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CENTCOM Senior Enlisted Leader Open About Personal Mental Health

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By Debbie Gregory.

When Command Sgt. Maj. Christopher Greca posted on Facebook that he was taking time off to deal with physical, mental and emotional issues, he did so with the hopes of helping others. Perhaps if someone in his position could reach out for professional help, it could go a long way in de-stigmatizing asking for and receiving treatment.

Greca wrote, ““I was struggling a bit over the past few years and more so in the past 6 months — physically (knee/neck surgeries, balance issues, vision), mentally (lack of sleep, memory and concentration), and emotionally (withdrawing, losing interest in what were formerly fun activities). All these things made me realize I needed some professional help.”

He ended the post by saying, “I share my story as an example of a Soldier/Service Member who needed help, recognized this with the assistance of family/friends, and got it! Now I am ready to better resume my duties as the Central Command CSEL, and am in a much better place physically, mentally, and emotionally to serve all throughout the AOR! Please share as this Senior Leader was not afraid to ask for help when he needed it — AND NEITHER SHOULD YOU!”

The post has been shared over 400 times and has over 1,000 likes.

Greca’s message echoes that of Give An Hour (GAH). Their providers are working to reduce the stigma associated with mental health by participating in and leading education, training, and outreach efforts in schools and communities and around military bases.

GAH’s Campaign to Change Direction encourages everyone to learn the five signs that may indicate someone in emotional pain. By knowing what to look for, we can all recognize the symptoms and encourage those who are suffering to get help.

Military Connection is a proud partner and supporter of both Give an Hour and the Campaign to Change Direction. We salute them for the great work they are doing.

Military Connection salutes and proudly serves veterans and service members in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve,  and their families.

Soldiers Discharged Due to PTSD/TBI

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By Debbie Gregory.

A group of 12 senators called on the Army to investigate a recent report that the service discharged more than 22,000 soldiers who had post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury for alleged “misconduct” after they returned home from Iraq and Afghanistan.

As a result, they said, many of these soldiers will not receive crucial retirement benefits, health care benefits, and post-service employment eligibility that soldiers receive with an honorable discharge.

“I have long argued that the military needs to do a better job treating the invisible wounds of war, such as PTSD/TBI,” said Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio. “I believe that punishing servicemembers for misconduct without taking into account the mental health context that may have contributed to this behavior ignores the problem and could have long-term implications for the servicemembers’ care and treatment.”

When left untreated, PTSD can cause high alertness and increase adrenaline in the veterans, even in the most mundane situations. Experts say that feelings of self-guilt that may have been suppressed on the battlefield can explode into feelings of anger and rage that can force a person to isolate themselves from others. Such pain can eventually manifest into thoughts of suicide

Army spokeswoman Cynthia O. Smith said that the Army “is committed to a culture where everyone is treated with dignity and respect, including those soldiers who may be separating from the service.”

Numerous military personnel who served in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars face financial and emotional burden because of extremely punitive sanctions informed by misdiagnoses of their mental health.

The senators said, “We are concerned that it may be easier to discharge servicemembers for minor misconduct — possibly related to mental health issues — than to evaluate them for conditions that may warrant a medical discharge.”

Military Connection salutes and proudly serves veterans and service members in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve,  and their families.

Military Connection: Army’s New Mental Health Program

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Army Mental Health

By Debbie Gregory.

The Army is in the process of overhauling its mental health services for its soldiers. Over the last several years, the Army has experimented with close to 200 different mental health programs. It is now committed to one that reduces the use of private psychiatric hospitals, while moving counseling teams out into its commands and expanding intensive mental health provisions at on-base medical facilities.

Over the last three years, the Army has recorded the highest level of PTSD diagnoses since the height of the Global War on Terror. Even though considerably less personnel are currently being sent to and from combat zones, the higher levels of PTSD diagnosis can be attributed to progress in the removal of the stigma of seeking help. But even with the progress that has been made, the Army estimates that close to half of soldiers who suffer from PTSD still aren’t seeking the help they need.

The Army’s new practice will embed counseling teams within individual units throughout the force. This strategy is intended to further work to remove the stigma of seeking help for mental health issues. The new program calls for counseling teams to be readily accessible at or near the soldiers’ barracks, brigade headquarters, dining facilities, and other places they frequent, instead of only at medical facilities that are too often a great distance from where soldiers live and work. The Army feels that giving soldiers the ability to pop-in when they need help would make it more likely that the resources would be utilized.

But the overhaul has another benefit, besides convenience. Because these mental health teams will be embedded within each battalion, the counselors, psychiatrists, and social workers will already know more about where the soldier’s service has taken them, what their role is, and more specific stresses that they have faced. The counseling teams will also have an established relationship with command leadership, making communication easier for cases of soldiers in crisis.

This communication between counselors and the command can be viewed as both beneficial and controversial. The embedded behavioral health program requires psychiatrists to meet with commanders on a regular basis to discuss high-risk cases. In contrast to the private sector, soldiers can’t expect complete confidentiality with their medical records. Their command can monitor medical appointments, and talk with doctors about their health. Another critique of the embedded counseling team is that soldiers may be deterred from seeking help if they fear running into others from their unit while at these offices.

