Return to Equilibrium: The Proceedings of the 7th Rocky Mountain Region Disaster Mental Health Conference
Edited by George W. Doherty, MS, LPC
Rocky Mountain Region DMH Institute Press (2009)
ISBN 9781932690866
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (3/09)
“Return to Equilibrium” is a compilation of articles written about sessions held at the 7th Rocky Mountain Region Disaster Mental Health Conference held in Laramie, Wyoming. Two main topics were covered at this conference. The first topic was Disaster Mental Health. The second topic was Returning Military and Families. In this book, equilibrium is noted by Henri Louis Chatelier (1850-1936) as “…when a stress is applied to a system in equilibrium, the system will change so as to undo or offset the effect of the stress.” This idea can also be applied to everyday situations.
It is extremely important for health practitioners and emergency workers to be prepared for emergencies, natural disasters, terroristic attacks and times of war. When dealing with traumatic incidents such as these, everyone is affected, including the victim, their family members and health care professionals. By being prepared to deal with these issues, research has shown that early intervention can reduce the chances of PTSD, acute anxiety, and depression. Ways to be prepared for these situations are discussed and a variety of other factors are identified that can increase the likelihood that disorders will occur. Having an operational emergency plan prepared ahead of time can make a huge difference in the ability to be prepared for the crisis.
Returning military personnel and their families need to be helped upon returning from deployment. Each military person has to deal with issues involved with being pulled away from his or her life when deployed. Then they have to handle living in constant danger. The families have to deal with the change in dynamics when a parent is absent and the disruption that occurs when they return. There are also three main issues that might severely affect the chances of being able to have the equilibrium reestablished. Deployed military personnel are commonly affected by combat-related stress, Traumatic Brain Injury, and depression. There is also a high incidence of suicide as a result of these issues.
I found the section on counseling Native Americans and their families to be extremely informative. It is interesting to note that Native Americans “have joined the military at the largest per capita rate of any ethnic group.” Therefore it is imperative that we have an understanding of their culture and spirituality so that we can appropriately address their needs.
Contained within the pages of this book are “An Individualized Personality, Coping and Wellness Survey; a Deployment Clinic Intake Form; and veteran case examples. There is also an overview of emergency plan protocols including information about those that already exist. Readers will find the deployment support resources, and online resources to be very beneficial.
I found “Return to Equilibrium” to be very informative and necessary for mental health practitioners. As a person who works with disabled students in the community college setting, I also believe that this information is pertinent to college counselors and instructors. The better our understanding, the better we can serve their needs and help them reestablish equilibrium.
