlines: Thats were I started my MST rediscover. So now I had to get help well it was not easy first the rape center I was sent to was for Women who were sexually assault and domestic violence and they said in their info that they worked with women, men and children after 3 visits I was told that the Director said the women did not like a man in the waiting room and I would have to find someone else. I think it was more about no insurance or money. I was talking to my VA doctor and he said to go to the VA mental health clinic in Brick NJ. My trip to Brick was hard for me first I had to get a appointment with the Mental Health Clinic which was very stressful for me as when I was in Basic Training I was sent to the Mental Health Clinic for a break down from being sick and my rape. I made it to Mental Health and thanks to a great staff I felt welcome and my therapist and
psychiatrist were straight with me that they were not the best people to deal with Military Sexual Trauma which is a event not a disorder and that every VA medical center has a Military Sexual Trauma Coordinator to oversee the screening and treatment referral process so my psychiatrist placed a call to the VA medical center in East Orange NJ who then had her call the VA medical center at Lions NJ and after 20 minutes with no help she said she would call the VA medical center in Bay Pines Fla and let me know at my next visit she started me on meds for PTSD; and other anxiety disorders; Depression and other mood disorders. When I went back to her she gave me the telephone number at Bay Pines and said good luck! as she was still waiting for a answer I called that day and a very nice social worker gave me the number for the MST Coordinator at Lions and East Orange who referred me to the Vet Center in Bloomfield NJ which is about a hour and a half from my home. I started to go to a therapist but do to many factors it was not working for me. The Vet Center opened a new center in Lakewood NJ which is about 15 minutes from my home and I started with a new therapist there in Oct 2010 I have made great progress with this therapist and now also have group therapy for male survivors. Sorry I tend to be long winded what I was trying to say is you have to find who is right for you. Here is some info from the VA website Finding and Choosing a Therapist

Listed below are resources to help you choose and locate a therapist who is right for you. A professional who works well with one person may not be a good choice for another person. A special section for Veterans is included.

Finding a therapist

There are many ways to find a therapist. You can start by asking friends and family if they can recommend anyone. Make sure the therapist has skills in treating trauma survivors.

Another way to locate a therapist is to make some phone calls. When you call, say that you are trying to find a provider who specializes in effective treatment for PTSD, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).

Contact your local mental health agency or family doctor.
Call your state psychological association
Call the psychology department at a local college
Call the National Center for Victims of Crime's toll-free information and referral service at begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 1-800-FYI-CALL end_of_the_skype_highlighting. This service uses agencies from across the country that support crime victims.1-800-FYI-CALL
If you work for a large company, call the human resources office to see if they make referrals.
If you are a member of a Health Maintenance Organization (HMO), call to find out about mental health services.

Some mental health services are listed in the phone book. In the blue Government pages, look in the "County Government Offices" section. In that section, look for "Health Services (Dept. of)" or "Department of Health Services." Then in that section, look under "Mental Health."

In the yellow pages, therapists are listed under "counseling," "psychologists," "social workers," "psychotherapists," "social and human services," or "mental health."

Information can also be found using the Internet. You may find a list of therapists in your area. Some lists include the therapists' areas of practice. Listed below are some suggested websites:

Center for Mental Health Services Locator. This services locator is on the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) website. The site also provides a Frequently Asked Questions about mental health.
Anxiety Disorders Association of America* offers a referral network. begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (240) 485-1001 end_of_the_skype_highlighting.(240) 485-1001
ABCT Find a Therapist Service*. The Association for Advancement of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT, formerly AABT) maintains a database of therapists.
Sidran* offers a referral list of therapists, as well as a fact sheet on how to choose a therapist for PTSD and dissociative disorders. begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (410) 825-8888 end_of_the_skype_highlighting. (410) 825-8888

Your health insurance may pay for mental health services. Also, some services are available at low cost according to your ability to pay.

Help for Veterans

VA Medical Centers and Vet Centers provide Veterans with mental health services. These services may cost little or nothing, according to a Veteran's benefits and ability to pay. Following discharge after deployment to a combat zone, you should enroll for VA services. You are then qualified for care for conditions that may be related to your service.

VA PTSD Program Locator: Use this online tool to find a PTSD Treatment program or VA PTSD treatment specialist at a VA facility near you. You can also go online to read more about services at Vet Centers.

Other resources include:

The VA Health Benefits Service Center toll free at begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 1-877-222-VETS end_of_the_skype_highlighting1-877-222-VETS
The Vet Centers' national number begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 1-800-905-4675 end_of_the_skype_highlighting1-800-905-4675
VA Mental Health for Returning Veterans
VA Returning Service Members (OEF/OIF) Page
My HealtheVet

VA Medical Centers and Vet Centers are listed in the phone book. In the blue Government pages, look under "United States Government Offices." Then look for "Veterans Affairs, Dept of." In that section, look under "Medical Care" and "Vet Centers - Counseling and Guidance."

Finding a support group

The National Center for PTSD does not provide PTSD support groups. Many local VA Medical Centers have various types of groups. Listed below is information on how to find support groups online or in your area.

Anxiety Disorders Association of America* offers a self-help group network.
National Alliance for Mental Illness* (NAMI) has a website with information for those with mental illness. You may also find family support groups in different states.
About.com's PTSD Forum* An online discussion forum.

Choosing a therapist

There are a many things to consider in choosing a therapist. Some practical issues are location, cost, and what insurance the therapist accepts. Other issues include the therapist's background, training, and the way he or she works with people.

Some people meet with a few therapists before deciding which one to work with. Most, however, try to see someone known in their area. Then they go with that person unless a problem occurs. Either way, here is a list of questions you may want to ask a possible therapist.

What is your education? Are you licensed? How many years have you been practicing?
What are your special areas of practice?
Have you ever worked with people who have been through trauma? Do you have any special training in PTSD treatment?
What kinds of PTSD treatments do you use? Have they been proven effective for dealing with my kind of problem or issue?
What are your fees? (Fees are usually based on a 45-minute to 50-minute session.) Do you have any discounted fees? How much therapy would you recommend?
What types of insurance do you accept? Do you file insurance claims? Do you contract with any managed care organizations? Do you accept Medicare or Medicaid insurance?

Who is available to provide therapy?

There are many types of professionals who can provide therapy for trauma issues. Below we describe some of the most common of these professionals.

Clinical Psychologists

Psychologists are trained in the area of human behavior. Clinical psychologists focus on mental health assessment and treatment. Psychologists use scientifically proven methods to help people change their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

Licensed Psychologists have doctoral degrees (PhD, PsyD, EdD). Their graduate training is in clinical, counseling, or school psychology. In addition to their graduate study, licensed psychologists must have another 1 to 2 years of supervised clinical experience. A license is granted after passing an exam given by the American Board of Professional Psychology. Psychologists have the title of "doctor," but they cannot prescribe medicine.

Clinical Social Workers

The purpose of social work is to enhance human well-being. Social workers help meet the basic human needs of all people. They help people manage the forces around them that contribute to problems in living.

