Surviving the War but not the Homecoming
The cost of war in Iraq and Afghanistan: $6.4 trillion spent, more than 7,000 service members killed, and tens of thousands more wounded. But as engagements around the world continue, the cost of war in human life increases every day here at home. Mental health struggles have become a “significant public health problem” amongst veterans […]
US Navy Punished Suicidal Sailor Who Sought Help
Michael Gregg sounded eerily quiet on their October phone call, his mother said. On that evening, he spoke words she never expected to hear. “He said ‘Mama, I almost committed suicide. I worked the night shift and I almost jumped off the boat,’” Michael Gregg had never been stationed on a Navy ship before and one […]
What is PTSD?
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric disorder that may occur in people who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event such as a natural disaster, a serious accident, a terrorist act, war/combat, or rape or who have been threatened with death, sexual violence or serious injury. (American Psychiatric Association) Sometimes we experience something so […]
The Frontiers of Psychedelic Medicine
The following is Dr. Samoon Ahmad‘s interview with Dr. Stephen Ross regarding the mental health benefits of Psilocybin. SAMOON AHMAD To start, could you give me a little bit of an overview about what drew you to psilocybin? Was there a particular study or anecdotal story that really drove this interest in psilocybin? Dr. Stephen […]
Navy Seals and Traumatic Brain Injuries
Struggling with the psychological effects of serving in four combat tours and an undiagnosed brain injury, Larkin died by suicide on a Sunday morning in 2017 dressed in a SEAL Team shirt with the medals he earned in service next to him. As a decorated Navy SEAL operator and explosives breacher, Ryan Larkin was regularly […]
The Greatest Unused Treatment for Opioid use Disorder
Contingency Management uses reward techniques to bolster abstinence from drug or alcohol use. A webinar by the Florida Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association called contingency management “the greatest unused treatment” for opioid use disorder.” The organization noted the technique’s effectiveness for treating addictions to stimulants such as cocaine or methamphetamine (meth). The technique may also produce […]
Equine Therapy
There are several life skills that a horse can teach better than a person. Equine therapy lowers your blood pressure and heart rate, alleviates stress and reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression. It can also help people struggling with addictions or mental illness. National Geographic Horses Help Veterans
Contact Veterans Groups
American Legion: Wounded Warrior Project-Mental Wellness Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Vietnam Veterans of America WWII U.S. Veterans: Korean War Veterans Association Improve the Lives of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans Veterans Crisis Line or 800-273-8255 ext-1
Opioids / Veterans / Telemedicine
Increasing numbers of Veterans are dying from heroin and synthetic opioids. There is a pressing need to find and provide care to veterans who need help for use of non-prescription opioids, whether or not they are also taking prescription opioids. “Mental and behavioral health is a top priority of the VA, demonstrated by the major […]