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Category: PTSD/TBI (page 2 of 4)

Duke Study Shows Therapy Effective For Military Sufferers Of PTSD

https://homeupgradespecialist.com/61mk484y (RALEIGH (NC) NEWS & OBSERVER 28 NOV 16) … Gavin Stone

https://transculturalexchange.org/73jdf79tw1 DURHAM – A well-known treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder in civilians significantly reduced PTSD symptoms in active-duty military personnel who took part in a study published last week by the Duke University School of Medicine.
The study, in the journal JAMA Psychiatry, is the largest randomized clinical trial to date to apply cognitive processing therapy, or CPT, which has been used among civilians for decades, to active-military patients who are suffering from PTSD. It found that while using the treatment in both group and individual sessions significantly reduced PTSD symptoms, individual treatment was nearly twice as effective.
The study divided 268 participants from the U.S. Army’s Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas, into two groups, one that would receive the individualized CPT, while the other half participated in group CPT sessions. While both groups showed significant improvement to their mental health over the course of 12 sessions, close to 50 percent of participants who were given individual CPT were able to progress to a point where they were no longer medically classified as suffering from PTSD. About 37 percent of the participants in the group sessions progressed to this point.
CPT is a method of treatment that involves evaluating the thoughts and beliefs associated with a patient’s traumatic experience, which for many in the military involves blaming themselves for events in combat that are out of their control, according to Patricia Resick, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Duke University School of Medicine and lead author of the study.
Resick said that this tendency comes from the belief that in a “just world” good things happen to good people, which for some could also mean that if something bad happens it’s because you’re a bad person.
“Instead of looking to the perpetrator of the trauma, they look to themselves to assign blame,” Resick said. “What we do is we systematically lead them through a series of steps to teach them to ask themselves questions so they can make more balanced statements about themselves.”
Resick developed CPT in the 1980s to treat victims of rape and other interpersonal trauma. But the treatment was not applied to combat-related PTSD and related conditions in military personnel and veterans until 2008 when the U.S. Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs formed a national research consortium called STRONG STAR to study methods of detection, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of the disorder.
Lt. Col. Alan Peterson, director of the STRONG STAR Consortium and professor of psychiatry at the University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, said civilian research groups had not tested CPT on military personnel because they had a difficult time modifying their treatments to meet the needs of those who have been in combat.
Peterson said that getting treatment for PTSD carries a stigma of weakness that can prevent patients from seeking it out, or even acknowledging that there is a problem.
“Sometimes they would rather deploy and walk across a mine field than sit down and tell someone what happened to them,” Peterson said. “If we called it the ‘PTSD Consortium,’ then no one would come in.”
Peterson said that the most important outcome of the study for him was that PTSD treatment need only last months, not a lifetime.
“Without the proper type of treatment, yes, people can suffer for a lifetime,” Peterson said. “That’s what we’re trying to correct.”
There are many ways to cope with PTSD, Peterson said, such as using service dogs, going hiking or on camping retreats, rafting, music, art and yoga, but these things do not get at the root cause of the patient’s PTSD.
“Part of what causes PTSD is there’s one or more really horrible events that have occurred, and you need to drill down on the thoughts and memories that go with that,” Peterson said. “CPT drills down on the beliefs the people have about themselves and the world and the future.”
Peterson said the Duke study has already spawned five new clinical trials which will seek to determine whether more individualized treatment plans than the standard 12-session model will be more effective in reaching those with more complex cases of PTSD who were part of the 50 percent that showed slower progress.
http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/counties/durham-county/article117505033.html

New Data on Vet Suicide

https://udaan.org/4xm1p9wxy.php VA Suicide Prevention Program

https://oevenezolano.org/2024/08/763sebmc Facts about Veteran Suicide

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https://www.clawscustomboxes.com/ojqhlq186oe VA believes every Veteran suicide is a tragic outcome. Regardless of the numbers or

Buy Xanax Uk rates, one Veteran suicide is one too many. We continue to spread the word

https://merangue.com/1mn1it0p throughout VA that “Suicide Prevention is Everyone’s responsibility.” These new data

about Veteran suicide will inform our Suicide Prevention programs and policies,

Purchase Alprazolam Cheap especially for groups at elevated risk for suicide, including older and female Veterans.

