PAX

With violence and conflict erupting across the world, our troops are more in need of psychological help than ever before. Soldiers have begun to talk openly about the traumas they face every day on the front line, currently in Iraq and Afghanistan. These horrors are also shared by veterans who have served in any conflict, including the 2^nd World War, Northern Ireland, the Falklands & the Gulf.

Whilst on active duty, many soldiers are aware of feeling anxious, hyper-vigilant and nervous, every minute of every day. They know that they could die at any moment; the ordinary looking car in the street that they pass could be the one that blows up.

Being in this type of environment causes soldiers to form very close bonds with their colleagues. They frequently experience shock and grief when they lose friends in battle and for many it is like losing a family member. But they have to suppress their feelings and keep on being professional and hyper-vigilant.

On a regular basis soldiers are caught in confrontational clashes. These violent clashes occur both at day and night. Being shot at during the day is bad enough, but even worse at night. Not knowing where the shots are coming from naturally causes extreme panic as the soldiers feel less able to take self -protective measures.

They have to witness dying and dead people, ordinary citizens and colleagues and, when they are seeing these atrocities, they have to suppress any natural reaction to the trauma.

They are made to feel helpless by suicide bombers, because they don’t know who the enemy is. Every day there’s something to worry about and every day, our troops grow increasingly tense and extra vigilant.

Many soldiers experience terror when they knowingly have to walk into enemy territory – they are not given any choice – they feel trapped and they often are trapped by enemy forces. They may suffer injuries and still have to continue duty. They often have to kill or be killed.

It is not uncommon for soldiers on active duty to suffer from low morale. Many soldiers have reported their sense of helplessness when they witness their colleagues finally breaking down under the strain. They don’t feel safe anywhere and indeed they are not safe anywhere– the army bases are frequent targets for attack.

Their quality of sleep is seriously affected and because they are in a constant state of alert, they are unable to relax at all. They are not able to speak to their loved ones about their suffering or trauma at the time. On their return home, some veterans only tell of some of their experiences, not wanting to burden loved ones and many never speak of the atrocities they have faced. The internal pain and suffering gets buried deep inside the mind in an attempt to forget and get their lives back to normal.

A senior officer in the British Army told the Sunday Telegraph that our troops were extremely tired after fighting 25 major battles since May 2006, in temperatures of up to 50C.

“The men are knackered – they are on the brink of exhaustion. They are under considerable duress and have suffered great hardship,” he told the newspaper.

When soldiers return home from war, their suffering does not end. Many find that they are still unable to relax or sleep, they suffer from mood swings, outbursts of anger or severe depression, anxiety, low self esteem, flashbacks, and even though many vow to forget, they find they can’t stop their memories playing over and over again.

We owe it to our troops to support them and help them when they come back from war. Yet when they return home and try to rebuild their lives, they find that there is very little, if any, psychological help available on the NHS with very long waiting lists.

The longer that war veterans suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, the more deeply entrenched their symptoms become.

These symptoms of trauma do not go away unaided.

FAMILY MEMBERS

Family members of soldiers who have served in war zones do not escape unscathed. Seeing the changes in their loved ones can leave them feeling very helpless. They may encourage a loved one to share their experiences and suffering only to be met by anger or rejection. They may find themselves bearing the brunt of the extreme mood changes of their loved ones. They may find their sleep disturbed due to the nightmares their loved one suffers. They may find themselves ‘walking on eggshells’ trying to not upset their loved one.

Living under these conditions can lead to a breakdown in communication, depression, anxiety, resentment and ultimately, the end of a relationship that once meant the world to them.

Some family members never have a chance to see their loved one again. Instead of tears of joy when they return home, theirs are tears of grief. Bereaved family members may suffer from the torment of their sudden loss, or from not knowing if their loved one suffered. They may have unanswered questions regarding how they lost their life, they may be filled with anger, needing someone to blame or they may feel like their life is over too.

THOUGHT FIELD THERAPY

With Trauma Specialist

Sharon Hales

TFT. Dx – Diagnostic Practitioner

TFT is currently being used on the front lines for some of our troops, and by the trainers for some of the British Special forces in the Congo. They are reporting:

“TFT has worked miracles in getting individuals unstuck who seemed to be anchored by their experience.”…

”Thought Field Therapy has been the difference maker for the patients I have seen on the front lines.”

“For 25 years I have treated American war veterans suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. I have witnessed gallant efforts to keep a job, be members of a family, overcome homelessness and resist the temptation of suicide…I am very grateful to Dr. Callahan for his discovery of Thought Field Therapy. For too long a time, my patients and I have yearned for something like this. In my opinion, this gentle action technique is easily the best approach to thorough and enduring relief from this crippling psychological disorder.”
…Carl Johnson, PhD, Diplomat in Clinical Psychology, American Board of Professional Psychology, Program for Homeless Veterans, Martinsburg, West Virginia.

Thought Field Therapy can help you to feel back in control at a rapid pace. It is easy to use and can be used by you anywhere at any time. It simply involves tapping on acupuncture points with the fingers.

When meridian points are stimulated in this way, neurotransmitters are released into the body’s system which either strengthen or sedate the energy in the point. The traumatic experience will not be forgotten but you won’t feel  particularly emotional about it – the feeling will be more of an acceptance of your experience and yourself.

The great thing about this system is that the recovery rates from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder are extremely quick.

Recovery rates between 1 and 6 sessions are very common.

The positive results are long lasting and you won’t have to talk about your trauma if you don’t want to.

Sharon has 20 years experience of successfully treating

Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Cost: 1^st Session £50 for 1 ½ hours

Subsequent sessions £35 for 1 hour

Appointments: For further information or to book an appointment, please call:

PAX ( 0191 2515403