The Worst thing to ignore if someone you love has PTSD

This simple but effective technique is finding more and more skeptics turning to believers in the therapy world. EFT, or tapping, is easy to do, gives immediate relief and once you know how to do it, you can do it for yourself. So what's keeping the VA from adopting it TODAY? They want more studies.

Considering the massive amount of success that PTSD sufferers have had with this amazingly simple technique, we hope they get their studies done quickly.

Here is a quote from the article in Press Democrat.com about one man's experience...

To treat the post-traumatic stress disorder he's endured for four decades — the sleeplessness, the depression, the troubled relationships — Peter Tracy turned last year to tapping.

"It made a difference," said Tracy, 61, a Vietnam veteran. "I feel like I'm doing OK."

He said his Army service in Vietnam with a combat supply unit felt "like a nightmare I couldn't get out of."

Tapping, known formally as emotional freedom techniques, or EFT, is a therapy in which patients, guided by someone trained in the procedure, tap on acupressure points by the eye, over the lip, on the chest and under an arm. At the same time, the patient describes past traumas, ranks the intensity of the memory and repeats statements meant to affirm self- acceptance in the face of the experience.

For the entire article here is the link from PressDemocrat.com ...

http://www.eftuniverse.com/images/stories/6-4-10/pressdemovets.pdf

Only one in ten veterans who enters treatment for PTSD in the V.A. actually completes it.

This startling statistic should be an alarm that something needs to change in order for more vets to get the help they need for this life changing, debilitating condition. Two men have been in Washington D.C. this year trying to do just that!

On their first visit, Dawson Church and David Feinstein went, with a Second Lieutenant, to attempt to get Congress to set up hearings to plead the case that Energy Psychology is superior to conventional treatments for soldiers and veterans suffering with PTSD. Here is what Dr. Feinstein writes after finally getting in front of Congresswomen Lynn Woolsey.

Our presentation was brief but effective, centering around the Second Lieutenant telling of his story. While serving as a guard and medic in Iraq, he was able to psychologically mobilize himself to perform his duties like a model soldier. He had enlisted in the Army and was deployed to the “Triangle of Death” in Baghdad, where he served in 2006 and 2007. He attended to mass casualties and encountered many bloodied, burned, and dead bodies.  The first casualty he witnessed was a member of his unit who had half his head blown off.  It was a time when fellow soldiers were being kidnapped and beheaded.  At night, lying in his tent, in an area being heavily bombed, he explained what goes on in the mind:  “When the sound of a whizzing rocket fills the air, if you hear an explosion three seconds later, you are alive.  If you don’t, you are dead.”   

Upon returning to the U.S., safety did not provide comfort. In a classroom or other public setting, he would be calculating his response should there be an attack. Sirens were now the screams of approaching rockets.  An ebullient personality before the war, his inner life had become dry and restricted. He no longer found himself laughing.  He realized in retrospect that he had become dissociated from his body.  He gradually came to accept that his undiagnosed PTSD was his new way of life.  Having become an officer, and in training now to become a physician, he knew that reporting a psychological difficulty of this magnitude could have a devastating impact on his career. 

About a year after returning from Iraq, a friend commented on how he had changed. She offered to try a technique that she thought might be helpful.  This led to a three-hour session of EFT (a form of Energy Psychology) where he made a list of every trauma he experienced during the war. Giving a 0-to-10 “subjective units of distress” rating to the first item on his list, he reported that it was a 0.  He felt no distress in his (dissociated) body.  His friend had him tap on the memory anyway.  Within minutes he was sobbing, feeling the full impact of the memory, as high a 10 as could be imagined.  For three hours they went through and, by tapping on acupuncture points, emotionally neutralized every memory on his list.  He described how one of the first things he noticed as the session progressed was a return of sensation in his hands.  He said it was like he was back in his body.  By the end of that single session (followed by a brief follow-up session the next day), he was cured of all his symptoms of PTSD.  Now nearly two years later, although his friend would be happy to provide follow-up at any point, he has been his joyful self again, no longer hypervigilant, and in no need of further help. 

Dawson followed with a brief description of the research he has conducted demonstrating that the poignant story just told was not an isolated incident but rather an example of a reliable and unusually effective treatment for PTSD.  He described the Iraq Vets Stress Project, which has offered free Energy Psychology treatment to hundreds of veterans through an international network of more than 100 providers, with many VA therapists referring veterans for treatment. 

For the whole story go here! 

New film for PTSD Veterans released!

It's called OPERATION: Emotional Freedom.

I'm so excited it's finished. Here is a link to the web site where you can watch excerpts and buy a copy. I highly recommend this film. Thanks to Skywriter Communications for their work in getting this documentary out to the public. Here's a quote from that web site...