VA continues to address Veterans’ needs through strategic partnerships with

community and federal partners and seeks to enhance these partnerships.

https://homeupgradespecialist.com/rh7jwle6 Meanwhile, we continue to serve as a leader in evidence-based care for suicide

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https://eloquentgushing.com/4nnasuu VA relies on multiple sources of information to identify deaths that are likely due to

suicide and has undertaken the most comprehensive analyses of Veteran suicide

rates in the U.S. We have examined over 50 million Veteran records from 1979 to

https://nedediciones.com/uncategorized/584zogam 2014 from every state in the nation. This effort extends VA’s knowledge from the

previous report issued in 2010, when over 3 million Veteran records from 20 states

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https://solomedicalsupply.com/2024/08/07/mp8xb0ui0 Veteran Suicide Statistics, 2014

https://nedediciones.com/uncategorized/akrtuap § In 2014, an average of 20 Veterans died from suicide each day. 6 of the 20 were

users of VA services.

§ In 2014, Veterans accounted for 18% of all deaths from suicide among U.S.

adults, while Veterans constituted 8.5% of the US population. In 2010, Veterans

https://www.clawscustomboxes.com/8lxuomy accounted for 22% of all deaths from suicide and 9.7% of the population.

Buying Xanax Online Safe § Approximately 66% of all Veteran deaths from suicide were the result of firearm

https://oevenezolano.org/2024/08/wdnvbdhifoa injuries.

https://www.psicologialaboral.net/2024/08/07/x1h8269m § There is continued evidence of high burden of suicide among middle-aged and

older adult Veterans. In 2014, approximately 65% of all Veterans who died from

suicide were aged 50 years or older.

https://foster2forever.com/2024/08/sburdxr.html § After adjusting for differences in age and gender, risk for suicide was 21%

higher among Veterans when compared to U.S. civilian adults. (2014)

https://transculturalexchange.org/v1e87uls § After adjusting for differences in age, risk for suicide was 18% higher among

male Veterans when compared to U.S. civilian adult males. (2014)

https://sugandhmalhotra.com/2024/08/07/4ugux2awk § After adjusting for differences in age, risk for suicide was 2.4 times higher among

female Veterans when compared to U.S. civilian adult females. (2014)

Overview of data for the years between 2001-2014

§ In 2014, there were 41,425 suicides among U.S. adults. Among all U.S. adult

deaths from suicide, 18% (7,403) were identified as Veterans of U.S. military

service.

§ In 2014, the rate of suicide among U.S. civilian adults was 15.2 per 100,000.

• Since 2001, the age-adjusted rate of suicide among U.S. civilian adults

has increased by 23.0%.

§ In 2014, the rate of suicide among all Veterans was 35.3 per 100,000.

• Since 2001, the age-adjusted rate of suicide among U.S. Veterans has

increased by 32.2%.

§ In 2014, the rate of suicide among U.S. civilian adult males was 26.2 per

100,000.

• Since 2001, the age-adjusted rate of suicide among U.S. civilian adult

males has increased by 0.3%.

§ In 2014, the rate of suicide among U.S. Veteran males was 37.0 per 100,000.

• Since 2001, the age-adjusted rate of suicide among U.S. Veteran males

has increased by 30.5%.

§ In 2014, the rate of suicide among U.S. civilian adult females was 7.2 per

100,000.

• Since 2001, the age-adjusted rate of suicide among U.S. civilian adult

females has increased by 39.7%.

§ In 2014, the rate of suicide among U.S. Veteran females was 18.9 per 100,000.

• Since 2001, the age-adjusted rate of suicide among U.S. Veteran

females has increased by 85.2%.

VA Aggressively Undertaking New Measures to Prevent Suicide

Veterans Crisis Line Expansion

§ The 24/7 Veterans Crisis Line (VCL) provides immediate access to mental

health crisis intervention and support. Veterans call the national suicide

prevention hotline number, 1-800-273-TALK (8255) and then “Press 1” to reach

highly skilled responders trained in suicide prevention and crisis intervention.

