INDIANAPOLIS – For Jason Jones, returning from military service was like dropping into an alien world.
The Indianapolis resident served a three-year stint with the U.S. Army in Germany. His days were strictly regimented, with the focus solely on the day’s mission.
Once he was discharged, that structure disappeared.
“It was like I was out of touch with the culture. I was away, in another country, and I felt like life has gone on without me,” he said.
For soldiers such as Jones, the transition to civilian life can be jarring. Add to it the mental barrage that comes from combat situations, and many veterans find themselves struggling mentally and emotionally.
To best address the challenges facing military veterans, mental health providers are changing the way they reach out to former and current soldiers.
Through a specialized training program that focuses on the unique problems that soldiers face, chaplains, clergy and counselors hope to lessen the devastating depression and post-traumatic stress syndrome that many former military members face.
“Unless you work in veterans affairs, most therapists and counselors are not prepared for the issues that soldiers have faced in combat,” said Matthias Beier, a counselor and professor at Christian Theological Seminary. “As more people experience this, we need to address the issue.”
From his classroom, Beier helps train the next generation of chaplains and clergy members. He specializes in psychotherapy, how pastors, chaplains and others can help counsel people and their families through mental health problems such as anxiety and depression. But he’s noticed that for all of the lessons, few of the techniques deal specifically with military veterans.
The point was driven home after he joined the Indiana State Suicide Advisory Committee. He learned that a large proportion of suicides are committed by veterans.
Statistics from the Department of Defense indicate that 18 veterans commit suicide every day. One out of every five suicide victims is a veteran.
Through research, Beier learned that soldiers and veterans deal with mental health issues that civilians never face. They have witnessed intense violence under incredible stress on a daily basis.
They wonder whether they’ll be rejected by people because of their service, or if their efforts in wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will be seen as unjust.
Probably the best-known problem facing soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan is post-traumatic stress disorder, said Dr. Steven Herman, lead psychologist at Roudebush VA Medical Center in Indianapolis.
Since operations in those countries started, more than 85,000 military members have been diagnosed with the disorder, according to the U.S. Office of the Surgeon General.
They have experienced a horrible trauma, such as an enemy attack or the death of a fellow soldier, and then relive that tragedy repeatedly.
Flashbacks and nightmares are common, and victims can become irritable, suffer from poor sleep and have panic attacks.
Often, pastors, clergy members and counselors are the first people a soldier tries to talk to for help, Beier said. They need to know how to handle the specific situations and refer them to the proper help.
