Service Without Limits: Active Duty, Veterans, Families and Loved Ones

Dr. David Brady, D.O., Military Staff Psychiatrist, was formerly a physician and a Medical Service Corp Officer in the U.S. Army and U.S. Airforce.

The military faces numerous challenges in providing mental health care for the soldiers currently serving in Iraq and Afghanistan and for those who have returned. The stresses of the modern combat theater are imposing countless mental scars on our troops. Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and Combat Operational Stress have become center stage topics for those providers caring for active duty soldiers and for veterans.

The problems facing military mental health today far exceeds the diagnoses of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and Combat Operational Stress. It has been well publicized that the military is facing high levels of suicide among its members.

Often the forgotten victims of the war are the family members of our soldiers. The husbands, wives, parents and children are confronted daily with the emotional scars of war. The families of soldiers currently deployed to combat zones battle with the fear and uncertainty of having a loved one in war. The children often face social isolation when their peers shun them. These peers feel inept interacting with a friend whose mother or father may be killed or injured in combat.

In addition to the influx of combat-related traumas, the military continues to see many of the mental health issues that have been present in times of war and peace. Substance abuse and dependency, as well as mood and anxiety disorders, have always affected the military population. Those individuals who have joined the military to escape personal torments often find that the demands of military life only serve to exacerbate their problems.

We must remember that the military employs people at the time in life when many mental illnesses begin to increase in prevalence. It is therefore imperative that we provide assessment and treatment to individuals experiencing a change in their mental well-being.

Given the monumental demands which are being placed on the military mental health system and the limited resources, those of us in the civilian sector must remain available to serve those who have sacrificed to serve us. At the Poplar Springs Hospital, we are expanding our programs to better serve our active duty soldiers and veterans. Through our inpatient and partial hospitalization programs, we can provide active duty soldiers with the mental health services they need while coordinating their care with the available base resources. Our adolescent and adult services also serve the soldier’s loved ones facing mental health crises of their own.

David A. Brady, D.O.
Clinical Director, Military Programs
Poplar Springs Hospital