Travis Airmen confront PTSD

  • Published
  • By Ken Wright
  • 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  At a recent Travis Top Three meeting at Travis Air Force Base, California, Capt. Laura Johnson, 60th Medical Operations Squadron psychologist, and Capt. Meghan Steinour, 60th MDOS psychiatrist, at David Grant USAF Medical Center's Mental Health Clinic, asked 67 senior NCOs to raise their hand if they, or someone they know or work near, have suffered from Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.

Slowly, four hands went up, then a few more; soon the majority of the room had a hand in the air.

The doctors were illustrating an issue in the military; PTSD is all around and many people are touched by it.

The doctors were invited to the meeting by Travis Top Three president, Senior Master Sgt. Tim Carentz, 60th Inpatient Care Squadron cardio pulmonary laboratory apprentice, who has battled PTSD himself.

On Sept. 11, 2001, Carentz helped evacuate critically wounded victims after an attack on the Pentagon. Though the trauma he suffered from witnessing horrific injuries of those he helped did not immediately appear to affect him, in the months and years that followed, he began to exhibit symptoms listed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' National Center for PTSD. His heightened anxiety caused by daily experiences such as hearing a distant siren, exhaustion from lack of sleep  and feeling keyed up, or jittery, all began to take a toll on his personal and professional life.

Carentz was encouraged by his doctors to meet with a PTSD support group at DGMC. While Carentz initially resisted seeking help, once he was at the clinic, he looked around and realized he was far from alone.

"Men, women, young and old, they were all there," Carentz said. "From different services, different wars and with different stories of trauma."

Johnson and Steinour's visit with the Top Three was one of the outreach effort's first steps for Operation Combat PTSD, a program designed to help senior enlisted leaders recognize the presence of PTSD and teach them how to engage those who may be suffering.

A common misperception about PTSD is that it is only caused by combat experience, which might lead a supervisor to miss a red flag if they know combat was not a factor, the doctors said.

"Any traumatic event, such as exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence can underlie PTSD," Johnson said. "As well as vehicle accidents, sexual assault or molestation, natural disasters, providing medical care to a wounded or dying person, receiving a terminal diagnosis, physical assault, child abuse or intimate partner violence. It is also important to note that it can happen to anybody, trauma does not discriminate and PTSD does not either."

While many may consider the traumatic events Johnson mentioned as obvious causes of PTSD, sufferers often underestimate the degree to which they have been traumatized. Steinour believes this is especially true in the military.

"This can lead to minimizing of one's pain," Steinour said. "However, the reverse can also be true. People are sometimes afraid that they have PTSD, when they may be having a perfectly normal reaction to a recent trauma or stressor. That's one of the reasons it is a good idea to go get checked out by a mental health professional, if you're noticing the symptoms and are concerned about it. They can either identify that something is there or reassure you that what you're experiencing is not PTSD."

A common barrier for those who need help coping is the fear that their career will suffer if they seek help from a mental health professional. Primary care managers and chaplains are also available to help.

For survivors of sexual assault, the Sexual Assault Response Coordinator can provide a victim advocate. Steinour stressed, if someone is willing to speak to a mental health professional, but isn't sure they want to be seen initially at DGMC, they can reach out to Military One Source or to Military and Family Life Consultants at the Airmen and Family Readiness Center.

Command Chief Master Sgt. Alan Boling, 60th Air Mobility Wing command chief, echoes the advice of the doctors.

"The answer to what to do if you recognize you have symptoms is hard, but simple," he said. "If it has affected your family and performance at work, you are clearly suffering, and you need to get help to strengthen those areas of your life. Your family and your work center are well worth any type of temporary profile you may be put on."

"Profiles are a reality, but that's OK, because the repercussions of not seeking help are much more serious than being temporarily put on the sidelines while you heal and become a stronger, more resilient member of our team," Boling said.

Boling stressed the importance of communication as work center managers may have difficulty balancing the needs of Airmen with the needs of the mission.

"You have to let your leadership chain know you need help," Boling said. "If you are suffering, talk and have a good conversation with your supervisor, first sergeant and commander, and let them know about the problems you are experiencing, but also come to them with a plan of how to get better because we all have to be strong and give all we have."

Johnson offered a grave prognosis for those who choose to ignore their symptoms.

"Burying the pain and avoiding treatment is not a solution," she said. "PTSD can get worse over time if it goes untreated. Think of a deep cut on your arm. If you ignore it, it might develop an infection or it could get debris in it. If you treat it, it can heal. Our minds are similar; if we ignore wounds, they don't tend to get better. As PTSD continues, other problems may develop as a result of trying to manage those symptoms on your own, such as alcohol or drug addiction, intimate partner violence, relationship disruption, or even suicidal behavior. Before any of that happens, seek help."

For those who think someone might be suffering from PTSD, the doctors offer encouragement to help save the Air Force's greatest asset.

"When you think someone might have mental trauma, you should seek help for them just as you would if they had a broken leg. Don't see them as a problem, but as a human and Airman. They deserve your help, and in the end they and your team will be stronger for your efforts."