Connecting veterans with mental health services

Exeter High School graduate Kevin Lapointe has struggled with the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury since he deployed to Iraq more than seven years ago. This summer, his wife, Donna, compelled him to seek mental health treatment at a VA medical center. "The anger has totally decreased," he said of the rage that dogged him every day. "I'm more approachable and reachable." /Don Himsel photo, The Nashua Telegraph

When veterans seek treatment for the psychological wounds of war, it can heal not only their troubled minds but also the rifts that are created between them and their loved ones.

This Veterans Day weekend, the Portsmouth Herald and The Nashua Telegraph will be running a story I wrote about connecting New Hampshire veterans with the mental health services they need. This story is part of a seven-week investigation of suicide in the Granite State's military community and follows a story published last weekend on the suicide of Army Spec. Christopher Journeau. The mental health services story will run Sunday, Nov. 10, on the Portsmouth Herald's website at www.seacoastonline.com and Monday on The Nashua Telegraph's website at www.nashuatelegraph.com.

Dozens of sources contributed to this project. So many people had so much to say about suicide prevention in the military community that I couldn't squeeze all of them into the newspaper stories. But all of these sources informed my understanding of the complex array of issues at play. I will share a couple of these missing voices on the Bullwork of Democracy blog.

First up is Al Porsche, a Vietnam War Army veteran who served as a peer counselor at the Vet Center in Manchester, N.H., for 10 years:

"We're at least naive to send people to wars and think they won't come back with emotional and psychological issues. There is no magic bullet to solve this problem. ... The solution is not to send folks off to war in the first place."

When it comes to bridging the gap between troubled veterans and the available mental health services, "we continue to reach out to these people in any way we can."

The VA-affiliated Vet Centers, which offer confidential counseling services, are among the most vital resources for veterans. "It's easier for combat veterans to speak with other combat veterans. ... We do a lot of community building. ...

"As a country as a whole, we are doing nearly everything we can to help these veterans heal. But some of these veterans make the decision to end their lives. Part of the solution is not to be so quick to send these men and women to war. There's a price to be paid. ...

"PTSD isn't just a problem with the soldiers, it's a problem for the entire society. There are consequences down the road" every time the country goes to war.

"The communalization of of their sacrifices helps the individual veterans. ... It's helpful for the veterans to share their stories with broader society. But unfortunately, we won't be able to connect with all of them."

Many veterans suffer "cognitive dissonance" when they come home from wars like the Iraq conflict that end up unpopular among citizens across the country. "Civilians are proud of their service, but too often the country uses their service in a situation that was foolish or unnecessary."

VETERANS CRISIS HOTLINE
800-273-TALK (8255)
Press 1 for veterans