FORT COLLINS, Colo. — Nearly a third of Vietnam veterans have experienced Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD in their lifetimes. The percentage of veterans from other wars who have also suffered from PTSD ranges from 11 to 20 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
“Our veteran community is challenged by so many different factors. We’re seeing a lot of grief. In fact, the recent Afghanistan issues have really resulted in our Vietnam veterans being triggered: the return of nightmares, the flashbacks. So we see any veterans from any age group,” said Ana Yelen, the co-founder of Healing Warriors Program in Fort Collins.
Most often, PTSD treatment involves various types of psychotherapies or medication, but the Healing Warriors Program focuses on other options for treatment.
“So there really was a gap in care for our service members, we did not have the non-narcotic options. You know, in 2009 we knew that there were already issues with the opioids resulting in additional deaths from suicide. So there really wasn’t anything out there that was available to support our service members,” said Yelen.