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Generals share their experience with PTSD
Former addict gives homeless veterans a second chance
Success with Imagery Downloads for Traumatized Soldiers
PTSD Spells MIA
Suicide hot line got calls from 22,000 veterans
Post-traumatic stress soars in U.S. troops
Officials: Army suicides at 3-decade high
Veterans' Affairs doctor tells staff to refrain from PTSD diagnoses
Generals share their experience with PTSD
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Army generals aren't known for talking about their feelings.
Brig. Gen. Gary S. Patton says he wants the military to change the way it views post-traumatic stress disorder.
Brig. Gen. Gary S. Patton says he wants the military to change the way it views post-traumatic stress disorder.
But two high-ranking officers are doing just that, hoping that by going public they can remove the stigma that many soldiers say keeps them from getting help for post-traumatic stress disorder.
 Brig. General Gary S. Patton and Gen. Carter Ham have both sought counseling for the emotional trauma of their time in the Iraq war.
"One of our soldiers in that unit, Spec. Robert Unruh, took a gunshot wound to the torso, I was involved in medevacing him off the battlefield. And in a short period of time, he died before my eyes," Patton told CNN in an exclusive interview. "That's a memory [that] will stay with me the rest of my life."
Ham was the commander in Mosul when a suicide bomber blew up a mess tent. Twenty-two people died.
"The 21st of December, 2004, worst day of my life. Ever," Ham said. "To this day I still ask myself what should I have done differently, what could I have done as the commander responsible that would have perhaps saved the lives of those soldiers, sailors, civilians."
Both generals have been back from Iraq for years, but still deal with some of the symptoms of the stress they experienced.
"I felt like that what I was doing was not important because I had soldiers who were killed and a mission that had not yet been accomplished," Ham said. "It took a very amazingly supportive wife and in my case a great chaplain to kind of help me work my way through that."
Ham and his wife drove from Washington State to the District of Columbia right after he returned from combat.
"I probably said three words to her the whole way across the country. And it was 'Do you want to stop and get something to eat?' I mean, no discussion, no sharing of what happened," he explained.
Ham still can't talk to his wife about much of what he saw.
For Patton the stress hits him in the middle of the night.
"I've had sleep interruptions from loud noises. Of course there's no IEDs or rockets going off in my bedroom, but the brain has a funny way of remembering those things," Patton said. "Not only recreating the exact sound, but also the smell of the battlefield and the metallic taste you get in your mouth when you have that same incident on the battlefield."
Both acknowledge that in military circles, there is still a stigma attached to admitting mental health problems.
"If you go ask for help somehow you believe it or you might believe others think it of you, that you're somehow weak. That's wrong and intellectually we all know it's wrong, but it's still there. It's still palpable in some communities," Ham said.
Patton wants to see a change in the way post-traumatic stress disorder is viewed by the military.
"We need all our soldiers and leaders to approach mental health like we do physical health. No one would ever question or ever even hesitate in seeking a physician to take care of their broken limb or gunshot wound, or shrapnel or something of that order. You know, we need to take the same approach towards mental health," Patton said.
Having two generals talk publicly about their own battles with stress and how counseling helped should help remove some of that. Patton said he wants servicemen and women to know that they can come forward.
"Know absolutely that your chain of command and your leadership in the military at our highest levels recognize this issue and want to encourage our soldiers to seek out that mental health assistance," Patton said.
Ham agreed. "I think, frankly, I think I'm a better general because I got some help."
Former addict gives homeless veterans a second chance
Fri February 20, 2009
PALM BEACH, Florida (CNN) -- Following a faint trail through a dense patch of woods in Florida's Palm Beach County, Roy Foster is a man on a mission.
Roy Foster's facility, Stand Down House, has helped about 900 male veterans since 2000.
Roy Foster's facility, Stand Down House, has helped about 900 male veterans since 2000.
Foster, 53, is searching for homeless veterans -- and he knows where to look.
Whether in a vacant lot behind a supermarket or a small clearing off the highway, homeless vets aren't that hard to find: One in three homeless adults has served in the military, and more than 150,000 veterans nationwide are homeless on any given night, according to the Veterans Administration.
Working with the sheriff's homeless outreach unit, Foster finds vets camped in tents or makeshift lean-tos, where he delivers a message: There's help for you if you want it.
"For our heroes to be living in [these] conditions, it's totally unacceptable," said Foster.