Certified social workers have a master's degree or doctoral degree in social work (MSW, DSW, or PhD). To be licensed, clinical social workers must pass an exam given by the Academy of Certified Social Workers (ACSW).

Master's Level Clinicians

Master's Level Clinicians have a master's degree in counseling, psychology, or marriage and family therapy (MA, MFT). They have at least 2 years of training beyond the 4-year college degree. To be licensed, master's level clinicians must meet requirements that vary by state.

Psychiatrists

Psychiatrists have a Doctor of Medicine degree (MD). After they complete 4 years of medical school, they must have 3 to 4 years of residency training. Board certified psychiatrists have also passed written and oral exams given by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. Since they are medical doctors, psychiatrists can prescribe medicine. Some also provide psychotherapy.

Till next time remember what Winston Churchill said

"IF YOU'RE GOING THROUGH HELL, KEEP GOING"

VISIT OUR WEBSITE

www.mendmst.org

July 12, 2010 New Regulations on PTSD Claims

noreply@blogger.com (M.E.N.D. FOR MALE SURVIVORS OF MST) — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 02:02:00 +0000

1
July 12, 2010
New Regulations on PTSD Claims
Quick Facts: This new rule is for Veterans of any era.
The new rule will apply to claims:
o received by VA on or after July 13, 2010;
o received before July 13, 2010 but not yet decided by a VA regional office;
o appealed to the Board of Veterans' Appeals on or after July 13, 2010;
o appealed to the Board before July 13, 2010, but not yet decided by the Board; and
o pending before VA on or after July 13, 2010, because the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims vacated a Board decision and remanded for re-adjudication.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
“Stressor Determinations for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder”
1. What is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)?
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a condition resulting from exposure to direct or indirect threat of death, serious injury or a physical threat. The events that can cause PTSD are called "stressors” and may include natural disasters, accidents or deliberate man-made events/disasters, including war. Symptoms of PTSD can include recurrent thoughts of a traumatic event, reduced involvement in work or outside interests, emotional numbing, hyper-alertness, anxiety and irritability. The disorder can be more severe and longer lasting when the stress is human initiated action (example: war, rape, terrorism).
2. What does this final regulation do?
This final regulation liberalizes the evidentiary standard for Veterans claiming service connection for post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Under current regulations governing PTSD claims, unless the Veteran is a combat Veteran, VA adjudicators are typically required to undertake extensive record development to corroborate whether a Veteran actually experienced the claimed in-service stressor. This final rulemaking will simplify and improve the PTSD claims adjudication process by eliminating this time-consuming requirement where the claimed stressor is related to “fear of hostile military or terrorist activity,” is consistent with the places, types, and circumstances of their service, and a VA psychiatrist or psychologist, or contract psychiatrist or psychologist confirms that the claimed stressor is adequate to support a diagnosis of PTSD.
3. What types of claims for VA benefits does the final regulation affect?
The final regulation will benefit Veterans, regardless of their period of service. It applies to claims for PTSD service connection filed on or after the final regulation’s effective date, and to those claims that are considered on the merits at a VA Regional Office or the Board of Veterans’ Appeals on or after the effective date of the rule.
4. Why is this final regulation necessary?
The final regulation is necessary to make VA’s adjudication of PTSD claims both more timely and consistent with the current medical science.
5. How does this final regulation help Veterans?
The final regulation will simplify and streamline the processing of PTSD claims, which will result in Veterans receiving more timely decisions. A Veteran will be able to establish the occurrence of an in-service stressor through his or her own testimony, provided that: (1) the Veteran is diagnosed with PTSD; (2) a VA psychiatrist or psychologist, or a psychiatrist or psychologist with whom VA has contracted confirms that the claimed stressor is adequate to support a PTSD diagnosis; (3) the Veteran's symptoms are related to the claimed stressor; and (4) the claimed stressor is consistent with the places, types, and circumstances of the Veteran’s service and the record provides no clear and convincing evidence to the contrary. This will eliminate the requirement for VA to search for records, to verify stressor accounts, which is often a very involved and protracted process. As a result, the time required to adjudicate a PTSD compensation claim in accordance with the law will be significantly reduced.
6. How does VA plan to monitor the need for examiners in various regions of the country, and how does VA plan to respond if is determined that more examiners are needed in a particular region?
The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) has written in to the FY11-13 Operating Plan the need for additional staff to support doing adequate, timely exams. VHA proposes: “A8. Increase mental health field staff to address the increase in C&P examinations and develop monitoring system to ensure clinical delivery of mental health services does not decrease in VHA.“ Specifically, VHA has requested 125 clinicians for FY11 with additional 63 staff in FY12 if the need exists. If the Operating Plan and the proposed budget are approved, VA proposes asking the Veterans Integrated Service Networks (VISNs) to develop plans for distributing the funds in order to ensure adequate coverage at sites based on number of claims being processed; the VISNs are well positioned to determine these regional needs.
7. How does the regulatory revision affect PTSD service connection claims where an in-service diagnosis of PTSD has been rendered?
The new regulation does not apply to the adjudication of cases where PTSD has been initially diagnosed in service. Rather, under another VA rule, 38 CFR § 3.304(f)(1), if a Veteran is diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder during service and the claimed stressor is related to that service, in the absence of clear and convincing evidence to the contrary, and provided that the claimed stressor is consistent with the circumstances, conditions, or hardships of the Veteran's service, the Veteran's lay testimony alone may establish the occurrence of the claimed in-service stressor.
8. Is the new regulation applicable only if the Veteran's statements relate to combat or POW service?
No. The rule states that the stressor must be related to a “fear of hostile military or terrorist activity,” and the claimed stressor must be “consistent with the places, types, and circumstances of the veteran’s service.”
9. What circumstances will still require stressor verification through DoD’s Joint Services Records Research Center (JSRRC) , VBA’s Compensation &Pension Service (C&P Service), or other entity if a Veteran claims that his or her stressor is related to a fear of hostile or terrorist activity?
The regulatory revision will greatly lessen the need for undertaking development to verify Veterans’ accounts of in-service stressors. Now, stressor development may only need to be conducted if a review of the available record, such as the Veteran’s service personnel and/or treatment records, is inadequate to determine that the claimed stressor is “consistent with the places, types and circumstances of the veteran’s service.” In such circumstances, the Veterans Service Representative (VSR) will determine on a case-by-case basis what development should be undertaken.
However, it is anticipated that in the overwhelming majority of cases adjudicated under the new version of § 3.304(f), a simple review of the Veteran’s service treatment and/or personnel records will be sufficient to determine if the claimed stressor is consistent with the places, types, and circumstances of the Veteran’s service. We also believe that, in some cases, a Veteran’s separation document, DD-Form 214, alone may enable an adjudicator to make such a determination.
10. As the regulatory revision seems to require an enhanced role for the examining VA mental health professional, whose role is it to determine whether the claimed stressor is consistent with the Veteran’s service?
VA adjudicators, not the examining psychiatrist or psychologist, will decide whether the claimed stressor is consistent with the Veteran’s service.
11. Is a Veteran's testimony about “fear of hostile military or terrorist activity” alone sufficient to establish a stressor?
Yes, if the other requirements of the regulation are satisfied, i.e., a VA psychiatrist or psychologist confirms that the claimed stressor is adequate to support a PTSD diagnosis and that the Veteran's symptoms are related to the claimed stressor, and the stressor is consistent with the “places, types, and circumstances of the Veteran’s service.”
12. Are the stressors accepted as adequate for establishing service connection under new § 3.304(f)(3) limited to those specifically identified in the new regulation?
No. The examples given in the revised regulation do not represent an exclusive list in view of the use of the modifying phrase “such as” that precedes the listed examples. Any event or circumstance that involves actual or threatened death or serious injury, or a threat to the physical integrity of the Veteran or others, would qualify as a stressor under new § 3.304(f)(3).
13. How will the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) work with Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) on the new regulation?
VHA was actively involved in discussion with VBA of the new regulation and fully supports the new regulation. The new regulation will provide fair evaluation for Veterans whose military records have been damaged or destroyed, or for whom no definitive reports of combat action appeared in their military records, even though they can report such actions and it is reasonable to believe that these occurred, given the time and place of service. This will be especially beneficial to women Veterans, whose records do not specify that they had combat assignments, even though their roles in the military placed them at risk of hostile military or terrorist activity. This means that more Veterans will become eligible for VA care and thus be able to receive VA care for mental illness related to their military service, as well as receiving full holistic health care.VHA will work actively with VBA on implementing the regulation. VHA staff’s main role is as clinicians conducting C&P interviews to establish diagnoses and obtain other information to be used by VBA raters to determine the outcome of claims. The new regulation will not change the diagnostic elements of the C&P interview, but may change what additional data are collected for use by VBA raters.http://www.va.gov/PTSD_QA.pdf

