Photo By Sgt. Richard Daniels Jr. | U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Aubrey Pearce (center right) of Birmingham, Ala., a...... read more read more
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NANGARHAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan - Stress is an everyday occurrence, one that is nothing new to the soldiers of 1st Brigade Combat, 101st Airborne Division, Task Force Bastogne.
However, when stress becomes an issue, the stress management clinic is there to help.
The Forward Operating Base Fenty facility receives patients daily for a variety of stress-related problems, but the treatment staff determined one issue that affects most patients in the TF Bastogne area of operations – sleep or the lack thereof.
U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Maria Snyder of Auburn, Wash., a mental health technician with the 60th Medical Operations Squadron attached to TF Bastogne, explained that sleep is the number one problem and concern among service members. Rapid change of shifts and fear of what’s going on outside the wire can contribute to sleep loss.
Other problems such as a traumatic event, a communication issue, a personal or professional relationship or other complication can also contribute to sleep deprivation.
“Someone will come in with months of poor or little sleep,” said Snyder. “Things just build up.”
“It’s very hard to treat sleep (issues) out here,” said U.S. Air Force Maj. Jeff Lammers of Ottawa, Ohio, a psychiatrist with the 59th Mental Health Squadron attached to the 1st BCT, 101st Airborne Div.
The clinic offers several treatment options, however, not every treatment is an option in a combat environment.
“The best treatments are behavioral, which means modifying your environment and your behavior as much as you can to enhance sleep,” said Lammers. “You have to be careful out here because medicines that enhance sleep, or any medicine, (may) have side effects. Those side effects can be little annoyances or a bigger problem.”
The side effects of some drugs may prevent a service member from waking up at moment’s notice. That can be especially dangerous when a threat presents itself.
“The thing I like to use most, it sounds simple, but it would be something like (cold medicine), which has some sedating properties,” Lammers said. “It doesn’t last for a super long time.”
In addition to sleep-related issues, many service members work in the infantry, military police, civil affairs and other career fields that frequently leave the comfort of the base and enter local Afghan countryside and insurgent territory. The constant presence of danger creates a type of stress needed to survive in the combat environment.
According to the medical staff, depending on the individual’s reaction, combat stress can increase a service member’s focus, stamina, strength and heighten alertness. Alternatively, it can also create tension, irritability, decrease concentration and may cause a variety of physical symptoms. Out of control, the latter can harm mental and physical health, relationships, work and enjoyment, especially in a combat environment.
The stressors of combat can result in post-traumatic stress disorder, according to Lammers.
For those service members seeking help, there are clinics spread across the battlefield. These clinics are stationary with an on-call staff available whenever the need arises.
“Stationary is good because we are always here,” said Snyder. “They always know where a provider can be found, especially if there is an acute crisis.”
When a patient enters the facility, a service member will greet them and gather information. From there, a provider will see them, get their history and begin the treatment.
“Talking about what is going on with them is, in itself, a treatment,” explained Lammers. “With future appointments, we do things like cognitive behavioral therapy, which is exploring what triggers thoughts and emotions for you. We may even get to why those occur for you. Once you can identify that, then (you can) change your pattern of thinking and emotional responses. The idea there is if you have negative emotions or thoughts, you can modify them to something less negative, maybe into something positive.”
In addition to the clinics, mobile clinic teams are dispatched within TF Bastogne’s area of operations. The teams visit the FOBs and outposts frequently to address the issues of those who cannot travel to a clinic.
“It’s great to travel and get out there,” said Snyder. “You get to meet people, and it’s easier to (connect with) them. We can ... create less of a stigma of (mental health professionals).”
For those with PTSD or other disorders, Lammers recommends one treatment that has shown the most success.
“We do things, such as exposure therapy, a little bit out here,” said Lammers. “Let’s say something has you worried. You expose yourself to something similar to the thing you fear. The idea is that you get more comfortable with it. If you can expose yourself to things associated with your fear, maybe, eventually, to the thing itself, but you do it in a controlled environment ... you can learn that ‘Oh, this is not such a scary thing to me. I can tolerate this.’”
The clinic also teaches relaxation techniques to help service members cope with daily activities and issues.
“Teaching relaxation techniques is pretty common for us,” Lammers explained. “Relaxation techniques can be used to help (you) fall asleep, deal with anxieties, (become aware of) elevated emotional responses, maybe even anger that we feel during the day.”
Relaxation techniques include breathing, visualization and progressive muscle relaxation, said Lammers.
Despite all the options available, some service members do not seek help until their problems and fears fester or until someone tells them they have a problem. Sometimes, it requires leadership to take that first step.
One of those leaders, U.S. Army Kevin R. Garrison, a squad leader with Company D, 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, Task Force Bulldog, had not only benefited from the clinic here, but has referred several of his soldiers.
“Ever since I got (my issues) out I’ve felt better, said Garrison, a St. Louis native. “I’ve been able to operate better. Sometimes they offer you medication to help with the anxiety, and that’s good too. The important thing to realize is, no matter how tough you are, everybody needs a little help. There are people here to help.”
| Date Taken: | 02.08.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 02.07.2011 15:56 |
| Story ID: | 64958 |
| Location: | NANGARHAR PROVINCE, AF |
| Web Views: | 208 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Clinic combats Soldiers’ inner conflicts, by SGT Richard Daniels Jr., identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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