Coping with Survivor Guilt & Grief

Source: U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class
Desiree D. Green/Released

Following the death or severe injury of a fellow service member, friend or loved one, you can sometimes feel shock, responsibility for the event or remorse for surviving. This is a common emotional reaction often called “survivor guilt.”¹

Individuals may experience survivor guilt following casualties during which fellow service members are severely wounded or killed, or when they are at home while their unit is deployed. Individuals coping with survivor guilt may find themselves wondering questions such as:

• “Why didn’t I get hurt?”
• “Why did I live when other people died?”
• “What could I have done differently to prevent it?”

These expressions and feelings are common; they are part of how we as humans grieve.

Four Tips on Coping with Survivor Guilt

You can talk with trained counselors at the DCoE Outreach Center for help in coping with guilt and seek confidential support through the grieving process. Call 866-966-1020, email resources@dcoeoutreach.org or visit the website for help via live chat.

It is important to remember that guilt is a common reaction to loss and it can ultimately be part of the healing process. However, if it is not addressed, excessive guilt can lead to psychological health concerns, such as depression, apathy or generalized anxiety. The following tips may help you cope with guilt: ¹

• Acknowledge your feelings and recognize that they are part of a normal reaction to uncommon circumstances.
• Seek out other people for support. Share your feelings with a peer, friend or family member or join a support group to help you cope.
• Take time to mourn. Attend a religious or community ceremony or plan your own way to remember your fellow service member, friend or loved one
• Turn your feelings into positive action. Make a contribution, hold a fundraiser, give blood or participate in any volunteer action that makes you feel like you are serving the greater good.

While feelings of guilt can accompany reactions to combat stress, they can also be a symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder if they continue for more than a month.² If your feelings of guilt continue for months or interfere with job performance or interaction with others, it is important to seek professional help.³

Interacting with others who have experienced traumatic events or loss can be a helpful part of the grieving process. Check out the Real Warriors Campaign message boards to share your story and exchange coping tips with others.

Understanding Grief

While guilt is an emotional reaction, grief is the healing process people experience following a traumatic event.¹ Grief can have physical and psychological effects and may impact performance during combat and other military operations, as well as your long-term health.⁴ The symptoms and behaviors associated with grief include: ⁴

• Shock and disbelief
• Temporary loss of control of emotions (e.g., anger and aggression)
• Difficulty sleeping
• Withdrawal from others
• Recurrent nightmares or frequent painful remembrances about the death or traumatic event
• Anger; some people may have urges to get revenge (“payback”) for the death or traumatic event
• Difficulty concentrating or sustaining mental focus
• Thoughts or impulses to harm yourself or others

Grief will generally fade in time as you mourn your loss. Severe symptoms of grief are considered common following a loss, but if the symptoms persist for more than six months then you should seek professional care.⁵ If you have thoughts about hurting yourself or others, seek professional help immediately. Resources such as the Military Crisis Line and DCoE Outreach Center are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for those who need immediate care and support.

Staying healthy is an important factor to help you cope with survivor guilt and grief. Keep healthy with acomprehensive approach to overall fitness. Eat well,exercise and get enough sleep.

Coping with Grief and Loss

Connecting to others is a key factor in dealing with grief. Sharing your loss makes grief easier to manage. Here are additional tips to help you cope with your grief:⁵

• Stay in touch with others; don’t let yourself become isolated
• Be patient. It takes time to absorb and accept the loss of a fellow service member, friend or loved one. Don’t rush into making life changes such as a deciding to get married, have a baby or make a major purchase, which are likely to add to your stress
• Think of the good times; it’s OK to keep your friend or loved one in your thoughts
• Reach out for support by talking to your friends and family when you are ready; others may not want to make the first move or be afraid to intrude on your privacy
• Seek professional help if you are:
  • Thinking of hurting yourself or others
  • Unable to function months after the traumatic event or loss (e.g., unable to care for children, hold a job, take care of household matters)
  • Severely depressed or feel hopeless about the future
  • Using alcohol or drugs as a coping mechanism
  • Struggling with substantial feelings of guilt or uncontrolled rage
  • Still experiencing intense grief after six months

Visit the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors(TAPS) website to talk with or meet others with shared experiences and understanding, or to find support and information from its network of resources. A Real Warriors Campaign national partner, TAPS is America’s front-line resource for all who are dealing with survivor guilt and grief.