Myths about male rape and Military Sexual Trauma

noreply@blogger.com (M.E.N.D. FOR MALE SURVIVORS OF MST) — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 03:26:00 +0000

There are numerous frequently accepted myths about male rape and in all probability more so than there are about female rape. These myths have the effect of minimizing the gravity of the crime, and the accountability of the perpetrator.

These myths about male rape also have an effect on the way men think about themselves when they have been assaulted, and, sadly, the way those men are treated by many other individuals.

Understanding the facts about male rape can give the male rape victim the strength to counteract their fears and, we hope, will enable more men to ask for the information and counseling support that they so rightly ought to have. Knowing what are the myths and facts about male rape, may also help others understand how to respond to those male rape victims.

Here are a few of the facts about, and some of the most frequent myths about male rape and men who are raped.

Read them all at the link.

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The National Centre for Victims of Crime has this report on “Male Rape” that gives these shocking statistics:

About 3% of American men – a total of 2.78 million men – have experienced a rape at some point in their lifetime (Tjaden & Thoennes, 2006).
In 2003, one in every ten rape victims was male. While there are no reliable annual surveys of sexual assaults on children, the Justice Department has estimated that one of six victims are under age 12 (National Crime Victimization Study, 2003).
71% of male victims were first raped before their 18th birthday; 16.6% were 18-24 years old, and 12.3% were 25 or older (Tjaden & Thoennes, 2006).
Males are the least likely to report a sexual assault, though it is estimated that they make up 10% of all victims (RAINN, 2006).
22% of male inmates have been raped at least once during their incarceration; roughly 420,000 prisoners each year (Human Rights Watch, 2001).

The report elaborates:

Nicholas Groth, a clinical psychologist and author of Men Who Rape: The Psychology of the Offender, says all sexual assault is an act of aggression, regardless of the gender or age of the victim or the assailant. Neither sexual desire nor sexual deprivation is the primary motivating force behind sexual assault. It is not about sexual gratification, but rather a sexual aggressor using somebody else as a means of expressing their own power and control.
Much has been written about the psychological trauma associated with the rape of female victims. While less research has been conducted about male rape victims, case research suggests that males also commonly experience many of the reactions that females experience. These reactions include: depression, anger, guilt, self-blame, sexual dysfunctions, flashbacks, and suicidal feelings (Isley, 1991). Other problems facing males include an increased sense of vulnerability, damaged self-image and emotional distancing (Mezey & King, 1989). Male rape victims not only have to confront unsympathetic attitudes if they choose to press charges, they also often hear unsupportive statements from their friends, family and acquaintances (Brochman, 1991). People will tend to fault the male victim instead of the rapist. Stephen Donaldson, president of Stop Prisoner Rape (a national education and advocacy group), says that the suppression of knowledge of male rape is so powerful and pervasive that criminals such as burglars and robbers sometimes rape their male victims as a sideline solely to prevent them from going to the police.
There are many reasons that male victims do not come forward and report being raped, but perhaps the biggest reason for many males is the fear of being perceived as homosexual. However, male sexual assault has nothing to do with the sexual orientation of the attacker or the victim, just as a sexual assault does not make the victim survivor gay, bisexual or heterosexual. It is a violent crime that affects heterosexual men as much as gay men. The phrase “homosexual rape,” for instance, which is often used by uninformed persons to designate male-male rape, camouflages the fact that the majority of the rapists are not generally homosexual (Donaldson, 1990).

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Male Rape

Facts about Men and Rape

Men get raped by other men and even women
Rapists who rape men are heterosexual in 98% of the cases
Both homosexual and heterosexual men get raped
In all parts of society (not just in prisons)
Men are less likely to report rape

Most of us grow up thinking that rape happens only to women.
If male rape survivors think so too, they may feel isolated and alone.
If people in our community believe that, they may further this sense of isolation on the part of male rape survivors.
Men usually share many of the same feelings of female sexual assault survivors. They may feel:

guilty
powerless
concern regarding their safety
denial
shock
anger

There are, however, special issues that may be different for men:

concerns about sexuality and/or masculinity
medical procedures
reporting to law enforcement
telling others
finding resources and support

Strong or weak, outgoing or withdrawn, homosexual or heterosexual, old or young, male or female; no one does anything that justifies sexual assault.

Myths about Men and Rape

No matter what was said or done or worn, no one "asks for" or deserves to be assaulted. Sexual assault has nothing to do with someone's present or future sexual orientation. Sexual assault is a crime of violence and power, not of lust or passion.
Unfortunately, many doctors, nurses, and law enforcement officers do not realize that men as well as women may be sexually assaulted. This may affect the way they treat men who have been raped. Sometimes a stereotyped view of masculinity, rather than the physical assault of the crime becomes the focus of the medical exam or law enforcement investigation.
Two myths about homosexuality may also affect the way men are treated. Many people wrongly believe that only gay men get raped. Many people also believe that assaults against men are committed only by gay men. Both of these are myths, not facts, but they may affect the way male rape survivors are treated, and/or how male survivors feel about the assault and themselves afterwards.

What Can We Do

Recognize that men and boys can and will be sexually assaulted.
Be aware of the biases and myths concerning sexual assault.
Recognize that the harmful sex-role stereotypes which create narrow definitions of masculinity, as well as lies about homosexuality, make it difficult for male survivors to disclose about being raped.
As individuals and as a community we must work to combat and challenge these attitudes.
It is important that male rape survivors have support around them and that they be able to make their own decisions about what course of action to take.

