Dave @ OAS | Once A Soldier

Fantasy Fiction About Overcoming PTSD With Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy

Once a great warrior, Sir William had fought in countless battles and wars. But after years of combat and bloodshed, he returned home a shell of his former self, haunted by memories of the horrors he had witnessed. The once proud and fearless knight was now plagued by nightmares, anxiety, and a deep sense of emptiness.

Despite seeking help from countless therapists and doctors, nothing seemed to work. Sir William was desperate for a solution. It wasn’t until he heard of a new and experimental form of therapy that he found hope. It was called ketamine-assisted therapy.

Despite his initial reservations, Sir William decided to give it a try. He met with a therapist who specialized in this type of treatment and underwent a series of ketamine infusions. During each session, he was guided through his traumatic memories and emotions in a safe and controlled environment. It was a powerful experience, and Sir William felt as if he was finally making progress.

As the weeks went by, Sir William noticed a change within himself. His nightmares became less frequent, and his anxiety began to dissipate. He started to rediscover the joy in the small things in life and felt a newfound sense of purpose.

One day, Sir William was out riding in the forest when he stumbled upon a group of bandits terrorizing a nearby village. Without hesitation, he sprang into action, drawing his sword and charging towards the bandits. He fought with a renewed sense of vigor and confidence, something he hadn’t felt in years.

As he stood victorious over the defeated bandits, Sir William realized that he had defeated more than just his physical enemies. He had conquered the demons that had been plaguing him for so long. Through the power of ketamine-assisted therapy, he had regained his sense of self and purpose.

From that day forward, Sir William continued to undergo ketamine-assisted therapy, not only for himself but to help other veterans who suffered from PTSD. He knew firsthand the power of this type of treatment and wanted to share it with others who were struggling. In the end, Sir William had not only defeated his PTSD demons but had found a new calling in life, one that would bring him peace and fulfillment for years to come.

What States Have High Veteran Suicide – A New Look at the 2019 VA Report

The recent Veterans Administration (VA) report on Veteran suicide has once again brought to the forefront the urgent need to address the mental health crisis affecting our nation’s military personnel. According to the report, 2019 saw a total of 6,435 Veteran suicides, an average of 17.6 deaths per day. This is a slight decrease from the previous year’s number of 6,507, but it is still a sobering reminder of the ongoing struggle that many Veterans face.

Looking deeper into the data, we can see that there are some significant differences in suicide rates among the states. In 2019, the states with the highest Veteran suicide rates were Montana, Utah, and New Mexico, with rates of 54.5, 46.6, and 43.5 deaths per 100,000 Veterans, respectively. These numbers are much higher than the national average of 27.5 deaths per 100,000 Veterans.

On the other hand, some states had much lower suicide rates. In 2019, the states with the lowest rates were Delaware, Vermont, and Rhode Island, with rates of 14.8, 16.6, and 17.2 deaths per 100,000 Veterans, respectively. These numbers are less than half of the national average.

It’s worth noting that the states with the highest suicide rates also tend to have higher rates of gun ownership, which has been identified as a risk factor for suicide. Additionally, these states tend to have higher rates of rural and remote living, which can make it harder for Veterans to access mental health services.

Despite these challenges, there are programs and resources available to help Veterans struggling with mental health issues. The VA offers a range of services, including counseling, therapy, and medication management. In addition, there are numerous non-profit organizations that provide support and resources to Veterans and their families.

It’s essential that we continue to raise awareness of this issue and work to improve access to mental health services for all Veterans, regardless of where they live. By addressing the root causes of Veteran suicide, we can help ensure that those who have served our country receive the care and support they need to lead healthy, fulfilling lives.

Veterans Freak Out Over FUBAR Suicide Crisis

“Shits gotta change ….I’m tired of seeing headlines like this we gotta do better someway somehow.”

It started with a notification. Short sound. A Vet looked at his phone. Saw this news story:

Then it came. Anger. Hatred. Darkness. And a strong voice. He got on Reddit and let loose on a Vet subreddit. Others are pissed off too. Together, they got after it. Unfiltered, here’s what they said. Typos, language,v and real-life looks into watching your brothers and sister eat a bullet. FYI: the comments are listed in those that were upvoted, or the most popular, as decided by the Vets.

“I don’t want you to blame your chain of command. It’s not the officers, or the chiefs – it’s you. You, on the deckplate. You are the reason this happened. This is what happens when you don’t take care of each other.”

– Two-star admiral after a murder/suicide on our boat.

Talk about shifting the blame, that’s disgraceful. What a heartless cunt.

It later came out that the XO quite literally bullied the kid to death.

He lacks the warmth or the depth for that word to be apt…

Absolutely disgraceful !!!

###

Pretty accurate. I’ve been out over 15 years and its sad to see nothing, fucking nothing has changed. FTN.

