PTSD? There’s an App for That!

Julia E. Hoffman, Psy.D. is a Clinical Psychologist and Mobile Apps Lead at the VA National Center for PTSD.

As a Clinical Psychologist I frequently see patients with Postraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).  This is a common problem for those who have recently returned from a deployment or following military service and one that can impact families and communities.  The men and women that I treat have weeks, months, years, or even decades of suffering, and frequently experience the characteristic bad habits of PTSD – they set up their lives to get away from the discomfort that this invisible problem brings.

So many service members, veterans and their family members never come in to seek my care because they can’t make it work logistically or because they are afraid of appearing weak.  My colleagues and I never meet these individuals and therefore never get the chance to help ease their suffering.

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Smartphone Stress Relief

Dr. Rhiannon is a Subject Matter Expert for the National Center for Telehealth & Technology (T2), and lead for the mobile applications team.

Stress is a normal physical response to events that make you feel threatened or upset your balance in some way. When you sense danger, whether it’s real or imagined, the body’s defenses kick into high gear in a rapid, automatic process known as the “fight-or-flight” reaction, or the stress response. Minor hassles, serious challenges, painful memories, and even positive events can all cause your body to go into this stress response mode and prepare to either fight the threat or run from it.

Mobile applications on smartphones and tablets have added a new weapon to the arsenal of individuals battling stress and its effects on their lives. Mobile apps put useful information and skills in a location that is virtually always available, making them more useful and more impactful. An example of such an app is Breath2Relax from the National Center for Telehealth & Technology (T2). Continue reading

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February Blog Topic: Mental Health Tools at Your Finger Tips: Tech Gadgets for Emotional Health

The Military Pathways blog is excited to promote tech gadgets and tools that encourage emotional well-being.  Throughout the month of February, we will be sharing mental health tools you can access with the click of a mouse or the touch of a finger. These tools make it possible to reach more people, where they are, and when they need help the most.

In many cases, especially when dealing with mental health, misconceptions and stigma prevent many from seeking help and treatment.  These barriers can also make it difficult to admit struggles with someone face-to-face. Tech tools provide anonymity and can bridge the gap between hiding a mental health problem and receiving treatment.

Do you have a resource you would like to share? Please email us at military@mentalhealthscreening.org.

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Helping our Military Youth Thrive

Michelle Sherman, Ph.D.
University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and Oklahoma City VA Medical Center

Author of My Story: Blogs by Four Military Teens and Finding My Way: A Teen’s Guide to Living with a Parent Who Has Experienced Trauma

In 1943, psychologist Abraham Maslow proposed a theory that has become widely known as the hierarchy of needs. He studied psychologically healthy people (e.g., Albert Einstein, Frederick Douglass, Eleanor Roosevelt) to understand human behavior; this research shaped his theory of developmental psychology. His model is often depicted in the shape of a pyramid (see image below), and Maslow suggested that people are only driven to achieve higher levels in the pyramid when lower levels have been met.

What implications does this model have for military youth? Let’s look at each of these levels to reflect on the experiences and challenges faced by today’s military kids. We will consider ways in which adults can help young people move up the pyramid such that they can thrive.

Maslow’s most basic level, Physiological Needs, refers to things that are needed to survive (food, water, clothing, shelter, etc). In this difficult economy, some military families are struggling financially, which can impact these young people. Therefore, programs that can help spouses/partners find employment, connect families with resources, and provide financial counseling can be useful. If you don’t have enough food to eat or clothes to wear, a military child definitely cannot thrive!

The second level, Safety Needs, refers to a sense of personal security and safety. Living in a time of war can threaten this need, resulting in increased anxiety and worry for children. Further, the past year has witnessed almost unparalleled natural disasters (e.g., flooding, earthquakes, tornados), which can also adversely affect one’s sense of feeling safe in the world. Bottom line: if you don’t feel safe and secure, it’s impossible to thrive! It is incumbent on adults who support military youth to provide age-appropriate information about world events, and to promote a sense of safety and predictability. Maintaining regular schedules, routines, and activities is a great way to help kids feel secure.