Additional Resources

• Combat and Operational Stress: Death of a Unit Member(Marines)
• Family Readiness EDGE Guide [PDF 863KB] (Air Force)
• Post-Deployment User Guide: Transition Workbook for Combat Veterans (Navy)
• National Resource Directory: Coping with Grief
• U.S. Army RESET Handbook for Soldiers, DA Civilians and Family Members [PDF 1.63MB] (Army)

http://www.realwarriors.net/active/treatment/survivorguilt.php

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Hounds help veteran heal

Rendon non-profit trains service dogs

By Kyp Shillam

POSTED:   07/31/2014 01:00:00 AM CDT0 COMMENTS

Professional dog whisperers Mark German and Susan Herbert train rescued dogs to be service animals for veterans suffering from PTSD and Traumatic Brain Injury at their Rendon-based non-profit. (CROWLEY STAR/KYP SHILLAM)

Sometimes, medication does not come in the form of a pill.

At Hounds Helping Heroes Heal (H4), a Rendon non-profit which trains service dogs for disabled American veterans, healing comes complete with paws and wagging tail.

"The connections these veterans make with their dogs is amazing," said Susan Herbert, the president and co-founder of H4 Ranch. "Veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome and Traumatic Brain Injury may still have both arms and legs, but their wound is on the inside. They are reclusive and isolate themselves. Our goal is to reintegrate them back into society so they can't hide in their room anymore."

Statistically, 22 veterans commit suicide every day. Flashbacks, rage, helplessness, guilt, anxiety, mistrust, nightmares, and insomnia are just a few symptoms a well trained service dog can soothe.

"We don't teach them useless commands like sit and stay. We teach them commands that mitigate a disability," Mark German, a professional dog whisperer and trainer, said.

"They wake up vets from nightmares. They do security enhancement tasks to ease their veteran's mind. If their vet says, 'who's there?' the dog will search the house and let them know the area is clear. If they say, 'cover me' the dog gets behind the veteran and looks backward, protecting his back from danger and giving him peace of mind."

Sudden, overwhelming thoughts of danger are a constant companion for PTSD vets, German said.

A Navy corpsman (medic) from 1977 to 2005, German suffers from PTSD. With his service dog, Buckaroo, he deals with the irrational fears, guilt and rage that can suddenly crowd his mind.

"I was on the crash crew for the Harrier when we first got them. Pilots were crashing all the time. It was my job to shovel them up off the runway and cart their burned bodies away," he said matter-of-factly.

Like most medics, German grappled with the guilt of "playing God."

"Who do I save? I had to make the decision who lived and who died. I've been through guilt, depression, anxiety, anger – I still go off sometimes. Then there's the isolation," he said, absently reaching down to pet one of the 15 dogs at H4.

There are no kennels at the ranch. All the dogs, rescued from shelters, are in training to live in a house, sleep on or near the bed, go to the grocery store and live life with their veteran no matter where their day takes them.

"A lot goes into the selection of the dog," said Herbert, who prefers labs, lab mixes, golden retrievers, Australian shepherds and great Danes. "Bigger guys need a bigger dog. When you have a 230 pound man who needs balance assistance, you need something like a Dane."

The more social a dog is, the better it fits the profile German and Herbert are looking for.

"Shelters are filled with dogs that suffer from separation anxiety. They don't make good pets because they don't like being alone, but they can make good service dogs because the point is they are not going to be alone. They will go everywhere with their vet," Herbert said, noting H4 gets many inquiries from dog owners wishing to give their pets to the program.

"This is not a dumping ground. All our service dogs are hand selected based on what we're looking for. We don't take drop offs. We're not here to relieve people of their pet responsibilities," she said.

For the first 60 days at the ranch, the dogs learn to live in a pack and be dogs again.

"Most people have treated their dogs like children. They are not people," German said, noting he's written a book on the four essentials to a stable dog. "They need canine instincts to be successful service dogs. Once they are stable and their behavior has been corrected, we can begin taking them out into social settings like the pharmacy or the store."

Important that the dogs are comfortable and attentive to their masters in all settings, the dogs spend another month or so learning to work.

"Most of these dogs just want a job," Herbert said, noting her service dog, Maverick, is the light of her life, alerting her to sudden sleep attacks caused by white lesions on her brain. "They want to be needed and the guys need their 'battle buddy' to help them feel comfortable."

