Senate passes Clay Hunt SAV Act unanimously!
3. Feb. 2015 — After a year of fighting, our efforts to cast a public spotlight on veteran suicide crisis finally paid off. The U.S. Senate just minutes ago unanimously passed historic legislation named after one of our own – Marine Corps sniper Clay Hunt – that will help end the tragedy of 22 veterans dying every day by suicide.
Tens of thousands of you signed our petition. Thousands of you emailed, called, and tweeted your members of Congress. And hundreds of you showed up in person to demand that our elected officials hear your story. We couldn’t have done it without you!
Please help us spread the news, share the success, and build our community:
Share this photo on Facebook: http://on.fb.me/1KozMLV
Spread the word on Twitter: http://bit.ly/1K8gr3q
The bill now heads to President Obama’s desk and we expect him to sign it soon. We’ll send another email with more news about the signing ceremony at the White House.
This victory proves that by working together can we affect national change on this scale. Invite your veteran friends to become an IAVA member at http://iava.org/#join
Thanks, and keep fighting!
Anthony Pike and IAVA
Clay Hunt SAV Act could be voted on next Monday. Please share!
31. Jan. 2015 — Your support for the Clay Hunt SAV Act is working. We’re now up to 48 sponsors in the Senate and the bill is likely to be voted on next Monday! With 22 vets dying by suicide every day we simply can’t sit in a holding pattern any longer. Please help us keep pressure on the Senate by sharing the petition today:
Tweet your support: http://bit.ly/1tGgBuJ
Share this post on Facebook: http://on.fb.me/1AWY2ol
You’ve been with us since the start of this campaign. We appreciate all the calls, emails and support.
You can read more about the progress of the bill on our website: http://iava.org/press-release/clay-hunt-sav-act-gains-momentum/
Thank you,
Anthony Pike and IAVA
Suicide Prevention for American Veterans
01/27/2015
Senate VA Committee Approves Clay Hunt Act! Share Our Petition!
27. Jan. 2015 — Last week the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee unanimously approved the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans (SAV) Act as its first legislative action of the 114th Congress. Now we’re headed to the full Senate and need your help.
Can you share the petition to your networks on Facebook and Twitter? We’ve made it easy — all you have to do is click the links below:
Share on Twitter: http://bit.ly/1JBA2sy
Share on Facebook: http://on.fb.me/1CGlbZw
Over 30 Senators are now sponsoring the Clay Hunt SAV Act! So please continue sharing our petition so that more sign on and the Senate brings this important bill to a vote as soon as possible.
Thank you for your support!
Anthony Pike and IAVA
Bring Change 2 Mind / New PSA
01/22/2015
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| Dear Howard,
We are incredibly excited to share our new PSA, #StrongerThanStigma, with you! Produced in partnership with Brandon Marshall’s foundation, Project 375, this campaign features four men who have each made mental health advocacy a part of his platform. These headliners are Brandon Marshall, NFL All-Pro wide receiver for the Chicago Bears; Michael Angelakos, lead singer of indietronica band Passion Pit; Wayne Brady, comedian and actor; and Ben Scrivens, NHL goalie for the Edmonton Oilers. Each shares his story, and encourages men to start the conversation and end the stigma. For the past thirty years, the rate of suicide among men has been three to four times that of women. Traditionally, however, men have shied away from talking about their feelings because it is viewed as weak. In addition to a reluctance to seek help, men have higher levels of isolation, higher rates of drug and alcohol misuse, are at a greater risk for homelessness, display more externalized and destructive behaviors, and are more involved with the criminal justice system. Underlying many of these experiences are complex psychological problems, but we rarely empathize with their causes. We want to erase stereotypes, create a new narrative by raising awareness of the mental health problems that men face, encourage dialogue, and promote help seeking behavior. We hope that you will be a part of this significant opportunity to talk about the harmful and pervasive discrimination that surrounds mental illness. Please join our conversations on Facebook and Twitter, and visit our website to view and share #StrongerThanStigma, find resources, and help us end stigma.
Sincerely, |
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What a fantastic way to transition / end the current year and begin the new year of 2015…! I am damn pleased with my progress…! My nervous system is holding up fantastically and my coordination of all the different movements (right to left brain communication) and breathing is starting to flow together. My swim instructors & staff have been outstanding at helping me get to this level of swimming in such a short time…!
