Transcendental Meditation May Help Stressed Vets
Bloomberg Businessweek
February 6, 2013
Written by Caroline Winter
Every 65 minutes, a U.S. military veteran committed suicide in 2010. That’s according to a comprehensive study released last Friday by the Department of Veteran Affairs, which tracked veteran suicides from 1999 to 2010 (PDF). Then there are the suicides of active-duty service members: Last year they outpaced combat deaths, hitting a record high of 349.
These alarming statistics—as well as such tragedies as last week’s murder of Chris Kyle, a highly decorated Navy SEAL sniper, by an ex-Marine—may be one reason why the U.S. military is exploring alternative means of preventing and treating post-traumatic stress disorder, known as PTSD. Among the alternatives is meditation. more
Study suggests meditation may help prevent PTSD
The Boston Globe
December 2, 2012
Written by Bryan Bender
NORTHFIELD, Vt. — It is part of a highly regimented daily routine at Norwich University, the nation’s oldest private military academy and a cultivator of battlefield leaders for nearly two centuries.
Dressed in combat fatigues and boots, a platoon of first-year cadets — “Rooks” — are up early in their barracks. On the orders of their instructor, the young men and women take their places. At 0800 sharp, they sit on wooden chairs in a circle and begin — to meditate. more
VA testing whether meditation can help treat PTSD
The Washington Post
May 4, 2012
Written by Steve Vogel
Seeking new ways to treat post-traumatic stress, the Department of Veterans Affairs is studying the use of transcendental meditation to help returning veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan.
Veterans Affairs’ $5.9 billion system for mental-health care is under sharp criticism, particularly after the release of an inspector general’s report last month that found that the department has greatly overstated how quickly it treats veterans seeking mental-health care. more
Coping with PTSD
Politico
May 3, 2012
Written by Richard W. Schneider
Developing military leaders who are smart, strong and courageous — both on and off of the battlefield — is essential. We are still learning how to create soldiers prepared for the emotional wounds of war. We need to teach coping skills to help these men and women reduce the terrible effects of post-traumatic stress disorder.
Veterans, who have experienced the horrors of war, are the most common sufferers. More than 500,000 returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan suffer from psychological injuries — including PTSD or major depression. more
VA testing whether meditation can help treat PTSD
The Washington Post
May 4, 2012
Written by Steve Vogel
Seeking new ways to treat post-traumatic stress, the Department of Veterans Affairs is studying the use of transcendental meditation to help returning veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan.
Veterans Affairs’ $5.9 billion system for mental-health care is under sharp criticism, particularly after the release of an inspector general’s report last month that found that the department has greatly overstated how quickly it treats veterans seeking mental-health care. more
Rooks experiment with meditation
The Norwich Guidon
October 5, 2011
Written by Thomas Carson
Norwich University has received a $40,000 grant from Foundations of America to conduct a study on how to lower stress among rooks. One rook platoon is using Transcendental Meditation (TM) twice a day, every day, to see if meditating helps, according to Dr. Peg Meyer, director of academic achievement and educational effectiveness.
“The big thing about the TM practice is that it is an individual tool, people will say, ‘What about a team performance or a platoon performance’ but it is really about what it does for you,” said Shelby Wallace, the director for student success. “I have been TM’ing for almost a year now this December, and it has definitely helped with a level of prioritization.” more
Veterans learn about meditation for treating post traumatic stress
Veterans learned about an old world technique called transcendental meditation as a treatment for post traumatic stress, which is growing in popularity and praise for it’s effectiveness.
WEAU 13 News
September 16, 2011
Written by Matt Hoffman
Studies show up to 35 percent of our veterans return home with post traumatic stress disorder. But an old world technique is being used in a new way to help veterans, and some say it’s having great success.
Veterans in Eau Claire heard from Jerry Yellin. He fought in World War Two as a fighter pilot, but when he returned home he couldn’t escape the horrors of war he experienced. more
Ruben Rosario: Recovered veteran’s latest mission: helping those like him
TwinCities.com
September 13, 2011
Written by Ruben Rosario
Jerry Yellin flew 19 hair-raising combat operations over Iwo Jima and Japan as a World War II P-51 Mustang fighter pilot. But one of the toughest missions the 87-year-old ever undertook came last year.
A family friend, Dory Klock, a married father of two and a U.S. Army veteran who fought in Bosnia, killed himself. Yellin knew the 32-year-old man was struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder and other issues. more
A Transcendental Cure for Post-Traumatic Stress
One study of soldiers showed a 50% reduction in symptoms after eight weeks of meditation.
The Wall Street Journal
Opinion
June 13, 2011
Written by David Lynch and Norman E. Rosenthal
War wounds come in many forms. Some are obvious, such as scars, gashes and amputations. Others, the psychological ones, are less visible but equally devastating. The numbers in this second group are staggering: The military’s latest mental health survey of combat troops in Afghanistan found that 20%—one in five—suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder.
People with combat-related PTSD often suffer from periods of emotional numbness and depression that may coexist or alternate with intense anxiety and delusional thinking. Their days may be afflicted by flashbacks to traumatic situations. Their nights are often disrupted by sleeplessness and nightmares, from which they awake drenched in sweat as though back on the battlefield. more
Just Say Om: Meditation May Alleviate PTSD Symptoms
Medscape News
June 13, 2011
Written by Deborah Brauser
Transcendental meditation (TM) may help alleviate symptoms of combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), new research suggests.
In a small pilot study of male veterans from Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, those who practiced TM showed a significant reduction in PTSD symptoms, significant increases in quality-of-life measures, and improvements in communication and sleep after 8 weeks. more
Alternative treatment promoted for soldiers
suffering from PTSD
CNN International
June 8, 2011
Written by Charley Keyes
Celebrities and a medical researcher want to convince the Defense Department this week that meditation could help the increasing number of military personnel suffering from post-traumatic stress.
Star-studded events in New York and Washington are bringing together people experienced in transcendental meditation with soldiers suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. more
Meditation Heals Military Vets With PTSD
ABC News
June 6, 2011
Written by Lara Salahi
For months, David George, 27, of Fairfield, Iowa, had been eyeing a pistol he saw at a local store.
In 2004, shortly after returning from Iraq, the former specialist in the 101st Airborne Division moved into his parents’ home in Maryland. At every noise, George, who owned a rifle, systematically moved from one room to the next to make sure the house was clear. The pistol, he thought, would make it easier. more
Transcendental Meditation Helps Vets with PTSD
Psych Central
June 2, 2011
Written by Rick Nauert
A recently published pilot study suggests the practice of Transcendental Meditation reduces symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Although the research employed a very small number of participants (n = 5), the veterans of the Iraq/Afghanistan wars showed a 50 percent reduction in their symptoms of PTSD after eight weeks of practicing Transcendental Meditation. more