Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

This article  may help you discover the greatest hope for people suffering from PTSD that you have ever read.  Today there are literally hundreds of thousands of returning veterans suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder from their combat experiences. There are also hundreds of thousands of average Americans suffering from some traumatic experience in their lives resulting in PTSD.

Today people suffering from this terrific illness have new hope with the “drug free” therapy of NEUROFEEDBACK.  Unfortunately, only a very few Veterans’ hospitals utilize this treatment for returning veterans.  The main therapy used today in the military is cognitive therapy (talk therapy) and drugs.  THIS NEEDS TO CHANGE! Further down in this article you will see 37 YEARS TO RECOVERY FOR A VIETNAM VETERAN! that will really open your eyes to the new hope these revolutionary treatments offer.

In my opinion if a pharmaceutical drug had proven the same benefits that neurofeedback has demonstrated it would be a front-page story all over the world. Why neurofeedback is not accepted now as standard treatment for a slew of illnesses still amazes me and shows the power of the drug companies.  Once the health insurance companies realize the benefits and start paying for these life-changing treatments PTSD sufferers will experience a rapid change in their lives.  Neurofeedback is definitely NOT a quick fix, but offers some of the greatest hope to our returning heroes who have put their lives on the line to protect our freedom.

Many of our returning veterans also suffer from TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) and in some cases severe depression.  If any of you have read my previous articles you will realize that neurofeedback in many instances CAN help reverse those maladies as well.

http://tucsoncitizen.com/tc-off-topic/2011/02/01/miraculous-recovery-from-traumatic-brain-injury-with-neurofeedback-therapy/

http://tucsoncitizen.com/art/2010/09/22/neurofeedback-a-revolutionary-new-drug-free-treatment-for-ptsd-add-adhd-traumatic-brain-injury-depression-and-other-maladies/

After researching this subject for several months I am totally convinced that neurofeedback WILL give many people suffering from PTSD their lives back.  PTSD not only affects the returning veteran but also has a dramatic effect on the lives of those that love them such as their wives, children and parents. Often our veterans turn to alcohol to help them cope. With proper neurofeedback treatments, alcoholism  too can be healed.

There are several neurofeedback companies and practitioners that have a proven tract record in PTSD treatment.  Please view their websites to inform yourself of just how effective these treatments have resolved PTSD problems.

During my interview with the founder of the neurofeedback company Brain Paint, Bill Scott, stated to me that with his 18 years of experience of working and observing clients with PTSD, he has never found an easier solution than EEG biofeedback also known as neurofeedback and specifically his use of the alpha-theta protocol, a training process scientifically proven to improve PTSD. http://treatment-for-ptsd.com/#/post-traumatic-stress-disorder/

Articles by Bill Scott on PTSD:

http://ezinearticles.com/?What-Is-Post-Traumatic-Stress-Disorder-or-PTSD?&id=6095913

http://ezinearticles.com/?An-Easy-Solution-for-Post-Traumatic-Stress-Disorder-or-PTSD&id=6095935

In 1993, Bill Scott and Eugene Peniston did a UCLA study that helped 24 returning native American veterans heal from PTSD: http://neurofeedback-system.com/#/our-story/

http://neurofeedback-system.com/#/evolution-of-the-scott-peniston-protocols/

Here is a link to a few testimonials about Brain Paint and PTSD.

http://treatment-for-ptsd.com/#/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-testimonials/post-traumatic-stress-disorders-testimonials-3/

Brain Paint is now working with a school in Alaska where many of the kids are suffering from PTSD and other maladies. Their technology is helping them overcome their illness.  Story in Juneau, Alaska paper: http://juneauempire.com/stories/021311/loc_784993299.shtm

Another company, EEG Institute, has developed a program that is helping hundreds of returning veterans receive neurofeedback treatment free of charge. Their program has helped many to “get their lives back!” This is an excellent site to view  their program HOMECOMING 4 VETERANS and to possibly connect with a free provider if you are a veteran. http://www.homecoming4veterans.org/

PTSD videos from eeg institute: http://www.homecoming4veterans.org/ptsd-media.html

Other companies (software & hardware providers) to visit that have proven success with PTSD are:

http://www.eegspectrum.com/

http://www.zengar.com/

http://www.stens-biofeedback.com/

http://www.brainstatetech.com/

http://www.thoughttechnology.com/index.html

Many of you reading this article may have suffered PTSD for many years and do not realize that it is never too late to reverse these conditions. The following story will convince you and hopefully cause you to seek help. It is never too late.

37 YEARS TO RECOVERY FROM PTSD FOR VIETNAM VETERAN!

Bob Mills ( not his real name), a Vietnam veteran, suffered over 37 years from PTSD and it was not until he was about to lose his wife and the love of his children that he finally sought help. His PTSD trauma return was brought on by the Iraq war news. In 2003 he and thousands of veterans like him were affected after the invasion of Iraq.

The VA rated Bob as 70 % disabled for PTSD and 30% unemployable. He had gone untreated since the Christmas of 1968 when his trauma began. A number of years ago he sought treatment from the VA. They paid for his cognitive therapy (talk therapy) but he stated to me the only benefit from that 3 years of talk was to make him more aware of his condition.

