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Subscribe to RSSFor years Raymond Galmiche, 64, had nightmares about his two deployments to Vietnam as a tanker in the Army. He would awake with the mattress soaked in sweat and spend hours playing solitaire until he could fall asleep again.
The haunting memories also came in the form of daytime flashbacks in which he might spend 20 minutes lost in another time and place.
Galmiche, who retired from the Army in 1986 after 20 years of service, was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder in 2002. Though he attended counseling sessions and took medication during the following years, he says he did not find profound relief from his symptoms until being matched with a PTSD service dog last September.
Galmiche received Dazzle, a German Shepherd, through a research study at the James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital in Tampa, Fla. The study is evaluating whether or not symptoms improve when a veteran is paired with a PTSD service dog.
During their first night together, Galmiche began to have a nightmare and Dazzle licked his face then tapped a paw on his chest, a task the dog was trained to perform. When Galmiche awoke, Dazzle nuzzled against him and the two quickly fell asleep.
"It blew me away," Galmiche told NBC News. "I can talk with just about any social worker, counselor, my closest friend, a psychologist, and as much as they can get it ... the dog looks in my eyes and seems to understand what my real basic need is. It’s that self-worth that makes me feel a private pride, something that I thought I’d lost a long time ago."
Galmiche prays that others like him will have the same experience, but many challenges remain to providing PTSD service dogs to veterans on wide-scale basis.
Though stories like Galmiche's are becoming more common, few of the service dogs trained annually are specifically for PTSD patients. There have been no double-blind, randomized controlled trials — the gold standard for studying medical interventions — on the benefits of a service dog for PTSD patients. There are also no widely accepted standards or best practices for training dogs to alleviate PTSD symptoms, a point of concern for many traditional service dog organizations, some of which have been in the industry for decades.
At the veterans' hospital in Tampa, a team of epidemiologists, mental health providers, veterinarians and other experts are conducting a study that will address some of these questions. Seventeen participants enrolled in the program over the past year, though Congress -- which recommended the study -- permitted the Department of Veterans Affairs to match as many as 200 with service dogs.
While many are eager for the three-year study to deliver scientific research that will demonstrate benefits and help create a framework for training PTSD service dogs, there have been some challenges. The study was temporarily suspended from January to June after a young girl was bitten by a dog. VA declined to be interviewed about the study, but told NBC News that the project resumed after it increased monitoring through phone calls and home visits by the researchers and service dog providers.
The study is the first of its kind at VA; the agency only just began providing benefits for service dogs to veterans with physical disabilities in 2001 and had previously done a handful of small studies looking at whether veterans benefits from mobility and hearing service dogs. The research hinted that some veterans with service dogs might have improved affect but the results were limited.
Before the most recent study even began, it sparked a debate among experts in the field. Federal law requires that service animals perform specific tasks to assist with a disability, and organizations that train service dogs have spent years identifying and refining appropriate tasks and training techniques. The idea that a dog can assist with a so-called invisible disability, however, has many in the field skeptical.
"There is a view I guess from some people that PTSD dogs are therapy dogs because there is no manifestation of physical disability that you can see," said Michael Sapp Sr., CEO of Paws With A Cause in Wayland, Mich. The distinction is important as a therapy dog is not considered a service animal under the American Disabilities Act, and is not granted the same access to public and private buildings.
Sapp said that Paws With A Cause learned of the VA study in Tampa last year and was reluctant to participate because the organization lacked in-depth knowledge of PTSD and how symptoms might be ameliorated by a service dog. Paws With A Cause had previously explored providing service dogs to children with autism and spent a year-and-a-half interviewing families, visiting schools for autistic children and conducting surveys before it felt comfortable training dogs for that purpose.
Sapp is also concerned about the proliferation of upstart organizations that are trying to meet the growing demand for PTSD service dogs, but don't have years of experience in the field and aren't accredited by Assistance Dogs International, one of the industry's only standard-setting groups. Matching a service dog to the right owner takes time, Sapp said, and should be followed up regularly with evaluations for both the animal and the client. That requires resources and infrastructure that many newer organizations lack, Sapp said.
