SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – U.S. Marine Corps veteran Dr. Clint Pearman knows the effects on the brain quite well.
"We say in the field, just because you don't have a diagnosed mental illness doesn't mean you're mentally healthy,” said Pearman, who is also a brain injury specialist who in the mental health department of a large Southern California hospital.
He added, "Where I see patients, I see service members suffering from anxiety issues, depression issues, post-traumatic stress issues.”
Pearman was the brain injury education and training specialist for the Defense Health Agency on the West Coast from 2012 to 2020.
"What we're pushing for now is to get more service members -- the higher-ranking levels, senior service members -- to not be afraid to report their mental health issues,” Pearman said.
According to a November report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration -- a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services -- in 2020, roughly 5.2 million veterans experienced a behavioral health condition.
Pearman said some of the hurdles which still pose challenges for tackling mental health in the military are awareness and the stigma.
"I actually see some that they're in denial. They don't want to face the fact that they're experiencing these issues. But, on the other end, many of them have realized that something is not right, and they want something done,” Pearman said.
And to help get something done, Pearman's message to everyone is simple as we close out Military Appreciation Month and Mental Health Awareness Month.
"If you know a veteran and something doesn't seem right, have a discussion with them. If you're a veteran and something doesn't feel right, don't be afraid to speak up."
At the end of May, Pearman’s holding a mental health symposium at Camp Pendleton for service members who have access to the base.
“I don’t know of any military service members that don’t take mental health serious and, even those in the higher levels, are actually actively looking at things they can do,” Pearman said.
