| A fact is a fact. Memory is a fact. War is a fact. | | | | Disorder (PTSD) participated. All 66 women were |
| Unfortunately for many veterans the latter two | | | | experiencing dysfunction in their lives due to |
| facts collide. Every soldier at some point leaves the | | | | flashbacks and memories from childhood and |
| battlefield, but the battlefield never leaves the soldier. | | | | adulthood trauma and abuse. All areas studied |
| After soldiers return state side, and stand down | | | | showed a significant decrease in level of pain related |
| from 24/7 battle readiness, vivid images of missions | | | | to their chosen flashbacks or memories. |
| they experienced begin to flash in their minds. These | | | | Within the studied population of the 66 women there |
| mental images are normal and are termed | | | | were 2 veterans of the Desert Storm War and 1 |
| "flashbacks". | | | | contractor who served support for the military during |
| Neurological research has proven that the brain | | | | the Iraq War. All three had chosen combat or war |
| processes traumatic memory differently than | | | | time memories and reported significant reduction in |
| non-traumatic memory. The human brain's job in | | | | the intensity and associated pain. |
| reference to non-traumatic memory is that of order | | | | Let's look at the case of one Navy veteran in the |
| and closure. Simply put, the brain receives all the | | | | pilot study. Her family had a long line of members |
| information from an event; it processes all the | | | | who had served in the military. She served 10 years |
| images, smells and sounds, achieves closure with the | | | | in the military and saw combat in the Desert Storm |
| associated emotions and then put the event into | | | | War. Her flashback was a result of one of her |
| long-term storage for future retrieval and replay. | | | | combat experiences. While part of a large supply |
| When the brain is faced with an intense traumatic | | | | convoy traveling into Iraq, the trucks she was |
| event, the processing is put on hold as well as the | | | | responsible for got off route. Separated from the |
| closure of associated emotions. The brains normal | | | | main convoy and making a course correction, they |
| function of order and storage is not achieved and | | | | were ambushed. In the firefight, she was wounded; |
| the imprint of the event remains active. At some | | | | another officer was killed along with ground soldiers. |
| point, the brain will bring the imprint back to | | | | Reinforcements helped them to win the firefight, get |
| consciousness in order to process the event, make | | | | the trucks and fallen brothers-in-arms out. After |
| emotional closure and integrate it into long-term | | | | months of physical rehabilitation an honorable |
| storage. | | | | discharge with commendations and return to civilian |
| Soldiers from every service are highly trained | | | | life, flashbacks of the ambush began to surface. The |
| professionals and when in battle mode, their brain | | | | reoccurring flashbacks caused her to experience |
| responds and functions differently. In the heat of | | | | agitation, guilt, bouts of deep depression, constant |
| battle a soldier's brain is so focused on completion | | | | anxiety, and shame for not completing her mission. |
| the mission that there is no time to process its | | | | She was overwhelmed with severe regret for not |
| impact or make closure. | | | | being home all her soldiers back alive. She went |
| An example of this can be seen through the | | | | through years of psychiatric hospitalizations and |
| experience of a close friend of mine who returned | | | | medication, yet the flashbacks continued. Her |
| from the Vietnam War. He was a well decorated and | | | | everyday life became dysfunctional, relationships |
| was involved in many battles during his two tours in | | | | failed, sleepless nights and unable to hold a job. Her |
| country. Initially his transition back into civilian life went | | | | days were full of anxiety, fear, and pain. |
| smoothly. He lived with his wife and went back to | | | | During one of her hospitalizations, she had the |
| work in his chosen profession. He lived in a large city | | | | opportunity to volunteer for the Rapid Reduction |
| where the police relied heavily on helicopters to patrol | | | | Technique pilot study. She picked her ambush |
| and less on squad cars. One evening it all changed. A | | | | flashback to use in the study. On her pre-test, on a |
| police helicopter began to circle low over | | | | scale of 0 to 4, with "0" being no pain or ability to |
| neighborhood looking for robbery suspect. That night | | | | function due to her flashback and "4" being intense |
| the police helicopter triggered him into a combat | | | | pain or inability to function, she rated all study areas |
| flashback. In his mind he was back in Vietnam. He felt | | | | at 4. The only area not rate at a 4 was spiritual pain. |
| that he along with his brothers-in-arms were under | | | | She stated that the ambush flashback had caused a |