        "This groundbreaking documentary is a hard hitting look at the current state of health care for combat veterans in America diagnosed with PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder.) The film sets about examining the myths and misconceptions surrounding the medical/chemical approach to treating PTSD and why drugs are not "the answer" that pharmaceuticals promise. Instead, the film follows a group of volunteer vets and their families on a journey through a newer vision of health and healing for PTSD and trauma.

OPERATION: Emotional Freedom puts forward The Answer to enabling dysfunctional lives to return to balance, peace and productivity.

The project is the culmination of a two year process to document an innovative therapy for treating the physical and emotional effects arising in an increasing number of combat veterans and their families."

Finally some real solutions for this debilitating disorder. You can buy a dvd or watch it instantly on your computer. It's a tiny price to pay for changing a life!


thanks to wallyg for the photo!

Veterans PTSD documentary to be finished in May

great news, in spite of announcing his retirement, Gary Craig has given a potential date of May for the finished film on healing PTSD with veterans using EFT. Here's a quote from his most recent newsletter.


"Vets Movie: The vets movie is still in process.  Best estimate for availability is May of 2010.  I will announce it when it is ready."


I'll keep you posted and let you know how and where to go to find this DVD when it's finished!

Martin Luther King Jr. speaking for Vietnam Veterans

This very brief excerpt is from a speech given on 4 April 1967 by Nobel Peace Prize winner Martin Luther King Jr. He courageously spoke out against the wisdom of the Vietnam war. In support of the troops and the people on both sides but asking the government to reconsider the destructive actions they were forcing these men and women to take.

"I am as deeply concerned about our own troops there as anything else. For it occurs to me that what we are submitting them to in Vietnam is not simply the brutalizing process that goes on in any war where armies face each other and seek to destroy. We are adding cynicism to the process of death, for they must know after a short period there that none of the things we claim to be fighting for are really involved."

The rest of that speech can be found here...

A healing process was given momentum at the moment he spoke those words. Due to his popularity, it brought about an awareness. It also voiced an unpopular viewpoint. One shared by many but voiced by few. Remember, people were still being jailed for this kind of dissidence. But as he said when quoting the opening lines from the aims of an organization called 'Clergy and Laymen Concerned about Vietnam.'

" "A time comes when silence is betrayal." And that time has come for us in relation to Vietnam."

His influence can certainly be seen in the difference of the public opinion towards returning veterans today. The soldiers of the Gulf War, the Iraq War, and the War in Afghanistan have experienced a much different welcoming home than those from Vietnam.

The awareness of PTSD is also higher, it can be found on any nightly news channel, just about any night. So the time is ripe for getting this information into the hands of the people who need it the most. The veterans, family and friends of veterans. The suicide rate is off the charts and growing for the returning combat soldiers.

These new healing techniques may look wacky and you might wonder how they can possibly help, but traditional therapies just aren't working for enough veterans, fast enough. VA hospitals are overrun and underfunded. The advantage of many of these techniques is that they can be done at home, with books, tapes, on the phone or with a local practitioner. I encourage you to go thru these posts and find something that might work for you or someone you love!

So I'll leave you with...

"And if we will only make the right choice, we will be able to transform this pending cosmic elegy into a creative psalm of peace.

If we will make the right choice, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our world into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood."

"If they have served than they deserve service."

Happy Holidays Veterans!!!

If you're in the Boulder area, here is a generous offer from Dr. Ian Hollaman, at Red Tail Wellness Centers. He wants to give back to those who are giving to us. Dr. Ian is a board-certified chiropractor and licensed as a primary healthcare physician in the state of Colorado. And here is his what he is offering FOR FREE, to veterans and service people...

"My offer is a brief consultation, adjustment and 15 minute massage. I hope this can make their holidays a bit brighter."

Who needs body work by a competent chiropractor? Almost everybody. If you have: just returned from a tour or haven't been, PTSD or not, brain trauma or not, maybe only finished bootcamp, then you're a good candidate. Here's Dr. Ian's web site for more information on his practice... redtailwellness

Take advantage of this wonderful present, like Christmas cookies, it may not last long! And thank you to Dr. Ian for this generous gift.

TAT for healing combat trauma and PTSD

I was just browsing thru some favorite energy techniques tonight and came across this you tube video of a Vietnam Vet, who survived a helicopter crash. He is talking about how well TAT, (developed by Tapas Fleming) worked for him in dissolving that trauma. Like Gary Craig, Tapas has made her work available to the public free of charge. You can download the manual for free, then find a practitioner in your area to work with. This is another technique that works well over the phone, if you're in a remote area or prefer working at home.

Here's the video...

And here is the web site....
www.tatlife.com

I'd love to hear your comments if you have any success with this.

