727-518-7294
Dr. Boutin has treated hundreds of our military veterans and their families in assisting them in dealing with the emotional problems associated with the traumatic events they experienced while serving in our Military.
In addition, Dr. Boutin has helped countless Military Veterans to receive the benefits they deserve and are entitled to.
As a new generation of service members returns from deployment, the Department of Defense (DoD) is faced with the challenge of identifying the most effective methods of treatment to address posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Prevalence estimates of PTSD symptoms based on self-report surveys among warriors in the conflicts in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan vary, but it has clearly been shown to be a significant problem, especially for those exposed to sustained ground combat.
There are several treatment options that health professionals and clinicians can use to effectively treat service members with PTSD. Since there are a number of factors to consider in treating PTSD (e.g., access to services, availability, safety, patient preferences, etc.), it is important to understand the different types of treatments available to service members.
PTSD Basics
It’s normal to have upsetting memories, feel on edge, or have trouble sleeping after a traumatic event. At first, it may be hard to do normal daily activities, like go to work, go to school, or spend time with people you care about. But most people start to feel better after a few weeks or months.
PTSD Basics
If it’s been longer than a few months and you’re still having symptoms, you may have PTSD. For some people, PTSD symptoms may start later on, or they may come and go over time.
More PTSD Topics
Avoidance
Avoidance is a common reaction to trauma. It is natural to want to avoid thinking about or feeling emotions about a stressful event. But when avoidance is extreme, or when it’s the main way you cope, it can interfere with your emotional recovery and healing.
Trauma Reminders: Anniversaries
On the anniversary of a traumatic event, some survivors have an increase in distress. These “anniversary reactions” can range from feeling mildly upset for a day or two to a more extreme reaction with more severe mental health or medical symptoms.
Trauma Reminders: Triggers
People respond to traumatic events in a number of ways, such as feelings of concern, anger, fear, or helplessness. Research shows that people who have been through trauma, loss, or hardship in the past may be even more likely than others to be affected by new, potentially traumatic events.
Aging Veterans and Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms
For many Veterans, memories of their wartime experiences can still be upsetting long after they served in combat. Even if they served many years ago, military experience can still affect the lives of Veterans today.
Very Young Trauma Survivors
Trauma and abuse can have grave impact on the very young. The attachment or bond between a child and parent matters as a young child grows. This bond can make a difference in how a child responds to trauma.
PTSD in Children and Teens
Trauma affects school-aged children and teenagers differently than adults. If diagnosed with PTSD, the symptoms in children and teens can also look different. For many children, PTSD symptoms go away on their own after a few months. Yet some children show symptoms for years if they do not get treatment. There are many treatment options available including talk and play therapy.
History of PTSD in Veterans: Civil War to DSM-5
PTSD became a diagnosis with influence from a number of social movements, such as Veteran, feminist, and Holocaust survivor advocacy groups. Research about Veterans returning from combat was a critical piece to the creation of the diagnosis. So, the history of what is now known as PTSD often references combat history.
Effects of PTSD
PTSD includes a range of symptoms that can have an effect on family members. When someone has PTSD, their ability to function as a parent or partner can be impacted, and changes in their functioning can lead to unmet family needs and increased stress within the family. This section provides information about the effects of PTSD and trauma on families, children, and relationships.
Families
Effects of PTSD on families
PTSD can make somebody hard to live with. Living with someone who is easily startled, has nightmares, and/or avoids social situations can take a toll on the most caring family members. Research on PTSD has shown the harmful impact of PTSD on families.
When a child’s parent has PTSD
A parent’s PTSD symptoms can directly affect their children. This section describes how a caregiver’s PTSD symptoms impact children and outlines some of the common problems experienced by children of Veterans or other adults with PTSD. This section also provides recommendations for how to cope with these difficulties.
Relationships
Trauma survivors with PTSD may have trouble with their close family relationships or friendships. The symptoms of PTSD can cause problems with trust, closeness, communication, and problem solving which, in turn, may impact the way a loved one responds to the trauma survivor.
Relationships
Read about the circular pattern that may develop which can sometimes harm close family relationships.
Military Families
Military families often deal with unique cycles of stress associated with deployments and may struggle to know how to cope with changes in the family or their deployed loved one. This section provides information for families who may be experiencing difficulties resulting from military deployments.
Partners of Veterans with PTSD
PTSD can affect how couples get along with each other. It can also directly affect the mental health of partners. This section describes common problems in relationships where one or both partners have PTSD and outlines basic information about how to help couples facing these problems.
How deployment stress affects families
This section explains how deployment of a Service member to a combat zone can be extremely challenging for a family.
What are the signs of posttraumatic stress disorder?
A wide variety of symptoms may be signs that you are experiencing posttraumatic stress disorder. The following are some of the most common symptoms of PTSD that you or those around you may have noticed:
What can I do if I think I have posttraumatic stress disorder?
Treatment Options for PTSD
The main treatments for people with PTSD are counseling (known as “talk” therapy or psychotherapy), medications, or both. Although there are a number of treatment options for PTSD, and patient response to treatment varies, some treatments have been shown to have more benefit in general.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is one type of counseling. With CBT, a therapist helps the service member dealing with PTSD understand and change how thoughts and beliefs about the trauma, and about the world, cause stress and maintain current symptoms.
CBT has been shown to be successful in treating PTSD in a number of well controlled studies.5 However, there are a handful of service members for whom certain interventions may be inappropriate or for whom other treatment problems (e.g., co-occurring conditions) may also need to be addressed. Visit this fact sheet from the VA National Center for PTSD for more information on cautions regarding cognitive behavioral interventions within the first month of trauma.
In addition to cognitive behavioral therapy, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) is another type of therapy for PTSD. EMDR uses a combination of talk therapy with specific eye movements. Like the CBTs listed above, EMDR has also been shown to be effective in treating PTSD. In general, it appears that the talk therapy component is helpful, but most evidence suggests that the eye movement component does not add much, if any, benefit. Like other kinds of psychotherapy, the talk therapy component of EMDR can help change the reactions to memories service members experience as a result of their trauma(s).
In addition to getting treatment, you can adjust your lifestyle to help relieve PTSD symptoms. For example, talking with other Veterans who have experienced trauma can help you connect with and trust others; exercising can help reduce physical tension; and volunteering can help you reconnect with your community. You also can let your friends and family know when certain places or activities make you uncomfortable.
“I wanted to keep the war away from my family, but I brought the war with me every time I opened the door. It helps to talk with them about how I feel.”
Your close friends and family may be the first to notice that you’re having a tough time. Turn to them when you are ready to talk. It can be helpful to share what you’re experiencing, and they may be able to provide support and help you find the right treatment for you.
