Category: Blogishness

Best Of, Blogishness, Blogishness

Is It Worth It To Get An MFA In Creative Writing?

Michael Anthony

poor writer on the street

As many of you know, I’ve been enrolled in an MFA program for creative writing for the last year and a half. I’ve started my final semester now and will be graduating this summer. And now that things are working their way towards an end, I thought I should address the question that had been banging around in my head a year and a half ago: Is it worth it to get an MFA in creative writing?

The short answer is yes, and the long answer is yes … but…

Is there anything that you can get out of an MFA that you can’t get out of a good writer’s group? No. Absolutely not. (Well besides the degree, if you’re looking to teach, but let’s assume that you’re getting the MFA just to be a better writer and not a teacher.) The problem is that there’s no chance of finding a good writing group outside of an MFA program—let me clarify, there are good writing groups, but most of them are run by people with MFA’s and they usually include people who already have MFA’s. If you go out and look at the average writing group, you’ll see a handful of people who are engineers, dentists, homemakers, lawyers, janitors, people who want to be writers, but most often lack the commitment and passion necessary to truly make a worthwhile effort at becoming a successful writer. 

This doesn’t mean that an engineer or dentists can’t be a writer too, or that they can’t become a writer … Charles Bukowski was a postman, Tom Perotta was an English teacher, but what you get in an MFA is training, and access to a group of writers who are more committed and passionate towards writing than the average person.

Think about it. People in MFA programs have a level of commitment. They’re willing to commit two years, forty thousand dollars, and hundreds of hours of work. Where can you find a writing group with that level of commitment?

I’ve been to other writer’s groups. Plenty of them. They’re simply not at the same level, in commitment or quality.

You can put in the hours without an MFA program, but what you’re paying for is feedback, learning experience,  and friendships with fellow writers. An MFA program doesn’t just introduce you to a group of writers who will help you critique and edit your work for the two years of the program, it introduces you to a group of writers who will critique and edit your work for years afterwards.  Your peers are just as important as the faculty. 

I’m reminded of an article by two researchers who wanted to find out why some firefighters were better at their job than other firefighters. After pouring over all their research it turned out that the best firefighters were the ones who went out for beers afterwards with their fellow firefighters. And why did this make them better at their job? Because when they were out drinking they’d tell stories, “One time when I was in a fire … I did this…” “…and another time I did this…” That was the biggest difference. And it wasn’t about getting drunk, it was just that the best ones were constantly learning, even while getting drunk. It’s the same for our fellow writers. We go out and talk and tell stories, “this worked for me for character arc,” “this didn’t” etc.

So, again … is it worth it? Yes, absolutely. But can you still get the same benefits without the time and money? Yes, of course you can. For me though, it’s all about stacking the odds.

Related Article: Five Tips to Writing an MFA Personal Statement. 

Photo: itsmeritesh/flickr

Best Of, Blogishness, Blogishness

Bullying Experiment

Michael Anthony

bully free zone

Iraq War veteran Michael Anthony talks about battling bullies. Make sure to watch the bully experiment video at the end.

Several years back, I was going for a walk around my neighborhood—one of my usual weekly routines—and as I turned a corner on one particular day, I saw a man and woman struggling in front of me. I wasn’t sure what was going on between them until I saw the man pull back and punch the woman. I immediately ran over as she fell to the ground. They were still yelling as she fell. She was his wife, and apparently he had hit her before.

“Yeah call the police. I’ll Kick your ass.”

I jumped between the two of them, pushed the guy back with my body and covered up the woman. The guy backed off as I helped her to her feet. He began yelling at me: “What are you some tough guy? Yeah help her up pussy. I’ll kick your ass.”

He yelled in the background as I looked over and asked if she was alright. I then took out my phone and called the police (the process is actually a lot longer than you’d think).

He kept yelling, “Yeah. Call the police. I’ll kick your ass…”

He got in my face, “I’m talking to you, tough guy.”

I looked him up and down as he stood there. He wasn’t that big of a guy, maybe 5’11, 175lbs. Not huge, but nothing to scoff at. I’m not that big of a guy myself either. I stand just under 5’10 and fluctuate between 155-165lbs. But one thing that you can’t tell from looking at me is that I’m a war veteran and I’m trained in MMA. There was no doubt in my mind that I could drop this guy. But instead, I ignored him as I talked to the police and kept standing between him and the woman.

