Take The Next Step To Connect With Care
Every day, Veterans from all military service branches and eras connect with proven resources and effective treatments. Heres how to take the next step: the one thats right for you.
Read VA’s latest coronavirus information. If you have flu-like symptoms such as fever, cough, and shortness of breath, please call before you visit your local medical center or clinic. If you have an appointment, consider making it a telehealth appointment.
New to VA? Apply for health care benefits.
- Getting started is simple. Create a free account online to help ease your enrollment process. To prepare to apply for VA health care in person, by telephone, or by mail, explore VAs How to Apply page.
- Not sure whether you are eligible for VA health care benefits? Read about eligibility for VA health care.
- Unsure of what kind of help you need? Call 1-877-222-VETS to find the right resources to meet your needs, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET. If you have hearing loss, call TTY: .
- Veterans family members and caregivers can see whether they qualify for VA medical benefits as a spouse, surviving spouse, dependent child, or caregiver. Explore family and caregiver health benefits.
Already enrolled in VA and interested in mental health support? Schedule a mental health appointment.
What about other options at VA? VA offers a variety of tools and resources.
What about support beyond VA?
Combat Stress 24/7 Helpline
For veterans and their loved ones
So, whether youre worried about the mental health of a loved one, or need to talk to someone yourself, our team of specially-trained professionals are available day and night via phone, text and email.
We also have a dedicated Helpline available for those currently serving and their loved ones to get support too.
If you or a loved one are in a crisis, please call 999 for immediate support.
Op Courage: The Veterans Mental Health And Wellbeing Service
Op COURAGE is an NHS mental health specialist service designed to help serving personnel due to leave the military, reservists, armed forces veterans and their families.
Op COURAGE is a new overarching name for the following veterans mental health services:
- the Veterans’ Mental Health Transition, Intervention and Liaison Service
- the Veterans’ Mental Health Complex Treatment Service
- the Veterans’ Mental Health High Intensity Service
The new name was created to make it easier for veterans and those leaving the military to find help.
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Find Healthy Ways To Socialize And Collaborate With Veterans
There are many ways that friends and family can help veterans suffering from PTSD heal by socializing and collaborating with them.
When moving to a new base or post, the military helps military personnel and families adjust. This structure is often not automatically in place when someone separates from the military. The veteran and their family may have to find new ways to join or create a social community, according to a help sheet from the VAs Mental Health Services department.
As veterans adjust to civilian life, friends and family can help by finding and participating in activities with their loved one. This can include helping veterans in their pursuit of a new hobby or activity or introducing veterans to new social or peer groups.
PTSD is a challenging disorder that can impair the quality of life for many veterans. But with these tools and resources, both veterans and their loved ones can find ways to address PTSD and help former service members live healthy and fulfilling lives.
Ptsd In Veterans Recovery Step : Get Moving
Getting regular exercise has always been key for veterans with PTSD. As well as helping to burn off adrenaline, exercise can release endorphins and improve your mood. And by really focusing on your body as you exercise, you can even help your nervous system become unstuck and move out of the immobilization stress response.
Exercise that is rhythmic and engages both your arms and legssuch as running, swimming, basketball, or even dancingworks well if, instead of continuing to focus on your thoughts as you move, you focus on how your body feels.
Try to notice the sensation of your feet hitting the ground, for example, or the rhythm of your breathing, or the feeling of the wind on your skin. Many veterans with PTSD find that sports such as rock climbing, boxing, weight training, and martial arts make it easier to focus on your body movementsafter all, if you dont, you could injure yourself. Whatever exercise you choose, try to work out for 30 minutes or more each dayor if its easier, three 10-minute spurts of exercise are just as beneficial.
The benefits of the great outdoors
Pursuing outdoor activities in nature like hiking, camping, mountain biking, rock climbing, whitewater rafting, and skiing can help challenge your sense of vulnerability and help you transition back into civilian life.
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What Should I Do If I Think I Have Ptsd
First, know that youre not alone. We are very sorry to hear you are struggling, but we believe no matter what youre going through, with help you can find a future to look forward to. If you think you or a loved one has PTSD, please contact the Wounded Warrior Project® Resource Center at or , and we will connect you with someone who can help. Were stronger when we work together, so we collaborate with many other veterans service organizations to help veterans of all generations. Our Resource Center is always happy to work with veterans from all generations to connect them with resources specifically developed to help them.
Help For Spouses Of Combat Veterans With Ptsd
January 12, 2009 at 4:42 pm Posted in Kids & Families, Mind & Spirit by
Support Group Facilitated by Susan Evans, LICSW
There is not a day that 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 . 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 are eleven women with vast experience dealing with combat veterans returning home from war. They are married to vets who have significant PTSD disabilities from previous wars, and the Iraq war, and they have jointly written this article as a way of offering support, encouragement and hope to the spouses and families of Iraq vets. They offer the following thoughts while recognizing that each war is unique and some of these suggestions may not be appropriate for the Iraq war experience.
Listen and Do Not Judge
The Symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Accept Help
Things to Remember
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How To Help A Loved One With Ptsd
First, let them know that acknowledging they may have PTSD shows theyre strong, not weak.
- Let the veteran determine what they are comfortable talking about, and dont push.
- Be a good listener and dont say things like, I know how you felt, or, Thats just like when I, even if you also served in a combat zone. Everyones feelings are unique.
- Remind your loved one that they are not alone, and many others have personal stories they can share about their readjustment. Talking to other warriors can help them cope.
Programs For Family Members Of Veterans
Purpose
Several programs have been developed for use with family members of Veterans with a variety of chronic conditions including:
The Support And Family Education Program: Mental Health Facts for Families is an 18-session curriculum to support adults who care for a Veteran living with chronic mental illness or PTSD.
Operation Enduring Families: Information and Support for Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans and Their Families, an extension of the SAFE program, is a 5-session family education and support program for Veterans who have recently returned from a combat from Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom .
A third program, the TBI Family Caregiver Curriculum, was developed by the Department of Defense to help families of a Veteran returning from combat in OEF or OIF with a traumatic brain injury . This program, available online, consists of four modules that inform a family caregiver about TBI, its effects, issues that accompany caregiving, and ways to navigate services and benefits for the Veteran.
More detailed information about TBI and specific resources for military and veteran families is also available here. The VA also provides a caregiver support line for help toll-free: 1 260-3274.
Similarly, there are educational programs for professionals who work with family caregivers of service members who have TBI, such as the on-line program, A Family Member’s Guide to Coping with Traumatic Brain Injury .
Strategy
Target Population
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The Civilian Health And Medical Program Of The Department Of Veterans Affairs
Current spouses, surviving spouses and children of veterans with disabilities who do not qualify for Tricare may be eligible for health insurance through CHAMPVA, a cost-sharing program. In the context of our discussion about PTSD, CHAMPVA helps to cover mental health services and other medical services. Those in need of counseling as a result of caring for a loved one will find this assistance valuable.
Physical And Mental Changes To Expect:
While the general symptoms for PTSD are similar, the types and severity of symptoms will differ for each Veteran.
- Physical changes may include: difficulty staying or falling asleep irritability or outbursts of anger physical reactionssuch as profuse sweating, increased heart rate and rapid breathingwhen exposed to internal or external cues or reminders of the traumatic event intense distress when exposed to internal or external reminders of the event such as certain sounds or smells avoiding any activities, places or people that remind the Veteran of the trauma.
- Mental changes may include: recurring and intrusive thoughts about the event recurring and distressing dreams of the event acting or feeling as if it the traumatic event were recurringalso known as having flashbacks being unable to recall an important aspect of the trauma difficulty concentrating and efforts to avoid thoughts, feeling or conversations associated with the trauma.
- Emotional changes may include: intense distress when exposed to internal or external reminders of the event such as certain sounds or smells a noticeable lack of interest or participation in important activities feelings of detachment or estrangement from others limited ability or inability to show affection or love feelings of a bleak future, such as limited career or family opportunities, and shortened life span overly alert or on guardalso known as hyper-vigilanceand/or exaggerated response when startled.
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Resources For Children With A Parent Who Has Ptsd
Children respond to their parents’ PTSD symptoms. A child may behave like the parent to try to connect with him or her. Some children take on an adult role to fill in for the parent with PTSD. If children do not get help with their feelings, it can lead to problems at school, in relationships, or with emotions .
Help A Veteran To Seek Mental Health Treatment
One of the first and most difficult tasks in treating a veteran with PTSD is getting the veteran to acknowledge there is a mental health condition in the first place. One way to help these veterans is by encouraging them to seek counseling or treatment.
