Rabbit Shoots the Sun – and PTSD.

[longknife]

My latest blog post and how on earth the two make sense in the end. Also a read on the Hopi legend of why Sun now sails very high above the earth. Go to A Soldier's Stories @ http://lvcabbie.blogspot.com

 

[waltky]

If ecstasy works, then why marijuana for PTSD?...

Christie Signs Bill Approving the Use of Medical Marijuana for PTSD
Sep 15, 2016 | Gov. Christie, surprising skeptics, on Wednesday approved a bill that will allow people suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder to use medical marijuana when conventional treatments fail.

Patients and their advocates had lobbied for the bill for more than a year, citing statistics that show military veterans with PTSD have a high rate of suicide. "I'm ecstatic, I'm happily surprised, I'm going to go get my card," said Don Karpowich, 57, an Air Force special operations veteran from Morristown with PTSD who has attended several demonstrations at the Statehouse over the last year to push for the bill. Christie had said at several town halls that he did not want to expand the medical-marijuana program. Two years ago his administration turned down a petition submitted by Coalition Medical Marijuana New Jersey to add PTSD to the list of a dozen ailments that qualify for cannabis use.

But a month and a half after the bipartisan bill was placed on his desk, Christie signed it with a statement explaining his reasons. Christie cited statistics of the federal Department of Veterans Affairs estimating that 20 percent of veterans who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan over the last decade suffer from PTSD. "Throughout the country, significant resources are being used to research PTSD and increase access to traditional treatments, such as psychotherapy and antidepressant medications," he wrote. "This bill would provide struggling veterans and others with the ability to use medical marijuana to treat PTSD, but only after it has been determined by a physician or psychiatrist that conventional medical therapy is ineffective."

Gov. Chris Christie listens to a question from the media in Trenton, N.J.​

Christie said that "requiring conventional medical therapy to be ineffective in treating PTSD before medical marijuana can be prescribed is an appropriate threshold safeguard to deter misuse." He said he will also direct the health commissioner to create new regulations to further prevent misuse, an issue he has raised in the past to explain why he does not favor expanding the program. Many patients and advocates, however, have criticized the Health Department for promulgating too many rules, saying that makes the program unwieldy and prevents people with serious illnesses from qualifying to use cannabis.

Some saw Christie's action as being motivated by his role as a key adviser in the presidential campaign of Donald Trump. "I wonder if Trump had something to do with this," Karpowich said. Christie approved the bill only a few days before it would have become law automatically, without his signature, if he did not veto it. He said that "the mere potential for abuse by some should not deter the state from taking action that may ease the daily struggles of our veterans and others who legitimately suffer from PTSD."

MORE

 

[waltky]

New way to treat PTSD...

Volunteers Wanted for PTSD Study of Treatment Some Call a Miracle
Nov 08, 2016 — A treatment involving the injection of a local anesthetic next to a bundle of nerves in the neck has eased post-traumatic stress symptoms in some patients in as little as 30 minutes with dramatic, lasting results.

Now, the Pentagon is funding a study at three Army medical centers to determine if the technique — long used for the treatment of pain — is truly effective in treating PTSD. The results from the largest random, controlled trial using the stellate ganglion block could revolutionize the way PTSD — considered a mental illness — is viewed and treated, according to doctors familiar with the experimental procedure. "It really is the tipping point," Col. James Lynch, command surgeon for U.S. Special Operations Command Africa in Stuttgart, who has seen firsthand the promising effects of the shot, said about the current trial. "It has the potential to be a huge game changer for many, many affected people with PTSD," whether from combat, sexual assault or other trauma, he said. "There's really not been a great answer for this giant population."

The U.S. government has spent millions treating PTSD and searching for effective therapies since the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan thrust the disorder into the national spotlight. If proved to be effective, the block could provide relief to millions of servicemembers and veterans who suffer from combat-related PTSD. The stellate ganglion block is offered as treatment for PTSD at a handful of Army hospitals, including Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, but it has yet to gain wide acceptance as a therapy for the disorder because of the lack of clinical evidence proving the intervention works. The Pentagon study could change that. RTI International, a research institute in Raleigh, N.C., received a $2 million grant from the U.S. Defense Department to conduct the trial.

