PTSD: If we know what works, why don't we just do it?

More Help for Veterans
White River Junction, Vermont - February 8, 2008

The Department of Veterans Affairs will begin providing more mental health services for veterans returning from recent combat.

VA facilities across the country will expand training programs for psychologists. The internships and postdoctoral fellowship positions will focus on the increased mental needs of veterans-- like treatment for post traumatic stress disorder.

Doctors say, the earlier soldiers can get treatment, the better off they are.

"People with PTSD often don't take care of themselves as well. They are more likely to wind up drinking too much, smoking too much. Not doing the kind of things that help people stay healthy, so by investing a lot of resources in the psychological aspects of healthcare, we think we can make a real dent in their long-term trajectory," explains Dr. Andrew Pomerantz of the Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

The Department of Veterans Affairs is adding over $5.3 million a year to its budget to pay for the expanded training programs. There are currently three postdoctoral fellowships at the VA in White River. Part of the money will pay for an additional one.

Adam Sullivan - WCAX News
http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?S=7845104&nav=menu183_2

When Vietnam veterans came home, they were studied over 30 years ago. What the studies proved was that as soon as treatment began, the healing began. PTSD stopped getting worse when they were being treated with therapy as well as medication. Like an infection spreads untreated, PTSD just worse if you don't treat it. So why are they still delaying getting all of these veterans into treatment programs?

We already know a lot about PTSD because of the Vietnam veterans. There is still a lot to learn from why some treatment works better on some but not on others. Group therapy works great on some but others cannot tolerate it. Veterans centers seem to help more than the VA setting but we don't use more of them across the country waiting for enormous hospitals to be built. We know it is never too late to begin treatment but in the time lost, the wound cuts deeper and hits every other part of the veteran's life. There is a golden opportunity right here and right now to take care of them for the sake of their futures and their families. Why aren't we doing what we know works until we find something better to offer them?