Archive | September, 2009

Healing without Excuses

When working with unforgivable trauma and despair, I find it important to not offer excuses for what happened. In my experience, Veterans don’t want to hear that there is something good about a kid that died in a cross fire, about the accidental death of civilians, or anybody, for that matter. Instead, we use EFT to find peace with what happened. Having released the trauma and overwhelm allows the Veterans to take charge in a new and powerful way.

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EFT – a true solution for war trauma

Statistics show that most Veterans ask their immediate private surrounding, their families and buddies, for help with their war trauma. But are those ley people prepared for this important taks?
EFT can be easily and effectively taught and applied, even by spouses with no background in mental health.

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Organizations for Active Duty and Veteran Women

www.Packparachute.org (MST) Academy Women www.academywomen.org Air Force Women’s Officers Association www.afwoa.org All Navy Women’s National Alliance www.anwna.com Alliance for National Defense www.4militarywomen.org American Nurses’ Association (ANA) www.nursingworld.org/ Army Nurse Corps Assn www.e-anca.org Business and Professional Women/USA www.bpwusa.org CoastGuard/SPAR, Inc., www.uscg.mil/d17/cgcspar/ Military Women Veterans History userpages.aug.com/captbarb / National Association of Black Military Women www.nabmw.com National Association of [...]

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Study Finds Post-Traumatic Stress From 9/11 Increasing

The number of people who have reported symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of being directly exposed to the World Trade Center attacks has increased over time, according to a new study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association , based on a survey of 50,000 people conducted five to six years after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
Even though military combat is a different experience from one-time disasters, “Our findings are very consistent with combat veterans,” says Dr. Thorpe. Stress symptoms may increase over time because repercussions from the original event — such as job loss or health problems — may add to the strain, she said.

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Suicide takes growing toll among military, veterans

Suicide takes growing toll among military, veterans
The federal government estimates that 5,000 veterans commit suicide each year, and Dr. Thomas Insel, director of the National Institute of Mental Health, said suicides among Iraq and Afghanistan veterans could top combat deaths.

He made the statement last year at the annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association and cited a study by Rand Corp., a nonprofit research organization, showing as many as 20 percent of veterans returning from these conflicts will suffer major depression or post-traumatic stress disorder, and seven in 10 won’t seek help from the departments of Defense or Veterans Affairs.

The toll is also rising in the active military, with the Army reporting the most confirmed suicides — 140 last year. Locally, Fort Knox reported five confirmed suicides in 2008 and 2009. Fort Campbell reported 24 suspected or confirmed suicides in the same period and in late May suspended regular duties for everyone for three days so commanders could better help soldiers at risk.

Driving these numbers are pre-existing mental illnesses, post-traumatic stress disorder and relationship or financial problems worsened by long or repeated deployments, say mental health experts, who also point to the stigma against seeking help in a culture known for toughness.

Many families and veterans organizations argue that more needs to be done to stop the deaths. And military and Veterans Affairs officials say they are taking the problem seriously, beefing up mental health resources and suicide prevention programs.

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