Director of Landstuhl Regional Medical Center's Interdisciplinary Pain Management Center Dr. Jeffrey Tiede prepares to administer a stellate ganglion block for Master Sgt. Randall Kimble at LRMC​

Besides Landstuhl, Womack Army Medical Center at Fort Bragg, N.C., and Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu, Hawaii, are participating. PTSD can occur after experiencing or witnessing a life-threatening trauma and may cause hypervigilance, hyperarousal, flashbacks, fear, anxiety, avoidance, sadness or other symptoms, according to the American Psychiatric Association. The illness has been particularly vexing for the U.S. military. Diagnosis of the disorder is at an all-time high among servicemembers and veterans, yet the effectiveness of approved treatments, such as drugs and cognitive therapy, has been mixed.

Up to 20 percent of veterans who fought in Afghanistan or Iraq are diagnosed with PTSD in any given year, compared with 12 percent who served in the Gulf War and 15 percent in Vietnam, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Though millions of dollars have been sunk into research for alternative therapies for PTSD, from virtual reality to cannabis, the stellate ganglion block holds particular promise and should be a high priority for research, according to scientists from Johns Hopkins University. "The rapid response and destigmatization the procedure offers may enable this technique to be beneficial for particularly difficult-to-treat patient populations, including military servicemembers and veterans," the researchers said in a report published in October in World Institute of Pain.

Recruiting volunteers

 

[longknife]

New way to treat PTSD...

Volunteers Wanted for PTSD Study of Treatment Some Call a Miracle
Nov 08, 2016 — A treatment involving the injection of a local anesthetic next to a bundle of nerves in the neck has eased post-traumatic stress symptoms in some patients in as little as 30 minutes with dramatic, lasting results.

Now, the Pentagon is funding a study at three Army medical centers to determine if the technique — long used for the treatment of pain — is truly effective in treating PTSD. The results from the largest random, controlled trial using the stellate ganglion block could revolutionize the way PTSD — considered a mental illness — is viewed and treated, according to doctors familiar with the experimental procedure. "It really is the tipping point," Col. James Lynch, command surgeon for U.S. Special Operations Command Africa in Stuttgart, who has seen firsthand the promising effects of the shot, said about the current trial. "It has the potential to be a huge game changer for many, many affected people with PTSD," whether from combat, sexual assault or other trauma, he said. "There's really not been a great answer for this giant population."

The U.S. government has spent millions treating PTSD and searching for effective therapies since the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan thrust the disorder into the national spotlight. If proved to be effective, the block could provide relief to millions of servicemembers and veterans who suffer from combat-related PTSD. The stellate ganglion block is offered as treatment for PTSD at a handful of Army hospitals, including Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, but it has yet to gain wide acceptance as a therapy for the disorder because of the lack of clinical evidence proving the intervention works. The Pentagon study could change that. RTI International, a research institute in Raleigh, N.C., received a $2 million grant from the U.S. Defense Department to conduct the trial.

Director of Landstuhl Regional Medical Center's Interdisciplinary Pain Management Center Dr. Jeffrey Tiede prepares to administer a stellate ganglion block for Master Sgt. Randall Kimble at LRMC​

Besides Landstuhl, Womack Army Medical Center at Fort Bragg, N.C., and Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu, Hawaii, are participating. PTSD can occur after experiencing or witnessing a life-threatening trauma and may cause hypervigilance, hyperarousal, flashbacks, fear, anxiety, avoidance, sadness or other symptoms, according to the American Psychiatric Association. The illness has been particularly vexing for the U.S. military. Diagnosis of the disorder is at an all-time high among servicemembers and veterans, yet the effectiveness of approved treatments, such as drugs and cognitive therapy, has been mixed.

Up to 20 percent of veterans who fought in Afghanistan or Iraq are diagnosed with PTSD in any given year, compared with 12 percent who served in the Gulf War and 15 percent in Vietnam, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Though millions of dollars have been sunk into research for alternative therapies for PTSD, from virtual reality to cannabis, the stellate ganglion block holds particular promise and should be a high priority for research, according to scientists from Johns Hopkins University. "The rapid response and destigmatization the procedure offers may enable this technique to be beneficial for particularly difficult-to-treat patient populations, including military servicemembers and veterans," the researchers said in a report published in October in World Institute of Pain.

Recruiting volunteers

Here's the url =
More @ Volunteers Wanted for PTSD Study of Treatment Some Call a Miracle | Military.com

 

[waltky]

Another effect of PTSD...

