Army veteran's walking sticks help wounded stand tall

ND couple honored for helping military veterans
By DAVE KOLPACK
Associated Press Writer , The Associated Press - MAYVILLE, N.D.

A North Dakota man who has crafted hundreds of walking sticks for wounded veterans says he's looking forward to the day when his services are no longer needed.

"The war's not going to be over," Dennis Enger said Friday after he and his wife were honored in a surprise ceremony at the Mayville VFW. "I wish it would be over tomorrow morning so I could quit. But I'll keep on."

Enger, a retired tree trimmer and Army veteran, started the project about four years ago as a way to help fellow soldiers. The first package to the Walter Reed Army Medical Center contained only three sticks, but he was so touched by the reaction from veterans and their families he kept on carving.

He has since finished about 400 sticks.

"They're known as Grandma and Grandpa Walking Stick out there at Walter Reed," said Dan Stenvold, of Park River, the president of the North Dakota Vietnam Veterans of America who has helped deliver the sticks to the Washington, D.C., hospital.
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ND couple honored for helping military veterans

Staten Islanders offer heartfelt salute to wounded warriors

Staten Island Advance/Jan Somma-Hammel
Motrorcyclists, 200 strong, escort wounded soldiers visiting from Water Reed Hospital in Washington along Korean War Veterans Memorial Parkway.

Staten Islanders offer heartfelt salute to wounded warriors
By Jeff Harrell
May 14, 2010, 10:48PM
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- It was impossible to miss the wounded war heroes today.

Behind an advance guard of 200 deafening choppers, their motorcade wended its way along Richmond Avenue past the Staten Island Mall, attended by fluttering flags and chants of "America rocks!"

It was a fitting New York City welcome for nine severely wounded veterans who ventured from Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, D.C., to visit the Island as guests of the Tamburri Post, American Veterans (AMVETS).

"It's very exciting. I got goosebumps," said Tamburri Post member Dennis McLoone of Westerleigh.

"I'm just proud, proud, proud of our guys doing a job nobody else would want," proclaimed Kathryn Fixsen of Eltingville. "It makes America what it is."
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Staten Islanders offer heartfelt salute to wounded warriors

When The Battle Comes Home Part Two

When The Battle Comes Home: A hotline counselor
Posted: May 13, 2010 - 3:46pm
Second of three parts

Sacrifices made by the military in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan already are out of sight for many Americans.

When the military return home, they often retreat even deeper into an invisible void.

Yet, the trauma experienced by repeated tours of combat can have a huge impact on the mental health of many soldiers, sailors and Marines, and not just those who have been in combat, either.

One witness to that trauma is Victor Montgomery, a counselor who has staffed a suicide hotline and heard the pain and anguish of both returned military, their friends and family.

He has heard the "frantic, crisis-induced phone calls."

"Extremely disturbing experiences that cause severe emotional shock confront many competent, healthy, stalwart honorable veterans," Montgomery writes in a book, Healing Suicidal Veterans. (See the interview with Montgomery on the opposite page).
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When The Battle Comes Home

Pioneer PTSD professor one of Time's 100

'Time' 100 list honors Penn prof.

by Melanie Lei
Thursday, May 13, 2010 at 8:53 pm


When Penn professor of clinical psychology Edna Foa received an e-mail from Time magazine telling her that she was on this year’s 100 Most Influential People in the World list, she was surprised, to say the least.

“I thought that someone was pulling my leg,” she said.

Although she was a fairly frequent reader of Time, she had never bought a Time 100 issue. “I thought that it was mostly movie stars and basketball players and politicians.”

But according to her colleagues at the Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety — which Foa directs — the recognition is well deserved.

Thirty years ago, before the term post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was used in mental health discourse, Foa was wondering about how individuals processed disturbing and distressing events.

