GLWACH works to treat Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Records show that since 2003, roughly 40,000 American troops have been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD. PTSD is when Soldiers, or anyone else, have persistent, frightening thoughts, memories or flashbacks after witnessing or surviving a terrifying physical or emotional event. PTSD can manifest itself in many ways – physically, behaviorally and emotionally. “The wounds of war aren’t always physical ones that we can see,” said Walter Clark, General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital Behavioral Medicine Division chief. “If you get shot or break a leg, it’s fairly easy to spot those and treat them. But finding and fixing the emotional injuries that stress, combat or other terrifying events bring is a little more challenging.” Clark said people should be more concerned about PTSD symptoms if they don't go away or get worse within a reasonable amount of time – about a year or so. “The key is determining if they disrupt your normal functioning and impact your family’s quality of life,” he said.
Emotional symptoms include anxiety or panic, guilt, fear, denial, irritability, depression, intense anger, agitation and apprehension. Some people may suffer no effects at all after a significant emotional event, Clark said. But others may have symptoms or have them and not want to admit it. That’s where the GLWACH Behavioral Medicine Division can help. “We often see people isolating and withdrawing from others but say they don’t have a problem,” Clark said. “On top of the emotional injuries they already have, they’re deeper concern is they fear that others won't understand or will undermine their issues.” Clark said Soldiers may also have significant issues with irritability, anger or aggression which affects them both on the job as well as at home. “We’ve seen Soldiers who start abusing alcohol or drugs to try to escape their troubles, try and calm down or get rid of other symptoms,” Clark said. Others, he said, have engaged in high-risk behaviors like driving recklessly to get back the adrenaline rush they had while in theater. “They don’t realize that these actions can cause more problems for them and their families and will not help them resolve anything,” Clark said. Everyone experiencing PTSD symptoms should see their health care provider immediately, but Clark understands there’s a perception that getting help is not conducive to a good military career. “That’s something we’re trying to change at General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital’s Behavioral Health Department,” Clark said. “People who have the flu or break an arm get a physician’s help to get well; we want everyone, especially Soldiers, to have that same mindset about emotional or behavioral issues.” One tool used to combat that mindset is outpatient individual behavioral health providers embedded to Fort Leonard Wood Units. These providers are open daily to walk-ins, referrals and command consultations. “Embedded behavioral health providers offer Soldiers a viable alternative to getting care at the military treatment facility,” Clark said. “This way they can get the help they need without the stigma of actually going to the hospital.” “If we don’t help our Soldiers it’s going to cripple the Army’s ability to do its mission,” said Sharon Wilburn, a behavioral health provider embedded with the 1st Engineer Brigade. “It’s unrealistic to put people under so much stress for a long time and think there’s not going to be any damage. Even the victors in battles take home scars and we must take care of those scars.” And to do that, GLWACH offers these PTSD outpatient and inpatient care types:
Additionally, GLWACH has an eight-bed inpatient psychiatry
capacity for service member populations at Fort Leonard Wood.
The inpatient unit is staffed with a full-time Board Certified
Psychiatrist and supporting staff providing acute PTSD care. |