Let's talk about 'Operator Syndrome' today. I'm re-posting, word-for-word, an excellent piece on LinkedIn from Dr. Kate Pate. The Link is at the end. #Veterans #PTSD #TBI

"Operator Syndrome is complex and far-reaching. The first bullet is underlined because TBI affects nearly everyone in this population, and many of the other issues on this list derive from TBI. -

Additionally, I’d like to point out that PTSD is a more frequent diagnosis among folks with a history of TBI than among uninjured peers. It seems that brain injuries and the secondary injury cascade that includes neuroinflammation may predispose a person for developing PTSD..

...following exposure to a traumatic event. Further complicating things, most operators diagnosed with PTSD don’t report feeling any fear or avoidance during some of the most extreme combat situations.

Rather, they reported that they loved combat deployments and missed being in the action. Thus, the full diagnostic requirements for PTSD, which include experiencing an event regarded as traumatic, aren’t met in many of these individuals.

We clearly need to rethink how we look at and diagnose mental and physical health in this population. It’s important to note that this kind of syndrome is also prevalent among first responders, too.

This is an epidemic in the community – one that’s taking far too many good people from us – and education and destigmatization are the first steps in figuring out what to do about it."

The post on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/posts/activity-6757091729494609920-Q4sO

Dr. Kate Pate's bio. https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-pate-phd-ba699b85/