On Oct. 26, a moderately
filled room in the Gateway
Center held police officers,
health providers, war veterans
and individuals somehow
affected by Post Traumatic
Stress Disorder (PTSD). The
gathering was meant to educate
people on the suicide rate
of individuals who suffer from
PTSD and how sufferers can
get help.
The event was mainly organized
by Sharon Curran, an
associate executive director for
clinical services at the Lenape
Valley Foundation, which is an
organization that helps individuals
with mental health disabilities.
In order to make this event
happen, Curran was in charge
of organizing speakers, finding
a venue, getting sponsors and
much more. She also introduced
guest speakers during
the seminar.
Jeffery Hoerger, team leader
of the Bucks County Vet
Center, is a licensed professional
who helps veterans cope
with their past. Hoerger is a
retired navy veteran himself,
so he knows some of the hardships
a soldier can encounter
and he was the third speaker in
the seminar.
“I work with combat veterans,
I help them readjust to
being a civilian,” Hoerger said,
adding: “I help them with anything
that is getting in the way
of functioning in society
whether it has to do with drugs,
alcohol, family, etc.”
People at the event received
a variety of information on suicide
hotlines and programs to
help one cope with the disorder.
There were also a few
papers given out on different
methods of counseling.
One guest speaker, Gene
Allen, an air force veteran said,
“The very highest at risk for
suicide are soldiers. If a caller
approaches us, we have them
in therapy in less than a week.”
Allen was in the air force for
20 years and when he retired
and heard the suicide statistics,
he decided he needed to help.
Allen joined an organization
called International Critical
Incident Stress Foundation
(ICISF) where he helps veterans
cope with their past.
Gary Bush, a retired police
officer who was diagnosed
with PTSD, spoke about how
he got the disorder and how he
ignored it for a long time. Bush
explained how he shot and
killed a man while on duty, and
how everything comes with a
price. He said, “There was one
thing that nobody told me, that
if I had to take a human life,
there’s a price to pay.it will
cost you. Some it costs more
than others.”
Bush weaved a few jokes in
his speech to lighten the mood,
but in the end, most of the key
points he made were poignant.
He asked, “Have you seen
evil?” and continued saying,
“I’ve seen evil. I know what
evil looks like, and let me tell
you something, evil is scary.”
The story that Bush told
involved him shooting and
killing a man while on police
duty during Christmas time.
An image of the man’s dying
moments is still etched in his
memory, haunting him forever.
Bush explained that with the
counseling he got, he was able
to cope with the emotions and
avoid suicidal behaviors that
he had once experienced. Bush
also said he believes PTSD is
not something that ever goes
away, but can be managed.
PTSD symptoms include
depression, rage or anger,
increased emotional arousal,
difficulty sleeping, forgetfulness
and being in a constant
state of alert. Bush said he had
been through it all and saw
about five different psychologists
before finding one he
could trust enough to truly help
him.
After Bush was finished with
his speech and applause
echoed throughout the auditorium,
his wife, Carmen Bush,
approached the podium. She
explained her hardships and
how she coped with her husband’s
disorder. Mrs. Bush was
diagnosed with secondary
PTSD and is now taking medication
for it.
This was a seminar to spread
the word about help to those
who do not know where to
look, to educate people on
what PTSD is and how it can
be helped, how lives could be
saved.