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"Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air. You name them -- work, family, health, friends and spirit -- and you're keeping all of these in the air. You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls -- family, health, friends and spirit – are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged or even shattered. They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for balance in your life.” This is from a book called Suzannes Diary to Nicholas by James Patterson - passed on by Linda Taylor by Lynn McKell.
NEW RESEARCH STUDY VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!
The George E. Wahlen Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Salt Lake City is seeking volunteers with PTSD who have nightmares related to their military experiences.
A medication that is commonly used to treat blood pressure is being studied to see if it may be helpful in treating nightmares. Read more here:
For more information please call (801)582-1565 ext: 1836
The VA RAP by Maria Fruin,
Jill Atwood,
Damien Holmes
One thing combat vets have in common is Meds. Bottles and bottles of meds. Meds "to keep You safe" from us. Check out Jake's poem from http://www.thewelcomehomeproject.org/
National Association of State Directors of Veterans Affairs
The new (2009-2010) President of NASDVA is Terry Schow, Executive Director, Utah Department of Veterans Affairs.
Congratulations, Terry. Good job.
UtVet salutes you for your tireless efforts on behalf of Utah's veterans.
SALUTE
We also owe a vote of thanks to the Governor and legislators who created the Utah Department of Veterans Affairs and continue to increase its funding.
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Rather than have county based veterans' service officers as surrounding states do, Utah provides Outreach Services. These services are delivered to rural vets by veterans from the Marine Corp League, Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, etc. Learn about these comprehensive outreach programs at
Not in Salt Lake area? The Utah Department of Veterans
Affairs sends representatives all
across the state to assist
Veterans in filing for and
understanding their benefits.
For a schedule, visit www.veterans.utah.gov AND: Check out your Utah Veterans Benefits here
"A general dissolution of principles and manners will more surely overthrow the liberties of America than the whole force of the common enemy." --Samuel Adams
Participate in a Salt Lake City VA clinical trial. Help another vet with PTSD.
The George E. Wahlen Department of Veterans Affairs Salt Lake City Health Care System
in conjunction with the VA Cooperative Studies program is preparing to conduct another IRB* approved research study to determine if a medication,(that has been safely used for years for something else) may also be effective in helping to treat the nightmares so common with PTSD.
(*IRB stands for Institutional Review Boards which are totally independent of the VA. IRB approved studies are designed to protect all study participants. They review and must approve the action plan for every clinical trial done by the VA and other research institutions such as University of Utah. ed.)
All subjects in the study will receive study medication plus supportive care during their research related visits by the research team. The study will last for six months. During the length of the study some of the subjects will receive study medication and others will receive a sugar pill.
In most instances participants may remain on other medications to treat PTSD/Depression while involved in this research study, however there may be some exclusions.
The study will involve Veterans participating in psychological assessments every week as well as filling out various self-assessment forms. This will not interfere with continuing usual care appointments at the hospital.
Participants in the study will be reimbursed $20 for visits at weeks 4, 8, 16 and 20 and $50 for visits at weeks 6, 12 and 24 for a maximum total payment of $230. Payments will only be made after weeks 12 and 24.
For more info contact Lindsay Carpenter at 1-800-4012 extesion 1836. or you can email her at lindsay.carpenter@va.gov
Evidence-Based Prevention is Goal of Largest Ever Study of Suicide in the Military
The National Institute
of Mental Health (NIMH) has announced that an interdisciplinary team of four research institutions will carry out the largest study of suicide and mental health among military personnel ever undertaken, with $50 million in funding from the U.S. Army. Study investigators aim to move quickly to identify risk and protective factors for suicide among soldiers and provide a science base for effective and practical interventions to reduce suicide rates and address associated mental health problems.
The study is a direct response to the Army’s request to NIMH to enlist the most promising scientific approaches for addressing the rising suicide rate among soldiers.More here:
Men's Health
This introduction is from the American Diabetes Organization. It's worth reading.
Historically, men have not been comfortable discussing issues about their health, particularly conditions like diabetes, depression or sexual dysfunction. This has resulted in shorter and less healthy lives for men in the United States compared to women.
Click on the pyramid for full size
I was not aware that depression is caused by, or even a part of, diabetes. Fortunately, we have a medical system that allows science to progress with better medicine. Another note: Our friend Nancy Card points out that the pyramid above is from 1995. She suggests checking out the new (2005) food pyramid from the USDA. Good call Nancy. Thanks
Times have changed and so have men. We are now in the era of the modern man. Modern men have a strong grasp of their disease and related conditions, they actively engage their health care providers, and proactively manage their health.
The American Diabetes Association is encouraging all men with diabetes to become "modern men." Take the modern man challenge. Get out, get active, get informed!
By all means, check out this site. There is an ocean of info about diabetes. That info is there for only one reason... to help men have a better, longer life. You can take control of your future. Imagine that! ed.
Heads up! VETERANS AND SERVICE-MEMBERS' SURVIVAL GUIDE. 599 pages of quality info. No filler or ego tripping. A free gift fromBobby Muller and the folks at the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation.
For more information, contact Brian at 801-377-1117 or brian.hunnewell@va.gov
More than any war in our history, veterans are coming home with missing limbs from Improvised Explosive Devices. Finding resources that enable these vets to live full lives can be a challenge that can wreck families. Here is a company that might help.
A Look At The Home Access Program and Handi-Ramp
The process of buying and/or modifying a home for wheel chair accessibility should not be as difficult as it is, said Thom Disch, Handi-Ramp President and CEO. Years ago Disch envisioned a nationwide program that puts resources at the finger tips of individuals and families in order to make accessibility solutions simple and pain free. This goal is the heart of the Home Access Program.
Disch began the Home Access Program with the goal of keeping the process as personal as possible. Disch's company, Handi-Ramp, learns who you are, what your needs are and works with you till the job is done. This is not one of those programs that takes your money and leaves you flat. This philosophy permeates the entire Handi Ramp organization.
Handi-Ramp works with a variety of organizations including the Veterans Administration and various trade organizations (ITA & CTE Barter) to provide ramps that make life more rewarding for families with special needs. Read the rest of the story here
Link to Handi-Ramp
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death in Vets in the early years after returning from deployment. There are much smarter ways to trip the adrenaline high. Ever tried sky diving?
