Tag: News

PTSD & Drugs

by Trek4PTSD, posted in In the News, Uncategorized

For years, those who suffer from PTSD and other mental illnesses have self-medicated by using elicit drugs like marijuana and CBD oil.  The medical benefits of these drugs in the treatment of PTSD and mental illness has caught the attention of the medical community and great strides have been made to make forms of these drugs available via prescription.  But now help may be available from a new and unexpected source, MDMA the active ingredient in Ecstasy.

A new study shows that while given while undergoing psychotherapy the drug is safe and helps with PTSD.  The group was small, 26 patients, and the FDA says that more studies need to be conducted.  However, this is great news for those who suffer from PTSD.

This study was conducted on service members and first responders that had experienced a traumatic experience.

The search for new ways to treat PTSD and mental illness is an ongoing battle.  It is our job to ensure that our politicians know the importance of such research and that the American people are well aware of the treatment options available to those who suffer.  The stigma associated with mental health also needs to be removed.

Help us spread the awareness one step at a time and make this a national discussion.

#TrekOn

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What You Need to Know About PTSD

by Trek4PTSD, posted in Uncategorized

For those who suffer from PTSD the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) wrote a wonderful article about 27 things you need to know about PTSD.  Amongst those are:

  1. No matter how long it’s been since your trauma, treatment can help.
  2. Sexual assault is more likely to result in symptoms of PTSD than are other types of trauma, including combat.
  3. Social support is one of the greatest protective factors against developing PTSD after trauma.
  4. Research suggests that social support is an even more important resilience factor for women than men.
  5. Trouble sleeping is a core feature of PTSD, so it is important to address sleep problems in PTSD treatment.
  6. Getting help for PTSD early can prevent problems from expanding to other parts of your life.
  7. Evidence-based treatments for PTSD include psychotherapy (or “counseling”) and medications.
  8. Many people with PTSD also experience chronic pain or other physical health symptoms.
  9. PTSD often co-occurs with depression or other mental health symptoms.

It is also important to know that those with PTSD cannot help their behavior.  The trauma that sufferers of PTSD have endured has changed them.  This makes it difficult for them to function as “normal” people do.  They do not hate those around them, they actually need you to help them.  PTSD creates a sense of isolation, because of this your presence matters to them.  They are coping with their problems and at times it makes it difficult for them to control their behavior.  Because of this they cannot just “get over it”, they have to work through this and fight their demons.

Knowledge is power, and the more people that know these things the more we can help those who suffer with PTSD.

Awareness starts with one step.  Help spread awareness one step at a time.

#TrekOn

thBWYSRJ2F

Hiking Leads to Better Mental Health

by Trek4PTSD, posted in In the News, Uncategorized

It may seem like snake oil, but a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that spending 90 minutes on a hike actually reduces ruminations.  This is wonderful news for those suffering from PTSD and Mental Illness.

How does hiking help?  An article from Collective-Evolution brakes it down.  Essentially, spending, “90 minutes in a natural environment reported lower levels of rumination and they also had reduced neural activity in the subgenual prefrontal cortex, an area of the brain related to mental illness”.  That is an amazing finding.  By going for a short hike, you will reduce the amount of negative and obsessive thoughts.  This in part will help reduce anxiety many with mental illness struggle with.  This article is a great read.

Hiking is also good for children with ADHD.  It appears that by being outdoors, it reduces the symptoms on children with the disorder.  Getting outdoors and taking a hike is a great way to reduce symptoms of mental illness, get fit and get the little ones to be more focused.

The Trek4PTSD is focused on raising awareness for PTSD and Mental Illness one step at a time.  However, it is not by coincidence that we chose hiking as the method to raise awareness.  As previously stated, hiking helps with mental illness and what better way to raise awareness than to practice what we preach.  In addition, the journey of those who suffer from mental illness is very similar to the journey hikers have to go through.  Both must do it by themselves with the support of others, both will be faced with difficult sections and harsh conditions, and both will want to quit.  Hiking and mental illness are both a kin to each other in many ways and this is why the Trek4PTSD exists.

