The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Program uses equine therapy to treat PTSD
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is a condition that typically occurs after someone has experienced trauma such as shocking events or a dangerous situation, and is not uncommon.
According to the National Center for PTSD, about 60 percent of men and 50 percent of women experience at least one trauma in their lives.
“PTSD can happen to anyone. It’s not a sign of weakness. A number of factors can increase the chance that someone will develop PTSD,” according to the National Center for PTSD website, www.ptsd.va.gov.
The National Center for PTSD list that about 7 to 8 percent of the population will have PTSD
at some point in their lives and that about 8 million adults have PTSD during a given year. This is just a small portion of those that have experienced a trauma in their lives.
Although the numbers vary by the era in which they served, veterans tend to have a higher rate of PTSD than those who do not serve. Contributing factors include combat and experiencing life-threatening situations, according to National Center for PTSD website.
For veterans who served in Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, between 11 to 20 percent develop PTSD. Gulf War Desert Storm veterans average about 12 percent.
It was originally estimated that 15 out of every 100 Vietnam veterans suffer form PTSD, but the most recent study, The National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Study conducted in the late 1980s showed that an estimated 30 percent of Vietnam veterans suffer from PTSD.
For this reason, programs like Operation Horses and Heroes exist.
OHH is a nonprofit program which host a threeday intensive therapy using Equine Assisted Psychotherapy program in five states: Illinois, Michigan, Georgia, Idaho and Ohio.
This is only the second year the program has taken place in Ohio. The OHH program is running now through Sept. 24, in Hambden Township at Hambden Hills Stables and has almost tripled its enrollment between last year and this year.
According to Susan Parker, an Air Force veteran and Operation Horses and Heroes vice president and co-founder, this particular program has three women enrolled which is a higher than the normal amount.
When asked if she thought there was an upsurge in the amount of female service members being diagnosed with PTSD, she said: “Yes and I think there are a lot of factors that contribute to that. Society is more accepting, like getting it, I think nurses in Vietnam had it, but there was no help, there was nothing, no recognition, they weren’t even rewarded for what they did.”
Parker also attributes more women going into the military and combat situations as contributing factors to more women being diagnosed with PTSD.
Donna Wray of Daneville, Virginia, who served in the Air Force for 20 years and saw multiple deployments before retiring in 2000, came to the OHH program because she has been alone her most of her life and with no military base near her and feeling like civilians just don’t understand the bond among military members or the military culture.
She is hoping this helps deal with the feeling of loneliness and brings her back to a place where I am comfortable.
Sharon Carey, of St. Angelo Texas, who spent eight years in the Air Force, came
to the program not only to support Wray but to deal with her own PTSD which is a result of a sexual attack while she was serving. Military Sexual Trauma can be a contributing factor of PTSD for both men and women.
“That was almost 20 years ago but it’s still things that hit us hard...I didn’t even deploy, but I dealt with stuff stateside that I should not of had to deal with,” she said.
Jinny Cash, learning assistant for OHH, says that it’s terrible for both men and women dealing with PTSD especially without a proper diagnosis and treatment.
Michael-Renee Godfrey, a 16-year Air Force combat veteran and PsyD, RN, LPC, DCC and equine assisted therapist, states that women tend to have to fight a lot harder to get a PTSD diagnosis.
“It affects every area of their life. I think that’s how it gets worse,” Godfrey said. “The PTSD itself might not get worse but if it’s not treated it’s not only affected them at home but it spills over into work and it spills over into their friendships. It just keeps going like a cancer.”
Participants at OHH
will have about four to five activities hours and then have debriefing sessions where they can process whatever issues came up for them and the clinician can help them through it. Activities hours involve working with but not riding the horses.
Participants benefits from working with the horses because they get real time healing because they can adjust in the moment like if there are real antsy, jittery the horse will not be close by so they learn to calm down and relax so they can work with the horse,” Godfrey said.
In addition, she notes they also learn teamwork, regain a little trust and learn to live in the moment.
There is no cost for veterans to participate in the OHH program. It is open to all veterans, active duty personnel and families, no horse experience is required,