Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affects about 20% of US military Veterans. It is also a major cause of mortality for these men and women. While PTSD extends beyond the military, war Veterans are especially susceptible to this condition. 

Therapy for Veterans with PTSD

Not only are Veterans more likely to have PTSD, but they also suffer from a lack of available resources. Timely access to therapy for Veterans with PTSD can have a tremendous positive affect on your quality of life. 

In this article, we will explore a few of the most common types of recurring PTSD therapies that can help bring relief in both the short and long term.

What Are My Treatment Options?

When you dive into PTSD research, it can be hard to sort through all the options, seeing as you have a variety to educate yourself on.

To help simplify things, we’ve broken down some of the most common and effective therapy options for Veterans suffering from PTSD. 

Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT)

Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is a kind of psychotherapy that is effective in treating PTSD.

The great thing about CBT is that its short and long-term results can bring about lasting relief. 

CBT is centered on the traumatic event(s) regarding treatment. The goal is to identify, examine, and change thought and behavior patterns. It’s an active treatment, meaning that patients will have to engage outside of their weekly sessions. 

Prolonged Exposure (PE)

Prolonged exposure (PE) therapy is a form of CBT that aims to help Veterans stop avoiding trauma triggers.

While avoiding reminders of your trauma may help alleviate symptoms in the short term, it is not a sustainable solution. PE therapy can help you face your fears and develop healthier thinking and behavioral patterns. 

Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)

Cognitive processing therapy (CPT) is another form of CBT, but it is different in that it aims to foster recognition and reevaluation of thinking related to trauma.

The treatment process concentrates on perspective and how people view themselves and the rest of the world after a traumatic event. 

For Veterans who place blame on themselves for traumatic events, this type of therapy can be especially effective and necessary. CPT helps you learn to evaluate whether your thoughts are based on facts and find more productive ways of viewing your trauma. 

Stress Inoculation Training (SIT)

Stress inoculation training (SIT) is a type of CBT that can teach Veterans to reduce anxiety through stress coping skills.

The main goal of SIT is to teach you to react differently when symptoms arise. SIT can be used as a standalone treatment, but it can also go hand-in-hand with other types of CBT. This can make it an effective addition to any Veteran’s treatment plan.

Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR)

EMDR is a type of therapy that is used to treat trauma, depression, phobias and grief.

This therapy doesn’t require the patient to do much talking in their EMDR appointments past the initial assessment where you’ll talk about your traumas and work out a treatment plan with your therapist.

During the EMDR appointment, you will think of the stressing event as the therapist leads you through the trauma by way of images, emotions, and body sensations. This therapy helps the logical side of your brain work with the emotional side of the brain to process trauma. 

Two prerequisites for this therapy are needed. The first is that the patient must have good vision and the second is that the patient must have good coping skills in place because the first few sessions can be very triggering. 

Although the first few sessions can be hard, there is good news for Veterans who chose this mode of therapy to treat their PTSD. A report by the National Library of Medicine states that “previous published research indicate that EMDR therapy can resolve a single-incident trauma memory in three to-six sessions 77–100% of the time.”

The Importance of Recurring Therapy

As you can see, there are lots of options to choose from. Your healthcare provider will be able to assess your symptoms and know which treatment plan is best for your unique needs. 

In the short term, there are many tips and tricks to alleviate the struggle of PTSD. However, recurring therapy can bring about long-term relief. While it may be tempting to decrease the number of prescribed sessions or skip them altogether, studies show that healing comes with adhering to consistent therapy sessions.

Recurring Veteran PTSD Therapy

If you’re looking for a veteran PTSD therapy program, you’ll want to find one that provides high-quality care on a recurring schedule. Getting diagnosed is the first step. After receiving the diagnosis, you may decide that ongoing therapy is the next right step for you.

Veterans suffering from PTSD could greatly benefit from recurring therapy for PTSD, but it’s not always easy to access the level of high-quality care you deserve.

Talk with your doctor or therapist about setting up a plan and schedule to get the quality care you deserve.

Before veterans can receive help from the VA, they have to go through a mental health evaluation. This evaluation is the first step towards a diagnosis and treatment from the VA. 