And they are not just needed by the veteran. Herbert said these service dogs are invaluable to caregivers and spouses.

"If your husband won't leave the house because he's depressed or fearful, you have to go to the store, and the pharmacy. When they avoid social settings, that puts more responsibility on the spouse who already does so much," Herbert said, noting many spouses begin to feel resentful and overwhelmed. "These service dogs are not just combating suicide, loneliness and fear, they're combatting marital problems, abuse and divorce."

In less than two years, H4 has placed 11 dogs with veterans from Hawaii to Puerto Rico, Rochester, New York, to Fargo, North Dakota, and beyond. They personally deliver the dogs and spend as long as it takes to acclimate and train the veteran and their new buddy.

"All our veterans know they can call us anytime to talk about the dog or anything else they want," Herbert said, adding the most frequent call she gets is when a vet and their battle buddy are denied access to a public place. "I help them stay calm and, most of the time, I end up explaining and educating store managers and even employers about service dogs and federal law.”

For those who live close, the ranch is a safe haven.

"We understand what they're going through. Many of them come out here and just hang out. They help with the dogs or just relax," Herbert said, adding the H4 Facebook page has become a touchpoint with those they serve. "They know that with their dog, they're safe."

Those wishing to support H4 are invited to a Charity Quarter Auction and Shopping Event to benefit the non-profit from 10 a.m. to noon, Saturday at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 2625 S. Cooper St., Arlington. In addition to the quarter auction, there will be a 50/50 raffle, bake sale and vendor booths. H-4 places fully trained shelter dogs with U.S. Military veterans across the country suffering from traumatic brain injury and post traumatic stress syndrome. For more information, contact www.h4hero.org.

http://www.crowleystar.net/news/ci_26243576?utm_source=RSS+Feeds%3A+Aggregate+News+%26+Info&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TBI_News_Information+%28TBI+News+and+Info+-+BrainLine.org%29

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What Has Worked for Me

Victoria Tilney McDonough, BrainLine

Bryan and Cheryl Gasner with baby Emery.

On a recent summer day, Cheryl and Bryan Gansner took their 9-month-old daughter, Emery, to a local park. Cheryl wanted to do a family photo shoot amidst a riot or huge, crazy yellow sunflowers. She took lots of Emery, then some of Bryan and Emery. He clicked a few of Emery and her. Out of nowhere, Bryan snapped. He shouted, “Get me out of here! Now!” That was it. He was done. It was as if a flip had been switched off — or on. He went from calm, quiet, sweet Bryan to angry, impatient, high-adrenaline Bryan.

July 28, 2006

Much has changed for Cheryl Gansner since 2006. She is a new mother, she has a different job working from home, and she knows more about caregiving than she ever imagined.

Cheryl and Bryan have been married for nine years. Their marriage took place between his two deployments in Iraq, in which he worked in field artillery for the Army. “Bryan was always a quiet, kind person. Someone who gravitated to observing and listening rather than being in the middle of things,” says Cheryl. “But he always an active guy, full of energy, always doing something — whether hiking, biking, skiing, or snowboarding or up first thing in the morning cleaning the basement or hauling things down from the attic. And he loved time with his family, and having his buddies over for burgers and beer.”

On July 28, 2006, six weeks before he was scheduled to return home, Bryan was severely injured when the vehicle he was riding in was hit by a bomb blast. His right leg was ripped open by shrapnel, some of the tendons in his knee were severed, and he shattered both his heels. He had hundreds of stitches and has had 16 surgeries. He also sustained a traumatic brain injury and suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. Cheryl is a social worker, a helper by nature. She spent months by his side dressing his wounds, helping him learn to walk again, and learning to deal with the first stages of healing from TBI and PTSD. After 20 months, Bryan was medically retired from the Army. For Cheryl, the real work began when they got home.

The social and emotional impact from TBI and PTSD is often the most difficult part of living with TBI and PTSD for the injured person and his whole family. “It’s hard for me not to rely on who he used to be before he was injured,” she says, “and not being upset that he’s not that way anymore.”

Bryan is still the quiet, loving, cerebral guy he was before he was injured, but now, according to Cheryl, he is more reserved, more of a loner. “He doesn’t want to go out, he’s less active, he’s more isolating. He can get angry, but mostly, he’s sort of in a ‘blah” state a lot of the time; he doesn’t really get excited about much,” she says. “But things are slowly getting better, and we have strategies we’ve learned that work for us. We’re living our life, and it’s good.”

