Comments  4

• anonymous 28 Nov

  I have suffered from depression since 1991 after the first Desert storm. I even had a meltdown in 2009 from depression. I am not a front line solider however the fact missing out on so much due to my service. I do not regret being an Airman I do my job excel where I can and push on. From what I have experienced is there is a little help out there. Depression is not acceptable and highly frowned on if you say anything. Medication is also not acceptable. So I endure in silence for fear of losing my job which I love.

• Jay Hersch 28 Nov

  not happy, do not want to be with most people, some days it's an effort to get going, fatigue is almost always there. the more I integrate with people the more I distance myself, do see va doctors and diagnosed with ptsd, at times the meds don't seem to work

• Dr. James Bender 28 Nov

  I’m sorry you’ve been struggling for so long, 21 years is much too long to suffer. The military and the Air Force in particular have made great strides in recognizing the importance of mental health treatment. While serving, I treated active-duty service members who were pilots, special operations forces operators, field-grade officers, and those with top-secret clearances -- none of them lost their job for seeking help. The Air Force offers resiliency enhancement visits, or REV, where you can see a mental health provider for four sessions where absolutely no mental health records are taken or tracked. Also, www.militaryonesource.mil will connect you to a mental health provider in your area where you can see a civilian provider in your area for no charge. The provider will not inform the Air Force that you are in treatment. The science of mental health treatment has gotten a lot better during the past 21 years. There are ways to manage medications that minimize side effects. There are also very effective treatments that require no medication. I hope you give treatment a try. If you don’t want to participate in REV or Military OneSource, your military treatment facility probably has a mental health clinic that you can just walk into and schedule an appointment. Your primary care provider is also a good place to start. And, if you're still not sure about getting resources in person, consider calling the 24/7 DCoE Outreach Center. The phone call is free, anonymous and a qualified health resource provider can point you in the right direction. Help is available and you are never alone.

• Dr. James Bender, DCoE clinical psychologist 28 Nov

  @Jay, There are many possible causes for your poor mood and fatigue. You should definitely discuss them with your provider and work together to find a solution. Print out your comment and my response and bring it with you to your next appointment, so you can discuss it with your doctor. Fatigue may be a symptom of depression, insomnia, hypothyroidism, anemia or many other problems. There are medical tests to see if you have some of these problems, and if you do, they can be treated fairly easily. Treating PTSD, or any mental illness, with medication is not an exact science. Sometimes dosages need to be adjusted or different medications need to be tried to find the right combination for a particular patient. Also, it takes some medications six to eight weeks to start working. Taking the medication as prescribed can be very important. Ask yourself if you’ve been following the prescription directions. You should also tell your doctor that the medication is not working. Medication is usually only part of the solution. Good sleep hygiene is important (http://www.dcoe.health.mil/blog/article.aspx?id=1&postid=303). Regular aerobic exercise helps your brain function and can be just as effective as medication to treat poor mood. Lastly there are therapies for PTSD, like prolonged exposure and cognitive behavioral therapy that are effective. Some patients who don’t respond to medication respond very well to therapy (http://www.dcoe.health.mil/blog/article.aspx?id=1&postid=384). If you are looking for more information, DCoE offers the 24/7 Outreach Center that you can call at 866-966-1020 or email at resources@dcoeoutreach.org.