Dr. Elspeth Cameron Ritchie, a retired colonel who served in the Office of the U.S. Army Surgeon General until 2010, told NBC News that using service dogs for PTSD may require a new way of looking at training. It might be that a classically-trained service dog or a shelter animal could be taught PTSD-related tasks. The fear in the field and what's behind the "active dispute" among experts, Ritchie said, is that "you have to be very careful, because if you’ve got an untrained or poorly trained dog, then you’re skewing it for other dogs."
The VA study had partnered with three service dog organizations, two of which were ADI accredited and have since left the project. Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs, Inc., in Williston, Fla., has been the only one of the three original providers to continue with the VA study, and matched Galmiche with Dazzle.
Carol Borden, the organization's executive director, said her staff provides 500 to 1,500 hours of rigorous training for the animals over a six to 24-month period. They have trained PTSD service dogs for the past three years, teaching them to help ground a client during an anxiety episode, awaken a client from a nightmare and remind a client to take medication, among other tasks.
Borden has witnessed dramatic turnarounds in many veterans' lives once matched with a dog.
"The results are very immediate, they’re very quick," Borden told NBC News. "It’s not a cure, but they are able to manage their challenges much better than they have in years."
Borden said the demand for PTSD service dogs is far more than her organization can handle; most people on her four-year waiting list have requested a dog for that purpose.
An estimated 13 to 20 percent of the more than 2.6 million service members who served in Iraq or Afghanistan since 2001 have or may develop PTSD, creating a pool of possible patients as large as 520,000 people. Even if a fraction of those veterans could benefit from a PTSD service dog, there is no pipeline to provide them in a consistent, safe manner.
The anecdotal success stories are compelling, but researchers are still trying to understand how the relationship works.
Rick Yount, founder of Warrior Canine Connection, believes his service dog training program may help provide insight into how treatment could work.
Patients with PTSD don't receive a service dog in WCC, but instead train them to assist another veteran with physical disabilities. After participating in a 2008 training program at a VA residential PTSD treatment center, many veterans reported better emotional and impulse control, decreased depression, lowered stress levels, improved sleep and more "in the moment" thinking.
Yount attributes the improvements partly to the opportunity for veterans to participate in a "mission" for other wounded warriors. The sense of purpose helps, but there may also be neurobiological effects of interacting with an animal; research has shown that when focus is on petting and playing with a dog, it can increase oxytocin, a brain chemical that boosts trust and quiets the brain's fear response.
"It may not be as fantastic-looking as having a dog pulling a wheelchair," Yount said, "but the results are pretty fantastic when you talk to a vet who can live a normal lifestyle because he has a dog."
Yount argues that it might even be more effective to allow PTSD patients to train a dog before receiving one.
"They have to convince the dog the world is a safe place, rather than letting the dog prove to them that the world is a safe place," Yount said. For some, that difference could lead to a greater sense of independence and perhaps such a marked improvement in their symptoms that they wouldn't require a service dog.
Yount and his research partner, Meg Daley Olmert, are designing a study to test the benefits of training service dogs. In the meantime, they are working with the National Intrepid Center of Excellence, located on the campus of the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, to help establish a set of guidelines for how service dogs can be used to help veterans. They hope that eventually the Department of Defense will create a training corps staffed by PTSD patients that could offer both therapy as well as a solution to the shortage of service dogs.
Both agree that research into this field warrants federal support and must go beyond the efforts of small nonprofits to meet the demand. It will also require people to change the way they've traditionally thought of service dogs to encompass the invisible wounds of war or service.
For Galmiche, participating in the VA study has been life-changing. With Dazzle at his side to alert Galmiche to potential threats or people who approach too quickly, he now feels comfortable going out in public. Galmiche has also strengthened his relationship with his children after ending a painful period of isolation in which he had little communication with them for more than two years.
