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What we are facing - PTSD

- Thirty-five percent of Iraq war veterans have received mental
health services in the year after returning home*
- The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Readjustment Counseling
program has recorded more than 250,000 visits by veterans of these
wars, but many believe that this underestimates the demand for care*
- VA mental health providers continue to express concerns about
inadequate resources to support, and consequent rationed access to,
these specialized services. In a time of war, we know with certainty
that demand for mental health care will continue to rise*
- Veterans from Reserve Component Returning from Iraq#
- 49% of concerns
- Of 292 Marine Reservists returning from deployment:
- 36% had relationship
problems with spouse and children
- 24% abused alcohol
- 43% had problems with
anger and aggression
- The PTSD problem is probably larger than suspected since in a
recent survey of soldiers in Iraq:#
- 59% reported that they felt unit leadership would
treat them differently
- 55% reported that they would be seen as weak
- 43% reported that members of their unit would have
less confidence in them
- Only 41% said that they would see help for a
psychological problem
(#)Taken from: “Meeting the Unique Mental Health Needs of Veterans
from the Reserve Components” by Dr. Richard McCormick, June 18, 2007
(*)Taken from: http://www.standup4vets.org
| Effects on Family Life - PTSD

- Research shows that PTSD has negative effects on intimate
as well as other family relationships*
- Combat veterans experience a high rate of marital
instability - much more severe than veterans without PTSD*
- Vietnam veterans with PTSD are 3 -6 times as likely
to divorce as non-PTSD veterans and are three times as likely
to experience multiple divorces*
- Partners of patients with PTSD show*:
- Lower overall dissatisfaction with the relationship
and are quite distressed
- More caregiver burden
- Poorer psychological adjustment
- Veterans diagnosed with PTSD, compared to those without
PTSD, are more likely to be violent with partners and
children, with rates as high as 63% for some type of physical
violence in the past year.***
- Partners of Vietnam veterans with PTSD reported markedly
reduced satisfaction in their lives and greater
demoralization compared to partners of Vietnam veterans not
diagnosed with PTSD. ***
- These family members end up shouldering a great and
lifelong burden as home and institutional caregivers, giving
up or severely restricting their own employment, education
and social interactions that are taken for granted in the
normal course of life. Furthermore, family caregivers often
suffer severe financial and personal hardships as a
consequence providing care to a severely disabled veteran.
Yet, in their absence an even greater burden of direct care
would fall on DoD and VA, at significantly higher financial
cost to the government and a reduced quality of life for
severely wounded war veterans.**
- The U.S. government owes its highest obligation to those
who are put in harm’s way and become severely disabled as a
consequence of that service. As a matter of equity and
fairness, immediate family members of severely injured combat
veterans should be afforded generous relief, assistance and
care for the duration of the lives of veterans injured in
military service to our nation. ***
(*)Taken from:
Sherman, M.D., Zanotti, D.K. & Jones, D.E., (2005), Key
elements in couples therapy with veterans with combat-related
posttraumatic stress disorder, Professional Psychology:
Research and Practice Vol. 36, Retrieved 2008 from Academic
Search Premiere database.
(****) Taken from: NCPTSD, (2006). Returning from the War
Zone. A Guide for Families of Military Members, Retrieved
July 27,2008, from http://www.ncptsd.va.gov
(***)
Taken from: http://www.standup4vets.org/Issues/MentalHealth/PostTraumaticStressDisorder.htm
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| Major Symptoms of PTSD

If the common
reactions that immediately follow a traumatic event (e.g.
combat) continue for a long time after the event is finished,
PTSD may be developing.
Symptoms of Combat Stress Reactions and PTSD*
• Re-experiencing - continuing to think about combat or
feeling as if one is still in combat
Nightmares are most commonly associated with this category of symptoms,
but for those with PTSD, sleep is not the only time to
re-experience trauma. Many individuals report that traumatic
images can flash back into their minds; often triggered by a
seemingly random sight, sound or smell. Individuals may
actually feel as if they are back in the war zone.
• Avoidance and Numbing of Emotion - characterized by
feelings of detachment from others; essentially being
emotionally shut down.
Individuals experiencing PTSD will go to extreme measures to avoid
anything that has to do with the trauma that was experienced.
This includes preventing memories from being recalled, not
discussing what happened and avoiding anything that could be
a reminder. These individuals may use alcohol and drugs to
avoid thinking and feeling about the trauma. It is not a sign
that they are no longer committed to their families and
relationships.
• Hyper vigilance – always being on guard, feeling jumpy,
unable to sleep, unable to concentrate, getting angry easily,
excessive concerns about security.
Behaviors may include driving very aggressively, being easily
startled, always looking for signs of danger, overly
protective of children and overly fearful about their safety.
If You Recognize Any of the Above Symptoms – do not delay in
seeking professional help.
All of the above symptoms can cause life problems that will
not go away by themselves but if addressed early; it is not
only possible to prevent the symptoms from becoming worse,
they may instead be relieved. Unattended PTSD affects
relationships, employment and the family’s well being.
NCPTSD,
(2006). Returning from the War Zone. A Guide for Families of
Military Members, Retrieved July 27,2008, from http://www.ncptsd.va.gov |
| Other Common PTSD Reactions