On a another note,…this is a very personal example of the power of self-limiting beliefs that kept me from trying to learn to swim for many decades because I was told long ago that I couldn’t do it. I even took up the charge and told myself repeatedly that I couldn’t learn to swim! I would tell anyone that asked me about my ability to swim,…”I can’t swim,…I sink like a rock”. With the right learning technique applied by very well trained instructors at least 18 – 27 years my junior,…and,…an adjusted [Can-Do] attitude on my part,…I ‘m swimming as you can see in my videos! For me this is a major achievement that has profound implications in terms of what I,…or anyone else can potentially accomplish with a little shift of belief system from a state of [I can not],…to,…[I can]. My thoughts directed my actions in either case,…and my subsequent actions got me a corresponding result in either case. Whether I believe I [can not],…or whether I believe that [I can] achieve a goal,…is clearly by this example largely dictated by my belief system. In either case I can argue for or against my limitations and be validated [right],…by my end results as [proof]. Life does really continually provide opportunities for the adult version of the childhood phrase “do-over!”. I or you can give ourselves permission to choose a “do-over” belief shift at any moment,…and get a virtual instant and different result that brings us joy and fulfillment much like my swimming has done for me. In 30 – 45 days I went from I can’t swim,…to I’ll sign-up for class,…to I’m swimming…! That’s fairly instant for a 50 year old Man who waited 42 years (15,330 days excluding leap years) to experience the joy of swimming! At this point my goal is to live to age 92 or beyond,…which will give me an unguaranteed approximate 15,330 days to choose to live a life of joy and fulfillment in whatever ways possible,…no matter what! Care to join me in the challenge?!
So,…if there is something that you desire,…a goal,…a dream,…a fantastic amorous relationship, a dream job,…etc.,…now is all you or I have. So try altering your belief about any subject matter that is important to you and check to see if your actions shift toward behaviors that produce your desired result. Look for an out-come that brings joy and fulfillment into your experience of life. Happy belief-shifting! 😉
P.S. The above mentioned concept is not new and is mentioned in many Sacred Texts & Traditions / Religions around the world dating back thousands of years.
Howard Lovely, Jr.
This side view video was taken tonight at swim class two days before the New-Year. Enjoy!
In less than 90 days I’ve gone from “can’t swim”,…to swimming the full length (25 yards) of the pool…! My nervous system is holding steady and strong with the sounds of the water in my ears; additionally, my body is remaining relaxed most of the time. Swimming is a fantastic form of exercise too!
Learning to swim is my gift to myself this Holiday season…!
Here is my latest video taken at class this evening:
Swimming For Freedom & Overcoming PTSD
10/19/2014
To me swimming is more than a simple recreational activity that may lead to physical fitness, boating, jet-skis, fishing, scuba-diving, accolades and trophies,…etc.,. It is a “road” to a potentially fun life and freedom on many levels for me. It is another key that I have discovered to help me unlock the maze of multiple layers of invisible gates, doors and bars that have mentally imprisoned me for many decades now. It is a tool that is allowing me to swim to the near distant shores of sanity within my mind that have always remained torturously,…just out of grasp,…much like a prisoner may have felt locked up in Alcatraz while being inadvertently teased by the lights of a thriving San Francisco just across the bay. So recently I started swim lessons simply to test my nervous system and push boundaries for myself. Ironically,…I invite you to imagine how difficult it is to walk out of the confines of a type of brutal mental purgatory and all it’s “comforts” that I’ve become used to for so many years simply because I know where the edges are. This adventure requires me to literally swim in [four feet] of deep water where there are no edges or boundaries much like the endlessness of the stars in the sky. I’m walking out of the non-brick & mortar prison and I dare to reach for any of my hearts desires simply because it’s my birthright,…while simultaneously trying not to appear awkward or inept. Since my therapist recommended that I take up my drumming once more for the right-left alternating brain exercise, I surmised that swimming might also help to accomplish the same task. To my surprise, my body is consistently remaining relaxed in the water eventhough it never has before,…and the sound of the water in and around my ears does not trigger me as I approach my 6th class this week. My right-left coordination with my arms and legs appears to be progressing favorably just like my drumming has done in recent years with complex rhythms that I had always struggled with. For a long time I knew that something was odd to say the least,…with my nervous system and my relationship with the sound of water on and within my ears. The seemingly simple sound of running water across my ears would trigger uncontrollable panic within my nervous system in the shower or in a swimming pool environment for no apparent reason ever since I was a kid. The tense muscles would in turn translate to a lack of floating ability and thus more fear,…more muscle tension and a resulting vicious cycle. Now the sound of the water over my ears appears not as amplified volume wise,…yet oddly muted and calm. Well,…for obvious possible funky reasons,…I could not avoid daily showers,…but I could refrain from attempting to swim over the past decades,…until now! I’m swimming…! The below Video clip was taken on my second day several weeks ago and will illustrate me doing a “simple” kick & glide,…however, I have progressed to adding in the arm strokes. For some reason this type of exercise seems to help my right and left side of my brain communicate better in addition to the *EMDR treatments. I look forward to further progress during the up coming weeks.
