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I keep hearing that I need cognitive behavioral therapy—talk therapy— to treat my symptoms of PTSD like hyper-arousal, depression, avoiding life, and being irritable all the time with my friends and family. Frankly, I don’t want to talk to someone for weeks and months. My wife keeps pressuring me, but the thought of therapy makes me feel weaker than I already am. Why do I feel this way? I’m not sure what to do. Dr. Klassen answers your questions about mental health treatment.

Do yoga and meditation really help people with PTSD? I’ve tried each a few times and I cannot focus or keep my thoughts clear. How can these possibly help? And how do I know if I am doing these practices right? Dr. Klassen answers your questions about mental health treatment.

Is there still a military/civilian gap, and why does it seem to get bigger? What can we do about it? Dr. Klassen, an expert on mental health issues and treatment, talks about the fact that unlike generations ago when far more people—from all walks of life—served in the military, it being a sort of rite of passage with a shared mission, fewer people in the general population serve today. This divide can lead to a sense of isolation and not feeling understood or respected in the military communities. That said, there are currently more and more organizations focusing on bridging the military/civilian gap.

My husband is a vet with PTSD and will not stop playing video games … he stays up all hours of the night. Should I be worried? Dr. Klassen answers your questions about mental health treatment.

Whether they genuinely mean it or not, I don’t know how to respond when people say, “Thank you for your service,” Sometimes I want to cry, other times I want to shout in their face—you have no idea what I have gone through! My girlfriend thinks I’m crazy. Why do I feel this way? Dr. Klassen answers your questions about mental health treatment.

Providers in the Road Home Program got involved with treating men and women who have suffered military sexual trauma out of necessity as the need was enormous. In the two-week intensive program, survivors of MST receive many effective treatments, in particular cognitive processing therapy where they can finally open up about their experiences in a safe place and redirect blame away from themselves. And being in a cohort of other MST survivors makes this program unique and incredibly effective.

Cognitive processing therapy can be an extremely effective intervention for veterans and service members who feel stuck in their deep-seated beliefs around a traumatic experience. By gently planting seeds, by opening the door, clinicians, like Dr. Klassen, can help people take the first steps to change their self-narrative and move through that doorway towards less suffering and more healing.
 

During Road Home's two-week immersive program, clinicians see great signs of improvement in the veterans and service members they treat. These signs might include fewer nightmares, better sleep, decreased anger or irritability. They might also be more concrete like a date night with a spouse, a trip to a museum, an afternoon in the park—something an individual with PTSD may not have done in years.

Starting in the first few therapy sessions in Road Home's two-week immersive program, veterans and service members with PTSD work with a clinician to share the narratives of their traumatic experiences. They repeat the story, letting it unfold, adding more context and details, feeling the associated emotions and memories. They also work with their therapist on "in vivo exposure," such as taking steps to ride public transportation or eat in a restaurant, activities that may have been impossible pre-therapy.

Starting exposure therapy for PTSD with a clinician is a bit like starting with a personal trainer in the gym or learning a new skill: repetition is key. The more service members or veterans talk about their trauma, the more the clinician can help that person synch their memories, reframe their narrative to deal with their emotions, and move towards healing.

Creating individualized treatment plans for veterans is crucial as they may be experiencing symptoms from PTSD, TBI or other concussive injuries as well as moral injury. Often, soldiers enter a war in their late teens or early 20s when their brain has not yet reached full maturation. Providers must consider all of a veteran’s physical and psychological factors when tailoring treatment strategies.