All Things Soldier: PTSD And EFT

This is the third article that Athens Now has devoted to the subject of PTSD, (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), with the emphasis in this piece being examining an effective way to empower soldiers in overcoming its debilitating effects without the use of drugs. Its purpose also is to introduce the idea that it is entirely possible to do so when an episode or flashback is just beginning, and before it has a chance to become full blown.

PTSD, with specific reference to the trauma that occurs in the lives of troops who have been engaged in combat, has gone by many names; battle fatigue, combat stress, shell shock, combat neurosis, and others. However, it is important to understand that soldiers can have PTSD without having seen one of their buddies get blown up. Trauma can take on a number of forms and its effect can express itself in myriad ways.

One of the most powerful techniques useful in overcoming PTSD is known as Emotional Freedom Technique, and a brief explanation from a previous article devoted to the subject follows below:

Have you ever been in a situation when you have been stressed and either pinched the bridge of your nose, pressed your temples, covered your eyes with your fists, or smote your chest? Since the discovery of pressure points and the fact that we are highly electrical beings, such instinctive actions make perfect sense in view of the need to clear out excess negative energy and deal with a difficult situation well.

EFT’s origins lie in acupuncture, a Chinese healing method that uses needles on energy meridians in the body. Instead of using needles, in EFT the practitioner users fingertips to repeatedly tap on similar energy pathways. Acupuncture was developed to treat physical issues, and EFT takes it a step further by integrating emotional healing. By focusing on a problem while tapping on energy meridians, the underlying emotional issue can be released.

So, is it really possible to gain such full relief through such simple means as tapping while addressing the negative emotion or memory? It is, and before I tell you the personal story of a man who recently decided to try EFT after his life nearly spun apart, I want to introduce you to the work of Dawson Church. He has been devoted to doing research in this area for a number of years, and has a great web site documenting results from using EFT with vets at www.stressproject.org. ‘Nam vets have been some of the toughest guys to help due to the fact that after they were traumatized, our culture first vilified them and then suggested drugs, street as well as prescription, as a solution to their pain. Dawson has a number of videos documenting truly miraculous results in just one session, and I would like to finish this article with the story of a man who just recently found himself needing and experiencing the relief that can be achieved through prayerful use of EFT.

This officer was of the Desert Storm era, served in the field of intelligence, a brilliant and devoted husband, father, and man of faith. While he did not see combat in the classic sense, for years he was in a non-stop emotional “firefight” for the life of his terminally ill child, who eventually died in her teens. Her death was devastating to the entire family, and his helplessness at not being able to save her would align with the effect of working in several emotionally toxic work environments where he was inarguably mistreated.
The results were dreadful. He would hold it all in and then blow up over small things at home. While there was never even the remotest possibility of physical violence, the rage took its toll on the entire family in the form of shame and physical illness. Through what he now sees as a divinely orchestrated marital crisis, he found EFT to be of great help.
Is it a “three-steps-forward-two-steps-back” type of situation? It is, as it takes some time to “re-wire” the brain. But the point is, the effect has been so powerful that now he would like to go to VA hospitals and teach EFT to Vets, because he knows it works.

There is hope for our vets, there is hope for our civilians, and there is powerful hope that PTSD can be permanently overcome. I believe EFT is a gift from a loving God, and if you are struggling, start by going online and discovering for yourself the proof that you can triumph over trauma.
By: Ali Elizabeth Turner