Stronger Together...not in all cases

Yet again, let down by something I thought would be wonderful.  Couple of things bug me about this news of a movie with a great title, "We Are Stronger" because hey, been using that myself for over 3 decades. 

Anyway, then I read it was about faith, and I thought, great someone decided to address how important faith was when trying to heal PTSD. 

Problems popped up right away after that. 

The "writer/director" had no experience with veterans or PTSD. Then, what made that news worse was where she got her "knowledge" from.

C: What kind of research did you do for this project?

RM: I read Lt. Col. [Dave] Grossman’s book On Combat. He teaches resiliency courses with the military. It was a very good resource for me. Also, I read Rev. Chris Adsit’s book The Combat Trauma Healing Manual, which walks people through a group study. I worked through the manual myself. It has a lot of firsthand accounts and actual journal entries from people dealing with [PTSD]. Working through that manual, I got a good picture of what it looked like. Also, I watched a documentary on PTSD, [The War Comes Home], which was [hosted] by Soledad O’Brien on CNN. That gave me some great ideas of what to write in the script.

Hep! That guy who is part of the reason the troops have been hearing the PTSD is because they were mentally weak and didn't train right because of "resilience training" and "Battlemind" which also did more harm than good.

When the DOD decided to say that the troops could train their brains to be mentally tough and prevent suicides, they heard they were weak and didn't train right. Not much inspiration to go and talk to a buddy about needing help after they heard that.

Anyway, you can read the article here
We Are Stronger Makes Pitch for Faith to Play Role in Treating Veterans with PTSD

Virtual Reality for PTSD or VD?

Montana veterans testing groundbreaking virtual reality software
KULR 8 News
Katlin Miller
Posted: Jan 23, 2018

MISSOULA- A virtual reality software created in Western Montana is diagnosing veterans with a disorder that’s often mistaken for PTSD.

Brian Barnes spent three years in the US Army. He worked for a specialized group that trained for combat in extreme climates and terrain. After serving overseas in Afghanistan, he came back, as so many do, with unseen injuries.

“I was diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury and PTSD,” Barnes says.

Now, he’s testing a new product that was designed to help him better identify and treat his issues. Jason Zentgraf, a health and human performance specialist with the nonprofit group RIVER, says sometimes veterans suffer from another disorder related to PTSD.

Vestibular disorder is damage to the inner ear caused by loud noises. Left untreated, it can cause problems for everything from balance to mood.

“In December of 2016, there was a test conducted by the VA that out of this group of veterans with PTSD, 81 percent of them also had an undiagnosed and untreated vestibular disorder,” Zentgraf said.

The symptoms of vestibular disorder are so similar to PTSD that many veterans have it and don’t know, Zentgraf said.

Until now. A new virtual reality system called Virtual Mind is helping diagnose and treat vestibular disorder. The test uses multiple sensors and controllers to test visual and auditory reaction time, mobility and working memory, using eight tests that ask the viewer to move through a realistic virtual environment. It also includes tests for eye-tracking and balance.
read more here

Also

CONCUSSION
The Vestibular Concussion Connection

THINKING/REMEMBERING
Difficulty thinking clearly
Feeling slowed down
Difficulty concentrating
Difficulty remembering new information

PHYSICAL
Headache
Fuzzy or blurry vision
Nausea or vomiting (early on)
Dizziness
Sensitivity to noise or light
Balance problems
Feeling tired, having no energy

Emotional/Mood
Irritability
Sadness
More emotional
Nervousness or anxiety

SLEEP
Sleeping more than usual
Sleeping less than usual
Trouble falling asleep

Vietnam Veteran Arthur McAfee, Shot by Deputy After Welfare Check Call

Family speaks out after war veteran was shot, killed by deputy
KLTV ABC News
By Brenna Burger
Monday, January 22nd 2018

HARRISON COUNTY, TX (KLTV)
A Vietnam veteran was shot and killed by a Harrison County deputy Saturday and details are still unclear.