Tools and strategies

As families with a TBI and PTSD know, recovery is far from quick. But Cheryl and Bryan — with a lot of help from myriad specialists from surgeons to counselors — they have slowly chipped away at the challenges that have come in the wake of Bryan’s injuries. And although life is not perfect — whose is? — they have learned strategies to make their new normal work.

Take the photo-shoot-amongst-the-sunflowers incident, for example. “So, Bryan’s mood can change like that, going from 0-160 mph because of his TBI and PTSD. It doesn’t happen that often, but when it does it comes out of nowhere,” says Cheryl. When they got home from the park, when everyone was more calm, the couple talked about what had happened. Cheryl explained how his snapping at her and making them leave the park before she’d gotten the photographs she’d wanted was hurtful and frustrating. She asked him to try to work on giving her some warning, or to say what he needs in a more gentle manner. She also reassured him that she understood that his behavior was his TBI and PTSD, not him. “So, we both know that next time, things will be a step easier and maybe a handful of steps easier the time after that,” she says.

The couple has also started to return to more of a social life with the strategies they’ve learned and the experiences they’ve had. If they want to go out to dinner, they go on a week night instead of a weekend night, or on a late Sunday afternoon. They make sure Bryan gets a seat with his back to the wall and that the place is not too loud or over-stimulating. This way, they can talk and laugh and enjoy each other without hypervigilance taking over.

Secondary PTSD or caregiver fatigue

When Cheryl talks about hypervigilance or other symptoms like fear of crowds and loud noises, she is not talking only of Bryan but also herself. “I have always been an outgoing, social butterfly by nature, but over time I have sort of taken on some of Bryan’s post-injury qualities or symptoms,” she says. Secondary PTSD or caregiver fatigue, she explains, is quite common. “I have seen lots of other caregivers like me take on their spouse’s symptoms. For instance, if we suddenly find ourselves in a crowd, I start to get panicky because I know that Bryan’s becoming anxious. Or I’ll check exits when we enter a restaurant, things like that.”

As an antidote to caregiver fatigue, Cheryl makes sure she takes time for herself — attending church or going shopping or eating out with friends. “It’s good to laugh and step outside yourself sometimes,” she says.

Through her job with Hearts of Valor, where she has worked for four years, Cheryl has met a network of other caregivers who have become close friends and confidants. They have gone on vacations together, since none of their husbands want to. They turn to each other on tough days, and celebrate together on good days.

Hearts of Valor’s mission is to “honor the service and sacrifice of the people who care for our nation's wounded, ill or injured warriors by providing a community of support based on a foundation of empathy and mutual understanding.” Cheryl helps set up retreats that range from providing education and insight through courses on living with a spouse with TBI and PTSD to equine therapy to a weekend of activities that include journaling or intimacy workshops to cooking classes. “I have found our retreats incredibly healing and rejuvenating — for everyone who attends, including myself,” says Cheryl.

Through Hearts of Valor and in collaboration with other organizations, she also helps set up events and retreats for families. In July, for example, with four other military couples, Bryan and Cheryl went to Six Flags. With special parking and passes that allowed the group to bypass waiting lines and crowds, the weekend was a success. Other couples did the same thing in other amusement parks across the country.

Parenthood

Working as the program coordinator for Hearts of Valor allows Cheryl to work from home so she can balance work with life, including being a new mother, which she loves.

Bryan is sweet with Emery, he like to lie her on his chest so he can talk to her and play with her tiny fingers and toes. “I think it was harder for him when she was in the infant/crying stage,” says Cheryl. “When the crying jags got long, he’d have to remove himself. I understood.”

Cheryl does not leave Emery and Bryan alone because of his short-term memory problems. “A week after her birth, I was starting to put together her baby book. I asked Bryan how he felt during his first week as a father. He said he couldn’t remember. I said, happy? He said, sure, I guess I was happy. I felt pretty heart-broken about that, but that’s the way it is.” She pauses. “He will be a great father. He will bring other things to her life.

“I’ve always been a very positive person. If I’m having a rough time, I will reach out to my caregiving friends since they understand, or call my mom to talk or laugh about something silly.” Then, Cheryl will breathe, look around at all she has to be grateful for and know that the next day will be new and that their family will continue to move forward.

