Veterans’
Perspective: The Benefits of Peer Counseling for Veterans
By: Lois Matteis
Throughout recent history, gigantic
strides have been made in mental health treatments and how the public has
responded to this issue. One extremely under-rated method for mental health
assistance has been peer counseling, and this is especially true for veterans. In
2014, The School of Medicine and the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care
System designed a pilot program for the purposes of training veterans to help
their peers suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and this has
branched out into several different organizations who have adopted this method
to help veterans with their mental wellbeing. Individuals who have served in
different wars have vastly different experiences than those of former or latter
wars, and having a peer counselor who went through the same experience
instantly bridges a connection between the two individuals. This is especially
true for the weapons culture within the military. Veterans who counsel their peers benefit in
many ways:
1) They understand the language and culture of the
individuals who need help. Veterans who need help will not be as fearful of
negative repercussions because of a misunderstandings. This disorder breeds
distrust, so getting counseling from someone from a different world may not
help as much as it appears.
2) Having a large community of peers who went
through similar experiences would allow veterans suffering from PTSD to feel
less isolated and could receive help outside of self-medicating and waiting
months for the VA to play catch-up. The opportunity for a mutually beneficial
bonding experience with both peers would lead to a more substantial network of
help for all parties involved.
Being in the military is a unique culture all
its own, complete with an abundance of acronyms, early mornings, late nights,
weapons training and a combat mentality. After spending five years in the
Marine Corps, it is a little difficult thinking of speaking to someone who has
never experienced this type of an environment. Of course they do help many
veterans, but bridging that gap seems like such a daunting task. Speaking
personally, I want someone to teach me how to handle the issues. I don’t want
to be the one to teach the words, phrases, and actions of my day to day life in
the military. Many who have been deployed excelled in their specific combat
environment. The issue is not teaching them to deal with it, it is a matter of
unlearning the very skills which kept them alive. Veterans act without
thinking, and frankly, have a very low tolerance for “bullshit.”
One of the most
significant disconnects between civilians and veterans, however, is the
relationship veterans have with weapons. Repeating the mantra “This is my
rifle. There are many like it but this one is mine…” every day in boot camp,
for example, ingrains in many veterans’ heads pretty early on that weapon
accountability is of the utmost importance. Weapons become an extra limb, and a
matter of protection. Many veterans
carry for a number of reasons, including protection for themselves and their
families.
On the other side
of that, however, almost 70% of veterans who commit suicide do so with a gun. Many
who ponder suicide with their weapon are also likely to not report the
incident, because they fear the counselor could recommend taking away their
weapon or putting them on a watch list. Talking to a psychologist about
contemplating suicide with a weapon may lead a veteran to think he or she could
lose their gun rights. This fear is not irrational considering the plethora of
misinformation and rumors regarding gun ownership and PTSD. This disconnect has
led to a severe distrust of counseling because many veterans don’t want to lose
the rights they fought for. Whether someone were to agree with this reasoning
or not, it is still a prominent issue when it comes to veterans and receiving
care for mental illness. If veterans feel they will be treated unfairly or
stigmatized, they are less likely to seek out help.
Talking to a peer
counselor, however, who also carries, who also has PTSD, and who also
experiences the same hurdles brings forth an understanding a veteran may not be
able to get with a civilian counselor. A peer counselor understands the culture
and why carrying a weapon is important to veterans. It is part of their
identity, and a peer counselor could come up with ways to support the veteran
without trying to impose on his or her way of life. Many veterans feel more
comfortable speaking to a peer vs. someone in a white coat. The important
factor is creating a community of support. Through peer support, veterans with
PTSD can also make an external connection to a network of individuals who are
readily available to support their brothers and sisters of the service. This
would greatly improve the assistance a veteran with PTSD or depression could
receive.
One of the
problems of this program, however, is that not many veterans are aware of its
existence or the potential benefits of the program. Listed below, are links to
several types of programs who offer peer counseling and training for those who
wish to help, and they have compiled them from locations all over the nation.
There are so many programs out there, and hopefully it can help a loved veteran
get the help they need.
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