“I’ve trained for years–in the army and in gyms–for such a moment…”

He kept yelling, walking in circles around the two of us. I stayed on with the police and simultaneously tried to make small talk with the woman (once I actually got someone on the phone they got a trooper there within a few minutes). The police came, took over the situation, and then told me I could leave. So I did. I left.

But here’s the thing. I’m fairly certain that I did what was right. Once I was there, I knew that the guy no longer posed a threat to the woman, and I didn’t see him as a threat to me, so instead of fighting him I called the police. I talked to the woman and protected her. But still… when I think about the incident I regret not knocking the guy’s lights out. I mean, how often does a man get a chance to beat up a wife beater? I’d trained for years–in the army and in gyms–for such a moment, and I’d been in fights before, so I wasn’t scared. But I didn’t do it. I don’t know why. It may not be a popular sentiment, maybe I’m compensating for something, but I honestly regret not punching him.

Anyways… this video made me think about it. Check it out and let me know: What would you do?

Photo: Eddie~S/Flickr

 

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The Afterlife: Heaven is for Real: Proof of Heaven: a Semi-personal Story

Michael Anthony

Heaven is for real proof of heavenA semi-personal story of a friend’s experience in a coma–And–reviews of the books: Heaven is for Real and Proof of Heaven.

What happens to us after we die?  The question has plagued many of the best, and worst, minds throughout history.  Some people believe that heaven is hanging out on white clouds, cherubs playing the harp, and friends and families surrounding them; others believe in being greeted by forty virgins; and others still, believe in nothing, that the end is the end.

Recently, I heard a story from a friend who, just this past summer, was in a month-long medically induced coma.  The story that he had to tell about his experiences, visions, hallucinations, what have you, while in the coma, fascinated me.  In fact, what he spoke about called to mind two memoirs that I had read recently: Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy’s Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back, a memoir written by Todd Burpo about his son’s alleged experiences with the afterlife while in a coma after a ruptured appendix.  The other book is Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon’s Journey into the Afterlife, a memoir written by Eben Alexander a neurosurgeon who claims that his coma, and the state his brain was in, and the fact that he had visions during his coma, prove that heaven is real!  (Now, I don’t want to make it seem as though I only read books about the afterlife, I tend to read several books a month, and these were just two that, through recommendations, made it into the fray.)

proof of the afterlife

                The previous mentioned books, Heaven is for Real, and Proof of Heaven, though well-written, and seemingly well-intentioned, I have a lot of problems with:


In Heaven is for Real, a child claims that while in a coma he hovered over his body, saw his family prayinproof that heaven is realg, and then went into heaven and met Jesus (the story is all narrated by his father).  They stories and claims are interesting and are what they are, but I had two main issues with the book: (1) At one point the child has done something wrong and is getting reprimanded by the father and the child says “Remember Jesus loves children,” and the father stops reprimanding him.  Although slight, that’s the first part of the book that kind of got my radar going (as if a child claiming to have met Jesus isn’t enough to get the radar going).  The child, who has met Jesus, is now using it as an excuse not to pick up his toys, etc.  (2) As I stated, the story is all narrated by the child’s father, but what’s also important to mention is that the child’s father is a pastor.  And coincidentally, when the child goes to heaven, what he sees, and experiences, lines up exactly, 100%, with what the father believes and teaches at his church.  To me, this seemed a little too obvious.  That out of all the thousands of religions in the world, one child claims to go to heaven, claims to meet Jesus, and his version of heaven, and Jesus, coincidentally matches up exactly with what his father teaches.  It just seems too…I don’t know, you get the idea.  It would have been fascinating if the child came back and had one thing, even one little thing, that rebutted something the father taught, but the child’s version of heaven matched what the father taught right down to the colors of the robes Jesus wore.


As fproof that heaven is realor Proof of Heaven: Although I enjoyed the book, and appreciate the fact that it was written by a man of science, after the book was released, a lot of claims were being made about the validity of the medical claims.  (The book’s main selling points are the medical claims—that the author, a respected doctor, actually has scientific proof that an afterlife exists).  So… both interesting reads, but, as always, I remain an interested skeptic (there were many good things about the books, too, but I’ll go further into those in a later post).