"He’s there for me constantly, everywhere I go, everything I do," Galmiche said. "It’s like the brotherhood I had in Vietnam where we counted on each other for everything. This dog gives me the same sense."
Rebecca Ruiz is a reporter at NBC News and a 2011-2012 Rosalynn Carter Mental Health Journalism Fellow. Follow her on Twitter here.
Update: This article originally misstated that all three of the organizations participating in the VA study were not accredited by ADI.
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I've seen programs where people who are incarcerated for non-violent crimes train service dogs. I'm all for this program because in the end it helps the trainers and the person who gets the dog.
A high school classmate of my husbands just got his master's degree in social work and wants to work at the VA with vets returning from the Middle East. In all honesty, he has no business doing this as he's never served and has no idea what these men and women have been through.
I don't know about the rest of you, but a pet's love and affection is unconditional. My dogs may not be happy when I leave, but when I come home, they are at the door, tails wagging, and have completely forgotten that I was even gone. Humans don't have the same capacity for automatic forgiveness that most dogs do. I love my husband and he loves me, but our dogs love us both more. Such is life....
I suffer from PTSD & have found special relationship(s) with Dogs very quieting and therapeutic, have a gaggle of Irish Wolfhounds, with at least one laying near and/or on part of me every night. In the odd times I've awoke with nightmares the hound's sense it and will be licking my legs,face, arms etc ... & they are a natural paw-er. My 90 y.o. father served 1941-1971 saw action in 3 Wars, has and to this day sleeps with a Dog in his bed. Only difference it's a Yorkie now for him but it naturally responds anytime he is in or shows distress. Personally, can't think of a more natural way to deal with the stresses associated with PTSD and sleep. Most the drugs the VA passes out are harsh and have significant side affects and adverse reactions. Seems the more we learn the more we discover it isn't so complicated after all! The good Lord, or nature( for the non-believer) has and does provide most everything we need.
live in san diego---we cali people take a lot of heat for being ''different''. you can walk in almost any store with a dog and no one will stop you. supermarkets and retail stores just don' get upset by it. dogs are well behaved and are not a problem. this may be specific to san diego but it works here.
Good job breaking the law there Granny. There are penalties in California for bringing your pet into a grocery store.
The Republicians and the VA want to remove the D, from PTSD that way if it is not a disorder then the government is not responsible for the injury. Like one candidate in Missouri say he fought for armor plating on the Hummer's, the last I heard the driver's where digging thru the junk piles in Iraq and Afganistan for any kind or Armer plating. George W. Bush promised the troops they would get bullet proof Vest, I think the troops are still waiting for them. And the Republician's are cutting Veteran Benefits by the dozen. Our military count is down, we haven't won a war since WW2, but you enlisted know that ever General that retires is grant a 100% disabilityand you are going to end up with nothing in the end. The VA and I parted years ago, becuase although the people who work in the clinic's show caring to the Veteran's the people incharge in Atlanta could care less about you, they will do anything including lying to get you to get you to give up.
It's great and I'm happy to hear the dogs help. I have therapy cats (started off as one cat, long story) and while they've added to my life tremendously, now they only add to my anxiety problems. Turns out one had a congenital heart problem. He nearly didn't make it past his first year, and I've been living the 4 1/2 years since (he's now 5 1/2) constantly being told that he won't be around for much longer. Now he really won't be around for much longer as he is clearly in the end-stages of heart disease. I love him with my entire being and it's put me through bouts of depression, anxiety and panic attacks. The opposite of what I originally got them for. I know it will completely break my heart when he finally goes. So given all this, how will these people with PTSD fair when their canine saviors meet the inevitable? (Again, I wouldn't trade my experience for the world, but it's still a fair question.)
