Post-traumatic stress can develop after a person has been directly exposed to, witnessed or heard about a traumatic event, involving a threat of severe bodily harm or loss of life to themselves or others.

Acute stress is the body’s normal reaction to extremely abnormal events, but for some these symptoms do not remit. When symptoms of acute stress become prolonged, even after the threat is gone, this can result in PTSD.

Military personnel may be more at risk of exposure to traumatic events than the average civilian population due to their frequent deployments to combat zones. In fact, research shows that the repeated deployments of the past ten years have made all Military Service Members, Veterans and Families more vulnerable to stress conditions, including PTSD.

Symptoms of PTSD can occur anytime after returning home, and if the symptoms don’t go away, it’s important to seek help before they get worse.

Signs and Symptoms of PTSD:

• Nightmares, intrusive memories or flashbacks to the trauma
• Feeling anxious or unsafe, especially when reminded of the trauma
• Difficulty concentrating
• Trouble sleeping
• Constantly feeling on alert and/or easily startled
• Feeling numb
• Feeling irritable or having anger outbursts
• Avoiding people and places
• Overwhelming thoughts and feelings, including guilt, shame, and depression

In order to receive a Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) diagnosis, symptoms must persist for at least one month and cause significant distress, interference, or impairment in work, school, or social functioning. Symptoms may last for several months, or become even more chronic. For some, PTSD symptoms emerge six months or more after the traumatic event.

Treatment Approach at Home Base

Home Base offers assessment, diagnosis and treatment for Service Members, Veterans and Families experiencing the symptoms of PTSD. The organization’s seasoned team of clinicians and social workers collaborate with the individual(s) to develop a highly tailored treatment plan, with the goal of helping them ease or overcome the symptoms and enjoy a better quality of life.

There are well-established, effective treatments for PTSD and research shows they have good outcomes in Veterans and Service Members with combat trauma.. At Home Base, treatments include Cognitive Behavioral Therapies (CBT) like Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE) and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT). For some, Pharmacotherapy (medication) options are also effective.

Virtual Reality Exposure (VRE) therapy can be used as a treatment tool for Veterans with PTSD. Home Base is at the cutting edge of integrating VRE therapy directly into clinical care options for veterans diagnosed with PTSD

For more information about PTSD, visit:

http://www.massgeneral.org/psychiatry/services/anxiety_ptsd.aspx

http://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/PTSD-overview/basics/index.asp

A Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) occurs when a person has had a head injury or a concussion and felt dazed, confused, had “their bell rung”, or been knocked unconscious. The force may cause the brain to jolt backward and forward, hitting the skull and causing damage to the internal lining, tissues and blood vessels of the brain. This damage can result in internal bleeding, bruising or swelling of the brain.

TBI is a complicated injury which can range from mild to severe. It can affect thinking, memory, personality and emotions. It is a physical injury to the brain caused by a sudden force. . . TBI can range from mild to severe, depending on the cause of the injury. Most people who experience a mild TBI can recover completely with rest. Others who experience a severe TBI or multiple concussions will need medical treatment.   Any brain injury, whether it’s mild, moderate, or severe, can lead to difficulties.

Signs and Symptoms of TBI

• Headache, dizziness, and fatigue
• Temporary or permanent weakening of your physical abilities, including motor function and balance
• Impairments in your ability to think, concentrate, and reason clearly
• Memory impairment
• Sleep disturbance
• Sensory effects, including alterations in touch, taste and smell
• Emotional and behavioral disturbance
• Language and communication impairments

Treatment Approach at Home Base

• Effective treatment for Traumatic Brain Injury includes Cognitive Rehabilitation Therapy, Speech and Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Physical Therapy.

Feeling sad or unhappy through life circumstances such as loss and transitions a normal reaction. Often people use the word depression to describe day to day sadness, however for some people low or sad mood seems to go on for much longer and causes persistent distress and impairment. This can result in Major Depressive Disorder. Major Depression do not all experience the same symptoms, and the severity and duration of symptoms may vary.

Signs and Symptoms of Major Depression

• Persistent low mood
• Loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities
• Sleep problems
• Restlessness and agitation
• Feeling slowed down
• Concentration impairment
• Feelings of worthlessness
• Appetite disturbances
• Feeling hopeless or suicidal

Depression frequently accompanies generalized anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, complicated grief, and traumatic brain injury.