Since 2000, approximately 900 veterans have found life-changing help at Foster's facility, Stand Down House. Named for the military command that gives troops time to rest after arduous duty, the program provides homeless male vets food, shelter and a safe place to recover, as well as the tools to conquer their personal problems.
"The idea is that they can relax now; we'll take care of them," Foster said.
Foster's motivation to help these men is personal: He used to be one of them.
Born in rural Georgia, he joined the Army right after high school. During his six years in the military, he began drinking and experimenting with drugs. He was an alcoholic by the time he left the Army in 1980, and his drinking and drug use escalated as he struggled to adjust to civilian life.
He spent the next decade battling his addictions, and at his lowest, he slept in flophouses or on the streets.
"I was pretty much out of control," Foster said. "I felt hopeless, helpless, ashamed and inadequate."
While struggling to get clean, Foster had difficulty finding a program that accepted veterans and provided the recovery services he needed, he said. The experience inspired him to design a program specifically for his brothers-in-arms.
"That's when the commitment in my heart was born," Foster said.
By the early 1990s, Foster settled into a life of sobriety, becoming a substance abuse counselor. Seeing that many vets continued to fall through the cracks, he joined forces with another vet, the late Don Reed, and established the nonprofit Faith*Hope*Love*Charity. After six years, Faith*Hope*Love*Charity created Stand Down House.
Now five buildings in total, Stand Down House provides transitional housing and support services to 45 veterans in different stages of recovery.
When vets arrive -- through referral by the Veterans Administration, which largely funds the program -- they receive meals, housing, clothing, counseling and transportation to the VA hospital for additional medical and mental health care.
After 30 to 60 days, eligible veterans must begin to look for work or attend school, but they can continue receiving housing, case management, addiction counseling and life skills classes for as long as two years. Successful veterans are eligible for the program's final component: permanent, sober-living housing.
The camaraderie the veterans find with each other at Stand Down House is another vital component of their recovery process.
"It was great to realize that other vets had been through similar experiences," said Matt Robinson, 28, who served in Iraq as a member of the U.S. Army National Guard.
With their past as a common bond, vets often become informal counselors to each other, helping one another stay on track.
"We have each others' backs," said Joey Elluzzi, a Vietnam veteran.
Many graduates find the companionship so valuable that they return as volunteers.
As of 2008, Stand Down House reported that 93 percent of its eligible residents found work and 84 percent of graduates went on to live independently. Foster and his staff are now working with other programs around the country, sharing what they've learned.
Despite his program's success, Foster said, there's more work to do. A new wave of veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan is appearing at Stand Down House, and Foster said he's determined to serve -- and save -- this next generation.
When asked why he does this, he simply answers, "It's my calling."
But for those Foster has helped, there's nothing simple about his achievements.
"If you could see the people when they come in here -- how they look, act and smell -- and then see them after, being a positive part of society, I don't know how you couldn't call Roy a hero," veteran Keith Coleman said. "Think of all the lives he's changed."
Officials: Army suicides at 3-decade high
By PAULINE JELINEK, Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON – Suicides among U.S. soldiers rose last year to the highest level in decades, the Army announced Thursday. At least 128 soldiers killed themselves in 2008. But the final count is likely to be considerably higher because 15 more suspicious deaths are still being investigated and could also turn out to be self-inflicted, the Army said.
A new training and prevention effort will start next week. And Col. Elspeth Ritchie, a psychiatric consultant to the Army surgeon general, made a plea for more U.S. mental health professionals to sign on to work for the military.
"We are hiring and we need your help," she said.
The new suicide figure compares with 115 in 2007 and 102 in 2006 and is the highest since record keeping began in 1980. Officials calculate the deaths at a rate of roughly 20.2 per 100,000 soldiers — which is higher than the adjusted civilian rate for the first time since the Vietnam War, officials told a Pentagon news conference.
"We need to move quickly to do everything we can to reverse this disturbing ... number," Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Peter Chiarelli said.
Officials have said that troops are under tremendous and unprecedented stress because of repeated and long tours of duty due to the simultaneous wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The stress has placed further burdens on an overwhelmed military health care system also trying to tend to huge numbers of troops suffering from post-traumatic stress, depression and other mental health problems as well as physical wounds and injuries of tens of thousands.
Yearly increases in suicides have been recorded since 2004, when there were 64 — only about half the number now. And they've occurred despite increased training, prevention programs and psychiatric staff.
When studying individual cases, officials said they found that the most common factors for suicides were soldiers suffering problems with their personal relationships, legal or financial issues and problems on the job.
