Dereck Stevens bonds with his military working dog before a practice drill at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio.
After Duty, Dogs Suffer Like Soldiers
Written By JAMES DAO
Photo Credits: BRYCE HARPERPublished: December 1, 2011
SAN ANTONIO — The call came into the behavior specialists here from a doctor in Afghanistan. His...
AN OPEN LETTER TO FIRST RESPONDERS ON TRAUMA -
The wound that time does not heal
Although the 10th Anniversary of the events of 9/11 is now behind us, many first responders still are not aware of or not making use of the mental health services that are available to them. Some...
The air explodes with the sound of highpowered rifles and the startled infant watches his family fall to the ground, the image seared into his memory. He and other orphans are then transported to distant locales to start new lives. Ten years later, the teenaged orphans begin a killing rampage,...
By Dr. Beverly Ann Dexter
Individuals coming back from combat are naturally going to have some behaviors that are carry over from what it takes to survive in a combat zone. It is not possible to survive such an experience without developing some combat stress reactions. It is also not reasonable...
The extended wars in Iraq and Afghanistan over the past decade have affected the lives of approximately two million U.S. service members and their families in many different ways. In an all-volunteer force, the nature of those effects warrants proper attention, because the well-being of troops and the people close...
by Linda Tepper, LCSW During an emergency, our breathing rate and pattern change. Instead of breathing slowly from our lower lungs, we begin to breathe rapidly and shallowly from our upper lungs. If during this time we are not physically exerting ourselves, then it can produce...
Since October 2001, approximately 1.64 million U.S. troops have been deployed for Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) in Afghanistan and Iraq. Early evidence suggests that the psychological toll of these deployments—many involving prolonged exposure to combat-related stress over multiple rotations—may be disproportionately high compared with the...
The SAMHSA National GAINS CenterWith many service members returning home from overseas duty and given the risk for justice system involvement posed by untreated posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and trauma-related dis- orders, SAMHSA launched the Jail Diversion and Trauma Recovery – Priority to Veterans initiative in 2008 to support the...
The New York Times
September 11, 2011
Justice for Women VeteransWomen in the military who are sexually assaulted or harassed face obstacles not seen in the civilian workplace. They can’t decide to take time off or quit, often have no way to avoid a predatory colleague or supervisor, and certainly in combat...
"I Know You Didn't Promise Me A Rose Garden, But This Just Isn't Fair!"
By Dr. Beverly Ann Dexter
When they are deploying
How much news exposure is OK
Don’t expect them to come back during the middle of deployment
Trying to be all things to all people ...
By Clare Bayard - 10/07/10 09:01 AM ET
Today, as the tenth year of the Afghanistan War begins, veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars launch a national campaign to stop deployment of wounded soldiers into war zones. Members of Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) will...
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Study Background, Purpose, and Approach
The long and frequent deployments of U.S. armed forces associated with Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), combined with the other consequences of combat, such as exposure to trauma, have tested the resilience and coping skills of U.S. military service members and their...
New York/New Jersey Area Vet Centers
Services Offered by the Vet Centers: Vet Centers offer broad readjustment services to military veterans. Counseling for military traumas, employment and family problems is our main focus, but we also provide referral services for VA benefits and medical assistance and liaisons with community...
From the Battered Women's Justice Project e-newsReporting Options for Victims of Domestic ViolenceFamily Advocacy ProgramYou have options if you are a victim.Domestic abuse is a serious public health issue. The Department of Defense (DoD) is committed to preventing and addressing it in our military families. When domestic abuse does occur,...
VA PTSD Booklet
Have you, or someone you love been through combat? Lived through a disaster? Been raped? Experienced any other kind of traumatic event?
Have you ever thought that painful memories of that experience were still causing problems for you or a loved one?You may have heard of PTSD—posttraumatic stress disorder—on...
This update of the Clinical Practice Guideline for the Management of Post-Traumatic Stress was developed under the auspices of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and the Department of Defense (DoD), pursuant to directives from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). VHA and DoD define clinical practice guidelines as:
This 2010 VA/DoD...
Recently, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of two Veterans organizations, representing ALL veterans in a class action lawsuit against the Veterans Administration and the federal government charging them with reckless disregard of the needs of returning American servicemen and women - and...
By KIMBERLY HEFLING, Associated Press Kimberly Hefling, Associated Press Fri Apr 15, 9:20 am ET
WASHINGTON – Handsome and friendly, Clay Hunt so epitomized a vibrant Iraq veteran that he was chosen for a...
WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A COUNSELOR OR THERAPIST
Eva J. Usadi, MA, BCD
New York, NY
The most important thing to bear in mind when looking for a therapist is that you are a consumer, and, as such, have the right to shop around. Some questions to ask when you are given...
WHAT TRAUMA THERAPY SHOULD LOOK LIKE
(How many tools are in your toolbox?)
by Eva J. Usadi, MA, BCD
Lots of guys have asked what trauma treatment is, and how it might be different than brief counseling or psychotherapy. As discussed in another article, brief counseling is often provided by counselors or...
Originally Featured in Stars & Stripes Newspaper on October 3, 2011.
NEW YORK — Jack Usadi joined the U.S. Army in 1943 and served in the 3104th Signal Service Battalion in Europe. He came home afterward, graduated from law school at Columbia University, and started a family with...
