KOCT: The Oceanside Channel is currently airing a special discussion about post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) featuring several informed guests. KOCT's executive director, Tom Reeser, came up with the idea for the show after reading an article about Dr. Bart Billings, a retired soldier, author and senior PTSD psychologist from the San Diego VA Healthcare System who happens to own a restaurant in La Costa - Joey's Smokin' BBQ - that has became a popular place for members of the armed forces to share what they experience after they come home from the war,
Because of the station and the restaurant's close proximity to Camp Pendleton, Reeser felt it was important to address the issue of PTSD, which affects literally hundreds of thousands of active-duty troops and veterans and their families.
In addition to Billings, guests on the show include Dr. Jeffrey Matloff, who is also a senior PTSD psychologist with San Diego VA; Michael Sloan and Bill Rider, co-founders of American Combat Veterans of War (ACVOW), a non-profit organization that helps veterans deal with PTSD and other issues through veteran-to-veteran mentoring; and Shawn Gourley, wife of a veteran with PTSD, who shares her perspective on how a family can be changed from PTSD. Gourley is the author "Being a Military Spouse" and "The War at Home: One Family's Fight Against PTSD."
The show will air until the end of month, but you can also watch it online by going to this website. "Our guests were very insightful and provided a range of information on PTSD from symptoms to personal stories," says Elena Gomez, a spokesperson for the station. "We hope we've shed some light on PTSD and that this information can be helpful. It creates a greater amount of respect in our community for veterans knowing what they sacrifice and have to deal with while fighting for our freedoms."
