The Northern California news website, InsideBayArea.com, has a good article in today's edition, entitled, "Families Can Help Spot Vets' PTSD." Click here for the link. The article quotes Byron J. Wittlin, M.D., Director of Mental Health Services at the VA Clinic in San Bruno, CA. Says Dr. Wittlin, "I think it's crucial for (military) family members to be aware of the potential mental health problems of their loved ones." It's great to see the VA doing outreach to family members, who are in a unique position to see for themselves veterans' difficulties readjusting to life after combat. (For a very good video about veterans, PTSD, and readjustment issues, click this link to an earlier blog post, where we highlight the "PTSD and Veterans: Beyond the Yellow Ribbon" video put together by the Norfolk County District Attorney's office, in Canton, Massachusetts.)
The article covers some important topics, including typical PTSD symptoms, veterans' reluctance to seek care, the perceived stigma surrounding mental health issues, and whether or not a loaded gun is wise to keep in the house. Wilkins offers some hope about PTSD, that sufferers can get better. And while he acknowledges that it takes a trained expert to actually diagnose PTSD, family members can play an important role in moving that process along, and encouraging their veteran to get help. According to the article, "We encourage family members to be supportive, to mainly listen," Wittlin said. "And if they feel the vet needs some help, to call the VA and to refer them into us. This is really a complicated problem. And in our system, we have a lot of experience. And this is one of the services we want to offer." Excellent news, for veterans and their families.
Editor's note: The Dept. of Veterans Affairs facility in San Bruno, CA is linked here.