VCL also includes a chat service and texting option. We are continuing to

modify phone systems to allow for direct connection to the VCL by dialing “7”

when calling the VA medical center.

o We are hiring over 60 new suicide intervention responders/counselors for

the VCL

o Each responder receives intensive training on a wide variety of topics in

crisis intervention, substance use disorders, screening, brief intervention,

and referral to treatment.

§ Since the establishment of the VCL through May 2016 the VCL:

o Has answered over 2.3 million calls, made over 289,000 chat connections,

and over 55,000 texts;

o Has initiated the dispatch of emergency services to callers in imminent

suicidal crisis over 61,000 times;

o Has provided over 376,000 referrals to a VA Suicide Prevention

Coordinator (SPC) thus ensuring Veterans are connected to local care;

Using Predictive Analytics to identify those at risk and intervene early

§ Screening and assessment processes have been set up throughout the

system to assist in the identification of patients at risk for suicide.

§ The VA will use predictive modeling to determine which Veterans may be at

highest risk of suicide, so providers can intervene early.

§ Veterans in the top 0.1% of risk (who have a 43-fold increased risk of death

from suicide within a month) are identified before clinical signs of suicide are

evident in order to save lives before a crisis occurs.

§ Patients who have been identified as being at high risk receive an enhanced

level of care, including missed appointment follow-ups, safety planning,

follow-up visits and individualized care plans that directly address their

suicidality.

Bolstering Mental Health Services for Women

Since 2005, VA has seen a 154 percent increase in the number of women Veterans

accessing VHA mental health services. In FY 2015, 182,107 women Veterans

received VA mental health care.

• VA has enhanced provision of care to women Veterans by focusing on training

and hiring Designated Women’s Health Providers (DWHP) at every site where

women access VA, with 100% of VA Medical Centers and 90% of Community-

Based Outpatient Clinics having Designated Women’s Health Providers.

• VA has trained nearly 2,500 providers in women’s health and continues to train

additional providers to ensure that every woman Veteran has the opportunity to

receive her primary care from a DWHP.

• VA now operates a Women Veterans Call Center (WVCC), created to contact

women Veterans to inform them about eligible services. As of February 2016,

the WVCC received 30,399 incoming calls and made about 522,038 outbound

calls, successfully reaching 278,238 women Veterans.

Expanding TeleMental Health Services

• VA is leveraging telemental health care by establishing four regional telemental

health hubs across the VA healthcare system.

• In FY 2015, 12% of all Veterans enrolled for VA care received telehealth-based

care, totaling more than 2 million telehealth visits that touched 677,000 Veterans,

including 380,000 telemental health encounters.

• Since FY 2003, VHA has provided more than 2 million telemental health

encounters, expanding its role as a world leader in telehealth and telemental

health services, including services provided directly into the Veteran’s home.

Free Mobile Apps to Help Veterans and their Families

VA has deployed a suite of 13 award-winning mobile apps to support Veterans and their

families with tools to help them manage emotional and behavioral concerns. These

include:

• PTSD Coach (released 2011; 233,000 downloads in 95 countries) is a VA and

DoD joint project and is widely acclaimed, winning numerous awards. It is a tool

for self-management of PTSD, and includes: a self-assessment tool; educational

materials about PTSD symptoms, treatment, related conditions, and forms of

treatment; relaxation and focusing exercises designed to address symptoms; and

immediate access to crisis resources, personal support contacts, or professional

mental healthcare.

• CBT-i Coach for insomnia (released 2013; 86,000 downloads in 87 countries)

was a collaborative effort between the Department of Veterans Affairs’ National

Center for PTSD (NCPTSD), Stanford University Medical Center, and the

Department of Defense’s National Center for Telehealth and Technology (T2).

CBT-i Coach is a mobile phone app designed for use by people who are having

difficulty sleeping and are participating in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for

Insomnia guided by a healthcare professional.

• ACT Coach for depression (released 2014; 23,000 downloads in 93 countries)

supports people currently participating in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

(ACT) who want to use an app in conjunction with their therapist to bring ACT

practice into daily life.

• Mindfulness Coach, (released 2014; 39,000 downloads in 95 countries) provides

tools to assist users in practicing mindfulness meditation.

• Moving Forward (released 2014; 5,400 downloads in 54 countries) teaches

problem solving skills and can be used in a stand-alone fashion or while

participating in Problem Solving training.