Cheryl’s Caregiving Advice and Strategies

Support groups: You need to be your warrior’s best advocate. Even if asking questions and speaking up do not come naturally to you, find a way to get what you need. Finding others who have gone through all of this before will help with the steps in recovery — from the surgeries and rehab appointments to all the emotional stuff that comes with poly-trauma.

Counseling: Get your loved one and yourself into counseling sooner rather than later. It might seem worthless at first, but it builds and it really does help. Stop when you’re ready, you can always go back for a “tune up” if you feel you need one.

Nightmares: If your spouse has nightmares, find what works to make the night and the following morning less dramatic. What works for us is this: I don’t wake him up. I quietly leave the room. I don’t talk about it the next day if he doesn’t bring it up because usually he doesn’t remember and does not want to know.

Suicide training: Know the signs. Ironically, when I was in school studying social work, we learned about suicide prevention and had to practice with our peers. We had to look our partners in the eye and ask if they thought they might commit suicide. I’m glad that I had that training because I’m not sure I would have had the courage to ask Bryan that question during an especially dark period if I had not known what signs to look for, or what exactly to ask.

Explore all options: Not all therapies are covered by insurance, unfortunately, but we were able to get Bryan 80 sessions of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) — 40 through a clinical study, 40 out of pocket. For him, HBOT was a pivotal time in his recovery. The effects of HBOT don’t last forever, but for Bryan, his depression scale went down and his cognitive function went up. There are many traditional and alternative therapies out there. See what works for your warrior.

Volunteer: I know this sounds crazy, but when things got really bad about three years after Bryan was hurt (he took himself off all his meds and didn’t tell anyone), I signed up to volunteer at a therapeutic writing academy. I worked with kids who had cerebral palsy, cystic fibrosis, and autism. It was so good for my spirits. I found that when all your chips are falling around your feet, it’s empowering to help others who have plenty of chips falling around their feet, too.

Find friends who “get it”: Make friends who understand what you’re going through. They don’t have to be other military spouses necessarily, though I have a few of those who are irreplaceable, I’ve also found a few older caregivers who have had more life experience who have become amazing friends. This nugget of advice is crucial. Having friends and confidants who understand truly lightens everything.

Love your life: Everyone has ups and downs, challenges, joys. You get what you get. Make the best out of it. There is so much goodness.

http://www.brainline.org/content/2014/07/what-has-worked-for-me.html?utm_source=RSS+Feeds%3A+Aggregate+News+%26+Info&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TBI_News_Information+%28TBI+News+and+Info+-+BrainLine.org%29

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PTSD & Anger, Part 3: The Physiological Side of Anger

Posted by Michele Rosenthal

Friday, July 18th, 2014 • PTSD Recovery Tips •

 

Some time ago, a man wrote me how much he enjoys the blog, even though anger is not his problem, even though he’s only depressed. So let’s pause for a moment to remember: Depression is anger turned inward. And since anger can be a positive survival mechanism, let’s not be so quick to dismiss it or want to deny we feel it. Last week’s post made the point that anger can be helpful to survivors, so come with me over the next couple of weeks. Building on the first anger post I’m going someplace we all can go, regardless of how your anger manifests itself.

Today I want to continue the exploration of anger in physiological terms and here’s why: Anger has many physical effects, so if we don’t find a way to deal, diffuse and direct it we’re only adding to the problems we already have. Let’s begin with more from Dr. Harry Mills who writes in his article ‘Physiology of Anger’, “Like other emotions, anger is experienced in our bodies as well as in our minds. In fact, there is a complex series of physiological (body) events that occurs as we become angry.”

In her excellent and informative article on the physiology of anger Christina Boerma builds on Mills’ statement with an important reminder when she writes, “Anger hurts the angry person more than the object of its anger.” How does it do that, you ask? Let me count the ways in this partial list of how anger physically manifests:

1 – Muscles that are needed to fight or flee become very tight, causing an “uptight” feeling.

2 – Chemicals known as catecholamines are released causing us to experience a burst of energy (which causes a sugar deficiency, so that an angry person may “shake from anger”).

3 – Heart rate accelerates: Because of our anger, the usual (average) heart rate of 80 climbs to 180 beats per minute.

4 – Blood pressure rises: An average blood pressure of 120 over 80 suddenly soars to 220 over 130, sometimes even higher.

5 – As the body prepares for survival, it safeguards itself against injury and bleeding. Likewise, an angry person’s body releases chemicals to coagulate (clot) the blood, creating a situation that’s potentially dangerous. Although there is no physical injury, the clot is formed, which can travel through the blood vessels to the brain or heart.