America's Heros at Work

Ok folks, for all you employers out there, here is a chance to fill out your ranks, help your community, while you are providing meaningful employment to a deserving veteran. This can help you add to your work force at the same time giving a veteran a means of providing for his or her family, (now that he or she has provided for our country.) It's a win-win situation and I highly recommend you to look into it if you are in need of skilled labor!

Hands-On Employment Pilot matches employers and veterans with TBI and/or PTSD
AmericasHeroesAtWork.gov

America's Heroes at Work has embarked on a new hands-on endeavor - an Employment Pilot designed to coordinate successful employment experiences for veterans with TBI and/or PTSD, while studying individual experiences. DOL's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) is managing this "learning lab" concept with support from workforce development professionals and a steering committee comprised of representatives from key federal partners. Through the Pilot, DOL will study, validate and disseminate best practices related to helping employees with TBI and/or PTSD succeed on the job. The initial phase of the Pilot will concentrate on employers and veterans located in the Greater Washington, D.C. area, all of whom will benefit from hands-on support. Workforce development professionals on the team will consult with organizations interested in employing veterans with TBI/PTSD, match them with qualified veteran workers, provide ongoing support; and monitor experiences and track best practices. For more information, visit the America's Heroes at Work Web site <http://www.americasheroesatwork.gov/employpilot.html> .

STRESS PROJECT.ORG

Here's a link to a list from the Iraq Vets Stress web site of

"VA Therapists offering Energy Psychology:

There are a number of therapists who work at Vets Centers, VA hospitals, military hospitals, or VA counseling centers, who are trained in Energy Psychology. Please note that some of these therapists work by phone as well as in person. This is a partial list. Please email us if you have additional names of such resources."

http://www.stressproject.org/vatherapists.html

The mere fact that VA hospitals are using these approaches is really exciting and goes a long way toward giving legitimacy for these 'new' therapies. The are using them because they are getting results.

Also if you feel you don't have the finances to fund this kind of therapy...

Multi City Iraq Vets PTSD Program:

If you're a combat veteran, you may qualify for get six FREE and completely confidential sessions of EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) coaching.

Several cities have therapists or life coaches offering EFT, and help is also available by phone. You fill in four quick one-page forms to determine if you're eligible for this fast and effective program. To see a 19 minute video of Vietnam and Iraq veterans speaking about their experiences click here. (please be aware that watching this video frequently brings up intense emotions).

To find a coach near you, please contact study coordinator Crystal Hawk. You will then be directed to the nearest coach who will send you forms to fill out to determine if you're eligible for this coaching. There are coaches in many cities, and many coaches work by telephone, so help is readily available.

Crystal Hawk, MEd
Phone 416-922-4325
Email Crystal

successful use of EFT with an Iraq Veteran after 3 tours in Iraq

Wondering if you or someone you love can ever get over those feelings of nightmares, flashbacks, chronic insomnia, irritable/angry, anxiety, hypervigilant, avoiding crowds?

Here is a real case of successful treatment in the hands of a competent therapist using EFT. This method DOES work, it's fast, it's easy and it's effective! It's drug free, it's inexpensive. And it's so exciting to see this kind of progress... someone who can with help, go from traumatized to calm, anxious to smiling, avoiding eye contact to making eye contact. Thank you to Gary Craig for developing EFT and to Sue Hannibal for sharing this story of your work with an Army Sergeant

By Sue Hannibal

Session one: Joshua 1/27/09

History: Army Sgt. age 27, 10 years in, male, three tours in Iraq - first tour 2003: 18 months, second tour 12 months, 2005-6, third tour 9 months, 2007-08 at which point he was MEDEVACed out for PTSD. He was sent to Landstuhl Army Medical Center in Germany for one week, then to Ft. Bragg, N.C. At Bragg he was given various drugs including anti-psychotics and anti-depressants, none of which helped. He’s not on any drugs at this date. He went to Army therapy for a year, most of which he described as "visualize about what happened and put a positive ending on it," which didn’t help. Symptoms he described: nightmares, flashbacks of three or four specific scenes, chronic insomnia, irritable/angry, anxiety/can't relax, hypervigilant, avoids crowds. At this date he is non-deployable and is on medical board list to be separated from the Army due to PTSD. He wants to heal and might stay in the Army.

Summary:

Joshua was referred by an Army doctor at Ft. Bragg. Two standard PTSD scales were administered prior to our first 90-minute session on Tues. Jan 27^th. PCL-M score 54, SA-45 score 99. The day after our session, Wednesday morning, he reported to the doctor and to me that he slept all night Tuesday without awakening and free of nightmares for the first time in over one year.