The statistics released Thursday cover soldiers who killed themselves while they were on active duty — including National Guard and Reserve troops who had been activated.
The previous year's rate of suicides — 18.8 per 100,000 soldiers — had also been the highest on record. But the new pace of 20.2 per 100,000 was the first time the rate surpassed the civilian number, when adjusted to reflect the Army's younger and male-heavy demographics.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the suicide rate for U.S. society overall was about 11 per 100,000 in 2004, the latest year for which the agency has figures. But the Army says the civilian rate is more like 19.5 per 100,000 when adjusted.
The new estimated rate of 20.2 is more than double the 9.8 in 2002 — the first full year after the start of thewar in Afghanistan
The new Army statistics follow a report earlier this month showing that the Marine Corps recorded more suicides last year than any year since the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003.
That report said 41 Marines were possible or confirmed suicides in 2008, or 16.8 per 100,000 troops. The Marine rate remained unchanged from the previous year.
Marine and Army units have borne most of duty in the two wars, which have required more use of ground forces to fight the insurgencies.
The numbers kept by the service branches don't show the whole picture of war-related suicides because they don't include deaths after people have left the military. The Department of Veterans Affairs tracks those numbers and says there were 144 suicides among the nearly 500,000 service members who left the military from 2002-2005 after fighting in at least one of the two ongoing wars.
The true incidence of suicide among military veterans is not known, according to a report last year by theCongressional Research Service. Based on numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the VA estimates that 18 veterans a day — or 6,500 a year — take their lives, but that number includes vets from all previous wars.
"The suicide numbers released today come as no surprise to the veterans' community who has experienced the psychological toll of war," said Paul Rieckhoff, director of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. "But we cannot let current trend lines continue. These are preventable deaths for which the Department of Defense and the VA can and must take bold action."
Monday, 16 February 2009
 Hello, again.
 We continue to see truly exciting results from Dr. Jennifer Strauss’ research, investigating the impact of self-regulation & guided imagery downloads on returning soldiers suffering from posttraumatic stress. She’s on her fourth investigation (all of which are summarized in this week’s Hot Research) and it just keeps getting better and better, the more she refines and tweaks the imagery protocol, based on feedback from the earlier studies. So far, she’s found similar results with Vietnam vets, women suffering military sexual trauma and returning soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan with combat stress.
 To summarize briefly, we’re seeing is a steep, consistent drop in all three clusters of PTSD symptoms – (1) avoidance/numbing, (2) re-experiencing (nightmares, flashbacks), and (3) arousal (terror, agitation, temper etc) – and 80% of the improvement happens by week six. Retention is very high - on this latest round, only one out of 14 dropped out. For PTSD, this is remarkable.
Best of all is the accessible, user-friendly and unprecedentedly low-cost method of delivery. It’s done by digital download to an MP3, PDA or iPod, with a social worker calling to check in once a week, to see how it’s going.
The only thing that keeps us from raising the rooftops, and pushing to get this into the ears of all active military and vets, is that the numbers in these ongoing studies are still low – consistent, predictably positive, clinically persuasive, but, in hard-core, deep dish research terms, not statistically robust enough to declare certitude. This will happen; Jennifer is on her way to these larger numbers. The problem is, it could be another 4-5 years before we have the 500 - 1000 subjects you need to affect wide scale policy. And this makes us a little crazy, because we could be alleviating a lot of suffering now.
 But we are getting the word out. A lot of advocacy groups, V.A.’s and vet centers, army and marine bases, and military families are getting these downloads to those who need them, lumbering bureaucracies notwithstanding. The newest and most successful version, by the way, uses the self-regulation and imagery tracks from the Stress Hardiness Optimization CD. Some also opt to additionally use the more intense, emotionally evocative Healing Trauma imagery (but that’s not for everyone – some are not yet ready to feel their feelings, and most can get what they need from the Stress Hardiness CD).
So we’ll continue to broadcast this as much as we’re able, and we’re hoping you’ll check out the recap of Dr. Strauss’ PTSD studies at Duke and forward this to those you think could use it.
  Shifting gears, I want to tell you about some terrific new resources posted on the site. A new, stress-reducing, Caregiver Relief CD by Donahue Vanderhider, a national expert in eldercare and related family stresses; a dazzling DVD, Radiant Heart Yoga by Shiva Rea, master teacher of vinyasa yoga; and our popular, new Sleep Basket, the perfect, multisensory gift for your favorite insomniac. (And you can get that terrific little microwaveable Heart Pillow separately, aromatherapy scented or not).