Her curiosity eventually led to groundbreaking therapy for PTSD patients in a treatment called prolonged exposure. The technique has two components: patients relive traumatic experiences in their imagination and expose themselves to real-life distressing situations. After repeated exposure, patients use emotional processing in order to desensitize their reactions of anxiety.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is now using prolonged exposure to treat PTSD patients, thanks to Foa’s treatment program.
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http://www.dailypennsylvanian.com/article/time-100-list-honors-penn-prof

Ajax and Philoctetes new use for old results

Project aims to connect with troops through tales of ancient warriors
By Seth Robbins, Stars and Stripes
European edition, Saturday, May 15, 2010

BAUMHOLDER, Germany - More than two millennia ago, the Greek dramatist Sophocles wrote of warriors scarred by battle: Ajax, so consumed by rage that he turns it on himself, and Philoctetes, maddened by isolation after being deserted by his fellow officers.

The Theater of War project has revived these ancient warriors for today’s troops, staging readings of "Ajax" and "Philoctetes" at more than 75 U.S. military sites.

The plays, which place the two title characters in the battles and bloodlettings of the mythic Trojan War, were chosen as a way to remind modern troops that their experiences are not new.

Sophocles had served as a commander of the armed forces, and possibly as a general in a campaign in the Samian war, which pitted Athens against the island of Samos. His plays, written at a time of constant warfare, were likely to have been seen by many with combat experience.

Though the works are rarely produced for today’s audiences because of their difficulty, Theater of War director Bryan Doerries said the troops relate to them instantly.
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http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=69989

Elderly Bithlo man beaten to death after being mistaken for sex offender

Elderly Bithlo man beaten to death after being mistaken for sex offender
Deputies arrested Michael Garay, 32, in connection to the beating death of Hugh Edwards, an elderly Bithlo man.

By Bianca Prieto, Orlando Sentinel

12:30 a.m. EDT, May 14, 2010


An elderly Bithlo resident was beaten to death with a black Louisville Slugger baseball bat because the killer mistakenly thought the man was a sex offender, the Orange County Sheriff's Office said.

Deputies arrested 20-year-old Robert Pascale on Thursday on a charge of first-degree murder with a weapon after deputies with dogs tracked him to a muddy pond near Sixth Street in Bithlo, where he was hiding. Pascale was submerged in the water, only his face exposed.

The dead man, Hugh Edwards, 78, had no criminal history. It's unclear why anyone thought he was a sexual offender.

Details about Edwards' killing became public in the arrest report for Pascale's friend, 32-year-old Michael Garay, charged with accessory to murder.
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Elderly Bithlo man beaten to death

Army Suicide Data shows what they are doing is not working

There are some people shocked when I get upset because normally I am about as laid back as they come. What gets me to explode is a report like this.

Military News: Army Releases April Suicide Data
By Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster, LAPD (ret.)

Army Releases April Suicide Data
May 13, 2010 - The Army released suicide data today for the month of April. Among active-duty soldiers, there were ten potential suicides: one has been confirmed as suicide, and nine remain under investigation. For March, the Army reported 13 potential suicides among active-duty soldiers. Since the release of the report, four have been confirmed as suicides, and nine remain under investigation. During April 2010, among reserve soldiers who were not on active duty, there were five potential suicides. For March, among that same group, there were nine total suicides. Of those, three were confirmed as suicides and seven are pending determination of the manner of death.

The Army is also announcing updated numbers for 2009 to now reflect 163 active duty suicides. This adjustment is based on subsequent review of additional case information by the Armed Forces Medical Examiner, resulting in the re-characterization of 2 cases initially deemed to be accidental deaths, now confirmed as suicides, and one case, previously pending determination, now also confirmed as suicide.
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After about 20,000 posts on this blog and my older one, sometimes I forget what I read, so I took a look back searching for a report I posted a couple years ago from the BBC. A reporter was with some of our troops in Afghanistan and they were talking about how worthless BattleMind was. While looking for it, I came across this post in 2007.

