PTSD across military and civilian communities

Ret. Chaplain: PTSD across military & civilian communities
By Arthur Mondale Reporter
Published: October 1, 2009

A chaplain in the heart of military country is tackling one of the biggest problems facing service men and women: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. The problem stretches equally across the military and civilian populations.

When it comes to PTSD, Lt. Col (Ret.) Chaplain Charles Smith of Saint Paul’s Lutheran Church in Havelock wants to dispel a myth. He says you don’t have to go to war to have a problem.

Chaplain Smith brings 25 years of experience down range and across the country asking one question: Do you know the signs to identify PTSD? Because you could be suffering from it.

“Commanders or supervisors tend to key in on the symptoms of something and not the cause of the symptoms,” Chaplain Smith said. “And PTSD—you not only have to know the symptom you have to know what causes it and try to go to the root of it.“

Smith says 60% of men and 51% of all women have suffered a traumatic experience that could lead to PTSD. Stress could intensify the problem.

Smith says the answer is coping and overcoming individual circumstances—not avoiding it. He adds, “You have to reach out to something that’s real and what’s real is medication or some kind of spiritual outlet…there are people to help.“

Saint Paul Lutheran Church in Havelock will host two more rounds of seminars on PTSD later this month. Classes planned for October 8th and October 15th.
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PTSD across military and civilian communities