The Harrison County Sheriff's office says it happened at a residence in the 5400 block of Curtis Black Road in western Harrison County, just east of Longview.

"The next thing I knew, I heard two shots, right there in his chest," said the sister of Arthur McAfee.

Lorine McAfee says she was sitting at the bottom of her brother’s feet as a Harrison County deputy shot Arthur McAfee twice in the chest.

"His hands were over his head and I was down there at his feet trying to help control him," McAfee says.

McAfee admits that her brother, Arthur, the 61-year-old Vietnam veteran was being difficult, as the deputy did his best to restrain him.

"Was he violent in any way towards the cop? Physically violent?"

"Yes, he was resisting because he didn't know what was going on, because Arthur was not in his right mind, he didn't know what was going on," McAfee says.

Lorine describes her brother as an intelligent, recent graduate, who had developed post-traumatic stress disorder from his service in the army; the reason for the welfare check call.
read more here

UConn Messed Up PTSD Research

This started out to be a post about all the "awareness" being raised across the country. Stunning when you can see all of it just from the beginning of the year. What made this even more stunning was this "research" from University of Connecticut.

"In the survey, the average age of veterans was 35, and they had served in Iran, Afghanistan, and surrounding areas as part of Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, and New Dawn. Most of them—62 percent—served in the Army. Seventy-five percent reported exposure to combat."

Yes, you read "Iran" instead of Iraq.  Yes, you read they were only talking about this generation of War on Terror veterans.

"Younger veterans in their 20s, both male and female, reported much less suicide ideation than older vets in their 40s and 50s who completed the survey. Park suspects the finding may be due to the fact that many older veterans of recent conflicts were members of the National Guard or military reserves who were called into service." 

Yes, you just read they think younger veterans are not thinking about suicide as much as older veterans.

This is the part that got me...

Researchers found that veterans who had negative attitudes about religion and spirituality—meaning they felt God was punishing them or that God had abandoned them—were at significantly higher risk for suicide, even after accounting for depression and other variables.  

Interestingly, the researchers found that positive feelings about religion and spirituality—feelings that God is a partner in your life and someone you can turn to for guidance, support and strength—did not significantly reduce veterans’ suicide risk.  

"Most importantly, Park says, the study clearly showed that spiritual struggle among veterans is a separate and independent risk factor for suicide and not just a reflection of people’s depression."  

“This suggests that people are experiencing some profound spiritual struggle over and above any depression they might have,” says Park. “What people experience, what they do, and what they witness can have profound negative effects on them when they come back.” 

So which is it? 

Top that off with their other finding that,

"Among recently returned veterans, a new study says those who are married or living with a partner are at higher suicide risk than soldiers who are single, and older married female veterans are at the greatest risk."

read more here when you're done shaking your head...I need a drink! 

Grieving Parents "End stigma around PTSD"

Parents of Lincoln solider found dead at home want his death to ‘end stigma around PTSD’
The Lincolnite
Court Reporter
January 22, 2018

An inquest in to the death of a decorated soldier from Lincoln who served alongside Prince Harry in Afghanistan has today been formally opened.

Warrant Officer Nathan Hunt, 39, was found dead at his home in the city on January 2.

His parents, Derek and Maria Hunt, from Lincoln, want their son’s death to help end the stigma of post-traumatic stress disorder suffered by returning soldiers.

An inquest heard police forced entry to the property in Westbrooke Road, Lincoln, on the morning of January 2 after concerns were raised for his safety.

WO Hunt served with Prince Harry in Helmand Province in 2008 after being attached to the Household Calvary.

The father-of-one was part of a desert reconnaissance unit which was involved in identifying roadside bombs planted by the Taliban.

Mr Hunt, a member of the Royal Engineers, was awarded a Mention in Dispatches for his courage in locating improvised explosive devices while on secret missions to ambush the enemy.

But he was later diagnosed with mental health issues linked to combat stress.
read more here