SOUTHCOAST Center helps veterans readjust to life at home

FAIRHAVEN — For those who see combat in the military, the biggest scars might not be physical.

Recent statistics show that 30 percent of military personal suffer from some kind of post-traumatic stress disorder. To help fight this problem, Vet Centers were created in 1979. Across the United States, 300 facilities provide easy access to health care for the men and women readjusting to life at home. One such facility is in Fairhaven.

“We are all trained in all aspects, but we do specialize,” Fairhaven team leader and readjustment counselor David Stone said. “We work together and go over case loads to figure out what is best for the veteran.”

Vet Centers are a part of the Veterans Affairs system but fall under a separate umbrella. All services are provided free of charge to veterans who meet the criteria, and all visits are confidential. No paperwork is necessary because the centers have access to military records. To continue with free treatment after the first few visits, a veteran must have had combat experience with a general or honorable discharge. If a veteran was discharged other an honorably, but wartime service caused the issue for which they want treatment, they might also qualify.

Vet Centers also provide bereavement services to families of lost soldiers. The centers offer counseling for substance abuse and military sexual trauma and harassment.

The staff is made up of social workers, psychologists and mental health counselors.

Every center is different. Unlike the VA, if a veteran is housebound, and resources are available, someone from the Vet Center will go out to see the veteran at home until they are able to visit the office.

The office in Fairhaven is not like a typical mental health doctor’s office. The facility has a more casual, inviting look and feel. The counselors are trained to handle all types of situations and each of them has a specialty.

Andrea Terech is the military sexual trauma specialist in Fairhaven.

The trauma for a returning veteran with post-traumatic stress can also cause complications with family members.

“A lot of the partners and spouses are feeling overwhelmed,” family specialist Sanaz Harnist said. “I work to help them manage the stress and teach them to take care of themselves so that they can take care of the veteran. We plan for scary situations and how to have a safety plan. If there are children involved, we discuss what to do with them when situations arise. These family members come in scared and they feel guilty feeling scared.”

Post-traumatic stress symptoms vary but can include anger, irritability, nightmares, anxiety, depression, inability to sleep, isolation and problems with authority. Most veterans with the disorder struggle being in crowds, making everyday activities such as shopping difficult.

“Every war is different,” Stone said. “One of the new issues for veterans of the Iraq War is they had to go house to house to clear them and do searches. Stairwells now become a very guarded situation. In high-stress situations, they will be cool and calm. In low-stress environments, they may not be able to handle them well. In a restaurant, they will sit with their back against the wall and close to the door. If it becomes too crowded they will leave.”

Veterans who drove in convoys might drive through toll booths on highways or swerve under bridges upon their return. A fast-approaching or uncomfortably close vehicle can spark the fight-or-flight mentality the veterans lived with while serving.

While most Americans love Independence Day celebrations, returning combat veterans might approach the holiday on guard as fireworks explode overhead.

“They have never really come back. They are still in a combat zone ... in a civilian environment,” Stone said.

One of the biggest issues with post-traumatic stress is denial. The stigma leads some service members to wrongly believe they are weak.

“(They are) working 60-80 hours a week trying to push all the memories out of their mind,” Stone said. “Once they get older they cannot put those hours in and the trauma comes back. They have been able to cope but when they are no longer working 80 hours a week, they are sitting with their memories.”

Many of the counselors at Vet Centers are also veterans. “We have been there and done that. Our passion is to take care of vets. We understand the lingo,” Stone said.

The Fairhaven Vet Center is located at 73 Huttleston Ave. in Fairhaven. It is open Monday through Saturday with extended hours available on Monday until 7:30 p.m., Tuesday until 8 p.m. and Thursday until 9 p.m. More information is available by calling the center at (508) 999-6920.