I was the Project Administrator of St. Vincent Hospital's World Trade Center Healing Services unit for seven years and know from first-hand experience of the efficacy of such a program as this. Auricular (ear) acupuncture had been used six-months before I took that position, and has continued up to the present day, six months after I left. Based on a drug-treatment protocol, developed at Lincoln hospital by Dr. Smith, we have used it for stress management with the many populations impacted by the 9/11 catastrophe. Although neighborhood residents, school personnel, and business people from the Wall Street area all heavily utilized these services, it was found to be especially effective with the uniformed polulations, such as police and firefighters, as they were usually much more resistant to seeking traditional counseling or psychiatric services. The stress management program would help them move into a healing process and facilitate verbalization about the suffering and emotional trauma they experienced during and after the fall of the twin towers, as well as getting the direct benefits from acupuncture.
The proposal presented here should likewise provide a major boon to another vulnerable population, that of returning and retired members of the U.S armed forces who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan (and other wars). Huge numbers of them have a significant level of post-traumatic stress disorder, and they should receive stress management services, such as described here, so that they can successfully resume their normal daily activities. For far too many individuals, their emotional traumas go untreated, while much of this is hidden from those around them and from those medical clinicians whom they do see.
It would be great if that proven success could now be replicated with those who serve their country. I strongly recommend such a course of action.
This sounds like a wonderful project. I know from experience that these veterans need new ideas and I also know from experience the value of acupuncture. I sincerely hope that this project gets funding so that it can go forward
I'm the son of a Vietnam-era vet, and I know first hand that American society hasn't ever thought through how to deal with each generation of it's young people sent off to a horrific war zone. Jingoistic catch phrases of an Army that "takes care of it's own" are nullified by it's own misleading tactics of "stop loss" keeping soldiers in service past their enrollment end dates, and by a Veterans Administration that lets human beings fall through the cracks with huge wait times for medical care of all types. So we all have turned a blind eye while the local communities' victims of each foreign battlefield try to ease back into the roles of civilian, colleague, mother, father, and friend. This sounds like an effort to show the efficacy of a hands-on therapeutic agent performed back in the local community.
Each day our awareness of the stress levels of returning veteran is mounting. The impacts of war particularly ongoing wars are clearly wreaking havoc with the returning men and women but also with their family, friends, and communities. WE need to provide low impact, low cost holistic measures to support their ongoing healing and path to well-being. Acupuncture has been proven over centuries as an effective healing modality and in particular it has been tested in complicated and difficult environments whether with addicts or those living with HIV/AIDS. This project, elegant yet simple in its approach, can make a big difference to lives of those who have put their lives on the line and are suffering and living under the burden of war. I highly recommend support of this project.
As an active duty Marine infantry officer, it is no surprise that projects like this are very important to me. Through the course of 3 deployments to Iraq I have had a chance to observe closely the unavoidable aftermath of exposure to combat. Let's look at some of the facts... Most of our service men and women are in their early twenties. The majority do one 3 year enlistment and then return to civilian life. That leaves enough time to complete two 7 month or one 15 month combat deployment before they are processed out of the military and returned to a civilian world that rarely understands and sometimes doesn't seem care about the post-combat stress issues these young people likely to experience. Unfortunately many of these young men and women were saddled with a very heavy burden in the process of serving our nation. That's why it is refreshing and reassuring to see non-government run programs designed to reach out and help our newest set of veterans. I encourage you to make the bumper sticker a reality by supporting Beyond Combat.
We, as a community, have asked our young to put themselves in harms way, when we do this we are obligated to provide them with the best medical and emotional support available. The normal stressors of war combined with multiple deployments have created a great deal of emotional trauma for our service men and woman, the holistic stress management approach provides a means of reaching out to large numbers of people at a relatively low cost.
Following the events of 9/11 these modalities were offered to the members of the New York City Fire Department, in addition to providing a much needed reduction in stress, for many, it opened the door to convetional therapy. I have come to know the value of these techniques, I was one of those Firefighters.
The unprecedented number of our armed forces personnel that are faced with battling post traumatic stress syndrome and other mental problems following their combat deployments cries out for innovative means to assist them in their recovery. The men and women who have lost their lives in our current conflicts are only part of the immense toll this nation is paying in this war on terrorism. The ever increasing suicide rate among our returning vets should be a red flag signaling the urgent need for more and better ways to help our battle worn personnel recover from these debilitating illnesses. Our Government and our society can ill afford to lose more of these brave souls than have already been lost in this interminable conflict. The treatments Miss Dolan proposes have been proven effective over time. Her proposed project should receive all the support possible.
Thanks to the commenters of Beyond Combat. It is no surprise that you connect the dots re the critical nature of so many of our returning service members. They are certainly a group that is at risk, with some avoiding or delaying assistance as they do not want a "label" on their formal medical record, or maybe it just doesn't feel like it's a good time to speak. We need innovation for an easy connection, without stigma, that can meet them where they are.
Ear acupuncture, though not a panacea, provides relief for many through its calming effect, that frequently improves sleep, and in addition, reduces cravings for substances. It is just enough to take the edge off, and in so doing, provide a little more hope in one's own capacity.
One Vietnam Vet, who regularly attends the weekly session, states "I feel like I fall into a well of peace... always the first night of treatment, I sleep deep and free of stress, and no nightmares."
We need to have wide easy access for returning service members from Iraq or Afghanistan, and their families. An added plus is the communal setting of ear acupuncture, that is void of expectations, shared with other service members, without pressure to speak or tell one's story. I believe that just as ear acupuncture reached so many thousands of people after 9-11, in NYC, it's potential for a wider scale now, is inevitable with service members.
So thanks again for your comments, and standing with Beyond Combat and it's mission.
