TresSugar

Farm Offers Horseback Riding Therapy For Vets with PTSD

LibertySugar — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 06:00:52 -0700

A New York farm is offering horseback riding as a form of therapy to veterans suffering from mental and emotional wounds like post-traumatic stress disorder. The farm offers veterans free horseback-riding lessons, as a way for them to relax and take their minds off their memories of war. Participants say the calm helps reduce anxiety.

Seaside Therapeutic Riding says that the horse and human bond is renowned for its healing quality, and that a horse's non-judgmental acceptance allows students, including veterans and disabled adults and children, to learn and to grow. The therapy is popular - the farm currently has a waiting list, and relies on donations to give the experience to more veterans.

The horse riding therapy sounds much more comforting than the Iraq war simulation video game therapy, which calls for prolonged virtual-exposure to the source of the trauma (including smells and sounds). Which idea sounds more promising to you?

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Study Finds Long-Term 9-11 Stress in Lower Manhattan

CitizenSugar — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 10:00:35 -0700

Coming up on the seventh anniversary of September 11, the New York City health department wanted to know how those affected are coping today. They released findings from the first study to assess 9-11's long-term effect on mental health today.

The results illuminate the day's lingering impact and the staggering difference between those living near the World Trade Center compared with the rest of Manhattan.

One in eight Lower Manhattan residents reported symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) - 12.6 percent - three to four years after the attacks. Considering within six months only 1 percent of Manhattan as a whole reported PTSD symptoms, this is a significant finding. To see what else they found, read more.

PTSD, it turns out, is not gender, color, or class blind. Women instead of men; African Americans and Hispanics instead of whites; and those earning less than $25,000 per year were all more likely to report symptoms. At 38 percent, residents who suffered injuries were most likely to be affected, and at 17 percent those caught in the dust that rushed through the streets were the second most.

While the disparity may seem self-evident, researches love to hypothesize. The constant reminders in the area, disruptions to routines, and the large number of residents evacuated from homes are posited theories; however, the correlation has not been studied.

While results from a follow-up 2007 survey will be released later this year, the current study calls for further and more in-depth monitoring of PTSD victims. As a temporary solution, the city is urging people to take advantage of its free mental health services.

Considering those still living around Ground Zero have an almost constant visual reminder of the events of the day, is the city doing enough to help those affected? What do you think income has to do with mental symptoms? Will we ever know the true extent of the attack's damage?

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Painful Solution - Self-Harm Rising Among Desperate Soldiers

CitizenSugar — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 14:30:13 -0700

A pen in a stomach. A bullet in the toe. A jump off a roof. These incidents all end with a trip to the ER, but never in a tour of Iraq. For soldiers desperate to avoid a repeat tour in the Middle East, these "accidents" are missions accomplished.

Self-harm is a rising, and alarming, trend among soldiers headed to Iraq - especially those on their second or third trip. "Some soldiers," said Col. Kathy Platoni, an Army Reserve psychologist, "will do almost anything not to go back."

It's a shocking, though sadly not new, trend. To see when it began, read more.

All the way back to World War I, the American Journal of Psychiatry documented hospital beds filled with self-made bullet wounds, punctured eardrums, and slashed Achilles heels - an "epidemic of self-inflicted injuries." And while there are no hard numbers, for past wars or this one, the consensus is that it's worse than ever. The news makes Klinger's lady-clothes protest pale in comparison.

This combined with 2007's record-setting suicide rates and mounting cases of PTSD illuminates a problem that the Army can no longer ignore. "We're definitely concerned," said Col. Elspeth Ritchie, the Army's top psychologist, "we hope they'll talk to us rather than self-harm."

Though talking is a hopeful solution, it seems like shooting oneself in the toe is about as loud as anyone can yell. And the message is clear: We're done. For those who've been there once, some twice - this is a desperate measure to say they don't want to go back. Is news like this inevitable in a time of war - or a crisis crying for immediate attention?

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Wounded Soldiers' Barracks Located Right in the Line of Fire

CitizenSugar — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 08:00:58 -0700

At Fort Benning, GA, recovering soldiers housed in the newly constructed "warrior transition" barracks have an additional challenge piercing recovery. Many of the soldiers suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and the real estate adage about location applies here in full force - the recovery barracks are situated 200 yards from one of the Army infantry's main firing ranges.

Gun fire hails morning and night, hampering recovery for those afflicted. One such soldier who spent a year with an infantry platoon in Iraq and emerged with a diagnosis of PTSD said, "You hear a lot of shots, it puts you in a defensive mode. My heart starts racing and I get all excited and irritable [it] puts me back in that mind frame that I am actually there." Another said, "it makes me crazy. It makes me jump and I get flashbacks." To see what the Army says, read more.

