Thursday, June 12, 2014

June is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Month



June is here and it is PTSD Awareness Month! What is PTSD you ask? PTSD stands for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and can occur after enduring a traumatic experience. Traumatic events are something that is emotionally traumatizing that you hear about, visually witness, or physically endure. For example, combat exposure or a victim of a terrorist attack can lead to PTSD. There are four symptoms of PTSD: 1) relieving the event and re-experiencing the symptoms through flashbacks; 2) avoiding situations that remind you of the event because they trigger memories of the traumatic experience; 3) Negative changes in attitude towards interests and/or activities that were once enjoyable to you; and 4) Feeling “keyed up,” known as hyperarousal. You may be jittery, on high alert, and/or having trouble concentrating or sleeping.1

According to the National Vietnam Veterans’ Readjustment Study commissioned in 1980, at the time of the study 15% of veterans had PSTD and 30% had PTSD at some point in their life. The 2003 re-analysis revealed that 4 out 5 Vietnam veterans reported recent PTSD symptoms when being interviewed 20-25 years after the Vietnam War since starting in 1955 and ending in 1975!2 Similarly, there are over 2.3 million American veterans of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars and about 11-20% have PTSD and about 10% of Gulf War (Desert Storm) Veterans have PTSD.3

In order to temporarily alleviate the symptoms associated with PTSD, many turn to the use of alcohol or other potentially abusive substance such as prescription drugs. According to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, 10-32% of Vietnam veterans seeking PTSD have alcohol use disorders.4 On the other hand, the use of prescription drugs has almost tripled between 2005 and 2008!5 Although prescription drug use has increased dramatically since 2002, alcohol abuse is most prevalent and poses a significant health risk. According to a study, 27% of Army soldiers screened 3 to 4 months after returning from Iraq deployment, met the criteria for alcohol abuse.5 If you or someone suffers from PTSD, there are several services available within your community. Please contact Chauntel Wright, VetCorps Prevention Coordinator, at 845-225-4646 or putnamvetcorp@gmail.com; or Elaine Santos, VetCorps Supervisor, at putnamdfcgrantee@gmail.com  to obtain information of services that are specific to you and/or your family’s needs. Also, contacting your local VA would be another beneficial way to seek help for PTSD symptoms. Just remember, PTSD is treatable and relatively common so you are not alone. Do not feel ashamed to ask for help!

Additionally, to help raise more awareness about PTSD, the Mental Health Association (MHA) will be displaying an information board at Putnam Hospital Center on Friday, June 27, 2014 to advertise their new program, Vet2Vet Peer Networking. Vet2Vet Peer Networking is led by Veterans, for all Veterans and members of the Armed Forces.  Vet2Vet participation is free, anonymous and confidential.  Each Vet2Vet gathering provides a place for peers (fellow Veterans and members of the Armed Forces) to network with one another via telephone or in person in a safe and nonjudgmental environment. They provide services to all Veterans and families from all eras without restrictions to service dates, discharge or dependency status. Please be sure to stop by to take a look at the display! If you would like more information about the Vet2Vet program, please contact Jessica Mazzucco, Vet2Vet Coordinator, at 845-278-7600 or email at jessica.mazzucco@yahoo.com
   

1 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. (2014). What is PTSD? Retrieved from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Website: http://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/PTSD-overview/basics/what-is-ptsd.asp
2 Veterans and PTSD. (2013). Veterans statistics: PTSD, Depression, TBI, Suicide. Retrieved from the Veterans and PTSD Website: http://www.veteransandptsd.com/PTSD-statistics.html
3 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. (2014). How common is PTSD? Retrieved from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Website: http://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/PTSD-overview/basics/how-common-is-ptsd.asp
4 National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs. ( 2005). PTSD and problems with alcohol use. Retrieved from the SAMSHSA Website: http://www.samhsa.gov/csatdisasterrecovery/outreach/ptsdandproblemswithalcohol.pdf
5 DrugAbuse.gov. Topic in brief: substance abuse among the military, veterans, and  their families. scope of the problem. Retrieved from the DrugAbuse.gov Website: http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/topics-in-brief/substance-abuse-among-military-veterans-their-families

1 comment:

  1. Hello!

    I have a quick question for you, could you email me when you have a chance? Thanks! –Emily

    EmilyDWalsh(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete