By Lindsey Schibelhut, Senior Reporter.
According to recent data published by the VA approximately 22 veterans commit suicide each day. Unfortunately, for many veterans returning home from war, it does not mean the battle ends. Silently they struggle daily with mental health issues, such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD. On Wednesday, March 16, Chief of mental health at the Saginaw VA hospital, Dr. Matthew A. Miller, discussed in the Delta College Lecture Theatre what PTSD is, the signs and symptoms of it and the treatment options available to vets and their families.
“This is a topic that is near and dear to my heart,” began Miller.
Miller explained that many suicide cases among vets is linked, correlated or has involved PTSD. He then outlines the core criteria diagnosis of the disorder.
“First there needs to be an exposure to an extreme event,” explains Miller. “That extreme event typically is defined as one that can legitimately lead to death or can legitimately lead to loss of control over oneself, metaphysically or actual body.”
Other symptoms associated with the disorder include recurrent and intrusive re-experience of the traumatic event, increased arousal (i.e. nervousness, agitation, trouble relaxing) and persistent avoidance of reminders.
“You experience this event, it’s traumatic, and a big part of your soul, a big part of your heart wants to say ‘don’t think about it, I don’t want to go there,’” begins Miller. “But no matter what you do, sometimes at the oddest times you find it popping in, and you’re thinking about it.”
Miller goes on to say that vets could be having a great day and all of a sudden they may smell something, see something or hear something that takes them right back to that event.
“Sometimes there doesn’t even have to be a cue that you can link it to,” says Miller. “And that’s the most troubling thing a lot of times for veterans that struggle with PTSD.”
Miller says for most people it’s easy to shake things which they don’t like. For example, if you don’t like what someone is eating, you can move so you don’t have to smell it, but for veterans suffering from PTSD, it’s not so simple.
“What if you don’t like your own brain and heart and soul and the way that you’re thinking? What if you can’t get away from the thoughts that pop into your own head?” says Miller.
For 18-year-old Delta student, Taylor Cramer, hearing about the issues veterans suffer with from PTSD hit close to home.
“We have a family friend who was in the military and a year ago he actually committed suicide and they linked it to PTSD,” says Cramer.
Cramer also noted what she learned most at the event were the different types of treatment. She didn’t know there were as many options for recovery as there are.
“I thought it was more of come in and talk about your problems,” says Cramer.
Some of the evidence based therapy treatment or EBT options Miller addressed during the presentation were nightmare reduction/sleep hygiene therapy, biofeedback to address arousal, cognitive behavior therapy and basic coping skills training, advanced coping skills training, CPT therapy, family PTSD education and individual support or group support.
“Cognitive processing therapy (CPT) is 12 to 16 weeks of weekly two hour sessions and within those sessions, you walk through gradual exercises that challenge the veteran and the therapist together to evaluate your thinking…Cognitive processing therapy gradually works through those big issues and those questions and helps you think through them in a structured way,” says Miller.
Santino Llamas, 19, explains how the knowledge he gained will impact his approach to PTSD issues in the future.
“I’ll be more aware and be more out there for veterans in general,” says Llamas.
One of Miller’s last points was that when approaching therapy, they come from the recovery focus perspective of “work though it” not just “get over it.” He also stresses progress isn’t necessarily a ‘one step, two step’ process, instead it’s a process that is fraught with steps forward and steps backward.
“PTSD is complicated, PTSD is difficult, PTSD is highly individual, PTSD is highly treatable. Within treatable it comes in a recovery mindset and isn’t necessarily linear,” concludes Miller.