Posted on September 05, 2009 by: WayCoolDogs

• Tweet

Quite recently, a 12-month study has been approved (2) by the U.S. Department of Defense to see if dogs can help combat soldiers who have been diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder. The study will compare two groups of PTSD veterans–those with service dogs and those without—while measuring any symptom changes and medication use of the individuals.

Not a new thing, today approximately 10,000 psychiatric service dogs are in use, going back as far as the late 1990s in helping mentally ill people. The Psychiatric Service Dog Society has a message on their website for combat veterans: “They have a ‘soulmate in their dog who is ever loyal and compassionate’ and a community that understands them.”

This message is backed by the society’s “Dog Medicine”, with each soldier learning to care for their service dog properly, training the dog to high standards, and operating within the laws that govern their use of a Service Animal.

VIDEO: Service Dog in Training Test

The study is being done at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in conjunction with the Psychiatric Service Dog Society.  They are using individuals from a survey of 39 military veterans who are diagnosed with PTSD and have been teamed with psychiatric service dogs. Of the survey, 82% of the diagnosed individuals who have service dogs report they had fewer  PTSD symptoms and 40% are using fewer medications.

SERVICE DOGS HELPING THOSE WITH PTSD

More and more veterans are choosing psychiatric service dogs as an alternative therapy instead of taking medications for post traumatic stress disorder (6). Dogs trained for psychiatric service assist people in all areas of mental illness—from PTSD to anxiety disorder to bipolar disorder. These dogs are specifically trained to recognize when their owners are becoming depressed or are on the verge of having a panic attack.

Many methods are utilized by the dogs at that time, such as curling up in their lap offering comfort or giving them a nudge or two for reassurance. This is enough of a stimulus to break the loop and bring the veteran back to reality before they can develop any harmful behavior.

According to Dr. Joan Esnayra, founder and president of the Psychiatric Service Dog Society, their online community has added more than 400 members annually. Younger veterans are three times more likely than those of age 40 and older in developing PTSD. Symptoms include flashbacks of traumatic events, threatening dreams, being unable to sleep through the night, panic attacks and thrashing.

“Of the 750,000 veterans of war in Afghanistan and Iraq, more than 100,000 have sought mental-health treatment from the government, and about half of those have been diagnosed with PTSD.”

PREVIOUS POSITION OF THE MILITARY TOWARD PTSD

In April of 2009, it had previously come out that the military was pressuring Army psychologists to not diagnose combat veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (1), thereby reducing their benefits. The PTSD diagnosis would “obligate the military to provide expensive, intensive long-term care which may include the possibility of lifetime disability payments.

In that same article, a retired Army psychiatrist (still working for the government) said that commanders at an Army hospital had instructed him to ‘misdiagnose soldiers who were suffering from war-related PTSD’. He was recommended to diagnose them with other disorders which would reduce their benefits they would receive.  Only if President Obama would protect him from retaliation would he agree to say more about specific cases and using names.

RESOURCES
1.   “I am under a lot of pressure to not diagnose PTSD”
2.    Dogs get nod in study to help vets with post traumatic stress disorder
3.    The invention of post-traumatic stress disorder and the social usefulness of a psychiatric category
4.    Psychiatric Service Dog Society (PSDS)
5.    Dogs perform healing tricks for PTSD veterans
6.    Dogs chase nightmares of war away

* * * * *

For more dog health info, dog stories and fun stuff, subscribe to our newsletter here!

* * * * *

(Sponsored)

Related posts:

• Dog therapy bill for PTSD vets
• Training Service Dogs for Autistic Children
• First dog officially diagnosed with Swine Flu
• Dogs Bred for Fighting Professionally
• Iowa cat diagnosed positive for H1N1 Swine Flu