Legal Help for Veterans blog.
News and Press, PTSD
Veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may find relief with a new and surprising form of therapy. A clinical psychologist at the University of Southern California Institute of Creative Technologies is using virtual reality to treat the condition. Dr. Albert “Skip” Rizzo spent over a decade designing 14 virtual reality worlds to help veterans […]
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Mental Health, News and Press
Around 20 veterans nationwide committed suicide each day in 2014, according to new statistics released by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in July. The information highlights the mental health crisis facing veterans today. The veteran suicide rate in the United States has commonly been quoted as an estimated 22 per day. Although the figure has been […]
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Medical Issues / Disability, News and Press
Sleep is an essential part of a person’s wellbeing. However, many veterans are not getting the sleep they need. Recent research shows sleep disorders have increased six-fold among former service members over the past decade. The largest rise in sleep problems has been linked with patients who have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), combat experience or […]
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News and Press, Veterans Law
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is facing criticism for a controversial proposal that would allow highly trained advanced practice nurses to treat veterans without a physician’s oversight. The agency said the plan is part of an overall effort to improve veterans’ access to VA health care by reducing long wait times. Patients have […]
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News and Press
Fourteen headstones at a historic cemetery in Flat Rock, Michigan, were destroyed on the eve of Memorial Day weekend. Some of the graves belonged to veterans of wars in the early to mid-1800s. The cemetery was the original burial site of Revolutionary War veteran Michael Vreeland and his descendants who served in the military. Vreeland […]
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Mental Health, News and Press, PTSD
Nearly one-third of veterans who experience trauma are at a higher risk for depression, substance abuse or suicide even though they do not meet all the criteria for a post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnosis. The findings of a Yale study highlight the need for doctors to be vigilant when assessing and treating PTSD symptoms in […]
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News and Press, PTSD
A study is being conducted to figure out if smoking marijuana can help relieve the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. To help confirm the researcher’s hypothesis, the study will require that 76 combat veterans smoke up to two joints a day for 12 weeks. The $2.2 million study will be conducted at Johns Hopkins University […]
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Medical Issues / Disability, Mental Health, News and Press, PTSD, Veterans Law
Kristina Derro Veteran Advocate The University of Michigan and the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System teamed up to study the effects of mindfulness training among veterans suffering from PTSD; the positive results of the study came as a surprise even to the researchers. Mindfulness training can be thought of as a form of meditation and […]
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Mental Health, News and Press
Following Mental Health Awareness Month in May, the Michigan Veterans Affair Agency (MVAA) is encouraging veterans to use a free online mental health screening tool. The agency is offering the tool in collaboration with Screening for Mental Health, a nonprofit organization that provides various mental health and substance abuse resources. Veterans can use the tool […]
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Medical Issues / Disability, News and Press
Long wait times in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system and having VA health insurance could be the reasons veterans are more likely to delay seeking necessary health care in comparison to the general population. Researchers Doohee Lee of Marshall University and Charles E. Begley of the University of Texas Health Science […]
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