Service Members and Vets Smoke and Drink More, Sleep Less: Report
Nov 10, 2016 | WASHINGTON – People who have served in the military smoke and drink more and sleep less than the general population, according to a report.

People who have served in the military smoke and drink more and sleep less than the general population, according to a report released Thursday by the United Health Foundation. The study, based off a survey of approximately 60,000 veterans and service members annually from 2011 through 2014, also found higher rates of coronary heart disease, heart attack and cancer. Researchers said they'll deliver the results to the Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs and other health care providers in the hopes that it will help with treatment. "We owe it to these people to see if anything can be done, if we could identify opportunities to improve," said Richard Migliori, senior adviser to the United Health Foundation, an offspring of insurer United Health Group. "I think we found some meaningful things here."

A Marine smokes a cigarette after an attack at Patrol Base Bracha in the Garmsir district of Helmand province, Afghanistan​

The findings show 25.2 percent of servicemembers and veterans who are 18 to 39 years old smoke, compared to 20.7 percent of the general population of the same age range. Approximately 20 percent of servicemembers and veterans drink excessively, while 18.1 percent of others do. Drinking excessively was defined by the report as either binge drinking, having five or more drinks in one sitting, or heavy drinking, which means having more than two drinks each day.

Service members and veterans are 39 percent more likely than others not to sleep enough. "Since we found issues with sleep, smoking and alcohol use, we know we may be dealing with an area of stress – these are all stress related," Migliori said. "The good things about those findings, those are things that can be immediately worked on. Physicians should be focusing on those particular behavious as they engage their patients." Smoking and drinking could be a direct cause of the higher rates of coronary heart disease and cancer in people with military service, Migliori said. Servicemembers and veterans are 62 percent more likely to have coronary heart disease and 67 percent more likely to have a heart attack, the study found.

MORE

See also:

Opiate Addiction and Veterans: How to Get Help
With more than half of veterans who participated in conflicts in the Middle East reporting they experience chronic pain, it's no surprise that many are prescribed opiates to help them manage their pain -- but that can lead to opiate addiction.

The widespread use of opiates is creating dangerous consequences. Today, veterans aretwo times more likely than non-veterans to suffer a fatal overdose from opiates. For veterans and their partners, this news is extremely unsettling. Without medication to manage chronic pain, life can be greatly negatively impacted. Chronic pain can affect the ability to find and keep employment, it can lead to depression and other mental health disorders, and it can cause strain on relationships. But an opioid addiction can have similar effects and could even result in a fatal overdose. If you or your partner are suffering from an opiate addiction, you do not have to deal with it alone. Here are a few tips to help you get the assistance you need.

Know the Signs of Opiate Addiction

Opiates are dangerous when overused, but they can be helpful when they're carefully prescribed and used. When you know the signs of addiction, you can begin addressing the problem as soon as possible. As a spouse or partner, you're in a special position to note these signs as you spend so much time with your loved one. Keep an eye out for a mixture of physical as well as behavioral changes. For example, if your partner is having physical health issues, such as drowsiness, poor coordination and increases in pain along with mood swings, reduced social activity, bouts of euphoria etc., they may have developed an addiction to their pain meds.

Understand the Implications of a Dual Diagnosis

If your spouse or partner has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, opiate use could be dangerous for them. Because so many veterans return with chronic pain, the Department of Veterans Affairs commonly prescribes opiates; however, opiates can exacerbate symptoms of PTSD. And veterans with PTSD are more likely to suffer negative consequences, includingoverdoses. If your loved one has PTSD, it may be necessary to avoid opiates and seek other pain relief options.

Recognize the Signs of an Overdose

If an overdose has taken place, it's imperative that you seek medical help as soon as possible. If someone is a heavy opiates user, signs of an overdose may be difficult to distinguish from their regular behavior. However,certain behaviors, including someone being unconscious and/or unresponsive, being unable to speak, experiencing difficulty breathing, or having a pale or clammy face, should warrant immediate medical attention.

Know How to Get Military-Specific Help

 

[longknife]

Sonora Symphony

A tale of alternative treatments ofor PTSD now available in paperback and e-book/Kindle @ https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N8YZUDG/?tag=ff0d01-20 and https://www.amazon.com/dp/154032580...sr=1-1&keywords=Sonora+Symphony&tag=ff0d01-20