So,…for those Men & Women out there that are doing your best to overcome anything including but not limited to PTSD / Anxiety,…whether you’re single, married or otherwise in a relationship,…please consider choosing to find a way to thrive with the “Good” or “Bad” moments? Don’t give up on you! You’re worth it! Your family & Relationship is worth it! The world is better with your contribution and thriving life,…however you personally choose to define your vigorous growth & development! Consider choosing to know that,…You Deserve It!
Howard Lovely, Jr.
RockSolidPotentialLifeCoaching@gmail.com (970)353-1180
*Eye-Movement-Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR)
This photo was taken on 5 Sept. 2014 and represents a culmination of many progressive years of work (therapy of many types including EMDR) thus far.
EMDR [Eye-Movement-Desensitization & Reprocessing]
This photo is my personal visual proof positive that the invisible “lock” can be picked,…and the translucent “cage” of PTSD can be opened,…although slowly for me,…I walked out on this day. My first EMDR treatments started in 2005 and it has taken me and my nervous system 9 years to gradually reach this glorious moment.
For the first time in nearly 17 years,…I actually went to a restaurant alone,…and ate peacefully (without muscle tension, sweats or tingly skin); I had minimal rambling thoughts (monkey-mind) or simultaneous unwanted awareness / hyper-alertness of any of the other 15 or so conversations being conducted by other patrons plus staff. It was a [proud] moment for me to say the least,…a personal best,…and I am glad that I had the forethought to ask the waitress to snap a few photos of me as personal proof. This photo has allowed me to look back and see how calm I actually appeared on my outsides,…that matched my inside feelings,…and how others may have noticed me also. From Chicago Illinois, Miami Florida, Greeley Colorado and even Winnipeg Canada,…many individuals in my circle of friends were excitedly amazed to hear about what I had done for myself! Just this morning,…my sweet “x” was still singing the praises about it all,…nearly a week and a half later! Catherine has been an amazingly [supportive] Woman in my life for the past two years; I am eternally grateful for her support, empathy and [courage] to have even dared to amorously [embrace] a Man like me and allow me to do the same for her at a time when many other wonderful Women simply would not,…no matter how honest I ever was about my life condition and mental health challenges. At age 50,…many individuals have a big party but I did not,…instead,…I received a connection from within myself,…and externally for the first time in my life via this outstanding Woman,…simply mutual Love. Talk about being a late bloomer in multiple ways! For many years I couldn’t get a basic date if my life depended on it. Ha!…Ha!…Ha! Imagine that,…all this Handsome-Man-Hunk,…and no dates,…and not for lack of asking! But Catherine,…she saw something in me beyond the PTSD veil,…and gave it a fantastic go,…and we had so much fun in spite of my personal challenges…! Could of had even more fun times now that this is happening for me.
So,…for all you Fantastic Men & Women,…single or otherwise,…out in Blog-land reading this,…don’t give up on you,…or that Internal-External-Love-Connection…!!!
My work’s not done yet.
Howard Lovely, Jr.
Dear friends,
I wanted to let you know about a new petition that has been created on We the People, a new feature on WhiteHouse.gov, and ask for your support. Will you add your name to mine? If this petition gets 100,000 signatures by April 16, 2014, the White House will review it and respond!
We the People allows anyone to create and sign petitions asking the Obama Administration to take action on a range of issues. If a petition gets enough support, the Obama Administration will issue an official response.
You can view and sign the petition here:
Here’s some more information about this petition:
End the Cycle of Preventable Wartime Crises by Investigating the Causes of the Current Military Mental Health Debacle
There has never been an Executive or Congressional investigation into the actual causes for the Department of Defense and Veterans’ Affairs repeated failure to learn from its own documented psychiatric lessons of war responsible for preventable crises since the 20th century, including the most basic-to adequately plan, prepare, & train to meet predictable mental health and social reintegration needs of military personnel, veterans, and their families (2007 DoD Task Force on Mental Health).