Thursday, August 09, 2007

Be Warned. PTSD rates will go a lot higher
As bad as the crisis seems right now, it's going to get a lot worse and this country, as well as all other nations involved in the two occupations, had better put in place emergency plans now. They have waited too long to act and any measures taken now are too slow in coming. They will not even be able to keep pace with those already experiencing traumatic symptoms. We cannot forget that those diagnosed are not all there is or all that will be. Vietnam should have been a lesson learned, but it wasn't.

PTSD is an anxiety disorder that develops in individuals who have experienced a traumatic event. The condition is typically characterized by a range of symptoms, including flashbacks, emotional numbness, depression, memory problems, and hyper-arousal. PTSD is a serious mental illness that without early identification and effective treatment, has the potential to be chronic, debilitating, and even lethal, with high rates of suicide.The diagnosis of PTSD was first coined to describe this set of symptoms in 1980, but it is a young disease in name only.

War veterans have experienced this disorder (often termed "shell-shock" or "war neurosis") throughout history, and the wars of the 21st century are reminding the world why. According to a 2004 study cited by the National Center for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, 94 percent of soldiers in Iraq are the victims of what is termed "small-arms fire"; 86 percent knew someone who was seriously injured or killed; and 51 percent had handled or uncovered human remains.These traumatic experiences combined with long or repeated deployments in a politically controversial war make servicemen and women in Iraq particularly vulnerable to PTSD. In fact, 12 percent to 20 percent of returning soldiers experience PTSD, compared to about 5 percent in the general population.FromPervasive wound of warSusan J. Blumenthal/ Elise SchlisselAugust 9, 2007 go here for the resthttp://washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070809/COMMENTARY/108090012

Prevalance of Post-traumatic stress disorder: 5.2 million adult Americans (NIMH); 3.6% adults (NIMH); about 30% of war veterans. Prevalance Rate: approx 1 in 52 or 1.91% or 5.2 million people in USA [about data Incidence (annual) of Post-traumatic stress disorder: 3.6% adults annually (NIMH) Incidence Rate: approx 1 in 27 or 3.60% or 9.8 million people in USA [about data] Incidence extrapolations for USA for Post-traumatic stress disorder: 9,791,999 per year, 815,999 per month, 188,307 per week, 26,827 per day, 1,117 per hour, 18 per minute, 0 per second.Prevalance of Post-traumatic stress disorder: PTSD affects about 5.2 million adult Americans. (Source: excerpt from Anxiety Disorders: NIMH) Incidence of Post-traumatic stress disorder: About 3.6 percent of U.S. adults ages 18 to 54 (5.2 million people) have PTSD during the course of a given year. (Source: excerpt from Facts about Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: NIMH

from September 1, 2000 JENNIFER TRAVIS LANGE, CAPT, MC, USA, CHRISTOPHER L. LANGE, CAPT, MC, USA, and REX B.G. CABALTICA, M.D.Eisenhower Army Medical Center, Fort Gordon, Georgia

ComorbidityUp to 80 percent of patients with PTSD have a comorbid psychologic disorder.7 Having had a psychiatric diagnosis before a trauma increases a person's risk for developing PTSD. Also, having PTSD increases the risk of later developing psychiatric problems.8 The most common diseases that occur with PTSD are major depression, dysthymia, generalized anxiety disorder, substance abuse, somatization, panic disorder, bipolar disorder, phobias and dissociative disorders.7 Any coexisting psychiatric conditions should be treated simultaneously with PTSD because the particular psychologic issues cannot be separated.

Detachment Reexperiencing the event

Event had emotional effects Avoidance

Month in duration

Sympathetic hyperactivity or hypervigilance

Now take a look at the warning attached to common medications used to treat PTSD and then think of the men and women being sent back into combat with these medications. Zoloft also comes with a warning of risk but no one is watching them when they are deployed.

