Holiday stress busters for PTSD

FOR People with PTSD -- And EVERYONE Else!

A Podcast feel with avatars! Listen and/or watch :-)

SEE THE FULL ARTICLE:

https://lnkd.in/gn6MNaDn

Presented by Dr. Colleen M. Crary, PhD

Fearless Nation PTSD Support

and

Stacy Lee (Stacy Maracas in Second Life)

Echo Group Band of Brothers

How PTSD Changes the Brain

PTSD isn't all in your head. It actually causes physical changes in your brain. The site Brain Blogger goes into detail:



How Does Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Change the Brain?

PTSD has been affecting troops for 3,000 years

And yet it's still barely understood.



Warriors in ancient Iraq suffered Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder more than 3,000 years ago, say researchers

Marijuana is legal in Colorado, but vets there still can't use it to treat their PTSD

Now here's a disconnect. Marijuana is legal in Colorado, but vets there who try to use it to treat their PTSD symptoms could lose all of their VA medical benefits. A bill could have fixed that, but it was rejected by the legislature.

Read more...

Veterans Suffering from PTSD Denied Access to Marijuana in Colorado

Vets from Vietnam still haunted by (undiagnosed) PTSD

PTSD wasn't a term 40, 50 or 60 years ago. That doesn't mean it didn't exist.

"There was no awareness of PTSD and there was not a specific diagnosis
for it," Ruohomaki says. "Now, the older veterans are reaching out for
help."

Read more:

Undiagnosed a generation ago, PTSD still haunts older vets -- DailyHerald.com

Yoga can help reduce PTSD symptoms

We've discussed this several times before: yoga can be a great way to help reduce PTSD symptoms. Now a new study (specifically of women) once again proves this. Reuters reports:

"Simply stated, yoga may regulate aspects of the
endocrine system and the nervous system that are out of balance in
PTSD," Staples said. "Yoga also reduces the stress response which plays a
role in PTSD symptoms."

Read more:

Yoga may help women ease PTSD symptoms | Reuters

Did media coverage of the Fort Hood shooting worsen the stigma of combat PTSD?

Did media coverage of the Fort Hood shooting worsen the stigma of combat PTSD?



Yes, says psychiatrist and former Army doctor Harry Croft, writing for the Huffington Post:

"But what is extremely clear to those of us who actually work with
veterans and others with PTSD is this type of violence is an extreme
abnormality and does not portray what the average person with PTSD
experiences. While anger is associated with PTSD for some, even in the
worst cases it certainly doesn't tend to manifest in the murdering on
innocent people."

Read more:



Combat PTSD Stigma Made Worse by Fort Hood Shooting Media Coverage | Harry Croft, M.D

Can a service dog save someone with PTSD?

Here's the story of one veteran who couldn't leave the house and could barely even sleep. His service dog changed all of that. Check it out:



Veteran says service dog saved him from himself | News - Home

Can parents pass their trauma on to their kids?

Trauma has a lasting effect, not just on our minds but on our DNA. A new study (conducted in mice) finds that trauma creates a chemical change in a father's sperm and that trauma-related depression persists from parents to children. Read more:

Sperm RNA carries marks of trauma – Utne Altwire

Today: "Creative Expression and Personal Epiphanies"

Fearless Nation PTSD Support founder Colleen Crary will present a Health-N-Mind meeting today entitled "Creative Expression and Personal Epiphanies."

It takes place today (9/10) at 2pm EDT / 11am PDT (-8 GMT) at Health Info Island in the 3D virtual environment of Second Life.

If you have a Second Life account, you can attend this meeting for free at: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/197/43/22


Upcoming topics for these weekly meetings include:

• Sept 17 – To Shy to Try? Fell like a wallflower? How to Light Up the Room!
• Sept 24: Love Hurts. – Feeling the sting of cupid’s arrow? How to mend a broken heart.
• And coming soon: 10 ways to reduce daily downers
• Be a Savvy healthcare consumer
• The gift of anger
• Technology is great but where’s my flying car?

Martial arts for PTSD [Video]

Here's a great report from students at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication in Arizona about how one martial arts studio is helping veterans learn to deal with their post-traumatic stress disorder.

Program to help veterans with PTSD from Cronkite News on Vimeo.

Do you find this blog helpful? Please consider a donation to Fearless Nation PTSD Support so we can continue to bring you news and information about Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. 

First Lady supports hiring veterans [Video]

First Lady Michelle Obama appeared on David Letterman's program last night, where she reported that unemployment among veterans has decreased 20% in the past year.

Letterman himself mentioned that some employers might be frightened of hiring veterans, especially those with PTSD. She replied that it's important not to stigmatize PTSD.



Here's more on the Obama administration's Joining Forces program.

Do you find this blog helpful? Please consider a donation to Fearless Nation PTSD Support so we can continue to bring you news and information about Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Can a game trigger post-traumatic growth?

This TED Talk by game designer Jane McGonigal is worth 20 minutes of your time. As she says, "A traumatic event doesn't doom us to suffer indefinitely. Instead, we can use it as a springboard to unleash our best qualities and lead happier lives."

