Health Experts Say Permian Basin Is Not Set Up to Handle P.T.S.D.
By: Jenne Anderson
Updated: February 5, 2013
MIDLAND -- P.T.S.D. occurs when a person experiences an abnormal trauma.
It's commonly found among combat war veterans, and counselors tell us it's a growing problem that most people don't recognize across the country.
Big 2 spent the day talking with several psychologists and counselors who all say, when it comes to this disorder, the Permian Basin is falling behind.
Readjustment Counselor Dennis Wright sees cases of P.T.S.D. almost every day in combat veterans.
"Typically they come in because of problems in their environment," said Wright.
Although he's helped countless veterans take control of PTSD, Wright says most people who suffer from the illness stray away from getting help.
"It takes anywhere from 6 months to 2 years before the average veteran will come in and ask for help," explained Wright.
As the number of veterans with the disorder increases across the Basin, health experts tell us the area continues to fall behind in resources to treat it.
"In this area here they do not have a lot of knowledge about it," said Jill Skaggs who is a career coordinator for the local AHEC. "Or, they really haven't had any training on it."
Skaggs tells Big2 her facility's been actively involved in creating awareness about PTSD, providing more options for people who have it.
"We can get counselors, social workers, people that deal with these people on a daily basis the training that they need," stated Skaggs.
Wright tells us these training opportunities help specialists gain an understanding of an illness that's often unpredictable.
"PTSD can come in with a multitude of symptoms," said Wright. "All of which looks different than the next person."
This is why Wright says it's important for everyone to be informed and not just people diagnosed with the illness.
"PTSD is definitely not an individual diagnosis, it is a family and community diagnosis," stated Wright.
The AHEC tells us they're hosting another PTSD conference in San Angelo this coming March.
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It's commonly found among combat war veterans, and counselors tell us it's a growing problem that most people don't recognize across the country.
Big 2 spent the day talking with several psychologists and counselors who all say, when it comes to this disorder, the Permian Basin is falling behind.
Readjustment Counselor Dennis Wright sees cases of P.T.S.D. almost every day in combat veterans.
"Typically they come in because of problems in their environment," said Wright.
Although he's helped countless veterans take control of PTSD, Wright says most people who suffer from the illness stray away from getting help.
"It takes anywhere from 6 months to 2 years before the average veteran will come in and ask for help," explained Wright.
As the number of veterans with the disorder increases across the Basin, health experts tell us the area continues to fall behind in resources to treat it.
"In this area here they do not have a lot of knowledge about it," said Jill Skaggs who is a career coordinator for the local AHEC. "Or, they really haven't had any training on it."
Skaggs tells Big2 her facility's been actively involved in creating awareness about PTSD, providing more options for people who have it.
"We can get counselors, social workers, people that deal with these people on a daily basis the training that they need," stated Skaggs.
Wright tells us these training opportunities help specialists gain an understanding of an illness that's often unpredictable.
"PTSD can come in with a multitude of symptoms," said Wright. "All of which looks different than the next person."
This is why Wright says it's important for everyone to be informed and not just people diagnosed with the illness.
"PTSD is definitely not an individual diagnosis, it is a family and community diagnosis," stated Wright.
The AHEC tells us they're hosting another PTSD conference in San Angelo this coming March.
Like Jenne Anderson's page on Facebook!
