The iconic comic book hero Captain America commands a significant role in our national culture. His selfless commitment to service embodies the best of part of us. Having had the opportunity to observe a diverse cross-section of America’s people serve and sacrifice under conditions of great personal danger and privation, I assure you that the ...
“Learning how to be kind to ourselves, learning how to respect ourselves, is important. The reason it’s important is that, fundamentally, when we look into our own hearts and begin to discover what is confused and what is brilliant, what is bitter and what is sweet, it isn’t just ourselves that we’re discovering. We’re discovering the universe.” — Pema Chodron
During these uncertain Corona Times, the words of famed Buddhist Pema Chodron can be particularly comforting to those suffering from post-traumatic stress ...
Continue Reading →
Brian Eirin a 28-year-old US Infantry Veteran and father of three is struggling to pay his medical bills after being involved in a hit-and-run accident on January 10th, 2020. He suffered a fractured neck, fractured skull and brain bleed when a car hit his motorcycle from behind, throwing him headfirst onto the asphalt and fled the scene. Thankfully, concerned bystanders stepped in and saved his life.
Continue Reading →
by Kate Hendricks Thomas, PhD, MCHES
I used to think strength meant presenting an image of strong silence and always looking like I had everything together. I was a Marine, a leader, and could never make a mistake.
I became a Marine to serve, and loved being part of the Corps. As with anything I have ever loved intensely, the military changed and shaped me. To the casual observer looking in, the world seems brutal and intense. That outsider ...
Continue Reading →
| by Ben Richards |
| “Why isn’t everyone getting this?” was the first question he asked me. Eric and I were talking about his experience going through Stand for the Troop’s (SFTT) “Treatment of Ten” program. Eric served our Nation for more than two decades, through multiple combat deployments and like so many America’s Combat Veterans, he struggled to live through the painful and disabling consequences of multiple traumatic brain injuries, combat ... |
by Dr. Kate Hendricks Thomas
What if I told you that mental fitness is something you can develop in the same way you build your physical fitness?
We hear a lot these days about mental fitness in politics and leadership. When we do, the conversation often focuses on avoiding or managing stress. What if that isn’t actually useful?
The best illustration I’ve read highlighting the direct link between mental toughness and performance comes out of a research lab. A team ...
Continue Reading →
PTSD is an ugly, devitalizing, and enervating disorder. Sometimes you just want to hide and avoid people completely. It is difficult to do the things you once loved and PTSD symptoms have adverse and detrimental effects on relationships. When one considers what it means to be well, what it means to be mentally healthy, it is essential that we interact with others have compassion not only for other people, but for ourselves.
Compassion, companionship…. That’s what a service dog provides for ...
Continue Reading →
Orion (my service dog) over the years has drastically reduced my symptoms of PTSD.
Since Orion…
I can have a connection with my family; reintegrating with the lives of my 4 children and soon to be 3 grandchildren from a previous life and now a long-term relationship with my girlfriend and her daughter.
I can go back to work; regaining a since of belonging ...
Continue Reading →
STAND FOR THE TROOPS (SFTT) is honoring service dogs with our Service Dog Salute Photo Campaign that celebrates the unique relationship between Veterans and their canine companions. SFTT recognizes the significant role these support animals play and wants to show-and-tell this fact to the world.
Lance Corporal Charlton E Johnson Weapons Expert USMC, and his Canine Companion Aliana (Ali)
I am Lance Corporal Charlton E Johnson Weapons Expert USMC, Attached to a Weapons Plt in Golf Co 2nd Bn 5th Mar 1st ...
Continue Reading →
Written by Fatima Cook and Gregg Cook
Let us begin with the basics.
What Is The Endocannabinoid System?
First documented in the 1990s, this system is a relatively new discovery and is an internal (endo-) receptor for cannabidiol, serving as a modulator and communicator between all the other systems in the body. These receptors are found in the brain and gut as well as the immune, cardiovascular, nervous and endocrine systems, and even in the nuclear membrane of cells. When this enormously ...
Continue Reading →