A Health Campaign of Uniformed Services University, www.usuhs.edu, and theCenter for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Bethesda, Maryland, www.CSTSonline.org

How Can I Get a Service Member
to Seek Help?
Talking Points for Loved Ones

Service members are often
Loved ones play a key role in
Loved
ones
playakeyroleinencouraging
reluctant to seek out healthcare
encouraging service members to seek
services, especially for emotional
service members to seek help forhelp for health problems. It is often aproblems and depressive symptoms.
close family member who is the firsthealth problems.
As a result, many are living withto notice changes in their loved one’s
serious health issues that affectbehavior or appearance. These changes
their well-being and the well-being of their families andmay signal a physical or mental health problem, or both.
children.
There has been an increase in psychological and medical
Talking to a loved one about seeking help isn’t always
disorders since the start of OEF and OIF. Many service
easy. How do you talk to someone about changes in theirmembers, some subjected to multiple deployments andbehavior (anger, withdrawal, or risky behaviors such ascombat exposure, have returned with post traumatic stressreckless driving and alcohol and drug misuse), and how dodisorder (PTSD), depression, and drug and alcohol misuse.
you get them to seek professional help?
The number of suicides of current and former service
This Courage to Care provides tips on talking to yourmembers has increased in recent years. Physical injuries
loved one using three approaches that may help service
include traumatic brain injury (TBI), burns, amputations,members view health seeking in a more favorable light.
and multi-trauma wounds.
When talking to your loved one about seeking help,
emphasize:of superior judgment, good decision-making, and involving
collaboration.

1. The Role of Outside Events
When talking to your loved one about seeking help, point
to the outside factors that may have contributed to what
you are seeing or to your loved one’s symptoms. Service
members may be more willing to acknowledge a problem interms of outside events rather than as an illness.

Talking Point“This has lasted a long time — restless sleep, jumpiness,anger. Seeing someone at the clinic would be a good idea andand probably the best thing you can do at this time. I know
you and the doctor can work together to help you feel better.”

Talking Point“I’ve noticed that you are not yourself lately. You are more
irritable, withdrawn, and seem sad a lot of the time. Given
what you have been through — multiple deployments, combat
stress, and adjusting to being back, it’s understandable, but thekids and I are concerned, and we want you to feel better.”
2. Help Seeking as a Strength
Many service members are concerned that seeking help
means they are weak or dependent, and they worry “whatwill others think of me?” Talk about seeking help as a sign

3. One’s Obligation to Stay Healthy
Duty is part of military life and culture. Discuss healthseeking as fulfilling one’s duty to self and important
people in the service member’s life — family, children, andcomrades.
Talking Point
A spouse or partner might state: “I know that you are‘getting by’, but by getting help, you can be doing that muchbetter! By taking care of yourself, you are taking care of ourfamily. We both have a duty to stay healthy for each other, for
our work, and, importantly, for our children.”Continued

Remember, loved ones play an important role inencouraging service members to seek help. This fact sheet
provides three approaches that may reduce the stigma
many attach to seeking medical care. In conversation, it
may be helpful to: 1) describe whatever changes you areseeing as likely due to external events such as the stresses of
deployment, 2) talk about help seeking as a sign of courage,
good judgment, and an obligation or duty to one’s self,family, friends, and job.

RESOURCES
Real Warrior: Resilience, Recovery, Reintegration
http://www.realwarriors.net/
Contains information on psychological health and traumatic brain injury
for service members including Guard and Reserve. Features real stories ofservice members who have sought and received help.
Military OneSource
www.militaryonesource.com
Features comprehensive information on all aspects of military life andhealth, and an 800 24/7 helpline for all services and their families.

Courage to Care is a health promotion campaign of Uniformed Services University
and its Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress (CSTS). CSTS is the academic
arm and a partnering Center of the Defense Centers of Excellence (DCoE) for
Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury.

Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress
Department of Psychiatry
Uniformed Services University
4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD 20814-4799
www.CSTSonline.org