Dogs to help treat PTSD?

The U.S. military is reportedly investing millions of dollars to see how dogs can be used to help "soothe the volatile emotions of a soldier haunted by post-traumatic stress disorder," according to a report from the Chicago Tribune.

Air Force experiments with Virtual Reality to treat PTSD

Eight Air Force locations are trying virtual reality as a method to help ease PTSD symptoms. According to the Air Force, "The virtual reality exposure is part of the new PTSD Clinic here that opened in August. The technology will compliment the clinic's evidence-based treatment programs to provide the maximum quality of care for returning service members."

Read more about it here.

Army Gives Bad Discharges to Thousands of PTSD Vets

Here's how the Army has, for the last few years, managed to discharge vets who have PTSD and not have to treat them:

1. People with PTSD tend to drink a lot to numb the pain.
2. Soldiers who are ordered to drink less but fail are then discharged for failure to follow orders.

Read more at The Salem News.

Iraq Troops' PTSD Rate As High As 35 Percent, Analysis Finds

The Veterans’ Administration should expect a high volume of Iraq veterans seeking treatment of post traumatic stress disorder, with researchers anticipating that the rate among armed forces will be as high as 35%, according to the Management Insights feature in the current issue of Management Science, the flagship journal of the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS®).

Science Daily has more.

Accupuncture as treatment for PTSD

A unique program at Camp Lejeune called the Wounded Warriors Battalion brings helps vets with PTSD and traumatic brain injuries through acupuncture, all at no cost to the veterans or the Marines. Soldiers interviewed in this article say the treatments help them to deal with stress, anger, and memory issues.

Oklahoma college offers help for veterans

You don't need to live in Oklahoma to learn some good facts about PTSD from this article.

UK PTSD claims up 100-fold following service in Afghanistan

A report in The Independent details the "hidden costs" of military conflicts:

The number of soldiers applying to the AFCS for financial assistance after being medically discharged rose from 200 in 2005-06, when the scheme opened, to 845 last year. Troops claiming for injuries suffered in service rose from 240 to 3,255 during the same period.

The disclosures follow revelations last week that service chiefs expect the number wounded in Afghanistan to have doubled by the end of the year. The total to the end of July was 299 – compared to 245 in the whole of 2008.

The figures also show that the numbers of "post-service" claims has risen by a factor of almost 100, from 15 to 1,455 since 2005. A Ministry of Defence spokesman admitted the heavy toll is due to the number of people experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after leaving the services.

Read more.

Viagra to treat PTSD?

A lot of PTSD sufferers experience a lack of sexual desire or other sexual side effects. A research team at Iran's Shahid Beheshti University decided to look into Viagra as a treatment not just for ED, but also for PTSD. The result: no more effective than a placebo.

Read more.