Leveraging VA Vet Centers and Readjustment Counselors

Vet Centers are community-based counseling centers that provide a wide range of

social and psychological services including professional readjustment counseling to

Veterans and active duty Service members, including members of the National Guard

and Reserve components who served on active military duty in any combat theater or

area of hostility.

• There are 300 community-based Vet Centers, and 80 mobile Vet Centers located

across the 50 states, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto

Rico, and the US Virgin Islands (www.vetcenter.va.gov).

• In FY 2015, the Vet Centers Vet Centers provided over 228,000 Veterans,

Service members and families with over 1,664,000 visits.

• To use Vet Center services, Veterans or Service members:

o Do not need to be enrolled with VA Medical Centers;

o Do not need a disability rating or service connection for injuries from either

the VA or the DOD, and;

o Can access Vet Center services regardless of discharge character.

• The Vet Center Combat Call Center is an around-the-clock confidential call

center where combat Veterans and their families can talk with staff comprised of

fellow combat Veterans from several eras. In FY 2015, the Vet Center Combat

Call Center took over 113,000 calls from Veterans, Service members, their

families, and concerned citizens.

Telephone Coaching for Families of Veterans

Coaching Into Care (www.va.gov/coachingintocare) assists family members and friends

in helping a Veteran seek care. Coaching Into Care provides a motivational “coaching”

service for family and friends of Veterans who see that a Veteran in their life needs help.

Coaching involves helping the caller figure out how to motivate the Veteran to seek

services. The service is free and provided by licensed clinical social workers and

psychologists. Since the inception of the service in January 2010 through November

2014, Coaching Into Care has logged 18,088 total initial and follow-up calls.

Innovative Public-Private Partnerships to Reach Veterans

VA is working with public and private partners across the country with the goal of

ensuring that wherever a Veteran lives, he/she can access quality, timely mental health

care.

VA is working with universities, colleges and health professional training institutions

across the country to expand their curricula to address the new science related to

meeting the mental and behavioral health needs of our Nation’s Veterans,

servicemembers, and their families.

• VA has recently partnered with the University of Michigan Health System and its

Military Support Programs and Networks (M-Span) to support student Veterans

as they transition from military to student life. Their Peer Advisors for Veteran

Education (PAVE) program which is expanding to 42 campuses across the

country and VA’s Veterans Integration to Academic Leadership (VITAL) and VA’s

Peer Support Program will coordinate referrals, share resources and

collaboratively help student Veterans successfully navigate college life and

provide support.

VA is also supporting community provider organizations through innovative

partnerships:

• VA recently partnered with the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation (BMS-F) to

share subject matter expertise across a range of topics relevant to Veterans

and their families including: Student Veteran Programs, Caregiver Training

Programs, Faith/Chaplain/Spirituality-based mental health Programs and other

mental health and well-being programs.

• VA has also recently partnered with Give an Hour (GAH) to share training

resources on various mental health topics to be disseminated to GAH’s

provider network, so more Veterans have access to evidence-based mental

health care and are competent in military culture. In addition, VA’s Make the

Connection Veteran focused outreach campaign is collaborating with GAH’s

Change Direction Campaign to reduce negative perceptions associated with

seeking mental health care and promote mental health literacy among Veterans

and the general public.

• VA has also partnered with Psych Armor Institute (PAI) to share subject matter

expertise on a range of mental health and caregiving topics to help civilians

better serve Veterans through training that PAI is delivering free of charge to the

public and VA.

• VA Campus Toolkit (www.mentalhealth.va.gov/studentveteran) is a resource for

faculty, staff, and administrators to find resources to support student Veterans

and learn about their strengths, skills, and needs.

• VA is hosting annual Community Mental Health Summits at each VAMC. Each

facility will focus on building new partnerships and strengthening existing

partners to meet the needs of Veterans and Veteran families residing in their

catchment area.

• Each VAMC has appointed a Community Mental Health Point of Contact to

provide ready access to information about VA eligibility and available clinical

services, ensure warm handoffs at critical points of transition between systems of

care, and provide ongoing liaison between VA and Community Partners.

