@hopeful33250
My husband is a Vietnam veteran. I agree with @johnbishop that more must be done to help veterans deal with this problem.

I am baffled by the VA's screening or pre-screening for PTSD - three questions from the nurse before each check-up, only two of which I can remember at this time, about whether the veteran saw things that bothered him or made him feel sad, and whether he has nightmares about things he saw or things that happened. If the veteran is a person who holds back, and/or would never admit such things, or if the person already has dementia, these questions are ineffectual. And when I try to help him during these questions, by reminding him that he told me, over the years, about some things that bothered him, or when I tell the nurse about the nightmares, it is just ignored, and he rarely remembers what he has dreamed anyway. Or when I tell the GP or the neurologist about how he jumps and cringes at any sudden and/or loud noise, they just pass it off. One told me that PTSD can be caused by any number of events in life. Well, yes it can, or maybe it was Vietnam. This is all so frustrating. My husband is a person who just won't complain about much, and now, having dementia has exacerbated the situation. There has to be better screening for this.

Macbeth