Recognizing PTSD (Post Tramatic Stress Disorder) Before You Snap
A Tribute to 3rd Platoon_an F&EG Interview with Dr. Kathy Platoni by Aleta McCallum -10/2006-
Her boots are made for walking and that is just what Dr. Kathy Platoni has been doing for the mental health of our American soldiers in Iraq these last few years.”I’ve put a lot of mileage on these boots in the past 27 years,” says Kathy Platoni, PhD, a clinical psychologist and counselor. She returned in January 2006 from a devastating 34-month deployment in Iraq as Commander of Combat Stress Control, with the 55th Medical Company, a detachment out of Fort Benning, GA. “Psychologists in Iraq were short in supply. There were only about five or six army psychologists serving about 800,000 troops in the entire country,” said Dr. Platoni.
A graduate of Nova Southeastern University School of Psychology in Davey, Florida, Dr Platoni has a long list of battles and volunteer missions that she has sacrificed her own life for. Among them include her recent deployment to Iraq, her service at detention camps in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and the 1991 Gulf War. She also volunteered her services to the Red Cross Disaster Team and the American Psychological Association in response to the World Trade Center attack on September 11, 2001.
Dr. Platoni has been an integral part of the psychological balance to many soldiers in Iraq this past year. Thanks to her dedication and compassion, the army soldiers of the 3rd Platoon Able CO. received education and treatment for PTSD in Iraq.
F&EG – Were you worried about your own safety while in Iraq?
Dr. Platoni- “Yes, but even at my age, I could jump over a humvee with the best of them.”
F&EG – What was your job and did you get much resistance from those in command?
Dr. Platoni- We had a unique position and it was well appreciated. In the beginning there was resistance on the part of some Commanders who did not understand the importance of us being there to educate and treat PTSD. We let them know that we were there in support of their missions by providing prevention education and treatment which would help make the soldiers stronger. We had to work hard to gain respect and fight for it.
F&EG – Were there any recommendations to send soldiers home?
Dr. Platoni- “Yes mostly for paranoia and schitzophrenia. It was disturbing to see many of our soldiers deployed to Iraq with serious medical conditions. For example there were soldiers as young as 30 who had previous heart attacks and respiratory problems. We did what we could in making recommendations, but it was heart breaking when someone didn’t make it. One soldier committed suicide a couple days before Christmas.”
Prevention and Education
Knowledge of PTSD has been around for decades. It has also been referred to as Shell Shocked, War Neurosis and ‘Soldiers Heart’ in the Civil War. Dr. Platoni says we are far behind the times when it comes to providing enough education and treatment for its symptoms, especially to the soldiers risking their lives everyday.
The National Center for PTSD defines Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as a “psychiatric disorder that can occur following the experience or witnessing of life-threatening events such as military combat, natural disasters, terrorist incidents, serious accidents, or violent personal assaults like rape.”
F&EG – What kind of PTSD prevention did you do in Iraq?
Dr. Platoni-“I did a great deal of prevention work, educating the soldiers on what to look for, and helped prepare them to deal with long-term separation from family while living in a dangerous situation. We focused on educating soldiers on how to deal with the frustrations of working seven days a week 16 hours a day. We taught stress management techniques, and how to detect symptoms in themselves and one another. We emphasized the importance of how to look their buddy in the eye to make sure they were handling it. You are your own best responder.
“Psychological education helped soldiers deal with the devastation of losing a buddy, enduring the horific conditions of war, while maintaining composure. When we were stationed in Ramadi, anyone in town, including friendly store owners could pose a threat.”
It is not always evident that a person has PTSD immediately after a traumatic event. According to Dr. Platoni, “You often go through a ‘honeymoon stage’ where everything is fine for a while. PTSD symptoms can surface at any time after the event, usually in the range of about 30-90 days after exposure to trauma.”
F&EG – What kind of symptoms did you recognize to be the onset of post traumatic stress syndrome? How did you determine that it was PTSD?
Dr. Platoni- “It was particularly hard when many of the soldiers’ buddies died. Soldiers and many high ranking officers did not do well and endured many PTSD symptoms. PTSD Screen tests were given for diagnosis.”
Specific symptoms of combat stress and PTSD include the following:
- Guilt- Why did my buddy die and not me. Was there something else I could have done?
- 1000 yard stare (Lost ability to focus)
- Nightmares
- Anger and Irritability
- Hurting Themselves
- Low Tolerance
- Unresolved grief
- Inability to get fear under control
- Hallucination from Sleep deprivation or dehydration
Treatment
Soldiers may require evaluation and treatment for PTSD on an ongoing basis.
F&EG – What methods of treatment do you use for PTSD?
Dr. Platoni- “For soldiers in Iraq I usually recommended a 72 hour rest period, psychological support, with ‘three hots and a cot’ and a clean shower. It was rare that a person needed to be restrained or evacuated. We also use Natural Relief Prevention including relaxation therapy, guided imagery and hypnosis, which is my area of expertise. I use it to take the sting out of the trauma. It is important for them to experience the natural process of grief, allowing themselves to cry.
“Anger is a big part of experiencing trauma. Sometimes a solution is to do some intensive physical activity. Physical movement such as yoga combined with proper nutrition can help them get to a balanced state of harmony. Humor can often help. I use a lot of cognitive techniques. Anti-depressants are also used, but meds are just an adjunct, the soldier needs to talk about the trauma. There’s no magic bullet. Trust is important and I was able to gain their trust because I risked my life to be with them and help them. Treatment can take 6 to 12 months. Untreated, PTSD will alter oneÕs brain chemistry.”
After returning home from Iraq Dr. Platoni continues to educate and treat many of the soldiers that she cared for in Iraq. She thinks of the soldiers as her adopted children. “There’s not enough mental health professionals for our soldiers in Iraq and there is only one of us in Ft. Benning, GA. I go where the need is greatest. They needed me to do de-briefing or re-integration training at Fort Benning.”
Dr. Platoni stresses the importance for family members to acknowledge the sacrifice the soldiers made, learn how to be helpful, encourage their loved one to talk and be willing to listen.
For more information and resources on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, visit the National Center for PTSD www.ncptsd.va.gov