Don't endanger yourself or someone else's family. You don 't want to nuke some soccer mom and her babies.
Don't drink and drive.
Don't ride with a drunk driver.
Always wear your seat belt—driving, in the passenger seat, or in a back seat.
If you ride a motorcycle, always wear a helmet and ride sober.
Mile for mile, your risk of a fatal crash is about 35 times higher on your motorcycle than in your car.
"Those who hammer their guns into plows will plow for those who do
not." ~Thomas Jefferson
FIREARMS REFRESHER COURSE
1. An armed man is a citizen. An unarmed man is a subject.
2. A gun in the hand is better than a cop on the phone.
3. Colt: The original point and click interface.
4. Gun control is not about guns; it's about control.
Walking through a crowded shopping mall can bring back memories of war. The shifting crowds, the jostle of passers-by and the din can all trigger Army Sgt. Kristofer Goldsmith's post-traumatic stress disorder.
Upon finishing high school, Kris Goldsmith fulfilled his dream of enlisting in the Army. He was sent to Iraq.
"You get used to scanning what everybody's doing. Your brain just starts working so fast and it's purely instinctual because you want to know what everyone's intent is around you," said Goldsmith, who served four years in active duty.
"You want to know if anyone has the intent to harm you or the capabilities to harm you."
That hyper-vigilance is one common symptom of ("BrainFlash" aw) post-traumatic stress disorder. PTSD, an anxiety disorder, can develop after a terrifying or life-threatening event, or a series of events causing extreme stress. Read the rest of the story here.
If you are a veteran and find you are powerless over substances; there is hope. We have learned by sad experience that one of the most prevalent symptoms of Delayed Stress is the urge to Self Medicate with alcohol and/or drugs. No judgement here, just facts. Often, self medicating leads to serious health problems, conflicts with families -- even trouble with law enforcement including incarceration.
How many suffering veterans end up FIRED, fined 'til they drop, homeless, alone on the street, in jail, or dead from suicide-- after drugs or alcohol get the best of them? One veteran lost is one Too many.
Eighteen vets commit suicide every day. How many of them do you think were drunk or whacked when they pulled the trigger or swallowed the pills? So.... if you are a veteran and discover you're powerless over substances; you are not the only one. DON'T GIVE UP.
When you are ready to begin your recovery... Salt Lake City has the finest residential substance abuse and BrainFlash treatment programs in the entire VA system. It's called "The Eagles Nest." It's there for you! It's not perfect, and there is a waiting list for most of us... But it's worth it! Preference given to OIF/OEF veterans.
Charles Talcott knows the score and is there to help you find a new way to a new life. Call him at (801) 582-1565 extension 1874. Getting started with North Star and recovery can often be done over the phone. Click here for more info about The Eagles Nest
Fortress America From the Carnegie Institute magazine:
The new U.S. Embassy in Baghdad is the largest the world has ever known. [Ten times the size of the new US Embassy in China ed.] Thousands will live inside its blast walls, isolated from the bloody realities of a nation at war. Why has the United States built this place—and what does it mean?
Click here for a sample
and here for another
and here for another
A Tip for Vets with urgent health questions:
Call the"VA Nurseline" toll free: 1-866-369-8020.
For a test, I called at 6 am. The phone rang eight times, then a computer picked up and said "If this is an emergency dial 911 etc". I left a voice msg and four minutes later a registered nurse called me back. She carefully answered my questions about hives. Fifteen minutes later I called back with a follow up question. The phone rang three times and the same nurse picked up. She again patiently answered my questions. How Great is That?
"Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind." ~William Shakespeare
"There's a fine line between genius and insanity..." ~Oscar Levant
"The worst loneliness is not to be comfortable with yourself." ~Mark Twain
There is a fine line between Empowering and Enabling
~ Anon Vet
COMING SOON: Direct from McLean "ALL OF THE ABOVE"
Illegal Attachment of Veterans Benefits is Endemic!
Bill Heino writes: Activist state court judges are violating Federal Law by attaching Vet's benefits in Divorce cases. Read about this bogus situation here:
(This video tweaks Dems in Congress but anyone with half a brain knows that it's all of them. aw.)
Lou Gehrig's Disease: Now Presumptively Compensable
from the Vietnam Veterans of America Talklist via email from Sarge Mike Gale
Veterans with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) may receive needed
support for themselves and their families after the Department of
Veterans Affairs (VA) announced last month that ALS will become a
presumptively compensable illness for all veterans with 90 days or more
of continuously active service in the military. VA based its decision
primarily on a November 2006 report by the National Academy of Sciences'
Institute of Medicine (IOM) on the association between active-duty
service and ALS. Read the rest of the article here:
“Democratical States must always feel before they can see: it is this that makes their Governments slow, but the people will be right at last.”
-- George Washington, letter to Marquis de Lafayette, July 25, 1785
Source: UtahPolicy.com
(spam?) Service Announced for Wounded Warriors, Families and Caregivers And NO Veterans dammit! aw!
DoD announced that the Military OneSource service has established a Wounded Warrior Resource Center telephone number and e-mail address for service members, and their families, if they have concerns or other difficulties during their recovery process.
Assistance provided by the resource center will not replace the specialized wounded warrior programs established by each of the military services, but it will offer another avenue of assistance for military facilities, health care services, and/or benefits information.
"The department is committed to aggressively addressing the needs of our service members and their families," said Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates.
Utah National Guard Family Programs By putting families first and creating relationships of trust, the Utah National Guard Family Programs' Office enhances the readiness and well being of military families through information, education, programs, and resources.
God Help Us: Imagine an outbreak of 'hoof and mouth' disease when Homeland Security brings the only US lab studying hoof and mouth from Plumb Island in far north Long Island Sound to Kansas. Kansas is ranked second nationally in total cattle numbers and cattle on feed, with 6,650,000 total head of cattle (2,550,000 in feedlots) in Kansas on January 1, 2006. [data from the Beef Cattle Institute]
While essentially harmless to humans, Hoof and mouth disease is a thousand times more infectious than small pox. Animals are much more mobile now than during the last US outbreak in 1914. An outbreak now would likely result in the loss of many Millions of farm animals and deer among others.
