Air Date: April 18, 2012

Friends, family and fellow service members can help warriors recognize psychological health concerns and seek appropriate care.

NARRATOR:

This is Real Warriors—Real Advice.

Friends, family members and fellow service members are all in a position to recognize signs of psychological health concerns in a warrior and help that person find needed care. It’s important, however, to become familiar with the physical, emotional and behavioral symptoms of psychological health concerns and then take action if the symptoms do not improve or grow worse during an extended period of time. Leaders may recognize problems early on as a warrior’s work performance changes or if they see a service member become isolated, withdrawing from interactions with their buddies or unit. It’s important for line leaders to remain attentive and refer a service member to a chaplain, health care professional or other resources for more support, if needed.

When Army Sgt. 1^st Class Michael McCarthy noticed declining work performance from one of the warriors under his leadership—a service member who had always performed exceptionally well until after a deployment to Iraq—he talked with her about it and learned that she had problems concentrating, trouble sleeping and experienced nightmares. Along with their 1st Sgt., McCarthy helped the warrior understand that she needed support for symptoms of PTSD, which she then received from her local VA. According to McCarthy, that support helped the warrior get back to peak performance.

SGT 1^ST CLASS MICHAEL McCARTHY:

It’s not a sign of weakness. It's a sign of strength being able to admit that I have something I need to take care of and I need somebody to point me in the right direction, I need some help with an issue. So, it’s very important for leaders and fellow soldiers to be able to identify and refer or direct a person to seek help.

NARRATOR:

Find out more about psychological health concerns and how you or someone you know can get needed support by accessing information and resources 24/7 at realwarriors.net or by calling 866-966-1020.