Veterans suffering with post traumatic stress disorder can find a compassionate, resourceful person to tell their story to in Havre. Center for Mental Health therapist Charlene Schmitz leads a group for Vietnam and Iraq vets diagnosed with PTSD. She offers group sessions for them to learn management of their symptoms and begin their life recovery. She said her reasons for wanting to provide the group sessions lie in her past. “I guess I have a passion for vets,” said Schmitz, who had multiple family members in World War II and Vietnam. While the group is open to both Vietnam and Iraq vets, Schmitz said most of the clients now are Vietnam vets who’ve had symptoms triggered by the war in Iraq or looming health concerns that don’t allow them to control their symptoms any longer. She said vets hear all the time that readjustment is stressful and normal. “You’re not crazy, and you have a safe place to tell your story,” she said. “Most vets think they’re losing their mind when they begin to experience the symptoms. “There is a huge stigma about discussing it with other men who served together because the men in the unit start looking at each other as a liability instead of as an asset,” Schmitz added. Group work helps vets with PTSD get better faster than individual therapy, and if a vet has been in individual. Read more at :
Krista Corner Havre Daily News kcorner @ havredailynews.com
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Therapist lends ear to vets with disorder
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