Depression and Suicidal Thoughts
The symptoms of depression will vary from person to person. It can range
from having a general sadness for more days than not to
losing interest in hobbies and activities to feelings of
hopelessness and despair. When left unattended, depression
can become very debilitating and even lead a depressed person
to think about hurting or killing him or herself.
Do not give up hope. Depression for the most part responds
extremely well to treatment. There are very many different
approaches that have studies which support their
effectiveness. Many of these approaches do not rely on long
term use or even use of medication at all.
Proper self care is critical for treating and preventing depression. This
is especially true for family caregivers whose needs are
often overlooked while providing care for someone with PTSD.
When caregivers are inattentive to their own needs, the
family problem gets compounded with multiple members feeling
tense, angry or depressed. The unhealthy dynamics escalates
the feelings of despair.
There should never be a delay in seeking professional help. The
sooner a treatment plan begins, the easier it will be to
prevent debilitating symptoms and overcome any existing ones.
Anger and Aggression
These emotions are typical of someone who is fearful of a loss of
control. Dealing with the PTSD “ruining one’s life” and the
“unfairness of it” can lead a person to feel very bitter and
angry. Of course, it is important to remember that anger is a
normal and natural reaction that should be felt and dealt
with in an appropriate way. It is when anger escalates to
extremely intense proportions that it can result in family
and marital discord. Personal and work relationships can
suffer. Children may feel very vulnerable and exposed in
households experiencing eruptive episodes of anger.
If violence is ever threatened against any family member or friend, it is
imperative that safety is immediately sought; even if that
means calling the police, family assistance programs,
religious organizations and so forth. Never stay in harm’s
way. Professional help must be sought to help veterans
address the anger and combat stress reactions.
Guilt, Shame and Self-Blame
Survivor guilt is a common reaction that many veterans feel for having
survived when many of their fellow soldiers did not. It
happens as an individual tries to make sense of what was
experienced and may even feel as if an immoral act was
committed (even when just following orders).
Guilt, shame and self-blame can become very debilitating and will not
simply go away with the passage of time. These and all
other negative emotions must be dealt with as soon as
possible to prevent them from escalating into larger
problems.
NCPTSD, (2006).
Returning from the War Zone. A Guide for Families of Military
Members, Retrieved July 27,2008, from http://www.ncptsd.va.gov |
| Bringing Back Joy

Veteran Families do not receive enough support.
In an effort to show support and respect to veterans and
their families, we offer a complementary CD with your
donation that supports First Responder fundraising efforts.
The Self Care CD is designed to facilitate achieving greater Self Knowledge which in
turn will facilitate more efforts in Self Care. This
cycle will help families to achieve better balance in
their lives as they struggle with PTSD.
Studies have shown that families who are more
successful in achieving balance are better able to help
mitigate the symptoms of PTSD. Caregivers who achieve balance
are less likely to experience the debilitating symptoms of
PTSD.
This Self Care CD is not considered to be therapy and is not meant to
replace professional help of any kind. It is to be used as
coping support. It is the sole intention of this CD to offer
support to veterans’ families.
The
Self Care CDs
These CDs will take you through guided relaxation. In this
relaxed state you will be able to reflect upon some of the
things that add to your stress such as:
- Self-blame
- Poor emotional boundaries
- The need to be perfect
- Guilt
- Shame
- Being judgmental
- Impatience
- Irrational expectations
- Personalizing other people’s feelings
Reflection in the relaxed state will help fortify you.
It can help you to regroup and make better decisions that can
affect the quality of your life and health.
These Self Care CDs will support you and
guide you in making decisions that can lead to wellness. The
journey to recovery is a difficult one. Every little bit that
lightens your burden will make every step you take easier.
Every step you take will help you bring back the joy.
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