Understanding PTSD



Written by K9 Partners for Patriots



Articles



December 3, 2022

Discover why flea markets may not be the best environment for service dogs.

Learn about risks, distractions, and considerations for handlers.

1. Crowded Environment: Flea markets are often bustling with crowds, which can be overwhelming for a service dog. The dog may become stressed or anxious in such a busy atmosphere.

2. Distractions: Flea markets are filled with various sights, sounds, and smells that can distract a service dog from its duties. This could potentially compromise its ability to assist its handler effectively.

3. Unpredictable Behavior of Other Animals: Other visitors to the flea market may bring their pets along, which can lead to encounters with unfamiliar animals. This may pose a risk to the safety and focus of the service dog.

4. Risk of Injury: With so many people moving around and browsing items, there’s an increased risk of accidental tripping or stepping on the service dog, which could lead to injury.

5. Exposure to Unsanitary Conditions: Flea markets may not always maintain the cleanest environment, and the service dog may come into contact with unsanitary surfaces or substances.

6. Lack of Accommodation for the Dog: Flea markets may not be equipped to handle service dogs properly, such as providing suitable resting areas, water, or relief spots for the dog.

7. Potential Stress for the Dog: A flea market’s constant stimulation and unfamiliar surroundings could cause stress or discomfort for the service dog, which may affect its overall well-being and ability to perform its tasks.

Given these factors, it’s important for service dog handlers to carefully consider whether taking their dog to a flea market is truly necessary and in the best interest of the dog’s welfare and effectiveness in assisting its handler.

The Thing About Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder…

… is its invisibility. It’s a devastating injury you cannot see. Its effects torment the veteran, as well as the family and friends closest to them. The manifestations – a volatile mix of nightmares, flashbacks, overreactivity, anxiety, insomnia, depression, guilt and shame – can end friendships, ruin marriages, lead to isolation, substance abuse, job loss, homelessness … and suicide. It does this every single day.

It has been confessed by more than one vet suffering from PTSD: “I wish I’d lost an arm or a leg over there because then they’d understand, they wouldn’t question what I went through.”

Let that sink in.

The military is excellent at teaching its members how to be soldiers – how to neutralize the enemy and how to stay alive as a team in an environment loaded with hidden threats and lethal consequences. The what-comes-after is a different story. When a vet brings those hypervigilance skills back home, they don’t just switch back to normal. Suddenly, those hard-earned skills are “inappropriate.” People don’t get it. They say calm down, lighten up. You’re not over there anymore. There are no hidden bombs. It was just a balloon/backfire/blowout. No one’s trying to kill you. You’re safe now.

Easier said than done. This is not just a matter of “getting over it” and switching back to a pre-deployment mindset. Humans aren’t machines with on/off switches. Constant exposure to trauma over time can kill neurons and shrink the brain. The brain has been rewired – permanently changed – by their experience.

Explains Rob White, Chief Operating Officer at K9 Partners for Patriots in Brooksville and a vet himself, “The skills that worked over there so brilliantly as a way to stay alive 24/7 add up to a problem-causing disorder here. Back on their home turf, the most ordinary things in life could cause a vet with PTSD to spiral: a popped balloon, a trash bag on the side of the road, approaching an overpass, a helicopter overhead, fireworks, crowds, insulting questions from clueless strangers.” On top of that, this disorder comes with a stigma. Even in the military, many think of PTSD, mistakenly, as a sign of weakness – so if a vet suspects they have it, they might shrink from seeking help, suffer in silence and self-medicate. The stigma notwithstanding, a Post Traumatic Stress Disorder diagnosis can end a career.

No magic bullet exists, but these debilitating symptoms can be managed and subdued. With a diagnosis of PTSD from a medical professional in hand, vets can reach out for the help they need at K9 Partners for Patriots. At no cost to the veteran ever, K9 Partners for Patriots matches a service dog and provides professional service dog training to military vets with PTSD. Teaching the veteran to train a rescue dog from day one builds a strong bond of trust, communication, and companionship. That journey gives vets a sense of mission that was absent from their lives since returning home. As they work alongside other veterans facing the same challenges, bolstered by caring professionals and volunteers, these vets find a second family. They are part of a team again. And that is the start of healing.

Article reposted with permission from Tampa Bay Times.