Thursday 15 December 2016

How Circle Of Change Helps Veterans Integrate Back Into Normal Civilian Life

By Nancy Martin


A significant majority of returning soldiers slip into a medical condition known as post-traumatic stress syndrome. PTSD results from adverse experiences in their missions abroad. Statistics have shown that many of the veterans resort to taking their lives or harming those closest to them. Researchers and therapists alike have suggested numerous approaches to help the service men and women battle PTSD. One of the remedies proposed by the organization known as the circle of change recommends giving the veterans a living companion in the form of a pet, preferably a dog.

The COC initiative is made possible thanks to the determined efforts of veterans and volunteers. The ideal candidates are the veterans who are physically challenged, those in transition and for individuals who are suffering from any adverse mental-related condition. Getting started is as easy and as straightforward as walking into any VA clinic or center and signing an agreement.

Psychiatrists have been unable to pinpoint with accuracy the visible signs of a person in need of PTSD counseling. The reason for this difficulty lies in the fact that people react to stress and depression in their unique ways. A huge majority of the veterans enrolled in the program; however, report having trouble sleeping owing to the recurrent nightmares they experience. The patients also experience an uncontrollable temperament which makes them a danger to themselves and others.

The approaches recommended are aimed at giving the veterans a second lease of life. If successful, the therapy ensures the service men and women get a chance to continue living a healthy and a functional life as they once did before their life-changing ordeals and experiences. Some people recover in a matter of months, others, however, take many months before they get over their excruciating nightmares.

Dogs are an important cornerstone of the treatment regimen offered by the organization mentioned here. It takes lots of patience and an immense amount of effort to break a troubled dog. This energy serves as a critical distraction for the service men and women. And, by the time they realize it they have already learned how to calm themselves and reintegrate back into the society.

Typically, the courses last for up to thirteen weeks. The course is broken down into two-hour weekly sessions wherein the students progressively learn how to tame the troubled dogs. The bonds and the connections with not just the dogs but with the other attendants as well is excellent when it comes to turning around the lives of the veterans for the better. It is also a useful income-generating skill they could use to make some money.

The organization is fast gaining a reputation for being a success story. Over the years, the non-profit organization has gone ahead and introduced other fun-filled, engaging activities for the returning service men and women. There are sporting events and get-togethers whereby the patients get a lovely chance to interact with each other as they share their ordeals. That, alone and by itself is a corrective measure which speeds up the recovery process.

To make the transition a complete success; the non-profit organization works hand in hand with other community partners. The volunteers are either people who have had someone in their lives who has PTSD or just generous souls interested in the well-being of the veterans. To get in touch with them, just stop by their official website and drop them a line with your question.




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