Of critical import is establishing a “Behavioral Health Corps,†and a national campaign to eliminate social injustice from harmful mental health stigma, disparity, & antiquated dualistic beliefs that discriminate against those with mental illness or stress wounds, and perpetuate generational crises.
Example: “Heart attack” AND “Los Angeles”
Search for studies:
Brain Imaging of Psychotherapy for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
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- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
Purpose
The investigators are seeking people who have been exposed to a traumatic event in the past and have symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) currently. A person with PTSD may feel significant distress when reminded of a traumatic event or feel depressed, anxious or jumpy.
As a part of this study, participants will receive brain MRIs and office assessments before and after psychotherapy. The investigators provide the gold-standard psychotherapy for PTSD, “Prolonged Exposure”, free of charge; additionally participants are compensated for their time during assessment procedures. This study is exploring the brain circuitry involved in improvement in response to psychotherapy.
| Condition | Intervention |
|---|---|
| Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) | Behavioral: Prolonged exposure Behavioral: Prolonged Exposure |
| Study Type: | Interventional |
| Study Design: | Allocation: Randomized Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment Masking: Open Label Primary Purpose: Basic Science |
| Official Title: | The Neurobiology of Psychotherapy: Emotional Reactivity and Regulation in PTSD |
- Clinician Administered PTSD scale (CAPS) [ Time Frame: Before and after Prolonged Exposure Treatment, which is expected to take approximately six weeks. ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
The CAPS is a 30-item structured interview that corresponds to the DSM-IV criteria for PTSD. In addition to assessing the 17 PTSD symptoms, questions target the impact of symptoms on social and occupational functioning, improvement in symptoms since a previous CAPS administration, overall response validity, overall PTSD severity, and frequency and intensity of five associated symptoms (guilt over acts, survivor guilt, gaps in awareness, depersonalization, and derealization). For each item, standardized questions and probes are provided.
- Mood and Anxiety Symptom Questionnaire (MASQ) [ Time Frame: Before and after Prolonged Exposure Treatment, which is expected to take approximately six weeks. ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
Treatment success based on Improvement on subscales of the MASQ, including decreased anxious arousal and decreased anhedonic depression, from pre- to post-treatment assessment
- fMRI-assessed resting connectivity [ Time Frame: Before and after Prolonged Exposure Treatment, which is expected to take approximately six weeks. ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
From pre- to post-treatment, improve will be based on enhanced functional connectivity
- Implicit emotion regulation [ Time Frame: Assessed 4 times: Before beginning Prolonged Exposure, after the third week of therapy, after the last therapy session (on average 6 weeks after beginning therapy), and 1 month after the end of therapy. ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
Implicit emotion regulation assessed through emotion conflict task performed during functional imaging. Performance based on reaction time and recruitment of emotion regulation regions during the task.
| Estimated Enrollment: | 64 |
| Study Start Date: | September 2010 |
| Estimated Study Completion Date: | September 2015 |
| Estimated Primary Completion Date: | September 2015 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure) |
| Arms | Assigned Interventions |
|---|---|
| Experimental: Immediate Prolonged Exposure Treatment
Intake procedures include clinician-administered diagnostic battery, cognitive testing, self-report measures of symptoms, and functional imaging scan. Participants in this arm will complete a concurrent TMS/fMRI scan before beginning Prolonged Exposure (PE). PE will be delivered in 9-12 90-minute sessions. Therapy will be delivered by PhD-level therapists at Stanford and Palo Alto VA.
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Behavioral: Prolonged exposure
PE will be delivered in 9-12 90-minute sessions. Therapy will be delivered by PhD-level therapists at Stanford and Palo Alto VA. PE consists of four components: psychoeducation about PTSD symptoms and the behavioral or cognitive factors maintaining it, a brief breathing retraining that can be used as a stress management tool, prolonged imaginal exposure to the trauma memory both within-session and repeated as homework, and prolonged in vivo exposure to avoided scenarios in patients’ day-to-day lives.
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| No Intervention: Wait list, immediately followed by Prolonged Exposure
Intake procedures include clinician-administered diagnostic battery, cognitive testing, self-report measures of symptoms, and functional imaging scan. NOTE: Participants in this arm receive treatment following a waitlist period of 12 weeks. After waitlist, will have a TMS/fMRI scan and then immediately begin Prolonged Exposure treatment. See above for description of Prolonged Exposure.