Now, onto the story of my friend:  Several months ago, a friend—we’ll call him Rich—was jumped by a couple of kids outside a club (Rich was drunk and the kids had been hitting on his girlfriend).  After talking trash back and forth the kids jumped Rich and knocked him out (the kids both had brass knuckles).  Rich fell to the ground and an ambulance was called.  The combination of brass knuckles and the fall to the ground led to Rich’s skull becoming fractured, and he had to be sent to the neurosurgery unit of a nearby hospital.  Following the incident Rich was put into a medical induced coma. His brain was swollen and the size of a basketball, and for weeks the swelling wouldn’t go down.  After a month, the doctor told his mother that he was “the worse patient in the hospital” and that she should prepare to say goodbye.  At that point, the mother, and a group of friend who were constantly in-and-out of Rich’s bedside, formed a prayer circle outside in the waiting room.  They all held hands and began to pray.  Within the hour Rich’s swelling finally began to go down—after it not moving at all for a month—and he was soon able to come out of the medically induced coma.

When Rich came out, not only was he all right, but he had such minimal brain damage that it fascinated the doctors (the only side effects are that he can no longer taste or smell; but the doctor’s say he might be able to get those back, and besides that there’s no significant brain damage, etc).  When Rich came out of his coma, though, he had quite the story to tell about what he experienced while in the coma.  (Before going on, I’d like to state that Rich is not trying to sell his story, he was not religious beforehand, in fact, he was pretty atheistic, and agnostic.)

what happens when we die?

                Rich’s claims:

(1)    Rich claims that he remembers hovering over his body and looking down at himself and all the people in the room praying for him.

(2)    While in a coma Rich claims that he saw his friend, Billy, who had died seven years earlier—Billy was also jumped by some kids and had died of almost the same EXACT injuries of Rich.

(3)    Rich claimed that Billy was with him the whole time and that they had several conversations.

  1. In their conversations they talked about: how Rich was the only one of Billy’s friends who still talked to his mom.  How Billy had been planning on having a kid with his girlfriend before he died, but how Rich had ending up having one with his girlfriend instead so after his passing.  Billy told Rich that he was going to be all right, that he was going to get out of the coma fine.  At one point, Billy even told Rich “They’re going to be doing some surgery on you now, but it’s all right, because it will help you to wake up when you do…”  At one point Billy even said to him (referencing the way Billy had died) “Did you learn nothing from me, man!?”  Billy also told Rich to tell his mother that he was, “doing all right.”

(4)    After Rich was out of the hospital he went to see Billy’s mother and before he could say anything she said, “You don’t have to say anything.  I know Billy was there with you.”

(5)    After I told him one of the stories I had read in the book Heaven is for Real, he said that his whole body started tingling.

Normally, I’m a hard-lined skeptic, and I still am, but it’s fascinating to hear a story directly from the horse’s mouth, from someone I know, someone who’s not trying to make a dime off his story and has no vested interest in sharing it.  I don’t know if his claims are real.  Nothing that he said was mind-shattering, he made no predictions for the future, he didn’t meet Jesus, he didn’t claim to have scientific proof that heaven exists, but it’s interesting, something I just thought I’d share.

Edit:  In a comment below I was informed that the story regarding the debunking of the memoir Proof of Heaven, has been debunked itself.  So, his account holds true–or, at least, it hasn’t been debunked as previously claimed.

Picture: Flickr/angelofsweetbitter2009By: angelofsweetbitter2009

Best Of, Blogishness, Blogishness

The Vegan Comedian – A Follow Up

Michael Anthony

Go Vegan CartoonSeveral months ago I released a series of “Vegan Comedian…” videos on YouTube, and in these videos I did what could only be correlated to as “Standup comedy.”

The so called “jokes” that I came up with were meant to poke fun at vegans and meat-eaters alike:  “Vegan Alcoholics,” “Vegan Abortions,” and “Rotten Meat,” all the videos addressed awkward, and bizarre conversations that I’ve had over the years.  (None of them by choice.) The idea behind the videos was to lampoon the dynamics between vegans and meat-eaters—and I thought a corny, try-hard, hack, standup comedian would be a fun medium to use.  I added in the fake lack track to make it more fun, and I timed it just a second off just to add to the cringe-factor.  It was all in good spirits.

