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Alternative therapies helping veterans with PTSD

Fayetteville Observer - 9/21/2019

Sep. 21--A Florida-based organization has seen promising results using alternative therapies to treat former veterans with post traumatic stress disorder.

Veterans Alternative runs the Accelerated Wellness program, which has expanded into North Carolina. The intensive program includes Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), Integrative Restoration(iRest) and yoga.

ART is the main part of the program, which lasts four or five days. It is evidence-based and intended to foster rapid recovery by reprogramming how the brain stores traumatic memories and imagery, according to the organization's website.

"The therapy incorporates memory visualization techniques that are enhanced by the use of horizontal eye movements, as well as memory reconsolidation, a way in which new information is incorporated into existing memories," the website said.

iRest involves guided meditation meant to elicit deep relaxation, according to the website. It features a non-invasive, research and evidence-based, 10-step protocol that effectively alleviates post-traumatic stress and other problems, the site says.

"This in turn contributes to improvements in health, resiliency, and well-being," it said.

A Department of Defense study in 2006 found that 20 minutes of iRest is equal to two hours of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, according to the website.

Combat veteran Forest Spall was skeptical about the program initially. Now, he is a teacher in it and took part in one of the group's programs at Camp4Heroes in Fairmont last week.

Spall, a level one iRest teacher, said he first came to the Veterans Alternative program in 2015 seeking help with an ankle injury.

"Four years later, I'm teaching the practices that saved my life," he said.

Spall, who served at Fort Bragg from 1998 to 2000 in the 330th Transportation Battalion, said that because of his skepticism, he didn't agree to take part in the Accelerated Wellness program until nine months after he first came to the organization.

"Then I was, 'Why didn't I do this a long time ago?'" he said.

Batia Gold, a therapist for Veterans Alternative, said the group doesn't tell veterans they'll forget the events that brought on the post traumatic stress. Instead, the response to the memories changes.

"The negative sensations are separated," she said. "You no longer feel them."

Surveys by an independent agency after the program show that 46 percent of participants notice a decrease in their post traumatic stress, Gold said. The surveys also found that 56 percent are less depressed and 61 percent are less anxious, she said.

Gold said the Accelerated Wellness program combines therapies.

"It's a safe way to handle your trauma," she said.

During ART, those using the therapy don't have to talk about the event that brought on their post traumatic stress, Gold said. Many who went through traumatic events don't want to talk about it, she said.

But after the ART, many participants are willing to talk about the events because they're not reliving them, Gold said.

"They're just telling it like any other story," she said.

Gold said the therapies help the participants handle events that make them angry, such as traffic jams and fireworks. Spall said they have helped him recognize when he is about to get angry.

Matt Duffy, a veteran who spent about 25 of his 30 years at Fort Bragg, is North Carolina Operations Manager for Veterans Alternative. He said the Accelerated Wellness program helped him deal with post traumatic stress issues.

Duffy, who spent much of his career in the 3rd Special Forces Group, said that after deployments he would often get aggravated when he'd go to grocery stores. He said he would be upset because the people "didn't have situational awareness" in the store.

"I was used to having to be constantly on guard," he said. "It took me awhile to work through."

Phal Chom, who went through two combat deployments as a Marine, said he could tell the program had helped him after the first two days.

"It's a very different method than what I've experienced," he said. "I think it's much more beneficial."

Chom said other therapies gave him tools to help with post traumatic stress, but he was still having flashbacks and tense moments.

"I can see the effects of it as far as replacing that negative feeling with a more pleasant feeling," he said. "That, itself, helps me to manage it better."

Chom, who is based at Camp Lejeune and lives in Wilmington, said he plans to tell friends who are having post traumatic stress issues about the program. He also plans to speak to Marine officials about it.

"I can already tell it calmed me down," he said.

Duffy said the Accelerated Wellness program at Camp4Heroes was the organization's third in North Carolina. More are expected to be scheduled.

Veterans' spouses also can participate. Anyone interested in learning more about the program can go to http://veteransalternative.org.

Staff writer Steve DeVane can be reached at sdevane@fayobserver.com or 910-486-3572.

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