Cat whisperer, perhaps you just have to go on with the same dignity that your pet showed you. Most people who own pets are very aware that their life expectancies are much shorter than humans. I have lost pets in my life as well and it's hard when they pass. You keep them in your heart, memories, photos etc..And yes, you miss them and there is deep sadness when they go just like when we lose human companions, friends and family. Death is the natural conclusion of life for every living creature. When your ready, get another pet. There are also companies that sell pet health insurance. I have a credit care that is specifically for medical isues that you generally don't always have or have adequate insurance for including vet care.. Maybe you can check into a card like that. Mines called carecredit and you can look it up online. Am very sorry for your bad experience and loss. I hope that you can get another pet someday and find solace. Good luck.
Of course they will feel a loss but the question is, can the service dog help them now? If they want one, it probably will help them and tomorrow may have to take care of itself.
First of all, the VA lives in the Dark Ages. Secondly, ALL domesticated animals can make great therapists, It is not just dogs. Mini horses are being\b used to visit people in hospitals and nursing homes now. We have lots of visitors who visit our equine sanctuary tell us how much just being with the horses, mules, and burros helps them. And our nearest VA will not even bring the PTSD guys for visits where they go out with the resident animals. No cost except the van to bring them here. They do agree that theraputic riding is beneficial, and that lets out a whole lot of vets who are afraids to ride. How about some studies to find out why the VA is run by such closed minded people.
Go with the vet's opinion, if you have ever been to a VA hospital you'll know why 3 of the companies providing the dogs dropped out.
I don't mean to sound insensitive about PTSD disorders but in my opinion they are probably right. Those dogs would help some of those people. A good number of soldiers from Vietnam to Iraq and Afghan. have neen complaining of having PTSD, and many, many of these soldiers were no where near combat. So in my opinion, and I'm no Dr. or anything like that, only have served in the military, but to me some of these people seem really, really lonely. And to me that's why these dogs help. I personaly know one person quite well who claims to have PTSD. This person has been no closer to combat then your average 7th grader but yet he still claims to be suffering from PTSD.
To give you an example of what type of person this guy is this is what he did to be able to join the VFW. Since you have to be a veteran of a foreign war to be able to join. Since he signed his military enlistment papers on the day the Vietnam War ended he argued that he was part of the military that served during a foreign war. So therefore he should be allowed into the VFW. Since technically he was part of the military in the time of a foreign war they let him join. Big mistake, he actually drove 3 members to quit by his non stop lies about his "outstanding service". Because of guys like him and his claims of PTSD, it really is hard for me to take seriously all of the other cases. I'm sure there really are people out there who are really suffering from it but I'm also pretty sure those "guys" were in some heavy combat.
One last question, where are all the PTSD guys from WW2? The guys that fought Hitler and the Japs? Who lived through some of the most horrific moments in human history. Where are those PTSD guys? Maybe they were just a different breed back then. Don't they know if they just claim PTSD they can get awarded money for their "injury"? Get with it WW2 Vets! It's free money, all you have to do is cry a little and say how scared you were. Ha, could you imagine one guy from the 101st or 82nd Airborne crying about PTSD? Doesn't fit in my mind, those guys were tough as nails...
redbundy,
You are an idiot! You have no clue as to what PTSD is, nor do you know anything about the World War II vets. They had the same problems with PTSD as we later vets do. The difference, it was called "Combat Fatigue!" They suffered in silence, because their problems did not receive the attention that is given to modern day vets and PTSD. Combat Fatigue casualties were rampent during WWII, many even sent home from the war because of it. True, they were "Americas' Greatest Generation!" There will never be another like them, Americas' youth of today, have had it too easy, and they are soft and stupid, not to mention the drug use.
I think that one reason WWII vets may not have experienced as much stress, is that they got a lot more messages of support from the folks back home. It was a more popular war. Women knit for them. They were considered heroes. Personally I'd like to just bring all our vets back home right now. So long as they are still there I think they deserve a lot more support from the government, the VA and the American people. If they want dogs, I say give them dogs.
