Mental Health
Families
Veterans of Wars
Mental Health
Partners of Veterans with PTSD
This 4-page fact sheet is from the United States Department for Veteran Affairs. It is called, “Partners of Veterans with PTSD: Caregiver Burden and Related Problems.” In the introduction of this fact sheet, it is stated, “A number of studies have found that veterans' PTSD symptoms can negatively impact family relationships and that family relationships may exacerbate or ameliorate a veteran's PTSD and comorbid conditions. This fact sheet provides information about the common problems experienced in relationships in which one (or both) of the partners has PTSD. This sheet also provides recommendations for how one can cope with these difficulties. The majority of this research involved female partners (typically wives) of male veterans; however, there is much clinical and anecdotal evidence to suggest that these problems also exist for couples where the identified PTSD patient is female.”
PTSD and Relationships
This 3-page fact sheet is from the United States Department for Veteran Affairs. This fact sheet addresses how trauma may affect relationships. As is stated in this fact sheet, “PTSD involves symptoms that interfere with trust, emotional closeness, communication, responsible assertiveness, and effective problem solving.”
PTSD and the Family
This 4-page fact sheet is from the United States Department for Veteran Affairs and it addresses how PTSD affects family members. The opening paragraph of this fact sheet states, “Because the symptoms of PTSD and other trauma reactions change how a trauma survivor feels and acts, traumatic experiences that happen to one member of a family can affect everyone else in the family. When trauma reactions are severe and go on for some time without treatment, they can cause major problems in a family. This fact sheet will describe family members' reactions to the traumatic event and to the survivor's symptoms and behaviors.”
PTSD, Work, and Your Community
This 2-page fact sheet is from the United States Department for Veteran Affairs. In its opening paragraph, it is stated, “Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can change your relationship with your community. Some people may shy away from you because of your PTSD. Getting work or finding a place to live may be more challenging. But you are in control of how your community views you. The way you act and treat others can help influence people's attitudes about PTSD."
PTSD and Your Family
This 3-page fact sheet is from the United States Department for Veteran Affairs. This fact sheet addresses issues such as, family support, talking with your kids about PTSD, Triggers, and more.
Helping a Family Member who has PTSD
This 3-page fact sheet is from the United States Department for Veteran Affairs, and it offers suggestions as to how you can help your loved one who may be suffering from PTSD.
Talking to Children About Going to War
This 5-page fact sheet from the United States Department for Veteran Affairs offers suggestions about how to talk with children about war.
War-Zone-Related Stress Reactions: What Families Need to Know
This 3-page fact sheet is from the United States Department for Veteran Affairs. It addresses issues such as how traumatic stress reactions can affect families, the important role of families in recovery, what happens in treatment for PTSD, and much more.
Anger and Trauma
This 3-page fact sheet from the United States Department for Veteran Affairs addresses questions such as, why is anger a common response to trauma, how can posttraumatic anger become a problem, and more.
Children of Veterans and Adults with PTSD
This 4-page fact sheet is from the United States Department for Veteran Affairs. As is stated in the introduction of this fact sheet, it is stated, “Researchers have recently examined the impact of veterans' posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms on family relationships, and on children of veterans in particular. Family members of individuals with PTSD may experience numerous difficulties. This fact sheet explains the common problems that children of veterans experience and provides recommendations for how to cope with these difficulties. Although much of the research described here has been conducted with children of Vietnam veterans, it is likely that much of the information applies to children of combat veterans of other conflicts.”
This 3-page fact sheet is from the United States Department for Veteran Affairs. It states, “Following a traumatic event, people typically describe feeling things like relief to be alive, followed by stress, fear, and anger. They also often find they are unable to stop thinking about what happened. Having stress reactions is what happens to most people and has nothing to do with personal weakness. Many will also exhibit high levels of arousal…”
Families
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism: Frequently Asked Questions
(pdf)
This 4-page article provided by the National Center for PTSD explores how PTSD and alcohol use are related.
This 3-page article provided by the National Center for PTSD titled Homecoming After Deployment: Dealing with Changes and Expectations explores tips for soldiers, spouses, and children.
This 15-page brochure provided by the Veterans and Families Homecoming Support Network is entitled Homecoming Preparedness for Veterans and Families. Itexplores various ways veterans can more easily transition from military life to civilian life.
This website provides information for those involved with the military, including information regarding parenting, deployment, and transitioning back home after deployment.
This 3-page article offers several techniques for anxiety management.
Common Responses to Trauma & Coping Strategies is the title of this 3-page article, which examines different reactions to trauma including both the physical and the emotional. It also explores several excellent coping strategies for dealing with trauma.
Medline Plus explores how to cope with disasters and provides a large database with links to additional information which can be explored based on an individual’s experience and needs.
This 4-page article, entitled Become a Survivor: How to Find Peace of Mind Following Life's Traumas, examines what to do when a disaster occurs, how to best handle a disaster, and discusses when a professional may be most helpful in becoming a survivor, rather than a victim, of trauma.