Social Needs (also known as love and belonging) are the third level of Maslow’s hierarchy. These needs involve the experience of feeling valued, connected to something bigger than yourself, and that you belong. Youth in Active Duty families are often surrounded by people, organizations, and activities that promote this sense of belonging, which can be tremendously helpful over the course of the deployment cycle. Children of National Guard/Reserve families, however, are at higher risk for difficulties due to their usually not having access to the rich resources available at military installations. For all military children, frequent geographic move and having a parent deployed can be challenges to this need. Therefore, it’s important to help connect kids to healthy, nurturing people and activities (e.g., church group, soccer team, Big Brother/Big Sister program, etc).

The fourth level, Esteem Needs, refers to feeling good about yourself and earning the respect of others. People with strong esteem needs have a healthy sense of confidence and feel empowered to make a difference in their world. When people struggle with these needs, they are more prone to depression and anxiety. Research has documented that some of our military youth dealing with parental deployment are experiencing higher than average rates of these difficulties. Adults who care about military children can bolster youths’ self-esteem by providing appropriate affirmation, encouragement, and opportunities to succeed.

The final level, Self-Actualization, is where people thrive!  Self-actualized people use their talents and abilities to make a positive difference in their communities, and realize their full potential. Instead of worrying about what others think, people thriving expend their energy focusing on lifelong growth and development. Encouraging military youth to use their gifts and talents in healthy ways, such as volunteering, can promote their journey toward self-actualization.

One way to promote dialogue with military youth about their wellbeing is via bibliotherapy. Sometimes youth feel more comfortable talking openly about fictional characters or information they read in a book than about their own feelings. Establishing and maintaining open communication can help you gauge how they’re doing on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and guide you as to how you can provide support.

In my personal life, my mother (a teacher) and I have written two books specifically for military teenagers, including:

Finding My Way: A Teen’s Guide to Living with a Parent Who Has Experienced Trauma
Examines the teenager’s experience of having a parent who has endured trauma-ranging from military combat to domestic violence to 9/11 to natural disasters.

My Story: Blogs by Four Military Teens

A series of blogs which gives a voice to the teen experience before, during and after parental deployment to Iraq/Afghanistan

To learn more about the books and see sample pages, please see the website: www.SeedsofHopeBooks.com

Michelle Sherman, Ph.D. has committed her career to supporting families/youth affected by mental illness, deployment, and trauma/PTSD. She directs the Family Mental Health Program at the Oklahoma City VA hospital, and is a clinical professor at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. She co-chaired the first American Psychological Association Presidential Task Force on Supporting our Military Families, and serves on the Scientific Advisory Board of the Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC).

 

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Children of Military Service Members Resource Guide

A new children’s resource is available for parents, other family members and health care providers. Developed by DCoE, the “Children of Military Service Members Resource Guide” is a quick-reference tool that addresses the mental and emotional well-being of military children. Whether concerns are associated with deployment, rehabilitation or reintegration – aspects that are common with military service – they can be challenging for the entire family unit, especially children. The resource guide is one way to help recognize and respond to the psychological and emotional health needs of children of military families.

Age-appropriate resources listed in the guide include books, films, websites and social media support groups on topics such as: Continue reading

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Growing Pains or Something More?

Military Pathways uses BSAD to check up on military teens mental health

Kids! I don’t know what’s wrong with these kids today! These song lyrics, written in the 1960’s, humorously describe the communication breakdown between teenagers and their parents. But all kidding aside, the journey to adulthood can be rocky especially for military teens that face parental deployments and constant moves. So how can military parents tell if their adolescent is experiencing normal growing pains or something more? Continue reading

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SOFAR:Strategic Outreach to Families of All Reservists

At SOFAR:Strategic Outreach to Families of All Reservists, we believe children are deeply impacted by deployment and reintegration whether the service member is a parent, an aunt or uncle, sibling, cousin or grandparent. Children’s needs and reactions change based on their age and their level of development. Over multiple deployments and returns, the same child will react differently each time. For this reason, SOFAR has published a FREE “SOFAR Guide to Helping Children and Youth Cope With the Deployment of a Parent in the National Guard or other Military Reserve”. The Guide is written for parents, teachers, school nurses, and pediatricians. We consider these people first responders in the lives of children. In addition, our website (www.Sofarusa.org) contains helpful resources to help kids and parents address the multiple challenges of military life.