Vets pick up a lot of dog poo with their hand in a plastic bag? Or do they have to hire a poo handler for that as well? I'm sure the pound has millions of dogs & cats, Vets can receive for free - no need for the taxpayer to spend $2,000 on a "special mutt". Lay off the booze, drugs, & cigs - magically your PTSD will be cured, mine was.
Grow up and get over yourself bobs.
I am a Vietnam veteran that returned from Vietnam, the last time, Dec 1967. Not long afterwards, I started having problems with PTSD, however at the time, I did not understand what was happening to me. I was in denial for several years, meanwhile the PTSD was taking over my life, especially when I started having the Anxiety attacks on a daily basis. My life became a living hell, and I went into a deep depression, that continued for many years. I question my sanity many times, yet I knew that I was not insane. I learned to cope, somewhat, with the depression, and the Anxiety attacks, but I had no life, and spent many hours in Emergency Rooms, being checked out for heart mattacks and such. Sometimes, I could go for a few days without having an attack, but as soon as I ran into a stressful situation, I would have an attack. Other times, an attack would come on, right out of the blue, many times while driving, and there were times an atack would occur while I was traveling on my motorcycle. I would be enjoying myself emmensely, cruising down the highway, usually at a high rate of speed. It would be all I could do, to slow down, and get my bike stopped on the side of the highway, while I waited for the attacks to subside. I was a complete mess.
I retired from the Army after twent-five years, and once I was free of the stressful situation of being a career soldier, things improved a lot. HGoweever, the Anxiety attacks would continue to haunt me for a long time, until.... I retired again..., from the US Postal service, another major stressful period of my life, bought a farm with the money I had saved while working at the Postal Service (15 years). I found myself sittting in the middle of a 300 acre farm, but I was a bit lonely, with my wife still trying to work out the ramaining time for her retirement, so...I decided to get a dog, a Pomeranian. Fom that point in time forward, I felt a change happening to me. One dog led to another, then another, some rescues that I would find discarded along the highway somewhere, always came home with me. I was always a sucker for a lost, abused, neglected, or cast away dog, anytime I came across one along the way. I even found a small terrier type, still in his battered wire cage, alongside the highway. Obviously he and his cage had blown out of the back of a truck. He was battered and sore, but otherwise alright. The cage,...well it didn't survive the beating it took as it bounced along the highway, finally ending up in the ditch. Now, twenty-seven dogs later, I find myself surrounded by unconditional love, devotion, and unwavering loyality. It doesn't get any better than that!
You know something else? It costs me a mint to provide for all my dog's needs...vet bills, vaccinations, and all that, but guess what? It is worth it! Wanna know why? Somewhere along the way, my PTSD went away...! Keeping up with my dogs needs, and all the rest, has given me no time to think about the horrors of war, the flashbacks, and etc... Oh, I still have an occassional Anxiety attack, but I have learned how to stop it from becoming full blown...I just grab a dog or two, and by the time they get through loving on me, the attacks are gone. You don't have to train a dog to help a vet, a dogs know what to do instinctivly.
Help a Vet..., give him a dog, however, I do feel that the vet should be evaluated to ensure that he is capable of being a responsible dog owner.
I wish to God you had gotten a dog immediately. God bless you for finding the solution on your own. You do make a good point, that dog ownership is a two way street and a dog does need care too.
It totally makes sense to me that a dog giving unconditional love toward his or her master would have an immediate effect upon the anxiety of the individual. Dogs just seem to naturally care and be aware of their human companions well-being.
I can totally see a pet being a great tool for helping people in emotional distress. Pets tend to be empathic, and know when you need a friend, or a wet nose. And dogs are as faithful a friend as you will ever have. Nothing but steady love, and always ready to forgive. Exactly what these guys need.
Im not surprised at all. I know several people whos pets are what got them through tragedy.
"The gift that I am sending you is called a dog....and is in fact, the most precious and valuable possession of mankind."
Theodorus Gaza
Why is annectodal evidence not enough for pairing a vet with "mans best friend" not good enough to get this program into serious gear. Dogs have enriched my families lives for as long as I have been alive.