While the new system may not be perfect and may have some bugs to be worked out, it is a plus to see the Army proactively maneuvering care for soldiers’ mental health treatment and prevention.

Military Connection: Army’s New Mental Health Program: By Debbie Gregory

Military Connection: DOD Awards $2 Million Grant for PTSD Research

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By Debbie Gregory.

The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) has awarded a $2 million grant to RTI International, a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to improving the human condition by turning knowledge into practice.

The DOD grant will allow RTI International to lead the first randomized, controlled trials of a procedure to treat Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms by injecting an anesthetic into the nerve tissue at the base of the patient’s neck. Initial research has found basis to believe that the procedure, called Stellate Ganglion Block, has the potential to relieve PTSD symptoms. The procedure is intended to block the sympathetic nerve system in order to relieve the physical stress that is associated with instances of PTSD symptoms. In other words, this procedure combats the “fight or flight” feeling that is associated with PTSD.

Stellate Ganglion Block has been in use for about 100 years, mostly for treating chronic pain of the limbs. Only in the last few years has the procedure been used as a treatment for PTSD symptoms. The use of Stellate Ganglion Block is not being proposed as a cure for PTSD; raher, a way to alleviate symptoms. The traumatic experiences that caused the disorder will not be erased from the PTSD sufferer’s mind. But the procedure will help relieve the anxiety that the memories of those traumatic experiences cause.

As part of RTI International’s three year study, three military hospitals were chosen: Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Landstuhl, Germany; Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu, Hawaii; and Womack Army Medical Center at Fort Bragg, in California. The three facilities were chosen because they had previously used Stellate Ganglion Block to treat PTSD, on a limited basis. The study will enroll 250 active duty service members who have been diagnosed with PTSD.

For the study, participants will receive two injections, two weeks apart. The injections will be followed by mental health assessments that will be conducted at weeks 4, 6 and 8. The assessments will include a qualitative component to gather impressions of the procedure from the patients, their families, behavioral therapists and psychiatrists. The study will also use a placebo control group that will receive injections of saline.

Unfortunately, PTSD is an affliction that is rampant in the military community. It has been estimated that as many as 20% of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans suffer from the disorder. For the most part, prescribed treatments for PTSD included a lot of prescription drugs. The heavy use of drugs does little to treat the patient, and more often than not leads to other mental and physical health problems, including substance abuse of these very same prescribed drugs.

Proponents of Stellate Ganglion Block claim that the procedure is a low-risk injection that has very few negative side effects.

Our service members and Veterans deserve the very best treatment for whatever ails them. If any new procedure or method of care arises that could improve the lives of those who serve, then those procedures and methods should be given a chance.

Military Connection proudly serves those who serve in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve, Veterans and their Families. We are the go to site for Veteran Employment and information on Veteran education. Militaryconnection.com provides Veterans with and Directory of Employers, a Job Board, information on the Post-9/11 GI Bill, and a blog that offers Veterans boundless information. Be sure to visit Militaryconnection.com, the go to site.

Military Connection: DOD Awards $2 Million Grant for PTSD Research: By Debbie Gregory

Military Connection: Top General Admits to Getting Counseling & Assistance

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suicider

By Debbie Gregory.

Military personnel are highly reluctant to ask for help when they are depressed because they do not want to be seen as weak. But untreated depression is the number one cause for suicide, so those who are depressed and do not seek help are at risk for suicide. So what can be done?

To combat the problem of suicides by special operators, General Joseph Votel, Special Operations Command, is speaking bluntly about seeking help. Gen. Votel is urging his troops to follow suit

This can feel like a contradiction to the training they receive to push past their pain to reach a target on the battlefield. But the rate of special ops suicides, compared to other services, is a direct reflection of the strain these selfless heroes experience.

Gen. Votel spoke to several hundred current and former troops at a recent Washington conference.  “I have, with my family, sought counseling and assistance,” he said.  He also said that the stigma against seeking counseling is starting to change.

Votel has since ordered an update in training of how to spot the signs of stress, and with the Pentagon’s health affairs, a budget of $15 million this fiscal year is being dedicated to behavioral health resources for special operations. That, along with another $10 million in the special operations budget towards behavioral health and suicide prevention efforts, and another $1.2 million for the spiritual domain- which includes giving chaplains suicide intervention training and basil counseling training will help combat the stresses placed on soldiers.

What has arguably helped the most is embedding psychologists and other types of counselors available in special operations units and also borrowing the practice of using “military family life counselors” for operators and families alike.

It is really important to remember that being in the military is highly stressful, and those who serve are at high risk for PTSD, depression, and suicide.

Even one suicide is one too many.

Military Connection proudly serves those who serve in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve, Veterans and their Families. We are the go to site for Veteran Employment and information on Veteran education. Militaryconnection.com provides Veterans with and Directory of Employers, a Job Board, information on the Post-9/11 GI Bill, and a blog that offers Veterans boundless information. Be sure to visit Militaryconnection.com, the go to site.

