A Rand Corporation telephone survey of 1,965 former soldiers found at least 14% were suffering from PTSD and another 14% had major depression. Lisa Jaycox, Ph.D., author of the RAND report called “Invisible Wounds of War: Summary of Key Findings on Psychological and Cognitive Injuries, discovered that veterans are not receiving adequate medical and psychological attention and treatment. If left undiagnosed, untreated, or inadequately treated, the long lasting effects can be devastating for the veterans and their families, coworkers and friends.
PTSD affects veterans both physically and cognitively. They may have sweaty palms, heart palpitations, and feel jittery and ill at ease. They may also have difficulty communicating with family members and intimate partners about their thoughts, feelings and the traumatic experiences they lived through.
Cognitive behavior therapy, anti-anxiety and anti-depression medications, as well as healing touch therapy and the mind-body awareness that comes from body psychotherapy, are all methods that can be used to assist veterans to overcome the initial stages of PTSD. As the treatment progresses and PTSD symptoms start to decline, veterans can begin to reorganize their brains and their relationships. Couples therapy, marriage counseling, and even group therapeutic situations can help veterans return to civilian life with traumatic memories receding and current (more pleasant and relational) memories forming in the forefront of their brains.
Tags: Anxiety, Boca Raton Counseling, Boca Raton Psychotherapy, Boca Raton Therapy, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD, Veterans
