DCoE Blog

• Frontline Psych with Doc Bender: PTSD and Holidays – Plan For It

  Posted by Dr. James Bender, DCoE clinical psychologist on December 13, 2012

  

  Dr. James Bender is a former Army psychologist who deployed to Iraq as the brigade psychologist for the 1st Cavalry Division 4th Brigade Combat Team out of Fort Hood, Texas. During his deployment he traveled through Southern Iraq, from Basra to Baghdad. He writes a monthly post for the DCoE Blog on psychological health concerns related to deployment and being in the military.
  
  For most of us, the holidays are parties and food, and a happy time when we reconnect with faith, family and friends. For some, it’s a time of heightened stress. Feeling some stress during the holiday season is normal — keeping track of everyone’s wish lists is one example. However, for combat veterans who recently returned from theater or those diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the holidays can bring special challenges for both them and their family.
  
  

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  Categories: PTSD , Families , Veterans , Treatment , Psychological Health , Deployments   |   Comments (2)

• Veteran Shares Personal Stories to Help Others with Brain Injuries

  Posted by Corina Notyce, DCoE Strategic Communications on November 28, 2012

  He is a former Army sergeant, a Department of Veterans Affairs employee, a service-disabled veteran and someone with a brain injury — he is Adam Anicich. He shares his story and practical tips via his video blog “Adam at Ease,” with the hope of helping fellow veterans with a traumatic brain injury (TBI) on their own journey of recovery.

  Anicich plays himself in every video, and talks openly and honestly on topics like setting goals, dealing with intense emotions, feeling guilty or dating, and about some of the related challenges someone with a brain injury may face. He also offers examples and ways you can help yourself overcome these challenges, often pulling from his own experiences.

  In this video, Anicich recalls how he got injured serving in Iraq and made the decision to get help.

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  Categories: Traumatic Brain Injury , Personal Stories , Veterans , Resources , Deployments   |   Comments (1)

• Prepare Your Family for the Holidays Apart

  Posted by U.S. Public Health Service Capt. Wanda Finch, Deployment Health Clinical Center licensed independent clinical social worker on November 21, 2012

  

  U.S. Navy photo by Seaman Benjamin Crossley

  November is Military Family Month, a month that celebrates military families’ service to our country and extraordinary sacrifices made on the home front. This month also coincides with holiday traditions that many of us will share with our loved ones as we prepare to bring in the New Year. While these days may be festive and celebratory as service members return home, they may also be stressful for families facing separation.

  Separation is accompanied by change and the potential for disruptions to familiar routines. However, you can minimize the impact of disruptions by keeping up communication and family connections, learning coping skills and being flexible. All of these things are important in order for your family to foster resilience before, during and after a separation. If you’re missing a loved one this holiday season, here’s some advice that may be helpful:

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  Categories: Resilience , Stress , Families , Resources , Military Children , Deployments   |   Comments (0)

• Frontline Psych with Doc Bender: Why Cognitive Fatigue Matters

  Posted by Dr. James Bender, DCoE clinical psychologist on November 19, 2012

  

  U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Andrea Dickerson

  Dr. James Bender is a former Army psychologist who deployed to Iraq as the brigade psychologist for the 1st Cavalry Division 4th Brigade Combat Team out of Fort Hood, Texas. During his deployment, he traveled through Southern Iraq, from Basra to Baghdad. He writes a monthly post for the DCoE Blog on psychological health concerns related to deployment and being in the military.

  Have you ever been a turret gunner and had trouble staying vigilant on a long convoy? Ever been at the range all day and your shooting actually got worse by the end of the day? Have you found yourself stuck in a long meeting at work and noticed you stopped paying attention? If so, then you’re already familiar with cognitive fatigue (sometimes called mental fatigue). It’s defined as changes in the brain after long periods of mental activity that cause a decrease in mental performance. In other words, your brain gets tired after thinking for a long time and starts to slow down.

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  Categories: Stress , Training , Psychological Health , Leadership , Deployments   |   Comments (0)

• 10 Tips to Boost Resilience in Service Members

  Posted by Diana Moon, DCoE Strategic Communications on November 6, 2012

   

  

  Click infographic to enlarge

  Resilience is the ability to withstand, recover and grow in the face of stressors and changing demands. It’s a skill that can be learned and sharpened with practice. Building flexible strength is a hallmark of resilience and necessary for recovering peak performance after stressful events.

  Service members face unique stressors, which, without the flexibility to recover and adjust, may challenge their fitness for duty and ability to manage home and family life post-deployment. Here are 10 tips experts at Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury shared that if practiced may help service members better adapt and manage stressful situations:

  • Communicate regularly and effectively. Express what you think, feel or believe in a way that will help you solve problems and receive the outcome you desire.

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  Categories: Resilience , Stress , Veterans , Reintegration , Psychological Health , Leadership , Deployments   |   Comments (7)

• How to Talk to Your Children After Deployment

  Posted by Corina Notyce , DCoE Strategic Communications on October 17, 2012

  

  Lt. Cmdr. Victor Glover is greeted by his daughters at the Naval Air Facility Atsugi airfield during a homecoming celebration. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Justin Smelley)

  This blog post was written by Dr. Pam Murphy, a child psychologist at the National Center for Telehealth and Technology (T2), a Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury center.

  Before the deployment you talked with your kids about what they thought or were worried about regarding the upcoming deployment. During the deployment you had a plan and made a real effort to stay in touch with your family. Now you’re home and you can relax, right? Actually, kids often say the time after their parent returns home is the toughest part of a deployment for them. It’s because of all the changes.

  Think about the concept of change from a child’s point of view. They had things figured out during your absence. They had to. You wanted them to adjust to your absence because you wanted them to continue to grow and thrive while you were gone. Absolutely, your kids are relieved and happy to have you home, but now they have to adjust again.

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  Categories: Families , Veterans , Reintegration , Military Children , Deployments   |   Comments (3)