Do your research silly govt programs, get yourt white paper published and reviewed in 5 years and then start some approved training centers with protocols whatever.
For now allow these brave men and women who were forced to act against their humanity, lessons learned while being raised as children, etc. have a great companion that may just make all of this bareable and help them reenter life in a way that makes them comfortable.
Drugs and treatment are used "off label" all the time. Why in the hell cant a dog or cat!!!!!!!!!!!
Support those who have protected our lives and freedoms.
Although I am not a Veteran I do have PTSD. Are there any avenues for a non-Veteran to follow in order to find a PTSD dog? I am mentally disabled since 1995 and have a very limited income. I would give my life in order to be able to trust and love anything in this world. Thank You for any help you may be able to provide. This article has brought me to tears with the hope that I can get better one day.
Perhaps you don't need a specially trained service dog. Perhaps a dog from a shelter would provide the love that would be so helpful for you. Why don't you consider this? A calm, adult dog from a shelter might be just the thing and what a good deed you would be doing too.
I agree with Janet.. At least go to your local shelter and visit. You might be surprised to go home with a new loving best friend.
Janet, while you may be correct, it may be that like many of us with PTSD, Maureen has a lot of difficulty in public places. Dogs who are trained specifically to help with the associated issues of PTSD/anxiety can do much to give us back some semblance of independence/normalcy.
In all likelihood, it is probably true that the benefits of a non-service/pet dog are plenty helpful as well. I know that in the last 20 years that I have dealt (or not) with having these issues that my darkest days have been the ones without dogs. Dogs are excellent at helping us discern reality from hallucination, and they have less "side" effects than the myriad drugs that we are often prescribed in their stead.
This is a program that is overdue. We can take the money being stolen from us by pakistan and finance all these programs.
Please help us save veterans lives by preventing militsary veteran suicide. Help get them the help they deserve by signing the petition. PLEASE HELP US HELP THEM!!!!!!!!! Prevent Veteran Suicide by Addressing the Hidden Wounds of War Before Service Members Leave The Military at change . org
Thank you and God Bless
One problem with veterans gaining access to mental health counseling lies with the VA not allowing mental health counselors to provide treatment due to some funding issues. Yet they allow social workers and psychologists under some strict guidelines to provide treatment. They need to expand their efforts to help veterans and using service pets to assist with PTSD sounds like a great idea based on this article. If research is lagging then they simply need to provide more of these pets so as to build a body of evidence for the effectiveness. It seems to be working well for the veteran in this article!
VA research is lagging. There is actually a lot of research and documentation of service dogs helping mitigate the issues associated with PTSD. This article is a little misleading in that respect.
The problem seems to be that the VA, much like many civilians, would rather not acknowledge disabilities that cannot be seen just walking down the street. The unfortunate thing about PTSD is that there is a tendency for drug therapies to not be very affective. Many of us with psychotic manifestations DEPEND on things like our dogs to help us stay connected to reality
well,, re Carol the lawyer,, "underdog" is good!,..and I get asked/told the same at times, "you dont look disabled", I admit at times I am tempted to rip off my clothes and show them the 4 plus ft of scars and my artificial limb, but I just say;"why thank you, I will take that as a compliment" and watch their bemusement,..it is funny, at that! point anyways,..some very good comments here this am, well done people,,a few insensitives as well,,I wonder if they know that their insensitive comments on this topic can cost some his or her life??.. perhaps not, eh?..anyways,,PTSD and dogs,, actually for those of us who are sufferers and study the problem intensly for solutions, this makes perfect sense,, the worst part of PTSD is the sense of being "dis-connected" from the rest of the world,. it is there, but you are not a part of it,,,Connecting, via an animal or another method, is the only! therapy that actually works, its