Nicholas Kristof writes about the brain disease that may be underlying the suicides of Iraq & Afghanistan war veterans: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/26/opinion/kristof-veterans-and-brain-disease.html?_r=1
Dr. Richard Friedman in "Why Are We Drugging Our Soldiers" shows the correlation between Ritalin and Adderall prescriptions and increased PTSD. He cites several studies showing that these drugs enhance the memory of fear-provoking events. Scary and makes all kinds of sense. Read it!
It took a law suit and it's about time! http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/2011/08/02/gIQAEm8cqI_story.html?fb_ref=NetworkNews&fb_source=home_multiline
I was interviewed by Stan Emert on his cable TV show, "Public Exposure" a few weeks ago. Here is the YouTube link to the show: http://youtu.be/KsFoHFQxx4o Topics include trauma definitions, PTSD, EMDR, Ego State Therapy, and a minute of traumatic grief. Due to a neck injury, I've been unable to spend more than a few minutes
Tim Brunson at the International Hypnosis Research Institute wrote a nice review of TTH. He liked the book though he thought it didn't have enough hypnosis in it and wanted it to discuss research and wished the "Self-care for Trauma Therapists" chapter was longer. Otherwise he said extremely positive things about the book and me
James Risen writes about a soldier, Staff Sgt. David Senft, with PTSD who kills himself in Afghanistan. The article lists many things that predict successful suicide: Senft came from a distressed "broken" family. He had many attachment disruptions in childhood. He had been on multiple tours of duty. He had PTSD from a trauma early in
Here's a 6 minute video of a Gulf War soldier's PTSD diagnosis with brain scans and then treatment with EMDR. He had a scary childhood, fear for his life in combat, and then was retriggered by witnessing a horrible accident.
My copy of the new book arrived today. Here is what Diana Fosha says about it:"This is a thorough, accessible, and very practical book, filled with resources and sound ideas, filtered through the intelligence and experience of a savvy, compassionate, down-to-earth, and very experienced clinician. It is like a travel guide to the land of
Video of military woman with PTSD: Video Article about military women with PTSD: Article Check out Damien Cave's article in today's New York Times. Women are less likely to be granted disability on the grounds that they weren't in combat, even though they are seeing plenty of action in Iraq. Unrecognized, they feel shame about
Connie Sidles is a famous Seattle birder. Here is this week's KUOW radio interview with her about why she spends so many hours at the Montlake Fill. Connie gives a cogent discussion of dealing with grief, how to create/have meaning in life, how to get present, and why birding creates bliss in its more conscious
Day 1: Bessel van der Kolk is lovely. He's humble, he's funny, and he is the premiere researcher on the neurobiology and/or efficacy of trauma treatments in the world. And cute and brilliant, of course. Here are nearly random gems from 3 hours of notes: With trauma, there are no stories, only sensory experience: images,
I'm reading piles of books in preparation for writing a trauma therapy survey book. My friend and colleague, Barbara Hinsz lent me Glenn Schiraldi's The Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Sourcebook. (McGraw-Hill, 2000) It's a great self-help book, one of the best I've seen. Schiraldi's a good writer. I never wanted to fix his sentences. He's simple without being simplistic.
The New York Times published this article today. If you haven't starting gearing up to work with soldiers, get some training now. There are online trainings, in-person trainings, and books. You can even start by watching movies: In the Valley of the Elah is supposed to be a great one. Understand that, so far, EMDR
The EMDR International Association, (EMDRIA) is urging its members to write a letter supporting EMDR treatment for soldiers and veterans. The EMDR Humanitarian Assistance Program has been offering and doing volunteer-run, inexpensive Basic trainings to the military and the VA. EMDR has been accepted by the Department of Defense as one of two effective/allowed treatments.
I went to an organizational meeting for the Soldiers Project NW(SP)last night. Forty-two people were there. Therapists from all over the Puget Sound region, one from Yakima, and even one from California. About 10 were veterans. Several had worked for the VA. The rest were people who heard about it and wanted to help. Several
Nicole Brodeur featured "The Soldiers Project" in her Friday Seattle Times column. This some of what she said: " Trisha Pearce, who lives in Stanwood, is starting a Northwest chapter of The Soldiers Project, a network of licensed mental-health counselors who offer free psychological treatment to active-duty soldiers, National Guard members, reserves, veterans and their
http://arstechnica.com/journals/science.ars/2008/03/18/study-identifies-gene-x-environment-link-to-ptsd is a link to a website that discusses the connection between a stress-related gene and the likelihood of developing PTSD. The new issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association features an article by Dr. Kerry Ressler and several co-authors found that specific variations in the gene appeared to be influenced by child
Michele Feingold, one of my readers, sent this link to me. It's timely since I'm about to start writing about trauma-based depression in the new book. http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/2/11/131710/774/1/454592 Thanks Michele!
The New York Times has an article about concussions adding significantly to the possiblity of PTSD in Iraq War soldiers and veterans. The researchers surmise that many neurological symptoms might be more psychologically treated, while some stress symptoms might be more physically explained. Here's the url: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/30/health/research/30cnd-brain.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
If you would like to become more depressed over the mental health treatment of Army veterans, read this article: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2004047625_reed02.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/14/AR2007061401643.html At least the information is coming from a report mandated by congress. Maybe they'll do something. This depressing report has many links to similar content at the bottom of the page. In our state, Washington, Senator Murray went to see psych wards at the Tacoma and the Seattle VA's after they were threatened with
Today's Seattle Times had a good front page article about Thomas Adams, a Command Sgt. Maj. from our locally-based Stryker brigrade, who has been making sure that people under his command get good mental health care. He has been diagnosed with PTSD and traumatic brain injury. Given his history (no head injuries) and based on
Daniel Zwerdling's follow up story on soldiers who still are being ignored and shamed despite PTSD. It breaks my heart. Click here to listen to the NPR story. Click here to read about it on Rocky Mountain News.
I'm on the board of the Humanitarian Assistance Program of EMDR. We are a non-profit organization whose goal is to "expand access to effective mental health treatment for traumatized and underserved communities through direct service and training of local caregivers, anywhere in the world." HAP's current projects include training therapists in Lebanon, the West Bank,India,
PBS's Frontline has a new show about the psychological effects of the Iraq War on soldiers, including the culture of "suck it up" in the service that prohibits many soldiers from getting treatment, go here to read about it or watch it online. The New York Times Magazine has a cover story about rape and
I had posted on my last thoughts on a private list and got a reply from Francine Shapiro, the founder and steward of EMDR. It was a bit daunting for me. She's smarter, more well-informed, and the inventor of what I do in much of my working hours. She has given me permission to post
Check out these links for looking at "Virtual Reality" videos for treatment of war-caused PTSD in soldiers. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14048170?GT1=8307 http://www.defense-update.com/products/v/VR-PTSD.htm Virtual Reality? It sounds like old fashioned exposure therapy that teaches dissociation, not healed presence. There are non-EMDR treatments that work for trauma and don't promote dissociation. All of them, that I know about, share EMDR's
Like a Ghost: Using EMDR to revive a traumatized vet's marriage by Nancy Errebo is a wonderful article in the recent Psychotherapy Networker. Click here to read it. The Psychotherapy Networker is my favorite therapy magazine. It's readable, easy to look at, open to many modalities, and full of useful information. I always find at