Blog posts with the tag "Service Members"

Staff Perspective: A General’s Personal Story Raises Awareness about Bipolar Disorder

Recently, I heard a news piece about Major General Gregg Martin, Ph.D., U.S. Army (Retired) that sparked my interest because typically an individual is disqualified from entering or serving in the military if they have a history of bipolar disorder. Yet General Martin served for years with undiagnosed bipolar disorder. His doctors have speculated that his latent condition may have been triggered when he was serving as a brigade commander leading thousands of soldiers during the assault on Baghdad in 2003.

Staff Perspective: Reflections on Pearl Harbor and a Career as a Military Psychologist

Dr. Libby Parins

This past December 7th marked the 80th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. As a young psychologist, just out of internship in the Navy, I visited the Pearl Harbor National Memorial. This was before September 11, 2001 and I was hopeful that we were facing an extended period of peace in our country. Before entering the USS Arizona Memorial, I had thought of it as a historical war memorial from my grandparents’ generation. But that day, standing before the marble wall towering over me, listing the names of those who died, I was transformed.

Guest Perspective: Evolving Challenges of Deployment Communication

Most Service members see deployments as short term intervals, usually interruptions, in their lives. Family, however, is usually viewed as a constant. Communicating with our families, friends, and loved ones while we are deployed is a critical concern for nearly every Service member. Many find it difficult to strike a balance between trying to manage personal and family relationships and remaining focused on the mission and the needs of fellow Service members while deployed. Below is an abbreviated look at how deployment communication has changed over my career, ways my family and I have tried to adapt, and a look at future deployment communication challenges.

Staff Perspective: “It’s all in your head” – Temporomandibular Joint Pain

Dr. Bill Brim

U.S. Air Force Loadmaster MSgt Terrell Davis* had experienced headaches since he was 15-years-old. He had seen numerous specialists, tried medications, physical therapy, chiropractic adjustments and yoga. He had been diagnosed with migraine and tension type headaches, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome and half-a-dozen rule-outs. At 32-years-old, he had suffered head pain for more than half his life and it was getting worse, affecting his work and his personal life.
*Not their actual name

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