Military Connection: Top General Admits to Getting Counseling and Assistance: By Debbie Gregory

Military Connection: New Year Mental Health Check: By Debbie Gregory

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11151309 Holiday depression

As we head into a new year, some Veterans may find themselves experiencing higher levels of sadness, loneliness, and fatigue. Often, the holiday season can trigger additional stressors, which often include family tensions, financial difficulties, and being separated from loved ones during the holidays. All of these stressors, individually, can add to the burden that a Veteran in crisis is already coping with. Or they can be the proverbial straw that breaks the camel’s back. Veterans need to remember that they are not alone during difficult times. Whether it’s chronic depression, or a bout of the “holiday blues,” there are a number of resources available through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

Mental health care and suicide prevention are among the VA’s top priorities year round, but they are especially important topics during and after the holiday season. The VA’s mental health programs offer information, tools and links to other resources for Veterans and their family members. The materials provided to Veterans coping with, or at risk for mental health concerns, have been proven to decrease suicide rates by more than 16%.

The VA’s mental health portal specifically offers a confidential screening tool that screens for depression, alcohol and substance abuse, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The page provides a “Provider Toolkit” that features materials to support community mental health clinicians who serve Veteran clients. There is also information about substance abuse and links for where to get help.

One of the best places for Veterans, service members, and their family members to get immediate help is the Veterans Crisis Line. The Crisis line connects service members, Veterans, family members and friends in crisis to qualified VA responders. Anyone in crisis can call at (800) 273-8255 [then press 1]; or text 838255; or utilize the online chat function to reach the help they need.

All methods are confidential, toll-free and available 24/7/365.

It is estimated that Veterans commit suicide on the average of 22 per day. But there is no reason for any Veteran to take their life, when the help they need is right at their fingertips, and so easily attained on their behalf by friends and family.

Save a life, especially your own, by knowing the resources that are available for Veterans with a history of mental health concerns, Veterans in need of a post-holiday mental health self-check, and Veterans in crisis at www.va.gov. And in the case of an emergency,  by-pass the VA resources and dial emergency services (911).

Military Connection proudly serves those who serve in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve, Veterans and their Families. We are the go to site for Veteran Employment and information on Veteran education. Militaryconnection.com provides Veterans with and Directory of Employers, a Job Board, information on the Post-9/11 GI Bill, and a blog that offers Veterans boundless information. Be sure to visit Militaryconnection.com, the go to site.

Military Connection: New Year Mental Health Check: By Debbie Gregory

Military Connection: Best Advice for PTSD Patients: By Debbie Gregory

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Advice for PTSDAccording to military doctors, the best and most effective way to combat Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is to stay in treatment.

A survey of 400 Veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan with PTSD revealed that 70% of them stopped seeking care by the eighth session. Many doctors believe that a minimum of 12 treatments are needed before major progress can be made.

Lt. Col Gary Wynn, a doctor and assistant chair at the Department of Psychiatry at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, believes that staying in treatment can be more important than the type of treatment being administered. Dr. Wynn found that when patients stayed in treatment, the benefits lasted longer than they did in patients who skipped out after only a few sessions. He encourages the inclusion of friends and family members as a means of sticking with the program.

“[Therapy] works better when you do it together with a partner,” Wynn says.

With so many treatment options available, it can be confusing for both doctors and patients to choose the best ones. Treatment types include medication, psychotherapy,  as well as less conventional methods.

Currently, there are only two medications approved by the Food and Drug administration for the treatment of PTSD, Paroxetine, also known as Paxil, and Sertraline, also known as Zoloft.

Several forms of psychotherapy used to treat PTSD have shown promising results. These therapies include Acceptance and Commitment, Exposure, Web-based Cognitive Behavioral, Trauma-Focused, Image Rehearsal, Dialectical Behavior, Cognitive, Stress Management, Eye and Movement Desensitization.

With so many types of effective psychotherapy treatments available, it can be difficult in deciding on one. But the best treatment is one that makes the patient feel empowered, or otherwise positive about their sessions. A positive result will encourage the continuation of treatment.

Non-conventional methods of treatment are usually not as thoroughly researched as medications or psychotherapy. While many generate positive results, they are not consistent and not proven. Doctors have prescribed such non-conventional methods as aromatherapy, herbal remedies, relaxation exercises, martial arts training, yoga, and even virtual reality. Many of these treatments are used in conjunction with psychotherapy or medication.

The best option for anyone suffering from PTSD is to seek and stay in treatment. After that, finding the right doctor and treatment is paramount to staying with it.

Military Connection proudly serves those who serve in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve, Veterans and their Families. We are the go to site for Veteran Employment and information on Veteran education. Militaryconnection.com provides Veterans with and Directory of Employers, a Job Board, information on the Post-9/11 GI Bill, and a blog that offers Veterans boundless information. Be sure to visit Militaryconnection.com, the go to site.

Military Connection: Best Advice for PTSD Patients: By Debbie Gregory


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