The Army defends the positioning of the housing as convenient to amenities like the hospital, and maintains that if a soldier had a severe problem with the proximity, they would know. The commander of the Warrior Transition Battalion (an excellent name) said, "No soldier has talked with me about the ranges," noting that if it's an issue, "we will address it."

About 175 soldiers live in the gunfire-adjacent barracks, and 10 to 15 percent of them have PTSD. The total number who receive diagnoses of chronic PTSD rose by nearly 50 percent last year. One psychologist who treats veterans with PTSD says of the neighbors, "charitably put, it's very untherapeutic."

Is this a problem that should be addressed? What more could we be doing to ease a soldier's return from battle?

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Grand-Theft Auto It's Not. Video Games Ease Soldiers' PTSD

CitizenSugar — Wed, 21 May 2008 11:00:52 -0700

Soldiers and Marines are iron tough in battle - though the biggest enemy they face sometimes doesn't show up until they get home. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or major depression afflicts nearly 20 percent of troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. One-half don't seek treatment. But a new treatment, Virtual Iraq, allows troops to delve into their trauma without landing on the couch.

With many soldiers avoiding treatment out of fear of stigma, a customized version of the best-selling videogame Full Spectrum Warrior has become a promising option. Since 2005, the Department of Defense has poured funding into it and two other virtual-reality programs targeting PTSD. And psychologists like JoAnn Difede - who treated Sept. 11 victims with a similar program called Virtual WTC - are hopeful. She said:

You don't have to do any work. You don't have to engage in any mental effort. We'll do it for you and then, gradually, we'll let you get involved in the experience in sensory detail.

Slow and steady wins the race with this therapy. A patient's readiness to move on must be carefully assessed. Looking at an Iraqi street scene may begin and end the first session, but slowly sounds and smells and actions are added. It can take months.

How is this even helpful? To see how, read more.

It's a form of prolonged-exposure, or immersion, therapy. The idea is to expose a patient to the source of trauma over and over until the event or situation no longer triggers fear. If you remember psychology and this sounds a lot like "habituation," it's because it is. (Does Pavlov ring a bell? Heh! Bell.)

While results are still pending on the efficacy of Virtual Iraq so far it's promising. After a few weeks of exposure, one marine was able to sleep without medication, felt more relaxed, and could joke around. He said:

Before I felt like there were two people in me. The marine who was numb, who was a tough guy, and the civilian in me, the real me, the guy who isn't serious all the time, the guy who can take a joke. By the end of therapy, I felt more like one person.

Should we be exploring more cutting-edge methods of treating the whole soldier? Could forcing them to relive the sights, sounds, and smells of battle, actually help soldiers cope?

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Soldier Suicide Deaths Could Surpass Combat Deaths

LibertySugar — Tue, 06 May 2008 14:30:41 -0700

The harsh reality that suicides may outnumber combat deaths among those who have served in Afghanistan and Iraq is prompting preventative action.

Yesterday, the head of the National Institute on Mental Health offered depressing figures to the American Psychiatric Association. Of the 1.6 million troops deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq, almost 20 percent show symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression, or both. They estimate that 70 percent do not seek treatment for these conditions, which can lead to substance abuse and suicide. Mental health professionals, who treat veterans, were urged to proactively recognize and treat such symptoms.

In a hopeful move, last week the Secretary of Defense announced that military personnel seeking help for PTSD will no longer get that positive action counted against them for security clearance purposes.

In addition, some want a PTSD diagnosis to make a servicemember eligible for the Purple Heart, bringing the hidden wound out of the shadows.

Are you aware of this long-term cost of war? Do members of society have an obligation to support returning veterans? If so, how can we fulfill such duty? Are you happy to see that both the military and mental health professionals are trying to address the psychological scars of warfare?

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Physical Symptoms of PTSD

DearSugar — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 08:00:00 -0700

People can develop Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) after they experienced, witnessed, or been confronted with a horrible event such as a car accident, a rape, fighting in a war, or a national disaster.

Having a strong reaction to trauma is completely normal and expected, but PTSD involves an overwhelming reaction of the body's normal psychological defenses against stress. So after the trauma, your body has a hard time coping with regular stressful situations. Symptoms of PTSD include:

Re-experiencing the traumatic event (daydreaming, flashbacks, and nightmares)
Emotional detachment - the person avoids any thoughts, activities, places, people, or situations that may be associated with the traumatic event. They become numb and have trouble functioning normally because of it.
Jumpiness - overreacting to loud noises or small things. They may also be constantly looking around to make sure there's no danger. They may also have trouble sleeping or staying asleep in this high state of awareness.

