Time magazine chose Edna Foaas one of its 100 most influential people this week for her work is combatting PTSD, the disorder that plagues our veterans.
Though, as Time describes it, her technique strongly resembles cognitive therapy--at least to this layman--apparently it works for many and, just in case some War Peace Tolerance readers suffer from or know someone who suffers from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), I thought I'd tell you about it.
Her therapy is called prolonged exposure or PE. It works by searching out the thoughts and situations that PTSD sufferers find most stressful and then gently exposing sufferers to them. First they summon up their worst mememories. Next they are exposed to places or circumstances similar to what they remember. By facing the memories head on, they are stripped of their power. Time reports that the therapy works quickly. often within twelve sessions.
And, best of all, the US Military is utilizing Foa's methods.
My feeling is that sufferers will want to at least explore the possibilities. Many sufferers have tried everything else that is available and are desperate for something that can make a difference in their lives. Ask at the Department of Veterans Affairs. PE is being put into use now and may be available for the needs of loved ones sooner rather than later.
---Carolyn Howard-Johnson wrote the foreword for Eric Dinyer's book of patriotic quotations, Support Our Troops, published by Andrews McMeel. Part of the proceeds for the book benefit Fisher House. Her chapbook of poetry won the Military Writers Society of America's award of excellence. Find it at http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1599240173/. Her novel, collection of creative nonfiction and much of her poetry is informed by interest in leading the world toward acceptance of one another. Find her web page dedicated to tolerance at http://www.carolynhowardjohnson.redenginepress.com/tolerence_and_utah_links.htm. If your Twitter followers would be interested, please pass this on to them using this widget:
Showing posts with label PTSD. Show all posts
Showing posts with label PTSD. Show all posts
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Sunday, February 8, 2009
PTSD and the Military
Thought you might be interested in this essay. It's about PTSD, Iraq, Afghanistan, Grey's Anatomy and John McCain. Connect the dots! (-: http://mrslieutenant.blogspot.com/2009/02/ptsd-achilles-in-vietnam-and-tv-show.html
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Carolyn Howard-Johnson wrote the foreword for Eric Dinyer's book of patriotic quotations, Support Our Troops, published by Andrews McMeel. Part of the proceeds for the book benefit Fisher House. Her chapbook of poetry won the Military Writers Society of America's award of excellence. Find it at http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1599240173/
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Carolyn Howard-Johnson wrote the foreword for Eric Dinyer's book of patriotic quotations, Support Our Troops, published by Andrews McMeel. Part of the proceeds for the book benefit Fisher House. Her chapbook of poetry won the Military Writers Society of America's award of excellence. Find it at http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1599240173/
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Horrifying Figures on the Cost of War:Mental Disease and Suicide
According to the May 5, 2008, issue of Time Magazine, the military established a suicide hotline for vets in August. An amazing 37,000 calls have been received so far.
Figures that support the need for this kind of service are also included in that issue of Time. An independent study (Rand) shows that "as many as 300,000 Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans suffer from symptoms of depression por post-tramatic stress disorder." That about 20%! And an additional 320,000 soldiers are are on the rolls as having experienced traumatic brain injury.
In former posts I've talked about the post active duty care our soldiers are getting. The picture does not look good.
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Carolyn Howard-Johnson wrote the foreword for Eric Dinyer's book of patriotic quotations, Support Our Troops, published by Andrews McMeel. Part of the proceeds for the book benefit Fisher House. Her chapbook of poetry won the Military Writers Society of America's award of excellence.
Figures that support the need for this kind of service are also included in that issue of Time. An independent study (Rand) shows that "as many as 300,000 Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans suffer from symptoms of depression por post-tramatic stress disorder." That about 20%! And an additional 320,000 soldiers are are on the rolls as having experienced traumatic brain injury.
In former posts I've talked about the post active duty care our soldiers are getting. The picture does not look good.
-----
Carolyn Howard-Johnson wrote the foreword for Eric Dinyer's book of patriotic quotations, Support Our Troops, published by Andrews McMeel. Part of the proceeds for the book benefit Fisher House. Her chapbook of poetry won the Military Writers Society of America's award of excellence.
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Today My Grandson Leaves for Iraq--Again. Here's What We Can Do
On this, the day my grandson flies from his base in Colorado to Iraq, I thought I'd begin this blog with a letter published in the Glendale News-Press. The city had decided to hang banners supporting our toops. As you can see, I had mixed emotions about that:
As a writer I am a proponent of the power of words. Put those words on a banner and the effect may be even greater.
Nevertheless the idea of our city's spending a large sum of money on banners (see GNP Thursday, Aug 23, 2007 Page A3) when so much needs to be done for our troops bothers me. In the past I've blogged to encourage our citizenry—in the midst of a fervor of well-deserved support for our troops—to do more than pass around patriotic photos of troops on the Web, wave flags or, yes, hang banners. We need to do more because many of the military issues we heard about in the past have not gone away. Here are a few:
1. A huge number of soldiers still earn beneath the poverty level of a citizen of the US.
2. Many veterans, including a poet friend of mine who suffers from PTSD, are not receiving the medical benefits they were promised and deserve.
