The Foreign Service Journal, May 2019

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | MAY 2019 35 Diplomatic Security Service Tactical Emergency Medical Support Program Manager James Eusanio provides medical support and emergency assistance for DSS Mobile Security Deployments training in Blackstone, Virginia, in August 2017. COURTESYOFJAMESEUSANIO PTSD is not a failure to cope; it is a neurobiological response to an event, an injury just like any other. Resources Employee Consultation Services Phone: (703) 812-2257 Email: MEDCS@state.gov In tranet: http://med.m.state.sbu/mhs/ ecs/default.aspx Diplomatic Security Peer Support Group In tranet: https://intranet.ds.state.sbu/ DS/EX/PSG/default.aspx I was diagnosed with depression and given medications that helped a bit, but the symptoms came back. I finally sought the treatment of a psychiatrist and was diagnosed with PTSD. Fear- ful that my diagnosis would threaten my security clearance, I sought treatment outside the State Department. My psychiatrist treated me with Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocess- ing. It worked very well, and I felt great for a few years. I thought I was cured. Then, stress at work increased, causing my symptoms to resurface. I turned to the State Department’s Employee Coun- seling Services. The staff was phenomenal! One of the ECS counselors diagnosed me with PTSD—again. How was this possible? It’s Not a Failure to Cope Not everyone with PTSD is cured. And in my particular situa- tion, I will more than likely be dealing with this for the rest of my life. ECS put me in touch with an outside provider who con- firmed my diagnosis, and reassured me that there was no other medical reason for me to feel the way I did. The ECS provider did a wonderful job, and I finished my treatment with her and again felt great. The Diplomatic Security Peer Support Group, run by Mark Danzig, was instrumental in assisting me, as well. When my PTSD symptoms came back, I filed and was approved for assis- tance by the department’s Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs. I am now seeing another provider who is starting me on EMDR again, along with other treatments including hypno- sis, brain mapping and cognitive feedback. I have only seen her twice so far, but things are going great. Over the last eight years, I’ve learned more about emotional health and resilience than I ever thought I would. PTSD is not a failure to cope; it is a neurobiological response to an event, and it’s an injury just like any other. I know now that I was not mentally prepared to deal with what I saw in Haiti, especially the injured children. My wife and I had our son in February 2009, just months before I deployed to Haiti; and I saw him in every child I treated. I will forever remember each of them and all of the horrors I saw. Many who suffer from PTSD or other brain injuries have the same reactions and concerns that I did. They worry about losing their security clearances or being seen as weak or unable to per- form their jobs. I continue to hold my clearance and my job; and these days I am devoting a lot of my time to reducing the nega- tive stigma of PTSD through articles like this, being open about my experience and helping people find the right assistance. If you are suffering, don’t wait as I did. Help is only a phone call away. n