There are countless stories of Veteran men and women who suffer from PTSD who receive substantial benefits from the companionship and care of animals. Many charitable programs have sprung up around the country to help Vets deal with the “silent wounds of war.” SFTT is proud of its association with the EquiCenter in Rochester, New York which offers several types of programs for Veterans, including its acclaimed therapeutic equestrian training.
Major Ben Richard’s at Bacon Brothers Concert
Dear Friends,
This is to reintroduce the amazing Major Ben Richards, a true hero for our time and an amazing American. He led his men bravely and nobly in Iraq, then returned home only to have to continue fighting for his mental, physical and emotional health. Which leads to my painful confession: I read the NY Times – and first encountered Ben ...
Continue Reading →President Obama and VA Claims
With great fanfare, President Obama “told a crowd of disabled veterans on Saturday that his administration has made headway with efforts to battle a longstanding backlog of disability claims.”
As reported in the Washingon Post, “’Today, I can report that we are not where we need to be, but we’re making progress,’” Obama said during a speech at a Disabled American Veterans’ convention in Orlando. “’In the last five months alone, it’s down nearly 20 percent. We’re turning the ...
Continue Reading →PTSD Treatments
As the VA struggles to deal with the overwhelming number of cases of Veterans suffering from PTS, new approaches are beginning to manifest themselves. From Equine therapy to Transcendental Meditation, no approach is being dismissed lightly given the clear evidence that prescription drugs have not proven to be successful in providing a long term cure.
SFTT is thrilled to count on the assistance of Yuval Neria (see below) is a Special Advisor to SFTT’s Medical Task Force. We ...
Continue Reading →PTSD update for Feb 2, 2013
New material surfaces daily on the internet and in user discussion forums dealing with the treatment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (“PTSD”). Regrettably, most of this advice is not supported by good clinical scientific studies or trustworthy explanation. The road to health and wellness is a long process and treatment procedures will be different based on the particular individual, the extent of the stress and his or her current social and financial circumstances.
SFTT or “Stand For The Troops” ...
Continue Reading →Maj. Ben Richards Hyperbaric Treatment Update
Yesterday evening, WWLTV.com in Louisiana carried a very moving “progress report” on
Maj. Richards’ tragic story was chronicled by New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof who wrote an article in August entitled “War Wounds.” For reasons that seem inexplicable to the average American, the Veterans Administration, the Defense Department and our government seemed to wash their hands of any responsibility of the injuries suffered by Maj. Richards. Eilhys England, Chairperson of SFTT, immediately contacted Maj. Richards and put him ...
Continue Reading →Opioids May Not Be Good for Treating PTSD. Really?
If the devastating implications weren’t so gut-wrenching, many of us would be rolling in the aisles with laughter. Unfortunately, Karen Seal of the San Francisco VA Medical Center has sadly concluded that “the use of opiate pain medications in those patients (veterans suffering from PTSD) is, frankly, risky.” According the Austin Statesman, “a growing body of research shows that PTSD and powerful prescription drugs can ...
A former Marine comments on the V.A.’s Shameful Betrayal
In a heart-breaking story by Mike Scotti entitle ” below:
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THE Department of Veterans Affairs, already under enormous strain from the aging of the Vietnam generation, the end of the Iraq war and the continuing return of combat troops from Afghanistan, announced in April that it would increase its mental health staff by about 10 percent. But too many veterans waging a lonely and emotional struggle to resume a normal life continue to find the agency a source of disappointment ...
Continue Reading →PTSD and the VA: A Disservice to Disabled Troops
In an editorial opinion published in the New York Times on May 26th entitled ”
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The Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs have repeatedly promised to do a better job of handling the medical evaluations of wounded and disabled service members. Instead, they are doing worse.
The processing of disability cases is getting slower, not faster. Efforts to ensure a “seamless transition” out of the military are falling short. Men and women are languishing without treatment, struggling to readjust ...
Continue Reading →Are Opioid Prescriptions the Right Answer for treating PTSD?
In a series of alarming reports, the V.A. and medical profession are beginning to wonder if treating PTSD with Opioid prescription drugs is the right course of action. Referring to V.A. records, U.S. Medicine reports that “more than 141,000 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans have been diagnosed with non-cancer pain. The prevalence of PTSD among that group is 32%, with 19% diagnosed with other psychiatric disorders.”
Of this group, “11% ...
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