PTSD An Explanation of Cause and Effect
At Canines With a Cause, our utmost concern is for the mental health of our Military Veteran program participants. Although we like to focus on the positive benefits of our Service Dog training programs, we feel obligated to help create public awareness on PTSD, it’s signs and how you can be supportive of those experiencing this debilitating disorder.
The suicide rate among military veterans is unacceptable, recent Veteran’s Administration reports an average of approximately 20 veteran suicides per day. Canines With a Cause is working tirelessly to reduce this appalling figure with each individual veteran who asks for help. We do not receive any funding from the VA, government grants or insurance sources. We rely on you, the general public to show your appreciation for what our military has risked for each one of us. Please show your support by making a tax deductible donation.
Overcoming psychiatric disorders such as PTSD, depression, severe anxiety and traumatic brain injury isn’t easy for most but with the support and backing of family and friends, and a desire to regain a stable and functional life, programs like ours can work in conjunction with medical and psychological therapies and many can achieve marked improvements in their quality of life. Canines With a Cause understands that a Service Dog is not a panacea, it is one tool of many that can vastly improve the day to day lives of those veterans who have experienced trauma during active duty.
From the website Helpyourselfhelpothers.org the following article relates what can cause PTSD and that it can happen to anyone at anytime.
“Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is the development of symptoms following exposure to a traumatic event. Any kind of extreme stress can lead to development of PTSD. Typically, it involves direct personal experience surrounding death or serious injury, witnessing a stressful event, or learning about an unexpected or violent death or injury to a loved one.
Traumatic events that can be experienced directly include assaults, serious car accidents, natural disasters such as an earthquake, personal assaults and abuse, terrorist attacks, and military combat.
You don’t have to be hurt to experience PTSD. Witnessing any type of personal or environmental disaster, being diagnosed with a life-threatening illness, or being threatened with violence or being hurt can lead to PTSD.”
If you know someone showing the signs of PTSD or suicide, here is a link with some steps to take to help. If the situation is urgent don’t wait, call 911 or your local suicide prevention Hotline. Help is available, help those who need it help themselves.
The concerned folks at military Pathways have created this infographic that explains causes, symptoms, effects and treatment options for PTSD.
Canines with a Cause Salt Lake City, Utah is a registered 501 (c)(3) Non Profit Organization Rescuing homeless and abandoned shelter dogs, training military Veterans with PTSD or other psychiatric disabilities to train their own service and assistance dogs and providing female prison inmates an opportunity to apply basic dog training skills to the dogs