Today: Food is Medicine

Fearless Nation PTSD Support founder Colleen Crary will host an online discussion entitled "Food is Medicine" today at 2pm EST, 11am PST. She'll present an overview of how a healthy body supports a healthy brain = mood = positive mental health.

Full details at the link!

Do you find this blog helpful? Please consider a donation to Fearless Nation PTSD Support so we can continue to bring you news and information about Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Smart Choices in Therapy, Unhealthy Habbits, Bullies at Work: This week's Fearless Nation webinars

Fearless Nation PTSD Support will hold several free online webinars and discussion groups this week. Full information can be found through this Facebook event:

PTSD SUPPORT GROUP MEETINGS MONDAY and TUESDAY!

...and at the Fearless Nation PTSD Support website.

Japan's Supreme Court recognizes PTSD as an injury

Perpetrators of violent crimes in Japan can now be held responsible for resulting PTSD as well as any physical injuries they may have caused. The Japanese Supreme Court issued the ruling after hearing the case of a man who kidnapped and held prisoner four women for a year.

The Japan Daily Press has more:

Japan Supreme Court rules that PTSD equal to injury under Penal Code

This week's Fearless Nation webinars: Applying the breaks, PTSD stigmas, bullying and more

Fearless Nation PTSD Support will host six free online discussions this week covering topics like applying the breaks when triggered, challenging the media stigma against PTSD, and replacing the "feel-good" chemicals in your body. One session will be held in the virtual 3-D world of Second Life while the other five will be held as webinars.

Full information is below, at the Fearless Nation website here, and at this Facebook event. 


MONDAY, JULY 30

9 AM (PDT, -8 GMT)
Empower PTSD Support Meeting - TOPIC: "Applying the Brakes When Triggered"
Presentation and Discussion
URL: https://fearlessnation.webex.com
Meeting Number: 623 512 286  <-- Copy and paste this number in the login page to join the meeting.
Meeting Password: #1Fearless

11 AM (PDT, -8 GMT)
Health-N-Mind Meeting: "Stop Bullies at Work and Play!" Be a "bully buster"!
Where: The Second Life® virtual world http://www.secondlife.com/
LOCATION: Health Info Island, Health and Wellness Pavilion
SLURL: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/197/43/22

6 PM (PDT, -8 GMT)
Insights Recovery Meeting - TOPIC: "How to Replace 'Feel Good' Chemicals in Your Body"
URL: https://fearlessnation.webex.com
Meeting Number: 627 879 959  <-- Copy and paste this number in the login page to join the meeting.
Meeting Password: #1Fearless

TUESDAY, JULY 31:

9 AM (PDT, -8 GMT)
Insights Recovery Meeting - TOPIC: "How to Replace 'Feel Good' Chemicals in Your Body"
URL: https://fearlessnation.webex.com
Meeting Number: 622 141 546  <-- Copy and paste this number in the login page to join the meeting.
Meeting Password: #1Fearless

11 AM (PDT, -8 GMT)
Timely Topics PTSD Support Discussion: "STIGMA: Challenging Media PTSD Stereotypes"
URL: https://fearlessnation.webex.com
Meeting Number: 627 262 070  <-- Copy and paste this number in the login page to join the meeting.
Meeting Password: #1Fearless

6 PM (PDT, -8 GMT)
Empower PTSD Support Meeting - TOPIC: "Applying the Brakes When Triggered"
Presentation and Discussion
URL: https://fearlessnation.webex.com
Meeting Number: 624 116 029  <-- Copy and paste this number in the login page to join the meeting..
Meeting Password: #1Fearless

UK PTSD rate lower than US

British soldiers fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan have displayed a lower rate of PTSD than American soldiers. Why? For one thing, their UK soldiers were, on average, older than the American soldiers. There were also fewer UK reservists and UK soldiers served shorter tours of duty.

Time has more on this subject:

Why Is the UK’s PTSD Rate So Much Lower Than the U.S.’s?

Delayed trauma: PTSD decades later

Stars and Stripes reports that a major life event like retirement can cause decades-old traumas to come to the surface, creating anxiety, anger and other PTSD-related symptoms. In particular, this is starting to affect some Vietnam vets who did not get proper treatment when they returned from war.

Mental health experts say...delayed trauma isn’t unusual. Major life events such as retirement often trigger personal reassessment and forgotten memories.

But for Vietnam veterans who returned decades ago to a harsh reception and limited mental health options, that could mean a new wave of stress and serious psychological issues as their generation enters retirement age.

Many of these Vietnam veterans (who are now approaching retirement age en masse) threw themselves into their work when they returned from the war as their way of coping with their trauma. As their work lives end, the untreated trauma is now becoming an issue.

Stars and Stripes reports that the VA is not yet prepared to deal with the thousands of new requests for treatment they could receive in the next few years.

Read more:

Retirement might unleash PTSD symptoms in Vietnam veterans

60% of Egyptians suffering from PTSD

A survey has shown that 60% of Egyptians are suffering from PTSD following 18 months of political turmoil. Of that 60%, nearly half witnessed violence in the streets. 

Digital Journal has the story:

Video: 60% of Egyptians suffering from PTSD