I recently watched a very powerful video by famed author and filmmaker Sebastian Junger, entitled “Why veterans miss war”. As part of the TED Talk series, he discusses his experiences in Afghanistan and what he learned about the soldiers he spent time alongside.
In today’s blog, I’d like to take a few moments to talk about another great feature on DeploymentPsych.org, the self-paced online course Military Culture: Core Competencies for Healthcare Professionals. While we have several free online courses available on the website, this course is particularly noteworthy for a variety of reasons. This course has recently undergone some great improvements that will hopefully make it even more user-friendly and convenient for learners.
In the past decade, research focused on mindfulness and meditation has increased significantly. Clinical researchers have made substantial progress in efforts to quantify and document the benefits of mindfulness. As a clinician, I will provide a quick clinician’s guide to mindfulness.
Working with Veterans with PTSD is an intense experience where all focus can be on helping alleviate the Veteran's symptoms. What can sometimes get lost in this process is how the Veteran's family and relationships are surviving. PTSD does not happen in a bubble and can have very harsh impacts on relationships. These relationships will be changed even in the best case scenarios. On the flip side, aspects of close relationships will impact how the Veteran's PTSD symptoms are experienced. Following is a review of a recent research article which develops a multi-dimentional model of how relationship qualities can both be impacted by and affect the experience of PTSD.
While we may not like to admit it, most of us are drawn to our work because we like working with others. We like helping people navigate their problems and come through healthier, happier, and more engaged in life. However, there are some patients that make us cringe… make us secretly hope for a no-show…and make us count the minutes during the session if they do show. Fortunately, these patients are few and far between, but it’s important to remember that even with our most difficult patients, there can be important lessons to be learned.