In the description of the video I had a little paragraph stating that it was filmed with a laugh track and that it was just for satire purposes, and then I added in a list of real comedians who also happen to be vegan.  Originally, the videos were titled “Live Performance – The Vegan Comedian…” but combined with the laugh track, it became too obvious, and there were other versions were I really hammed it up for the camera, but those didn’t work either.

I am a vegan; however, I am not a “Live out Loud,” vegan.  I do write articles, and post videos, about veganism, but in real life I often don’t talk about veganism.  None of my friends even knew I was vegan until several months afterward.  In fact, the majority of the time that I do talk about vegan/vegetarian/pescetarianism is when I’m talking to vets about how a healthy diet can help with PTSD—other times are when I’m specifically asked, or when I think someone’s experiencing a problem that a vegan/vegetarian diet could address (cue research on diabetes, heart disease, etc).   But over the years, as stated, conversations have happened—as they do to every vegan, and meat-eater, alike—that I thought would be fun to talk about and parody.

Anyways…people are watching the videos and thinking they’re real—that I’m some guy really trying to be a comedian, and that I added in the laugh track to pull one over on people.  The intent was to create this type of ‘try-hard, hack comedian’ but I figured that people would watch the videos, maybe think a little about the meat-eater/vegan dynamics (from both sides); laugh a little; cringe a little, then read the description and be in on the joke.  The videos came out exactly as planned; the only thing I didn’t plan on was that so few people would read the video descriptions.  One video has gone viral on Reddit (twice) and the three videos combined have been shared over 3,000 times and have gotten over 150,000 views.  Go figure.  People think they’re real—or created with real standup comedy intent.

In the last week I’ve gotten a dozen emails from angry people (actually a majority of angry comedians) saying things like: “You suck.  You’ll never make it as a comedian using a fake laugh track.”  And let’s not forget All-Captials-Guy: “I’VE BEEN DOING COMEDY FOR SIX YEARS.  YOU’RE A HACK AND YOUR STUPID VIDEO HAS MORE VIEWS THAN ALL OF MINE COMBINED.  WE ALL CAN TELL THAT YOUR [sic] USING A LAUGH TRACK NO ONE’S BUYING THAT IT WAS A REAL AUDIENCE.  WE’RE LAUGHING AT YOU NOT WITH YOU.  FUCK YOURSELF YOU STUPID VEGAN.”

And then of course there are the other comedians who tried to ‘trip me up’ or ‘catch me in a lie.’  I got three emails from comedians asking questions like, “Great audience, bro.  Where were you?  I’ve been doing standup for years and haven’t had a crowd like that.  Who was head-lining, bro?”   Obviously they think I created the videos for real and they’re trying to catch me admitting to using a laugh track (With these emails I had fun and typically answered back something like: “Wow.  Thanks for the email, bro.  You’re right the crowd was awesome that night.  I can’t believe the great response…” you get the idea).

I did get a couple of emails from people who had originally commented angrily on Reddit, then had read the video description and sent me an email:  “Hey, I posted an angry comment on reddit about your video (I never comment but your video got me so angry) but I read the description after I had shown it to a few friends and I’ve got to say you got me.  I total bought it.  Part of me wants to comment on reddit and let everyone know and part of me wants to just keep it going.  Great job…”

Anyways… it’s a fun joke, people are responding to it in funny and interesting ways, the only reason I’m even mentioning anything now is because of the emails I’ve gotten regarding it.  I get dozens of emails every week from veterans and family members of veterans looking for help and when I have to take time out of answering those emails to answer these, that’s where I draw the line with the joke.

Lesson learned:  People don’t read video descriptions.

Videos

Rotten Meat Joke

Vegan Abortions Joke

Vegan

Best Of, Blogishness, Blogishness

What to do if your Yahoo Email Account Gets Hacked!

Michael Anthony

yahoo account's been hackedRecently my Yahoo email account was hacked (sorry for anyone who got a spam email) it’s been happening more and more lately to friends and now it’s finally happened to me.  It’s an awful feeling to know that you’ve been hacked and all your contacts–business, and friends–have been sent links to porn sites (funny story about that in a second).

Here’s the steps to take if anyone else out there gets hacked by these bastards.

1)  Log into your account–if you still can.

2) Go to drop down bar and click on Account Info.

