Reducing Stigma for American Military

Archived Teleconference: Reducing Stigma for American Military Personnel
Nearly 1.4 million men and women make up the existing ranks of active duty military personnel, serving in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force, but research shows that America’s soldiers may not seek help when they are experiencing a mental health problem. A 2004 study of 6,000 military personnel involved in ground combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan found that of those whose responses indicated a mental health problem, only 23 to 40 percent sought psychiatric help.
1
Many who did not cited fear of being stigmatized as a reason.
2
In June of this year, the Department of Defense Task Force on Mental Health acknowledged that “Stigma in the military remains pervasive and often prevents service members from seeking needed care” and made dispelling stigma one of their goals.
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In December 2007, the ADS Centered offered a teleconference training to:
Explore research on soldiers, including veterans, and mental health stigma.
Offer first-hand accounts from people who have experienced mental health stigma in the military.
Provide an overview of strategies that may help to promote mental health recovery and reduce stigma among members of the military.
This training is available for playback and the presentation files that accompany the training can be downloaded. For more information, please visit the
ADS Center Web site.
Sources:1-2 S.G. Boodman. (November 6, 2007.)
The other wounded.
The Washington Post, last accessed 11/16/07.
3 Department of Defense Task Force on Mental Health. (2007).
An achievable vision: Report of the Department of Defense Task Force on Mental Health.
Falls Church, VA: Defense Health Board, last referenced 11/29/07.

This is the part that always gets me. What I hear from most veterans is that they knew there was something wrong, but didn't know what it was. Some thought they would be locked up as insane if anyone knew what was on their mind. They still cannot understand that PTSD is a wound, from trauma and there is nothing to be ashamed of. They are usually shocked to find out how many they know also have it. Then they finally see they are not defective. They are just normal people who lived through the traumatic events that most will never know. Again, combat is not part of normal life, but they are normal! The more news reports coming out on this, the more it is talked about and paid attention to, the sooner they will understand what it is and seek help! That's why I do this. I don't want more ending up like my husband with all the lost years needing help and not getting it. I've seen PTSD at its worst and I've seen the changes when they are receiving the help they need. Ignorance is a killer in this.

Someone asked me if I ever lost one of the veterans I was helping. Sadly, I know of one for sure. It was my husband's nephew. I talked to him several times during the years, but he was not willing to listen. When his VA claim was finally approved, we thought he was out of danger. We were wrong. We didn't know he sent for his military records only to be told the unit he served in, the one where his friends died because of a bomb he blamed himself for, did not exist. A couple of days later, he checked himself into a motel room on Route 1 in Massachusetts with enough heroin to kill ten men. He made sure he would leave that room feet first. It was after he died that I was determined to work even harder on trying to save their lives and bring education to the public.

I don't know if I lost more because some will email me in the middle of the night because of something I posted or one of my videos. By the time I open my email, several hours have gone by. I email them back as soon as I can but never hear from them again. I always wonder what happened to them or if I didn't go to sleep ever if I could reach them all. I know I can't reach all of them but I won't give up trying. I don't do this for me. I don't do this for anything other than I know what it's like and I know what I almost lost when my husband was at his worst.


Upcoming Training Teleconference: Reducing Stigma for Women in the Military
During our training teleconference on reducing stigma for American military personnel, the ADS Center received many emails and questions about the unique stigma faced by women in the military. In response to this strong interest, the ADS Center will be hosting a teleconference on this topic on Wednesday, May 7, 2008 from 2pm - 3:30pm. Please mark your calendars and check the ADS Center Web site for registration information.
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Online Resources
Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America http://www.iava.org/Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America is the nation's first and largest group dedicated to the Troops and Veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the civilian supporters of those Troops and Veterans.Issues Facing Returning Veterans http://www.neattc.org/Vets2007NEWSLETTER.pdfThis issue of Resource Links newsletter is dedicated to understanding the complexities that returning veterans and their families face.

ONE Freedom, Inc. http://www.onefreedom.org/ONE Freedom provides education and training for our nation's warriors and their families regarding the challenges of military deployments and the return to home. Our programs help the individual, the family and the community by teaching the natural elements of the stress response and self-guided tools for increasing personal resiliency and strength.
The Road Home: National Conference on Returning Veterans & Their Families

http://www.samhsa.gov/SAMHSA_News/VolumeXIV_3/article2.htm
Hundreds of thousands of veterans, family and community members will be, and are being, directly affected as our service men and women return home from war. Veterans’ experiences of serving in a war, and of being away from their jobs, families, and communities, will invariably cause changes in their relationships. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) sponsored a conference to provide educational and networking opportunities for providers, administrators, veterans, families, government agencies, and others, about how best to serve these returning veterans and their families. Please visit the link above for conference materials, articles, and information.

Vets4Vetshttp://www.vets4vets.us/ Vets4Vets is a non-partisan veteran organization dedicated to helping Iraq and Afghanistan-era veterans feel good about themselves and heal from any negative aspects of service and war through the use of peer support.