Category: Podcast Episodes

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011 – START A New Direction in 2014!

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What desires do you want to achieve in 2014?  Growth in getting a handle on PTSD?  Healing a relationship?  Starting a business?  Overcoming a fear that has been holding you back?  Dealing with a difficult work or home relationship?  Whatever it is, there is a set of goals and tools that can help you achieve your desires–one goal at a time.

2013 had some great moments.  It also had some challenging moments.  In 2104 we can START to turn our desires into tangible goals?

 In this episode we will:

  •  Explain why we have not had a show for the last three weeks.
  • Discuss: What We See Vs. What is Going On Inside
  •  Explore how to begin to turn our dreams into reality using the START process – A New Direction in 2014!

 Why was there no show for three weeks?

A few days after our last December show I had a heart attack.  It was a mild heart attack, as far as those things go.  I was blessed to be out of the hospital on Christmas eve.  It is good to be back!

START A New Direction In 2014!

A summery of START:

  • Set goals: discussed below
  • Tools: people, training, books, resources, equipment, techniques
  • Action Plan: who, what when, where and how
  • Run: Just do it!
  • Test: Ask the question: Am I achieving my goals?  Am I getting closer to achieving my objectives/desires?  If not, what needs to change?

 Set Goals:

  • Outcome and/or Performance
  • Specific
  • Measurable,
  • Time Sensitive,
  • Written and Shared

See the blog posts s on Change: part 1; part 2; part 3 for more information on the start process.

Our “issues” do not have to get the best of us in 2014.  There is hope and help.  We can take action and set goals in the Physical, Psychological and Spiritual aspects of our lives.  Let me know if you would like assistance turning your desires into goals.  Contact me: David@HealingTheWoundsOfWar.com

Question: Do you have a goal you would like to share with the community? 

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010 – Cannabis: Curse or Cure for PTSD?

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In this episode we will discuss:

  1. A report on 21 days of my gratitude exercise from episode 007 – Can Gratitude Save Your Life?
  2. Cannabis: Curse or Cure (or something in between) for PTSD

21 Days of Gratitude

  • Consistency was difficult
  • Helpful or not?

Medical Cannabis (Marijuana) Curse of Cure?

(List of topics and terms.  There are hours of research linked below.  I would love to hear your thoughts and credible resources you may find.  Please share them in the comments section.  Some of the journal articles only link to an abstract.  When that is the case, the full article is only available at a library that subscribes to the journal or for a fee.  Links to news reports about many of the articles is also provided.)

  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder involves a complex body/brain response – anxiety, intrusive memories (flashback, nightmares, anger, fear and other emotions
  • Full disclosure: I am not a medical doctor and none of this should be construed as medical advice.  Consult with your licensed healthcare provider for all your medical needs and guidance in making medical decisions.  Also, I never used cannabis.
  • Antidotal Reports: Billy Bob’s Smoke Blog – non-scientific, credibility questions, no check and balance to the facts or outcomes.
  • Scientific Evidence: more “objective” controlled, peer reviewed studies
  • Effects of Long-term/high use of cannabis = Study shows direct relation to decrease in memory, metal processing and intellectual markers even when sober.  There appears to be a direct link to duration and intensity to low performance on cognitive test for long-term and heavy users.  (Full JAMA article)
  • Brain chemistry and function (senses, emotion, memory, reasoning)
  • Developing Brain – The reasoning center does not complete until about the age 25!  Don’t mess with it!
  •  Medication for depression (SSRI) or other mental illnesses – Are they helpful for PTSD?
  • Cannabinoid Receptors (emotions, memory, appetite) CB1 and CB2
  • Endocannabinoids (cannabinoids produced by our bodies)
  • PET-image of brainPositron Emission Tomography (PET) scans of PTSD brains
  • Brains with PTSD show greater number of CB1 receptors in certain parts of the brain and a decreased anandamide concentration compared with subjects not diagnosed with PTSD  (Brain-Image Study at NYU)
  • Anandamide (an endocannabinoid produced by our bodies)
  • Researching ways to increase anadamide w/o causing damage and minimal side-effects
KDS-4103/URB597
KDS-4103/URB597

Other news articles and references:

Question: Do you think that the government should allow more research into the use of cannabis and its components in the treatment of PTSD and other disorders?  Why/Why not?