3) First, check your contact information.  This should be where you’ve put in an alternate email account and/or your phone number.  Hackers often change these to alternate email addresses, too.  Check those and make sure they’re still the ones you had placed there.

4) Then click on the link that says “change your password” and change your password.

5) Then click on “update password-reset info,” follow the steps.

6) Then click on “set up your second sign-in verification,” (this is supposed to make it hard for you to ever get hacked again–if you, or anyone else, tries to log onto your email account from an unknown computer then they won’t be able to.)

7) Click on “view your recent sign-in activity,” this will show you where you’ve been hacked from (I was hacked from Romania).

8) Send an apology email to all those on your list and let them know that you’ve been hacked.

And here’s the funny story.  A friend of mine, let’s call her Brittney, had just broken up with her long term boyfriend.  They had been together for almost seven years, and a week after they had broken up Brittney’s email had gotten hacked.  Well, this hacker sent out emails, but only to a handful of people in Brittney’s email list… but one of those people happened to be her ex-boyfriend.  And what do you think the spam email was for…. Penis Enlargement pills.  That’s right, a week after breaking up, Brittney’s ex-boyfriend received an email that said, “Here I think you need these…” and then there was a link to Penis Enlargement pills (and for those of you who think Brittney had done this as a joke and hadn’t really gotten hacked, the email also had gone to her uncle and a few other people too).

Anyways, hackers and spammers suck.

Blogishness, Blogishness, Politics / News, Politics / News, Uncategorized

Top 5 Military TV Shows

Michael Anthony

There’s been a lot of military TV shows, some good, some bad, and I decided to make a list of which ones I thought were the best.  Let me know in the comments whether you agree or disagree?

5 Stars Earn Stripes.  New show, but I like it because it reminds me of number 2 on this list—but more on that later.

Stars Earn Stripes premiered on August 13th, 2012, and is in its first season.  The series is a reality TV show that follows a group of celebrities, accompanied by members of the United States Armed Forces and others, competing in various challenges for charity based off actual training exercises used by the U.S. military.

What’s Good:  It’s a good show because it shows celebrities in a different light—going through the tough training of the military—and it raises money for charities.  Plus, it’s a reality TV show so the military people are all real, badass, guys.  And it’s interesting watching these intense soldiers deal with more delicate celebrities.  Looks very promising.

What’s Bad:  They could’ve gotten some better, more interesting, celebrities.   Most of them I don’t even know who they are.  Hopefully there’s a second season, and hopefully they get some better celebrities.

4 The Unit.   Just started watching this show.

The Unit is off television now but it aired on CBS from March 7th 2006, to May 10th 2009.  It was an American action-drama television series that focused on a top-secret military unit modeled after the real-life U.S. Army special operations unit commonly known as Delta Force.

What’s Good:  Well, first off, it’s about Delta Force, and second off, Eric Haney, one of the founders of the real-life Delta Force, is an executive producer, and the show is based off his memoir.  So the show is the real deal and isn’t just some shit thrown together by a bunch of civilians.

What’s Bad:  The Worst part of the program is the military wives; they’re not painted in a good light at all, they’re SUPER annoying, and it makes their parts hard to watch.

3 MASH.  Set the bar for all military shows.

MASH is off the air but premiered on September 17th, 1972, and ran until February 28th, 1983, the final episode received a record-breaking 125 million views.  It was a military medical dramedy that followed a fictional medical hospital during the Korean war.

What’s Good:  They did an excellent job of capturing the behind the scenes and peccadilloes of a hospital unit in a war zone.  A lot of good comedy and since the show was a show that showed its politics it had a profound influence on American during its airing.  The episode are still good to watch even all these years later.

What’s Bad:  It’s an old show and has been off the air for a long time.  Most people my generation have never even heard of the show, little alone watched an episode.  Sometimes older shows can be harder to watch for a new generation because they won’t understand what’s going on/went on.

2 Combat Missions.  Great show!

Combat Missions aired from January to April 2002, lasting only one season.  It was a one hour long reality TV show hosted by former Navy SEAL Rudy Boesch.  The show pitted four teams of highly-experienced military and police operatives against each other in physical challenges and “mission” scenarios.  The mission scenarios has each team face off against the opposing “Shadow force” (not another team) using MILES gear in real-life combat situations.

