SEATTLE NEWS ARCHIVES & FEATURES
Retired US Army General talks to Todd Herman about PTSD
Jun 14, 2016, 10:06 AM | Updated: 10:18 am
Personal Traumatic Stress Disorder is a personal topic for AM 770 KTTH’s Todd Herman. He has friends who are deeply affected by the disorder and often receives texts and emails from listeners about ways to help.
Herman spoke with retired U.S. Army Gen. Peter Chiarelli, a Seattle native, who is involved with the documentary “When War Comes Home” that will be screened at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Majestic Bay Theater in Seattle.
The documentary focuses on three soldiers who have suffered in different ways from their time in combat. Herman asked Chiarelli what to tell people who are suffering from PTSD.
“I tell them to go and get help,” he said. “I wish many of our treatments were much more effective than they are, but there are evidence-based treatments. Cognitive behavioral therapy given by a person well trained in it can give great relief to individuals suffering from severe post-traumatic stress. I think the worst thing they can do is use other methods to try to control their symptoms. And we see that quite a lot. The individual who won’t go in and get help turns to drugs or alcohol in order to control their symptoms. And that’s the worst thing.”
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