Transcript Encounters With Returning War Veterans - NAMI-NC

Lieutenant J. L. Gandy
Crisis Intervention Team
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Approximately 1.64 million troops have been
deployed in support of operations in
Afghanistan and Iraq. Just over half of those
have been national guard and reservists.
500,000+ have separated from the military &
138,000+ have come into the VA system.
From 1999-2004, 72,000 veterans have been
diagnosed with PTSD.
About one-third of returning
service-members report
symptoms of a mental health or
cognitive condition. Roughly half
of those who need treatment for
these conditions actually seek it.
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May be prescribed medication that has too
many side effects
Could harm career
Could be denied security clearances
May appear weak to co-workers if they
found out
Fellow veterans, friends, and family would
be more helpful
Does this sound familiar (like police
officers)?
Rand Corporation 2008
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Depression
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI)
Drug and/or alcohol abuse
Thought to be the most common diagnosis in
returning veterans
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Results in sleep problems: Insomnia and
Hypersomnia
Decreased interest in pleasurable activities
Sometimes accompanied by “survivors guilt”
Loss of energy or fatigue
Diminished ability to concentrate or think,
indecisiveness
Loss of appetite or increased appetite resulting in
weight loss or gain
Having thoughts, plans, or previous attempts of
suicide - may be aggravated by availability of
firearms.
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This occurs when a person is exposed to a
traumatic event.
The person had experienced, witnessed, or
was confronted by an event that involved
actual or threatened death or serious injury, or
a threat to the physical integrity of self or
others.
It is a natural response to intense fear,
helplessness, or horror.
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Re-experience of the event: intrusive
recollections, distressing dreams, flashbacks,
intense distress at exposure to similar events
and physical reactions to exposure.
Increased arousal symptoms such as sleep
problems, irritability, concentration
problems, hyper-vigilance, exaggerated
startle response.
Avoidance symptoms such as avoiding
thoughts, feelings, activities, places, or
people that bring back memories, includes
decreased interest in activities - often
keeping to themselves.
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This injury is caused when something strikes a
persons’ head very hard or an object actually
penetrates the skull and enters the brain.
Blast/shockwaves, alone, from Improvised
Explosive devices (IED) or other explosive
devices can cause TBI.
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Constant Headaches
Confusion, apathy, anxiety
Light headedness or dizziness
Changes in mood and/or behavior
Sleep disorders
Trouble with memory or concentration
Repeated nausea or vomiting
Problems with vision and hearing
Seizures
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Extreme anger or violent behavior
Serious thoughts of hurting oneself or others
Decreased interest in pleasurable activities
Frequent nightmares and intrusive thoughts
After being exposed to combat stress, it is
difficult for some veterans to:
 Relax
 Cope with Emotions
 Get Restful Sleep
 Be a good listener
 Feel emotionally connected to family and
friends
 Stay focused due to intrusive thoughts
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Intrusive thoughts are unwelcome,
involuntary thoughts, images or unpleasant
ideas that may become obsessions, are
upsetting or distressing, and can be difficult
to be free of and manage.
Intrusive thoughts may include improper
urges or images that fall into three
categories: Inappropriate aggressive
thoughts, inappropriate sexual thoughts, or
blasphemous religious thoughts
Sometimes it is difficult to separate reality
from perception.
The overwhelming majority of veterans, to
include those experiencing some lasting
condition from their war experiences will never
have a serious contact with police. However,
the most frequent acts that may bring some
veterans in contact with police may include the
following:
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Domestic Disputes or complaints of family
abuse – due to stress within the
household/failure to adjust to being home.
Disputes with others
Traffic stops as a result of
aggressive/reckless driving: Some veterans
who drove in convoys may find themselves
inadvertently speeding, down the middle of
the road, and failing to stop at stop signs
and traffic signals.
Suicidal or other types of mental health
crisis: i. e: barricaded subject
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War veterans are familiar with common
police tactics: Control techniques, hand to
hand combat, weapons retention, closing
the gap and moving and shooting
They have an increased perception of
threats – hyper-vigilance (the same as
police officers)
They are constantly looking for something
wrong or out of place that may be a threat
to them or those around them
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Respond supportively if the person appears
upset during a police procedure
Speak in a calm, matter of fact voice
Reassure the person that everything is okay
and that they are safe
Explain any police procedures you may have
to make, prior to making them and make sure
the person understands what you are about
to do.
Remind the person of his or her current
location and situation.
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Always show respect and explain what you
are doing.
Thank the veteran for his or her service
Offer assistance to veterans through
organizations set up to do so
Veterans Administration hospitals
 Portsmouth Naval Hospital Psychiatric Center
Web Resources
 Military Onesource: http://militaryonesource.com 1-800342-9647
 Operation Healthy Reunions:
http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/reunions/index.cfm
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Vet Centers: Confidential readjustment counseling for combat
veterans and their families – 1-800-905-4675:
http://vetcenter.va.gov/
Rand Corporation: 1-877-584-8642:
http://veterans.rand.org
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Nothing in this lesson plan is meant to demean
or to stigmatize returning war veterans.
Our veterans deserve our gratitude, respect,
understanding, and patience.
In order to assist those veterans, officers must be
aware of the symptoms of depression, PTSD, and
TBI and be able to communicate in a respectful
and understanding way in order to provide
assistance to those in need.
Officers should be aware of resources available
to assist and support those returning veterans
having difficulty with re-adjusting to postdeployment home life.
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RAND Corporation publication: Post
Deployment Stress: What you Should Know,
What you Can Do
RAND Corporation Study: Invisible Wounds
Brief (Rand Center for Military Health Policy
Research)
Mixing CIT & The Military, a presentation by
Sgt. Corey Nooner, Oklahoma City Police
Department ([email protected])