Here’s what you need to know about what a mental health evaluation is and how to best prepare for it. 

What to Expect During a Mental Health Evaluation

A mental health evaluation is like a physical, but for your mental health. The goal is to provide a better picture of how a veteran feels, reasons, thinks, and remembers.

An assessment is usually a one-on-one meeting with a licensed professional where you talk about your mental health. This may include conversations about:

• Current symptoms: Self-identification of symptoms is a key part of a mental health evaluation. How you feel and what you notice in your own thoughts and behaviors are excellent benchmarks when determining your mental health.
• Family history: A veteran’s family history will include a brief look into family members and their mental health. Having family members with depression, anxiety, ADD/ADHD, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, schizophrenia, addictions, or dementia, increases your risk for similar mental health issues. 
• History of substance use and abuse: Your history will include legal prescriptions, alcohol, tobacco, and illegal substances. Be honest in your evaluation about the frequency and amount of substances you currently use or have used. Remember: strict federal privacy regulations protect the information you share – it will not be used against you. 
• Medical history: Chronic disease or illness can affect your mental health and put you at a higher risk of depression. 
• Social history: This will include aspects of your life that can affect your mental health that may be less obvious. This may include conversations about your diet, exercise, friends, and social habits. 

How Can I Prepare for a Mental Health Evaluation?

You don’t have to do anything special to qualify or prepare for an evaluation. Being willing to honestly talk about your mental health is the best first step. 

However, if you are worried or anxious about the mental health test, take 15 to 20 minutes to consider these questions to help you prepare: 

• What are your mental health symptoms? 
• What are your troubling thoughts and behaviors?
• What makes the symptoms worse?
• How long do the symptoms last? 
• How often do the symptoms occur? 

How Do I Navigate a Mental Health Evaluation? 

It can be easy to feel overwhelmed when talking about your emotions. Below are a few recommendations for how to best navigate your mental health evaluation if you’re feeling nervous. 

Be honest throughout your examination:

It’s normal to feel uncomfortable talking about your mental health, but the examiner can only get the full picture if you’re honest. If you are worried about being accurate, invite your spouse or significant other to sit in the examination with you. They may be able to fill in the gaps and give an objective point of view. 

Focus on how you are actually doing rather than how you would like to be doing:

If you are having a difficult time, notice that something isn’t right, or are worried about your health, be honest. The more direct you are, the better the evaluation will go. Being honest about your state of mind will also give the examiner a clearer picture of your condition – the more information the better!

Be direct with your provider:

By being clear about your problems and knowing what to say, you can control the evaluation. If you’re afraid that you don’t know how to explain yourself, practice beforehand how to accurately explain your symptoms to another person.  If you tend to forget your train of thought when you get overwhelmed, try writing your thoughts down so you don’t miss anything you wanted to discuss.

How Long Will a Mental Health Evaluation for Disability Claims Take? 

There is no set time for a mental health assessment, because the mental health evaluation questions are determined by the condition(s) listed on your claim for benefits. 

Depending on the number and types of disabilities claimed, your examination time can vary. Mental Health Evaluations through Telemedica typically last for about 60 minutes, but more time can be added to the evaluation at the veteran’s request.

If you are scheduling a Mental Health Evaluation with a provider you are unfamiliar with, you can always ask how long the appointment will last so you can be properly prepared. 

Schedule a Mental Health Evaluation with Telemedica

Do you need medical evidence for your VA disability claim? Telemedica’s Psych Team conducts Mental Health Evaluations for veterans across the US though a secure, telehealth platform. Contact the Telemedica Psych Team today to see how we can help.

Have you noticed depressive tendencies in yourself? Depression is more than just having a bad mood—it’s a mood disorder for which many people (and veterans in particular) need help with through diagnosis and treatment. The easiest way veterans can receive a diagnosis and treatment for their depression is to start by getting a Mental Health Evaluation.

In this article, we explain:

• Why you should get therapy for depression
• How to get evaluated for depression
• Where you can get a depression evaluation 

How to Get Evaluated for Depression

There are only a few steps to take when receiving an evaluation for depression. Once you have an official diagnosis and your symptoms are identified, you can start receiving care or treatment for your mental health condition and begin to heal.