MALE RESPONSIBILITY FOR RAPE AND RAPE AWARENESS
Unfortunately, most men do not recognize that there is a problem here, and fewer still acknowledge responsibility for any part of it. As a result, rape is seen, if at all, as a "women's issue." The impression remains that men are in no way connected to sexual assault, neither in its occurrence, nor through its effects, nor by its causes.

ONE IN THREE WOMEN AND ONE IN SEVEN MEN... WHAT DOES THIS MEAN

It is important that men learn to see how this cultural reality by itself has great impact on our lives. Men are connected to this world in which women and men are assaulted and men are connected to the women who are forced to adjust their behavior accordingly. These connections--through the effects of sexual violence against women--should not be for men a "women's issue." As women are affected whether or not they are actually raped, men's lives are greatly changed whether or not they are actually assailants.

WHERE DO ALL THESE RAPISTS COME FROM?

Men rape. This Is Fact One, and no discussion of sexual assault should distract us from this reality. Historically, men have always denied and evaded Fact One. This is Fact Two, and no discussion of the causes of sexual assault should deflect us from this responsibility.
Recognition of reality and acknowledgment of responsibility can come with great difficulty to most men. Evasions, denials, and defensiveness, however, miss the point and simply will no longer suffice.

SEXUAL OBJECTS MAKE SEXUAL TARGETS

The story of sexual assault in our culture is not just about rape. Rapist are not born, they are made. And remade. And the culture which makes "them" also makes "us."
The question of why some men rape is thus connected to the question of why sexual violence is tolerated. This connection exists at a double intersection: between attitudes and actions, between violence and notions of masculinity. Men are all connected to these intersections because this is where they have grown up as men.
Men have the power collectively to end rape.
Unfortunately, so far, this male collective appears to be composed mainly of men who rape, men who hold attitudes similar to rapists, and men who undoubtedly do care in their own personal lives, yet remain quiet in the community where rape occurs.
The raising of the question is far more important than its phrasing. Consider....,
HOW WOULD OUR LIVES BE DIFFERENT IF THERE WAS NO SEXUAL VIOLENCE?

HOW MEN CAN HELP PREVENT RAPE:

examine your own attitudes about women and men that may reflect misconceptions about rape
assertively interrupt jokes, comments or actions that lead to attitudes or situations that can cause rape
assist women with precautions that decrease their chances of becoming victims
support women's actions to take charge of their own lives; to be confident and strong
listen to women's feelings about being victimized

ACTIONS MEN CAN TAKE:

If a woman says "no" to your sexual advances, respect that "no" at face value. Do not accept the myth that "no" means "yes."
In a dating or intimate relationship communicate clearly how you feel and what you want. Do not assume your date or partner feels the same way. Respect the other person's feelings and needs.
Be aware of situations that increase a woman's vulnerability. How would you respond if you witnessed an intoxicated woman at a party being escorted by two or three men to a bedroom.
Confront men who are harassing women on the street or at a party. Point out sexist comments and behavior with your friends and coworkers.
Tell men that you do not think rape jokes are funny.

If you feel uncomfortable confronting other men on sexist issues, then get in touch with other men who share your views. Build your confidence in how you feel and learn how you can make an impact by being an example.

Whether or not WE as individuals are violent, WE support and encourage THE MEN who rape both by the actions that support a sexist society and the inaction that condones the violence. If WE work together to educate ourselves and THE MEN around us about the devastating effects of rape and sexual assault and how WE can eliminate the violence and sexist attitudes that precipitate rape WE can make it end.

LEARN TO RECOGNIZE EMOTIONS IN YOURSELF AND OTHERS

Violence generally does not erupt from nowhere. There are clues when anger is becoming unmanageable. The ways people handle their anger are divided into two general categories:

Stuffers:: Those who stuff anger down inside themselves and deny its presence, suffer feelings of low self esteem, and self doubt, intellectualize their situations. They become progressively withdrawn, depressed, tense, until it becomes too much and they explode in violence.
Escalators:: Escalators are easier to identify. They begin their sentences with "you." They blame and call names. Eventually their anger escalates into a blow-up and violence.

Identifying these signs early allows more options for change.

IMMEDIATE ALTERNATIVES TO VIOLENT BEHAVIOR

If you are feeling out of control with your anger and think you may hurt someone or yourself, you can do something immediately to squash the impulse and leave yourself better able to deal with problems:

call someone
meditate or do breathing exercises to relax
take a cold shower, or relax in a hot bath
work on a hobby
go into another room and scream
complete or begin projects around the house or yard
take a "time out" and leave the scene completely for a designated time
hit a pillow
take a walk
exercise

LIFESTYLE CHANGES TO MODIFY VIOLENT BEHAVIOR

develop a daily decompression time from work to home
establish regular family fun time
develop a positive self-confidence so that you can be assertive rather than aggressive in communicating
reduce the number of factors which reinforce violence in your life
identify activities which produce a lot of stress in your life and work on eliminating or modifying those activities
examine the addictions in your life which may increase the chance for violence
develop good health habits: eating, sleeping well and daily exercise can make a difference
develop fun time for yourself
identify groups which may provide you with support in dealing with particular problems
take self-help classes in communication, parent education, etc..
think of long term changes you wish to make to decrease the stress in your life

Overview
Society is becoming increasingly aware of male rape. However, experts believe that current male rape statistics vastly under-represent the actual number of males age 12 and over who are raped each year. Rape crisis counselors estimate that while only one in 50 raped women report the crime to the police, the rates of under-reporting among men are even higher (Brochman, 1991). Until the mid-1980s, most literature discussed this violent crime in the context of women only. The lack of tracking of sexual crimes against men and the lack of research about the effects of male rape are indicative of the attitude held by society at large -- that while male rape occurs, it is not an acceptable topic for discussion.

Historically, the rape of males was more widely recognized in ancient times. Several of the legends in Greek mythology involved abductions and sexual assaults of males by other males or gods. The rape of a defeated male enemy was considered the special right of the victorious soldier in some societies and was a signal of the totality of the defeat. There was a widespread belief that a male who was sexually penetrated, even if it was by forced sexual assault, thus "lost his manhood," and could no longer be a warrior or ruler. Gang rape of a male was considered an ultimate form of punishment and, as such, was known to the Romans as punishment for adultery and the Persians and Iranians as punishment for violation of the sanctity of the harem (Donaldson, 1990).

A. Nicholas Groth, a clinical psychologist and author of Men Who Rape: The Psychology of the Offender, says all sexual assault is an act of aggression, regardless of the gender or age of the victim or the assailant. Neither sexual desire nor sexual deprivation is the primary motivating force behind sexual assault. It is not about sexual gratification, but rather a sexual aggressor using somebody else as a means of expressing their own power and control.
Much has been written about the psychological trauma associated with the rape of female victims. While less research has been conducted about male rape victims, case research suggests that males also commonly experience many of the reactions that females experience. These reactions include: depression, anger, guilt, self-blame, sexual dysfunctions, flashbacks, and suicidal feelings (Isley, 1991). Other problems facing males include an increased sense of vulnerability, damaged self-image and emotional distancing (Mezey & King, 1989). Male rape victims not only have to confront unsympathetic attitudes if they choose to press charges, they also often hear unsupportive statements from their friends, family and acquaintances (Brochman, 1991). People will tend to fault the male victim instead of the rapist. Stephen Donaldson, president of Stop Prisoner Rape (a national education and advocacy group), says that the suppression of knowledge of male rape is so powerful and pervasive that criminals such as burglars and robbers sometimes rape their male victims as a sideline solely to prevent them from going to the police.