Anyone coming in contact with a diseased animal can spread the disease for 48 hours simply by breathing near sheep or cattle.
Moving the research facility from a remote island to Kansas with millions of cattle in close proximity causes grave concerns. An outbreak could devastate the American food supply. ed.) Read it and weep.
Over the last couple of weeks the site has really focused on PTSD Recovery. I will soon be migrating most of these stories to Newsletter Page 3 and the homepage will be settling down to regular business. Meanwhile:
I don't know why it suddenly seems so important to me; but I'm asking for your support for my work with Mindfulness Breathing. I feel like I'm on a mission of sorts. A Recovery mission. I'm inviting you to participate.
It's abundantly clear that the VA will not be able to serve the needs of the youngest generation of veterans. They are simply swamped. Therefore, it behooves us Veterans to do all we are able to do in order to fill the void. That might be terrifying were it not for the fact that we have new tools for achieving Recovery. And you don't need a phd to use them. Everybody can teach recovery... starting with Mindfulness Breathing.
Maybe we will never be cured from PTSD; but what if our PTSD symptoms became "Undiagnosable"? In other words; what if all the PTSD related behavior just stopped? What if the quick temper and sharp tongue just evaporated? What if we could balance out what's happening in our guts just by practicing breathing a different way, ten times a day? What if you could actually recover health? What if you could actually get the life you desire, instead of just existing; reacting to the life that "just happens"?
Fill your lungs with Peace
Exhale Stress
As your lungs empty, push just a little more. Exhale all the stale air.
As you push count "One, two, three, four."
When your lungs are empty, tell your body "relax".
As your body relaxes, sharpen your mind to visualize that which you desire.
Repeat often.
With mind reprogramming; more practice is better. You choose to make it happen.
Nature wants to program us with random, unplanned stimulus. You can choose instead to focus your mind on your intended desire. Mindfulness takes charge of the process. Everything that exists in the physical world, existed first in the spiritual, cereberal world. Mindfulness Breathing is a tool that accelerates the process of bringing that which we desire from the spiritual realm into the material realm. Like meditation. Like Prayer.
Every time that we repeat mindfulness breathing and visualize that which we desire; we are creating new neural pathways that can actually, physiologically change the operation of our brains, and from there, the rest of our bodies. I asked Gerald Hubbard; "What would you do if all the foods that you loved, like chocolate cake, were poison and all the foods that could support health and happiness tasted awful to you?" He quickly replied, "I'd reprogram my brain to love the foods that were good for me." I'm working on that.
I'm praying that the Mindfulness practice will change my brain so I see myself with a thirty two inch waist line. I'm learning a Snickers bar is poison, and a cantaloupe is heavenly. I'll never have to diet, or develop will power. I'll just have to focus on what I want, and reprogram a healthy body. Better food choices will just happen, spontaneously, effortlessly as I more clearly visualize myself in great shape.. . . with a thirty two inch waistline. I can see it now!
I will be the product of my philosophy. Someday you will see me with a thirty two inch waistline and you will know this works. Meanwhile, you can perform an experiment with my info about Mindfulness Breathing. Just try it for one day. See how you feel. I'm saying that Mindfulness Breathing can work for you. If you try it, you will know for yourself if the exercise has value
or not. Like the Founding Fathers said: "We hold these truths to be self evident."
It's really all about what I really want. Mindfulness breathing helps me focus on that. I have a clear mental picture of it. Do I dare to actually want something? Am I willing to accept the risk of taking responsibility for what I want? What if I don't get it?
A caution; when I first begin Mindfullness Breathing the new neural pathways I am forming are whispy, ephemeral things, like spiderweb filaments floating in space. It's easy for a deeply embedded habit like smoking cigarettes, or depressive thoughts, to blow the newly forming pathways away, if I let them. But if I can stay focused on my desire, you can let those filaments to grow and attract other filmy neural pathways. After a while the new neural pathway grows and becomes more and more efficient at moving thoughts down the preferred conduit. The old ways just atrophy. It takes practice.
Miracles can happen in twenty one days. New habits can form. It's not uncommon for smokers who quit for three weeks to stay quit forever. Husbands and wives can build and rebuild joyous family life, one step at a time. Families can begin to heal. Great changes can begin in a matter of weeks.
W. Andrew Wilson
www.UtVet.com
utahvet@gmail.com
Once in a while something Revolutionary happens.
We are now entering a phase of VA PTSD treatment called "Evidence Based Therapy". The VA has reportedly spent over $100 million over the last ten years to examine the evidence to determine which of the VA's myriad programs for PTSD actually helps people to recover mental wellness. Only Two programs have been selected. (I guess all those other programs like EMDR, group therapy, and PsychoTherapy that Nam Vets have been enduring for the last few decades are just all Bargle Schnozzle, right VA?) The selected two are "Prolonged Exposure" therapy and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CBT).
I've just spent 12 weeks participating in Prolonged Exposure therapy at the Sheridan WY VA medical center. This is not a therapy for sissies. It hurts like hell. I felt like crying for a week, and fighting for a week after that, but seems to be working for me. For the first time in decades, I'm able to sleep through the night. No more waking up for good at 3:11 am. I'm not cured. But my PTSD symptoms are much easier to bear.
(A week later: Maybe I spoke too soon. Trying to start a new web enterprise and deal with family legal and financial hassles have really impacted my sleep. I never know when my body will allow me to work. I'm not giving up.
A month later: Now I really have sleep issues, just like before treatment! I'm up when others sleep and sleep when they are about. But my wife seems happier. It occurs to me that maybe the VA is setting Veterans with PTSD up to fail. They are saying; "Hey Vet buddy. This twelve week program and twelve weeks of after care are all you need and all you are getting. Anything less than Recovery will be due to you not sufficiently applying yourself. We have the evidence to prove it!
In any event, I am able to do many things I was not willing to do before PE; like go shopping at Walmart during busy crowded conditions. Still not ready for concerts or church.
