Connie Louie-Handelman joined the US Army at the age of 56 because she was disturbed by the high rates of PTSD and suicide among warriors... she wanted to make a difference.  Many US veterans still struggle with PTSD years after their service in the Middle Eastern wars. An Army psychologist, Connie Louie-Handelman, treated hundreds during a tour of duty in Afghanistan. She's written a vivid memoir entitled "The Hidden War: PTSD on the Front Lines – Memoirs of a Psychologist Treating Warriors at a Forward Operating Base in Afghanistan."

Connie Louie-Handelman- Invisible Enemies

After training, she was deployed at a forward operating base in the hot and dusty plains of Kandahar, Afghanistan. There she found soldiers fighting more than the enemies they encountered in the battlefield. The casualty rate from invisible enemies like anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and fear was high.

When improvised explosive devices killed or wounded warriors near the base, she would journey "outside the wire" to units that were under attack. Besides their shattering experiences on the battlefield, Louie-Handelman eloquently describes the suffering of warriors locked in domestic tragedies, with spouses having affairs or wanting divorces, or children going astray.

“I had to learn how to be a soldier, that was an experience.” – Connie Louie-HandelmanServing Those Outside the WireConnie started her career as a psychologist as a clinic supervisor then a director for 8 ½ years and prior to that she was a police officer in San Francisco for 11 years.  She took a break and became familiar with the high rate of suicide in the military and saw that they would take for older health professionals. Connie applied and was accepted.

“I signed up and was accepted at the age of 57, a year after going through all of the background checks and all the paperwork.” – Connie Louie-HandelmanTrauma ManagementPsychologist were placed in the field to deal with soldiers sooner rather than later.  Soldiers KIA were able to process the feeling and have open dialogue in groups so the healing could start.  Connie would also be available after groups for individual counseling.

“I think that was really helpful to be more up front and to catch it earlier so then it perhaps doesn’t blow up to be full PTSD.” – Connie Louie-Handelman

To hear more from Connie Louie-Handelman and her experience, download this episode.

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Connie Louie-Handelman link:

Author of "The Hidden War: PTSD on the Front Lines."

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