He came back for session two, three days later, on Friday... In the second session, we only did one round of tapping on a perception of never feeling safe in Iraq, but all other issues were already a zero. During treatment we addressed, in an indirect, non-retraumatizing way using the EFT Movie Technique, the worst memory of his entire time in Iraq, which occurred during the first tour - an ambush and fierce firefight where three soldiers were killed by RPGs in an unarmored humvee. His affect was nervous, subdued voice, shoulders forward, eyes down, fighting back tears and couldn't maintain eye contact with me.

His job was convoy security which was once a day seven days a week. He estimated the convoy was attacked four or five times per week, ranging from a spray of AK-47 bullets by an insurgent to IEDs (roadside bombs) to RPGs, (rock-propelled grenades) to full on ambushes. The first time he was in an IED attack, the humvee flipped over and he was thrown out of the back, lost his weapon and he had only his 9 mm handgun.

About 45 minutes into the session, we took a break. He reported that the charge on the ambush flashback/memory he titled "HELL" ("if that event was a movie, what would be the title?") was down to about a 4 or 5 from a 10+ on an intensity scale of 0 to 10. We continued treatment, his affect became more animated, he relaxed into the chair, smiled, eye contact began. At the end, when I asked what number on the 1 to 10 scale that HELL memory was now, he shrugged his shoulders, moved his head from side to side said, "I don't know, I feel really calm about it now, I think it's gone. I can remember what happened but I don't feel anything bad about it."

thanks to army.mil for the photo

The Treatment of Combat Trauma in Veterans Using EFT

by Dawson Church

The Treatment of Combat Trauma in Veterans using EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques): A Pilot Protocol. Traumatology, March

With a large number of US military service personnel coming back from Iraq with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and a variety of associated psychological problems, a need exists to find protocols and treatments that are effective for these conditions in brief treatment time frames. In this study, a sample of 11 veterans and family members were assessed for PTSD and other conditions. Evaluations were made using standard psychological evaluations, the SA-45 (Symptom Assessment 45) and the PCL-M (Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist – Military). The study used a time-series, within-subjects, repeated measures design. A baseline measurement was obtained thirty days prior to treatment, and immediately before treatment began. Subjects were then treated with a brief and novel exposure therapy, EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques), for five days with 2 to 3 hours of treatment per day. Statistically significant improvements in the SA-45 and PCL-M scores were found at post-test. These gains were maintained at both the 30- and 90-day follow-ups on the general symptom index, positive symptom total and the anxiety, somatization, phobic anxiety, and interpersonal sensitivity subscales of the SA-45, and on PTSD. The remaining SA-45 scales improved post test but were not consistently maintained at the 30- and 90-day follow-ups. In summary, after EFT treatment, the group no longer scored positive for PTSD, the severity and breadth of their psychological distress decreased significantly, and most of their gains held over time. This suggests that EFT can be an effective post-deployment intervention.

A PTSD audio self help program that might be worth trying.

Ptsd Relief Self-help Audio Program

Great news, here's another self help/non medication program for helping you get over PTSD. I can't review it since I haven't seen the program but the web site looks very convincing and it has a money back guarantee. So take a look and see what you think. If anyone has a review for me I'm very interested to hear peoples experience! However there are several on the website if you want to read some yourself.

This method doesn't seem to be created specifically for veterans, but if it works for anyone with PTSD, then veterans can certainly benefit from it!

Here's that link again....

Ptsd Relief Self-help Audio Program

Man Helps Fellow Vets Heal Through Horses

Here's another great healing tool available to veterans. It takes longer than EFT but can be a very powerful lifelong aid. Anybody who has animals can attest to the fact that they can really help make a bad day better. The list of studies with animals in care facilities, homes for the elderly, childrens hospitals all show very positive results. Thanks to CBS 4 Denver for the article.

Written By Tom Mustin

ELIZABETH, Colo. (CBS4) ― A local Vietnam veteran is using "horse power" to help his fellow soldiers recover from post traumatic stress disorder.

John Nash is using a practice called equine assisted psychotherapy. The treatment uses a horse's instinctive bond with humans to help the veterans heal emotionally and physically from life on the battlefield.

"Now there's hope. We're creating hope," says Nash.

CBS4's Tom Mustin spent the day at Nash's moon fall ranch in Elizabeth and watched the therapy in action.

"This is my passion. This is the only thing I want to do for the rest of my life," says Nash.

Two months ago Nash started "Combat Veterans Cowboy Up." The non-profit program includes classroom training and trail riding for veterans suffering from PTSD and other mental illnesses associated with combat. A certified psychotherapist is also on hand.

"The program will help them to trust again, help them integrate into society again," explains Nash. "Just increase their whole quality of life. That's the goal. The wounds that soldiers have with PTSD, you can't see but they are just as much a wound as a physical wound and in cases worse because it's unrelenting. It doesn't leave."

