PTSD in the News: Monthly Roundup

Welcome to the spring edition of PTSD in the News! This month’s topics include the idea of permanently changing your memories, how alcohol contributes to PTSD symptoms, a new non-profit supporting vets’ holistic healing and the Defense Department’s launch of telehealth treatment for PTSD.

And don’t forget to register for information on our all-new, FREE, live, monthly Self-Empowered Healing Teleseminar. On the second Tuesday of every month @ 9pm EST/8pm CST/6pm PST I’ll host a 45-minute call designed around some aspect of self-empowered healing. In addition to a presentation and discussion about the topic there will also be time for a general PTSD question and answer period. Join us to connect with other survivors and collaborate on strengthening your healing journey! The next call will be on Tuesday, April, 13th.

General PTSD Topics

Shaken Chileans get quake relief at soccer stadium - Aftershocks still rattle walls and nerves in Chile nearly three weeks after an 8.8 magnitude earthquake, intensifying grief and trauma for some while others find escape at the football stadium.

Can you alter your memory? - Is it possible to permanently change your memories? A group of scientists thinks so. And their new techniques for altering memories are raising possibilities of one day treating people who suffer from phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder and other anxiety-related conditions.

Flight attendant involved in Hudson crash retires after four decades - ‘I’ve known … that I couldn’t go back’  A Beaver County flight attendant who was swept into the spotlight last year after US Airways Flight 1549 crash landed in the Hudson River retired last month, leaving behind four decades of flying.

New childhoods unfold for Haitian orphans - Far from the country where he was born, Rolando Woodward is settling into a new life.

Alcohol may contribute to PTSD - People who have drunk a moderate amount of alcohol before a traumatic event have more flashbacks than those who drank no alcohol.

Tetris decreases stress caused by trauma - Patients recovering from traumatic events are likely to benefit from playing computer games like Tetris if findings of a study carried out by researchers at Oxford are to be believed, though it may sound slightly far fetched. 

Lawyer for comic facing complaint walks out of hearing – A lesbian who filed a BC Human Rights complaint against a comedian for targetting her during his act says she now suffers from post traumatic stress disorder.

Former Jacksonville police officer awarded benefits for post traumatic stress disorder claim – Former Jacksonville police officer John Forte has won his workers’ compensation claim over post-traumatic disorder.

Combat PTSD Topics

Expedition Balance is a nonprofit organization founded in Houston, Texas, dedicated to helping combat veterans cope with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Our goal is to help restore a sense of balance in those we work with, by tending to the body, mind, and spirit. Our practices are holistic and get their power from nature, giving our participants tools they can use for a lifetime in their quest for peace and joy. During the month of April, we are conducting a campaign to raise $100K to support our operations in the community as well as funding week-long expeditions (retreats) in the coming months. Please help support these former warriors that sacrificed so much on our behalf, by supporting Expedition Balance.

Unemployed Female Veterans Get Support from State of California – The San Gabriel Tribune reported on Thursday that California is making an effort to help out female veterans that are having trouble finding work after returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

New veterans court aims to help soldiers struggling at home – The Pentagon estimates that as many as one in five veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will suffer from mental health problems as a result of their military service.

Even His Red Squeak Toy Can’t Get First Sgt. Gunner, USMC, to Fight - Despite Rehab, the Yellow Lab Won’t Sniff for Bombs in Combat; He’s ‘a Lover’  When the Marines cry “Havoc!” and let slip the dogs of war, one remains in his kennel.  

Defense Department Launches Telehealth Treatment for PTSD – The Department of Defense is launching a portable telehealth system that will allow physicians to use video teleconferencing equipment to treat U.S. Army soldiers who have post-traumatic stress disorder and brain injuries, NextGov reports.

Veterans Suspected of Crimes Swap Guilty Pleas for Rehabilitation - Nic Gray was a sergeant with the 1st Infantry Division, based at Fort Riley, Kansas. He was part of the Iraq troop surge in February 2007.

Meeting explores if we’re ready for returning veterans - For almost 15 months, Shane Hornbeck’s Army battalion was battered by mortars, shattered by roadside bombs and shot at by snipers. While fighting in Iraq, 31 of its 400 members died. 

Agencies help Vets get back on track - Darrell Wilkes joined the Army at 17 and was shipped off to serve in the first Gulf War. There he saw starving children, soldiers who had lost limbs and dead bodies.

‘Horses for Heroes’ helps injured, traumatized war vets adjust – Saddle up, soldier. The horses of Stajduhar Stables in Colleyville have long been helping children bear the burdens of debilitating diseases. The animals’ rhythmic gait can calm the nervous systems of kids with autism and strengthen the muscles of those with cerebral palsy.

Mental wounds treatable, but most veterans do not complete treatment - Ben Rollins was self-destructing. Every night, after work, he and a few fellow Marines would get together to polish off a 30-pack of beer and a fifth of hard liquor.

Military ombudsman to gain review mental health services - National Defense and Canadian Forces Ombudsman Pierre Daigle will conduct a follow-up review of a 2008  investigation into military mental health services that found that too many soldiers with operational stress injuries (OSI) were slipping through cracks in the system.

Photo acknowledgement Oregan Health & Science University

Tags: alcohol, Chile earthquake, earthquake, female veterans, flashbacks, Haiti, horse therapy, Hudson crash, news, post traumatic stress disorder, ptsd, PTSD in the News, symptoms, tetris, trauma, war