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Behavioral: Prolonged Exposure
PE will be delivered in 9-12 90-minute sessions. Therapy will be delivered by PhD-level therapists at Stanford and Palo Alto VA. PE consists of four components: psychoeducation about PTSD symptoms and the behavioral or cognitive factors maintaining it, a brief breathing retraining that can be used as a stress management tool, prolonged imaginal exposure to the trauma memory both within-session and repeated as homework, and prolonged in vivo exposure to avoided scenarios in patients’ day-to-day lives.
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Eligibility
| Ages Eligible for Study: | 18 Years to 60 Years |
| Genders Eligible for Study: | Both |
| Accepts Healthy Volunteers: | No |
Inclusion Criteria:
- age between 18 and 60 years;
- fMRI scanning eligibility, including no evidence of any form of metal embedded in the body (e.g., metal wires, nuts, bolts, screws, plates, sutures), as these produce artifacts when brain imaging;
- not currently involved in an exposure-based psychotherapy, in order to be able to measure and interpret the effects of PE on PTSD;
- must comprehend English well and show non-impaired intellectual abilities to ensure adequate comprehension of the fMRI task instructions and PE treatment;
- no history of neurological or cardiovascular disorders, brain surgery, electroconvulsive or radiation treatment, brain hemorrhage or tumor, stroke, seizures or epilepsy, diabetes, hypo- or hyperthyroidism, head trauma with loss of consciousness greater than thirty minutes;
- no regular use of benzodiazepine, opiate, thyroid, anticonvulsant or antipsychotic medications. Patients on stable doses of antidepressant medications will be allowed. Patients for whom antidepressant dosing is being actively titrated will be required to be on a stable dose for 1 month prior to inclusion in the study.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Any contraindication to being scanned in the 3T or 1.5T scanners at the Lucas Center or CNI such as having a pacemaker or implanted device that has not been cleared for scanning at the Lucas Center or CNI.
- Participants will be excluded from the study if there is any lifetime evidence of psychosis, mania, hypomania, or bipolar disorders. Other axis I comorbidities will not be a cause for exclusion.
In addition, subjects will be excluded if they have a significant CNS neurological condition such as stroke, seizure, tumor, hemorrhage, multiple sclerosis, etc.
Patients who have current substance dependence will be excluded from the study. A recent diagnosis of substance abuse is allowable, however, as long as subjects have been abstinent for greater than three months.
- Subjects will be excluded if they are currently in an exposure-based psychotherapy for PTSD.
Contacts and Locations
| Contact: Kathy Peng, B.A. | 650-725-9510 | psychiatry@stanford.edu |
| Contact: Madeleine Goodkind, PhD | 650-493-5000 ext 60168 | mgoodkin@stanford.edu |
| United States, California | |
| VA Palo Alto Healthcare System | Recruiting |
| Palo Alto, California, United States, 94304 | |
| Contact: Kathy Peng, B.A. 650-725-9510 psychiatry@stanford.edu | |
| Contact: Madeleine Goodkind, Ph.D. 650-493-5000 ext 60168 mgoodkin@stanford.edu | |
| Principal Investigator: Amit Etkin, M.D., Ph.D. | |
| Stanford University, Department of Psychiatry | Recruiting |
| Stanford, California, United States, 94304 | |
| Contact: Kathy Peng, B.A. 650-725-9510 psychiatry@stanford.edu | |
| Contact: Madeleine Goodkind, Ph.D. 650-725-9510 mgoodkin@stanford.edu | |
| Principal Investigator: Amit Etkin, M.D., Ph.D. | |
| Principal Investigator: | Amit Etkin, M.D., Ph.D. | Stanford University |
| Study Director: | Madeleine S Goodkind, Ph.D. | Stanford University |
More Information
No publications provided
| Responsible Party: | Stanford University |
| ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT01507948 History of Changes |
| Other Study ID Numbers: | SU-10252011-8566 |
| Study First Received: | December 14, 2011 |
| Last Updated: | January 13, 2012 |
| Health Authority: | United States: Institutional Review Board United States: Federal Government |
Keywords provided by Stanford University:
| Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Psychotherapy non-medication treatment Prolonged Exposure Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) | Anxiety Disorders emotion emotion regulation functional MRI Affective Symptoms |
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
| Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders, Traumatic Anxiety Disorders Mental Disorders |
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on August 27, 2013
HowardLovelyJr 