There's more. To hear the rest, read more

As if that's not bad enough, studies now show that people with PTSD may also experience physical symptoms. Years after the traumatic event, many people with PTSD developed vascular problems (from high blood pressure) such as varicose veins and swelling. They also reported more overall pain, less energy, headaches, digestive problems, and limitations on daily activities due to physical problems.

Dear's Advice: There is obviously no prevention for PTSD since traumatic events are unpredictable, but if you have been a victim of a traumatic experience, talk to someone. Many therapists are specialized in this field and can offer a listening ear and helpful ways to cope with your fears.

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Lorena Bobbitt to Oprah: Why I Threw It Out the Window

TresSugar — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 09:00:00 -0700

The "it" I'm referring to, of course, is Lorena's husband's penis she had just cut off.

It was 1993, and the nation was morbidly curious and nervous-laughing about a story that seemed too crazy to be true. Beautician Lorena Bobbitt, suffering from PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) after years of enduring spousal abuse, a forced abortion, and infidelities from her husband John Wayne Bobbitt, snapped one night after he came home drunk and, according to her, raped her.

She went into the kitchen, saw a gleaming knife, and cut part of John's penis off. She then got into a car (holding the severed penis) but threw it out the window while she drove. She recently appeared on Oprah and explained why she did it. Curious about the aftermath for all parties involved? Then watch the clip when you read more.

Lorena, as she told the jurors during her trial, realized after her action that she'd done something horrific and stopped the car and called 911. After searching for hours in a field, paramedics found the severed penis, and it was eventually reattached.

Although John Wayne Bobbitt was acquitted in a later trial of charges of spousal rape, jurors believed that Lorena had indeed snapped after years of abuse and found her innocent by reason of insanity.

Lorena has since remarried, had a child, and started an organization to help educate and stop domestic abuse. John's post-severed penis life was a little more chaotic. He was charged numerous times afterward with domestic violence against girlfriends and wives (wow, some dudes never learn!), formed a band called "The Severed Parts," starred in a couple porno flicks - "John Wayne Bobbitt: Uncut" and "Frankenpenis" - and was even briefly a minister in a Vegas church.

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Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America Go Online

CitizenSugar — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 09:30:00 -0800

The military's intelligence battalion might think Twitter poses a danger, but two independent groups - Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America and the Ad Council - have turned to social networking tools to help veterans connect with each other. The two groups have created an online community exclusively for veterans of these most recent wars: CommunityofVeterans.org.

Since veterans make up less than one percent of the population, they often feel isolated from others facing similar challenges. The new site hopes to bring together the veterans, while also providing information about readjusting to family life, navigating the Department of Veteran Affairs, getting help for PTSD, and taking advantage of the GI Bill.

The US military has appeared increasingly willing to use the technology of the people, investing $50 million in video games to help recruit and train soldiers. Now veterans can turn to social networks to help them transition back into civilian life. Check out the TV ad for the site, and tell me what you think.

War Is Hell: US Soldiers Killed Iraqi Prisoners For Revenge?

CitizenSugar — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 10:00:10 -0700

It's a story that shocks a civilian frame of mind and raises so many questions about the effect of war on mankind: Three US Army soldiers murdered four Iraqi prisoners by firing shots to the backs of their heads, execution-style, in the spring of 2007.

The story has surfaced from a source close to one of the soldiers who says after they committed these murders, the US Army officers then dumped the corpses into a Baghdad canal. The killings were meant to avenge the deaths of two of their army comrades, and to this point, all members of Company D, First Battalion, Second Infantry, 172nd Infantry Brigade have not been charged with a crime.

Lawyers representing other members of the platoon who witnessed the slayings, believe the Army officers involved will probably be charged with murder. One of the soldiers involved described in great detail how and why the killings took place.

To see the story, read more.

After receiving small-arms fire, the patrol pursued some men into a building and arrested men who they believed to be the perpetrators. On the way back to the detainment center, they were then informed that they might not have enough evidence to convict and to release the suspects.

Though the soldiers were ordered by army superiors to release the prisoners, one sergeant ordered the soldiers to "take the detainees to a canal and kill them." They then avenged the two fellow soldiers killed by a sniper and executed the suspects themselves by handcuffing, blindfolding, and then shooting them with pistols in the back of their heads, dumping the remains in the canal.

With all we're beginning to know about the effects of PTSD after war, does the warrior mentality change a person? Could these soldiers have been acting under an unspoken military protocol one might not know if one hasn't been in war?

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