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Citizen soldiers have one boot in two worlds ... the civlian and military cultures being very different. Healthcare providers need to educate themselves on the many ways Guard and Reservists, especially after a TBI, may see themselves.

The homecoming for a couple post-deployment can be heady with anticipation, but sometimes going slowly and reestablishing trust and comfort with sex and intimacy can be crucial for finding that closeness again.

Sexual health issues can be common after a TBI. Depression, anxiety, the inability to relate to others, hypersexuality, and side effects from medications, among others, can impact how people sees their sexual self.

Glenn Parkinson, MSW talks about how alcohol and drug use after a TBI can significantly impact a person's sexual function, his or her feelings about sex and intimacy, and the ability to connect and build a relationship.

Sometimes the length and health of an intimate relationship helps people adapt to changes in their sexual health post-TBI. Sometimes having less sexual experience is a factor. What matters most in recovery is the quality of social support.

People with brain injury often experience hypersexuality, an increase in sex drive and/or disinhibition. Glenn Parkinson, MSW talks about why it's important to help patients with hypersexuality retrain or redirect their behaviors.

A person's reaction and recovery to a traumatic event depends on what life experience he or she had before the event.

"People who seek psychological help are the kind of people who have the courage to foster the resilience needed to tolerate the traumas that life can sometimes bring."

After making sure a patient is safe, healthcare providers could start with the question, "If life were to be better for your tomorrow, what would you notice?" The answer might be simply be a good night's sleep or feeling at peace.

Even as babies, children don't miss a beat; they pick up on their parents' emotions. A parent with PTSD can learn that being honest with himself and his family plus knowing his emotional limitations will help the whole family.

Lt. Col. Philip Holcombe, PhD talks about the concerns service members and veterans with PTSD have and how health providers can set a foundation for healing.

Lt. Col. Philip Holcombe, PhD talks about various treatments for PTSD including imaginal and behavioral exposure treatments as well as addressing issues of guilt and hypervigilance.