Help available for Lejeune Marines with PTSD

Help available for Lejeune Marines with PTSD

6/24/2011 By Lance Cpl. Walter D. Marino II , 2nd Marine Division

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. — Imagine you’re driving down a road with loved ones and suddenly a deer leaps in front of your car. Maybe you’re able to avoid the crash, maybe not – either way, that moment will affect you for the rest of your drive and maybe the rest of your life. Now multiply that by 100 and you might have an idea of what it’s like to encounter an improvised explosive device.

Psychiatrists at the Deployment Wellness Clinic aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C., such as Robert Wilson, who described the above situation, help Marines and sailors who deal with issues like post traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression and family problems. Their goal is to help the service members recover and get back to full duty status through therapy and medication.

They follow a chart that categorizes Marines and sailors into four colored-stress levels: green, yellow, orange and red. The green zone represents a service member in an optimal state of mind while the red zone signifies disabling distress. Wilson stated that they usually receive service members in the red and work to get them to green.

While each Marine and sailor is different, so is the program, explains Sarah S. Spar-Alexander, a clinical psychologist for the clinic.

“Some thrive in group therapy, and for others, individual therapy is better,” said Spar-Alexander. Service members with serious issues sometimes feel separate from others in their workplace, explained Spar-Alexander. A group-setting involving Marines and sailors with similar problems gives them a chance to relate with one another and feel a sense of camaraderie.
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Help available for Lejeune Marines with PTSD