The impact of PTSD and how to seek treatment By: Robert ‘Bob’ Cuyler, PhD Psychologist and Trauma Expert In this segment, Freespira’s Chief Clinical Officer, Dr. Bob Cuyler, PhD interviews Lori-Ann Landry, LCSW on the impact of PTSD and how to seek treatment. Lori served eight years in the Army reserves and is currently a therapist focusing on PTSD and anxiety disorders at Willow Grove Mental Health in Denver. Bob: Welcome Lori, let’s discuss, what are some of the ways that PTSD symptoms affect life, work, and family? Lori: A big one is changes in the way a veteran sees and interacts with the world. For example, things that matter to civilians matter far less to those who have been in combat. This is because active duty shifts your relationship in the world, and civilians are not thinking about life and death situations, which creates a disconnect with veterans re-entering the civilian world. Bob: How can living with an individual with PTSD affect relationships? Lori: One of the symptoms of PTSD is avoidance; you just can’t shut off the bad thoughts and eventually they overtake the good. Often, partners and children will say the person’s checked out, and the veteran will say, I know cognitively that I love my family, but I can’t feel or show it. Bob: Do some ‘walk on eggshells’ around a family member with PTSD? Lori: The military sends people off and they do a really good job of supporting the families back here, but the human that left is often a different human coming back. A lot of times families don’t fully recognize the person that came back and the veteran doesn’t recognize themselves. One goal of treatment is helping that person find peace in how they’ve changed and who they’ve become. Bob: What can encourage veterans to seek treatment? Lori: When leaders demonstrate vulnerability, sharing their experiences, it gives others permission to be vulnerable. So on the active duty side, I think leadership is huge. On the civilian side, companies who really promote mental health make a real difference. But sometimes a partner will get to a point where they say, if you don’t get help, I’m done. 38 WWW.SanDiegoVeteransMagazine.com / November 2023
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