The Department of Veterans Affairs has online videos, questionnaires and booklets to help veterans and their loved ones receive the treatment and care they need.
The American Legion’s Be the One mission is focused on getting veterans in crisis the immediate care they need in effort to stop veteran suicide. To support this mission, the Department of Veterans Affairs has a variety of online resources for veterans and their loved ones to understand post-traumatic stress disorder and the available treatment options.
If a veteran feels they may have PTSD, the VA has a screener that is five questions. Take the PTSD Self-Screen at www.ptsd.va.gov/screen/.
“If they are endorsing multiple questions on this screener, we would encourage them then to seek out care and to seek out a mental health professional to determine what PTSD care is the best option,” said Lisa-Ann J. Cuccurullo, clinical psychologist with the VA National Center for PTSD.
Understand PTSD
· National Center for PTSD website
· AboutFace: A Personal Perspective on PTSD (hear personal stories from veterans, family members and VA clinicians)
Learn about treatment options
· PTSD Treatment Decision Aid (learn about treatment options and facts needed to make an informed treatment decision)
· PTSD treatment explainer videos
· Understanding PTSD and PTSD Treatment booklet
Help a veteran get treatment
· Don’t wait. “Anytime is a good time to be able to take the first step toward treatment,” Cuccurullo said.
· Find a treatment that works for you. “There’s not a one-size fits all.”
· It’s never too late to get treatment. “There’s not an age limit on the ability to get treatment, and we encourage people at any point if they are willing to get treatment to seek that treatment out,” Cuccurullo said.
· PTSD can happen to anyone. “There is no stigma around having PTSD, and we encourage all people who have PTSD-related symptoms to seek out PTSD care at the VA,” Cuccurullo said.
Support for family members
· VA Caregiver Support website
- Be the One