 Okay, that’s it for now. Do check out the recap of Jennifer Strauss’ PTSD studies at Duke, and forward it to those you think could use it.
Take care & be well,
"PTSD Spells MIA"
A well-done by video titled, "PTSD Spells MIA" by American folk artist singer/songwriter duo Wes and Victoria hits home for many vets.
"No one understands- I can't sleep at night
When I close my eyes, I see firefights
I can't drink enough- to kill these memories
I can't stop this brain- no matter what I do to me"
Click here to view video.
Suicide hot line got calls from 22,000 veterans
By KATHARINE EUPHRAT, Associated Press Writer Mon Jul 28, 6:21 AM ET
WASHINGTON - More than 22,000 veterans have sought help from a special suicide hot line in its first year, and 1,221 suicides have been averted, the government says.
According to a recent RAND Corp. study, roughly one in five soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan displays symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, putting them at a higher risk for suicide. Researchers at Portland State University found that male veterans are twice as likely to commit suicide than men who are not veterans.
This month, a former Army medic, Joseph Dwyer, who was shown in a Military Times photograph running through a battle zone carrying an Iraqi boy, died of an accidental overdose after struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder for almost five years.
Janet Kemp, national suicide prevention coordinator for the Veterans Affairs Department, said the hot line is in place to help prevent deaths such as Dwyer's. "We just want them to know there's other options and people do care about them, and we can help them make a difference in their lives," she said in an interview.
The VA teamed up with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to launch the hot line last July after years of criticism that the VA wasn't doing enough to help wounded soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. In April, two veterans groups sued the VA, citing long delays for processing applications and other problems in treatment for veterans at risk for suicide. The department has spent $2.9 million on the hot line thus far.
The hot line receives up to 250 calls per day — double the average number calling when it began. Kemp said callers are divided evenly between veterans from the Iraq, Afghanistan and Vietnam wars. Richard McKeon, public health adviser for SAMHSA, said 10 to 20 of the 1,575 calls received each week have to be rerouted to high-volume backup call centers throughout the country.
The VA estimates that every year 6,500 veterans take their own lives. The mental health director for the VA, Ira Katz, said in an e-mail last December that of the 18 veterans who commit suicide each day, four to five of them are under VA care, and 12,000 veterans under VA care are attempting suicide each year.
This month, the hot line began an advertising campaign in Washington area subway stations and buses featuring the slogan, "It takes the courage and strength of a warrior to ask for help."
The veterans hot line, which is linked to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, received 55,000 callers in its first year, including both veterans and people who are concerned about them, according to figures being released Monday. One-third of the 40 specially trained counselors are veterans themselves.
"We try to get them (callers) to talk about their situation and what they remember and see if they can identify exactly what their issues are. I think there's a comfort in knowing that they can get some help from people who do understand what combat stress is like," Kemp said.
From the call center, counselors instantly can check a veteran's medical records and then connect the caller to local VA suicide prevention coordinators for follow-up, monitoring and care at local VA medical centers. Kemp said that since the hot line started, 106 veterans have been steered to free medical care from the VA.
Kemp said the hot line was put in place specifically for those veterans who don't get enough help until it's too late. "They have indicated to us that they are in extreme danger, either they have guns in their hand or they're standing on a bridge, or they've already swallowed pills," she said. Kemp said 1,221 veterans who were in such situations were rescued during the hot line's first year.
The VA is preparing for the eventual return of a large number of troops from Iraq and Afghanistan. This could put added stress on the mental health screening program for returning veterans, which could lead to a rise in undiagnosed mental health issues. The VA recently got enough money to double its suicide prevention staff and is planning to hire 212 more people soon.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 24 hours a day by calling 800-273-TALK (8255); veterans should press "1" after being connected.
 Post-traumatic stress soars in U.S. troops
By David Morgan Tue May 27, 2:59 PM ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Newly diagnosed cases of post-traumatic stress disorder among U.S. troops sent to Iraq and Afghanistan surged 46.4 percent in 2007, bringing the five-year total to nearly 40,000, according to U.S. military data released on Tuesday.
The statistics, released by the Army, showed the number of new PTSD cases formally diagnosed at U.S. military facilities climbed to 13,981 last year from 9,549 in 2006.
The numbers rose as President George W. Bush poured extra forces into Iraq to try to quell sectarian violence and extended Army tours from 12 to 15 months. The United States has also sent more forces to Afghanistan.
