The Uncarved Blog

By Dr. David Leffler

In early 2010 WWII veteran Jerry Yellin was introduced to a young man, Dory Klock, an eight-year Army veteran who had fought in Bosnia. Dory was having difficulty adjusting, keeping a job, and fighting drugs and alcohol. As a combat veteran, Jerry knew these inner struggles all too well. Dory’s wife and two daughters were suffering with him, and Dory’s mom Lin, Jerry’s friend, was beside herself. Then one day Lin called and asked Jerry if he could help her out. “Sure, Lin, anything,” he told her.

She began weeping; she couldn’t speak. Finally, she asked, “Can you help me put Dory’s medals and ribbons on his dress uniform? We want to bury him in it, Jerry. He committed suicide yesterday.” Lin brought Dory’s uniform to Jerry’s home and he put the medals and insignias in place. When Lin left, Jerry broke down. His thoughts ran wild with the suffering so many are experiencing from the life and death of our warriors who experience combat and have nothing to hold onto when they come home. Jerry was a P-51 Pilot who flew 19 missions over Japan and saw the horror of Iwo Jima – a battle involving 90,000 soldiers on a small island where 28,000 people died. He knew from his own experiences as a returning veteran who suffered from what is now called Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) that the problem is overwhelming our nation.

Jerry relates: “Can we expect our warriors to return from the horrors and experiences of war and integrate back into a normal routine without something deep and meaningful to hold onto? I could not. And neither can they. I also know that each and every PTSD victim needs a vehicle, a methodology that will help them help themselves. Antipsychotic and antidepressant drugs are used extensively but are extremely costly, especially for the long haul, and do not provide a cure. Many turn to alcohol and recreational drugs as a temporary escape from problems. Eighteen veterans from all our wars are said to be committing suicide daily. I know that care is dependent on complete willingness and cooperation from the patient. And that takes a long time. America does not have that time now. We are in crisis.”

This article offers a scientifically verified, time-tested solution to how we can help our military personnel, veterans and their families.

Read the rest of Real Life Solution: Combating PTSD with TM.

Also posted on OpEd News and the Purple Heart Service Foundation as Combating PTSD.

Tags: David Lynch Foundation, health, military, Operation Warrior Welleness, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD, TM technique, Transcendental Meditation

This entry was posted on March 25, 2011 at 7:19 pm and is filed under Articles, David Lynch Foundation, Peace. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.