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009 – Substance Use Vs. Abuse: 3 Warning Signs

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In this episode we will discuss:

  • Substance Use/abuse and PTSD.
  • 3 Signs Substance Use has become Substance Abuse
  • 3 Strategies for dealing with Substance Use/Abuse

Substance Use/Abuse and PTSD

  • Both civilian and military suffers of PTSD are more likely to also deal with Substance Use Disorder (SUD), according the U.S. VA
  • Self-medication
  • Why?  Deal with intrusive memories (forget for a while), sleep problems, covering feelings of: anger, numbness, depression, etc.
  • http://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/pages/ptsd_substance_abuse_veterans.asp

The following is not an exclusive list.  Add your own thoughts to the comments.

Also, this is not intended to diagnose any mental or physical disorder.  This is based on the host’s experience with family members who suffered from substance use/abuse, his experience as a pastor/chaplain dealing with many individuals and families and his reading of the literature in the area of addiction.  Please consult a qualified healthcare provider for your specific needs.

Prefrontal cortex is the blue shaded area on the left of the diagram of the brain
Prefrontal cortex includes the blue shaded area on the left of the diagram of the brain.

[Special Note:  The adolescent brain is still in development until about the age of 25.  The region to last develop is the reasoning center of the Prefrontal Cortex.  Don’t mess with it!  Why is this so important for our discussion?  Some sufferers of PTSD are below the age of 25.  Much research show that illicit drug use at younger ages run significant additional potential psychological and neurological problems.  For more info: http://science.howstuffworks.com/life/teenage-brain1.htm]

3 Signs Substance Use has become Substance Abuse

  1.      Used to escape, avoid or “deal” with problems
  2.      Lying about or hiding use
  3.      Defensive about use

What can I do if I think substance use has become abuse in my life?

3 Strategies for Dealing with Substance Use/Abuse 

What can I do if I think substances use has become abuse in the life of a loved one, friend, or coworker?

  •  Individually (or with another) Confront:  Do this only when all are sober and there it is a safe environment with no risk of violence or abuse.  Also, be prepared for resistance, denial, defensiveness, other manipulative tactics and/or hostility.  A first discussion about substance abuse rarely result in the abuser willingly surrendering for the necessary help.  Be patient.
  • Set boundaries:  Let them know what is acceptable and unacceptable behavior in your presence, work or home.  They may deny the problem that does not mean that the problem does not exist.  It is important to let them know that how they are handling things in their life is affecting your life as well.  There are consequence for their choices.  Do not hesitate to get counsel on what would be healthy and reasonable boundaries for your specific situation.
  •  Intervention:  At some point you may determine that an intervention is necessary.  It may take a group of people who care for the individual to get through to them—especially if the first actions have not been successful.  Be prepared.  Make sure the group is on the same page.  It is extremely helpful to have someone experienced present at the intervention.  Make sure you have resources lined up to deal with the needs if the individual is ready to accept help.  For further help with an intervention read the following link from the Mayo Clinic http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/intervention/MH00127

Question: How has reaching out to help other assisted you in your journey?

[For a discussion of the medical distinction of use vs. abuse see: http://methoide.fcm.arizona.edu/infocenter/index.cfm?stid=201]

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008 “3 Reasons to Reach Out to Help”

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What role does helping others play in our own recovery process?

We will start out with an update of our 21 day gratitude experiment from last week’s episode: Can Gratitude Save Your Life?  

3 Reasons to Reach out: The Power of Outreach

[Note: You do not have to be a veteran and suffering from war related PTSD to help a veteran with moving forward in their lives.  The same is true for veterans.  What you learn through your battle with stress, anxiety and PTSD can benefit non-veterans.]

  • Gets focus off of you and your situation.
  • Reinforces what you already know.
  • It helps discover areas for improvement.
  1. Reaching out to others gets the focus off you and your situation.  It can be easy to become consumed with our own immediate and long-term problems.  Even in partial state of growth it is possible to reach out to other in need.  It fact we will always be in a partial state of growth.  Now may not be our moment to reach out.  We should reach out in an area that we have experienced some victory.
  2. Reinforce what you already know.  By reading out to others we strengthen the foundation we have been building the in RESTORE and START process.  We have the opportunity to teach another what we have learned from our resources (tools) and experience in applying those tools.
  3. At the same time we may discovers even more effective ways of addressing areas in our own life’s and situation.