Treatment Approach at Home Base

• Home Base clinicians offer Service Members, Veterans and Families evidence-based psychotherapy and medication treatments for depression, and often treat the disorder alongside co-occurring disorders in individual or couple’s therapy. The goal of treatment is to regain pleasure and involvement in one’s life.

Many people trying to combat concerns like PTSD, depression and anxiety cope by using drugs and alcohol to avoid distressing memories, reduce feelings of agitation, or to feel more comfortable in social settings. A recent study of VA Medical Centers demonstrated that almost 25% of Veterans who have a diagnosis of PTSD also have a co-occurring diagnosis of Substance Use Disorder (SUD).

For those Service Members and Veterans, it can feel like two fights: one with addiction and one with emotional difficulties such as PTSD or depression.

Signs and Symptoms of SUD

• Strong cravings or urges to use the substance
• Difficulty cutting down or controlling use
• Social problems including difficulty managing home, social, and occupational responsibilities
• Risky use, such as using substances in potentially dangerous situations like driving or caregiving
• Tolerance to the substance
• Withdrawal symptoms when one stops using the substance

Treatment Approach at Home Base

• Research suggests that it is best to take an integrated approach to treatment where both substance use and mental health issues are addressed concurrently. We use the integrated approach at Home Base to help individuals reduce problematic substance use while also addressing the co-occurring mental health conditions that impact their substance use.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) uses the term “military sexual trauma” (MST) to refer to experiences of sexual assault or repeated, threatening sexual harassment experienced while on federal active duty, active duty for training, or inactive duty training.

MST is underreported in the Military; however data from those that go to the VA to seek treatment reveal that about 1 in 4 women and 1 in 100 men have experienced MST. It is probably that these numbers are an underestimation of the problem. MST is an experience, not a diagnosis or mental health condition. In some cases it can lead to PTSD and is often associated with other conditions like substance use disorder, mood disorders, and anxiety conditions.

Signs and Symptoms of MST

• Unwanted memories of the event(s)
• Shame and other strong emotions like depression, anger, and guilt
• Emotional numbness
• Trouble sleeping
• Difficulties with attention and memory including dissociation symptoms
• Difficulties with relationships, trust, and physical intimacy
• Physical health problems.

Treatment Approach at Home Base

• The clinicians at Home Base take a comprehensive approach to treatment, and in many cases the treatment is similar to the approach used for treating PTSD. In other cases, clinicians may recommend other or adjunctive forms of cognitive behavioral therapy or dialectical behavior therapy.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder is characterized by long-lasting excessive worry and anxiety about life issues and day to day. People experiencing Generalized Anxiety often find it difficult to relax and have an inability to stop worrying even in the absence of major life stress. Normal anxiety and worry is considered an anxiety disorder when it is severe enough to interfere with normal life functioning such as social interaction or occupational performance. People experiencing an Anxiety Disorder often feel restless or on edge, have difficulty concentrating, are irritable, and experience sleep disturbances. Many of the Service Members, Veterans and Families we treat struggle with Anxiety.

Effective treatments of Anxiety disorders are available at Home Base. Clinicians utilize evidence-based treatments such as cognitive behavior therapy to treat Anxiety disorders alongside other co-occurring disorders. Treating anxiety disorders is an important step in healing the Invisible Wounds.

Worldwide, about 60 million people die every year.

Military service members may be a particularly vulnerable population given the frequency of exposure to loss as part of military operations.

Bereavement can shake the foundation of the lives of those left behind. Most people find a way to come to terms with loss; however, for some, grief is complicated and healing stalls.

Complicated Grief is an intense and long-lasting form of grief that preoccupies people’s minds and overwhelms their lives. Grief dominates their existence without much respite or hope for relief.

Signs and Symptoms of Complicated Grief

• Frequent yearning for and thoughts about the deceased
• Intense sorrow and pain over the loss
• Difficulty accepting the loss
• Bitterness or guilt about the loss
• Preoccupation with reminders of the deceased, or avoidance of these reminders
• Difficulty enjoying life or regaining a sense of purpose after the loss

Home Base clinicians offer Complicated Grief Therapy as part of the program’s services for Service Members, Veterans and Family members. Complicated Grief Therapy remains the best evidence-supported treatment for prolonged or complicated grief, and is an important part of many individuals’ treatments at Home Base.