Take the first step to raise awareness.  Become a Trekker for the Trek4PTSD and help raise awareness one step, one mile, one trail, one person(you) at a time.

#TrekOn

You Are Never Alone! Suicide is NOT an Option!

by Trek4PTSD, posted in In the News, Uncategorized

More often than not when it comes to mental illness, suicide always seems like the most viable option to stop the pain.  Suicide is a long term solution to a short term problem.

As I type this there is a thread on a veteran Facebook page where the author wrote, “Goodbye brothers and sisters I can’t do it anymore”.  In less than 50 minutes there have been over 400 replies, many telephone numbers shared, dozens of veteran calls to local law enforcement and hundreds of positive comments telling the veteran to hang in there and not to do it.

This is not the first of these types of posts I have come across, and every time it is the same response.  Veterans drop whatever it is they are doing and try everything in their power to prevent the loss of yet another brother or sister.  This is because we never leave a brother or sister behind.

It is important that we understand that there is help out there.  If you suffer from Mental Illness, keep on trekking.  No matter how difficult the journey may be know that there are many people willing to help and support you.  There are those who are on the same path as you and as long as you let them, they will help you get through it.

If you need help, ask we will respond.

!!!DO NOT GIVE UP!!!

Updates will be posted below.

UPDATE:

20 April 2018 @ 1314 PST: Law Enforcement was able to get to the individual and he is safe and sound.  Hundreds of veterans mobilized to save his life and fortunately he is still with us.  He now knows he is not alone and that hundreds of people he does not know are with him and care about him.

PTSD Hotline: 800-273-8255

Suicide Hotline: 1-800-SUICIDE / 1-800-784-2433 or 1-800-273-TALK / 1-800-273-8255

#TrekOn #NeverGiveUp #PTSDAwreness

Veterans, PTSD and the 2A

by Trek4PTSD, posted in In the News

On 8 April, 2018, The Huffington Post published a story on how veterans with PTSD were afraid to seek treatment because they are scared that doing so may lead to the government taking away their guns.  Most Americans may not feel that this is a concern and that it should not be a reason for veterans to seek treatment, but it is.  This is due to so many gun control advocates saying that those with mental illness should not own guns, and in doing so throwing PTSD into the generalized pool of mental illness.

This is a conversation I have had with fellow Marines.  One in particular knew he had PTSD but was afraid that it would lead to his guns being taken away from him.  He was also afraid that his PTSD might damage his family relations.  For him “the wizard”, term used by aircrew to refer to mental health specialists, always carried a stigma of distrust.  Aircrew fear that going to “the wizard” will lead to them being grounded.  Now, seeking mental healthcare might lead to having something that he had a close relationship with being taken away from him.

Veterans have a special relationship with guns.  They have learned to love and respect them.  Although for many, the smell of the gun powder, the recoil of the weapon and the sound of the round being fired might trigger their PTSD, for many more it is a release.  And it is for these that enjoy the smell of the gunpowder and firing them, that this is the biggest concern.  After all, for a significant portion of their life they were given a gun by the government that they now fear will take it away.  And many of them also look at it as if they were trusted with one to protect this country, even while living with PTSD; now that they are no longer part of the military, they cannot be trusted with one.

This stigma is one that we must overcome.  It is everyone’s responsibility to remove these fears.  Politicians must work closely with Veteran groups and the mental health community to come up with a solution to this problem.  We need to get these veterans the help they need, the help they deserve, the help they earned.

Lets not leave these men and women behind.  They would not leave us behind.

Start the conversation, leave your thoughts, lets talk about it.

Semper Fidelis and #TrekOn

Huffington Post Story: [https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/veterans-ptsd-treatment-guns_us_5ac523c9e4b09ef3b2431392]