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Transition Tips for Military Kids by Military Kids

(From left) Military kids Jared, Sean and Kyle Hesketh pose with their dad, Air Force Capt. William Hesketh, on the day he leaves for deployment. (Courtesy photo)

Military children face unique challenges: the absence of a deployed parent, multiple moves to new cities and schools, and concerns about a parent’s safety—just to name a few.

We asked seven military children how they coped with these transitions and emotions.

Meet Sean Thornton, 13, whose guardian grandfather, retired Marine Staff Sgt. Hector Medina (previously featured in the DCoE newsletter), deployed to Iraq twice. Kyle Hesketh, 16, and his younger brothers, twins Jared and Sean, 11, have lived in two countries and four cities. Their father, Air Force Capt. William Hesketh, is stationed at Lajes Field, Azores (Portugal). Siblings William Whitaker, 21; Marinda Hicks, 13; and Andrew Hicks, Jr., 9, have grown up in a military lifestyle with their mother, Navy Lt. Teresa Mae Hicks. The family has experienced multiple deployments, and Lt. Hicks is currently stationed at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md.

Tips to Cope with Deployment:

“I would email him and he’d call every week from overseas. My grandma and I would send him stuff like magazines and his favorite candy or DVDs.”
– Sean Thornton

“Keep busy and Skype whenever you can—it’s good seeing my dad on the computer. I talk to my family, friends and teachers when he’s away. I like to play sports and tell my dad all about my games.” – Jared Hesketh

“When my mom went out on deployment, I was young but I do remember missing her and always tried to keep in touch. Skype was a big thing and seeing her on the computer made it feel like she never left.”
– Andrew Hicks, Jr.

On Moving to a New City:

“Basketball was one way I made friends, and it’s my mom’s favorite sport. It felt great to play on a team and make her proud. I’d say do things that would make your parents proud.” – William Whitaker

“When you move to a new place and want friends, just be yourself and join things you are interested in. Get to know the teachers and let them know if you were taught differently at your previous school so you can stay on track with your school work.” – Kyle Hesketh

“I am somewhat reserved; so making new friends isn’t the easiest thing for me to do. [But] I love the travel aspect of it all; I love adventure and new things.” – Marinda Hicks

“I like that we get to go to different places and sometimes it’s tough because we have to move away from our friends and family. This year, I’m starting a new middle school. I like to talk, so I make friends easily.”
– Sean Hesketh

On Sharing Your Feelings:

“I come from a military family, so it’s easy when you have cousins who can relate and talk to you about the emotions that come with someone going on deployment.” – Marinda Hicks

“I try not to worry too much. My grandma says he’ll be fine with his Marine buddies, and they will come back home soon once the work is done. I don’t talk that much about it, but my friends know and they understand.” – Sean Thornton

Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury (DCoE) supports resources that help military children through these potential challenges. Download the Children of Military Service Members Resource Guide, and visit Sesame Workshop’s “Talk, Listen, Connect” site for information and resources the entire family can use. Check out our April newsletter which focuses on military children, specifically this article about resources for children coping with transitions.

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Q & A with Air Force Brat – Angela Devereaux Neilans

Angela Devereaux Neilans with her dad Major General Rick Devereaux at NASCAR

1. What branch of the military is your father in and how long has he served?

My father is in the Air Force and he has been proudly serving for 34 years.

2. Where are some of the different places you have lived, and which one has been your favorite? Continue reading

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Military Kids Connect

Have you heard of MilitaryKidsConnect.org?

Military children that experience a deployment of a parent often experience the same amount of stress as the remaining at home caregiver. Even though military children often display strong resiliency skills – recent studies have shown there are increased levels of anxiety that a child experiences when a parent is deployed in addition to being at risk for emotional and behavioral issues at home and at school. Continue reading

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