6 – Rate of breathing increases to get more oxygen into the body.

7 – Increased blood flow enters our limbs and extremities.

8 – Attention narrows.

9 – Hormones (adrenaline and noradrenaline) are released which trigger a lasting state of arousal.

The problem with all of this, as Dr. Mills points out is that:

“If anger has a physiological preparation phase during which our resources are mobilized for a fight, it also has a wind-down phase as well. We start to relax back towards our resting state when the target of our anger is no longer accessible or an immediate threat. However, it is difficult to relax from an angry state. The adrenaline-caused arousal that occurs during anger lasts a very long time (many hours, sometimes days), and lowers our anger threshold, making it easier for us to get angry again later on. Though we do calm down, it takes a very long time for us to return to our resting state. During this slow cool-down period we are more likely to get very angry in response to minor irritations that normally would not bother us…. High levels of arousal (such as are present when we are angry) significantly decrease your ability to concentrate.”

Which means, the naturally hyperaroused, hypervigilant, brain fog state in which we already exist is only exacerbated by anger. We need to consider this. We need to see ourselves. We need to make a change.

Our bodies are already stressed, tensed and on edge any normal day. Why make it worse by not controlling our anger? It is, after all, an emotion that is within our capability to focus, modulate and contain. There are tons of anger management techniques. We can also begin easing anger’s effects by learning simple relaxation techniques. Which, come to think of it, wouldn’t be bad for any of us, even when we’re not angry — even when we’re only depressed.

http://healmyptsd.com/2014/07/ptsd-anger-part-3-the-physiological-side-of-anger.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ParasitesoftheMind+%28Heal+My+PTSD+Blog%29

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PTSD could explain some post-concussion symptoms

Having a mild traumatic brain injury or concussion could be a predicator of PTSD

CBC News Posted: Jul 16, 2014 5:38 PM ET Last Updated: Jul 16, 2014 5:38 PM ET

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External Links

• Persistent Symptoms After Mild Traumatic Brain Injury, JAMA Psychiatry

(Note: CBC does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of external links.)

Some concussion symptoms that last three months after a head injury may be related to post-traumatic stress disorder, a new study suggests.

Mild traumatic brain injury accounts for more than 90 per cent of brain injuries, according to an international review for the World Health Organization, but little is known about prognosis.

Road crashes were the source of many of the head injuries suffered by patients in the study group. (Radio-Canada)

In Wednesday’s issue of the journal JAMA Psychiatry, Emmanuel Lagarde of the University of Boredeaux, David Cassidy of Toronto Western Research Institute and their team focused on 534 patients with head injuries and 827 control patients with non-head injuries who went to an emergency department in France.

Concussions or mild traumatic brain injury can lead to three different types of symptoms:

• Physical, such as headache and nausea.
• Cognitive, such as memory or attention problems.
• Behavioural such as depression, anxiety and irritability.

During the three-month followup, 21 per cent of the patients with head injuries and 16 per cent of the patients with non-head injuries met the criteria for a diagnosis of post-concussion syndrome.

Nearly nine per cent of patients with head injuries met the criteria for PTSD compared with two per cent of patients in the control group.

In a statistical analysis, having a mild traumatic brain injury was a predicator of PTSD, but not post-concussion syndrome.

"Available evidence does not support further use of post-concussion syndrome. Our results also stressed the importance of considering PTSD risk and treatment for patients with mild traumatic brain injury," the researchers concluded.

Jane Topolovec-Vranic, a clinical researcher in mild traumatic brain injury and neuroscience at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, said the study was well done with rigorous analyses and a control group that is often missing in such studies.

Topolovec-Vranic notes many people recover but she hopes that the findings help to increase awareness of the range of symptoms of concussions that can occur after a hit to the head.

"They may dismiss it or not even seek medical attention thinking that they'll recover just fine. This study is suggesting they need to keep an eye out for symptoms that might be happening after a mild traumatic brain injury," Topolovec-Vranic said.

The research was funded by Inserm, the Reunica Group and Bordeaux University Hospital in France.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/ptsd-could-explain-some-post-concussion-symptoms-1.2709141?utm_source=RSS+Feeds%3A+Aggregate+News+%26+Info&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TBI_News_Information+%28TBI+News+and+Info+-+BrainLine.org%29

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