According to a fact sheet from the Rand Corporation, veterans and active military personnel are often reluctant to seek care for mental health concerns. Potential reasons for veterans reluctance to pursue mental health treatment include the perception that it is a sign of weakness, fear of potential career repercussions for seeking treatment and skepticism about the effectiveness of such treatments.
This is where families and friends can help. Addressing these concerns and encouraging a veteran to seek help for PTSD can prove immensely beneficial to all parties involved.
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The Next Generation Of Mental Health Counselors
Meyers dedication to helping veterans extends to his role as director of Pitts Clinical Mental Health Counseling program where he teaches the next generation of mental health professionals. The masters degree program, which recently received special recognition from the Pennsylvania Counseling Association as the 2022 PCA Outstanding Counselor Education Program, prepares students to become mental health counselors in two years. Meyer finds that many students who want to get into the field of mental health dont realize this may be a good fit compared to a lengthier, research-driven degree in psychology. Getting a degree in our program is a much faster, more focused route to becoming a clinician, says Meyer, and that’s really what a lot of students want to do. The counseling profession is fantastic. It’s really focused on delivering counseling and related services.
Pitt Counseling graduate students at the PCA conference : Kassy Rush, Jackilyn Garces and Hermione Huo
How To Help Someone With Ptsd From War
Provide Interpersonal Support to Military Members and Veterans with PTSD
Treatment from a licensed provider is animportant step in healing from PTSD recovery. Support from friends and family,however, is also essential for helping veterans with PTSD. Appropriate socialsupport can help prevent someone with PTSD from using unhealthy copingmechanisms, such as drugs or alcohol.
If you have a loved one who has experienced atraumatic event leading to PTSD, there are many ways you can give them support,even if you do not not fully understand their experience. Here are just a fewways to help someone with PTSD from war.
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Helping Someone With Ptsd Tip : Provide Social Support
Its common for people with PTSD to withdraw from family and friends. They may feel ashamed, not want to burden others, or believe that other people wont understand what theyre going through. While its important to respect your loved ones boundaries, your comfort and support can help them overcome feelings of helplessness, grief, and despair. In fact, trauma experts believe that face-to-face support from others is the most important factor in PTSD recovery.
Knowing how to best demonstrate your love and support for someone with PTSD isnt always easy. You cant force your loved one to get better, but you can play a major role in the healing process by simply spending time together.
Dont pressure your loved one into talking. It can be very difficult for people with PTSD to talk about their traumatic experiences. For some, it can even make them feel worse. Instead, let them know youre willing to listen when they want to talk, or just hang out when they dont. Comfort for someone with PTSD comes from feeling engaged and accepted by you, not necessarily from talking.
Do normal things with your loved one, things that have nothing to do with PTSD or the traumatic experience. Encourage your loved one to seek out friends, pursue hobbies that bring them pleasure, and participate in rhythmic exercise such as walking, running, swimming, or rock climbing. Take a fitness class together, go dancing, or set a regular lunch date with friends and family.
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Problems Associated With Combat Stress & Trauma
Exposure to combat and operational stress can leave emotional scars that linger after deployment. While every individual reacts differently, some problems service members and veterans may notice after combat or operational stress are listed below.
- Anger or Aggressive Behavior
- Although anger is a natural and healthy emotion that may have helped you do your job while deployed, intense anger can scare people and push them away. Aggressive, hurtful behavior can also cause problems with family, friends, co-workers, and the legal system.
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Tip : Deal With Volatility And Anger
PTSD can lead to difficulties managing emotions and impulses. In your loved one, this may manifest as extreme irritability, moodiness, or explosions of rage.
People suffering from PTSD live in a constant state of physical and emotional stress. Since they usually have trouble sleeping, it means theyre constantly exhausted, on edge, and physically strung outincreasing the likelihood that theyll overreact to day-to-day stressors.
For many people with PTSD, anger can also be a cover for other feelings such as grief, helplessness, or guilt. Anger makes them feel powerful, instead of weak and vulnerable. Others try to suppress their anger until it erupts when you least expect it.
Watch for signs that your loved one is angry, such as clenching jaw or fists, talking louder, or getting agitated. Take steps to defuse the situation as soon as you see the initial warning signs.
Try to remain calm. During an emotional outburst, try your best to stay calm. This will communicate to your loved one that you are safe, and prevent the situation from escalating.
Give the person space. Avoid crowding or grabbing the person. This can make a traumatized person feel threatened.
Ask how you can help. For example: What can I do to help you right now? You can also suggest a time out or change of scenery.