Making Stress Your Friend: How to Cope with Severe Depression

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Severe depression is no laughing matter, particularly if you are a Veteran who is back in the United States after one or more deployments to Iraq and/or Afghanistan. Sadly, many Veterans suffer from Post Traumatic Stress and, according to multiple sources and the Government Accountability Office (“GAO”) are ill-served by the Veteran’s Administration.

The most recent GAO report on the VA found that “86% of audited files of vets on anti-depressants did not receive a follow up evaluation within the required 4-6 weeks.”   In other words, if a Vet has received anti-depressant medication, there is little follow-up by the VA to monitor results and determine if there has been any noticeable improvement or, perhaps, an adverse reaction to prescribed medications.

Many independent studies, including the VA itself, have concluded that over-medication in treating PTSD can be particularly hazardous an possibly fatal for Veterans seeking relief from the demons of PTSD.  If this is the case, shouldn’t other avenues that offer “true” therapeutical solutions be pursued rather than the failed policies of over-medication currently pursued by the VA?   Sure, many of these alternative treatment methodologies may lack adequate clinical trials, but more lethal medication cocktails certainly don’t seem to be the right answer, particularly after the damning GAO report suggesting that there is little to no follow-up.  It seems to me that the only party benefitting from this sad state of affairs are the pharmaceutical companies and their band of merry lobbyists.

Resources for Vets with PTSD and Severe Depression

My wife recommended that I read a book by Tami Hoag called Cold Cold Heart.  The story deals with the aftermath of the rape and brutal torture of a young woman by a serial killer.  While the story is not my particular cup of tea, Ms. Hoag’s research into PTSD is quite remarkable and, in my opinion, captures the complexities of dealing with daily problem than affects so many Veterans.  Found below is the despair of one young male Veteran in the book who had been fired from a job by a most unsympathetic boss:

He wanted it to change.  He wanted to make it change.  He wanted to be the world with an angry fist and smash it into a million pieces.  But in reality he couldn’t do anything about it.  He was helpless and worthless and a burden on society.  He had no strength.  He had no power.  He had all he could do to get from day to day without fucking something up, without wanting to kill himself or someone else.

Each Veteran suffering from PTSD and/or depression has his or her own personal demons, but facing the day-to-day grind with hope and resilience is as heroic as anything these brave young men and women have done in battle.

Listed below in no particular order is a list of online resources Ms. Hoag found helpful in conducting her research to write the book:

For those seeking help from community based organizations for Veterans near you, consult SFTT Resource Center Guide.

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