III-"Walter Reed Army Medical Center: Losing Their Minds" - Mark Benjamin - Salon

More U.S. soldiers than ever are sustaining serious brain injuries in Iraq. But a significant number of them are being misdiagnosed, forced to wait for treatment or even being called liars by the Army.

Byline: Mark Benjamin; 2006-01-05; Salon.com; 

Report: Mark Benjamin's Walter Reed Exposé - Salon

Tags: Walter Reed

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Spc. Wilson is not alone among Iraq veterans who have been misdiagnosed or waited for treatment for traumatic brain injury. Other soldiers interviewed at Walter Reed with apparent brain injuries say they too have been deeply frustrated by delays in getting adequately diagnosed and treated. The soldiers say doctors have caused them anguish by suggesting that their problems might stem from other causes, including mental illness or hereditary disease. According to interviews with military doctors and medical records obtained by Salon, brain-injury cases are overloading Walter Reed. As a result, a significant number of brain-injury patients are falling through the cracks from a lack of resources, know-how, and even blatant neglect.

Description:An article highlighting the increasing number of soldiers returning from war with brain injuries and psychiatric disorders like PTSD. It focuses on Spc. James Wilson who returned from Iraq with PTSD-like symptoms but failed to get any kind of psychiatric treatment for over a year at Walter Reed.

Rights: Access to online material.

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Photo of a soldier referenced in Mark Benjamin's article titled, "Walter Reed Army Medical Center: Losing Their Minds." Written for Salon.com.