Flashbacks, nightmares, the shakes….years ago they called it shell shock or battle fatigue, today they call it Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD and it’s affecting thousands of veterans returning home from war.
That’s why it’s the subject of a large scale Navy Conference in San Diego today.
Both the Navy and the Marines are actively studying PTSD – how to combat it, how to treat it – and how to move on. The biggest focus is on the notion of resilience and how some veterans are able to fend off symptoms of PTSD after traumatic events on the battlefield and others are not.
The marines are conducting their first forward looking research project on resilience and whether it’s in one’s genetic make-up or whether it’s something can be learned. The Navy says resilience is the process that allows you to thrive and go where you need to go. With that in mind their study involves interviews and thorough medical examinations to see exactly who has resilience and who doesn’t and why.
Military leaders are also presenting demonstrations of new tools they are using to treat PTSD, many of which they say are highly effective. One of them is a virtual reality computer system that uses video game technology to re-create the sights and sounds of the battlefield so that experts can isolate what might be bothering someone.
In addition military medical officials are also now able to use a brand new care management registry….an on-line data base of medical records. It allows medical staff to track a patient from the date and location of their injury, either psychological or physical, all the way through their treatment. They’re calling it a cradle to grave experience, and they insist it will also help treat others by better keeping track of what worked and what didn’t.
But perhaps the biggest change that many say is far more important than any new technology is a change in attitude among the military leadership. The fact that the leadership is recognizing and taking ownership of these issues says one navy captain, is a very big deal. It used to be where they would sweep this issue under the rug, now it’s out in the open and the focus of a major military conference, says Captain Paul Hammer.”We’re in an unprecedented time” says Hammer, where you have an all volunteer force carrying the burden. Hammer says it’s important for veterans to seek treatment early so they don’t have to be impacted by PTSD for decades to come.