What’s Good:  For starters, it featured people, not actors, from some of the most badass organizations around: SWAT, Marine Recon, Navy SEAL, Army Special Forces, Delta Force, and even a former CIA spook.  Watching some of the drama between these guys was awesome, and seeing how they handled each other in competition.  These guys are the best of the best and it was great to be able to see them all working together.

What’s Bad:  One of the guys on the show, A Navy SEAL, Scott Helvenston, went off to work for Blackwater after he was on the show, apparently he pissed off some of the wrong people and was killed while in Afghanistan.  Also, a SWAT guy won the show, so it didn’t make the military guys look too good.

1 Band of Brothers.  It was technically only a mini-series, but Band of Brothers was a great TV show!

Originally airing in 2001, Band of Brothers was a ten part, 11-hour television Word War II miniseries.  The series fictionalized the history of “Easy” company (part of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division) from jump training in the US to the capitulation of Japan and the end of the war. The events portrayed are based on research and recorded interviews with the real Easy Company veterans.

What’s Good:  It’s based on a true story, on a real unit.  Incredibly well casted, scripted, and the production value is amazing.  Everything about this show was great!

What’s Bad:  It only lasted one season—The Pacific, is supposed to be a sequel, in a sense, and based on Marines during WWII, but I haven’t seen it yet; it’s on the to watch list, though.

UPDATED: I’ve finally seen The Pacific on HBO and it’s honestly a tough call between The Pacific and Band of Brothers. Both are amazing shows, incredibly well done, but I think I’m actually going to choose BoB over The Pacific, maybe it’s the army vet in me, but the end of Band of Brothers, still gives me goosebumps (go on YouTube and watch the clip: Band of Brothers, ‘gory, gory, what a hell of a way to die’).

 

Civilianized: A Young Veteran’s Memoir

If you’re looking to take a break from military TV shows and films, then check out the dark humored War Memoir, by Iraq veteran Michael Anthony. Civilianized is a must read for any veteran, or anyone who knows a veteran, who has returned from war.

dark humored military memoir“An intense memoir.” -Kirkus

“I wont soon forget this book.” -Mary Roach

“A must read.” -Colby Buzzell

“[S]mart and mordantly funny.” –Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

“Anthony delivers a dose of reality that can awaken the mind…” Bookreporter

Order your copy of Civilianized: A Young Veteran’s Memoir .

Best Of, Blogishness, Blogishness, Comedy, ptsd, Self Improvement / Healthy Living, Self Improvement / Healthy Living, Uncategorized

PTSD: What to Do When Your Spouse has PTSD (Updated Version)- Best Ways to Treat PTSD

Michael Anthony

Lately, I’ve been getting a lot of comments, and emails, about my blog post: PTSD What to do When Your Spouse has PTSD. There are a lot of resources out there to help our loved ones with PTSD, but some things have changed since I originally wrote the article, and the article wasn’t as in-depth and helpful as it should’ve been, so an updated version is in order.  (Also, since all of the comments and emails I’ve received have been related to PTSD for military personnel, this article will be in reference only to treatment of PTSD for active duty or prior service military personnel—although, I’m sure, it can apply to the populace in the civilian world also suffering with PTSD.)

  • First, and foremost, the primary point of contact for any vet suffering from PTSD should by their local VA.  The staff at the VA are trained to handle veterans with PTSD, and what’s great about seeking therapy or counseling from the VA, rather than a private organization, is that the VA employs a lot of prior service military personnel as their counselors and therapists.  And 100% of the time I hear from other vets, and in my own experience, that it’s always easier to talk to another vet whose “been there” and “done that,” rather than some random therapist or counselor who has no idea.
    • Also, the VA has special services for the spouses and family members of military personnel, so a wife, or husband, or children, can seek their own counseling as well.

With that said, I’ve also heard from a lot of vets that the services offered at the VA are severely lacking and not helpful.  So it may work for some, but not for others.

Sometimes for vets, who are used to a certain tempo of physicality, and who aren’t used to sharing their feelings, it can be too odd and unwelcoming to have to sit down and suddenly talk about their feelings.  The good news is that there are a lot of other options, and a lot of them are shown to work better than typical therapy.