I've posted an unsolicited letter of recommendation for Mrs Esther Diller, a case manager and Prolonged Exposure therapist for the Sheridan Wy VA Medical Center VA. Meanwhile, please accept my statement: "Prolonged Exposure Therapy has made it possible for me to sleep through the night for the first time in decades. It's not that I'm cured of PTSD; it's just that the symptoms are easier to bear." More on this topic soon.
.
VA Launches Development of New Online Claims Systemto be operational by November Advances Transformation Toward a Paperless VA
WASHINGTON –
Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki announced plans to develop a fully automated, online system for handling Veterans’ disability compensation claims. More than a simple digitization of existing paper-based claims, the new system is part of VA’s modernization of the end-to-end processing workflow. Automation will substantially reduce processing time and increase accuracy while simplifying the way that Veterans interact with the claims process.
“This new program accelerates our effort to eliminate the claims backlog through automation and modernization of our systems,” said Secretary Shinseki. “It’s another step in transforming VA into a 21st Century department that better serves our Veterans.” Read the rest of the story here
From the
V.A. Is Easing Rules to Cover Stress Disorder
By JAMES DAO
Published: July 7, 2010 Thanks to Helen Anderson of Provo City for the link.
The government is preparing to issue new rules that will make it substantially easier for veterans who have been found to have post-traumatic stress disorder to receive disability benefits, a change that could affect hundreds of thousands of veterans from the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Vietnam.
The regulations from the Department of Veterans Affairs, which will take effect as early as Monday and cost as much as $5 billion over several years according to Congressional analysts, will essentially eliminate a requirement that veterans document specific events like bomb blasts, firefights or mortar attacks that might have caused P.T.S.D., an illness characterized by emotional numbness, irritability and flashbacks.
For decades, veterans have complained that finding such records was extremely time consuming and sometimes impossible. And in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, veterans groups assert that the current rules discriminate against tens of thousands of service members — many of them women — who did not serve in combat roles but nevertheless suffered traumatic experiences.
Under the new rule, which applies to veterans of all wars, the department will grant compensation to those with P.T.S.D. if they can simply show that they served in a war zone and in a job consistent with the events that they say caused their conditions. They would not have to prove, for instance, that they came under fire, served in a front-line unit or saw a friend killed. The new rule would also allow compensation for service members who had good reason to fear traumatic events, known as stressors, even if they did not actually experience them.
There are concerns that the change will open the door to a flood of fraudulent claims. (Are you kidding me? The goldbrickers will be tearing down the doors! aw )Read the rest of the story from the times here:
Our friend Carl Morrison sends along this exceptional link:
When you visit the Virtual Wall you can search the wall by name, by panel position, by military unit, by city and state, groups and battles, and more. This database is exceptional: loaded with years of records and is quite complete, if not perfect.
The Virtual Wall is one of those rare Veteran related websites that was actually created by volunteers. These folks don't seem to be chewing the last few dollars off old Vietnam's carcass either.
I searched by city and state, 1968, and found a couple of guys I played Little League ball with. I never knew what happened to 'em after tenth grade. It's challenging that after all these decades, I can still have strong feelings of loss. Farewell, pals. aw
PTSD Affects the Entire Family
When one family member suffers after a brain flash, every family member is affected. For the Veteran (Or car wreck survivor) to experience full Recovery, with the associated mental health wellness, every family member must be allowed to recover. A family that wants to know mental health wellness is much more likely to experience it. A family that is trying to avoid or simply cope with PTSD symptoms will continue to reap chaos. Avoidance or coping always comes up short. Recovery is simpler and much more fulfilling.
Hope, Awareness, Acceptance, and Change: These are the pillars of Recovery.
PTSD can make somebody hard to be with. Living with someone who is easily startled, has nightmares, and often avoids social situations can take a toll on the most caring family. Early research on PTSD has shown the harmful impact of PTSD on families. This research showed that Vietnam Veterans have more marital problems and family violence. Their partners have more distress. Their children have more behavior problems than do those of Veterans without PTSD. Veterans with the most severe symptoms had families with the worst functioning.
How does PTSD have such a negative effect? It may be because those suffering with PTSD have a hard time feeling emotions. They may feel detached from others. This can cause problems in personal relationships, and may even lead to behavior problems in their children. The numbing and avoidance that occurs with PTSD is linked with lower satisfaction in parenting.
OGDEN -- A 22-year-old man on holiday leave from service in Iraq was accused back in 2009 of attacking two people at a party with a barbecue fork, and police say stress over being at war may have played a role in the incident.
McAllister Glen Larsen came to the Ogden area to visit relatives, according to police. On Sunday, he reportedly went to a party on the 700 block of 25th Street with friends. When he got there, he approached a woman in the basement of the home, held a weapon to her throat while pinning her against the wall and indicated he was going to kill her, said Police Lt. Scott Conley.
Shortly afterward, police say, Larsen approached a man coming out of the bathroom and attacked him as well.
"The victim came out and noticed the suspect crouched down by the doorway," Conley said. "(Larsen) indicated to the victim to hush by putting his finger to his lips."
Larsen then lunged at the victim and stabbed him in the throat, police say.
The 26-year-old victim was treated for his wound at McKay-Dee Hospital. Two days later, Larsen's father took his son into police headquarters, where Larsen indicated he was at the party, but requested an attorney when questioned, Conley said.
Larsen is charged with two felony counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Police say the weapon, which was later taken as evidence, is a barbecue fork, 16-18 inches long, with about 4-inch prongs.
The police gang unit was assigned to investigate the case, but they determined the attacks were not gang- related. Detectives are now investigating whether stress from serving in a war zone could have contributed or caused Larsen to commit the attacks he is charged with.Acts of violence like this are rare, but on average, 25 to 35 percent of veterans experience post-traumatic stress disorder when returning from war, said Terry Schow, executive director of the Utah Department of Veteran Affairs.
"When you return, you're still in combat mode," he said.
Symptoms [of PTSD, or Brain Flash ] include
1. bursts of inappropriate anger, unusually short temper
2. hyper-vigilance, the inability to relax
3. severe sleep disturbances, nightmares, lashing out and shouting while asleep
4. excessive isolation, distant relationships, coping with sensitivity to noise, bright lights, over stimulation of any kind.