The Navy has the absolute WORST leadership in the world, and honestly that absolute shit tier leadership example is what has allowed me to excel in the private world since leaving. The Navy taught me everything you SHOULDN’T do as a leader.

Same. I would have to see something amazing to even consider hiring a chief.

Man I’m right there with you I got out in ’13 and it was a toxic shit show then. And yes the Navy taught me how to be a great leader by doing the exact opposite of what they did.

JESUS FUCKING CHRIST!

We just lost one of our shipmates a few weeks ago to it. I’ve been out since 2015 and it’s been at least one a year from people I served with personally.

I don’t understand, you’ve been out of the navy for 7 years and people you served with are committing suicide? Are they still in the navy or are they also separated?

Its a mix of both but mostly people that have gotten out. I was a nuke on a ship with negative morale during the arab spring, I literally had to tackle a sailor in my officer while he was stabbing himself in the wrist.

Navy leadership is always “I suffered and so should you” and never “I suffered so you don’t have to.”

You have to do something about the crippling sea/shore rotation, toxic leadership, stagnant promotions literally anything. -sailors

Well shit, I tell ya what how about a new uniform, a 36 hour lib pass and rummaging around in pocket a Snickers? -big Navy

“Sorry Shipmate, Do More with less. here’s some breathing techniques to get you by.”

You think they don’t give a shit now, I was on my first cruise and the tempo and stress were starting to get to me. So I go and talk to the chaplain as it was my only option. This mother fucker told me to start smoking to help relax. That was it, his only advice. And they wonder why this is happening.

Oh I just got out of bootcamp couple weeks ago.Chaplain was teaching us about what should we do if we want to commit suicide and I quote “Just dont think those thoughts think happy thoughts”.Yes I’m sure every sailor literally wants to hear that when they are dealing with so much pain and so much stress they want to kill themselves

Don’t use Chaplains for mental health issues. Chaplains are for spirit issues, not mental health. You need a Psychologist or Licensed Clinical Social Worker. NOT a Chaplain.

They do it by firing the fat folks. They also fire the mentaly ill when they find them. It is possible to go to fleet and family for, I think up to 6 psych visits that don’t get reported to your chain of command. Mental health is in don’t ask don’t tell territory.

If you’re on a CVN you have a psychologist embedded with you in the medical department and they can see you in port or at sea.

If you’re on a surface ship in San Diego you have a team at SURFPAC called Embedded Mental Health (EMH). Your IDC can refer you to them or you can walk in and request services. They have both psychologists and LCSW’s that work at EMH. It’s located in the old building on NBSD wet side behind the chapel next to the foot bridge that connects wet and dry side.

https://www.dvidshub.net/news/430706/embedded-mental-health-building-now-available-waterfront-san-diego

There’s much more, but you get the idea. Their torture never stops. We hope it does one day.

Butterfly Holistic Center Veteran Suicide Program

Phoenix Center Joins the Fight Against Veteran Suicide

Veteran suicide continues to bring heartbreak, mental health issues and financial ruin to the families left behind. The Veterans Administration is moving in the right direction to help save lives, and they recognize the need for civilian support services across the nation as critical in this fight. Key to reaching the goal of lower Veteran suicide is to recognize that Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) drives many of these tragedies.

“Many people, both veterans, and civilians, have to deal with PTSD in their daily life. PTSD is a mental health condition that people may develop, usually after witnessing or experiencing a traumatic event. Such events could be anything from accidents to assault,” says Dr. Melanie Icard at the Butterfly Holistic Center in Phoenix, Arizona. The trauma of war is now a focus at the clinic she started. They are one of the many civilian support centers across the nation who are part of solving the Veteran suicide problem. We urge all Veterans and their family members to investigate this new wave of mental health support systems like the one now at Butterfly Holistic.

People with PTSD occasionally relive their traumatic experiences through feelings of panic, dreams, or vivid recollections. Treatment of PTSD usually involves various forms of therapy, such as prolonged exposure therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy. Similarly, there are medications to manage anxiety. Sadly, for Veterans with training and access to a firearm, suicide happens 22-44 times a day.

Butterfly Holistic Center is located at 1430 E Missouri Ave Ste B127. Their services are perfectly suited for Veterans in danger of suicide to find an alternative to the usual and failing routines used by the Veterans Admisistration. Like us, they are looking to save Veteran lives. The latest mental health treatments looking beyond a pill regimen is having great success. And getting great press for a reason: it works. And it’s now available for Veterans and their families at Butterfly.

“The treatment that Melanie and her staff are giving to our Veterans is what we have identified as the most likely treatment to really stop Veteran suicide. We’ve talked to patients who have done this, and we have been advocating for wider adoption because they tell us it is effective.” says Dave Barbush, Once A Soldier CEO. “It’s cutting-edge, proven, and it changes the Veterans family lives as well. Suicidal thoughts are gone the same day. We support Butterfly for their committment to help our at-risk Veterans.”

