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| From Soldiers for the Cause Image from PTSD awareness month |
In honor of Veteran's Day on Monday, November 11, 2013, MSNBC reporter Erin Delmore covers the story of Medal of Honor recipient, Army Staff Sgt. Ty Michael Carter. Since the Oct. 3, 2009 battle at Combat Outpost Keating in Afghanistan, Staff Sgt. Carter publicly announced his strides against combat related PTSD. At the White House ceremony where he received his medal of honor, Staff Sgt. Carter stated “only those closest to me can see the scars that come from seeing good men take their last breath.” He further went on to thank his therapist, platoon sergeant, friends and family for their support in his healing process (Delmore, E., 2013).
Staff Sgt. Carter is just one of the thousands of service members who battle the "silent wound of war" - post-traumatic stress disorder. Much stigmatization revolves around mental health issues in the military, and therefore, service members are reluctant to receive treatment. Fortunately, with an increase in public awareness of military-related PTSD, the military recently began to view it as a "military wound" (Delmore, E., 2013). According to the Defense Department and the VA invested $45 million this past August to study the effectiveness of different types of PTSD treatment. A portion of this money funds the South Texas Research Organizational Network Guiding Studies on Trauma and Resilience, or STRONG STAR. This organization conducts research on the effectiveness of intensifying the type of treatment being offered while compressing the schedule of the treatment sessions for soldiers with PTSD.
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| From Business Insider Image of a military wife supporting her husband who is suffering from PTSD |
Whether a reserve, active, or retired service member, mental illness impacts an individual's everyday life as well as their family and friends. Raising awareness about PTSD and the resources available is critical for improving the quality of their lives. It is also important for nurses and other health care staff to be aware of the resources available to help patients and the community. The Department of Veteran Affairs is one of many organizations that provides such resources, and aids those suffering from the invisible wound of war.
Good post and extremely relevant topic Ashley. PTSD has definitely risen in recent years. I recommend that you watch the documentary "Escape Fire" if possible. It not only addresses PTSD but also talks about how many of the returning soldiers turn to pain killers for relief and eventually become addicted. Unfortunately, dealing with mental health issues still has a great stigma in this country. I can understand why soldiers facing death and unidentified enemies come home struggling to cope with their losses and the return to normal life. We need to do a better job to help soldiers not only acclimate back to non-war time but also allowing them to express their feelings in a healthy environment. PTSD is a fairly new crises in this country and the first step in stopping it is raising awareness as your blog explains.
ReplyDeleteGreat topic, Ashley. I remember reading that when individuals suffering from PTSD are triggered by ordinary occurrences their flashback elicits emotions and physical feelings that occurred when the incident originally occurred regardless of the fact that they are no longer in danger. I can't even imagine how terrifying these feelings must be for a military service member. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, in order to prevent PTSD researchers are exploring various medications believed to target the underlying cause. Additionally, they are also "attempting to enhance cognitive, personality, and social protective factors and to minimize risk factors to ward off full-blown PTSD after trauma." Though there are great strides being made in the mental health field there is still a lot of work and research to be conducted!
ReplyDeleteSource: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-research-fact-sheet/index.shtml#treatment