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Preventing Concussions: Can Help be on the Horizon?

Concussions and preventing concussions continues to be a hot topic in the media, particularly when parents decide whether to allow their kids to play contact sports.

Treating PTSD and TBI also receives its share of attention, but most of the media coverage seems to be focused on coping with the symptoms of brain injury rather than offer any meaningful long-term solution for Veterans with these conditions.

Far less attention is devoted to preventing concussions in the first place.  Perhaps, we should be ...

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Veterans with PTSD: Why a Dog May be Your Best Friend

Veterans with PTSD:  Relief may be around the corner.  Practically, every day one sees Veterans with PTSD coming out from under the dark clouds of depression with the support of a canine companion.

Service Dogs and Veterans

I certainly am not qualified to speculate on the benefits that a service dog provides Veterans suffering from PTSD or other mental impairments, but there does appear to be genuine love and understanding between a ...

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Veterans Affairs: Hope on the Way for Those Suffering from PTSD and TBI?

With the expected change in the administration of the Department of Veterans Affairs (“the VA”), hope could well be on its way to provide more effective and timely treatment for the tens of thousands of Veterans suffering from PTSD and TBI.

Regardless of one’s political affiliation, the VA doesn’t seem to have a handle on treating Veterans with serious brain injury.  One hopes that the “new” VA will be more open to alternative therapy provided in the private sector, rather than current ...

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Swimming with the Sharks and Veterans with PTSD

Last month, the New York Times published an article entitled “Scuba, Parrots, Yoga:  “Veterans Embrace Alternative Therapies for PTSD.”  The article focuses on Veterans with PTSD who seek alternative treatment programs.

shark and veterans with ptsd

In this article, author Dave Phillips, suggests that Veterans with PTSD (Post-traumatic stress) are seeking alternative treatment since conventional treatments approved by the Department of Veterans Affairs (the “VA”) ...

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Mixed Signals for Veterans with PTSD

It is reassuring to learn that Brig. Gen. Donald C. Bolduc encourages troops under his command to seek help when dealing with the symptoms of post-traumatic stress.

Many in the military believe that headaches, depression and mood swings are simply job fatigue symptoms and that it is “not macho” to seek out treatment.  As Gen. Bolduc knows, these common wartime symptoms may be a clear signal of post-traumatic stress (PTSD) or traumatic brain injury (TBI).

In a recent article featured in the New York Times, Continue Reading →

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Please Pick Up the Phone at the Suicide Crisis Center

It is fashionable these days to pick on people or institutions that promote a “political” agenda.  Mind you, there are plenty of targets worthy of scorn and outrage, but righteous indignation and self-promotion discourages meaningful dialogue.

As a 501 (c)3 non-political educational foundation, Stand For The Troops (“SFTT”) often focuses on the shortcomings of military and political institutions that fail to meet their obligations to support military personnel and Veterans.

In particular, SFTT has been most critical of the level of care provided ...

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NFL Reluctantly Opts to Research Concussions

In yet another token concession to those concerned with repeated trauma of concussions on NFL players, Commissioner Roger Goodell announced a new initiative “intended to increase the safety of the game, specifically by preventing, diagnosing and treating head injuries.”

As reported by CNN, Goodell said:

. . . the league and its 32 club owners will provide $100 million in support of engineering advancements and medical research — in addition to the $100 million previously pledged by the ...

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Virtual Reality Better Than Opioids for Veterans

Although the technology is not new, video games may be more effective than opioids in treating PTSD.

According to Nicholas Kardaras, Ph.D and Clinical Assistant Professor at Stony Brook University, playing virtual games may be more effective than narcotic drugs in treating pain.

In an article published in Psychology Today, the author interviewed researchers and made the following observations:

In my interview with the Navy’s head of Addiction Research Commander Dr. Andrew Doan, ...

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Why Veterans with PTSD are Seeking Alternative Therapy

It is becoming increasingly clear that the Department of Veterans Affairs (the VA) is no longer able to provide the care or therapy that Veterans with PTSD demand.  Increasingly, Veterans are seeking alternative therapy outside the VA.

Department of Veterans Affairs

According to New England Public Radio, a large percentage of Veterans seek alternative therapies for PTSD despite explicit warnings by the VA that many of these therapies are “untested.”

The Department ...

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