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 Well, as you might imagine, since the Fort Hood shootings, the phones have been ringing off the hook and emails have been pouring in. People want to know why the Dept. of Defense and the V.A. aren’t using portable, digitized guided imagery in a more systematic way to combat PTSD in our troops, given the research results we’ve been seeing with it.
It’s hard to know where to begin, so I’ll just start with some random thoughts. Hopefully they’ll come across as sequential.
- First of all, it’s always good to have public discussion about posttraumatic stress and our troops, but I’m not at all sure these particular horrific murders had anything to do with PTSD.
- I don’t have enough detail to diagnose this guy, but off the top of my head, he’s more likely to be a paranoid schizophrenic under extra pressure from an imminent deployment than somebody suffering from vicarious trauma.
- Vicarious trauma is the result of a caregiver’s or reporter’s or bystander’s compassion. In fact, it’s been called “compassion fatigue”. People loaded up on too much identification with the suffering of others are the least likely bunch to go around shooting innocents. Mostly, they suffer and smile less.
- People with PTS rarely shoot anyone, period, and on the rare occasion that they do, it’s most likely to be themselves. (Secretary Shinseki has already reported that as many service people from Iraq and Afghanistan have committed suicide as have been killed thus far in these wars – and that’s now over 4,000, folks. Do the math and be horrified.)
- Although it’s certainly possible that this was part of some radical, extremist, Islamicist, terrorist plot, it’s far more likely (again, given the limited info) that, like most paranoid schizophrenics, this guy is using the content of his religion as part of his psychotic delusional system. It’s possible that both are true, but that would be highly unusual.
- If we want to get rid of PTSD, the first thing we need to do is stop the cruel, multiple rotations. We’re sending some of our service people out on their 8th rotation, people. Do you know what kind of havoc this wreaks on anyone’s psyche, let alone what it does to their families’?
- We already know from a very decent pile of accruing research that the things that work quickly and efficiently on posttraumatic stress are the image-based, body-based and energy-based interventions - guided imagery, hypnosis, healing touch, biofeedback, EMDR and the like. This is because PTSD sits in the primitive, survival based parts of the brain, and you need techniques that go straight to those structures to get the job done.
- The V.A. has to get over its singular love affair with Prolonged Exposure Therapy and start looking for other kinds of therapy as well - methods that don’t create as much distress, that don’t require 12 sessions with a highly trained therapist and that the troops and vets will actually use – like audio self-help, for instance – shown to be their top choice in two separate studies.
- The DoD has to stop throwing frantic money at unproven (for combat stress) methods and start seeing what’s actually out there and working reliably for this population of combat-stressed service people. BG Loree K. Sutton MD at the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury (DCoE) is drowning in proposals for every possible ‘cure-all’ scheme – but we have solid results in multiple studies with imagery downloads from Duke/Durham V.A. Hospital; with imagery and biofeedback from Bethesda Naval Hospital in Maryland; from imagery and Healing Touch from Scripps Hospital in La Jolla. This is where they need to look, for heavens sake.
OK, I’ll be back, no doubt with more ranting next week. Feel free to post your own ideas and reactions to all of this.
All best,
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I'm so struck by this... I am wondering if, since the V.A. does not embrace these proven methods,there is some OTHER way to get the materials to the vets and their families without going through the endless frustration of trying to convince the machismo driven sensibilities of our leaders that yes, indeed, "imagination" and "pretending" are powerful tools for healing. As an Early Childhood professional, I am saddened that these innate gifts (others call them skills I guess) are dismissed from a very early age. What a LOSS, as they are the tools MOST likely to help us out of our various crises and mental/emotional/physical/spiritual stuckness. So, it's not surprising that guided imagery is not embraced by the military talking heads...maybe it looks "too easy".... it's not painful enough. It must seem 'mamsy pamsy' to them, and an insult to their strength or power when it comes to managing deep trauma. I am not trying to insult them at all. I think it is very painful for them, and I have great compassion for people who are blocked from trying what might be their best hope. And, I am frustrated when their resistance blocks others from getting what they need.
I'm sure you have heard the expression "You are preaching to the choir"? Well, I was wondering if "the choir" (that's US... your readers) could help somehow? Could WE fund the manufacturing costs of the CDs to be distributed through the VA? It has to be less than the retail cost, and I think we could make a huge dent. It just seems like those of us whose lives have been impacted through the healing power of your work are the ones who are least likely to resist... we already know it works... so we can imagine (because we have learned to allow ourselves to IMAGINE) that there is great hope in this method for our troops. We want to give back, and sticking a yellow ribbon to our cars just won't cut it.
I guess I am asking you to set up a program here so that we, the choir, could donate funds for this? You may have already done this, and if so I missed it and would appreciate being pointed to that spot. If not, I think you would get a response that would help a LOT of people... a lot more than if we wait for this to become "standard issue" in the armed forces. Maybe you could run a quick survey to get an idea of how many would be interested in helping in this way? My guess is if it is offered to schools as a community service fundraiser you might even find more helping hands... not to mention scouting, religious, and community organizations. Oh... and how many of us that have blog sites or other sorts of sites would be more than happy to link our readers to a project like this? It just seems like if we want something done we just have to do it and not wait for the resistant ones to soften... that will come in time but the troops and their families need help now. Just a thought or two.
Thank you for your wonderful work. It has (you have) changed my life. Sometimes I wonder what it must be like for you to know that you have changed, for the better, hundreds of thousands of lives... and to know that people all over the place are falling asleep to the sound of your voice?
Best wishes to you,
Donna