Psychotherapy Medications are used to relieve the most distressing symptoms, allowing the patient to concentrate on psychotherapy.10 Any medication regimen should be part of a psychotherapeutic process. Attention to a range of issues, including the effects on the family, education about the disease and treatment options, is paramount.
BenzodiazepinesHistorically, benzodiazepines were the primary agent in PTSD treatment. Alprazolam (Xanax) and clonazepam (Klonopin) have been used extensively, but the efficacy of benzodiazepines against the major PTSD symptoms has not been proven in controlled studies. 10 These agents are effective against anxiety, insomnia and irritability, but they should be used with great caution because of the high frequency of comorbid substance dependence in patients with PTSD. Patients should be fully informed of the risks and benefits of these medications, including the risks of dependency and of withdrawal after abrupt discontinuation.go here for the resthttp://www.aafp.org/afp/20000901/1035.html

Comorbidity in medicine

In medicine, comorbidity describes the effect of all other diseases an individual patient might have other than the primary disease of interest. There is currently no accepted way to quantify such comorbidity.Many tests attempt to standardize the “weight” or value of comorbid conditions, whether they are secondary or tertiary illnesses. Each test attempts to consolidate each individual comorbid condition into a single, predictive variable that measures mortality or other outcomes. Researchers have "validated" such tests because of their predictive value, but no one test is as yet recognized as a standard.The term "comorbid" currently has two definitions: 1) to indicate a medical condition existing simultaneously but independently with another condition in a patient (this is the older and more "correct" definition) 2) to indicate a medical condition in a patient that causes, is caused by, or is otherwise related to another condition in the same patient (this is a newer, nonstandard definition and less well-accepted).http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comorbidity

Consider they are being redeployed into combat and then add this to it. It is also one of the reason the DOD and experts say the risk of developing PTSD is raised by 50% for each redeployment. We have some on their fifth tour.

Onset PTSD can develop at any age, including in childhood. Symptoms typically begin within three months of a traumatic event, although occasionally they do not begin until years later. Once PTSD occurs, the severity and duration of the illness varies. Some people recover within six months, while others may not do so for much longer.

Likelihood of Developing PTSD
People who have been abused as children or who have had other previous traumatic experiences are more likely to develop the disorder. Research is continuing to pinpoint other factors that may lead to PTSD.The following are also recent research findings:Some studies show that debriefing people very soon after a catastrophic event may reduce some of the symptoms of PTSD. A study of 12,000 schoolchildren who lived through a hurricane in Hawaii found that those who got counseling quickly were doing much better two years later than those who did not.

People with PTSD tend to have abnormal levels of key hormones involved in response to stress. Cortisol levels are lower than normal, and epinephrine and norepinephrine are higher than normal. Scientists have also found that people with this condition have alterations in the function of the thyroid and in neurotransmitter activity involving serotonin and opiates.When people are in danger, they produce high levels of natural opiates, which can temporarily mask pain. Scientists have found that people with PTSD continue to produce those higher levels even after the danger has passed. This may lead to the blunted emotions associated with the condition.It used to be believed that people who tend to dissociate themselves from a trauma were showing a healthy response, but now some researchers suspect that people who experience dissociation may be more prone to PTSD.Animal studies show that the hippocampus -- a part of the brain critical to emotion-laden memories -- appears to be smaller in cases of PTSD.

Brain imaging studies indicate similar findings in humans. Scientists are investigating whether this is related to short-term memory problems. Changes in the hippocampus are thought to be responsible for intrusive memories and flashbacks that occur in people with this disorder.Research to understand the neurotransmitter system involved in memories of emotionally charged events may lead to discovery of drugs that, if given early, could block the development of PTSD symptoms.