There is also a strong likelihood that the veteran will be self medicating to control their emotional chaos ~ often in a cycle of anxiety and depression [editor]
Those symptoms can be triggered right after duty or years later. The trigger is often sparked by something that reminds the veteran of the stresses of war. [They can also be triggered by high levels of family stress such as losing a job, moving, divorce, a death in the family, etc. aw] "I recently spoke to a Vietnam vet whose symptoms were resurrected when the Iraq war started and he was worried because he had a child in the military."
According to police, Larsen is on active duty in the Army, serving in Iraq, and normally stationed in Anchorage, Alaska. Conley said Ogden investigators have been in contact with military officials, who are conducting their own investigation.
"It's kind of an unusual circumstance," Conley said. "We're working with (Larsen's) supervisor. They said they've never had a problem with him and he gave no indication of mental instability."
Often, those with symptoms are reluctant to seek help, Schow said. For those still active in the military, every unit is assigned a chaplain to deal with personal issues, while veterans are also offered the same services through veteran affairs.
"The macho side of guys has them say 'I don't have a problem, I don't need help,' " Schow said. "Often it's family or others who are in contact with vets themselves who urge them to seek help."
In my humble, but accurate view, the best path a Veteran can take is 'build a resillient social network". What this means in plain talk: Make friends with a bunch of other vets, find a mentor who has been through it himself, and make a choice to Recover! aw.
Attention Veterans! If you are eligible for VA Hospital Services, you are eligible for the DUI Class mandated by the State of Utah.. FREE. Click here for more info
An Important eMail from our friend Ray Ross at the SLCVAVC
Subject: Ed Tick and others
Dear Friends and Supporters of Veterans and the Welcome Home Project,
In the aftermath of the bloodshed at Ft. Hood and the on-going tragedies of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, we thought that you might be interested in the thoughts of Max Cleland (ex-Senator and decorated Vietnam Veteran) and Ed Tick, psychotherapist and author of War and the Soul.
Cleland speaks eloquently of PTSD from his personal experience and understands that what comes home from war involves all of us. He says, "We have a family Army today, unlike the Army seen in any generation before. We have fought these wars with the Reserves and the National Guard. Fathers, mothers, soccer coaches and teachers are the soldiers coming home. Whether they like it or not, they will bring their war experiences home to their families and communities." Read the rest of Clelands essay here:
In an article sent to us by our friend Craig Comstock, Ed Tick deepens our understanding of PTSD and the role of community and ceremony in dealing with it. Much better than I could, he illuminates the role we as civilians play, and underlines the archetypal reality of the Warrior in human history. Still, it is all personal to each of us. All of us are touched, even if our reaction to these tragedies is to close up and go shopping. (http://www.yesmagazine.org/issues/a-just-foreign-policy/
heal-the-warrior-heal-the-country)
Take care,
Bill
Thank you Bill. Great links.
Learn the Difference Between a Bad Cold and the A1N1 Virus (Swine Flu)
Well, it looks like the media has done a great job of scaring the bejezus out of folks. Meanwhile the owners of the Tamaflu vaccine factory are laughing their butts off. The rest of this comes down.
HUMOR THERAPY
Ray Ross was riding his Harley along the Pacific Coast Highway when suddenly lightning flashed and a in a booming voice, the Lord said,
"Because you have tried to be faithful to me in all ways, I will grant
you one wish."
The biker pulled over and said, "Build a bridge to Hawaii so I can ride
over anytime I want."
The Lord said, "Your request is materialistic. Think of the enormous
challenges for that kind of undertaking; the supports required to reach
the bottom of the Pacific and the concrete and steel it would take! I
can do it, but it is hard to justify your desire for worldly
things. Take a little more time and think of something that could
possibly help mankind."
Ray thought about it for a long time... Finally, he said,
"Lord, I wish that I, and all men, could understand our wives; I want to
know how she feels inside, what she's thinking, why she cries, what she
means when she says nothing's wrong, and how men can make women truly
happy."
The Lord replied, "You want that bridge to be two lanes or four?"
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A Veteran walks into a restaurant in Vegas with a full-grown ostrich behind him. The waitress asks them for their orders. The man says, 'I'll have.... More:
Laughing Often is a Good Health Habit to get Into
Ever wonder why we try to add humor to nearly every page? Laughter is medicine, and can make a hard life bearable. The VA's innovative website My Health E Vet said so, so it must be True!
'MyHealthEVet' is trying hard to implement the most sophisticated info sharing service of the computer age... Now you can order your meds online and input a lot of your personal health data. (You enter the data by hand.) It will eventually enable cradle to grave digital medical record keeping, merge VA and DoD servicemens' databases, and ultimately open the door for all veterans to have VA medical services, and virtually instantaneous VA benefits qualifications. Still a long way to go, but progress.
Study may help curb cases of combat-stress disorder University of Texas examining genes, reactions of Fort Hood troops to find risk factors.
By Jeremy Schwartz
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Are some soldiers more likely than others to develop post-traumatic stress disorder, a malady that affects nearly one in five service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan? Is there anything in their genetics, brain structure or ability to handle stress that might make them more or less prone to PTSD? And if researchers can pinpoint risk factors for the disorder, is it possible to "inoculate" service members before they deploy to a war zone?
It's big, shiny and new, with all the bells and whistles of a recreational vehicle and then some.
But the Veterans Administration's mobile outreach van is more than an RV — it's a life-line for Utah veterans hindered by geography in getting the help they need.
VA services have been previously confined to the "institutional" walls of buildings. That doesn't help veterans who may live in the rural outstretches of a state, from the farmlands of Wellsville in Cache County to the sagebrush and shale of Roosevelt.