Nash has a special bond with his fellow veterans. He served in Vietnam with the Army's 1st cavalry. Three years ago he was diagnosed with severe depression and PTSD.

"I was at the very lowest I ever was. Pretty much ready to check out," he says.

Nash wandered into his barn and sat there for hours comforted only by his horse.

"The horse stayed by me with her head over me like she was protecting me, eventually she would nudge me like she was saying it's ok now you can go to bed."

Nash says he experienced right then the healing power of horses. He says it's a form of therapy that's become more and more accepted nationwide. He decided to use his experience to help his fellow vets.

Right now there are five veterans in the program including Navy veteran Denny Romero.

"This gets us away to where we feel we're free again and don't have to deal with any of the other stuff that goes on," says Romero.

Nash is planning to build a new arena and riding area to accommodate 50 veterans at a time. He says the group is running on a shoe string budget so any donations are greatly appreciated.

Meanwhile John Nash and his horses have "cowboyed up" to change lives.

"I am so proud to have fought for our country. I always was," he says. "This is my purpose. We wonder why we survived. I know now why I survived. It's to run this program and help as many as I can."

Additional Resources:

http://combatveteranscowboyup.org/

2 spaces left!

Ingrid Dinter writes...

The first ever:
EFT4Vets
Life seminar

watch the EFT for Combat Veterans video on www.eft4vets.com

Learn top notch EFT techniques, gain insights, enhance your effectiveness

Helping Veterans and their families heal

Hi Everyone,
this is the last reminder of the EFT4Vets workshop this Saturday.

This class has filled without much announcement, which is very exciting. There are two spaces left, if you are interested in joining us.

What is EFT4Vets:
EFT4Vets is an advanced EFT program for practitioners who wish to help Veterans who suffer from Combat Stress.

Using a combination of different media, coaching, in depth training with advanced EFT approaches, insights into the world of Veterans and a multitude of techniques to help them, I will help you feel prepared to working with Veterans and their families.

One of the Veterans I am working with has volunteered to do some sessions during the class, so that you can experience the power of EFT with Veterans.

We will use the manuscript of an e-book chapter that I wrote for Gary Craig. Part of this will be published in his new book about using EFT for PTSD. Here is the link on amazon, so that you can get a preview: http://www.amazon.com/EFT-PTSD-Gary-Craig

Please email me (ingrid@eft4vets.com) so that I can send you the information you need.

Looking forward to seeing you on Saturday!
Hugs
Ingrid

yet another VET getting relief from PTSD related symptoms!

Here's another successful treatment of combat PTSD of a veteran who had been at the V.A. seeking help. Thanks to Jan Luckenbach for sharing this story. If you don't know how to do the tapping she is talking about and would like to learn more here's a link...

http://www.emofree.com/get started for FREE

By Jan Luckenbach

I was asked to a cookout at a friend’s house and met Ron, one of her neighbors, at the party. At first glance, he had the look of a hollow eyed man that you see hanging around the corners downtown. His face was careworn and he had a depressed, miserable look to him. He managed a wan, toothless smile when I was introduced to him, and then he returned to picking at his plate of uneaten food.

I don’t know how the subject came up but he began telling me he went to the V.A. because he was having difficulty swallowing. They told him he had an ear infection and gave him antibiotics. That was 2 weeks ago and he hasn’t been able to eat or drink much since. He was in terrible agony every time he swallowed. He even went to the emergency room at one point because the pain was so intense that he couldn’t even drink water. I told him I could show him something that MIGHT be able to help him. At this point, I think he would have stood on his head if he thought it would help.

We adjourned to his apartment next door and I carefully explained the EFT process. We went through all the points and I tapped along with him. After telling me some of his history, of alcoholism, his wife’s suicide, some terrible war memories, PTSD, insomnia and other assorted ailments, I realized he was in need of professional help. He said he was being seen at the V.A. for his problems. (I am a former Psych Nurse, so I really understood him.)

So, as he brought up some of these issues, we tapped generally using the set-up “Even though I have this memory…” I felt it would give him some practice in the tapping procedure and it might free up some of his energy. As we tapped and he became more comfortable with the process, I decided to tap on his inability to swallow.

His eyes nearly bugged out of his head when for the first time in 2 weeks he could swallow without pain after one round of tapping. After tapping on forgiving the doctors for not being able to help him, he smiled at me and said he didn’t believe it.

His whole countenance had changed. Gone were his furrowed brow and painful expression. He said even the trembling in his hands was better, holding out a barely moving hand. He said he couldn’t write because of the “shakes” and now that had improved as well.

