We are thrilled to announce that SFTT will be holding a benefit concert for Veterans on November 11 at the NY Society for Ethical Culture in NYC. Featuring talented artists such as Little Anthony, Bettye LaVette, The Manhattan Transfer, Michael Bacon and many more, this concert benefits our heroic veterans, serving soldiers and their families.
With a Special Guest Appearance by Judy Collins, who could ask for more?
Tickets to concert are in short supply, so ...
Continue Reading →Many military Veterans have long given up home that the VA really care that they suffer from PTSD and can’t get the help they need and, more importantly, deserve! SFTT has chronicled many stories of Veterans who either can’t get timely treatment or are provided a cocktail of potent drugs to deal with the symptoms that than treat the problem.
While there are many fine physicians and care-givers within the VA, ...
Continue Reading →In yet another disturbing article by the New York Times, entitled “In Unit Stalked by Suicide, Veterans try to Save One Another,” author Dave Phillips chronicles the benign neglect of the VA in helping our brave Veterans to cope with the aftermath of war. With no disrespect to Mr. Phillips, a similar article could be written every week detailing the chronic neglect of the VA for warriors at risk of suicide.
While I ...
Continue Reading →Recently, while visiting friends in Bristol, Rhode Island and “discovered” a town covered in American Flags to say goodbye First Sgt. Andrew McKenna, a 17-year Army Ranger, who was killed in combat in Afghanistan after 6 tours in the Afghanistan and Iraq.
While we continue to mourn the loss of these brave heroes, the citizens of Bristol poured out to extend their gratitude to Sgt. McKenna and many veterans showed up to attend the funeral ...
Continue Reading →SFTT consults with hundreds of Veterans with PTSD each year and many – if not most – are frustrated at the quality of treatment they receive from the VA. While most Veterans will acknowledge that VA staff members have their heart in the “right place,” the bureaucratic landscape facing Veterans suffering from PTSD are formidable. Why has it been so difficult to get Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment to Veterans suffering from PTSD?
SFTT reported earlier in the week of a new grant by DARPA to ...
Continue Reading →In yet another startling revelation, “the Pentagon is planning to implant veterans suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) with small electronic sensors that will map their brains. The project will proceed with the help of a $30-million grant provided by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).”
Continue Reading →According to a statement released by Massachusetts General Hospital — the creator of the chip — the “deep brain stimulation (DBS) device … will monitor signals across multiple brain structures ...
In yet another example of “sending the wrong message,” the Pentagon is curtailing funding for Vets4Warriors which operates a highly regarded Veteran suicide hotline. According to a New York Times article published yesterday, Keita Franklin, director of the Defense Suicide Prevention Office, announced that suicide counseling previously offered by Vets4Warriors will now be taken over by another help line, Military OneSource, “which has more services available.” Ms. Franklin goes on to say that:
Continue Reading →“It will ...
Many veterans are turning to Yoga to deal with severe depression and the symptoms of PTSD rather rely on highly potent prescribed medication. The recent report by the GAO confirms that the VA has dropped the ball in helping vets get the support they need in dealing with the crippling effects of PTSD. In fact, Yoga is buy just one form of alternative therapy that Veterans are finding beneficial as they ...
Continue Reading →Severe depression is no laughing matter, particularly if you are a Veteran who is back in the United States after one or more deployments to Iraq and/or Afghanistan. Sadly, many Veterans suffer from Post Traumatic Stress and, according to multiple sources and the Government Accountability Office (“GAO”) are ill-served by the Veteran’s Administration.
The most recent GAO report on the VA found that “86% of audited files of vets on anti-depressants did ...
Continue Reading →A study entitled “Predictive Modeling and Concentration of the Risk of Suicide: Implications for Preventive Interventions in the US Department of Veterans Affairs,” has recently been published online by the American Journal of Public Health. In the extract cited below, the VA claims that predictive modeling can help identify Veterans with a high risk to commit suicide and, therefore, provide enhanced intervention to prevent Veteran Suicides:
Continue Reading →Objectives. The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) evaluated the use of predictive modeling ...