Are You Drowning in PTSD? Sources for Getting Help List

If you're a vet suffering with PTSD, please know that you are not alone. And you're not crazy. And you're not weak. But, you can't deal with it alone. Take your symptoms seriously, and seek out any or all of the resources available to you. There are many.

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From the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command website:

If you or someone you know is displaying behavior associated with PTSD, get help through any of the following resources:
Fellow Soldiers - Talk to your friends about what you are feeling. Oftentimes it's a reality check ... a first line of defense.
Chain of Command - Team leaders, squad leaders, platoon sergeants/leaders, first sergeants, company/battalion/brigade commanders, command sergeants major.
Unit Ministry Teams - They're especially good at counseling.
Family Life Chaplains - Many have a Master's Degree in Counseling and will try to save a marriage; some will also work individually with the members of a couple.
Military One Source (Formerly Army One Source) - Call 1-800-342-9647, or visit the Web site. They offer six free sessions and it's anonymous.
Primary Care Managers - Many family practice physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners are quite comfortable treating depression and sleep problems.
Community Mental Health Service - They usually have at least one psychiatrist and a variable number of psychologists and social workers on staff as well as behavioral health technicians.
TRICARE Counseling - Spouses can go for free. Service members can often share a family member's appointment for marriage counseling.
Veterans Administration - Or Veterans Centers.
Army Substance Abuse Program (formerly ADAPCP) - Especially helpful if the Soldier or family member has a problem with alcohol or drugs.
VA/DOD Joint Programs - Aimed at service members near retirement and currently operating at Forts Hood and Bliss.
Local Church Programs - Lutheran Social Services, Catholic Social Services, etc.
Army Community Services - Often coordinate/conduct stress management, anger management, parenting and other classes.
The Internet - There is a plethora of good information available on-line. Just do a search using the keyword PTSD.
From the garrison commander: "It is important for every Army leader to educate Soldiers on the symptoms of PTSD and resources for treatment to maintain our readiness and, more importantly, preserve life and prevent injury before an unfortunate incident occurs."

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Considerable Quotes

"The first shamans earned their keep in primitave societies by providing explanations and rituals that enabled man to deal with his environment and his personal anguish. Early man, no less than we, dealt with forces that he could not understand or control, and he attempted to come to grips with his vulnerablity by trying to bring order to his universe." -- Richard Gabriel in No More Heroes

"War stories end when the battle is over or when the soldier comes home. In real life, there are no moments amid smoldering hilltops for tranquil introspection. When the war is over, you pick up your gear, walk down the hill and back into the world." -- OIF vet John Crawford in The Last True Story I'll Ever Tell

"After wars' end, soldiers once again become civilians and return to their families to try to pick up where they left off. It is this process of readjustment that has more often than not been ignored by society. -- Major Robert H. Stretch, Ph.D in Textbook of Military Medicine: Vol. 6 Combat Stress

Wednesday, February 15, 2006

Are You Drowning in PTSD? Sources for Getting Help List

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