He was hesitant to try eating because he was afraid that the pain would come back. I explained if it did, there might be something else that he had to tap on, as I had explained earlier. He seemed to understand and went to test the healing.

He very gingerly took a sip of water and looked at me with gratitude. No pain! He smiled and decided to eat a piece of cheesecake. I could see that the pain had not returned. Even though he was essentially fasting for 2 weeks, I will never forget the look of sheer pleasure he had on his face when he took that first delicious bite of blueberry cheesecake and swallowed without pain.

Jan Luckenbach

Have you seen this clip? It's VERY exciting news on healing PTSD for Vets.

It's VERY encouraging. Families, if your vet can't or won't get help right now...have faith, watch this video on actual filmed evidence of the effectiveness of this technique.

Gary Craig writes..."In March of this year 5 EFT experts and myself spent 5 days helping PTSD ridden war vets. The impressive results were all captured on film and a preliminary video is now available for you to view. A grander version, including more recent follow-ups, should be available within 3 months." Here's that link Help with PTSD for veterans

It's 19 minutes of information on how and why this new method of healing works so well. Not airy fairy ideas but hard facts and actual interviews. So families- watch this video without your vet first, then have your vet watch it with you if you think they are able to. THERE IS A SOLUTION! And many practitioners are offering their time free of charge for veterans and military spouses.
thanks to Tom T. for the photo!

EFT healing Military Sexual Trauma for a non-combat veteran.

Thanks to Ingrid Dinter for sharing this story of a women veteran (we'll call Joanna) who has suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and her progress with Emotional Freedom Technique. This is only a part of the story, for the full article click here.

“ Joanna ” is a non-combat veteran with severe PTSD who has been on medical disability since 1993. In addition to her PTSD, Joanna suffered from severe Military Sexual Trauma (MST) and childhood sexual trauma. When Joanna agreed to try EFT, she did so out of a sense of desperation.

She was open to alternative healing and had tried many things, but nothing had truly brought her the relief she wanted and needed. I remember the first conversation with her being full of resentment and mistrust about EFT. She was willing to give it a try though, to work on her sleep issues, so we connected.

Joanna had excelled as a female in the military, being the first ever woman to join a very tough elite troop. Rescuing others from life threatening situations, she had to put her life at risk often several times a day, and it was usually the night when they got the most calls to rescue someone.

So Joanne had learned that the night wasn’t safe.

In addition to the resentment against her father, she suffered from many rapes, some by relatives of friends, and some within the military. There was so much harassment in her life, that she at some point just shrug her shoulders about it. After an accident, she was finally bullied out of her job.

So we had a lot of clean up to do.

here's what Joanne had to say after her first appointment...

“I managed not to wake up last night and slept the whole night through. YEA!! Yesterday, I noticed that I wanted to "pick-up" my old emotional trauma/baggage around the accident in 1993. I kept revisiting the accident and after our EFT session the emotional trauma/baggage was gone. Yet I kept wanting to find the old baggage because it has been with me for so long, it’s comfortable and it’s what I know and it felt awkward and exposed without it. I recognized what I was doing and did some self-talk, self-encouragement and was able to just let myself be without trying to re-find of my emotional baggage by treating myself with love and compassion.”

Joanne had seen many casualties and people dying in very drastic situations, but the molestation topped them all. So we took several events from her childhood and, again, released the emotional intensity she felt about them.

In my experience, many Veterans and people with PTSD symptoms never feel that they arrive in the present. They keep reliving their trauma from years ago, and their minds function as if the trauma was still happening. So they feel threatened in their daily life, surrounding themselves with weapons and defense mechanisms. Joanna was no different.

However, when we put the time in between, she realized that her life for the past fifteen years had been very different that the beginning of her life. She realized that she had been safe and, even though she was well prepared to defend herself, she never had to use her weapon.

So it was appropriate for her to assume that her life was different and safe now, and she could allow herself to relax.

In her email after the fourth session, she described the results of our work as follows:

“Here is my 15th day of my sleep log.

I am doing well. I went to bed after using EFT again on my sleep. I went to bed and slept well without any prescription medication to sleep. I also didn't wake up at any time during the night. I felt safer and more at peace when I went to bed than ever before. I realized that I carry over my sleep deficient. If I didn't "get enough sleep", I'd carry it over to the next day and think "I need to make up for it tonight" and I'd be anxious to "make sure I sleep enough tonight." Using EFT before I went to bed last night, I reminded myself that I have choices and that there are no rules about sleeping. I also tapped on releasing my old beliefs about sleeping and let my body be the gauge of how much sleep I get every night. I felt lighter and more at peace after tapping and went to bed. Slept soundly. Still tired and sleepy, yet somewhat refreshed. I think this EFT is working.”