Some quotes about helping others… (from www.GoodReads.com)

  • “No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.”  – Charles Dickens
  • “You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.” –  John Bunyan
  • “Non nobis solum nati sumus. (Not for ourselves alone are we born.)”  – Cicero

Listen to Devastation or Transformation for an overview of the START goal setting process.

Listen to RESTORE: 7 Practical Parts to the RESTORE process for a summary of the process.

  • Question: How has reaching out to help other assisted you in your journey?

 

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007 Can gratitude save your life?

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Hand writes the word thank you“90% your long-term happiness is predicted not by the external world, but by the way your brain processes the world.”  Dr. Shawn Achor, “The Happy Secret to Better Work” TEDx 2011

In today’s episode we:

  • Explore the power of gratitude
  • Consider what we can do to make use of gratitude
  • Discuss how science is trying to reshape memories.

Gratitude/Thankfulness  

  • Can gratitude save your…job, relationship, life?
  • What about medication?   What if after doing all the right things our brain still do not cooperate and gratitude seems out of reach?
  • Seeing the good, not ignoring the bad.  Gratitude does not deny the bad.
  • Can we change the wiring in our brain?
  • Can an attitude of gratitude help us with PTSD recovery?  It can.  As we adopt a mindset shaped by being able to see what is truly good in ourselves, others, and the world we are in a better position to deal with our traumatic experiences.

Reshaping Memories with Genetics… (see the post on Reshaping Memories)

Gratitude Experiments:

  1. 3 Gratitude Each Day for 21 Days
  2. Journaling One Positive Event Each Day
  3. Exercise
  4. Meditation
  5. Random Acts of Kindness: E-mail/send a positive note

I will be doing #1.

What one or two will you be doing?  What other ways have helped you maintain an attitude of gratitude?

Resources and References:

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006 – Devastation or Transformation?

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Can a seemingly devastating event lead to positive transformation?  Life will throw us many difficulties.  We can build a solid foundation to face whatever may come.  We can also build with whatever we have experienced.

In this episode we will discuss:

  • Devastating events
  • I share a little of my own Iraq story.
  • We look at another real life story: Joni Earechson Tada
  • Mind Set
  • How we can START to make a difference.

Mind Set

We bring all of who we are, good and bad, to the moment of any difficult event.

Is a quick fix always good for us?  Consider some research on lottery winners…

How we can START to make a difference?

  • Set Goal: Specific, measurable, time sensitive, written (outcome and performance goals)
  • Tools: people, training, resources, equipment and techniques
  • Action Plan: who, what, when, and where
  • Run: Just do it!
  • Test: Am I getter closer to achieving my goal? And is this goal getting me closer to achieving my objectives?

See my three recent blog posts on Change: part 1; part 2; part 3

Joni’s Video story – http://www.joniandfriends.org/television/id-rather-be-wheelchair-knowing-him/

Welcome to our Stitcher Radio listeners!

Leave us a comment:

What have you overcome?  What are you still trying to overcome?  Of contact me directly at david@HealingTheWoundsOfWar.com

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005 Suicide & 4 Practical Parts to Becoming Part of the Solution

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If you believe someone is considering suicide, is it OK to ask: “Are you thinking about committing suicide?” or other direct questions? This is one of the questions addressed in this episode.

Hopelessness seems to be overtaking an increasing number of people–veterans and civilians alike.  This is showing up in an ever increasing suicide rate.  We will discuss this difficult topic and look at some practical ways of addressing this issue.  There is hope!  We can take action.

Let’s get right into today’s topic: Suicide

– About 12 (to 14) per 100,000 death are from Suicide in the U.S. (CDC report from 2009)

– For the Veteran population it is more than double at 30 per 100,000  http://www.publicintegrity.org/2013/08/30/13292/suicide-rate-veterans-far-exceeds-civilian-population

  •                49,000 Veteran suicides between 2005 and 2011
  •                2012 VA study reports 8030 in the year 2010 (22 per day)
  •                Up from a previous study of 19 per day
  •                Suicide and PTSD

– The BBC reported that British Soldier suicide outpaced combat death in Afghanistan in 2012

               50 suicides (active + veterans) and 40 KIA

Civilian

  • Increase in the number of suicides from 1999-2010 affects all ages, genders and ethnic groups
  • In U.S. the number 10 leading cause of death among all age group, genders and ethnicities
  • 50 to 59 years old increased by about 49%

The loss from any to suicide is tragic.  However in the U.S. more men than women and more whites than any other ethnic group commit suicide.

