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By Charlene Rubush, August 27, 2010 4:24 pm

The Veterans Health Administration as part of its VA Research: Improving Veterans Lives brochure series, has produced a six-pager on Posttraumatic Stress Disorder [pdf]. Written by the communicators at VA’s Research & Development Department, the slant is on treatment modalities currently being developed and tested:

This brochure presents examples of VA’s recent accomplishments in PTSD research. These studies, it is hoped, will benefit veterans and many other Americans now and in the future and spare them from PTSD’s life-disrupting symptoms and complications.

One of nearly 10 other offerings to choose from (Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans [pdf], Mental Health [pdf], Rural Health [pdf], TBI [pdf] Women’s Health [pdf] and more) — all worth at least a glance.

Go to this site to download free brochures:

http://www.research.va.gov/resources/pubs/brochure_series.cfm

Charlene Rubush’s Note:

I’ve just been going over some of these brochures, and have found them to be very informative and enlightening. There is always something new to be learned, as research moves us forward in the study and treatment of PTSD.

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By Charlene Rubush, June 11, 2010 10:11 pm

Bright Light Therapy has significant effects on sleep disturbances associated with combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder. This information was provided in an article from Science Daily. A research abstract was presented June 7, 2010, in San Antonio, Texas, at SLEEP 2010, the 24^th annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies LLC.

The results show that bright light therapy produced a significantly greater improvement than placebos, in sleep disturbances specific to PTSD. Bright Light Therapy also produced a moderate improvement in PTSD symptoms and depression.

The study, which was supported by a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Merit Award, involved 16 soldiers who returned to the U.S. with combat-related PTSD after serving in Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom. Following a one-week baseline, participants were randomized to one of two four-week treatments.

Eight soldiers received 10,000 lux of bright light therapy for 30 minutes each day. The other eight participants were assigned to the placebo group and received sham treatment with an inactivated negative ion generator.

The Clinician- Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS-2) was completed at baseline and immediately following completion of the study. At weekly intervals, depression was assessed with the Beck Depression Inventory (BD-II) and sleep quality was assessed with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) with addendum for PTSD (PSQI-PTSD).

Study coordinator Shannon Cornelius, PhD, graduate research assistant for Dr. Shawn D. Youngstedt in the department of exercise science at the University of South Carolina notes, “Because bright light therapy is a relatively simple, self-administered, inexpensive treatment with few side effects, these results are an important step to further establish the efficacy of bright light therapy as an alternative or adjunct treatment for combat-related PTSD.”

Cornelius asserts that sleep disturbance is a commonly reported problem that can play both a precipitating and perpetuating role in PTSD, making it an important target for therapy.

She said “Disturbed sleep is known to interact with depression and anxiety in a vicious cycle. By reducing the severity and occurrence of sleep disturbances, it may be possible to reduce the severity of symptoms such as anxiety and depression in combat-related PTSD.”

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine reports that 70 to 90 percent of people with PTSD describe sleep disturbance. Recurrent nightmares of the traumatic event represent one of the most problematic and enduring symptoms of PTSD. These nightmares may take the form of a realistic reliving of the traumatic event or depict only some of the elements.

Bright light therapy exposes your eyes to intense but safe amounts of light for a specific and regular length of time. Typically it involves exposure to up to 10,000 lux of light for scheduled periods of 20 minutes or more using a small light box.

http://www.sciencedaily.com

 Charlene’s Note:

This sounds like a very promising, simple, therapy, similar to the use of light boxes for Seasonal Affect Disorder (SAD). I’ll be posting more info on this treatment soon. Stay tuned!

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By Charlene Rubush, May 1, 2010 10:29 pm

Part One:

In an April 20^th, 2010 article by Brian Vastag, published in “Scientific American” we learn of an exciting research study sponsored by the nonprofit Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS).

The 21-patient study launched in 2004, was the first U.S. clinical trial of a psychedelic drug in 35 years. One of the study participants, Michael Bledsoe (not his real name) was a former Army Ranger who had worked as a security contractor in Iraq.

In 2007, Bledsoe’s back and feet were broken when a roadside bomb exploded, while  chasing insurgents through Anbar province. His high-paying military career was over.
Continue reading 'Researchers Report Positive Results Using MDMA For Relieving PTSD In Combat Veterans and Late-Stage Cancer Patients'»

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By Charlene Rubush, April 17, 2010 1:29 pm

There is some hopeful news in an article by Jamie Reno, published in Veterans Today. He writes “They are the invisible wounds of war, the battered minds and bruised spirits we have come to recognize as post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. By one estimate, more than 300,000 of the nearly two million U.S. servicemen and women deployed since 9/11 suffer from the often -debilitating condition, with symptoms that include flashbacks and nightmares, emotional numbness, relationship problems, trouble sleeping, sudden anger and drug and alcohol abuse.”

Reno notes that the number of cases of PTSD is expected to climb as the war in Afghanistan continues, and could ultimately exceed 500,000, according to a new study by researchers at Stanford University. Mental health experts say PTSD is the primary reason suicides in the military are at an all-time high; 256 sodiers took their own lives in 2008, the highest number since that data was first tracked, in 1980. Continue reading 'Changes Underway at the VA May Mean Better Treatment for Thousands of Veterans with PTSD'»

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By Charlene Rubush, April 7, 2010 2:05 pm

On Gary Craig’s (founder of EFT) website, there is a Menu of Studies that have been accepted in Peer Reviewed Journals. The introduction states:

EFT provides an easy-to-use bridge between two well known healing concepts;:

Meridian based therapies such as acupuncture & acupressure wherein the stimulation of certain points on the body provide healing benefits.

