Alternative Treatment Can Help Vets with Cancer, PTSD

Reprinted with permission - Douglass Karr and Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance

Alternative Treatment Can Help Vets with Cancer, PTSD

Unfortunately, all too often many veterans return from active service and find it difficult to reintegrate into day to day life. After a tour of duty, the activities of daily life can seem mundane by comparison. Going from living in "survival mode" to the relative safety of civilian life can be a shock to the system, and some vets have trouble adapting to the dramatic change. Further, some veterans who have not fully processed the events of their tour of duty, especially if there was conflict or trauma, can exhibit symptoms of PTSD, which can further impair their readjustment to civilian life.

There is a relatively new alternative treatment available now that can help soldiers in making this adjustment and processing any trauma they experienced. It is called EFT, which stands for Emotional Freedom Techniques. It works with the body's energy meridian system (the same system used in acupuncture.) However, instead of using needles, specific acupressure points on the face and body are tapped with the fingers, accessing the meridians and rebalancing them.

There are 14 meridian channels that run throughout the human body. Whenever a difficult or painful emotion is felt, this means one or more of the meridians are out of balance. In EFT, tapping the meridian points while holding the painful thought, memory or emotion in mind causes the unbalanced meridians to rebalance. Almost instantly, the unpleasant or negative feeling evaporates.

It may sound too good to be true, but more and more people, including veterans, are reporting relief from conditions which had previously impeded their enjoyment of life. Symptoms such as anxiety, depression, insomnia and flashbacks, which very often plague sufferers of PTSD, can be rapidly relieved with EFT, often permanently.

EFT can also help with physical issues, even debilitating conditions such as cancer. Mesothelioma is a very serious type of cancer sometimes called the "asbestos cancer," since it is often linked to asbestos exposure. From less serious cancers to terminal cancers, EFT can help in every area, from processing the diagnosis and helping with stress levels to managing symptoms and making cancer treatments easier to handle.

EFT Master Dawson Church is the head of a campaign to try and get EFT included as part of the PTSD treatment protocol in V.A. hospitals. He has spoken in front of Congress twice and seems to be making headway in getting the V.A. to open up to this life changing tool. Dawson Church is also involved in the Iraq Vets Stress Project, which connects vets with EFT practitioners and resources offering relief from PTSD. There are many free and low cost resources available to veterans through their website: www.stressproject.org/find.html

The motto of EFT is "try it on everything," since it is so easy to use, can be self-administered, is non-invasive and has few if any side effects. From physical to emotional issues, EFT can make a big difference, and is at least worth a try.

Click here for a video explanation and demonstration of the EFT process: www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPLDCkNwwHQ