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A BAND ON A MISSION : THIS IS FOR THE SOLDIERS…
A BAND ON A MISSION : THIS IS FOR THE SOLDIERS…
Drowning Pool Challenges Fellow Recording Artists To Show Support For Troops
DROWNING POOL STEPS IT UP FOR THE SOLDIERS; CONTINUED PARTNERSHIP WITH IRAQ & AFGHANISTAN VETERANS OF AMERICA (IAVA) GENERATES SUPPORT ON CAPITOL HILL FOR BETTER MENTAL HEALTH CARE FOR U.S. TROOPS
Veterans Group and Rock Band Present Congress with Letter of Support Containing 25,000 Signatures for Lane Evans Bill
Platinum rock band Drowning Pool is a band on a mission. Immediately following the successful launch of their “This Is For the Soldiers Tour”, the Texas rockers have stepped it up with Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), actively campaigning for better mental health care for U.S. Troops on Capitol Hill. Drowning Pool and IAVA presented Representative Patrick Murphy with a petition containing 25,000 signatures in support of the Lane Evans Veterans Health and Benefits Improvement Act of 2007. Murphy, who is the first Iraq veteran to serve in Congress, is a co-sponsor of the bipartisan legislation, which requires mandatory mental health care screening for returning troops. He served in Baghdad in 2003-2004 as a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division.
Drowning Pool and IAVA first joined forces to launch the “This Is For The Soldiers” campaign and accompanying website www.thisisforthesoldiers.org, which continues to ask supporters to sign an online petition urging Congress to pass the Lane Evans bill. The group has been instrumental in involving their young fans in the political process and they challenge their fellow recording artists to show their support for our troops.
“It’s exciting to be on Capitol Hill with a rock band to raise awareness about this urgent issue. Tens of thousands of people from across the country have stepped up to help us support the troops,” said Paul Rieckhoff, IAVA Executive Director. “More than 1.5 million Americans have served in Iraq and Afghanistan and almost a third of them will face a serious mental health issue, ranging from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) to depression. It’s critical that we get these troops the help they need now and the Lane Evans Bill is a major step in that direction. We are honored to work with Representative Murphy and Drowning Pool to get this important legislation passed.”
To view footage from the press conference click here: http://www.ivpnewmedia.com/10thst/dpvideo/pc.htm
Or go here
MySpace video embed Drowning Pool Takes DC
Add to My Profile More Videoshttp://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=18565685
Drowning Pool is a longtime supporter of the troops. The band’s current single “Soldiers” pays homage to our Armed Forces and their current “This Is For The Soldiers Tour” donates one dollar of every ticket sold to IAVA and the USO, while encouraging young fans to support the cause. The band has been a favorite of U.S. troops, performing USO tours in Iraq, Kuwait and South Korea.
Drowning Pool’s lead vocalist Ryan McCombs says, “It’s an honor and a privilege to work on something as important as this legislation.”
The Lane Evans Bill would help troops and veterans get mental health care in the following ways:
-Require in-person mental health screening for returning combat veterans
-Extend the window for Veterans Affairs mental health treatment
-Establish a registry to track Iraq and Afghanistan veterans to monitor their health and benefit use
-Improve the transferability of military records from Department of Defense to Veterans Affairs
IAVA, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, is the nation’s first and largest organization for veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, representing more than 60,000 members and civilian supporters in all 50 states. For more information visit www.iava.org.
For more information on Drowning Pool, please visit www.drowningpool.com or www.myspace.com/drowningpool.
Photo captions
Barack Obama photo:
L-R: Stevie Benton (Drowning Pool); Paul Rieckhoff, Executive Director Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA); Ryan McCombs (Drowning Pool); Senator Barack Obama, D-Ill; Rob Timmons, Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA); Todd Bowers, Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA); CJ Pierce (Drowning Pool); Mike Luce (Drowning Pool).
DC Photo:
From L-R Rep. Patrick Murphy, D-PA; Rob Timmons, Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA); Ryan McCombs (Drowning Pool); Paul Rieckhoff, Executive Director, Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA); Stevie Benton (Drowning Pool); CJ Pierce (Drowning Pool); Mike Luce (Drowning Pool).
Contact: Sandy Friedman Karen Sundell
310/854-8109 310/854-8167
sfriedman@rogersandcowan.com ksundell@rogersandcowan.com
Michael Houston(IAVA) Tiffany Youhanna
212/982-9699 10th Street Entertainment
Michael@iava.org tiffany@10thst.com
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Sunday, September 23, 2007
Warnings ignored PTSD rates in older veterans would rise
In 2001, right after 9-11, after being turned down by publishers for almost a year, I was in a panic to get my book out in print. I paid to have it published so that people would be made aware of what was to come. It was one of the biggest mistakes I've made in my life to go the self-publishing route, but I don't regret trying to warn people.
Back then the media, even the local newspapers were not talking about PTSD. They didn't want to be bothered by it. Publishers were not interested either. Very few books had been published on PTSD.
My husband was in treatment and even he had an increase in his problems. His doctor and I had a great relationship and we talked often about the increase in older veterans seeking treatment for PTSD by the VA. They were seeing veterans of Vietnam being joined by veterans of Korea and WWII. I have been trying to warn people ever since but no one would listen. I was not alone in sounding the alarm.
Though the years, my focus was on trying to get rid of the stigma of PTSD, but when this kept getting worse year after year for them, it became a dual mission to remove the stigma as well as educate those who were suffering from it so they could get help early.
They had years to get ready for what was coming but they ignored it. Now the only people paying for the ignorance of the government and their failure to act, are the veterans still paying the price. No one is held accountable and no one is found responsible. Everyone offers excuses.
If someone like me, not trained but in the trenches, could figure this out, why couldn't the people paid to do it, do the same? Where were all the experts back in 2001 when they could have been screaming about this and making people pay attention to them? Where was the media when all the indicators were already glowing red?
Back then the media, even the local newspapers were not talking about PTSD. They didn't want to be bothered by it. Publishers were not interested either. Very few books had been published on PTSD.
My husband was in treatment and even he had an increase in his problems. His doctor and I had a great relationship and we talked often about the increase in older veterans seeking treatment for PTSD by the VA. They were seeing veterans of Vietnam being joined by veterans of Korea and WWII. I have been trying to warn people ever since but no one would listen. I was not alone in sounding the alarm.
Though the years, my focus was on trying to get rid of the stigma of PTSD, but when this kept getting worse year after year for them, it became a dual mission to remove the stigma as well as educate those who were suffering from it so they could get help early.
They had years to get ready for what was coming but they ignored it. Now the only people paying for the ignorance of the government and their failure to act, are the veterans still paying the price. No one is held accountable and no one is found responsible. Everyone offers excuses.
If someone like me, not trained but in the trenches, could figure this out, why couldn't the people paid to do it, do the same? Where were all the experts back in 2001 when they could have been screaming about this and making people pay attention to them? Where was the media when all the indicators were already glowing red?
Iraq stress hits veterans of past wars
Most PTSD cases locally are triggered by stories, images of current conflict.
By Denny Boyles / The Fresno Bee
09/24/07 04:21:23
The war in Iraq has caused an increase in the number of local veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder, an anxiety illness that can make it difficult -- or even impossible -- to lead a normal life.
But relatively few of those seeking treatment fought in Iraq. Instead, the televised images of war -- and daily news of bombings and deaths -- have caused the disorder to surface in Vietnam and Korean war veterans who have been off the battlefield for decades.
At Fresno's VA hospital, 190 new patients are referred for treatment of PTSD each month.
Up to 80% are older veterans who served in Vietnam and Korea and suffer from anxiety, anger or depression.
They did not seek treatment before because they didn't know they had the disorder or they didn't want to ask for help, say VA officials.
They believe the trend is seen elsewhere as well, and will continue as the war in Iraq progresses.
Dr. Cara Zuccarelli Miller, a clinical psychologist at the Fresno VA, said many older veterans only become aware that they have PTSD because they recognize their symptoms in those returning from Iraq who have been diagnosed.
go here for the rest
http://www.fresnobee.com/263/story/146720.html
Six tours and back to heal
I keep trying to tell veterans that PTSD does not care if they support the mission they were given or not, support Bush or not, because in the end, that really doesn't matter. What matters is they were a human willing to serve. PTSD only cares that it can feed off of trauma and it doesn't get more traumatic, more horrific than combat. It doesn't know if the person held a gun, had the gun pointed at them or cleaned up after the shooting and blowing up stopped.
This is a perfect example of what I've been talking about. David Cox served six tours as a nurse in Iraq. Even now as you will read, he would go back if he could. So please stop letting people get away with attacking combat veterans with PTSD as being cowards, being lazy, being "un-patriotic" or all just being against Bush. Don't pass them off as if no one pays attention to them because people do. It has nothing to do with character, being brave or anything else because it comes to people from all sides. It is nothing to be ashamed of because they are wounded humans who survived an abnormal situation. Can you get more abnormal than combat? They do not all end up with the same level of PTSD and they do not all end up snapping or committing suicide. Sadly they do not all heal either. Some never seek the help they need. They just need someone to reach out to them as one human to another human. No politics and no judgements. Just help. It's one of the reason why I keep my personal views of Iraq off this page and out of my videos. I have other ways of expressing that. Why can't we all do that in the proper time and the proper place?
America has finally made peace with Vietnam veterans but look how long it took to do it. Don't let it be thirty years before we find a way to just co-exist as humans with these newer generations of wounded veterans. David Cox is a combat veteran in need of help to heal along with his family. He deserves no greater and certainly no less than veterans and their families who not only fought in Iraq but did not agree with any of it. We all support what was begun in Afghanistan and they too deserve no less and no more than veterans of Iraq. They all serve this country and they all pay the price. The least we can do is stand by their side as Americans helping them.
This is a perfect example of what I've been talking about. David Cox served six tours as a nurse in Iraq. Even now as you will read, he would go back if he could. So please stop letting people get away with attacking combat veterans with PTSD as being cowards, being lazy, being "un-patriotic" or all just being against Bush. Don't pass them off as if no one pays attention to them because people do. It has nothing to do with character, being brave or anything else because it comes to people from all sides. It is nothing to be ashamed of because they are wounded humans who survived an abnormal situation. Can you get more abnormal than combat? They do not all end up with the same level of PTSD and they do not all end up snapping or committing suicide. Sadly they do not all heal either. Some never seek the help they need. They just need someone to reach out to them as one human to another human. No politics and no judgements. Just help. It's one of the reason why I keep my personal views of Iraq off this page and out of my videos. I have other ways of expressing that. Why can't we all do that in the proper time and the proper place?
America has finally made peace with Vietnam veterans but look how long it took to do it. Don't let it be thirty years before we find a way to just co-exist as humans with these newer generations of wounded veterans. David Cox is a combat veteran in need of help to heal along with his family. He deserves no greater and certainly no less than veterans and their families who not only fought in Iraq but did not agree with any of it. We all support what was begun in Afghanistan and they too deserve no less and no more than veterans of Iraq. They all serve this country and they all pay the price. The least we can do is stand by their side as Americans helping them.
Soldier struggling to overcome post-traumatic stress disorder returns to civilian life
September 23, 2007
By Jerry Davich Post-Tribune staff writer
David Cox didn't hesitate to answer the question.
Kim Cox choked up before her husband could reply. She knew his feelings all too well.
"Even knowing the outcome and problems I have now," Cox said, staring past Kim, "I'd do it all over again, no doubt about it."
David reached for a sip to drink. Kim reached for a Kleenex.
Since the war in Iraq began, David has served six tours of duty as a critical care nurse for the Indiana Air National Guard. He helped transport roughly 500 critical patients during 156 combat missions, body after body, death after death.
It all caught up to him earlier this year.
Cox, a staunch supporter of the war from day one, lost 57 pounds in one month while in Iraq. That's when he stopped sending photos of himself back home to Kim. That's when he couldn't shake the nightmares and the sadness. That's when Kim knew something was wrong with her husband of 30 years but couldn't do anything from 7,500 miles away.
Finally, an explanation: David had post-traumatic stress disorder, PTSD. He still does.
After finally arriving home in June -- he's been home only nine months in the past four years -- he went away once again, but this time for residential treatment in an out-of-state military medical facility.
go here for the rest
http://www.post-trib.com/news/davich/570674,davich.article
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Lingering Depression Adds To Katrina's Toll In Gulf
Lingering Depression Adds To Katrina's Toll in Gulf
By Peter Whoriskey
Washington Post Staff Writer Saturday, September 22, 2007; Page A01
NEW ORLEANS -- A gravel-voiced fire department captain, Michael Gowland says he had never been a big crier.
"I'm not a Neanderthal," he said last week, "but I wasn't much for tears."
Now, sometimes, he cries two or three hours at a stretch. Other times, his temper has exploded, prompting him one day to pick up a crescent wrench and chase an auto mechanic around a garage. Even more perplexing to him, the once devout Roman Catholic now wonders "if there's anything out there."
"If anyone had told me before that depression could bring me this low, I'd have said they were a phony," Gowland, 46, married and a father of three, said during a break from fixing his flooded home. "Everything bothers me."
More than two years after the storm, it is not Hurricane Katrina itself, but the persistent frustrations of the delayed recovery that are exacting a high psychological toll on people who never before had such troubles, psychiatrists and a major study say. A burst of adrenaline and hope propelled many here through the first months but, with so many neighborhoods still semi-deserted, inspiration has ended.
Calls to a mental health hotline jumped after the storm and have remained high, organizers said. Psychiatrists report being overbooked, at least partly because demand has spiked. And the most thorough survey of the Gulf Coast's mental health recently showed that while signs of depression and other ills doubled after the hurricane, two years later, those levels have not subsided, they have risen.
click post title for the rest
By Peter Whoriskey
Washington Post Staff Writer Saturday, September 22, 2007; Page A01
NEW ORLEANS -- A gravel-voiced fire department captain, Michael Gowland says he had never been a big crier.
"I'm not a Neanderthal," he said last week, "but I wasn't much for tears."
Now, sometimes, he cries two or three hours at a stretch. Other times, his temper has exploded, prompting him one day to pick up a crescent wrench and chase an auto mechanic around a garage. Even more perplexing to him, the once devout Roman Catholic now wonders "if there's anything out there."
"If anyone had told me before that depression could bring me this low, I'd have said they were a phony," Gowland, 46, married and a father of three, said during a break from fixing his flooded home. "Everything bothers me."
More than two years after the storm, it is not Hurricane Katrina itself, but the persistent frustrations of the delayed recovery that are exacting a high psychological toll on people who never before had such troubles, psychiatrists and a major study say. A burst of adrenaline and hope propelled many here through the first months but, with so many neighborhoods still semi-deserted, inspiration has ended.
Calls to a mental health hotline jumped after the storm and have remained high, organizers said. Psychiatrists report being overbooked, at least partly because demand has spiked. And the most thorough survey of the Gulf Coast's mental health recently showed that while signs of depression and other ills doubled after the hurricane, two years later, those levels have not subsided, they have risen.
click post title for the rest
Stand Down 2007 helps veterans in Connecticut
Stand Down 2007 helps veterans in Connecticut
Stand Down 2007 helps veterans in Connecticut - by Crystal Haynes
by News Channel 8's Crystal HaynesPosted Sept. 21, 2007Updated 12:12 PM
Rocky Hill (WTNH) _ They served our country, and now the state of Connecticut is lending some of our veterans' a helping hand. "Stand Down 2007" is aimed at making sure the state's veterans have everything they need.
For Eddie Torres Mills, the road from the battlefields of Iraq to a normal life in Connecticut has been a rough one.
"My company, we lost a guy. We were transportation, doing convoys. And right now they talking about PTSD and stuff and I don't really know what it is, but they say I might have it," he said.
'They' are the Connecticut Department of Veterans Affairs, the sponsor of Stand Down 2007. Here Torres Mills, an Army veteran, along with hundreds of the state's homeless and needy veterans, have an opportunity to get haircuts, have health screenings, get their driver's licenses restored, and even take care of misdemeanors at a special satellite superior courtroom.
Torres Mills plans to take advantage of the free legal advice.
click above for the rest
".,,,they talking about PTSD and stuff and I don't really know what it is," Why? Why after all this time a combat veteran does not know what PTSD is even though he must have been diagnosed with it? How is this possible? What more needs to be done and how fast can we do it?
Stand Down 2007 helps veterans in Connecticut - by Crystal Haynes
by News Channel 8's Crystal HaynesPosted Sept. 21, 2007Updated 12:12 PM
Rocky Hill (WTNH) _ They served our country, and now the state of Connecticut is lending some of our veterans' a helping hand. "Stand Down 2007" is aimed at making sure the state's veterans have everything they need.
For Eddie Torres Mills, the road from the battlefields of Iraq to a normal life in Connecticut has been a rough one.
"My company, we lost a guy. We were transportation, doing convoys. And right now they talking about PTSD and stuff and I don't really know what it is, but they say I might have it," he said.
'They' are the Connecticut Department of Veterans Affairs, the sponsor of Stand Down 2007. Here Torres Mills, an Army veteran, along with hundreds of the state's homeless and needy veterans, have an opportunity to get haircuts, have health screenings, get their driver's licenses restored, and even take care of misdemeanors at a special satellite superior courtroom.
Torres Mills plans to take advantage of the free legal advice.
click above for the rest
".,,,they talking about PTSD and stuff and I don't really know what it is," Why? Why after all this time a combat veteran does not know what PTSD is even though he must have been diagnosed with it? How is this possible? What more needs to be done and how fast can we do it?
Friday, September 21, 2007
PTSD view from Scotland
Mum demands more help for Gulf War vets and ex-soldiers
« Previous « PreviousNext » Next »
View GalleryA CONCERNED mum is calling on the UK Government to give better support to war veterans affected by their time in combat.
Patricia Davis, from Lennoxtown, says her son George suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) since serving in the army.
When he was 17, George joined the Queen's Own Highlanders, serving in Germany, Northern Ireland and Iraq.
He left the forces in the mid-90s after developing a range of symptoms which are commonly referred to as 'Gulf War Syndrome'.
Now 37, and after years of suffering alone, George attends Hollybush House, a veterans' facility in Ayr.
Hollybush House offers residential respite care for those affected by PTSD.
More than 34 people from East Dunbartonshire use the facility annually, benefiting from services such as counselling, massage and relaxation treatments.
The centre, which treats approximately 850 people every year, is a charity funded by organisations such as the Royal British Legion and the Congregational Church of Scotland.
Patricia said: "Hollybush is a wonderful place, but it needs support from the Government.
"My son used to be a fun, kind, caring person - now he is virtually a recluse. It is very sad for all the family.
"The Government is quick to sign these young people up, but they don't support them enough when they are discharged."
click post title for the rest
« Previous « PreviousNext » Next »
View GalleryA CONCERNED mum is calling on the UK Government to give better support to war veterans affected by their time in combat.
Patricia Davis, from Lennoxtown, says her son George suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) since serving in the army.
When he was 17, George joined the Queen's Own Highlanders, serving in Germany, Northern Ireland and Iraq.
He left the forces in the mid-90s after developing a range of symptoms which are commonly referred to as 'Gulf War Syndrome'.
Now 37, and after years of suffering alone, George attends Hollybush House, a veterans' facility in Ayr.
Hollybush House offers residential respite care for those affected by PTSD.
More than 34 people from East Dunbartonshire use the facility annually, benefiting from services such as counselling, massage and relaxation treatments.
The centre, which treats approximately 850 people every year, is a charity funded by organisations such as the Royal British Legion and the Congregational Church of Scotland.
Patricia said: "Hollybush is a wonderful place, but it needs support from the Government.
"My son used to be a fun, kind, caring person - now he is virtually a recluse. It is very sad for all the family.
"The Government is quick to sign these young people up, but they don't support them enough when they are discharged."
click post title for the rest
TriWest And Montana Veterans Administration Launch PTSD Video Conference
TriWest And Montana Veterans Administration Launch PTSD Video Conference To Reach Rural Health Care Providers
Published 09-21-2007
Community providers learn to recognize combat stress symptoms in returning troops
PHOENIX,AZ (CompNewsNetwork) - As part of their continuing efforts to address the needs of returning Guard members, TriWest Healthcare Alliance, the Department of Defense's TRICARE contractor in Montana and the VA Montana Health Care System have partnered to launch the first Combat Stress Video Conference. The conference, being held from 2 to 5 p.m. on Sept. 19, 2007, will bring together nearly 150 community-based health care providers that care for the thousands of returning Montana National Guard troops throughout the state.
The conference will be broadcast simultaneously to providers in nine locations including Billings, Culbertson, Glasgow, Glendive, Great Falls, Havre, Helena, Kalispell and Lewistown. It is intended to help rural providers identify deployment-related symptoms such as combat stress, anxiety, depression, PTSD and traumatic brain injury, as well as providing treatment methods.
The Montana National Guard consists of more than 3,700 members who live in nearly every corner of the state. Since 2001, more than 80 percent have been mobilized for active duty.
"Family practitioners and community-based health care providers are integral in helping Montana's returning National Guard troops cope with the emotional and mental health issues resulting from serving in combat," explained David J. McIntyre, President and Chief Executive Officer of TriWest Healthcare Alliance. "This video conference is the first of its kind to combine the resources of the VA and TriWest to reach rural providers caring for these service members as they reintegrate into mainstream civilian life."
"The onset of emotional or mental health symptoms is unpredictable.
click post title for the rest
Published 09-21-2007
Community providers learn to recognize combat stress symptoms in returning troops
PHOENIX,AZ (CompNewsNetwork) - As part of their continuing efforts to address the needs of returning Guard members, TriWest Healthcare Alliance, the Department of Defense's TRICARE contractor in Montana and the VA Montana Health Care System have partnered to launch the first Combat Stress Video Conference. The conference, being held from 2 to 5 p.m. on Sept. 19, 2007, will bring together nearly 150 community-based health care providers that care for the thousands of returning Montana National Guard troops throughout the state.
The conference will be broadcast simultaneously to providers in nine locations including Billings, Culbertson, Glasgow, Glendive, Great Falls, Havre, Helena, Kalispell and Lewistown. It is intended to help rural providers identify deployment-related symptoms such as combat stress, anxiety, depression, PTSD and traumatic brain injury, as well as providing treatment methods.
The Montana National Guard consists of more than 3,700 members who live in nearly every corner of the state. Since 2001, more than 80 percent have been mobilized for active duty.
"Family practitioners and community-based health care providers are integral in helping Montana's returning National Guard troops cope with the emotional and mental health issues resulting from serving in combat," explained David J. McIntyre, President and Chief Executive Officer of TriWest Healthcare Alliance. "This video conference is the first of its kind to combine the resources of the VA and TriWest to reach rural providers caring for these service members as they reintegrate into mainstream civilian life."
"The onset of emotional or mental health symptoms is unpredictable.
click post title for the rest
Point Man Ministries helping wounded minds heal
Connecting veterans for support, fellowship
By
Melissa RainesNews Staff Reporter
Posted: 07:45 AM, Friday, September 21, 2007
MOUNT VERNON — Point Man Ministries of Central Ohio is a faith-based organization that connects veterans with other veterans seeking support and fellowship. Point Man Ministries has outposts in 40 states and 14 countries, as well as a chapter in Newark serving the central Ohio area, including some veterans from Knox County. There are plans to form an outpost in Mount Vernon.
The leader of the Newark post, Russ Clark, is a retired Marine who fought in Vietnam. Clark was a Methodist minister for 25 years before leaving the pastorate due to life upheaval brought on by Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. He knows firsthand the devastation PTSD can bring into the lives of veterans and their families.
“I lost a family. I lost a ministry. Point Man is now my calling,” Clark explained. He said helping other veterans has brought him great healing. He encourages other veterans to reach out to those with similar experiences.
The Newark Outpost meets on Tuesday evenings for a support group, which involves sharing experiences and providing support, but Clark said members try to avoid discussing politics. People new to the group are not pressured to participate, some come just to listen.
“A vet may come for the first time and not say a word. But the fact that he or she is there is a huge step,” Clark said.
Point Man’s stated mission is “to provide aid and comfort to the men and women who have served their country in the past and are serving in the present.” They believe they can help other veterans by providing spiritual, physical and social support for veterans.
go here for the rest
http://www.mountvernonnews.com/local/07/09/21/rel.point.man.html
By
Melissa RainesNews Staff Reporter
Posted: 07:45 AM, Friday, September 21, 2007
MOUNT VERNON — Point Man Ministries of Central Ohio is a faith-based organization that connects veterans with other veterans seeking support and fellowship. Point Man Ministries has outposts in 40 states and 14 countries, as well as a chapter in Newark serving the central Ohio area, including some veterans from Knox County. There are plans to form an outpost in Mount Vernon.
The leader of the Newark post, Russ Clark, is a retired Marine who fought in Vietnam. Clark was a Methodist minister for 25 years before leaving the pastorate due to life upheaval brought on by Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. He knows firsthand the devastation PTSD can bring into the lives of veterans and their families.
“I lost a family. I lost a ministry. Point Man is now my calling,” Clark explained. He said helping other veterans has brought him great healing. He encourages other veterans to reach out to those with similar experiences.
The Newark Outpost meets on Tuesday evenings for a support group, which involves sharing experiences and providing support, but Clark said members try to avoid discussing politics. People new to the group are not pressured to participate, some come just to listen.
“A vet may come for the first time and not say a word. But the fact that he or she is there is a huge step,” Clark said.
Point Man’s stated mission is “to provide aid and comfort to the men and women who have served their country in the past and are serving in the present.” They believe they can help other veterans by providing spiritual, physical and social support for veterans.
go here for the rest
http://www.mountvernonnews.com/local/07/09/21/rel.point.man.html
Post Traumatic Stress Updates
There are too many reports coming in so here are the links for them
Native American veterans seen at risk (PTSD)
By Thunderwolf Mental health workers are looking for new ways to help Native American service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan who are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. In some parts of the United States, specialists are ...allnurses.com Nursing for Nurses - http://allnurses.com/forums
Caring For Our Troops and Veterans
By Brian Bresnahan(Brian Bresnahan) Requirements for a comprehensive plan on prevention, diagnosis, mitigation, and treatment of Traumatic Brain Injury and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and authorization of $50 million for improved diagnosis, treatment, ...High Plains Patriot - http://highplainspatriot.blogspot.com/
Is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder on the Rise?
By default@goarticles.com (Abigail Franks) The national Institute of mental health states that post traumatic stress disorder is one of the five most recognized types of mental disorders. PTSD was originally identified as a post war syndrome ...GoArticles Health Category - http://www.goarticles.com
Support The 'Woodruff Fund'
By jimstaro Special emphasis is placed on the "hidden signature injuries" of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan traumatic brain injury (TBI) and combat stress injuries including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The Fund works with private ...
ImagineATolerantWorld - http://bostonnow.com/community/blogs/jimstaro
Adequate post-combat care should be high priority
Daytona Beach News-Journal - Daytona,FL,USA... should help veterans navigate bureaucracy, the report said, and the VA should provide enhanced, life-long treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder. ...See all stories on this topic
Vets Say Gloves Are Off for Omvig Suicide Bill, Two Others
PR Newswire (press release) - New York,NY,USASince Joshua's death, they work to inform others about post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the illness that, as much as the handgun, took Joshua's life. ...See all stories on this topic
[RESEARCH] Mental health consequences of overstretch in the UK ... ...
By Rona, R. J, Fear, N. T, Hull, L., Greenberg,... Results Personnel who were deployed for 13 months or more in the past three years were more likely to fulfil the criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder (odds ratio 1.55, 95% confidence interval 1.07 to 2.32), show caseness on the ...
BMJ current issue - http://www.bmj.com
Iraq Vet Road Rager Has PTSD, Family Says
KOIN.com - Portland,OR,USA... been bothering him for miles, but more importantly, they say his service in Iraq has made him a changed man, with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). ...See all stories on this topic
Native American veterans seen at risk (PTSD)
By Thunderwolf Mental health workers are looking for new ways to help Native American service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan who are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. In some parts of the United States, specialists are ...allnurses.com Nursing for Nurses - http://allnurses.com/forums
Caring For Our Troops and Veterans
By Brian Bresnahan(Brian Bresnahan) Requirements for a comprehensive plan on prevention, diagnosis, mitigation, and treatment of Traumatic Brain Injury and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and authorization of $50 million for improved diagnosis, treatment, ...High Plains Patriot - http://highplainspatriot.blogspot.com/
Is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder on the Rise?