Mind-Body therapies wherein achieving proper mental and emotional states points to enhanced health.

EFT blends both of these disciplines into one procedure and this may explain why the reported benefits are often so impressive. Exploratory studies specifically for EFT are now underway and this setion is dsigned to keep you up-to-date on the latest results. Continue reading 'Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) Research and Studies for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder'»

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By Charlene Rubush, April 5, 2010 3:17 pm

I have recently come across Gary Craig’s work. He is the founder of “Emotional Freedom Techniques,” also known as EFT. This is what he says about EFT.

“In essence, EFT is an emotional version of acupuncture wherein we stimulate certain meridian points by tapping on them with our fingertips. This addresses a new cause for emotional issues (unbalanced energy meridians). Properly done, this frequently reduces the therapeutic process from months or years down to hours or minutes. And since emotional stress can contribute to pain, disease and physical ailments, we often find that EFT provides astonishing physical relief.”

While Craig notes that he is neither a psychologist nor a licensed therapist, he is a Stanford engineering graduate and an ordained minister. “Although we don’t pound the table for God here, I do come at this procedure from a decidely spiritual perspective. My ordained ministry is with the Universal Church of God in Southern California which is non-denominational and embraces all religions. I am an avid student of A Course in Miracles but at no time is any EFT’er asked to follow any specific spiritual teaching. Continue reading 'Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) Are Showing Promise in Treating PTSD'»

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By Charlene Rubush, April 1, 2010 4:05 pm

In a February 19th, 2010, article by Chaplain Kathie Costos, she states “Denying PTSD does not heal it.” Kostos knows well of where she speaks, for she has been married to a Vietnam veteran for many years. She works with combat veterans and their families, and knows how severe their problems are. I subscibe to her wonderful blog, “Wounded Times” and continually learn from her.

This was her response to the recent news from Dr. Karen Seal, of the San Francisco Veteran Affairs Medical Centre, that only 10% of returning combat veterans are completing the recommended 10-12 weekly sessions prescribed for those who have been diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

“Fewer than 10%? The program is there. They were diagnosed. So what’s the problem? Is it that the program is not what they are looking for? Is it because they want to just get over it on their own? As if that worked before …PTSD gets worse without treatment. They can try to cover it up with alcohol and street drugs all they want, but that is just covering it up, not healing it, and as a matter of fact, making their lives worse.

Their answer is to self-medicate more, latch onto the latest bright idea they have of making themselves happy and then finding out none of that is working either. They are in such denial that they think they are not going down the same road the veterans before them did when there were plenty of excuses to hide behind. After all, very little was being done to help them heal before the Gulf War. Even now with a history of suffering needlessly, they still try to ‘get over it’ and get on with their lives. Continue reading 'Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Only Gets Worse Without Treatment'»

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By Charlene Rubush, March 20, 2010 11:00 pm

The National Vietnam Veterans Art Museum (NVVAM) was formed in 1981, by a few Vietnam combat veterans. They put together an artistic and historical collection that has  become a timeless statement of war on behalf of all veterans for future generations. The rare collection blossomed from a group of veterans in the post-war era, and has now grown into the world’s only museum with a permanent collection focusing on the subject of war from an artistic perspective.

They are now “stretching beyond Vietnam” to help today’s combat veterans. While the stigma against Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder continues, veterans across the country have found a way to let the healing process begin by creating art.

Art therapy is an established mental health profession which uses the creative process of art to improve and enhance the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of individuals of all ages. It’s based on the belief that the creative process involved in artistic self-expression helps people resolve conflicts and problems, develop interpersonal skills, manage behavior, reduce stress, increase self-esteem and self-awareness, and achieve insight. Continue reading 'Art Therapy Continues Its Tradition As a Healing Tool for Today’s Combat Veterans PTSD'»

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By Charlene Rubush, March 17, 2010 11:10 pm

From an article on Julien Modica’s blog, (he is a candidate for Congress) he writes,” Dr. Allan Spiegel and I made the argument that “Off-Label” use of prescriptions is dangerous,to the DC Circuit Court last year. Modica and Dr. Speigel pointed out in the complaint to the Court that most of these drugs have warnings that they “May Cause Suicide” written right on the label.

In another article in The Army Times, (by Andrew Tilgham and Brendan McGarry) these concerns are explored. Here are some facts:

At least one in six service members is on some form of psychiatric drug.

Many troops are taking more than one kind, mixing several pills in daily “cocktails”- for example, an anti-depressant with an anti-psychotic to prevent nightmares, plus an anti-epileptic to reduce headaches-despite minimal clinical research testing such combinations.

The drugs come with serious side-effcts. They can imapir motor skills, reduce reaction times and generally make a war fighter less effective. Continue reading 'Use of Off-Label Prescriptions for Combat Vets with PTSD is Alarming'»

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By Charlene Rubush, March 15, 2010 11:54 pm

From an article by Jim Steinberg, of the San Bernadino County Sun, we learn that with the huge influx of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, the number of patients diagnosed with PTSD has increased 114% from 2005.

Not all of the increase is from the war on terror. Many are veterans of Vietnam, who are entering retirement age, and are haunted by images of the current conflicts.

Lois Krawczyk, a supervisory psychologist at the hospital, said many didn’t seek help earlier because of the stigma attached to those who face mental illness. Fear that co-workers and superiors would wonder if they could do their jobs left them to face their PTSD alone.

Awareness in the military and the VA is far different for vets coming out of the current conflicts than for Vietnam. Military services are doing health assessments as people leave the war theater, and then the VA follows up 90 days later. Continue reading 'PTSD Cases Soaring at Loma Linda Veterans Medical Center'»