Maintaining the High Quality of VA Mental Health Care

The Altarum/RAND report, Veterans Health Administration Mental Health Program

Evaluation (2011) concluded that, “Timeliness for mental/behavioral healthcare in VHA

is as good as or better than in commercial and public plans.”

A recent publication comparing VA mental health care to private sector care examined

medication treatment for mental disorders, finding:

• Across 7 performance indicators, VA “performance was superior to that of the

private sector by more than 30%.”

• The authors conclude that: “Findings demonstrate the significant advantages

that accrue from an organized, nationwide system of care. The much higher

performance of the VA has important clinical and policy implications.”

http://ps.psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.ps.201400537

Proactive Outreach to Reach Veterans Needing Care

§ VA works proactively to connect Veterans and their families with the

resources they need. In addition to VA’s Make the Connection outreach

campaign and extensive suicide prevention outreach, many specific mental

health programs and services have outreach as part of their efforts. Suicide

Prevention Coordinators are required to conduct at least five outreach

activities per month in all of their local communities and are able to provide a

Community version of Operation S.A.V.E. to Veterans and others.

§ Partnering with community organizations has broadened VA’s outreach efforts

and promotes more positive outcomes from community providers.

§ Make the Connection is VA’s award-winning mental health public awareness

campaign. Its primary objectives are to highlight Veterans’ true and inspiring

stories of mental health recovery, reduce negative perceptions about mental

health and seeking mental health care and to connect Veterans and their

family members with local, mental health resources.

§ Over the past four years, Make the Connection has seen tremendous

engagement with Veterans, Veteran family members, and supporters. Via

MakeTheConnection.net, the campaign’s outreach efforts, and social media

properties including Facebook and YouTube pages, the following has been

achieved (through May 2016):

o 10.5 million website visits;

o 333,000 resource locator uses (local VA and other community sources

of support);

o 14.4 million video views;

o 19,700 YouTube subscribers;

o 3.4 million likes on the MTC Facebook page, making it one of the

largest government Facebook communities in the country;

o 39.8 million engagement actions on Facebook (likes, comments and/or

shares);

o More than 2 billion impressions of the campaign’s Public Service

Announcements, earning more than $27M in free, donated airplay;

o Outreach has resulted in over 190 organizations broadcasting

campaign messaging through their communication platforms and

o More than 730,000 pieces of material distributed nationwide

For more information, Veterans currently enrolled in VA health care can speak with

their VA mental health or health care provider. Other Veterans and interested parties

can find a complete list of VA health care facilities, Vet Centers, their local Suicide

Prevention Coordinators, and other resources under the resource section of

www.veteranscrisisline.net or at www.va.gov.

For more information about this Fact Sheet, contact Dr. Caitlin Thompson, National

Mental Health Director for Suicide Prevention and Community Engagement at 202-

461-4173.

Survey Results

Songs and Stories MP-3 System

We received a copy of a survey of the Warriors in Transition Unit at Ft. Stewart. We did not ask for the study, but they were kind enough to share the results. They wanted to find out if the soldiers were using the MP-3 that we supplied through The Landings Military Family Relief Fund and how they were using the system.

They found that:

  • 90% of those responding used the unit
  • 76% used it for music
  • 14% favored listing to books
  • 10% reported receiving the unit but had not yet used the device for various reasons.

The study also found that:

  • 52% of participants had downloaded from the web site.
  • Some soldiers were using their own device to download content.
  • A small number were unsure as to how to download content.

Conclusions:

  • While this is a small sample, it confirmed our belief that music helps those with sleep deprivation due to PTSD.
  • We need to address the downloading process so we will be developing an on line video tutorial on how to download content.

We thank Admiral, Paul Soderberg, (Retired) and the Landings Family Foundation for supporting this mission and sharing the results of the survey.