There are many reasons that male victims do not come forward and report being raped, but perhaps the biggest reason for many males is the fear of being perceived as homosexual. However, male sexual assault has nothing to do with the sexual orientation of the attacker or the victim, just as a sexual assault does not make the victim survivor gay, bisexual or heterosexual. It is a violent crime that affects heterosexual men as much as gay men. The phrase "homosexual rape," for instance, which is often used by uninformed persons to designate male-male rape, camouflages the fact that the majority of the rapists are not generally homosexual (Donaldson, 1990).

In a well-known study of offenders and victims conducted by Nicholas Groth and Ann Burgess, one-half of the offender population described their consenting sexual encounters to be with women only, while 38 percent had consenting sexual encounters with men and women. Additionally, one-half of the victim population was strictly heterosexual. Among the offenders studied, the gender of the victim did not appear to be of specific significance to half of the offenders. Instead, they appeared to be relatively indiscriminate with regard to their choice of a victim -- that is, their victims included both males and females, as well as both adults and children (Groth & Burgess, 1980). The choice of a victim seemed to be more a matter of accessibility than of sexual orientation, gender or age.

Many people believe that the majority of male rape occurs in prison; however, there is existing research which shatters this myth. A study of incarcerated and non-incarcerated male rape victims in Tennessee concluded that the similarities between these two groups would suggest that the sexual assault of men may not be due to conditions unique to a prison and that all men are potential victims (Lipscomb et al., 1992).

Research indicates that the most common sites for male rape involving post-puberty victims are outdoors in remote areas and in automobiles (the latter usually involving hitchhikers). Boys in their early and mid-teens are more likely to be victimized than older males (studies indicate a median victim age of 17). The form of assault usually involves penetration of the victim anally and/or orally, rather than stimulation of the victim's penis. Gang rape is more common in cases involving male victims than those involving female victims. Also, multiple sexual acts are more likely to be demanded, weapons are more likely to be displayed and used, and physical injury is more likely to occur, with the injuries that do occur being more serious than with injured female rape victims (Porter, 1986).
Definition
Sexual assault and rape include any unwanted sexual acts. The assailant can be a stranger, an acquaintance, a family member, or someone the victim knows well and trusts. Rape and sexual assault are crimes of violence and are used to exert power and control over another person. The legal definitions of rape and sexual assault can vary from state to state (National Center for Victims of Crime, INFO LINK, No. 70. However, usually a sexual assault occurs when a someone touches any part of another person's body in a sexual way, even through their clothes, without that person's consent. Rape of males is any kind of sexual assault that involves forced penetration of the anus or mouth by a penis, finger or any other object. Both rape and sexual assault includes situations when the victim cannot say "no" because he is disabled, unconscious, drunk or high.

In some states, the word "rape" is used only to define a forced act of vaginal sexual intercourse, and an act of forced anal intercourse is termed "sodomy." In some states, the crime of sodomy also includes any oral sexual act. There are some states that now use gender-neutral terms to define acts of forced anal, vaginal or oral intercourse. Also, some states no longer use the terms "rape" and "sodomy," rather all sex crimes are described as sexual assaults or criminal sexual conduct of various degrees depending on the use and amount of force or coercion on the part of the assailant (National Center for Victims of Crime, INFO LINK, No. 70).
Victims' Response
It is not uncommon for a male rape victim to blame himself for the rape, believing that he in some way gave permission to the rapist (Brochman, 1991). Male rape victims suffer a similar fear that female rape victims face -- that people will believe the myth that they may have enjoyed being raped. Some men may believe they were not raped or that they gave consent because they became sexually aroused, had an erection, or ejaculated during the sexual assault. These are normal, involuntary physiological reactions. It does not mean that the victim wanted to be raped or sexually assaulted, or that the survivor enjoyed the traumatic experience. Sexual arousal does not necessarily mean there was consent.

According to Groth, some assailants may try to get their victim to ejaculate because for the rapist, it symbolizes their complete sexual control over their victim's body. Since ejaculation is not always within conscious control but rather an involuntary physiological reaction, rapists frequently succeed at getting their male victims to ejaculate. As Groth and Burgess have found in their research, this aspect of the attack is extremely stressful and confusing to the victim. In misidentifying ejaculation with orgasm, the victim may be bewildered by his physiological response during the sexual assault and, therefore, may be discouraged from reporting the assault for fear his sexuality may become suspect (Groth & Burgess, 1980).

Another major concern facing male rape victims is society's belief that men should be able to protect themselves and, therefore, it is somehow their fault that they were raped. The experience of a rape may affect gay and heterosexual men differently. Most rape counselors point out that gay men have difficulties in their sexual and emotional relationships with other men and think that the assault occurred because they are gay, whereas straight men often begin to question their sexual identity and are more disturbed by the sexual aspect of the assault than the violence involved (Brochman, 1991).
Male Rape as an Act of Anti-Gay Violence
Unfortunately, incidents of anti-gay violence also include forcible rape, either oral or anal. Attackers frequently use verbal harassment and name-calling during such a sexual assault. Given the context of coercion, however, such technically homosexual acts seem to imply no homosexuality on the part of the offenders. The victim serves, both physically and symbolically, as a "vehicle for the sexual status needs of the offenders in the course of recreational violence" (Harry, 1992, p.115).

If You Are a Victim
Rape and sexual assault include any unwanted sexual acts. Even if you agree to have sex with someone, you have the right to say "no" at any time, and to say "no" to any sexual acts. If you are sexually assaulted or raped, it is never your fault -- you are not responsible for the actions of others.

Richie J. McMullen, author of Male Rape: Breaking the Silence on the Last Taboo, encourages seeking immediate medical attention whether or not the incident is reported to police. Even if you do not seem injured, it is important to get medical attention. Sometimes injuries that seem minor at first can get worse. Survivors can sometimes contract a sexually transmitted disease during the sexual assault, but not suffer immediate symptoms. Even if the symptoms of that disease take weeks or months to appear, it might be easily treated with an early diagnosis. (If you are concerned about HIV exposure, it is important to talk to a counselor about the possibility of exposure and the need for testing. For more information about HIV transmission and testing, contact the Centers for Disease Control National HIV/AIDS Hotline. Check the contact list at the end of this bulletin for the phone number and address information.)

Medical considerations making immediate medical attention imperative include:

Rectal and anal tearing and abrasions which may require attention and put the you at risk for bacterial infections;
Potential HIV exposure; and
Exposure to other sexually transmitted diseases.

If you plan to report the rape to the police, an immediate medical examination is necessary to collect potential evidence for the investigation and prosecution.

