“Before the World Intruded” is Ms. Rosenthal’s touching personal account of surviving and living with PTSD. The book seems like the next logical step in her ongoing efforts to encourage others to be strong and find their path. By offering up her personal experience she hopes to inspire others. And it looks like it’s working: visit her website to read what people are saying about her book, read an excerpt, and buy the book! 

THANKS TO ALL WHO PURCHASED AND VIEWED THE STREAM! TO LEARN ABOUT MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO SEE “HIDDEN BATTLES” BE SURE TO SIGN UP ON OUR MAILING LIST, OR FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK OR TWITTER.

Thanks to all who tuned in to watch “Hidden Battles.” If you missed it this time, join our mailing list by clicking on the link on the bottom of the page, and we will notify you when we have screenings or other online offers.

Sgt. Roberts freely admits that RC has saved his life, and he wants people to know about how much a service dog can help. RC was trained by Palmetto Animal Assisted Life Services (PAALS) in Columbia, South Carolina. Thanks to PAALS for helping veterans, as well as others who can use the help of a gentle and well trained dog. To find a similar organization in your area, check out Assistance Dogs International.

• The suicide rate is the same amongst soldiers that have never been deployed, have only been deployed once, and have been deployed several times.
• A majority of the suicides in this study were considered impulsive, and TBI increases impulsiveness.
• Only 2 or 3 suicides per year are committed by women.
• The majority of suicides occur after a humiliating event, or while experiencing difficulties with relationships at home or work.
• It is unclear how much physical pain and mental illness contribute to the deaths.
• Things that help prevent suicides: removing access to guns, caring for a dog, and acupuncture.

Read the article in full by Col. Elspeth Cameron Ritchie here, on the Dana Foundation website. Col. Ritchie is the former psychiatry consultant to the Army Surgeon General.

We are concerned about Zakariah’s safety and whereabouts. We also want to know why he is being detained. It is important to take action:

• call and e-mail the Israeli Embassador to the United States
• call Israeli and Palestinian officials
• repost and forward this information

Here is contact information as well as a sample letter you can copy and/or edit:

• The Israeli district commanding officer: +972 (0)4 6407312
• Taiseer Shrakah – Palestinian Authourity (PA) representative: +972 (0) 599800009
• Israeli Embassador to the US, Michael Oren, 202 364 5500 or emb@washington.mfa.gov.il, info@washington.mfa.gov.il

Dear Ambassador Oren,

Today I read about the detention of Zakariah Zubeidi, a Palestinian man who was granted Amnesty by the Israeli government in exchange for putting down his guns. He has since worked with the Freedom Theater in Jenin and states that he has not violated the terms of his pardon.  The reason for his detention has not been stated and his location is unknown. I am deeply concerned about Zakariah’s safety and well being and would like a statement to be issued that clarifies the reason for his detention. If no reasonable cause can be stated, I demand the release of Zakariah Zubeidi so he can return to his family and community. I also ask that Israeli forces end harrassment and attack of the Freedom Theater. The Freedom Theater is a safe space for young Palestinian people to express themselves in a non-violent manner and should be respected and protected.

Respectfully,

Name

Address

Another report on the topic comes from Tampa Bay Online, that Hillsborough County has housed nearly half of their homeless veterans, even though homelessness in general is on the rise. The CEO of Hillborough County Homeless Coalition suspects that homeless veterans may be under-reporting:

“I think we have some underreporting in the community,” Rayme said, “but there are good programs we are engaged in and the veterans are accessing those services.”

To illustrate these statistics, here’s a story of Bill Stockwell, 61, a homeless veteran who has been living in a mission for the last two years in Battle Creek, MI. After completing life improvement classes, he will qualify to move into federally subsidized housing. Not only are these veterans being housed, they are also receiving the attention they may need to live a more normalized life.

Another homeless veteran, Larry in Houston tells his story about how seeking help for his addiction through the VA turned his life around. He was able to clean up, get off the streets and get a job through personalized care and their Incentive Therapy program. But Larry had to take the first step and ask for help. In his own words:

“I had to admit I had a problem that I could not solve by myself. I knew I had to go somewhere to get a plan of action to stay sober because mine wasn’t working… I hope that one person is going to read this article and say `Let me go down to the Houston VA and see if I can get some help. Because I did, the world was opened up to me.”

It is hopeful to hear that people are getting the help they need. I hope these stories indicate that the VA is prepared to help the influx of troops returning from Iraq.

Documentary maker, Victoria Mills, included scenes and recollections from their original battles and then followed their lives after they returned home. We saw intimate details of their lives at intervals. In every case we came to understand just how deeply their response to killing another human being continued to haunt them…There were two major reactions from audience members who hadn’t gone to war. One was extreme sadness at the suffering of not only the veterans but of their families and those that they loved.

You can read the full article here.

On Veterans Day (Friday November 11th) from 12:00am -12:00pm you can:

Stream “Hidden Battles” for only 99 cents

or

Purchase a DVD for $15 (more than 50% off)

We’ll release the streaming URL and discount code to our mailing list, Facebook friends and Twitter followers on Thursday.  If you haven’t joined already, go to www.hiddenbattles.com and at the bottom of the page, click on the option that suits you best. You can also share the streaming URL and discount code with your community once it is released.