At this same time he was suffering from high blood pressure (also a symptom of PTSD) and started using the Health Buddy Monitor System at his VA hospital. His cognitive therapy physician told him he was actually using biofeedback.  He found out later that this therapist, who has since retired, had neurofeedback available but the VA only paid for cognitive therapy.

Out of desperation, because his condition was about to make him lose his loving wife of 35 years, he pursued help. His wife showed him the bruises he caused her because of the reactions to his nightmares during sleep. These bruises were obviously not intentional but a symptom of his PTSD.

He searched the Internet looking for an answer to help him. He discovered the free program to veterans, HOMECOMING4VETERANS, and found a practitioner in the Ozark mountain area where he had escaped almost 40 years ago. The practitioner was over 4 hours from his remote home, which was almost ten miles from a paved road where he and his family had lived off the grid all this time.  Out of compassion this therapist contacted a therapist that was only 1 1/2 hours from his home and she agreed to help him. She is a nuerofeedback practitioner but had never worked with a PTSD client before. He began therapy treatments with her in June 2009.  This therapy changed his life forever and he told me that this woman was the first person who ever showed him any human compassion in his life other than his immediate family.

During these new therapy sessions he identified over 30 areas of concern including sleep, attention, anger, depression, nervous habits and high blood pressure. She has used a number of various treatments with Mr. Mills including emWave therapy, and heartmath and nutritional counseling she feels is extremely important to physical well-being.   Starting in his second session she incorporated neurofeedback training using the EEG system from eegspectrum (http://wwweegspectrum.com)

Within 4 sessions his nightmares during sleep had reduced. After 8 sessions he started to reduce his use of anxiety medication and noticed his “trigger arm” was starting to relax more often. By session 13 his nightmares occurred once every 2 weeks instead of 2 times a week. He reported being peaceful and happy instead of the constant anger  he had experienced when he woke up.

During this time he started recalling incidents and events from his time in Vietnam he had not previously remembered.  He sought out contacts from that time period and these men together started putting the pieces together of what they had experienced and started the process of letting go of the emotional charge.

By session 29 the therapist started using the Alpha-Theta protocol, which had been used extensively for PTSD, and addiction issues, and major changes began to happen. He decided to attend his granddaughter’s high school graduation some 1000 miles away. For over 30 years he and his wife had been living isolated far out into the country because he felt uncomfortable doing day-to-day activities in town including going to movies and shows.  He told me that prior to these treatments if he had to go inside a place with people he would always find the spot near a wall where no one could come behind him. He did make this long trip to visit his family and thoroughly enjoyed the trip. Bob is now going to the movies and has attended an exhibition at the local arts center.

Because of his progress he is now reaching out to other Vets he met through the VA. Since Bob was still experiencing some residual emotional triggers she suggested to him to use a program called EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique).  These treatments also helped him immensely. In May of 2010 he remembered one of his dreams for the first time in 20 years and had lost 20# of weight.  In October of 2010, Bob Mills started to write poetry. To date he has written over 20 poems and some have won awards through the VA.  He continues to exercise and now has lost a total of 35 pounds. He has brought his blood pressure down to 120s/70s and now sleeps 6-7 hours of sleep every night. His wife and children are amazed at the positive changes in him.

Here is the truth to this type therapy where the present methods of treating PTSD “have not worked!”  In less than 2 years of therapy he was able to erase what 40 years of VA therapy and medications could not touch.

WHICH IS MORE EFFECTIVE?  WHICH HELPS THE VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES REGAIN A NORMAL LIFE AGAIN? The answer to me is obvious. We don’t need more suicides to happen or more deadly outbursts from soldiers that if they had gotten proper help in time probably would never have done the atrocities that happened.

If you know someone suffering from PTSD please forward this article to him or her and let him or her realize that there is proven help for them. If you have contacts within the government or military please send them my article and open their eyes to this revolutionary drug-free healing method. Our American heroes that put their lives on the line for us deserve the best treatment we can provide them.

These are just a few PTSD videos available on YouTube about PTSD giving you an insight to the serious conditions that accompany the illness.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BoKtZ_z-sg&NR=1&feature=fvwp

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqNRXwjRa7U&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oe370IjZbVI&feature=player_embedded#!

Here is a real help site for those suffering from PTSD:

Michele Rosenthal a PTSD sufferer herself,  is a PTSD Coach and the founder of www.healmyptsd.com. She launched the first Virtual PTSD Support Groups in February 2011. For more information and to join, visit http://healmyptsd.com/healing/support-groups.

For Veterans living in the Tucson area I highly recommend you reading a Vietnam Veteran & fellow Tucson Citizen writer Mike Brewer’s column important to veterans at: http://tucsoncitizen.com/veteranveritas/

Charles Spillar is a freelance journalist and artist living in Tucson, Arizona.  After extensive research into neurofeedback he has become a strong advocate of its use for treating a number of maladies that prior to it has depended on drug therapy. He has witnessed first-hand its benefits.