June is Post-Traumatic Stress (PTS) Awareness Month

It’s often said that “not all wounds are visible.” This month offers the prime opportunity to reflect on that sentiment and conceptualize how we can ensure that even though some wounds may not be visible, they are still treated like those wounds that are. I believe this starts with the way in which we talk about and offer treatment for PTS.

There is an abundance of research and data about the presence of post-traumatic stress in veterans that is worth sharing and reflecting on. This month I encourage everyone to take the time to educate themselves on the subject and to review the research that is available in order to gain a better understanding. But for the sake of brevity, I will share one statistic here that in particular impacts and informs the work we do at SoldierStrong.

Between 11 and 20 veterans out of 100 who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom experience symptoms of PTS in a calendar year.

SoldierStrong is working diligently to provide those veterans grappling with PTS another tool to aid in their journey of recovery through the StrongMind program. In recognition of PTS Awareness Month, I wanted to shine a light this month on the service that StrongMind provides.

StrongMind helps veterans recovering from PTS using virtual reality therapy. Virtual reality can be used to deliver prolonged exposure therapy – the practice of recalling a traumatic memory while talking through the nuances of that memory with a therapist – an evidence-based method for treating PTS. Virtual reality therapy makes the process of recalling traumatic memories easier for veterans.

To date, the StrongMind hardware and software has been donated to 13 VA Hospitals and other medical centers across the country, allowing a tremendous number of veterans access to revolutionary PTS treatment.

Even if you are not a veteran, have never experienced PTS yourself or do not know anyone who has experienced PTS, I implore everyone to take a pledge this month to raise awareness about the effects and impacts of PTS on veterans. In addition, I think it is just as important to raise awareness about resources that are effective in treating PTS. This can be done by letting those in your life know about the StrongMind program and any other effective PTS treatments you are aware of to help build and establish a greater awareness of treatment options.

The greater level of awareness that we are able to build, the more likely Americans will recognize important symptoms of PTS and the more likely veterans will reach out to receive the treatment they need.

Learn more about the StrongMind program today.

Checking-in on our veterans to lend a listening ear!

As you know, in recent weeks we have seen social distancing become the new norm, as many of us find ourselves in quarantine or under strict shelter-in-place orders. The ways in which so many of our lives have drastically changed have left many with feelings of uncertainty, anxiety and restlessness.

At a time when we are all worried about our own families – and rightfully so – I want to remind everyone that we must also remember to reach out to those who may need it most. This includes our veteran population, particularly those already suffering from post-traumatic stress (PTS) and other mental health conditions.

The feelings of loneliness and isolation, which a number of Americans may be experiencing for the first time in their lives at such heightened levels, are unfortunately all too familiar for many of our veterans living with PTS. With the onset of COVID-19 and the precautions that we all must take in order to stay safe, these feelings of loneliness and isolation have the potential to become elevated to new extremes.

Please consider the reality that our country’s veterans are already facing:

  • The veteran suicide rate is 1.5 times the national average
  • An average of 20 veteran suicides occur daily
  • About 70% of veterans who take their lives did not receive mental health services available at VA Hospitals

My intent in sharing these statistics is not to be negative or pessimistic. Quite the opposite. I hope sharing these statistics with you will help paint a more complete picture and incite a sense of urgency regarding what is at stake for many of our country’s veterans. I am optimistic that sharing this information will encourage others to reach out to veterans in need and possibly even provide a much-needed sense of comfort during these difficult times.

Here are just a few ways that you can reach out to veterans who may be struggling:

  • Call or video chat to check-in to see how they are feeling. Social media and email are other great ways to reach out. If all else fails, write an old-fashioned letter and even include photographs and artwork to let someone know you are thinking of them.
  • If your state’s guidelines allow and it is safe to do so, visit someone from outside their window or even on their front lawn or driveway while maintaining appropriate social distance. Spend time talking with them to check-in on their wellbeing.
  • Based on your state’s recommended guidelines, if you are able, make yourself an available resource beyond just being there to talk – volunteer to pick-up groceries, medication & medical supplies; mow the lawn, retrieve mail etc.
  • If you are in a state that still allows leaving the house for reasons other than just picking up groceries and medications, offer to take a walk on a nature trail while maintaining six feet apart and use the time to touch base to see how the other person is doing.

The bottom line is, it’s important that we are checking-in on those veterans already struggling with PTS and other mental health conditions, while observing safety measures to ensure that we all remain physically healthy. Checking-in on our veterans to lend a listening ear or a helping hand today could very well impact the way the statistics above look tomorrow.

SoldierStrong, Honor and Respect Announce Partnership to Benefit Veterans Coping With Post-Traumatic Stress

SoldierStrong, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to providing revolutionary medical technologies to help injured veterans lead full lives, today announced a year-long partnership with Honor and Respect to benefit veterans throughout the country living with post-traumatic stress.

Honor and Respect is a Marion, Iowa, firm launched in 2018 by U.S. Air Force veteran Ron Slagle and his family to raise funds to aid first responders and military personnel, who “devote their lives to helping all of us” and are caught in the midst of the mental health crisis through the sale of one-of-a-kind athletic shoes. Slagle said Honor and Respect will donate a share of its proceeds from every purchase of its shoes to SoldierStrong’s StrongMind initiative, which seeks to reduce the disturbingly high national average of 20 veteran suicides a day. Through the partnership, SoldierStrong will receive $10 of every purchase of Honor and Respect’s shoes.

“I believe it is all of our responsibility to offer help to those who have dedicated their lives to helping all of us, either through service in the military or as first responders,” said Slagle, a Marion police officer. “Those experiencing PTS should not have to live through their symptoms alone and aside from honoring all of those who have served, we must also make sure that the very best in treatment is available to those who may need it. I feel empowered to be partnering with SoldierStrong in an effort to further guarantee that appropriate PTS treatment is widely and readily available.”

The StrongMind initiative donates virtual reality systems to Veterans Administration medical centers across the country to assist in treating veterans experiencing PTS. The StrongMind initiative has donated 14 VR software and hardware systems to the VA since September.

“Honor and Respect is a remarkable demonstration of patriotism and compassion by an outstanding family from America’s heartland. SoldierStrong is proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with Honor and Respect as we work both to ensure that those who have served our nation are provided the resources they need to help them take their next steps forward into life after service,” said Chris Meek, SoldierStrong co-founder and chairman. “The Slagle family’s desire to donate a share of Honor and Respect’s proceeds to SoldierStrong will provide direct care for veterans coping with the effects of post-traumatic stress.”

He continued, “It’s important that all revolutionary technologies to treat PTS are available to any and all veterans who might benefit from these services. That’s why it is SoldierStrong’s mission to get the StrongMind program into as many VA Hospitals as possible, so that the greatest number of veterans can have access and the chance to benefit from the effective technology in an effort to relieve their PTS symptoms.”