Comments
I was the Project Administrator of St. Vincent Hospital's World Trade Center Healing Services unit for seven years and know from first-hand experience of the efficacy of such a program as this. Auricular (ear) acupuncture had been used six-months before I took that position, and has continued up to the present day, six months after I left. Based on a drug-treatment protocol, developed at Lincoln hospital by Dr. Smith, we have used it for stress management with the many populations impacted by the 9/11 catastrophe. Although neighborhood residents, school personnel, and business people from the Wall Street area all heavily utilized these services, it was found to be especially effective with the uniformed polulations, such as police and firefighters, as they were usually much more resistant to seeking traditional counseling or psychiatric services. The stress management program would help them move into a healing process and facilitate verbalization about the suffering and emotional trauma they experienced during and after the fall of the twin towers, as well as getting the direct benefits from acupuncture.
The proposal presented here should likewise provide a major boon to another vulnerable population, that of returning and retired members of the U.S armed forces who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan (and other wars). Huge numbers of them have a significant level of post-traumatic stress disorder, and they should receive stress management services, such as described here, so that they can successfully resume their normal daily activities. For far too many individuals, their emotional traumas go untreated, while much of this is hidden from those around them and from those medical clinicians whom they do see.
It would be great if that proven success could now be replicated with those who serve their country. I strongly recommend such a course of action.
Joseph Rose
This sounds like a wonderful project. I know from experience that these veterans need new ideas and I also know from experience the value of acupuncture. I sincerely hope that this project gets funding so that it can go forward
I'm the son of a Vietnam-era vet, and I know first hand that American society hasn't ever thought through how to deal with each generation of it's young people sent off to a horrific war zone. Jingoistic catch phrases of an Army that "takes care of it's own" are nullified by it's own misleading tactics of "stop loss" keeping soldiers in service past their enrollment end dates, and by a Veterans Administration that lets human beings fall through the cracks with huge wait times for medical care of all types. So we all have turned a blind eye while the local communities' victims of each foreign battlefield try to ease back into the roles of civilian, colleague, mother, father, and friend. This sounds like an effort to show the efficacy of a hands-on therapeutic agent performed back in the local community.
Each day our awareness of the stress levels of returning veteran is mounting. The impacts of war particularly ongoing wars are clearly wreaking havoc with the returning men and women but also with their family, friends, and communities. WE need to provide low impact, low cost holistic measures to support their ongoing healing and path to well-being. Acupuncture has been proven over centuries as an effective healing modality and in particular it has been tested in complicated and difficult environments whether with addicts or those living with HIV/AIDS. This project, elegant yet simple in its approach, can make a big difference to lives of those who have put their lives on the line and are suffering and living under the burden of war. I highly recommend support of this project.
As an active duty Marine infantry officer, it is no surprise that projects like this are very important to me. Through the course of 3 deployments to Iraq I have had a chance to observe closely the unavoidable aftermath of exposure to combat. Let's look at some of the facts... Most of our service men and women are in their early twenties. The majority do one 3 year enlistment and then return to civilian life. That leaves enough time to complete two 7 month or one 15 month combat deployment before they are processed out of the military and returned to a civilian world that rarely understands and sometimes doesn't seem care about the post-combat stress issues these young people likely to experience. Unfortunately many of these young men and women were saddled with a very heavy burden in the process of serving our nation. That's why it is refreshing and reassuring to see non-government run programs designed to reach out and help our newest set of veterans. I encourage you to make the bumper sticker a reality by supporting Beyond Combat.
We, as a community, have asked our young to put themselves in harms way, when we do this we are obligated to provide them with the best medical and emotional support available. The normal stressors of war combined with multiple deployments have created a great deal of emotional trauma for our service men and woman, the holistic stress management approach provides a means of reaching out to large numbers of people at a relatively low cost.
Following the events of 9/11 these modalities were offered to the members of the New York City Fire Department, in addition to providing a much needed reduction in stress, for many, it opened the door to convetional therapy. I have come to know the value of these techniques, I was one of those Firefighters.
The unprecedented number of our armed forces personnel that are faced with battling post traumatic stress syndrome and other mental problems following their combat deployments cries out for innovative means to assist them in their recovery. The men and women who have lost their lives in our current conflicts are only part of the immense toll this nation is paying in this war on terrorism. The ever increasing suicide rate among our returning vets should be a red flag signaling the urgent need for more and better ways to help our battle worn personnel recover from these debilitating illnesses. Our Government and our society can ill afford to lose more of these brave souls than have already been lost in this interminable conflict. The treatments Miss Dolan proposes have been proven effective over time. Her proposed project should receive all the support possible.
Thanks to the commenters of Beyond Combat. It is no surprise that you connect the dots re the critical nature of so many of our returning service members. They are certainly a group that is at risk, with some avoiding or delaying assistance as they do not want a "label" on their formal medical record, or maybe it just doesn't feel like it's a good time to speak. We need innovation for an easy connection, without stigma, that can meet them where they are.
Ear acupuncture, though not a panacea, provides relief for many through its calming effect, that frequently improves sleep, and in addition, reduces cravings for substances. It is just enough to take the edge off, and in so doing, provide a little more hope in one's own capacity.
One Vietnam Vet, who regularly attends the weekly session, states "I feel like I fall into a well of peace... always the first night of treatment, I sleep deep and free of stress, and no nightmares."
We need to have wide easy access for returning service members from Iraq or Afghanistan, and their families. An added plus is the communal setting of ear acupuncture, that is void of expectations, shared with other service members, without pressure to speak or tell one's story. I believe that just as ear acupuncture reached so many thousands of people after 9-11, in NYC, it's potential for a wider scale now, is inevitable with service members.
So thanks again for your comments, and standing with Beyond Combat and it's mission.
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