| attack. He ran to his closet, pulled out his rifle, ran | | | | "loss of dignity, honor and direction". Reporting on the |
| outside into his backyard and began to fire at the | | | | post-test at conclusion of experiencing the Rapid |
| police helicopter. After that he had more combat | | | | Reduction Technique on her ambush flashback, she |
| flashbacks, slept less, became more anxious, and | | | | rated all 7 areas studied at "0". |
| used illegal drugs to attempt to stop the images. On | | | | What grew out of the pilot study from the success |
| another occasion his wife woke up with him holding a | | | | of the 2 veterans and one contractor participations |
| knife to her throat telling her to be silent or they | | | | was that Rapid Reduction Technique had possible |
| would be found. She left him the next day and did | | | | military application. A military guided protocol called |
| not return. Two months later he lost his job. Stories | | | | Rapid Reduction Technique - Combat (RRT-C) was |
| like this one were not uncommon for Vietnam | | | | developed that would help male and female soldiers. |
| Veterans. | | | | RRT-C has already helped two male Vietnam |
| Many stories just like the one above will happen again | | | | Veterans. |
| and again. America has a new generation of veterans | | | | One of the two was a 62 year old male Vietnam |
| (289,328) that have returned from Iraq and | | | | Veteran who had his voice box shattered when he |
| Afghanistan wars and each one have brought back | | | | was shot in the neck during a battle at the age of 19. |
| their combat memories. 106,726 (36.9%) veterans | | | | Years after his return to civilian life, he started to |
| received mental health diagnoses. 62,929 (21.8%) | | | | experience severe flashbacks of that battle. He |
| were diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder | | | | reported that the flashbacks would cause him to |
| (PTSD). In these days of specialization, why isn't | | | | have increased physical pain in his neck as well as |
| there a teachable skill that would target one memory | | | | emotional. He went through years of anxiety, fear, |
| at a time and help a veteran to process through their | | | | worthlessness and a feeling that he let himself and |
| combat flashbacks one by one? | | | | his buddies down by being shot. His life became very |
| Well there is. A guided protocol called Rapid Reduction | | | | dysfunctional. He lost his marriage, and his ability to |
| Technique (RRT) was developed to reduce the | | | | hold a job. He said he felt "worthless, disgraced and |
| effects of traumatic flashbacks and memories for | | | | an outcast." He gave up and isolated himself from |
| women who have been traumatized as well as | | | | society. He resorted to drugs and alcohol to medicate |
| abused women. The RRT has been used and studied | | | | his pain and cope with life. He went through years of |
| with this population for the past 9 years. RRT has | | | | being homeless with many admissions to psychiatric |
| been successful helping survivors reduce the intensity | | | | hospitalizations and substance abuse programs. |
| of the flashbacks, help in the processing all the | | | | Though difficult for him to communicate with others |
| images, smells and sounds, achieves closure with the | | | | through his electrolarynx, he volunteer to experience |
| associated emotions and facilitate storage into | | | | the Rapid Reduction Technique - Combat. He |
| long-term memory. RRT is a teachable and safe skill | | | | reported at the conclusion of his RRT-C experienced |
| which works on one memory at a time. RRT is | | | | on his combat flashback was that the emotional, |
| based on revisiting, not reliving or re-experiencing. | | | | physical and mental intensity of the flashback was |
| Flashbacks are an attempt of the brain to achieve | | | | significantly reduced. Week later, his memory of the |
| order. The RRT protocol teaches a survivor to bring | | | | battle only came up if he recalled it and when he did |
| a reoccurring flashback up to consciousness safely, | | | | not experience any pain. He gratefully stated "for the |
| work with the emotions associated with them and | | | | first time in my life since left Vietnam, I am finally |
| assist the brain in | | | | free." |
| One year ago a pilot study was conducted to see | | | | Of course Rapid Reduction Technique-C is not a cure |
| the effectiveness of the Rapid Reduction Technique. | | | | for PTSD, and more study on the RRT-C should be |
| The study looked at seven (7) areas of intrusive | | | | done, but there is promise. RRT-C has proven so far |
| traumatic flashbacks and memories. Those areas | | | | to be effective skill for veterans. It can be taught to |
| were; inability to function, strength of memory pain, | | | | veterans so they can take command of their combat |
| degree of triggering, level of emotional, physical, | | | | flashbacks and finally complete their mission, one |
| spiritual and audio pain. 66 women in an inpatient | | | | battlefield memory at a time. |
| setting with diagnoses of Post-traumatic Stress | | | | |