Some of the physical reactions a survivor may experience in response to the trauma of a sexual assault or rape include:

Loss of appetite;
Nausea and/or stomachaches;
Headaches;
Loss of memory and/or concentration; and/or
Changes in sleep patterns.

Some of the psychological and emotional reactions a sexual assault survivor may experience include:

Denial and/or guilt;
Shame or humiliation;
Fear and a feeling of loss of control;
Loss of self-respect;
Flashbacks to the attack;
Anger and anxiety;
Retaliation fantasies (sometimes shocking the survivor with their graphic violence);
Nervous or compulsive behavior;
Depression and mood swings;
Withdrawal from relationships; and
Changes in sexual activity.

Survivors of rape, and often of attempted rape, usually manifest some elements of what has come to be called Rape-Related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (RR-PTSD), a form of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Apart from a small number of therapists and counselors specializing in sexual assault cases, few psychotherapists are familiar with the symptoms and treatment of RR-PTSD. For this reason, a rape survivor is usually well-advised to consult with a rape crisis center or someone knowledgeable in this area rather than relying on general counseling resources. The same applies to those close to a rape victim, such as a partner, spouse or parent; these persons become secondary victims of the sexual assault and have special issues and concerns that they may need assistance in dealing with effectively.

Local rape crisis centers offer male sexual assault victims direct services or referrals for services, including: counseling, crisis services and support services. Victims may contact their local rape crisis center, no matter how long it has been since the rape occurred. Counselors on staff can either provide support, or help direct the victim to trained professionals who can provide support. Most rape programs are staffed by women; however, some programs have male and female counselors. If you prefer one or the other, make that preference known when you initially contact the program. Whether or not they have male staff on call, almost all rape crisis centers can make referrals to male counselors sensitive to the needs of male sexual assault survivors. In addition, many communities across the country have support groups for victims of anti-gay violence.

Counseling can help you cope with the physical and emotional reactions to the sexual assault or rape, as well as provide you with necessary information about medical and criminal justice system procedures. Seeking counseling is an important way to regain a sense of control over your life after surviving a sexual assault. Contact your local rape crisis program even if services are not expressly advertised for male rape survivors. The number can be found in your local phone book listed under "Community Services Numbers," "Emergency Assistance Numbers," "Survival Numbers" or "Rape."

Sexual assault and rape are serious crimes. As a sexual assault survivor, you have the right to report the crime to the police. This decision is one only you can make. But because authorities are not always sensitive to male sexual assault victims, it is important to have a friend or advocate go with you to report the crime for support and assistance.

References
Brochman, Sue. (July 30, 1991). "Silent Victims: Bringing Male Rape Out of the Closet." The Advocate, 582: 38 - 43.

Bureau of Justice Statistics. (1997). Criminal Victimization in the United States, 1994. Washington, DC: Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Department of Justice.

Bureau of Justice Statistics. (March 1985). The Crime of Rape. Washington, DC: Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Department of Justice.

Donaldson, Donald. (1990). "Rape of Males," in Dynes, Wayne, ed. Encyclopedia of Homosexuality. New York: Garland Publications.

Groth, A. Nicholas and Ann Wolbert Burgess. (1980). "Male Rape: Offenders and Victims." American Journal of Psychiatry, 137(7): 806 - 810.

Groth, A. Nicholas and B. A. Birnbaum. (1979). Men Who Rape: The Psychology of the Offender. New York: Plenum.

Harry, Joseph. (1992). "Conceptualizing Anti-Gay Violence," in Herek, Gregory and Kevin Berrill, eds. Hate Crimes: Confronting Violence Against Lesbians and Gay Men. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.
Isley, Paul. (1991). "Adult Male Sexual Assault in the Community: A Literature Review and Group Treatment Model," in Burgess, Ann, ed. Rape and Sexual Assault III: A Research Handbook. New York: Garland Publishing, Inc.
Lipscomb, Gary H. et al. (1992). "Male Victims of Sexual Assault." Journal of the American Medical Association, 267(22): 3064 - 3066.

McMullen, Richie J. (1990). Male Rape: Breaking the Silence on the Last Taboo. London: GMP Publishers Ltd.

Mezey, Gillian and Michael King. (1989). "The Effects of Sexual Assault on Men: A Survey of 22 Victims." Psychological Medicine, 19(1): 205 - 209.

National Center for Victims of Crime. (1992). "Rape-Related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder," INFO LINK, Arlington, VA.

National Center for Victims of Crime. (1995). "Sexual Assault Legislation," INFO LINK, Arlington, VA.

Porter, Eugene. (1986). Treating the Young Male Victim of Sexual Assault. Syracuse, NY: Safer Society Press.
Bibliography
Allers, Christopher et al. (1991). "HIV Vulnerability and the Adult Survivor of Childhood Sexual Abuse." Child Abuse and Neglect, 17: 291 - 298.

Baker, Timothy and Ann Burgess, Ellen Brickman and Robert Davis. (1990). "Rape Victims' Concerns About Possible Exposure to HIV Infection." Journal of Interpersonal Violence,
5(1): 49 - 60.

Bradway, Becky. (1993). Sexual Violence Facts and Statistics. Springfield, IL: Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault.

Burgess, Ann and Timothy Baker. (1992). "AIDS and Victims of Sexual Assault." Hospital and Community Psychiatry, 43(5): 447 - 448.

Comstock, Gary. (1991). Violence Against Lesbians and Gay Men. New York: Columbia University Press.

Fuller, A. Kenneth and Robert Bartucci. (1991). "HIV Transmission and Childhood Sexual Abuse." Journal of Sex Education & Therapy, 17(1).

Gostin, Lawrence et al. (1994). "HIV Testing, Counseling, and Prophylaxis After Sexual Assault." Journal of the American Medical Association, 271(18): 1436 - 1444.

Jenny, Carole et al. (1990). "Sexually Transmitted Diseases in Victims of Rape."
The New England Journal of Medicine, 322(11).

National Center for Victims of Crime. (1992). Looking Back, Moving Forward: A Program for Communities Responding to Sexual Assault. Arlington, VA: National Center for Victims of Crime.
National Center for Victims of Crime and Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center. (1992). Rape in America: A Report to the Nation. Arlington, VA: National Center for Victims of Crime.
For additional information, please contact:
Centers for Disease Control National HIV/AIDS Hotline
American Social Health Association
P.O. Box 13827
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
(800) 342 - AIDS
(800) 344 - SIDA (Spanish)
(800) 243 - 7889 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (800) 243 - 7889      end_of_the_skype_highlighting (TDD)
Provides information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, about HIV/AIDS and will send free, written information, including legal services, counseling and therapies.
Men's Resource Center
12 Southeast 14th
Portland, OR 97214
(503) 235 - 3433 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (503) 235 - 3433      end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Men Stopping Rape
306 North Brooks Street
Madison, WI 53715
(608) 257 - 4444 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (608) 257 - 4444      end_of_the_skype_highlighting

National AIDS Clearinghouse
Centers for Disease Control
P.O. Box 6003
Rockville, MD 20849
(800) 458 - 5231 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (800) 458 - 5231      end_of_the_skype_highlighting
(800) 243 - 7012 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (800) 243 - 7012      end_of_the_skype_highlighting (TDD)
Distributes a variety of educational materials to the public. Provides expert referrals.