Ben Webster, a veteran who served in Afghanistan and has worked as a readjustment counselor the last two years, said "There are a lot of veterans in their 40s who are working, who have young children, and an 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. schedule doesn't work for them in terms of getting help," he said. "We need to go to them." Read more about the mobile Vet Center here
Remarks by Secretary Eric K. Shinseki 110th Veterans of Foreign Wars Annual National Convention
"Good morning. I am greatly honored to be here and to follow President Obama in thanking you and your families for your patriotism and service to the nation. We reaffirm our commitment to you and other Veterans by providing the benefits and services you have earned and on which you rely so heavily.... Read his entire address here(Is this a preview of America's socialized medicine? aw)
Army: Violence by GIs at home tied to combat Colorado-based veterans accused or convicted in 11 slayings. Brothers and Sisters, this, the Fort Hood tragedy, and domestic abuse heartbreaks we see are just the tip of the iceberg.Reach out and take somebody's hand. aw
DENVER - Soldiers from a Colorado unit accused in nearly a dozen slayings since returning home — including a couple gunned down as they put up a garage sale sign — could be showing hostility fueled by intense combat in Iraq, where the troops suffered heavy losses and told of witnessing war crimes, the military said Wednesday. More here
.
Proven technology and care from the VA Telehealth Clinic may soon deliver health services to Moab
The Craig clinic is the only one of its kind on the Western Slope. The VA is preparing to add similar facilities in the Moab, Utah-area, and the Glenwood Springs-area.
April Branstetter, a registered nurse with more than 30 years experience, hadn’t seen too many times when health care and technology intersected. But she is quite excited about the proven technology at the Craig Colorado Telehealth Clinic. Read more
.
Do you wonder why Hammid Karzai is expelling all the Contractors? Do you wonder if behind the scenes Obama is trying to close down Eric Prince? Check out these stories from a few months ago...
Afghanistan Contractors Outnumber Troops
Despite Surge in U.S. Deployments, More Civilians Are Posted in War Zone; Reliance Echoes the Controversy in Iraq
By AUGUST COLE Associated Press, Wall Street Journal online
Even as U.S. troops surge to new highs in Afghanistan they are outnumbered by military contractors working alongside them, according to a Defense Department census due to be distributed to Congress -- illustrating how hard it is for the U.S. to wean itself from the large numbers of war-zone contractors that proved controversial in Iraq.
The number of military contractors in Afghanistan rose to almost 74,000 by June 30, far outnumbering the roughly 58,000 U.S. soldiers on the ground at that point. As the military force in Afghanistan grows further, to a planned 68,000 by the end of the year, the Defense Department expects the ranks of contractors to increase more.
The ranks of military contractors in Afghanistan have been growing along with the surge in troops. Above, contractor barracks at the Kandahar airfield.
The military requires contractors for essential functions ranging from supplying food and laundry services to guarding convoys and even military bases -- functions that were once performed by military personnel but have been outsourced so a slimmed-down military can focus more on battle-related tasks. Read the rest here:
Another story on a similar topic from a few weeks ago
Mercenaries Set Off for Afghanistan
by: Rémy Ourdan - Le Monde
The most attractive prospects and contracts for the future, private military companies deem, are on the Afghan front. The Taliban's progressive return over the last three years and the rise in kidnappings assure their business: very few foreigners circulate without protection in the streets of the Afghan capital.
On May 5, after an automobile accident, four paramilitaries working for an American company unheard of up until then,Paravant, machine-gunned an Afghan car, leaving one person dead and two wounded. However, the episode did reveal that Paravant, which has a contract to train the Afghan police, is a discreet subsidiary of Blackwater, the biggest mercenary company in the world and symbol of the privatization of war during the Bush years, involved in multiple killings and assassinations in Iraq and renamed Xe after being expelled from Iraq on charges of murder.
Le Monde says "Using such a high proportion of mercinaries creates a problem for democracy, since the contracts are often opaque and these men elude both national and military justice. It's not just the law of the jungle, but also war with complete impunity."More here:
This picture is a MRSA infection in someones hip. Must be 18 inches across! Not pretty.
The Supreme Court's historic decision carves out an American's right to gun ownership
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court's historic decision carving out an individual right to gun ownership immediately cast doubt on gun restrictions nationwide, as firearms-rights advocates prepared to file a new round of lawsuits testing the scope of the ruling.
Hours after the momentous 5-4 ruling that struck down a ban on handguns in Washington, D.C., gun rights supporters signaled they will challenge gun restrictions in cities and suburbs across the nation.
The majority opinion, written by Justice Antonin Scalia, established for the first time in U.S. history that the Constitution's Second Amendment gives individuals the right to keep guns at home for self-defense. Yet Scalia noted that a person's right to gun ownership is not unlimited. He said it would not likely override bans on concealed weapons; laws that prohibit felons and the mentally ill from possessing firearms; or those that ban firearms in government buildings and schools.
Help Prevent the Blight of Suicide:
The Military Health System ~~ Six Myths about Suicide
Posted by: Health.mil Staff
In an attempt to address the blight of suicide in the Army, this week Army Surgeon General Lt. Gen. Eric B. Schoomaker is dispelling myths associated with suicide. The following myths and facts are pulled from his blog:
1. Myth: Non-fatal suicide attempts are only attention-getting behaviors.
Fact: For some people suicidal behaviors are serious invitations to others to help them live. Rather than punishing or reprimanding someone who has expressed suicidal thoughts offer help and alternative answers. Get them to talk to a Chaplain or counselor,(or better yet, another supportive Veteran. aw) Suicidal behaviors must be taken seriously. If not addressed, a thought of suicide can become an act of suicide.
I was told in the Special Needs Unit of the Sheridan WY VA Medical Center that the "completion rate" for soldiers who had said "I've thought about it but I would never do it." and Veterans who had attempted suicide in the past were the same. aw
U.S. military veterans’ benefits include palliative care and hospice care, but a small study of terminally ill vets suggests many don’t understand these benefits — or the nature of their own illness. The findings show that health care providers need to do a better job of getting the word out about these services so dying patients can take advantage of them before it is too late, Dr. Alice Running of the University of Nevada in Reno and her colleagues say.
Palliative care is aimed at easing a person’s symptoms, for example pain or difficulty breathing, but is not intended to cure an illness or halt its progress. The VA pays for “full-scale” hospice and palliative care, Running and her team note in their report in the International Journal of Older People Nursing, and all VA hospitals have palliative care consultation teams on staff. More here:
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Women now account for a larger percentage than ever before of the military
and the veteran population.