SAMHSA provides this 3-page brochure that explores stress and what to expect when a disaster occurs.
This 4-page article, provided by the University of Arizona and entitled Promoting the Health and Well-Being of Families During Difficult Times, focuses on several areas including stress management after a disaster, defining stress, symptoms of stress, and possible coping skills.
This 4-page section of a Department of Veteran Affairs guide entitled The Impact of Deployment on the Military Family discusses the emotional cycle of deployment, children’s responses to deployment, and what parents can do for themselves and their children.
VA Medical Center specialized PTSD programs and VA Readjustment Counseling Service Vet Centers are sources of psychotherapy services for active duty personnel, veterans, and their family members.
This website from the National Center of PTSD describes the various specialized treatment programs offered by the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.
This brief document from NCPTSD provides helpful information to anyone seeking a therapist, including issues to consider when choosing a therapist, how to find a therapist, specific help for veterans, and how to find a support group.
The American Psychological Association also offers a resource for finding a psychologist in your area.
Veterans of Wars
War-Zone-Related Stress Reactions: What Veterans Need to Know
This 3-page fact sheet is from the United States Department for Veteran Affairs. This fact sheet deals with issues such as unwanted remembering or re-experiencing, physical activation or arousal, emotional numbing, self-blame, and more.
Depression
This 2-page fact sheet is from the National Center for PTSD. It states, “Depression is a common problem in which severe and long lasting feelings of sadness or other problems get in the way of a person’s ability to function. In any given year, as many as 18.8 million American adults—9.5% of the adult population—experience some type of depression. Unlike a blue mood that comes and goes, depression is a persistent problem that affects the way a person eats and sleeps, thinks about things, and feels about him- or herself.”
FAQs About PTSD Assessment
This 2-page fact sheet from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs offers answers to some frequently asked questions about PTSD, such as, how can I tell if I have PTSD, and how can I find out if a particular mental health provider can evaluate me for PTSD.
Nightmares
This 3-page fact sheet from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs discusses how nightmares are related to PTSD, cultural differences and nightmares, effective treatments for nightmares, and how common nightmares occur.
What If I Have Sleep Problems?
This 2-page fact sheet is from the National Center for PTSD, and it offers suggestions as to how one can overcome sleep problems.
Sleep and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
This 3-page fact sheet is from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. As is stated in this fact sheet, “Many people have trouble sleeping sometimes. This is even more likely if you have PTSD. Having trouble sleeping and nightmares are two symptoms of PTSD.” This fact sheet offers reasons why people with PTSD may experience problems sleeping.
Domestic Violence
This 4-page fact sheet is from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. This fact sheet states, “Domestic violence is a prominent public health issue in the United States. It is the most frequent cause of serious injury to women, more than car accidents, muggings, and stranger rapes combined. 1 This fact sheet provides information regarding the definition of domestic violence, the prevalence of domestic violence, the dynamics of abusive relationships, the effects of domestic violence, treatment for victims and perpetrators, and resources offering assistance.”
PTSD and Negative Coping
This 2-page fact sheet from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs states, “If you have PTSD you may try to deal with problems in ways that cause more harm than good. This is called negative coping. Negative coping means you use quick fixes that may make a situation worse in the long run.” These quick fixes may include substance abuse, avoiding others, anger and violent behaviors, dangerous behaviors, etc.
PTSD and Older Veterans
This 3-page fact sheet is from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, and it addresses how PTSD can and does affect older veterans. From the opening paragraph of this fact sheet, it is stated, “From the time of Homer's ancient story of the battle between the Trojans and the Greeks, and the times of the Bible and Shakespeare, military personnel have been confronted by the trauma of war. Recent books and movies have highlighted the impact of war trauma on veterans of the Vietnam War and the Persian Gulf War. However, the traumas faced by veterans of World War II and the Korean conflict have been publicly acknowledged in the media less often and less clearly. The recent movie, "Saving Private Ryan," showed the reality of war trauma during World War II. World War II was terrifying and shocking for hundreds of thousands of American military personnel. For most World War II veterans, memories of the war can still be upsetting more than 50 years later, even if the memories arise only occasionally and for brief periods. For a smaller number of World War II veterans, the war trauma memories still cause severe problems, in the form of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD.”
Treatment of PTSD
This 3-page fact sheet is from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. Different types of therapy for the treatment of PTSD are discussed. As the opening paragraph states, “Today, there are good treatments available for PTSD. When you have PTSD dealing with the past can be hard. Instead of telling others how you feel, you may keep your feelings bottled up. But talking with a therapist can help you get better.”
PTSD Among Ethnic Minority Veterans
This 4-page fact sheet is from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. In the opening paragraph of this fact sheet, it is stated, “Race and ethnicity are important indicator variables that help further our understanding of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Studies of ethnic minority veterans have helped us understand how race and ethnicity relate to PTSD. Ethnic minority Vietnam veterans, through their participation in surveys, research studies, and clinical case studies, have made a major contribution toward our understanding of PTSD in these special populations.”