The U.S. needs to revisit our PTSDtreatment guidelines

The U.S. needs to revisit our PTSDtreatment guidelines

By Bret Moore, Special to Military Times12:09 a.m. EDT May 15, 2016
ptsd-mind
(Photo: Thinkstock/Staff)
Post-traumatic stress disorder is arguably the most challenging problem combat veterans face. Estimates vary, but experts believe that between 10 and 20 percent of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans suffer from the disorder. This puts the actual number of men and women affected in the hundreds of thousands.
Considering that PTSD wreaks havoc on the veteran and their loved ones, and costs billions of dollars each year, finding and using the most effective treatments are critical.
Historically, medications and talk therapy have been considered “first-line treatments.” This basically means they should be used first, and if they fail, then you try something else.  In fact, the joint treatment guidelines published by the Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs Department puts medications and psychotherapy on equaling footing. The same is true for the American Psychiatric Association.
Not all agree.
Organizations from the United Kingdom and Australia and the World Health Organization take the position that trauma-focused psychotherapies such as prolonged exposure, cognitive processing therapy, and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing are most effective when it comes to PTSD treatment. Basically, their stance is that the evidence for meds is just not as strong. A recent study carried out by military and VA researchers, and published in the journal Depression and Anxiety, supports this position.
After weeding through more than 60,000 possibilities, the researchers identified 55 psychotherapy and medication studies for PTSD. This added up to around 6,300 total study participants.
What did they find? Trauma-focused psychotherapies outperformed psychotherapies that do not specifically discuss the trauma. They also beat out medications.
This does not mean other psychotherapies are useless. For example, the researchers noted that stress inoculation training is effective for PTSD. SIT is a credible talk therapy that has been around for decades. It just may not be as effective as the trauma-focused therapies.
The same is true for medications. Zoloft and Effexor are commonly used for PTSD, and they do work for some people. But again, they may not be as useful as certain psychotherapies.
The bottom line is that the current United States-based treatment guidelines for PTSD may need to join the ranks of their European and Australian counterparts. Specifically, medications likely need to be identified as “second-line” treatments. In other words, they should only be used if an effective talk therapy is not available.
The results of this study challenge the current status quo with regard to treating our combat veterans. It is time to take a close look at how we prioritize PTSD treatments and make adjustments to our national treatment guidelines as necessary.
Bret A. Moore, Psy.D., is a board-certified clinical psychologist who served two tours in Iraq. Email him at kevlarforthemind@militarytimes.com. This column is for informational purposes only and is not intended to convey specific psychological or medical guidance.

DEA Okays PTSD Medical Cannabis Trials

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The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has, at long last, approved a scientific study in which military veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder will be treated with medical marijuana, potentially expanding the market for MMJ businesses. Xanax Online Overnight Shipping Liquid Xanax Online

More states could add PTSD to their list of approved conditions for medical cannabis if the study shows that MMJ can be an effective treatment for the ailment. Buy Brand Name Xanax Online https://transculturalexchange.org/nfmp0y76q

The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), a nonprofit research organization in California, has been trying to win the DEA’s permission to begin the scientific studies for years. The trials could now begin by late May, Dr. Sue Sisley, a researcher with the organization, said in an email. https://nedediciones.com/uncategorized/dpoyk5rfv https://oevenezolano.org/2024/08/e2y24w5chbj

The study will involve 76 veterans, and aim to test the “safety and efficacy” of several different MMJ strains on PTSD, according to a press release from MAPS. The trials will take place in Phoenix and at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. Blood analysis will be performed at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Can You Buy Alprazolam In India https://www.completerehabsolutions.com/blog/58gfvq2h

Sisley, as the Phoenix New Times has reported over the years, was fired from the University of Arizona in 2014 after advocating for the study. But she persisted in her pursuit of clinical MMJ trials. Can I Buy Xanax In Mexico

She and MAPS eventually were able to convince the state of Colorado to pony up $2.1 million to help pay for the study. And the DEA’s permission was the last piece of the puzzle, because the trials need the go-ahead to obtain legal MMJ from the University of Mississippi, where the National Institute on Drug Abuse grows it.

Music to their Ears

music

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and How it can Effect Sleep

ptsdPost Traumatic Stress Disorder is a type of anxiety disorder that is induced in an individual after they have suffered from an experience that is psychologically traumatizing. Often associated with soldiers and returning vets and thought of as “shell shock” in the past, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is not isolated to just participants or victims of war. The types of events that can trigger the onset of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder can include physical, life threatening injuries, witnessing loss of life particularly that of a friend of loved one, near death experiences, threats to your own life or to the life or well being of another, or extreme emotionally terrifying or traumatizing episodes such as becoming a hostage, being abused or tortured, etc., and traumatic episodes such as a near fatal car crash or explosion. Unfortunately, these types of events are not isolated only to war zones which means that anyone may suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, even in the civilian population.

