Among the hundreds of thousands of pets adopted from U.S. animal shelters each year, are an unfortunate minority who are eventually returned to the shelters because they required more money, time, or responsibility than anticipated. The “return” problem got substantial…
PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) is not an illness exclusive to battle-scarred Veterans: about one in twenty Americans have it, and they come from all career fields, genders, ethnicities, and ages. Nor do all trauma survivors develop PTSD: probably the highest…
One of every 20 adults in the U.S. has PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), and the rate is about as high in children and teens. Trauma alone does not cause PTSD: influencing factors include genetic predisposition, overall self-confidence, age at time…
April 26 is International Noise Awareness Day. Whatever constitutes everyday “background noise” in your neighborhood or community, your conscious brain has probably learned to tune it out—but never giving it a thought may be costing you. Noise and Health The…
We wrap up Brain Injury Awareness Month (March) with an overview of Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs): what causes them, how to recognize them, and how to prevent them. Causes The best-known causes of brain injury are blows received in war…
Read Time 5 Minutes Some people can’t get enough of digital technology. Some people learn it out of necessity. And some people use it only when there is absolutely no alternative. There’s a world of media surrounding the perpetually wired…
“Better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all,” wrote the poet Alfred Tennyson, processing his grief after the death of a close friend. While mourning has its regrets, these rarely include, “I wish I’d never…
February is Recreational Therapy Awareness Month. Never heard of recreational therapy? Or assumed it was just another name for physical therapy? Read on! Do you believe having fun is good for everybody? If we’re talking about “everybody under a certain…
Everyone knows about post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but there are “things everyone knows that just aren’t so.” Misconception: All PTSD cases look alike. Truth: No more than do all cases of autism, cancer, or Parkinson’s disease. Individual humans are far…
Although Veterans are generally respected these days (check out our Veterans Day article), they also have a reputation as a depressed lot. A stereotype, of course, but not one entirely without foundation: 11–30% of Veterans have some history of post-traumatic…
