WASHINGTON -- Specialists in post-traumatic stress -- the feelings of fear, grief, helplessness and anxiety one might experience in the wake of a traumatic event -- counseled millions of TV viewers recently in a special broadcast by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
Secretary of Veterans Affairs Anthony J. Principi said the outreach using news media gave VA an opportunity to share its expertise in treating the emotional and mental disorders that traditionally have been associated with combat experiences.
For two hours on Oct. 17, reporters from television stations in 14 cities around the country interviewed Dr. Harold Kudler, assistant chief of psychiatry at the Durham, N.C., VA Medical Center, and Mara Kushner, a mental health care manager for VA's New York City medical centers who has coordinated VA's response to stress for veterans, emergency workers, families and others there since Sept. 11.
Kudler, who co-chairs VA's Special Committee on PTSD, said: "We're all under special stress right now, and VA has a lot of expertise to share with the general public about how to deal with the symptoms and effects of that stress. Not everyone will develop PTSD, but many will experience some of its symptoms."
For their television interviews, Kudler and Kushner worked from a Washington, D.C., studio for two hours. They were interviewed by reporters from 15 local television stations through a satellite hook-up. Interviews typically lasted three to seven minutes.
"This was a great way to help reassure many people who are experiencing painful emotions and thoughts and help guide those feeling overwhelmed to sources of help and healing," Kushner said.
VA operates an internationally recognized network of more than 140 specialized programs for treating PTSD through its medical centers and clinics. It also has 86 PTSD clinical teams that provide outpatient treatment, often working with VA's 206 community Vet Centers. The centers use interdisciplinary specialists to provide counseling for psychological war trauma.
