Smart Talk on PTSD

What to look for on Smart Talk Tuesday, April 8, 2014:

When in danger, it’s natural to feel afraid.  This fear triggers many split-second changes in the body to prepare to defend against danger or to avoid it.  This “fight-or-flight” response is a healthy reaction meant to protect a person from harm.  But in post traumatic stress disorder or PTSD, this reaction is changed or damaged.  People who have PTSD may feel stressed or frightened even when they’re no longer in danger.

That comes from the National Institute of Mental Health’s web page on PTSD.

The U.S. has been fighting wars for the past 13 years.  Many soldiers have been deployed to Afghanistan or Iraq multiple times.  We often hear about the number of service men or women returning who are suffering from PTSD.  It could lead one to believe the majority of returning combat vets have PTSD.  Actually, it’s about 18%

On Tuesday’s Smart Talk, Dr. Ronald Johnson, a clinical psychologist at the Lebanon VA Medical Center, will answer our questions about PTSD.

To learn more on PTSD visit http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd/index.shtml

Veterans Crisis Line: 1-800-273-8255 (Press 1) or a confidential chat at VeteransCrisisLine.net

Va Outpatient Mental Health Services:

1700 South Lincoln Avenue Lebanon, Pa 17042, 717-272-6621 or 1-800-409-8771

Also, service dogs are being trained to help those diagnosed with PTSD.  For many, the dog is just a companion but others are trained to help the PTSD sufferer and their specific needs. 

We’ll learn more on Tuesday’s Smart Talk about service dogs and PTSD from Dog T.A.G.S. (Train Assist Guide Serve).  Dog TAGS is a service dog owner training program for veterans suffering from PTSD and  Traumatic Brain Injury.

Trainer Joan Klingler and Vietnam vet Tommy Ward appear on the program.

Hear a feature about the Dog TAGS program here.

Listen to the program:

{mp3remote}http://witf.vo.llnwd.net/o35/smarttalk/radiosmarttalk/RST_April082014.mp3{/mp3remote}