The VA estimates that by 2020, women will make
up 20% of active-duty troops and 10% of all veterans.... Conditions for women in the military
will continue to improve only if women keep fighting for what they need.
.
OEF/OIF VET?
Check outy this public service ad from the Ad Council and Community of Veterans.org It's a promo for a web site entirely for vets from Iraq and Afghanistan. A really good lesson about what's wrong and how to make it right. Very cool photography.
I just wish they didn't shut the door on WWII, Korean, Vietnam, Grenada, Panama, Somalia, Bosnia, Desert Storm, and War on Terror vets. What are we? Chopped liver? Maybe it's all a plot to drive a wedge between different generations of Veterans. United we stand, divided we fall. aw
Welcome home and thank you for your service to our country in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom!
VA is ready to provide health care and more to our newest veterans returning from the armed services. Here are some of the benefits VA provides —
Five Years of Enhanced Health Care.
You are eligible to receive enhanced VA health care benefits for 5 years following your military separation date. Whether or not you choose to use VA health care after separation, you must enroll with VA within 5 years to get health care benefits later on.
Dental Benefits.
You may be eligible for one-time dental care but you must apply for a dental exam within 180 days of your separation date.
Primary Health Care for Veterans. VA provides general and specialized health care services to meet the unique needs of veterans returning from combat deployments.
Non-Health Benefits.
Other benefits available from the Veterans Benefits Administration may include: financial benefits, home loans, vocational rehabilitation, education, and more.
If you want to talk to someone face to face, call 801-746-5561 x 46310 This will connect you to Michael Koplin, a real cool, low pressure guy at the Whalen SLCVAMC
.
SUICIDE TODAY:
adapted by UtahVet from a 2007 VA press release
Every suicide in America is a tragedy. Everyone cares about each veteran and their physical and mental health. The VA has more than 10,000 mental health workers who took the job because they wanted to help veterans cope with the issues and crises they face.
The VA also operates a veteran suicide hotline which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to help any veteran in need. That number is 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
If you want to help someone who is thinking of harming themselves call 1-800-613-4012. Press zero to get the operator and tell them to want to speak to the VA suicide prevention coordinator.
Utah Vet and the VA strongly encourages vets who may be considering harming themselves in some way ~ reach out to somebody. Somethimes an hour with a fellow vet can be worth ten hours of therapy, and for sure is better than a night in the ER, or twenty four hours detoxing in a tank somewhere, or worst, a massive dose of "Enditall" (End-It-All.)
If you need a time out to get your feet back on the ground, or a safe place to come down; call the numbers. There is no shame in setting your sights on a better life. If you won't seek treatment from the VA, just look in your phone book for local mental health resources like Wasatch Mental Health 24 hour crisis line: 801-373-7393. People are there to help during a crisis. VA's care and treatment works and is available for veterans with PTSD, depression and other mental health problems.
VA operates the largest mental health care system in the country, spending $3 billion each year on its mental health programs, and has taken several measures to increase its mental health services in recent years. Those include new programs bringing mental health into primary care, intensified rehabilitation for those with serious mental illnesses, and expanded programs for homeless veterans and those with substance abuse problems.
Energy will be a major issue in the next decade. A few dedicated Utah Veterans can lead the nation. We have the resources. All that's missing is Vision. aw.
Utah's Energy Outlook is Clean Geothermal, solar, wind resources may turn state into a major powerhouse
By Patty Henetz
The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated: 12/04/2007 02:48:54 PM MST
Utah has the potential to be a major exporter of clean energy. Make that mega major exporter of clean energy.
Energy experts who have calculated the state's renewable energy potential figure there are enough geothermal and wind resources to supply about 9.8 million people at today's national consumption levels. If Utah's potential with a newer solar technology also is considered, there could be enough power for an additional 1.4 billion people. Please read the rest of this story here. You can really make a difference.
The VISA & Master Card Telephone Credit Card Scam tries to steal your credit authorization. It's a type of scam called "phishing." This example is dangerously slick since they provide you with all the information, except the one piece they want.
Anonymous self screening assesments now include both in-person and online programs for depression, bipolar disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, eating disorders, alcohol problems, and suicide prevention.
There are special screens for military service members and their families.
Take a look at this material taken from their website
These folks have produced a terrific video for the vets and their families called "A Different Kind of Courage." It's like an infomercial for mental health. Very nice. Check out the 4 Minute Promo here.
What if being "Cured" of PTSD was mostly a simple process of changing the way we think?
Many of us, especially those of us diagnosed with PTSD, have an idea that PTSD is an unchanging boulder in life's path. We are instructed that PTSD is a traumatic injury like losing a limb and the best we can ever hope for is to learn "coping skills".
I believe that Veterans can actually recover from PTSD by re-programming the injured brain. If a psychologist can program a beagle to drool, why can't we create new, powerful, thought processes that bypass the defective mental processes? We Can!
PTSD is a crafty opponent that hides deep in the head. It's a dynamic, ever changing phenomenon that can be bigger or smaller, harder or softer, more or less dangerous. It can be set off by pressure, stress, conflict, disapointment, the sound of a helicopter, the smell of diesel fuel, and a million other triggers, or nothing at all. In some ways it's like the wind; unpredictable, and when it blows too hard, people can get frightened and displaced. And hurt.
When it's happening, it feels like the PTSD behaviors are a part of us, pre-determined and unchangable. They are not. It only feels that way.
PTSD behaviors often flow out of habitual thinking problems. Imagine trying to work a computer that keeps telling us that two and two are FIVE! We might not be able to change our brain chemistry right away, but imagine this. What if we could short circuit some of the thinking habits that set off PTSD, and stop just a few self defeating behaviors?
It is totally possible to reprogram a damaged brain. And PTSD is a brain injury: Not a character defect.
Look at this list. If you have any of these mistaken habits in your thinking, you might want to begin practicing some simple changes.
Thanks to Julie W. in Georgetown, DE for sending in this great content.