National Coalition Against Sexual Assault
125 N. Enola Drive
Enola, PA 17025
(717) 728 - 9764 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (717) 728 - 9764      end_of_the_skype_highlighting

National Crime Victims Research & Treatment Center
Medical University of South Carolina
171 Ashley Avenue
Charleston, SC 29425
(843) 792 - 2945 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (843) 792 - 2945      end_of_the_skype_highlighting

National Gay & Lesbian Task Force
2320 17^th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20009
(202) 332 - 6483 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (202) 332 - 6483      end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Your state Attorney General, county/city prosecutor, or county/city law enforcement:

Check in the Blue pages of your local phone book under the appropriate section heading of either "Local Governments," "County Governments," or "State Government."

INFO LINK ©: A Program of the National Center for Victims of Crime.

All rights reserved.

Copyright © 1997 by the National Center for Victims of Crime. This information may be freely distributed by electronic communication, provided that it is distributed in its entirety and includes this copyright notice, but may not be reprinted or distributed by any other means without the express written consent of the National Center for Victims of Crime.

To we talk again remember what Winston Churchill said

"IF YOU'RE GOING THROUGH HELL, KEEP GOING"

ptsd and rape trauma syndrome

noreply@blogger.com (M.E.N.D. FOR MALE SURVIVORS OF MST) — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 01:47:00 +0000

As I search for info on the web I find stories about all types of syndromes related to Rape now MST is not only Rape but defined by the our Government as Military Sexual Trauma

What is military sexual trauma (MST)?

In both civilian and military settings, service members can experience a range of unwanted sexual behaviors that they may find distressing. These experiences happen to both women and men. "Military sexual trauma" or MST is the term used by the Department of Veterans Affairs to refer to experiences of sexual assault or repeated, threatening acts of sexual harassment.
The definition of MST used by the VA is given by U.S. Code (1720D of Title 38). It is "psychological trauma, which in the judgment of a VA mental health professional, resulted from a physical assault of a sexual nature, battery of a sexual nature, or sexual harassment which occurred while the Veteran was serving on active duty or active duty for training." Sexual harassment is further defined as "repeated, unsolicited verbal or physical contact of a sexual nature which is threatening in character."
In more concrete terms, MST includes any sexual activity where you are involved against your will. You may have been pressured into sexual activities. For example, you may have been threatened with negative consequences for refusing to go along. It may have been implied that you would get faster promotions or better treatment in exchange for sex. You may not have been able to consent to sexual activities, for example, if you were intoxicated. You may have been physically forced into sexual activities. Other MST experiences include:

Unwanted sexual touching or grabbing.
Threatening, offensive remarks about your body or your sexual activities.
Threatening and unwelcome sexual advances.

If these experiences occurred while you were on active duty or active duty for training, they are considered to be MST.

MST PTSD FROM RAPE

PTSD

post-traumatic stress disorder is a normal emotional and psychological reaction to trauma (a painful, shocking experience such as rape, war or a natural disaster) that is outside of a person's normal life experiences.

Anyone who experiences a traumatic event can suffer from PTSD. PTSD can affect survivors of war, violent attacks, rape, car or plane accidents and natural disasters and can also affect people who witness these events.

Symptoms of PTSD include recurrent memories or flashbacks of the trauma, nightmares, insomnia and/or lack of interest in family, friends or hobbies. They may suffer from depression. They may also suffer from survivor guilt, have overwhelming emotions, and be irritable or jumpy.
rape trauma syndrome

Immediate reactions after a rape may vary. Some rape survivors remain controlled, numb, in shock, denial disbelief. They present a flat affect, quiet, reserved, and have difficulties expressing themselves. Other rape survivors respond quite differently - being very expressive and verbalizing feelings of sadness or anger. They may appear distraught or anxious and may even express rage or hostility against the medical staff attempting to care for them.

Various factors may aid or inhibit the survivors ability to resolve the issues associated by the rape. Positive feelings of self-esteem, good support systems, previous success in dealing with crisis and economic security all enhance her ability to heal. Survivors who can minimize, (deal with one small segment of the problem at a time ) often find success. Certainly survivors moved to action gain confidence as they implement decisions. But survivors who suffer with chronic stress, lack of support systems and prior victimization struggle less successfully to resolve their issues. Negative self-esteem often hinders their progress and paralyze their efforts. These victims often use maladaptive methods to deal with their stress. These factors hamper their ability to resolve the issues of the rape and move beyond it.

Rape victims can suffer a significant degree of physical and emotional trauma during the rape, immediately following the rape and over a considerable time period after the rape. A study of rape victims has identified a three-stage process, or syndrome, that occurs as a result of forcible rape or attempted forcible rape. This syndrome is an acute stress reaction to a life-threatening situation that can last from two years to a lifetime. It is also often known as rape trauma syndrome or rape related post traumatic stress disorder, rrpstd.

The acute phase begins immediately and lasts up to several days after the attack. The survivor feels violated and fearful and may be depressedï¿½even suicidal. The victim struggles with feelings of loss of control and may note changes in appetite, sleep habits or social functions. Survivors may note change in their sexual patterns at this time.

The Acute Stage: This stage occurs immediately after the assault. It may last a few days to several weeks. During this stage the victim may:
seem agitated or hysterical or s/he may appear totally calm (a slogan that s/he could be in shock).
have crying spells and anxiety attacks.
have difficulty concentrating, making decisions, and dolling simple, everyday tasks.
show little emotion, act as though numb or stunned.
have poor recall of the rape or other memories.

In the second stage, it seems that survivors begin to resolve their issues. This stage is also called the "flight to health." But denial frequently masks the under lying problems as survivors make an effort to re-establish the routines of their life and bring back some semblance of control. Sometimes, in an effort to feel back in control, rape victims make dramatic changes in lifestyle or environment. They may quit a long-standing job or move to a new location to get a fresh start. They may dramatically change their appearance; cut their hair or perhaps change the colour. None of the changes brings about the security they search for as nightmares and phobias emerge. They work hard to suppress the feelings because dealing with them is so very painful.

The Outward Adjustment Stage: During this stage the victim resumes what appears to be from the outside her/his "normal" life. Inside, however, there is considerable turmoil which can manifest itself by any of the following behaviours:
continuing anxiety.
sense of helplessness.
persistent fear and/or depression.
severe mood swings (e.g. happy to angry, etc.).
vivid dreams, recurrent nightmares, insomnia.
physical ailments.
appetite disturbances (e.g. nausea, vomiting, compulsive eating).
efforts to deny the assault ever took place and/or to minimize its impact.
withdrawal from friends and/or relatives.
preoccupation with personal safety.
reluctance to leave the house and/or to go places which remind the victim of the rape.
hesitation about forming new relationships with men and/or distrustful or existing relationship.
sexual problems.
disruption of normal everyday routines (e.g. high absenteeism at work suddenly or, conversely, working longer than usual hours; dropping out of school; travelling different routes; going out only at certain times).