3. I'm not sure about the flak jacket and armored vehicles snafu (my grandson who just returned from Iraq said he was issued his flaks) but last I heard there were some 10,000 faulty ones that hadn't been recalled out of 30,000.
4. Benefits for our soldiers (general ones—not just health benefits) have been cut in the last few years, not increased.
5. Most of our soldiers called up from the reserves—some of them for the third time—do not receive education benefits when they return home.
Besides a blog and letter here and there, I've donated a foreword to a book that supports Fisher House, a Ronald McDonald's House type service that provides homes for the families of wounded servicemen and women being treated overseas. It doesn't feel as if it's doing any good.
It may seem a bit ridiculous to say, considering that I'm writing this letter, but I'm about worded out. Still, perhaps because my grandson is in the military soon to return to Iraq for the second time, I just can't let go. So here are a few ideas that don't necessarily take a lot of time or money (but could if one was so disposed.):
1. Let's donate to the USO. Or Fisher House (the charitable organization I mentioned above. If everyone sent a dollar, we could make a huge difference.
2. Send letters and care packages overseas. Make that gift something that the guys and gals need so they won't have to spend their precious salaries on things that are cheaper here at our local CVS. Some churches have overseas programs in place.
4. Send similar gifts to the soldiers who are back in the US after a tour of duty. Many of them have had their tours extended--involuntarily--and will be going back to the desert sand soon.
5. Write letters to your congress people and our President about the benefits our new vets (and yes, our Viet vets!) aren't getting. And, yes, send letters of thanks, too, when they actually vote for something that supports them.
6. And, when you see a soldier at your local Italian restaurant, don't just offer, buy the guy (or gal) a meal on the Q.T.. Not out of charity. Out of thanks.
Now about those banners. If we must put up banners, perhaps they could include calls to action? Maybe one or more of the suggestions above, complete with URLs to make helping easier.
------
Carolyn Howard-Johnson wrote the foreword for Eric Dinyer's book of patriotic quotations, Support Our Troops, published by Andrews McMeel. Part of the proceeds for the book benefit Fisher House. Her chapbook of poetry won the Military Writers Society of America's award of excellence.
As a writer I am a proponent of the power of words. Put those words on a banner and the effect may be even greater.
Nevertheless the idea of our city's spending a large sum of money on banners (see GNP Thursday, Aug 23, 2007 Page A3) when so much needs to be done for our troops bothers me. In the past I've blogged to encourage our citizenry—in the midst of a fervor of well-deserved support for our troops—to do more than pass around patriotic photos of troops on the Web, wave flags or, yes, hang banners. We need to do more because many of the military issues we heard about in the past have not gone away. Here are a few:
1. A huge number of soldiers still earn beneath the poverty level of a citizen of the US.
2. Many veterans, including a poet friend of mine who suffers from PTSD, are not receiving the medical benefits they were promised and deserve.
3. I'm not sure about the flak jacket and armored vehicles snafu (my grandson who just returned from Iraq said he was issued his flaks) but last I heard there were some 10,000 faulty ones that hadn't been recalled out of 30,000.
4. Benefits for our soldiers (general ones—not just health benefits) have been cut in the last few years, not increased.
5. Most of our soldiers called up from the reserves—some of them for the third time—do not receive education benefits when they return home.
Besides a blog and letter here and there, I've donated a foreword to a book that supports Fisher House, a Ronald McDonald's House type service that provides homes for the families of wounded servicemen and women being treated overseas. It doesn't feel as if it's doing any good.
It may seem a bit ridiculous to say, considering that I'm writing this letter, but I'm about worded out. Still, perhaps because my grandson is in the military soon to return to Iraq for the second time, I just can't let go. So here are a few ideas that don't necessarily take a lot of time or money (but could if one was so disposed.):
1. Let's donate to the USO. Or Fisher House (the charitable organization I mentioned above. If everyone sent a dollar, we could make a huge difference.
2. Send letters and care packages overseas. Make that gift something that the guys and gals need so they won't have to spend their precious salaries on things that are cheaper here at our local CVS. Some churches have overseas programs in place.
4. Send similar gifts to the soldiers who are back in the US after a tour of duty. Many of them have had their tours extended--involuntarily--and will be going back to the desert sand soon.
5. Write letters to your congress people and our President about the benefits our new vets (and yes, our Viet vets!) aren't getting. And, yes, send letters of thanks, too, when they actually vote for something that supports them.
6. And, when you see a soldier at your local Italian restaurant, don't just offer, buy the guy (or gal) a meal on the Q.T.. Not out of charity. Out of thanks.
Now about those banners. If we must put up banners, perhaps they could include calls to action? Maybe one or more of the suggestions above, complete with URLs to make helping easier.
------
Carolyn Howard-Johnson wrote the foreword for Eric Dinyer's book of patriotic quotations, Support Our Troops, published by Andrews McMeel. Part of the proceeds for the book benefit Fisher House. Her chapbook of poetry won the Military Writers Society of America's award of excellence.
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