  • Neurofeedback.  A lot of people aren’t familiar with neurofeedback but the military has been pouring millions of dollars into neurofeedback programs that can help veterans with PTSD—and there are places all across the U.S. that offer it free to veterans.
    • What is Neurofeedback?
      • Basically, a bunch of doctor’s hook up sensors to a person’s scalp and the sensors read the person’s brain activity.  They then hook the sensors up to a computer program and somehow, through the sensors and the computer program, a person’s brain can actually be rewired.
  • I’ve actually done neurofeedback before and it can actually be a fun type of therapy.  Basically it’s like playing a video game, but instead of having a controller in your hands, your brain controls the movements on screen, and the program trains your brain to act in a certain way and thus rewires the parts of the brain affected by PTSD.  EVERY veteran I know who’s used the program has been pleased with the results.  And best of all, it’s not like therapy AT ALL, you literally play videogames with your mind—yes, I’m serious!—and sometimes they let you watch movies instead and your brain controls when the movies stop and play and pause, etc.
  • Link to an organization that details all the different places where a veteran can get free neurofeedback: http://www.homecoming4veterans.org/

 veteran with ptsd

  • Meditation.  Recently there was an article in the Washington Post about Transcendental Meditation and its usefulness to veterans.  (Link here.)  Basically, the military has been conducting a lot of research into what they call a “mental toughness” program and a main tenement of that program is meditation.  Meditation allows a person to sit alone in a quiet space and just BE with themselves, and the military’s research has shown that soldiers who meditate are less likely to get PTSD, and in the instances that a person has PTSD, it can be an effective coping mechanism, either by itself or combined with another program.
    • Meditation is probably the hardest thing listed in this program.  Seeking therapy or counseling can be easy because all a person has to do is talk.  Neurofeedback can be easy, because like I said, it’s just like playing a videogame.  But meditation can be the hardest, because a person has to force themselves to sit still, and quiet, for an hour a day—without falling asleep.  It sounds easy.  But it can really be difficult, especially if a veteran has PTSD because of the images and memories of war they see when they sit still and close their eyes.  But luckily for this, too, there are programs all across the U.S. which are designed to teach someone how to meditate within a few short weeks.  (A book on meditation recommended by the military’s mental toughness program is: Mindfulness in Plain English, by Bhante Henepola Gunaratana.)
  •  Another main tenement of the military’s mental toughness program and that has been shown to help with PTSD, is physical exercise.  Everyone knows the benefits of physical exercise on the body, but a lot of people aren’t aware of the benefits of physical exercise on the brain.  The military’s mental toughness program has shown that people, who exercise at least three times a week, are more adept at handling stress and dealing with emotional issues; and in separate studies, exercise has been shown to cure depression.  A fit body means a fit brain.  A lot of veterans who get out of the military often lose that physical part of their lifestyle, they may go from working out three times a week to only once, or none.  Lack of physical exercise takes as much a toll on a person’s body as it does their emotional state.
    • yoga for veterans with ptsdA good physical exercise that’s recommended for veterans suffering with PTSD is yoga.  Yoga can be very strenuous and physically demanding, and is often done in heated rooms over 100 degrees, and at the end of every yoga session there is a fifteen minute period of meditation.  With yoga a person will be able to combine two methodologies from the military’s mental toughness program.  They will have the purely physical component of the exercise and the mental component of the meditation.  It’s a win win.
  • There are many places and organizations that offer yoga free for veterans, and it’s usually done in a group format so it can be done with a spouse, but another great thing about yoga and meditation is that it can also be done in the comfort of one’s own house, which is always an added benefit.

The main thing to keep in mind when dealing with PTSD is that there ARE options.  It’s not like after the Vietnam War when the military and spouses and soldiers didn’t know what was going on; we know what’s going on now and there ARE cures.

Civilianized: A Young Veteran’s Memoir

In this dark humored War Memoir, Iraq veteran Michael Anthony discusses his return from war and how he defeated his PTSD. Civilianized is a must read for any veteran, or anyone who knows a veteran, who has returned from war and suffered through Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

dark humored military memoir“An intense memoir.” -Kirkus

“I wont soon forget this book.” -Mary Roach

“A must read.” -Colby Buzzell

“[S]mart and mordantly funny.” –Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

“Anthony delivers a dose of reality that can awaken the mind…” Bookreporter

Order your copy of Civilianized: A Young Veteran’s Memoir .