not instant, but it does happen,..I was fortunate to get connected via my very! intelligent and very! dedicated doctor, to others who recognised the problem and actually SHOWED IT! to me,, and then pointed out some solutions,,saved my life,..you bet!!..My injuries were/are of a type that I get re traumatised by very high level pain,..the original accident was the first cause, but the high level pain is an ongoing one as well,,I spent many years very highly disabled, had "round legs" for many of them, spent years learning to walk again[more extreme pain, but it worked]..I can easily empathise with others and trauma and its effects,..it is reality for some us,, so be it!!.. thank heaven for my docs and the training or we would not be having this conversation at all,..we are, all of us, very much into solutions,,there is a bio feedback method of showing the reasons for the disconnect that can help many, also,, calm, easy, music is a big help[[uses neuro-plasticity to re-wire the brain, works!]..Living a calm stress free life is very!! important,,, as is identifying exactly who and especially what! the sufferer is! and doing that thing,,,whatever it is,..is very important as well,,well meaning, but uninformed "advice" can often be very dangerous,, for example,,"re-living" the trauma is the very worst thing you can do,..your unconscious person does actualy "relive" it, and that is harmfull,,the brain tends to do this on its own, and training and awareness of it happening can help stop this "trauma loop" from occuring,..one thing that is still very difficult is to try and explain to others what you feel,, words just dont cut it,..it is very difficult and often impossible,,only those who have experienced this,can really understand it,..and, yes there are some fakes and flakes who use it for gain,, but we can id them ten out of ten every! time,..so many more are real sufferers with real problems that need real solutions and not judgement, or bad advice,..or someone calling them names for that matter,.. that!! can kill, and often does too!!...so,, great topic again,, nice to see so many helpfull people and awareness growing,,thanx all,, it is!! appreciated for sure by so many people,..I would like to say that if you are with a doctor etc, and its not working, or getting worse,, then tell them this!,, stay calm,, ask them!! to send you to someone else,..this often works as well,, remember,, for many doctors etc, this is all so new to them,, they are learning as well,[drugs are only a "band aid" for a very short period of use, but if your doc says use them?? do so, but tell the doc it is only for the short term and you want long term in the end], there are people out there who understand and sometimes it takes a few tries to get to them,, dont give up!! its not your fault, or anybodies "fault".. it is just hard,..have faith,, and if a dog works?? get one!! and dont wait for "special" etc,,other than the violent breeds,, any good dog will do the trick,..If you are in a situation where having your own is not on?? then borrow one from a friend and or aquaintance,..offer to walk their!! dog??. whatever,..also, the comment on "cleaning his gun"..yes indeed!,.. very common,..the suicide rate is very high for ptsd,, take it seriously,,it is!!...if your friend or spouse makes vague "suggestions" that hint at this?? get them to help right away,..this very nearly cost me! my life several times,.. this I know about from personal experience,,hope this is some help,, and NBC??.. more please,.. it helps others! to get this out for discussion,,you! are part of the solution by doing what you are doing,, thank you!!..
I am not a veteran but I have Complex PTSD from suffering multiple traumas. My dog is not a certified service dog. She is a prescribed Emotion Support Animal. I am fortunate enough to not have the need to take her everywhere with me. I cannot understand the hoopla about "invisible disabilities". Mental disabilities may not be visible but neither are many physical disabilities. That doesn't mean they are not real. If a person needs the services of a dog to function, i.e. leave home, grocery shop, visit doctors, be brought out of flashbacks and back from the brink of suicidality, isn't it time that be considered a medical need? Don't punish the legitimate use of these dogs because there are people who fake their dogs through. PTSD is crippling, scary, and overwhelming. The dogs ARE performing tasks their owners cannot do for themselves just maybe not tradtional service dog tasks. People used to think service dogs were only for the blind. Look how we've grown from there.