Meet the Butterfly Holistic Center Caregivers

Dr. Melanie Icard

Intelligent Natural Medicine

Dr. Melanie Icard, NMD provides you and your family with truly top quality natural medicine that rebalances your body. Naturopathic medicine provides alternatives routes to healing that are different from conventional pills and surgery.

Angela Olson

Nurse Practitioner

Angela is our holistic and aesthetic nurse practitioner. She enjoys helping patients reach their health and beauty goals through the most natural and effective methods possible.

She is PDO thread lift specialist.

Depression, PTSD, and Anxiety Can Also Be Treated

Naturopathic medicine provides alternatives routes to healing that are different from conventional pills and surgery. Veterans suffering from suicidal PTSD are typically on a roster of VA prescription medicines to treat it, but they rarely treat the whole person. With the start of a Foundation to help pay for this life-saving treatment, Butterfly can now treat the most severe PTSD.

Their newly formed Foundation has a mission to continue their community involvement. Funds will be made available to defer the costs or eliminate them for Veterans who are clinically depressed and at-risk for suicide. Contact them directly to learn more. Please tell them that you heard about their treatment from Once A Soldier. We have agreed to help them connect to our Veteran audience and their families of suicide survivors.

Higher education centers of medicine, such as Johns Hopkins University and Stanford University, have formed special schools and research centers to study and enable the reemerging alternatives to treating mental health. The treatments available at Butterfly Holistic Center is based on the same science these schools are learning more about. Across the nation, almost every town and city now offers cutting-edge treatments like this. Phoenix fits that description and Butterfly is leading the way in this area.

About Once A Soldier: Starting in 2017, our mission is to limit the scars of Veteran suicide. We offer prevention services and postvention services. We reach a national audience and our goal is to become the preferred channel for those who want to help Veteran families who need our services. With 17 Veteran suicides a day in 2021, we believe our two niche services will make a difference to each family and to our nation.

How Nutrition Helps With PTSD

Good Nutrition Is Vital For Physical and Mental Health

Many people, both veterans, and civilians, have to deal with PTSD in their daily life. PTSD is a mental health condition that people may develop, usually after witnessing or experiencing a traumatic event. Such events could be anything from accidents to sexual assault.

People with PTSD occasionally relive their traumatic experiences through feelings of panic, dreams, or vivid recollections. Treatment of PTSD usually involves various forms of therapy, such as prolonged exposure therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy. Similarly, there are medications to manage anxiety.

However, one underrated tool for managing PTSD is nutrition. Nutrition is usually associated with heart health. However, its benefits to the body go beyond this. In this article, we’ll go through how nutrition can be leveraged to help with PTSD.

Relationship between nutrition and PTSD

While PTSD may, at first glance, seem like an issue of the mind that has nothing to do with nutrition, this is not true. Good nutrition is vital for overall excellent health, even in relation to mental health. We know that having a healthy diet can help optimize mood and cognitive functions.

Beyond this, however, nutrition is an essential consideration with PTSD since patients are associated with poor eating habits that can result in other conditions like heart disease and diabetes. So, people with PTSD need to pay close attention to their nutrition and ensure their diet is as healthy as possible.

Steps to using nutrition to help with PTSD

Avoid foods that excessively increase blood sugar levels

If you have PTSD, it’s advisable to reduce your intake of sugar and processed foods. This is because taking in too much sugar can result in insulin fluctuation, which can worsen your emotional responses.

Hence, while it might be tempting to distract yourself with junk food from time to time, it’s best to opt for a healthier diet for proper emotion regulation. So, as opposed to cakes and biscuits, try to take more complex carbohydrates.

Take prebiotic-rich foods

PTSD can significantly impact your guts, affecting your overall health in many ways. For one, it could lead to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. You can, however, help support your gut microbiome by consuming more foods rich in prebiotics. Foods like onions, broccoli, garlic, carrots, and tomatoes are naturally rich in prebiotics.

Pay attention to your magnesium levels

Magnesium is an important nutrient, especially for people with PTSD. Unfortunately, there’s evidence to suggest that the western diet, i.e., processed foods, tends to contain low magnesium levels.

If you are overly reliant on processed foods, you may be magnesium-deficient. This could contribute to anxiety and depression. You can get more magnesium by consuming fish like tuna and vegetables.

Consider taking supplements

Even when you try to make your diet balanced and healthy, you might still end up not taking enough of some essential nutrients. This is why it might be necessary to consider taking supplements.

If you’re not getting enough magnesium, for instance, you can consume magnesium supplements. You should also consider Omega 3 supplementation since Omega 3 fatty acids have been found to be beneficial for mental health.

Similarly, branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) have been associated with reduced risk of anxiety and depression. You can check some top-reviewed BCAA supplements.

Final thoughts

As we’ve shown in this article, your nutrition is relevant to PTSD in more ways than you might think. Overall, it is best to steer clear of processed foods and adopt a healthy diet rich in beneficial nutrients.