Behavioral health expert breaks down how PTSD can affect veterans
Many of our nation’s heroes deal with post traumatic stress disorder long after they’ve returned home. Here to help us better understand what they’re dealing with is licensed behavioral health expert with Advent Health reporter Joe Aura. So let’s start there. PTSD is, you know, a common phrase that we hear acronym all the time, but can you just explain what it is at its core? Yeah, so PTSD is post-traumatic stress disorder. That’s what it stands for. And essentially you experience a lot of events that are shocking or traumatic or really differing from the norm, and you can potentially experience a lot of flashbacks. OK, maybe you have nightmares as a result of that. I think the biggest thing and when it meets criteria for a disorder is when it’s impacting your life in a negative way. So for example, you can’t go to work, you can’t do some things like. Driving a car, doing the, the tasks that you would have done uh previous to the event happening, and this can last for months, even years so that is when we’re looking at that we’re looking at how does it impact your life. And when you’re trying to, you know, diagnose yourself or trying to get help and seek professional help, what are you looking for? Like what are those telltale signs that this is something I can’t manage on my own, that I need professional help? Yeah, it, it’s looking at that impact once again. So like as, as an example, if you are somebody who, let’s say you were in a car accident and years later you still can’t drive because you are so afraid of getting in the car, right? You can’t work as Ed mentioned, and then also too you’re looking at it from the impact of maybe you have potentially depression is starting to come on board, maybe have thoughts of suicide. Those relationships are starting to get impacted. You’re becoming a lot more isolated, so those changes from the norm is really what to look for. Good to know. Also want to mention the 988 hotline reported more than 18,000 calls by veterans in active duty military last year. Uh, hearing those numbers, any surprise or concern from you on that? I’m, I’m happy in the fact that it is being used. I think it could be used a lot more because I think that. When we’re looking at it from the point of view of the veterans, sometimes there could be that difficulty with wanting to get help, right? It’s the I’ve I’ve done this before, maybe I can get through this, maybe I may not need professional help, so I think those signs are encouraging. I would like to see those numbers go up quite a bit more because I think there are a lot of people that are suffering in silence, and I think that is the main issue when we are looking at. Uh, veterans and PTSD, so I’m encouraging overall. One would love to see more of it, but I’m glad that it is being used. When you are seeing someone who you believe is suffering in silence or going through things that maybe they’re not ready to come to terms with some of the symptoms that we’ve just discussed, how can you help a friend or a family, um, you know, in a supportive role? Yeah, so very common. veterans have somebody in their life that they trust and so whether it’s a significant other, whether it’s a friend, whether it’s somebody they had served with, so if you are that trusted person and you’re noticing things have changed and changed quite dramatically, definitely point it out it doesn’t have to be an intervention type of thing, right? But it could just say be, hey, you know what? I am concerned. I’ve noticed these things you’re not doing the things you used to. I think you may, what about, you know, we make a phone call and, and get some help. So it’s that collaborative approach I think ends up being a lot more helpful than than confronting in the sense of being, well, you need to do this, right? So collaboration and also for veterans and others that are suffering from PTSD, they want to know that people do care and that people are really looking out for them, so. So having that I think will allow you, if you are the one that’s res that needs that help to be able to go and get that help. Well, that’s encouraging to hear because I think when you are in that position sometimes you’re like, I don’t want to intervene or I don’t wanna be that person, you know, you don’t wanna, it doesn’t want to be a confrontation. So that collaboration, I think is a really good way to put that and hopefully it resonates with some of our viewers on this very important Veterans Day. Joe, we wanna thank you for being here as always. Thank you. Appreciate it again soon. Yeah, OK. We want to remind you that if you or someone you know is truly struggling, help is available. You can call or text the 988 Colorado Mental Health line or visit 988Colorado.com for live chat. Help is available 24/7. It’s always there for you. We’ll be right back.
Many of our nation’s heroes deal with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which can affect them long after they’ve returned home.
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