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By Charlene Rubush, August 23, 2010 2:57 pm

I’ve just been checking out some online communities dedicated to providing support and information for combat vets and their families.

These are free and right at your fingertips. All you need is access to a computer, and the willingness to reach out to others. Here are just a few that can help combat vets, their partners, and families:

http://www.combat.ptsdforum.org

http://www.ptsdforum.org

http://www.forums.militaryspot.com/eve

http://www.experienceproject.com/group/Am-A-Combat-Veteran

Charlene Rubush’s Note:

Periodically, I visit these sites, and find a tremendous amount of vital information. I just wish we’d had such groups available back in the sixties, seventies, and eighties, when I was dealing with terrible trauma behind closed doors, and had nowhere to turn.

But I’m thankful they are accessible today. There is nothing as comforting as interacting with others who have been in similar situations. In these groups we can find comfort and support with those who understand, and yet still retain a measure of anonymity.

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By Charlene Rubush, June 6, 2010 2:32 pm

Part One:

Another good website sponsored by social workers, which offers excellent information for the general public and for combat veterans and their families is:

 http://www.helpstartshere.org.

Susan Evans, LICSW, runs a support group, and offers the following information (which I’m summarizing).

 “There is not a day goes by that PTSD does not play some part in that day.”

-Trudi, Spouse of Vietnam Combat Veteran 

Introduction

The Journal of the American Medical Association in March, 2006, reported that 35 percent of Iraq war veterans sought treatment for mental health issues within a year of coming home.

The Department of Defense now estimates that between 15 percent and 29 percent of veterans from the war in Iraq and Afghanistan will suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

The caseload for mental health counselors in the Veterans Administration is six times higher than anticipated. By 2008 more than 400,000 troops could need mental health treatment if this trend continues. Who will help the spouses and families of these combat veterans?

 Stepping Up to Help

Eleven women with vast experience dealing with combat veterans returning home from war are using what they’ve learned by contributing to this article. They are married to vets who have significant PTSD disabilities from previous wars, and the Iraq War. Their goal is to offer support, encouragement and hope to the spouses and families of Iraq and Afghanistan vets.

They offer the following thoughts while recognizing that each war is unique and some of these suggestions may not be appropriate for the most recent wars.

• Listen and Do Not Judge
• Know What to Look For. Educate Yourself about PTSD!
• Accept Help. / Be Willing to Accept Help, Even if He Doesn’t!
• Protect Yourself and Your Family Even if He Can’t
• Help Your Children. Go to the PTSD Information Helpline at 802-296-6300

 Remember:

You cannot fix the PTSD symptoms. Those are his symptoms that he has to learn to manage or not. Make your own goals and keep them in your focus. These goals might be improving your own health with good nutrition, exercise, and rest, or spending time with friends, or doing special things for yourself.

Go to http://www.ncptsd.org for constantly updated info on PTSD and resources.

To read complete article now, go to:

http://www.helpstartshere.org/tip-sheets/veterans-affairs-tip-sheet-help-for-spouses-of-com

Charlene’s Note:

I’ll be posting more on this article soon. As a former spouse of a Vietnam veteran, and one with very little help at the time I needed it, I’m so grateful to pass on this terrific information for today’s vets and their families. There is hope and help out there for you!

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By Charlene Rubush, March 30, 2010 10:46 pm

Part Two:

Dr. Judith Broder established “The Soldiers Project” in order to help combat veterans and their families. Concerned about the enormous stigma attached to getting psychological help, especially in the military, she wanted to provide an alternative. Of the masses of returning combat vets afflicted with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, she notes, “These people are not mentally ill, they are just reacting to extremely abnormal situations.”

Recent studies underscore the need for these services. In 2008, the RAND Center for Military Health Policy reported that nearly 20 percent of veterans, 300,000 in all, who served in Afghanistan and Iraq since 2001, report symptoms of PTSD or major depression. And a 2009 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) study reports a threefold increase in depression and post-traumatic stress after repeat combat duty.

Volunteers involved with “The Soldiers Project” receive specialized training in depression, PTSD, and traumatic brain injury. They are all licensed in various fields, such as psychiatry, social work, nursing, psychology, marriage and family therapy, and must participate in ongoing training on topics such as deployment, homecoming, re-entry into civilian life, domestic violence and therapeutic approaches, among others.

The project also helps those who aren’t eligible for services through the military or VA, including extended family members as well as gay, lesbian and heterosexual unmarried partners. The Soldiers Project’s services are confidential, eliminating concern that treatment would appear on military records and affect careers. Continue reading 'The Soldiers Project Provides A Safety Net For Those Who Would Rather Not Use VA Mental Health Services'»

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By Charlene Rubush, March 11, 2010 10:08 pm

While there is excitement at the fairly recent finding that our brains continue to make new connections throughout the lifespan, there is a downside.

When someone is exposed to a traumatic event (thus often developing PTSD) then new neural connections have been created that bring on
a major stress reaction. According to psychiatrist and psychoanalyst Norman Doidge, author of  The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science , if someone continually paves the path of automatic negative interpretations in life, those neural connections continue to get strengthened and become more difficult to unwind or reshape.

Dr. Elisha Goldstein, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist who recently attended a conference where Doidge spoke. He notes, “We have this exciting news that we can actually change the neural pathways in our brains based on the actions we take in life. Millions and millions of evolutions of the brain have given us this awe inspiring organ that has more connections than we can comprehend. Continue reading 'PTSD and Neuroplasticity: Our Brains Continue to Grow Connections Throughout Life'»