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DHCC is committed to providing healthcare providers with sound clinical guidance on healthcare programs, practices and services to ensure highest quality care is given to our service men and women. Our goal in this section is to provide information on mental health related concerns based on evidence-based clinical practices including strategies on prevention and guidance on intervention. Further, we want to assist service members by providing patient education materials that will aid them in the recovery process as they seek to improve their over-all health and well-being. Below, we list programs and services that deal with posttraumatic stress (PTSD), combat trauma, military sexual trauma (MST) and other mental health issues and treatment centers that offers individual and family psychotherapy; and group and gender specific therapy treatments. We also provide other resources that may be helpful in understanding the trauma and treatment options.
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| Featured News Topics |
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On 21 May 09, the Department of Defense launched the Real Warriors Campaign, a multimedia public education effort designed to combat the stigma keeping some service members veterans and their families from seeking needed psychological health care. The accompanying Web site www.realwarriors.net contains service member profiles, public service announcements, downloadable campaign materials, original articles, a partnership page, audience-specific resources and a live-chat with health resource consultants.
Real Warriors
The Real Warriors Campaign is an initiative launched by the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury (DCoE) to promote the processes of building resilience, facilitating recovery and supporting reintegration of returning service members, veterans and their families. The campaign combats the stigma associated with seeking psychological health care and treatment and encourages service members to increase their awareness and use of these resources. To reach the broadest audience possible, the campaign features a variety of strategies including outreach and partnerships, print materials, media outreach, an interactive Web site and social media.
afterdeployment.org
On 5 Aug 08 in an effort to focus on post-deployment problems and meet the mental and behavioral health needs of service members, the Military Health System launched its behavioral health Web portal called afterdeployment. The portal provides self-care tools that the entire military community can access anonymously 24/7 from anywhere an internet connection is available. AD's twelve programs focus on: Adjusting to War Memories; Dealing with Depression; Handling Stress; Improving Relationships; Succeeding at Work; Overcoming Anger; Sleeping Better; Controlling Alcohol and Drugs; Helping Kids Deal with Deployment; Seeking Spiritual Fitness; Living with Physical Injuries; and Balancing Your Life. Self-assessments provide tailored feedback and recommendations.
Defense Center of Excellence (DCoE)
Under the leadership of Brigadier General Loree K. Sutton, Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury, the Defense Center of Excellence (DCoE) was established to optimize psychological health (PH) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) treatment of Service members for the Department of Defense (DoD). The Center’s mission is to set the standards for: (a) clinical care, education and training, and prevention and (b) patient, family and community outreach while providing opportunities for warriors and families to thrive through a collaborative global network promoting resilience, recovery, and reintegration for PH and TBI.
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DoD reinforces its encouragement for Service members to seek help for PTSD and MTBI.
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Recognizing and treating combat stress after a deployment and where to start.
Video:
Battlemind Stress Training Video (35 min): For Soldier and Family Members
Fact Sheets:
Websites:
What to do and when:
Answer all questions appropriately during the PDHA and the PDHRA process and discuss any deployment-related health concerns with a healthcare provider. Seek assistance if you notice signs of anxiety, depression, or other symptoms that are out of character. If your situation is not improving, schedule an appointment immediately, do not delay. In the case of a medical emergency, go to a hospital or call 911. | |
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| Common Stressors to the Deployment Cycle |
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Pre-Deployment (from notification to departure)
- Anger and protest
- Emotional detachment
- Family stress
- Marital disagreements
Deployment (from departure to return)
- Emotional destabilization and disorganization
- Sadness, depression, disorientation, anxiety, loneliness
- Sleep disturbances
- Health complaints
- Financial problems
- Some find the midpoint of deployment as the time of greatest stress
- Fear for safety of deployed service member
Reunion
- Apprehension over redefined roles and power dynamics
Post-Deployment
- Honeymoon period
- Resentment over loss of independence
- Insecurity about place in reconfigured system
- Service member may have difficulty disengaging from combat mission orientation
- Domestic violence
Source:
U.S. Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine on
Combat Stress, Soldier Combat Stress Reaction Brochure |
| Soldier Combat Stress Reaction |
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Common Reactions
Many of the reactions listed below are normal for people who experience high stress situations. It is not uncommon for most Soldiers to experience some or all of the following reactions:
Physical
- Trouble falling asleep
- Oversleeping
- Waking up in the middle of the night
- Difficulty with sexual and non sexual intimacy
- Fatigue
- Feeling jumping
- Being easily startled
Emotional
- Feeling overwhelmed
- Depression
- Irritability
- Feeling numb
- Difficulty readjusting to family routines
- Difficulty reconnecting with family
- Discomfort being around other people or in crowds
- Frustration
- Guilt
- Crying
Cognitive
- Difficult with memory
- Loss of interest/motivation
- Concentration problems
- Difficult talking about deployment experiences
- Loss of trust
Source: U.S. Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive on Combat Stress |
| Other Resources |
| DoD Websites
VA Websites
PDHealth
Other Websites
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