"Never, never, never believe any war will be smooth and easy, or that anyone who embarks on the strange voyage can measure the tides and hurricanes he will encounter. The statesman who yields to war fever must realize that once the signal is given, he is no longer the master of policy but the slave of unforeseeable and uncontrollable events.
Watch the video we have embedded HERE. It's called "Iraq for Sale" by documentary film maker Robert Greenwald. The same stuff is happening in Afghanistan...
No bid, sole source contracts given to Blackwater, Haliburton, Kellog, Brown, and Root and others. Troublesome.
"I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies.
If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around [the banks] will deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered. The issuing power should be taken from the banks and restored to the people, to whom it properly belongs."
Thomas Jefferson, 3rd President of the United States (1743 - 1826)
Letter to the Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin (1802)
The new (2009-2010) President of NASDVA is Terry Schow, Executive Director, Utah Department of Veterans Affairs. 
The National Institute 
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death in Vets in the early years after returning from deployment.
"Those who hammer their guns into plows will plow for those who do
Upon finishing high school, Kris Goldsmith fulfilled his dream of enlisting in the Army. He was sent to Iraq.
CNN: Congressional Testimony
Over the last couple of weeks the site has really focused on PTSD Recovery. I will soon be migrating most of these stories to Newsletter Page 3 and the homepage will be settling down to regular business.
With mind reprogramming; more practice is better. You choose to make it happen. 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki announced plans to develop a fully automated, online system for handling Veterans’ disability compensation claims. More than a simple digitization of existing paper-based claims, the new system is part of VA’s modernization of the end-to-end processing workflow. Automation will substantially reduce processing time and increase accuracy while simplifying the way that Veterans interact with the claims process.
The government is preparing to issue new rules that will make it substantially easier for veterans who have been found to have post-traumatic stress disorder to receive disability benefits, a change that could affect hundreds of thousands of veterans from the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Vietnam. 
McAllister Glen Larsen came to the Ogden area to visit relatives, according to police. On Sunday, he reportedly went to a party on the 700 block of 25th Street with friends. When he got there, he approached a woman in the basement of the home, held a weapon to her throat while pinning her against the wall and indicated he was going to kill her, said Police Lt. Scott Conley. 
In an article sent to us by our friend Craig Comstock, Ed Tick deepens our understanding of PTSD and the role of community and ceremony in dealing with it. Much better than I could, he illuminates the role we as civilians play, and underlines the archetypal reality of the Warrior in human history. Still, it is all personal to each of us. All of us are touched, even if our reaction to these tragedies is to close up and go shopping. 
"Lord, I wish that I, and all men, could understand our wives; I want to
know how she feels inside, what she's thinking, why she cries, what she
means when she says nothing's wrong, and how men can make women truly
happy."
Ever wonder why we try to add humor to nearly every page? Laughter is medicine, and can make a hard life bearable. The VA's innovative website 
Are some soldiers more likely than others to develop post-traumatic stress disorder, a malady that affects nearly one in five service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan? Is there anything in their genetics, brain structure or ability to handle stress that might make them more or less prone to PTSD? And if researchers can pinpoint risk factors for the disorder, is it possible to "inoculate" service members before they deploy to a war zone? 
It's big, shiny and new, with all the bells and whistles of a recreational vehicle and then some.
"Good morning. I am greatly honored to be here and to follow President Obama in thanking you and your families for your patriotism and service to the nation. We reaffirm our commitment to you and other Veterans by providing the benefits and services you have earned and on which you rely so heavily.... 
DENVER - Soldiers from a Colorado unit accused in nearly a dozen slayings since returning home — including a couple gunned down as they put up a garage sale sign — could be showing hostility fueled by intense combat in Iraq, where the troops suffered heavy losses and told of witnessing war crimes, the military said Wednesday. 
On May 5, after an automobile accident, four paramilitaries working for an American company unheard of up until then, Paravant, machine-gunned an Afghan car, leaving one person dead and two wounded. However, the episode did reveal that Paravant, which has a contract to train the Afghan police, is a discreet subsidiary of Blackwater, the biggest mercenary company in the world and symbol of the privatization of war during the Bush years, involved in multiple killings and assassinations in Iraq and renamed 
Learn to protect yourself and others from deadly MRSA (
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court's historic decision carving out an individual right to gun ownership immediately cast doubt on gun restrictions nationwide, as firearms-rights advocates prepared to file a new round of lawsuits testing the scope of the ruling.
The majority opinion, written by Justice Antonin Scalia, established for the first time in U.S. history that the Constitution's Second Amendment gives individuals the right to keep guns at home for self-defense. Yet Scalia noted that a person's right to gun ownership is not unlimited. He said it would not likely override bans on concealed weapons; laws that prohibit felons and the mentally ill from possessing firearms; or those that ban firearms in government buildings and schools. 
In an attempt to address the blight of suicide in the Army, this week Army Surgeon General Lt. Gen. Eric B. Schoomaker is dispelling myths associated with suicide. The following myths and facts are pulled from his blog:
Palliative care is aimed at easing a person’s symptoms, for example pain or difficulty breathing, but is not intended to cure an illness or halt its progress. The VA pays for “full-scale” hospice and palliative care, Running and her team note in their report in the International Journal of Older People Nursing, and all VA hospitals have palliative care consultation teams on staff. 
Women now account for a larger percentage than ever before of the military
and the veteran population. 
Anonymous self screening assesments now include both in-person and online programs for depression, bipolar disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, eating disorders, alcohol problems, and suicide prevention. 
Many of us, especially those of us diagnosed with PTSD, have an idea that PTSD is an unchanging boulder in life's path. We are instructed that PTSD is a traumatic injury like losing a limb and the best we can ever hope for is to learn "coping skills".
"Never, never, never believe any war will be smooth and easy, or that anyone who embarks on the strange voyage can measure the tides and hurricanes he will encounter. The statesman who yields to war fever must realize that once the signal is given, he is no longer the master of policy but the slave of unforeseeable and uncontrollable events.
Watch an
inspirational lecture by
Randy
Pauch.
Click the pic to see an eleven second video that shows soldiers can get instant PTSD
Thomas Jefferson, 3rd President of the United States (1743 - 1826)