Levels of CRF, or corticotropin releasing factor—the ignition switch in the human stress response—seem to be elevated in people with PTSD, which may account for the tendency to be easily startled. Because of this finding, scientists now want to determine whether drugs that reduce CRF activity are useful in treating the disorder.The content of this fact sheet was adapted from material published by the National Institute of Mental Health.go here for morehttp://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/go/ptsd

Also keep in mind that those who have been reported as "diagnosed" are only those with approved claims. If they are not given a "service connected" disability rating, they are not counted. None of the "personality disorder discharges" are counted in the number the government states. None of the 600,000 backlog of claims to be processed are counted in the numbers. None of those who are still trying to figure out what's wrong with them are counted. None of those who will develop PTSD in a year or more have been counted. If you think there is a problem now, you better fasten your seatbelts. It's going to be a downward spiral from here.

It's all there from three years ago. The medication warnings, redeployment warnings, the fact PTSD rates would to up, all there. The point is, we have increases in a bad way across the spectrum because no one in charge really listened to what the honest experts were predicting.


Battle Mind must be eliminated from what they are trying to do. There is no doubt in my mind that they really want to save the lives of the troops but they are the last to learn shooting with rubber bullets may be good for target practice but it in no way resembles or prepares them for the real thing. In other words, they are usually the last to learn what the rest of the country already knows. When it comes to PTSD, they are still shooting with blanks.

Afghan war suicide moves mother

An Air Force carry team carries a transfer case containing the remains of Airman 1st Class Austin H. Gates Benson on May 4 at Dover Air Force Base in Dover, Del. (AP photo)

Afghan war suicide moves mother
Hellertown airman killed himself. His mom vows to help stem rising rates.

By Veronica Torrejón

OF THE MORNING CALL

May 13, 2010


Days after Joie Gates learned that her son had killed himself in Afghanistan, she dashed off a letter to President Barack Obama.

It was an impassioned plea for him to take action to stem the number of military suicides, which last year exceeded the number of those who died in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to a Congressional Quarterly report.

On Wednesday, after taking a week to consider her position and learn about efforts the military has undertaken to guard the mental health of troops, she penned another letter.

''What can I do to help you?'' she asked the president. ''How can we get to the bottom of why this is happening?''

Gates knows that her son, Airman 1st Class Austin H. Gates Benson, 19, of Hellertown, believed wholeheartedly in the good the U.S. military is doing in Afghanistan, but the horrors of war became too much for him. He shot himself May 3.

He was stationed at a remote combat outpost in Khyber, near the Pakistani border, where he was helping to establish communications.
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Afghan war suicide moves mother

'Surfing makes me feel like I'm flying'

'Surfing makes me feel like I'm flying'
Gulf War veteran Dana Cummings lost a leg in a car crash. He turned to surfing as physical therapy, loving the sense of freedom it gave him. Now he's helping others through the Association of Amputee Surfers, or AmpSurf. FULL STORY

Mental health disorders caused more hospitalizations than any other reason

Mental health hospitalizations up for troops

By Gregg Zoroya - USA Today
Posted : Friday May 14, 2010 7:57:17 EDT

WASHINGTON — Mental health disorders caused more hospitalizations among U.S. troops in 2009 than any other reason according to medical data released recently by the Pentagon. This historic high reflects the growing toll of nearly nine years of war.

Last year was the first in which hospitalizations for mental disorders outpaced those for injuries or pregnancies in the 15 years of tracking by the Pentagon's Medical Surveillance Monthly report.

Hospitalizations for mental disorders have increased significantly among troops since 2005, said Lt. Gen Eric Schoomaker, surgeon general for the Army. "War is difficult. It takes a toll," he said.

Mental health treatment expenses are helping drive up the overall cost of military health care, USA Today reported last month. Last week, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said in a speech that "health care costs are eating the Defense Department alive." Schoomaker said the Army's increased attention to mental health issues is another reason for the rise in hospital admittances.

In 2009, there were 17,538 hospitalizations for mental health issues throughout the military, the study shows. That compares to 17,354 for pregnancy and childbirth reasons, and 11,156 for injuries and battle wounds.
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Mental health hospitalizations up for troops