The equine-human bond underpins U.S. Marine Corps veteran Jake LaRue’s own healing journey. Working with horses and other veterans “is what keeps me sane,” he says.
Tag: PTSD
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Veterans Healing Farm searches for new site in Henderson County
The Veterans Healing Farm is seeking to raise $5 million to purchase a new location and expand its offerings year-round.
The joys and pains of parenthood after infant loss
Welcoming a rainbow baby can bring complex emotions: Some parents don’t want to get hopeful again because they know that even when a heartbeat sounds strong and even when Mom feels a kick, a pregnancy can still end in heartbreaking loss.
Veterans’ inside war: Museum shows battle trauma is nothing new
Brevard military museum doesn’t gloss over war’s lingering human toll.
Q&A with Dr. Tiffany Sauls, psychiatrist providing psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy
Medical school did not teach Dr. Tiffany Sauls anything about psychedelics. “Not at all, other than to stay away,” she says with a laugh. But as she moved into her career as a psychiatrist, Sauls began to wonder about effective alternatives to exclusively treating mental health symptoms with pharmaceuticals. Over time, she became interested in […]
Charles George VA leads virtual reality use for veterans
Caitlin Rawlins, innovation specialist for the Western North Carolina Veteran Affairs Health Care System, remembers vividly the first time that a patient at the Charles George Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center long-term care facility used virtual reality. “She had cognitive impairment, a history of needing stays on our inpatient psychiatric ward because of agitation […]
Gun safety measures seek to reduce suicides
Patti Best describes her youngest son, Jared Best, as thoughtful, talented and highly intelligent. Following his older brother into the Army, Jared served with distinction in Iraq and Afghanistan before returning home to Haywood County in 2014. However, the toll of combat and the physical harm caused by close contact with explosive devices left Jared with […]
Asheville’s mental health support for area veterans
The 20 years that Kevin Mahoney served in the U.S. Air Force might sound like a dream deployment for some. Mahoney, who lives in Asheville, joined at 24 and trained as a cryptolinguist in Arabic and Farsi. The Air Force deployed him to the Middle East and the Persian Gulf. He was able to travel […]
Letter: Lawmakers must adequately fund mental health care
“I urge our lawmakers to adequately fund life-changing mental health care for the good of our society, economy and future.”
One WNC veteran’s struggles with food insecurity
According to Feeding America, 20 percent of the more than 46 million people who access the organization’s national network of food banks each year are part of households that include someone who’s served or is serving in the U.S. military.
Letter writer: Veteran Jam 5K highlighted PTSD dangers
“The daily toll of veterans struggling alone with these issues is impossible to ignore, and Americans with a conscience must take action to help these men and women.”
Effects of sexual assault can last a lifetime
Rape cases result in convictions only 3 percent of the time, and when they do, a light sentence can add to the trauma many victims experience.
The war at home: PTSD meeting assures vets they’re not alone
“For veterans, the community they live in is literally a key to their very survival: It takes a village to help those who’ve borne the battle.”
On a mission: Special treatment court helps troubled veterans regroup
Military service is difficult enough, but for many, life gets even harder once they’re done. Over half of the 2.5 million soldiers deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan during America’s longest continuous period of war have returned with mental health conditions directly related to their time in uniform. Twenty percent have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress […]
The long road home for veterans with PTSD
An upcoming PTSD Town Hall aims to connect veterans with resources to help them deal with PTSD. The event will feature panel speakers and have representatives from local, state and federal organizations that work with veterans.
Coming home: Local veterans find healing in surprising places
Most folks don’t give it a thought when they head to the store for a gallon of milk, go outside to take a walk or pick up the phone to call a friend. But for someone diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, even these seemingly innocuous behaviors may seem daunting. “After a traumatic event, many people […]
Happy Body yoga offers veterans alternative ways to heal
For Army veteran William Gallion, a busy schedule makes finding time to treat back injuries and post traumatic stress disorder difficult. But thanks to a collaboration between Connected Warriors and Happy Body yoga studio, he and other veterans have been able to find relief through yoga.
Collateral damage: Local veterans wrestle with the aftermath of war
Despite having no military base nearby, nearly 20,000 veterans call Buncombe County home — giving it the sixth-largest veteran population in the state. As local visits for PTSD, depression, substance abuse, homelessness and unemployment continues to climb at Charles George VA, three local veterans share their struggles and stories about mental health. (Cover design by Sarah Riddle)
Males, war and PTSD
Our VOINCAs the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan grind on, another threat is growing here at home. And though it’s invisible, it has the same potential to spawn abuse, maiming and death. This threat targets the families and loved ones of untreated or poorly treated soldiers suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder and other emotional conditions […]