A little less action, a little more conversation…

After being postponed by a few weeks for scheduling conflicts, I’m finally getting ready to sit down on Thursday with the interviewee I first mentioned two months ago. Out of all of the people I’ve talked with, he is actually the only one who re-enlisted. After finishing his time in Iraq, he spend time in the……

Seeing Something for the First Time

 One of the sources I’ve been using during my research is a book entitled On Looking, by Alexandra Horowitz. In it, Ms. Horowitz goes on “lookings” with several experts of different fields (“expert” being a broad term; they can be anyone from a Ph.D. to a bright-eyed child) in order to learn new ways to look at……

A Personal Perspective, Hopefully.

As I stated in my proposal entry, the original inspiration for this project was the untimely death of my friend Sam. I’ll never forget the night it happened. I had fallen asleep on my  couch, and I got a text from her phone number well after midnight. It was from her girlfriend, telling me what……

Following a Scholarly Lead

One of the topics that came up in my talk with Dr. Aikins regarded a study about the effectiveness of video games – Tetris in particular – when used as treatment for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Though he was not familiar with this particular study, he did see the benefit of thought suppression offered by……

Well, I certainly learned a lot.

My interview with Dr. Deane Aikins was, to say the least, enlightening. A noted expert in his field, Dr. Aikins was once called by the Pentagon to testify via telephone before a Congressional subcomittee regarding homicidality in PTSD patients. If he was considered expert enough to be called before Congress, he’s certainly good enough for……

Paging Dr. Aikins…

In a few short minutes, I’m going to be conducting an interview via Skype with Dr. Deane Aikins. As I mentioned in a previous post, Dr. Aikins has worked extensively with the military over the past several years, researching treatment methodologies for PTSD. For a number of years, he was an associate professor at Yale……

Interview Schedule

Below is a tentative schedule of who I am interviewing for the project. Some of them may be subject to change (like Dr. Richardson, for example, but a man can hope, right?), and I’ve left plenty of room should the need arise.

A few quick updates…

Things are moving slowly but surely in the world of research. Here are two quick updates. First, Dr. Deane Aikins, an expert in the field of PTSD in combat veterans, has agreed to be interviewed for this project. He has done extensive work with the military, both in examination and in various treatment methodologies. His……

So, this happened…

A few months ago I read a selection from “The Source of All Things” by Tracy Ross, that was originally published as a feature article in Backpacker magazine. It details her step-father’s abuses, as well as her need for a cohesive family. My sentence-long synopsis does it no justice. Read the Backpacker article now, and order the……

Man’s Best Friends Help Treat Vets with PTSD

In researching various treatment methods for PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), I’ve come across a trend that is surprising, endearing, and nothing short of wonderful: studies have found that owning a dog can be an effective treatment method for war vets suffering from PTSD. According to this July 2012 article from Smithsonian Magazine, “The animals draw out……