Step 1: Partner with a Veteran-Focused Provider

To get a service-connected depression diagnosis, it’s important to work with a veteran-friendly doctor near you, or through a telehealth provider such as Telemedica. We will pair you with a licensed mental health professional who specializes in mental health disorders and is familiar with veteran issues—many of the Telemedica providers and staff members are veterans themselves. 

Step 2: Gather Required Medical Evidence

Before getting started with an evaluation, it’s important to gather your medical evidence – i.e., doctor’s notes, VA records, buddy letters, DD214, and any other pertinent records that may be helpful in supporting the severity of your condition.

Step 3: Work with a Psychiatrist or a Licensed Provider

Our psychological team is comprised of psychiatrists (as well as clinical psychologists) and physician assistants who are qualified to provide an evaluation for depression. If you’re seeking out a Mental Health Evaluation through Telemedica, you will log on to a secure, HIPAA complaint, veteran friendly platform from the comfort of your home. Your provider will perform an assessment based on the DSM5 to identify your exact diagnosis. 

The Benefits of Working with Veteran-Friendly Doctors Near You

While many people experience depression at some point in their lives, veterans come with a set of unique life experiences; experiences that people who’ve never served may not fully understand.

Ideally, you’ll want to get your depression evaluation from someone familiar with the issues veterans face. Below are a couple of the most notable benefits of working with a veteran-friendly provider.

More Empathetic and Knowledgeable Care

At Telemedica, we have a large community of mental health professionals located all over the country. Many of them are veterans, military spouses, or active duty themselves, ready to connect and provide the missing link (medical evidence) for your VA disability claim. Additionally, many of our providers are also C&P examiners. 

Veteran-friendly healthcare providers can be more empathetic to your circumstances. They also use VA friendly language, which can bolster your claim and may improve your chances of getting your service-related depression approved for benefits.

Telehealth at Your Convenience

Can’t make it to the doctor’s office? Or can’t find a veteran-friendly doctor near you? We’re more than happy to come to you via telehealth. Our medical professionals are ready to connect through email, phone call, and live video chat to help you get evaluated for depression (or the appropriate mental health diagnosis you need for your claim).

What Other Options Do I Have?

Therapy can help! Ignoring your symptoms of depression, hoping they go away on their own, may feel easier than seeking treatment. But there’s a better way.

Seeking treatment for your depression can lift the fog and help you gain a better perspective on life. 

Depression is one of the most common mental health conditions but therapy and medication can help a great deal. 

Here are just some of the benefits of seeking treatment for chronic depression:

• Improve your interactions with others—Therapy can help you connect with your emotions and provide tools for communicating how you feel.
• Learn lifelong coping skills—Therapy doesn’t only help you cope with your depression, it also helps you gain valuable skills to use in all areas of life. For example, therapy can teach you self-acceptance and emotional regulation.
• Instill more control in your life—Taking strides to strengthen your mental health can motivate you to get tasks done and accomplish your goals. 

How to Get Evaluated for Depression: We Can Help!

If you have depression, it’s time to take the first step to access the benefits you deserve to live a healthier life. 

Even if you’ve struggled to get a mental health diagnosis for your condition before, Telemedica’s knowledge of the veteran experience can help! 

Get started today!

It’s important to support our nation’s heroes and help Veterans in their time of need. We hope this resource will educate you on how to help a Veteran in crisis, particularly when it comes to their mental health.

To start, we’d like to shed some light on some prevalent mental health issues within the Veteran community.

How Many Veterans Battle with Mental Illness?

The Wounded Warrior Project, an organization that focuses on empowering Veterans to get help from, and be more involved with their communities, has found the following trends from user surveys:

1. 72% experienced depression, with 53% presenting moderate to severe symptoms.
2. 74% experienced anxiety, with 63% presenting moderate to severe symptoms
3. 25% of surveyed Veterans have had suicidal thoughts within the past 12 months.
4. 16% of surveyed Veterans experienced military sexual trauma (67% of those being women).
5. 75% of surveyed Veterans experienced PTSD as a result of their service, with 49% presenting moderate to severe symptoms.