Joanna realized that she had joined the army to learn the techniques she needed to keep herself safe, a direct consequence of the constant threat she lived under as a child and adolescent. So we tapped on her finding peace with that reality and claiming her power back from her past.

I asked Joanne if she was willing to write a testimonial about her healing experience, and here is her personal report:

“Ingrid,

I had already tried group counseling; PTSD awareness training; Veteran’s Administration individual counseling for many years; Transcendental Meditation; metaphysical training (including candle magic, crystal and gemstone magic, and numerology); herbology and herbal remedies; Vimala Handwriting by Vimala Rogers; astrology; Native American healing beliefs; prescribed pharmaceuticals; Western medicine; chiropractic care; New Age healing techniques such as pendulum dowsing and chakra cleansing; University of New Mexico PTSD Sleep Study and Nightmare Reduction; Veteran’s Administration Group therapy many times; nutritional education; self-help books; and almost any other suggestion by any health care worker.

“I still couldn’t fall asleep. I couldn’t remain asleep without waking up repeatedly during the night. And I was plagued by repeated traumatic nightmares every night. Sleep was my enemy and I fought it every night, waking up exhausted and tired. I obsessed about sleep because I was always in sleep deficit. I would get very distressed if I stayed up late, yet couldn’t seem to go to bed until late because I dreaded the nightmares. I wouldn’t take naps during the day because it would make getting to sleep more difficult at night. The things that I tried helped very little.

I gave EFT a chance and I was thrilled with the results. Within two sessions, I felt myself release all the associated trauma, emotions, and obsessions that interfered with my sleep. Sleep became an easy and gentle activity free from worry and fretting. No longer am I afraid of going to sleep or of even how much sleep I receive. Today I let my body tell me when to sleep instead of rigorously following a clock. Sleep today is a joy that refreshes my body and rejuvenates my soul. I wake up earlier than I used to and I need less sleep than before. Sometimes the associated old beliefs about sleep come up but now I utilize EFT to release them. Quick. Easy. Gentle. No more nightmares. No more fighting sleep.”

It was not easy for Joanna to get started and trust such a different technique and healing approach, and she can be very proud of herself for hanging in there and not giving into her fears and resentment before she allowed EFT to do it’s magic.

A statistical background:

To be able to monitor Joanne’s progress,, I asked her to fill out an informed consent form and keep a daily sleep journal. We also used two well established, standardized research tools: The SA-45 and the PCL-M, both of which are explained on my website.

Results:

Within ten days and four EFT sessions, “Joanna’s” SA-45 score fell from 162 before the first session to 97 after the last. Her PCL-M score fell from 76 to 47 (a score of 50 and higher is considered PTSD for military personnel).

Joanna and I will have some more cleanups to do in relation to her military experiences and the chronic physical pain that she feels. But this is a great start!

New Treatment for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Delivers Rapid, Long Lasting Results for Iraqi War Veterans--No Drugs Necessary

San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) -- Stanford engineer Gary Craig introduces EFT, a new "acupuncture without needles" technique for helping Iraqi War Veterans gain relief from their Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

EFT stands for Emotional Freedom Techniques and involves the stimulation of certain meridian points on the body by tapping on them with the fingertips. This stimulation has been clinically shown in thousands of cases to dramatically reduce, or completely eliminate, the sting of trauma.

"Conventional psychology has been looking in the wrong place for clues to the PTSD puzzle," says Craig. "We have found repeatedly that the nightmares, sweats and intrusive memories of our war veterans occur because their war memories disrupt the proper flow of their bodies' subtle energies."

"Once these energies have been properly balanced," maintains Craig, "the war veteran couldn't get upset about the memory if s/he tried. This is also true for other emotional issues including phobias, grief, rape, depression and anger."

Susan Hannibal is a San Diego therapist and consistent user of EFT who often feels frustrated with the military's use of conventional and ineffective methods for PTSD. "One of the biggest problems facing our military today is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder," she says, "but no one in authority wants to break new ground and use the most effective treatment available."

"Even when they don't sustain physical injuries," says Hannibal, "their lives can go into a tailspin. Traumatic memories are an underlying cause of health problems, social isolation, domestic violence, divorce, alcohol and drug abuse, and shattered families."

Everyone agrees that conventional treatments do little to help. Psychiatric drugs can dull or numb PTSD symptoms, but drugs have side effects and do nothing to address the disorder's underlying cause. Conventional talk therapy can even make the problem worse by reinforcing traumatic memories.

But Hannibal and other EFT practitioners worldwide routinely neutralize haunting memories - in soldiers, accident or abuse victims, and survivors of disasters - in record time. The simple EFT process often does its job in one or two sessions and, in some cases, has done it in minutes.

