Photo By Spc. Ashley Xie | Graphic Illustration created using Adobe Photoshop for National PTSD Awareness Day at...... read more read more
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Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base, Romania – June 27 is PTSD Awareness Day, a part of PTSD Awareness Month, which is observed throughout June. PTSD is often associated with combat due to the nature of military operations and the experiences Soldiers face in war zones. As the Army continues its commitment to protecting national security, it also strives to support the well-being of its Soldiers.
According to How Common is PTSD in Veterans? - PTSD: National Center for PTSD (www.ptsd.va.gov), the results of a study from 2021 which served approximately six million Veterans, about 10% of men and 19% of women were diagnosed with PTSD.
“Most people, by the time they reach adulthood, have had exposure to some form of trauma," said Dr. Svoboda Morris, a military and family life counselor (MFLC) assigned to Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base, Romania, and a Highland Park, New Jersey, native. "So, trauma is common; our reaction to it is individual. The common symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder are hypervigilance, overreaction to triggers, anxiety, and depression, and also tends to be one of those things that tend to be misdiagnosed as bipolar disorder, schizoaffective disorder, or schizophrenia."
The Army is committed to addressing PTSD by providing resources and support and encouraging Soldiers to use behavioral health services at their respective installation medical centers and MFLCs like Dr. Morris at their unit level to get the care they need. Healing the invisible wounds of war is a top priority for the Army to maintain and strengthen the force.
The Army offers free mental health services. All Soldiers have access to mental health professionals, including psychologists, psychiatrists, and counselors. These services provide a range of treatments, including cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and medication management. Soldiers can also benefit from resilience training programs aimed at building psychological resilience to help them cope with the stressors of military life. These programs focus on developing coping strategies and stress management skills and fostering a supportive community and can be found across the Army.
As PTSD becomes better understood, military leaders seek to ensure that Soldiers and leaders know the symptoms and how to access the resources available to help. Ongoing efforts to educate Soldiers and their families about PTSD aim to reduce stigma and encourage those affected to seek help.
“I’m not able to diagnose PTSD, but I do specialize in teaching patients strategies to manage their symptoms, reduce stress and depression, identify triggers to reduce reactions to them and assist them with learning new coping skills,” said Morris. “These are new coping skills that can assist an individual to make the frequency and the severity of the triggers and the episodes lessen over time, all the way down to extinction."
Incorporating hobbies into daily life can be a powerful tool for managing PTSD, providing both immediate relief and long-term benefits for mental health and overall well-being.
“Some people find crocheting, knitting, running; there are a variety of ways people use to de-stress, some people scale mountains, and some people surf,” said Morris. “Whatever it is that challenges your body, your mind or your spirit and helps you de-stress can be an active tool and a very effective tool in managing PTSD symptoms."
Another step the Army has taken to treat PTSD is providing opportunities for Soldiers to become part of care programs like master resilience training (MRT) and sexual harassment assault response and prevention (SHARP) to have an active role in the recovery process for their comrades.
“The reintegration programs for Soldiers returning from deployment and support groups are some of the programs I’ve seen in my career that have helped Soldiers get back to their best selves and even get better,” said Sgt. Tyrone Lynch, a supply sergeant from New Orleans, Louisiana, assigned to the 3rd Assault Helicopter Battalion, 1st Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division. “I know of some Soldiers who were inspired by one of these programs to attend the (MRT) certification course, and others get certifications in the sexual harassment assault response and prevention (SHARP) program."
Help is available for service members and veterans who suffer from PTSD all over the world by way of www.militaryonesource.mil, www.veterancrisisline.net, www.mentalhealth.va.org, as well as other resources on and off installations.
| Date Taken: | 06.21.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 06.27.2024 04:02 |
| Story ID: | 474466 |
| Location: | MIHAIL KOGALNICEANU, RO |
| Hometown: | HIGHLAND PARK, NEW JERSEY, US |
| Hometown: | NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, US |
| Web Views: | 101 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, PTSD: The Invisible Wounds of War, by SSG Larry Barnhill, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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