As veterans come back home after combat, many of them suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
They sometimes re-experience the war: flashbacks, nightmares, and intense physical reactions such as sweating, nausea, and pounding heart.
To alleviate the symptoms, doctors use different methods to the patients. Among those methods, interacting with animals has proven to be effective to the veterans.
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There have been some stories about the animals that help human overcome their psychological and emotional wounds.
For example, at Boulder Crest Retreat in Bluemont, VA, horses bring peace to veterans who have been suffering from PTSD.
Also, the Lockwood Animal Rescue Center in Frazier Part, CA, has a program called “Warriors and Wolves.”
The program assists veterans to move on from their pain with the rescued wolves.
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Co-founder of the Lockwood Animal Rescue Center and a veteran himself, Matthew Simmons interviewed with a Great Big Story, “There’s something about being part of nature. There’s something about being around these animals. To even the most wounded veteran, they feel different. It keeps them a part of something greater than themselves.”
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It is amazing that interacting with the wild animals helps veterans to deal with their PTSD. One of the veterans in the program, Jim Minick had tried everything before “Warriors and Wolves” but nothing worked. He said, “They [wolves] kind of teach you how to be calm and confident. It’s got some deeper meaning when they accept you.”
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