VETERANS’ MENTAL HEALTH: RECREATION THERAPY TO THE RESCUE

THE NUMBER OF MILITARY VETERANS IN THE UNITED STATES IS 24.5 MILLION! THERE ARE CURRENTLY 2,317,761 MEN AND WOMEN IN UNIFORM THE US POPULATION WAS 315,183,801 ON 1 JANUARY 2013 THAT IS ONLY.07% OF THE POPULATION WHO VOLUNTEER TO SERVE

2,333,972 AMERICAN MILITARY PERSONNEL HAD BEEN DEPLOYED TO IRAQ, AFGHANISTAN OR BOTH, AS OF AUG. 30, PERCENT REPORT COMING UNDER FIRE FROM ARTILLERY, ROCKETS OR MORTARS. 91 PERCENT SAY THEIR UNIT HAS BEEN ATTACKED OR AMBUSHED. 87 PERCENT SAY THEY KNOW SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED.

1,353, 627 HAVE SINCE LEFT THE MILITARY 711,986 HAVE USED VA HEALTH CARE BETWEEN FISCAL YEAR 2002 AND THE THIRD-QUARTER FISCAL YEAR 2011.

THE U.S. MILITARY ACKNOWLEDGED THAT SUICIDES HIT A RECORD IN 2012, OUTPACING COMBAT DEATHS, WITH 349 ACTIVE-DUTY SUICIDES - ALMOST ONE A DAY

MORE VETERANS ARE KILLING THEMSELVES THAN PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT, WITH 22 DEATHS A DAY - OR ONE EVERY 65 MINUTES, ON AVERAGE.

A SURVEY BY THE IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN VETERANS OF AMERICA SHOWED THAT 30% OF SERVICE MEMBERS HAVE CONSIDERED TAKING THEIR OWN LIFE, AND 45% SAID THEY KNOW AN IRAQ OR AFGHANISTAN VETERAN WHO HAS ATTEMPTED SUICIDE.SURVEY BY THE IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN VETERANS OF AMERICA

AS OF 2012, 3.6 MILLION VETERANS HAVE A SERVICE-CONNECTED DISABILITY RATING. OF THIS NUMBER, 881,981 HAD A RATING OF 70 PERCENT OR HIGHER. A "SERVICE-CONNECTED" DISABILITY IS ONE THAT WAS A RESULT OF A DISEASE OR INJURY INCURRED OR AGGRAVATED DURING ACTIVE MILITARY SERVICE. THIS CAN TAKE YEARS AND HAD LED TO THE VETERANS COMING UP WITH A SLOGAN FOR THE VA, “DELAY, DENY, WAIT UNTIL WE DIE.” HELP AT THE VA?

CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM? THE MAIN LINE OF TREATMENT FOR PTSD IS PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS THIS LEADS TO SIDE EFFECTS, ADDICTIONS AND POSSIBLY SUICIDE NOT WORKING ON IMPROVING QUALITY OF LIFE, JUST MASKING

38 PER 100,000 OF ALL IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN VETERANS USING VA HEALTH CARE COMMITTED SUICIDE DURING LATEST DATA AVAILABLE

WHY CAN’T WE DO BETTER FOR THESE BRAVE MEN AND WOMEN?

THERE IS HOPE IN RECREATION… &THEATER &THEATER ENHANCED INTEREST AND INVOLVEMENT IN RECREATION ACTIVITIES, AND SUCCESSFUL RE-ENTRY INTO PRE-INJURY RECREATION INTERESTS

WHY REC THERAPY FOR VETS? ANYONE WITH POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER CAN BENEFIT FROM THE RELAXATION, SECLUSION, AND PEACE THAT COME WITH BEING IN THE NATURAL WORLD. FOCUSING ON STRENUOUS OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES CAN ALSO HELP CHALLENGE YOUR SENSE OF HELPLESSNESS AND HELP YOUR NERVOUS SYSTEM BECOME “UNSTUCK” AND MOVE ON FROM THE TRAUMATIC EVENT ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT PURSUING OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES LIKE HIKING, CAMPING, MOUNTAIN BIKING, ROCK CLIMBING, WHITEWATER RAFTING, AND SKIING MAY HELP VETERANS COPE WITH PTSD SYMPTOMS AND TRANSITION BACK INTO CIVILIAN LIFE.

HORTICULTURAL THERAPY (HT) IS NOT ONLY AN EMERGING PROFESSION, IT IS A TIME-PROVEN PRACTICE. THE THERAPEUTIC BENEFITS OF PEACEFUL GARDEN ENVIRONMENTS HAVE BEEN UNDERSTOOD SINCE ANCIENT TIMES. IN THE 19TH CENTURY, DR. BENJAMIN RUSH, A SIGNER OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE AND CONSIDERED TO BE THE "FATHER OF AMERICAN PSYCHIATRY," REPORTED THAT GARDEN SETTINGS HELD CURATIVE EFFECTS FOR PEOPLE WITH MENTAL ILLNESS.

“IT’S VERY PEACEFUL WHEN YOU GET IN THE WATER. IT’S STRESS-FREE AND IT BRINGS OUT PLAYFULNESS, HAPPINESS,” SAID IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN VETERAN WILLIAM MULVEY.

“ONCE I GOT THERE, IT WAS TWO HOURS OF TAKING MY MIND OFF OF EVERYTHING AND JUST FOCUSING ON LEARNING NEW SKILLS.” WILLIAM, OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM VETERAN EACH THERAPY PATIENT IDENTIFIES THEIR OWN GOALS FOR THE PROGRAM. THE FIRST DAY AT THE BARN IS SPENT GETTING ACQUAINTED WITH THE HORSES. “WE DETERMINE WHAT ARE THE BEST HORSE AND RIDER MATCHES AND WHAT ADDITIONAL SUPPORT THEY’LL NEED,” SAID DENISE SPITTLER, PROGRAM DIRECTOR AT CKRH. “WE KNOW OUR HORSE HERD; WE KNOW THEIR PERSONALITIES AND WE DO TRY TO MATCH THAT TO THE NEEDS OF THE VETERAN.”

GET BACK TO NATURE! SINCE 2008, THE SIERRA CLUB'S MILITARY FAMILIES OUTDOORS PROGRAM HAS OFFERED FREE TRIPS, THROUGH OUTWARD BOUND'S VETERANS EXPEDITIONS, TO VETERANS WHO HAVE SERVED IN THE GULF, SOMALIA, IRAQ, OR AFGHANISTAN WARS.

PARTNER UP!!! OUTDOOR FUN PICK A PARTNER BASED ON ABILITY 5 MINUTES TOUCH NATURE HOW DOES BEING OUTSIDE MAKE YOU FEEL?

QUESTIONS?