By default@goarticles.com (Abigail Franks) The national Institute of mental health states that post traumatic stress disorder is one of the five most recognized types of mental disorders. PTSD was originally identified as a post war syndrome ...GoArticles Health Category - http://www.goarticles.com
Support The 'Woodruff Fund'
By jimstaro Special emphasis is placed on the "hidden signature injuries" of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan traumatic brain injury (TBI) and combat stress injuries including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The Fund works with private ...
ImagineATolerantWorld - http://bostonnow.com/community/blogs/jimstaro
Adequate post-combat care should be high priority
Daytona Beach News-Journal - Daytona,FL,USA... should help veterans navigate bureaucracy, the report said, and the VA should provide enhanced, life-long treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder. ...See all stories on this topic
Vets Say Gloves Are Off for Omvig Suicide Bill, Two Others
PR Newswire (press release) - New York,NY,USASince Joshua's death, they work to inform others about post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the illness that, as much as the handgun, took Joshua's life. ...See all stories on this topic
[RESEARCH] Mental health consequences of overstretch in the UK ... ...
By Rona, R. J, Fear, N. T, Hull, L., Greenberg,... Results Personnel who were deployed for 13 months or more in the past three years were more likely to fulfil the criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder (odds ratio 1.55, 95% confidence interval 1.07 to 2.32), show caseness on the ...
BMJ current issue - http://www.bmj.com
Iraq Vet Road Rager Has PTSD, Family Says
KOIN.com - Portland,OR,USA... been bothering him for miles, but more importantly, they say his service in Iraq has made him a changed man, with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). ...See all stories on this topic
Joshua Omvig Suicide Prevention bill still tied up by Coburn
VMFP ad VCS Call on Washington to Resolve Differences for Veterans
WASHINGTON, Septtember 20, 2007 -- Ellen and Randy Omvig channel the grief they suffer into service to other military families. Their son, Joshua, took his own life following a second tour of duty in Iraq, three days before Christmas 2005. To make sense of the 22-year-old’s death, the pair work to spread the message of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the illness that, as much as the handgun, deprived their son of life. The Iowa couple’s ultimate goal is to see the Joshua Omvig Veteran Suicide Prevention Act get signed into law this year.
“A single Senator is holding it up,” Tom Howe, mentor of the bill for Veterans and Military Families for Progress said. Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) has reservations about the bill, sponsored by Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) and co-sponsored by 31 other Senators, which the House passed 423-0 in March. Coburn is taking advantage of a Senate rule that gives him the power to delay the bill’s final passage.
The Department of Veterans Affairs reports more than 5,000 veterans die at their own hands annually and the numbers are increasing. Worse still, an August, 2007 Pentagon reports indicates the problem is not limited to veterans as a record number of active duty service members committed suicide in 2006 as well. With but one vote in the senate standing between veterans and suicide prevention, VMFP demands leadership on this issue.
go here for the rest
http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/ArticleID/8470
WASHINGTON, Septtember 20, 2007 -- Ellen and Randy Omvig channel the grief they suffer into service to other military families. Their son, Joshua, took his own life following a second tour of duty in Iraq, three days before Christmas 2005. To make sense of the 22-year-old’s death, the pair work to spread the message of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the illness that, as much as the handgun, deprived their son of life. The Iowa couple’s ultimate goal is to see the Joshua Omvig Veteran Suicide Prevention Act get signed into law this year.
“A single Senator is holding it up,” Tom Howe, mentor of the bill for Veterans and Military Families for Progress said. Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) has reservations about the bill, sponsored by Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) and co-sponsored by 31 other Senators, which the House passed 423-0 in March. Coburn is taking advantage of a Senate rule that gives him the power to delay the bill’s final passage.
The Department of Veterans Affairs reports more than 5,000 veterans die at their own hands annually and the numbers are increasing. Worse still, an August, 2007 Pentagon reports indicates the problem is not limited to veterans as a record number of active duty service members committed suicide in 2006 as well. With but one vote in the senate standing between veterans and suicide prevention, VMFP demands leadership on this issue.
go here for the rest
http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/ArticleID/8470
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