The National Defence College Officers Wives Association (NDCOWA) organized a meeting to help families support each other and stay strong while dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) linked to counter-terrorism work.
Mrs. Isabella Okosun, who leads NDCOWA and is the wife of the Commandant of the National Defence College, shared this during the event titled “The Military Family and Mental Health” held in Abuja.
She said the event was one of several activities planned for the graduation of Course 33 at the National Defence College, which will take place on Friday.
The event brought together the wives of officers who are about to be promoted to the rank of general.
Okosun explained that the aim was to help these women learn ways to better support their husbands as they take on more demanding roles.
“Many of our officers have been involved in fighting terrorism, especially in the North-East, and their families are struggling with the effects of PTSD,” she said.
“We felt this event would help us connect, learn, and find better ways to support our husbands.”She also said the idea came from Mrs. Oghogho Musa, the President of the Defence and Police Officers’ Wives Association (DEPOWA), who has always worked to support the families of affected officers.
Mrs. Musa has shown leadership by visiting injured soldiers and organizing support events in areas like Benue and Maiduguri, Okosun added.
Okosun said they are following her example by organizing this event and promised to continue such programs and work closely with DEPOWA to offer more support tomilitary families.
One of the guest speakers, Dr. Lewis Okoh, who works as the Health Research Coordinator at the college, spoke to the attendees about the causes, signs, and ways to prevent PTSD.
Dr. Okoh explained that symptoms include nightmares, flashbacks, constant troubling thoughts about combat, avoiding family and reminders of deployment, among others.
He stressed the importance of getting medical and psychological help early, and speaking to mental health professionals for proper care.
He also said that support groups like officers’ wives associations, military family circles, and trauma-focused NGOs can help in managing PTSD.