One of Hannibal's clients is Navy Corpsman Wilbur Hurley. Just before leaving Iraq, he had to deal with a young Marine's suicide. That event triggered memories of a murder-suicide Hurley witnessed as a child, and he began having vivid nightmares. Returning home, he isolated himself from friends and family and suffered debilitating anxiety attacks, flashbacks, auditory hallucinations, anger, and irritability.

Hurley's symptoms disappeared when Hannibal taught him EFT. After his first session, which Hannibal videotaped, Hurley left her office singing. "It was pretty much the greatest day of my life," he said. Even when he concentrated on the worst events he witnessed in Ramadi, he couldn't find a single memory that bothered him.

Corpsman Hurley has remained free of PTSD symptoms since his three-session treatment in December 2004.

Results like these don't surprise Gary Craig. In 1994, Craig and a colleague visited a Veterans Administration hospital in California, where they worked on-camera with six Vietnam War veterans.

"These men hadn't had a moment's peace in 20 years," says Craig. "Their lives revolved around their terrifying memories." But after just a few minutes of tapping, all of the men experienced profound release.

"Traumatic memories and phobias usually respond quickly to EFT," he says, "and the results are often permanent. EFT not only prevents post-traumatic memories from causing problems, it successfully treats memories that are decades old."

Despite the dramatic results achieved by patients at the VA hospital, says Craig, none of the staff were interested.

Today the Department of Veterans Affairs pays compensation for PTSD to nearly twice as many veterans as it did six years ago, at an annual cost of $4.3 billion. Most recent applicants are Vietnam War veterans.

"It would be wonderful if military chaplains, counselors, and psychologists learned EFT and taught it to everyone," says Hannibal, "but it's so different from what they're used to that no one knows what to make of it."

In addition, she says, there is still a bias against seeking help in all branches of the military. "It's cultural conditioning," she says. "It's unfortunate."

The EFT basics can be learned by anyone by downloading the free EFT Manual from Craig's website at

http://www.emofree.com/downloadeftmanual.asp

EFT for Iraq veterans suffering from PTSD for FREE!!!!!

More good news from Gary Craig and the EFT team. This help is free and in the California area. With so many bases, this is a great place to have this project available to veterans wanting to heal the post traumatic stress symptoms that they may be suffering. If you or someone you know or love is having a hard time getting life back to normal after Iraq or Afghanistan, get to LA or San Francisco and get some help! The e-mail to Eric Huurre is below and good luck!!

EFT for our Iraq vets--no charge: As you may know, we have been filming some spectacular results with our PTSD burdened war veterans. Nightmares have faded, sleep has improved, intrusive thoughts and flashbacks have been minimized, etc. We are looking to complete this project with Iraq vets located in the Los Angeles or San Francisco areas. To be eligible, you must have recent Iraq/Afghanistan combat experience and be diagnosed with PTSD. Gary Craig and/or an EFT expert will work with you personally on camera without any cost to you whatsoever. If interested please write to our film's producer, Eric Huurre, at eric@skywriter.ca. Please write with some details about yourself or the person you are recommending for consideration. We are particularly interested in veterans with spouses or partners who would be prepared to appear on camera and also undergo EFT treatments on camera. Your story could help the lives of multitudes of your combat brothers and sisters.

PTSD treatment successful for retired soldier

This just in from healing innovator Tapas Fleming. Tapas Acupressure Technique^® or TAT^® is is a leading-edge healing technique to end stress, create vibrant good health and live a happy life. Tapas has developed this technique that is AMAZINGLY easy to do and has excellent results with traumatic stress sufferers. The link at the bottom of the article will take you to her site where you can download a free manual that will walk you through how to use TAT for traumas. So from her latest newsletter...


Dear Friends,

Brian Davis came to the workshop for combat veterans just to prove that we were wrong – he planned to call us down for offering something that wouldn’t help soldiers. The first night of the workshop, he decided to work on the very worst trauma that ever happened to him in combat. Right after he returned for the second night, he told us that he had dreamed of his children for the first time ever and that he’d slept well for the first time in years. He explained that previously, he’d typically wake up 15 times a night in one combat situation or another, pace through his home, sleep restlessly again and finally greet the day in a torn up bed. Now, the bedding next to him was smooth and unruffled from his peaceful sleep. Our team was in tears hearing that he’d dreamt of his children. Click here to read his story in more detail as reported in the local Columbus, Georgia newspaper.

We’re grateful to the local community for supporting this workshop. It was a privilege to join the soldiers, their spouses and children in this life-changing journey.

Love,
Tapas

If that sounds interesting to you I encourage you to try out this technique for yourself. It can help everything from PTSD to the stress of living with someone who has Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. click here for FREE BOOKLET then let me know how you do with it!