Another study from BMC Women’s Health found that women are more likely to develop service-related mental health conditions when compared to their male counterparts.

PTSD: 29% of female Veterans vs. 12% of male Veterans

Depression: 46% of female Veterans vs. 21% of male Veterans

Suicidal ideation: 27% of female Veterans vs. 11% of male Veterans

5 Signs of Someone Battling a Mental Illness

There are many potential symptoms someone may exhibit when struggling with mental health disorders. This is because different conditions can manifest different traits.

This is because different conditions can manifest different traits. Additionally, many symptoms are internal, making them difficult for you to pick up on.  

Regardless, here are five common signs family members of Veterans may observe that can hint at an underlying battle with mental health.

1. Excessive worrying: It’s normal to have a little anxiety throughout the day, like worrying you left the stove on after you’ve left the house. Excessive worrying, however, can be debilitating. This is when fears and anxiety creep into your everyday life, keeping you from functioning optimally.
2. Extreme mood changes: A little fluctuation in mood is nothing to worry about. But when someone’s mood is unpredictable, even to themselves, that can be a sign of a larger issue. 
3. Avoidance of friends or social situations: Many people who have mental illness can feel overwhelmed in social scenarios, even if they’re surrounded by friends and family. If you find that Veterans in your life aren’t as willing to come out to socialize, that may be your sign to check in on them.
4. Changes in eating habits: People with anxiety disorders can have very different relationships with food. Some over eat as a coping mechanism, while others lose their appetite altogether. A change in either direction may be an indication that they have experienced a significant change in mood or mental state.
5. Changes in sex drive: You may notice a sudden change in their sex drive. People with depression tend to lose interest in activities they once enjoyed, including sex. 

Ways You Can Help a Veteran in Crisis

There’s a lot you can do to better support the Veterans in your life who are going through mental health challenges. 

Here are four suggestions for how to help a Veteran in crisis.

1. Educate Yourself About Their Illness
   There is a lot of nuance to mental health illnesses. While you may never be an expert, you can do your best to educate yourself on these nuances so you have a baseline to help the Veterans in your life. The National Alliance on Mental Illness has a resource that addresses the basics of many of the most common mental health disorders Veterans may experience. This is a great place to start your educational journey.
2. Help Them Find Treatment
   If the Veteran in your life is willing to seek treatment, you can help them get there. This may start with getting a proper diagnosis for their condition. Securing a diagnosis will help open the door to future treatment options. If you are a family member or spouse of the Veteran, you may want to work closely with their treatment team so you can stay in the loop on what their home treatment should look like.
3. Be Patient
   The path toward better management of mental health disorders is far from linear. There may be times of significant progress, but other times it may seem like no progress has been made at all. Just be patient and trust the process. It can be hard to get a holistic view of one’s progress, so focus on small successes in the meantime.
4. Take Care of Yourself
   You can’t be very helpful to others if you aren’t taking care of yourself. Don’t think of it as being selfish—just think of it as an opportunity to recharge. Eat healthily, exercise regularly, and don’t forget to indulge in your favorite activities. You may consider attending therapy for yourself.

Veteran Mental Health Resources to Know About

To supplement your own education, here is a list of Veteran mental health resources that may be helpful:

• Veterans Crisis Line is a Veteran mental health organization that offers confidential crisis support 24/7.
• National Alliance on Mental Illness offers resources for family members and caregivers of people living with mental health conditions.
• Telemedica organized a list of 25 organizations that help Veterans with jobs, injuries, housing, and many other means of support.
• This PTSD info sheet for recurring PTSD therapy can help families of Veterans with PTSD explore potential treatment options.
• These FAQs about psych evaluations can shed some light on treatment options.
• The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has a plethora of resources for families coping with mental and substance use disorders.

Help Veterans Towards the Path of Peace

If you’re witnessing a loved one in their struggle with mental illness, get some help. Telemedica is here to connect Veterans and their families with the resources they need. Contact us today for more information.