But the feelings do not go away as easily as before. Their re-surfacing introduces the third stage of the rape trauma syndrome. The client no longer denies the issues; she/he may want to talk about what happened. The client finds themselves more willing to accept counselling and get in touch with the feelings and emotions associated with the rape. Survivors may feel overwhelmed as they attempt to deal with feelings they struggled to suppress since the assault. Often some sensory stimulation triggers memories that call to mind the sexual assault. Suddenly the survivor seems to be re-living the trauma as the rape comes to life again. Nightmares, phobias, depression, reoccurring thoughts and sexual dysfunction monopolize her thoughts. She / he feels anxious to talk about it; to deal with it and is ready to seek therapy although she may not understand why the issues surface at that time. The stages are not linear and can vary as the victim works their way through. Survivors find themselves taking one step forward and two back as they vacillate between stages and labour to find their way.

The Resolution Stage: During this stage the rape is no longer the central focus in the victim's life. The victim begins to recognize that while s/he will never forget the assault, the pain and memories associated with it are lessening. S/he has accepted the rape as a part of her/his life experience and is choosing to move on from there. Some of the behaviours of the second stage may flare up at times but they do so less frequently and with less intensity. In this fashion the person who has survived has moved from being a " victim" to a "survivor".

While some survivors move forward and take control of their lives, other continue to suffer and may even develop post traumatic stress disorder ( rape trauma syndrome ) as result of the rape. They struggle with reoccurring thoughts about the trauma and find themselves in a state of hyper vigilance; easily startled and always anticipating another attack. Nightmares, flashbacks, and sleep disturbances disrupt their lives. Constant efforts to avoid the memories of trauma literally control their existence. Some rape survivors have post-traumatic stress disorder for years and need continuous counselling and support.

Recovery Takes Time

Survivors recover in stages. They may start with one stage, go to another, and go back. Each person processes the event his or her / his own way. Survivors are not to blame for the crime committed to them by another person. We cannot control the actions of another person. Survivors need a safe environment to work through their fears. You can help by providing the survivor with pace and time to recover.

The info about is from http://www.aest.org.uk/survivors/rts.html till we talk again remember what
Winston Churchill said

"IF YOU'RE GOING THROUGH HELL, KEEP GOING"

Finding the right VSO and the right group to work with to get your VA benefits

noreply@blogger.com (M.E.N.D. FOR MALE SURVIVORS OF MST) — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 04:41:00 +0000

So you have PTSD from MST who do you go to for help? Let me tell you my story and then you may understand.

As a survivor of MST this is

my story it is a non combat MST that happened to me when I was in The United States Army at Fort Jackson SC in May of 1980. I was a young 18 year old soldier who was in Basic Combat Training. I was hurt in a fall early in training and was not given medical care. I was upset and The Drill Sgts were calling me all types of derogatory names and making do things that were not the normal for a injuryed soldier.

One night I was told to do fire watch and then clean all the bathrooms and common areas of the dorms. I was going to get a new mop head in the duty office when I was jumped by 3 or 4 people who were all Drill Sgts and who tied me up gaged me and gang raped me for hours. I reported this the next day to my company commander who was a young Lt. acting as the company commanded this was his first command. He said that I was just making up stories to go home and that his men would never do anything like that to a soldier and his men were not fags or gay. I ask to go to the IG's office or to see a MP or Mental Health and was told why they would not believe me as I was just a Pvt. and He was a LT. and His men well respect Drill Sgts. Sometime during the next couple days I somehow made it to the Mental Health Clinic where I was told to go back to my company that I was not a good sldier and would not be allowed to stay in the Army. Not long after that I passed out and was put into the Hospital with a high temp and a infection in the lower part of my body. With in 10 days I was home and out of The US Army with a honorable discharge. But when I returned home my doctor said who did this to you and he sent me to the IG's office at Fort Monmouth and to the VSO for the state after the visit to the VSO I was sent to the hospital at East Orange NJ were I was given treatment and sent home. My family doctor was a former Army doctor and treated me without cost and help me to get help from some of his friends at Fort Monmouth. The IG's office at Fort Monmouth sent my case to the IG's office at Fort Jackson but they never did anything due to no physical evidence for rape and the LT. was right the IG's office closed the case and sent a letter to the Fort Monmouth IG's saying that no physical or writen statement were found at Fort Jackson and that statements from all officers and drill sgts were the same all the soldier did the whole time was act out and complain that is why he was discharged and also due to his Borderline personality disorder. The LT. may have been a bad officer but he knew how to cover up for his men.

When I got my C-file 20 plus years later I started having flash back dreams about the Rape and I then became very depressed and called the Suicide Hotlines: Thats were I started my MST rediscover. So now I had to get help well it was not easy first the rape center I was sent to was for Women who were sexually assault and domestic violence and they said in their info that they worked with women, men and children after 3 visits I was told that the Director said the women did not like a man in the waiting room and I would have to find someone else. I think it was more about no insurance or money. I was talking to my VA doctor and he said to go to the VA mental health clinic in Brick NJ and to talk to my VSO and file a claim when I went to my VSO who was my VSO for a very long time and was most of the time nice and helpful he did a 180 and started to be very nasty after I told him that I was raped in the service he did not want to file my claim and throw me out of his office I was shocked and hurt and felt like I was raped again. I called his boss and he was made to file my claim "Bet you can guess I was denied and right after they got a copy of the letter from the VA I was terminated from their service and they removed the POA for me from the VA" So here I was with no representative to help you present my appeal to the VA. So I looked for a new veterans service organizations I talk to every organization that I could find and was told it is very hard for a new VSO to file an appeal and they said I should do it myself the VA rules and procedures are very complicated. It can be frustrating and hazardous to go it alone. Let me tell you it is and I lost because of the time stamp was over the limit by 1 week.
"GET HELP"
It is a good idea to get a representative to help you present your claim to the VA. VA rules and procedures are very complicated. It can be frustrating and hazardous to go it alone.
Many veterans service organizations and state and county veterans service agencies offer free assistance. No matter who you select to represent you, it is important that you be personally involved in your case and make certain that everything that should be done, is done.
Although it can be a difficult task, shop around for the best advocate. Talk to the prospective representative; ask if there are any limits on his service; get a feel for the person who will be working for you before you sign a power of attorney appointing the person as your representative.
Go to our website www.mendmst.org and go to the help for MST survivors page and to the link page on these pages you will also find groups who can help you file who are made up of people who understand MST and the VA system. Friends you still need to know the laws and what you are a survivor entitled too. Here is a link to my friends blog check out the VA’s MST Policies and Treatment Benefits at http://jayherron.wordpress.com/2009/04/04/vas-policies-and-treatment-benefits/
Thanks Jay for all you do.

Sometimes VSO are not able to help you due to personal reasons like they have a hard core value system that says "Don't Tell Just Be A Man/Woman and live with it "Some Gave All All Gave Some" or they may have had something bad happen to them that they do not want to face. I pray for them every day its hard work and sometimes they get burned out and even have PTSD from it. Till next time remember what Winston Churchill said

"IF YOU'RE GOING THROUGH HELL, KEEP GOING"