Getting Help With PTSD

As mentioned in an earlier section, anyone can acquire  PTSD  (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). First responders,  such as police officers, firemen, and rescue workers, commonly acquire it because of the horrific sights and sounds that they encounter  while doing what they do.

Veterans often acquire PTSD because of their experiences on the battlefield, although support staff who have never seen combat can possibly acquire it, too. In this section we will explore some of the avenues open to both veterans and everyday citizens in acquiring help with what they believe is PTSD.

For veterans, the VA (Veteran Affairs) provides an extensive network of PTSD programs in conjunction with many Vet Centers across the country. Through one of these PTSD programs a veteran can receive valuable
education regarding PTSD, including how they can cope with it. In addition, they offer evaluation and treatment using a variety of mental health professionals from the fields of psychology, psychiatry, counseling, nursing, and social work.

Help For Veterans:

There are three basic programs offered by VA. They are OUTPATIENT, DAY HOSPITAL, and INPATIENT. Each of them are explained below.

OUTPATIENT: Veterans meet with PTSD specialists on a regular basis using one of three programs. PTSD Clinic Teams (PCTs) offer one-on-one and group evaluations, education, counseling, and psychotherapy. Substance Use PTSD Teams (SUPTs) provide outpatient education,
evaluation, counseling, and other helps where it comes to PTSD and substance abuse. In addition, Women's Stress Disorder Treatment Teams (WSDTTs) offer female veterans evaluation, counseling, and psychotherapy on a one-on-one and group basis.

DAY HOSPITAL: This method consists of two basic programs, one canned DAY TREATMENT and the other RESIDENT PTSD. In the DAY TREATMENT PTSD Unit, the veteran is offered on-on-one case management and
counseling, group therapy, educational opportunities, and activities all geared to help the veteran cope with his/her PTSD problem.

Treatment and socialization events are conducted several times a day. In a RESIDENT PTSD program one-on-one case management and counseling, group therapy, education, and activities geared to
improve the veteran's socialization skills and coping abilities are utilized.

In this instance, the veteran lives in temporary, secured quarters without 24-hr. nursing services.

INPATIENT: Four programs are offered in this section  where  veterans are housed with 24-hr. nursing services provided. In a SPECIAL INPATIENT PTSD UNIT (SIPU) trauma-focused evaluations, education, and psychotherapy is provided for a period of 28 to 90 days.

In the EVALUATION and BRIEF TREATMENT of PTSD Unit (EBTPU) the veteran is provided a PTSD evaluation, education, and psychotherapy for 14 to 28 days. In the PTSD RESIDENTIAL REHABILITATION PROGRAM (PRRP), the veteran is evaluated, educated, and counseled.

Case management geared to help the veteran resume a productive life are provided. The entire process lasts 28 to 90 days. Also the PTSD SUBSTANCE USE PROGRAM (PSU) involves the combined education, evaluation, and counseling for substance abuse and PTSD. In this program admission ranges from 14 to 90 days.

To inquire regarding one of the many VA PSTD programs listed above, contact your local Vet Center or VA Hospital (check Vet Centers below). If it is necessary to obtain help from a private sector source, consider contacting the American Red Cross or the American Psychological Association. Contact information for both are included below.

Help For The Veteran --

Disabled American Veterans' pamphlet on PTSD

Click HERE to view the DAV's excellent pamphlet on PTSD and the readjustment problems associated with Vietnam veterans returning home. For 56K connections, the pages will load slowly, but the wait will be worth getting the information that may help you understand PTSD as well as having information you can use when filing a claim for PTSD with the VA.

NOTE: Even though you may think "It's been 35 years since I left Nam, I'm sure they're going to believe me that I didn't have problems until now!", they WILL believe you and recently have included a new form of PTSD called "Delayed Onset PTSD" and are treating veterans of all wars for this.

Listen, you may have had all the signs and symptoms of PTSD all along but were suppressing them in order to maintain a semblance of a well adjusted family man who can go to work, love a woman and support a family. An honorable, "functioning veteran" who did the "right things" expected of a soldier returning home from a horrible war back then in the late sixties and early seventies; when all along it's been stuffed in the back of your mind. If it's now coming to the surface or has ruined your marriage and life, there is hope that you can be helped to finally heal and deal with what happened to you 35 years ago. It doesn't make you a bad person or a loser to admit what's been bothering you for so long. God bless you for what you've done and thank you for your service to your country!

Vet Center Help
Web: http://www.va.gov/station/VetCenter/
Phone: 1-800-827-1000, TTD: 1-800-829-4833

American Red Cross
Web: http://www.redcross.org/afes/sidepgs/counsel.html

Help For Private Sector Citizens --(wives, families)

American Red Cross
Web: http://www.redcross.org/

Search for local Red Cross chapter:
http://www.redcross.org/where/where.html

American Psychological Association
Web: http://www.apa.org/
Phone: 1-202-336-5800

                                         Al Colombo's website
                                                              U.S. Veteran Information
                                                              (non-governmental)
 

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Click Here to Read the excellent DAV pamphlet on PTSD