White males most affected – Second leading cause of death ages 10-24.  The largest single teen group affected, 19 out of every 100 death, boys (white) ages 15-19.

People from all ethnicities, genders and age groups are increasingly losing hope and increasingly deciding to end their own lives.  Why the increase?  Let us know what you think in the comments section or leave us a voice message.

4 practical arts to become part of the solution…

Learn:

  •                Attend a seminar or class on suicide intervention such as:
  •                ASIST
  •                SafeTALK

 Some warning signs:

  • Increase/decreased sleep, eating, aggression (sings of depression)
  • Withdrawing for relationships and society
  •  Drug/Alcohol abuse
  • Talking about giving up, ending it all, never returning
  •  Possibly giving away possessions
  • Express a hopeless view of the future
  • Express feelings of worthlessness
  • Significant Loss: Relationship, Job, Identity, Ability

Look: for any of the warring sings (and many others) listed above.  Has your friend, coworker, child, spouse, gone through a major change?  Not every one that is depress or gone through a loss will commit suicide.

Listen: Listen for any warning sings.  Are they talking about death, dying, “going away” or any permanent change that raises any red flag?

Lead then to safety and to help.

  •                Doctor, psychologist, ER, ASIST trained cooworker, police, first responders,…
  •                Don’t ignore or dismiss the sings
  •                Don’t leave them alone
  •                Don’t be afraid to ask the question: “Are you planning/or going to commit suicide?”

In the U.S.

NationalSuicidePreventionLogo

 

 

 

 

Need help!  This is a list of crisis lines for several countries:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_suicide_crisis_lines

Share your thoughts with us!  Ideas, experiences…  What is your school, community, church, company or organization doing to help people in crisis?

Below is the Mayo Clinic Teen Suicide Prevention video.  It provides practical advice for any age group.

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004 Questioning God

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DopamineseratoninIn today’s episode we will:

1. We will explore the struggle that can arise in faith as a result of trauma.  We will consider the question: Is it OK to question God?  If so, how?

 

2. We will take a look at light…

  •  Does light really have the power to change our brains?
  • Impact of light on sleep problems, depression, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and possible connections to PTSD care.

Jumping right into our main topic for today: Questioning God

  •  Does God mind if we question him?
  •  What about doubts?
  •  What about people of faith from times past?
  • Consider Psalm 77 – He boldly expressed his concerns and…

 Science and the Brain:  In the light…

– Does light really have the power to impact and even change what is going on in our brains?

  •  Serotonin: important brain chemical – clear thinking, emotion control, sleep…
  •  How can we make more serotonin?
  •  How can we have our brains release it so that
  • Taking a walk in the daylight — even on a cloudy day. 
  •  Tryptophan: something you need to eat in order for your brain to make serotonin
  •   Extra Cautions…
  • > If you are on medication that can affect who your body responds to light.
  • > Too much UV light?  How much is too much for your skin and eyes? (ask your Doc.)
  • > You are already taking an antidepressant medication (SSRI or MAO) or other medication that affects your brain chemistry.
  • > Light/Skin/Eye sensitivity or problems

 Some “Light and Brain” Info:

 – How does a lack of sun affect us?, Science Channel – http://curiosity.discovery.com/question/affects-of-lack-of-sun

– Boosting Your Serotonin Activity, Psychology Today –  http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/prefrontal-nudity/201111/boosting-your-serotonin-activity

– Discovering Light Effects on the Brain, The American Journal of Psychiatry –  http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/article.aspx?articleID=96553

– Study suggests bright light therapy may improve sleep and brain function post mild TBI,  http://www.news-medical.net/news/20130601/Study-suggests-bright-light-therapy-may-improve-sleep-and-brain-function-post-mild-TBI.aspx

– Can light make us bright? Effects of light on cognition and sleep. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21531248

– Effect of sunlight and season on serotonin turnover in the brain, Lancet –  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12480364

– Unraveling the Sun’s Role in Depression, WebMD http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/news/20021205/unraveling-suns-role-in-depression

– http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_therapy

(NOTE: The following links are provided by way of reference only.  There are many resources available on the web and some may contain differing views, facts and opinions.  This podcast, and HART does not endorse any of the authors, their views or products.  This is only a sample of articles that you may find helpful.  Always investigate for yourself.  Always consult with your healthcare provider before making any changes that could impact your health.]

