Women Have Difficulty Obtaining Benefits for PTSD

Angel Harris had fulfilled a lifelong dream by serving in the Army. As a photographer for the 55^th Infantry division, she was responsible for chronicling targets and recording images that would give other teams tactical advantages. However, like other soldiers in throes of war, the cumulative effect of stressful situations took its toll. When she returned to civilian life, she could not function. She was paranoid. She drank often to get drunk. She pushed loved ones away. She became depressed.

These are classic signs of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a neurologic condition that arises as a result of terrifying event. Symptoms commonly include intrusive flashbacks and nightmares, avoidance and emotional numbness manifested through depression and memory problems, as well as increased anxiety exhibited through increased irritability and self-destructive behavior.

The Veterans' Adminstration estimates that 20 percent of military personnel returning from combat have PTSD, and just as many women are diagnosed as men. They have comparable experiences and exhibit similar symptoms, but women, unlike men, have had more difficulty obtaining military benefits based on PTSD.

Traditionally, soldiers would have to prove that they suffered combat related injuries in order to obtain benefits. The VA would require a combat ribbon or badge before granting benefits. Since women were not permitted to serve in combat roles, it was generally believed that they did not suffer such injuries. Therefore, women had considerable difficulty obtaining benefits for PTSD.

Last summer the VA changed the rules for compensating non-combat injuries. Since injuries must still be service related, the difficulty remains in proving that the disorder stemmed from a particular event. For most people who suffer PTSD, it is the cumulative effect of stressful situations, not just one singular event. Tom Tarintino, senior legislative associate for Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, likens it to "wear and tear on the mind."

As more data shows that men and women take similar experiences from war, the VA is intent on making PTSD treatments more available to women. It approved Harris for benefits in February 2010, but it took seven years and numerous applications to finally obtain the compensation she needed.