Women and PTSD

Posttraumatic stress disorder, PTSD, is a complex psychological complication found in many returning war veterans. For pain management specialists, the complexity of PTSD, coupled with the management of a veteran's chronic pain, leads to tailored programs in treatment.

If you are returning home from the war and you find that you are experiencing complications associated with PTSD, in addition to chronic pain, it is important to find a pain specialist who understands both. While many vets find they return home and simply succumb to the VA benefits they are afforded, it may be necessary to move beyond this treatment and seek private healthcare from a pain management specialists who understand the implications and cyclic effect of both.

There are some within the military community who may boast that the VA is trained to treat this specialized complication of chronic pain and PTSD. However, in the civilian life, when a traumatic injury occurs, nearly 50 percent of those civilians also suffer PTSD while trying to manage chronic pain. As a result, there are pain management specialists who may be far more educated and specialized in the treatment of your condition.

Should you seek treatment within the VA system, be certain your chronic pain and psychological issues are addressed by the VA physicians. Because many returning veterans are unfamiliar with the psychological aspect of PTSD, and how it impacts their chronic pain from war injury, it may be at your insistence that testing into this diagnosis is made. Often, when managing chronic pain, the issues of PTSD are not addressed as they should, in both civilian and in VA medical care.

As with any complication that arises out of a traumatic injury, it is important to understand the mind-body connection your healing process will require. For many war veterans, the risks for PTSD are quite significant but can often be overshadowed by the chronic pain treatment administered for the physical injury. With the proper psychological evaluation, and confirmed PTSD, you can begin to heal both mind and body which, ultimately, may improve your healing process and save your marriage and family relationships.