The figures, encompassing all four branches of the U.S. armed services, showed that the Army alone had 10,049 new PTSD cases last year.
This brings to 39,366 the number of PTSD cases diagnosed at military facilities between January 1, 2003, and December 31, 2007, among troops deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan.
The totals include 28,365 cases for the Army, 5,641 for the Marines, 2,884 for the Navy and 2,476 for the Air Force.
Army officials said the larger number of PTSD diagnoses in recent years partly reflects greater awareness and tracking of the disorder by the U.S. military.
LONGER, MULTIPLE COMBAT TOURS
"But we're also exposing more people to combat," Lt. Gen. Eric Schoomaker, the Army surgeon general, told reporters.
Experts also say PTSD symptoms increase as soldiers return to combat for multiple tours of duty.
PTSD is a health condition that can result from wartime trauma such as being physically wounded or seeing others hurt or killed.
Symptoms range from irritability and outbursts of anger to sleep difficulties, trouble concentrating, extreme vigilance and an exaggerated startle response. People with the condition can persistently relive the traumatic events that initially induced horror or helplessness.
The Pentagon has come under mounting political pressure in recent years to enhance treatment for PTSD amid criticism that initial programs were inadequate.
Earlier this month, Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced a change in the U.S. government clearance process that allows PTSD sufferers to seek help for combat-related mental health problems without risking their military careers.
Army officials on Tuesday emphasized that the data do not reflect the actual number of troops and war veterans who suffer from PTSD, many of whom do not seek treatment or have been diagnosed at civilian facilities where records are confidential.
A recent study by the RAND Corp. estimated about 300,000 troops, or 18.5 percent, of the more than 1.5 million troops sent to Iraq and Afghanistan exhibit symptoms of either PTSD or depression.
The fresh statistics add detail about the scale of human suffering from two wars that have killed 4,579 U.S. troops and inflicted physical wounds on 32,076 more.
There currently are 155,000 U.S. troops in Iraq and 33,000 in Afghanistan.
(Editing by Will Dunham and Bill Trott)
Veterans' Affairs doctor tells staff to refrain from PTSD diagnoses
The VA has repudiated the memo, but outraged veterans see a reluctance from the government to support their disability.
From the Washington Post
May 16, 2008
WASHINGTON -- The physician in charge of the post-traumatic stress disorder program at a medical facility for veterans in Texas told staff members to refrain from diagnosing PTSD because so many veterans were seeking government disability payments for the condition.
"Given that we are having more and more compensation seeking veterans, I'd like to suggest that you refrain from giving a diagnosis of PTSD straight out," Norma Perez wrote in a March 20 e-mail to mental health specialists and social workers at the Department of Veterans Affairs' Olin E. Teague Veterans' Center in Temple, Texas. Instead, she recommended that they "consider a diagnosis of adjustment disorder."
Adjustment disorder is a less severe reaction to stress than PTSD and has a shorter duration, usually no longer than six months, said Anthony Ng, a psychiatrist and member of Mental Health America, a nonprofit professional association.
Veterans diagnosed with PTSD can be eligible for disability compensation of up to $2,527 a month, depending on the severity of the condition, said Alison Aikele, a VA spokeswoman. Those found to have adjustment disorder generally are not offered such payments, but veterans can receive medical treatment for either condition.
Perez's e-mail was obtained and released Thursday by VoteVets.org, a veterans group that has been critical of the Bush administration's policies in Iraq and Afghanistan, and Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a nonprofit government watchdog group.
"Many veterans believe that the government just doesn't want to pay out the disability that comes along with a PTSD diagnosis, and this revelation will not allay their concerns," Jon Soltz, VoteVets.org chairman and an Iraq war veteran, said in a statement.
Veterans Affairs Secretary James Peake said in a statement that Perez's e-mail was "inappropriate" and did not reflect VA policy. It had been "repudiated at the highest level of our healthcare organization," he said.
Peake said Perez had been "counseled" and was "extremely apologetic." Aikele said Perez remained in her job.
A Rand Corp. report released in April found that repeated exposure to combat stress in Iraq and Afghanistan was causing a disproportionately high psychological toll compared with physical injuries. About 300,000 U.S. military personnel who have served in Iraq or Afghanistan are suffering from PTSD or major depression, the study found. The economic cost to the United States -- including medical care, forgone productivity and lives lost to suicide -- is expected to reach $4 billion to $6 billion over two years.
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