Thank you for listening!  Let a friend know.  We would appreciate it greatly if you would give us a 5 star rating in the ITunes store and share the good news.

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HTWW Episode 003 – Recognize

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In today’s episode we will:

  1.  Give a community update
  2.  Discuss in more detail the Recognize part of the RESTORE process
  3.  Talk about a potentially exciting treatment for the most server PTSD

More people connecting…

– We have over 275 people that have connected with us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HopeAndRestorationTeam

– Twitter: @PadreDavid

– Of course our website: HealingTheWoundsOfWar.com

  •  Leave a comment or a voice message
  •  Name, where you are calling from and a brief message or question (Please only question per message, but as many questions as you like.)

– Our community Talk line: 253-235-9165 (please only ask one question per call)

 On to our main topic of our show…the Recognize part of the RESTORE process.

  • Recognize and evaluate go hand-in-hand.  Remember, don’t get caught up in this process.  Our point is to get to a place to set a goal and move forward.
  •  We don’t diagnose PTSD or any other conditions.
  •  We can recognize that something is not right with ourselves or another.  It does not even need to rise to the level of something that would be diagnosed for us to reach out for help or to help.
  •  Getting help starts with Recognizing that there is an issue/opportunity
  •  What has changed?  What is different?
  •  May take weeks or sometimes years to have symptoms.
  •  It is normal to be affected by a traumatic experience!
  •  4 identified areas to Recognize…
  •  From VA public page: http://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/pages/symptoms_of_ptsd.asp

 Resource Spotlight:

  • in 2012, 22 US Veterans committed suicide each day!
  • US National Hotline: 1-800-273-8255

VeteransCrisisLine Banner Male2

  • for US Veterans – VA Hotline 1-800-273-8255 press 1
  • Do you know of a number in the country where you live?

Thank you for listening!  Let a friend know.  We would appreciate it greatly if you would give us a 5 star rating in the ITunes store and share the good news.

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002 – RESTORE: 7 Practical parts of the RESTORE process

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I am David Fell, your host for this podcast where we are building a community Hope and Restoration for all those dealing the Stress, Anxiety, Post Traumatic Stress and much more.

Each week we seek to inform, educate and yes, perhaps even entertain as we learn together how to live lives of victory!

In today’s episode we will:

  • Discuss ways to get connected to the community
  •  Give an overview of the RESTORE process
  • Talk about a potentially exciting treatment for the most server PTSD

So how do get connected?

> Leave a comment or a voice message   Name, where you are calling from and a brief message or question.  Please only question per message, but as many questions as you like.

On to our main topic of our show…a 10,000 foot overview of the RESTORE process…

Recognize: Issue (problem)/Opportunity

– What is not “right”, going well, in my body, thoughts, attitude, relationships, etc…?

Evaluate: Impact and Sources

  • Don’t get caught up in this part of the process!
  •  Sometime our situations are complex and need qualified outside assistance to work through. There are many qualified counselors/therapists skilled in different tried and proven techniques.
  • The purpose is not to answer every possible question or understand every aspect of the issue. Rather it is to help identify something for us to do, a goal we can set and achieve.

Example 1: Marc, 70 with High Blood Pressure….

Example 2: High anxiety in large crowds

START

– Set goal(s)

  • measurable, obtainable!
  • Let others help identify and define the goal; but they must be YOUR goals! You have to take ownership of the process.

– Tool: Gather tools and resources need to accomplish goal

> Friends, equipment, books (or other training material), doctor, therapist, coach…

– Action Plan: Goal and Tools in a concrete plan

> Who, What, When, Where and How

– Run with it!!! Execute the plan with confidence.

– Test: Is the plan leading me toward the goal, is this goal leading me toward the major objective.

Tune: Adjust and modify as necessary to accomplish goal

Overcome: Obstacles will arise; but they can be overcome. When we Recognize an obstacle we can Evaluate it and START to take action to overcome.

Reach Out to others: A key ingredient!

Evolve: Change and grow in Post-Traumatic Strength and Success

Science update:

NOTE: The following links are not endorsed by this podcast of the Hope and Restoration Team. All medical options should be done in consultation with your licensed medical provider.

Stellate Ganglion Block

Dr. Eugene Lipov

As of 2012 Livop has treated 65 people with variable success. Still under investigation.

Links to interesting articles and news reports….

Thank you for listening! Let a friend know. We would appreciate it greatly if you would give us a 5 star rating in the ITunes store and share the good news.

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