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The Enemy Within

A Falling Tree Production for BBC Radio 3.

 

Between the Ears

What happens when your home turns into a combat zone? When the sound of children playing, a kettle whistling, or a car backfiring transports your loved one back to a killing ground in Afghanistan or Iraq?

Night terrors, flashbacks and the hidden cost of war - this Between the Ears explores the inner lives of women who care for former service personnel suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

We hear a delicate and often wrenching patchwork of audio diaries and interviews recorded in kitchens, living rooms and bedrooms at moments when couples hit breaking point or encounter unexpected moments of tenderness. This fierce and intimate portrait reveals the true impact of military campaigns on British families - and the sacrifices made by a generation of women who refuse to give up on the soldiers they love.

Produced by Eleanor McDowall with Matthew Green


Suicide Prevention for Veterans


In recent months there has been a great deal of information and reports in the media about the increase in suicide for soldiers and veterans. Military sources have also confirmed dramatic increases in Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) among returning Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans. Most experts contend that these rates of suicide, PTSD and depression will continue to rise in the coming years and that the Veterans Administration (VA) lacks the capacity to adequately meet the needs of returning military and veterans. This means these individuals will look beyond the VA and increasingly turn to both public and private providers for their mental health care. This article will give an overview of some of the data, trends and services available to returning military in NH so that social workers will be more familiar with needs and resources for Veterans.

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Suicide claims more soldiers than those killed by Afghan combat


OTTAWA—Canada’s military is under pressure to do more to look after the mental health of its soldiers after new statistics show the armed forces have lost more personnel to suicide than those killed in combat in Afghanistan.

NDP MP Jack Harris said the “shocking” numbers should prompt the Conservative government to “redouble” its efforts to assist soldiers in need of help.

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Stress Reduction Tools

HeartMath® Resilience Programs for Military Personnel

HeartMath Resilience Training incorporates research-based self-regulation techniques and technologies to ...

increase resilience
improve mental performance and decision making in adverse environments
reduce stress symptoms in a wide range of contexts

Backed by science, research and experience, HeartMath’s programs are tailored to fit the tactical requirements of every phase of military life.

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HeartMath® Clinical Programs for Health Professionals

Training and Technologies to...

Reduce PTSD and Operational Stress Symptoms
Develop Self-Regulation Skills
Improve Cognitive Functions
Lower Health Care Costs

Backed by science, research and extensive experience, HeartMath offers the health professional effective technologies and methodologies to use with military personnel and veterans.

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PTSD Fact Sheet: Treatment for PTSD

Today, there are good treatments available for PTSD. When you have PTSD dealing with the past can be hard. Instead of telling others how you feel, you may keep your feelings bottled up. But talking with a therapist can help you get better.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is one type of counseling. It appears to be the most effective type of counseling for PTSD. There are different types of cognitive behavioral therapies such as cognitive therapy and exposure therapy. There is also a similar kind of therapy called eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) that is used for PTSD. Medications have also been shown to be effective. A type of drug known as a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), which is also used for depression, is effective for PTSD.

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Ex-correspondent Chris Hedges on covering war, dealing with PTSD

Pulitzer Prize winner Chris Hedges spent decades as a war correspondent for the New York Times and other publications before the suffering he witnessed became too much to bear.

Now he is minister of social witness and prison ministry at the Second Presbyterian Church in Elizabeth, New Jersey, a popular public speaker, and an author and freelance columnist who does not shy away from controversy.

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