Dr. Patrick McGrath, licensed psychologist and Assistant VP at AMITA, and Clinical Director at the Center for Anxiety and OCD at Alexian Brothers Behavioral Health Hospital, asks club members, "If I said don't think about a pink elephant.  What would you think about?" Likewise, telling someone who suffers from PTSD to "Stop thinking about it" doesn't work.  Victims need to confront their fear of a memory.  Victims often turn to drugs/alcohol or isolate themselves from friends and family to avoid being reminded of the trauma they suffered.  

 

With the advent of improved armor, some veterans today return from war physically okay, but as a different person because of brain trauma from IEP explosions.  McGrath works to desensitize vets through a program of gradually engaging them in the emotionality of the memory.