Noteboom The Law Firm

Veterans with PTSD Find Help Through “Not Alone” Website

Some of the most effective therapy available for soldiers with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is peer counseling and support. Retired Lt. Gen. Hugh Smith knows that first hand, which lead him to become involved in “Not Alone,” an organization dedicated to helping soldiers, veterans with disabilities, and their families, according to an article in The Leaf Chronicle.

The Not Alone website includes stories from those who have been to war, suffer from PTSD, and “fought the battle of coming home.” It’s imperative to convey to those suffering from PTSD that they aren’t alone, and there are people out there willing and able to help them. That’s why the website offers more than just stories, and also includes: 

• ·        social networking;
• ·        chat groups;
• ·        moderated forums;
• ·        online seminars;
• ·        personal clinical care for professional counseling; and
• ·        workshops.

Gen. Smith serves on the Not Alone board because of his concern with the mental health issues that soldiers face when returning from different zones of combat.

According to Smith, for example, most Vietnam veterans didn’t start developing their mental health issues until their second tour. It was the constant unknown that finally made them “crack;” the unknown of being confined to a base with nowhere to go and knowing they were surrounded by an unseen enemy. The only people that can understand the reality of it are the people that were there with you.