BTW, A few more items of interest,, we have 0ver 20 years in this deal,, and one of the main reasons for setbacks has been and still is! that veterans and highly skilled tradespeople who get seriously injured recieve fairly good benifits, the injured person is often targetted by orginised crime gangs for!! those benifits, and as such, it is not in their!! interests that the sufferer should recover or even learn to deal with the problem,,,ptsd sufferers can be very easily manipulated, and very often are[we have an huge!! international investigation underway on this, not!! talking through my hat here at all]...we call this the "mate crime".. this is when some "pal" ahem?? shows up on or just before check day, "pals" up the victim,, sells him or her drugs etc,, and moves on to the next one,,, this is far far! more common than many seem to realise,,and the scope is truly international and huge #,s are involved[billions$$],..these gangs have infiltrated many area,s to make this all work, medicine,law enforcement, military and goverment,[they need the data! to make it work]..I very strongly suggest that those who have an interest in helping a friend,familly member or some one you love,,, bear this in mind and be aware!! that it is reality and is not the victims fault,at all!!,..nasty? dirty? disgusting??..yes indeed, all of the above,,, but also,, reality for many many people,..Veterans can help by visiting!! the persons that are injured etc at or near check day, and observing,,then take action via high level!! law enforcement[FBI and!! military justice].. they are now! very aware of this and our team! is trying to shut this down/off,..keep a very close eye on those "pals" that appear,, thats how it starts and thats how it works,, you/we will make headway,,, and these criminals will deliberatly!! destroy that headway for financial gain,..dont be paranoid about this, that does not help,,but do!! be aware of it and take action to stop and or prevent it,..In Canada?? this is RAMPANT!,, in the US?? ditto!!...these criminals are a very real danger to anyone!! who has PTSD and or many other mental health problems,..the victims usually can not defend themselves due to their injuries,, it is up to others!![familly is best but veterans could form groups that keep an eye on their brothers ??]...to do it for them,,.. sorry people, harsh I know,, but best you know this or your eforts will be in vain,,,and we will lose many many!! more to these criminals,..Once you recognise the pattern in play? it gets very easy to id who is doing what to whom and why etc,..use it!...People want to kill me for telling you all this, I have hundreds!! of death threats etc,,and 4 serious attempts on my life as well,, it is that!! important,,,cyber stalkers,Gangstalkers and just plain stalkers, and the id theft/attempted murder by mountie deal,, was all!! for this reason,,,My F book page covers a lot in detail,, much is very!! confidential,[and is not posted for that reason], but I can assure you,, it is!! real,,
It is very obvious that some of you know absolutely nothing about Psychiatric Service Dogs. There are ADI programs that train PSDs, Laughing Eyes Kennels is one of them. You say no research has been done? Read Healing Companions by Jane Miller.
You absolutely can't have a service goat.
Many states have laws against people who fake their pet as service dogs. These penalties include jail time, fines, and possible loss of your Social Security.
For more on what REAL psychiatric service dogs can do:
I think it is the VA, specifically, that is questioning the validity of psych service dogs for PTSD.
To correct some of you with incorrect information. The ADA does not require 3 tasks to be a real service dog, ADI does.
And assistance dogs and service dogs are the same thing, just different terminology. Shelter dogs can be successfully trained as service dogs.
Since it takes a long time to get trained dogs, I truly think that just rescuing a dog from the pound would help. I think any dog would help. As long as they bond. win Win for everyone.
Unfortunately, we are talking about the Government. You have the VA setting up one set of protocols and the ADA setting up another. God forbid anything run by the Feds. be on the same page. There are too many Dogs put to death each year. Too many Veterans suffering from this horrible ailment. Why not match an interested Veteran with a Pound Dog that has shown to be People friendly and see if they bond? Let the two of them figure out if it's a good match. Now, the issue of Funding? I have suggestions, but right now they need to get this program going and see if it's viable by just doing it. Don't study it to Death and make unreasonable rules for both the Dog and the Veteran.
Yup. So I think these people need to just go adopt a dog, cat or whatever they bond with...It isn't necessary to have to have a trained pet. Most of the time. You need a trained pet when you are blind or disabled.. But PTSD is mental... Not physical. It's the love and the bond that makes the difference