HEALTH & WELLNESS
HEALTH & WELLNESS
Treating
hidden in wounds
Anxiety
and depression
women:
in our
Don’t
hesitate veterans
to get help
Mental
such as anxiety
de- vet- Depression:
long
periods
feeling treatment
sad, lonely is or
hopeless;
Many health
of the problems
wounds sustained
by our and
military
one who
serves.
But of
seeking
probably
one of t
pression
can
affect anyone, at any age, but women
low energy
levels
and lives
a lack that
of motivation
in means
life; eating
times
in their
“surrender”
you and
win. The
erans are
invisible.
are most at risk. In fact, one in eight women will ex-
sleeping that
problems;
and difficulty
concentrating
or and
making
we’re seeing
in veterans
is unique,
our de-
staff are
In addition
to physical
those
who serve
perience
major depression
in trauma,
her lifetime
— twice
cisions.
in
prolonged
exposure
therapy
to
help
them
work
through
our
country
often
witness
or
directly
experience
the rate of men, according to the National Alliance
Orro says binge drinking is also an increasingly com-
move
on.
horrific
that can overwhelm their
on
Mental circumstances
Illness.
mon sign of mental health problems, especially among
That’s why
it’s important
for women
to often
un- than
First women
Responder
provides
inpatie
capacity
to endure.
Unfortunately,
more
professional
who Treatment
may turn Services
to alcohol
to cope
derstand
the
signs of mental
health and
disorders
with the
anxiety and treatment
stress they
feel in social situations.
dence-based
for trauma-related
disorders in ve
not,
these
experiences
are
repeated
cumulative.
DR. MICHAEL and not hesitate to seek help. My colleague,
Getting giving
help them the opportunity to combat isolation and p
Service-related
BIZZARRO Nicole
Orro, LPC, trauma
LCADC, Director of Outpatient
Reaching
out
to a person among
with an peers
unbiased
— such
their
experiences
in a opinion
supportive
group
Our
veterans
have
little
or
no
opportunity
to
grieve
DR. MICHAEL Services-Hamilton at Princeton House Behavioral
as a physician,
a
counselor
or
a
spiritual
leader
—
can
help
you exp
Treatment
includes
many
facets,
such
as
a
grief
group,
or
process
what’s
happened
to
them
and
their
com-
Health,
advocates
for
getting
this
help
as
soon
as
you
start
to
BIZZARRO
determine whether you may need mental health treatment.
groups
like art
therapy Program
and sometimes
even hospital
interaction w
feel even the slightest
onset they
of issues.
rades while
are deployed, and they frequently Princeton
House’s
Women’s
offers partial
“We all experience
some level trauma
of anxiety
depres-
vice
dogs.
face service-related
(SRT) and
or post-traumatic
and intensive outpatient programs at five locations in central
sion throughout our lives, and there are times when those
The
has provided
treatment
257
veterans s
New Jersey
for program
women who
need a high
level of for
care.
Group
stress
(PTSD)
as they
try to Orro
reintegrate
into civilian
feelings disorder
are more
or less
intense,”
says. “When
feel- life.
therapy
is
the
primary
focus
of
all
programs.
inception.
At
least
70
have
gone
on
to
become
law enfor
SRT
is
a
newer,
broader
term
to
incorporate
any
trauma
resulting
ings of fear or sadness start causing you to not want to
also notes
group therapy
allows
you
to connect with
or that
corrections
officers
after
completing
treatment
from
PTSD
by failure to recover
af- Orro officers
go to service,
work or while
school
or is
to characterized
give up on relationships
with
women who
are experiencing
you’re experiencing.“The
To learn
more about what
the program,
please call 800-242-
friends
and family
that’s when
you need
to seek
help.”
ter
experiencing
or —
witnessing
a specific
terrifying
event
or series
connections you make during therapy will give you a lifelong
What
to
look
for
visit www.princetonhouse.org. d
of events. It’s not unusual for individuals who have experienced
network of people who know how you feel and can support
Some common signs of anxiety and depression that women
traumatic
events to have
flashbacks,
you,” she says.
may see in themselves
or others
include: night terrors or intrusive
Michael Bizzarro, Ph.D., LCSW, BCD, is Director of Clinical
memories.
Anxiety: chronic feelings of panic, fear or stress; physical
for out
Princeton
Health’s
Responder Team
To find
more House
about Behavioral
Princeton
House First
Behavioral
Typically, such
a significant
amount
of time passes
before
veterans
symptoms,
as chest pain
and shortness
of breath;
specif-
member
of
the
NJ
State
PBA
Clinical
Services
team.
earned h
Health’s Women’s Program, call 888-437-1610 He or
ic fears
situations
such Rather
as social
gatherings
or driving;
and they
elect
to of
enter
treatment.
than
addressing
the trauma,
ter’s
in
social
work
from
Rutgers
University
and
his
Ph.D.
in
sleeping
problems.
may find themselves seeking treatment for the development visit
of princetonhouse.org/women.
social work from the Institute for Clinical Social Work in Chic
a compounded problem like substance abuse or marital issues.
served in the U.S. Army Reserve and later as a Port Authority
“Surrender” means you win
forcement officer. He has been working with first responders f
than 20 years.
The word “surrender” is generally not in the vocabulary of any-
94
NEW JERSEY COPS
■ JUNE 2017