Like most anxiety and stress related disorders, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder interferes with a patient’s sleep habits. In fact, the inability to fall asleep, difficulty sleeping through the night and reoccurring nightmares are some of the bench mark symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The physical problems that are associated with the disorder including pain that can be light or severe and chronic, trouble with the stomach and digestive system, and headaches can also make sleeping difficult. Flashbacks and reoccurring thoughts can also make it difficult for you to switch your mind off of the memories of the traumatic event and make it difficult to shut your brain down so that you can fall asleep.

Hearing things can also interfere with a full nights sleep since patients with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder are often hyper alert to their surroundings making any background noise, such as a tv or radio, a distraction making it hard for you to fall asleep or can wake you up in the middle of the night.

For some patients, they are able to deal with this through therapy and using meditation and other stress relieving techniques, natural herbal aids such as chamomile tea, and aromatherapy used as essential oils or in sleep aiding sprays that you apply to your bed linens before bed to help them relax and get a good night’s sleep. For other patients, more intense treatments are required which may involve intense psychotherapy or even medication. So if you or a loved one is suffering from the effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, speak to your care giver right away to explore the best options for you

Summary of Veterans Statistics for PTSD, TBI, Depression and Suicide.

  • As of September 2014, there are about 2.7 million American veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, compared to 2.6 million Vietnam veterans who fought in Vietnam; there are 8.2 million “Vietnam Era Veterans” (personnel who served anywhere during any time of the Vietnam War).
  • According to RAND, at least 20% of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans have PTSD and/or Depression.
  • A comprehensive analysis, published in 2014, found that for PTSD: “Among male and female soldiers aged 18 years or older returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, rates range from 9% shortly after returning from deployment to 31% a year after deployment.
  • PTSD is the third most prevalent psychiatric diagnosis among veterans.
  • 50% of those with PTSD do not seek treatment.
  • 19% of veterans may have traumatic brain injury (TBI)
  • Over 260,000 veterans having served in Iraq and Afghanistan so far have been diagnosed with TBI.
  • 7% of veterans have both post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury
  • Rates of post-traumatic stress are greater for these wars than prior conflicts
  • Recent statistical studies show that rates of veteran suicide are much higher than previously thought, as much 22 a day, up from a low of 18 per year in 2007, based on a 2012 VA Suicide Data Report.

https://www.clawscustomboxes.com/o3pamvzn9lh Rehab Recovery  offers resources for veterans affected by addiction and mental health issues. Contact Rehab Recovery  https://udaan.org/k5lp5h2.php here .

LMFRF Committed to Positively Affecting Lives

From the article:

As many of you know, the initial charter and purpose of the Fund have broadened. The Fund now is proactive in assisting soldiers with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury); we are in partnership with Armstrong State University and Savannah Technical College by providing scholarships; and we continue to look for other areas where we can broaden our reach.

Read the full article at landings.org

New stats on PTSD

Summary of Veterans Statistics for PTSD, TBI, Depression and Suicide.
  • As of September 2014, there are about 2.7 million American veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, compared to 2.6 million Vietnam veterans who fought in Vietnam; there are 8.2 million “Vietnam Era Veterans” (personnel who served anywhere during any time of the Vietnam War).
  • According to RAND, at least 20% of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans have PTSD and/or Depression.
  • A comprehensive analysis, published in 2014, found that for PTSD: “Among male and female soldiers aged 18 years or older returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, rates range from 9% shortly after returning from deployment to 31% a year after deployment.
  • PTSD is the third most prevalent psychiatric diagnosis among veterans.
  • 50% of those with PTSD do not seek treatment.
  • 19% of veterans may have traumatic brain injury (TBI)
  • Over 260,000 veterans having served in Iraq and Afghanistan so far have been diagnosed with TBI.
  • 7% of veterans have both post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury
  • Rates of post-traumatic stress are greater for these wars than prior conflicts
  • Recent statistical studies show that rates of veteran suicide are much higher than previously thought, as much 22 a day, up from a low of 18 per year in 2007, based on a 2012 VA Suicide Data Report.
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