Please note, that “Hidden Battles” is not generally available for streaming, so take advantage of this special offer!

Feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns.

•••

“Hidden Battles is a powerful testimony to war and it’s effects on those who fight in them. Hidden Battles goes to different parts of the world to reveal the journey of men and women in the fight to find meaning in their war experiences. The world needs to see this film.” – Shad Meshad, Founder, National Veterans Foundation

•••

“Hidden Battles offers inspiring examples of how different veterans coped with and continue to cope with the demons of war. It is a film I have recommended and will continue to recommend to those who work with and care about veterans. Director Victoria Mills lets the veterans speak for themselves, without analytical voiceovers or editorial comments – offering fresh insights into the complex ways war and combat can affect those who survive it, and the impact combat trauma ultimately can have on military families.” – Robert M. Wilson, Executive Director, Veterans Education Project

…a quiet, poignant restraint is a key note of Hidden Battles, a graceful study of how the act of killing affects soldiers’ mental health. A recent showpiece on the film festival circuit, Hidden Battles interweaves encounters with five fighters who have experienced long-term repercussions of using lethal force. Sensationalism is virtually absent, war footage aside: the documentary contains no explicit accounts of domestic crises, no interviews with therapists, no solemn voiceovers weighing in on posttraumatic stress disorder. Instead, it suggests emotional and spiritual turmoil by more subdued means…

“We formed this group to be visible in the community,” said Brunton, a Navy veteran. “We’ve kind of been on the sidelines.”

The group formed earlier this year but already has 28 members all working to bring recognition and respect to female veterans. Women Veterans of Costal North Carolina also provides a space for women to discuss their experiences.

“We want to bring women together and share some stories,” she said. “And, they’ve got some great stories.”

If anyone is in the area and interested in participating in the parade, please send an email to womenveteransofcnc2@gmail.com.

Click HERE to read the full article from Havelock News.

“Veterans Empowering Veterans is a community-based, non-profit organization that provides case management and counseling, employment training, housing, and benefit assistance to homeless veterans in Fayetteville, [NC] and surrounding areas. We promote and protect the rights of veterans through advocacy, public education, and partnerships with local, state, and national entities.”
www.veteransempoweringveterans.org

When Renee opened the center two years ago, she had eight clients. Today,  over 130 veterans and their families visit Veterans Empowering Veterans for various services including: hot meals, legal services and computer and job training.

Click HERE to learn more about the organization or to donate.

Click HERE to read an article about Veterans Empowering Veterans in the FayObserver.

“A lot of people don’t realize that we carry that baggage in the transition from military to civilian,” he said. “When you thank a veteran, there should be some substance behind it.”

Broeduer asserts that the problem may stem from the nation’s general shift in attention from a variety of important issues (including veterans) to the economy situation of the country. Luckily, many people do still keep veterans in mind. Between the recent proposal of the Wounded Warriors Tax Credit (which offers businesses a financial reward for hiring unemployed and disabled veterans) and the establishment of Veterans Courts which handle nonviolent offenders with substance abuse issues and/or mental health disorders.

As for the rest of us? We can ask more questions, be sensitive to veterans’ stress or sadness, or just give them the benefit of the doubt, instead of viewing some of them as “ghosts in the street,” as Barrett called them.

“You can educate yourself as much as possible,” he said, “but understand that at some level, you just can’t go any deeper. You want to get it, but you can’t.

“And that’s OK.”

Click here to read the full article in the Seattle Times.

“In the military, Stand Down afforded battle-weary soldiers the opportunity to renew their spirit, health and overall sense of well-being. Today’s Stand Down affords the same opportunity to homeless veterans.” -National Coalition for Homeless Veterans

The first Stand Down was held in San Diego in 1988. Today, an average of 190 Stand Down events are held per year.

“Hundreds of homeless veterans are provided with a broad range of necessities including food, clothing, medical, legal and mental health assistance, job counseling and referral, and most importantly, companionship and camaraderie. It is a time for the community to connect with the homeless veteran population and address this crisis that affects each and every town, city and state in this country. The hand up — not a handout — philosophy of Stand Down is carried out through the work of hundreds of volunteers and organizations throughout the nation”

For more information on the history of Stand Down, click here.

To find a local Stand Down event, click here for a list of upcoming dates.

“The purpose of the Healing the Wounded Heart Workshops is to penetrate the grey zone of guilt, aloneness and unworthiness, that many War Veterans diagnosed with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) experience, and this is done within a supportive group setting through heart centered self exploration, group sharing, guided visualization and action oriented homework ~ where love and joy eventually overcome fear and separation.”

Dr. Roland hopes the VA will begin funding this alternative treatment method. He explains,

“If combat veterans are responding positively to these once a week eight week action oriented heart centered workshops ~ it’s time for the VA to open the door to alternative healing methodologies which the rest of the country is already acknowledging, supporting and experiencing.“

To read more about Healing the Wounded Heart workshops, click here.

To read an interview with General Peter Chiarelli, the Army’s No. 2 officer, discussing alternative treatments in the National Journal, click here.