Tip Cards on Brain Injury and PTSD in Veterans

As wounded veterans and service members return home, community agencies will be providing services for survivors of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This tip card prepares staff of community agencies to prepare for initial meetings with wounded warriors and family, gather information, identify pitfalls and barriers to services, and to be aware of cognitive issues with TBI and PTSD.

Many veterans and service members exposed to blasts in Iraq or Afghanistan have been diagnosed with traumatic brain injury or TBI and PTSD. This tip card helps survivors, families and caregivers understand why blasts cause so many injuries, how trauma damages the brain, and the symptoms of TBI and PTSD.

A tip card for clinicians, families, survivors and veterans describes the causes, signs, symptoms and effects of Blast Injury and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. PTSD is often seen in service members and veterans exposed to blast injuries but can also occur in civilians hurt in car crashes, natural disasters and other life threatening events.

Suicide among veterans of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is preventable. Many service members are having difficulty adjusting as they return to duty, come home, rejoin their families, go back to work, and resume their lives. Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and chronic pain increase the risks of suicide. This tip card for veterans and family members describes the warning signs of suicide, identifies the risks among service members, and discusses how and when to find help to prevent suicide.