Non-invasive therapy available for veterans

By Cornelia Grace Harrison News-Herald Reporter

Veterans

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BARNESVILLE new boyfriend. The couple decided to seek a protection order against the ex.

• June 9 – Deputies were called to Piedmont for a car accident and active fight. While en route, they were informed EMS was transporting an unresponsive male to the hospital. The first deputy on the scene located a vehicle crashed into a fire hydrant with no one around. A neighbor told deputies that after the driver had crashed, two men went up to help, but one ended up punching the driver in the face. The two males left after a short time and there was a great deal of confusion with EMS arriving, the two males, and the neighbor. Deputies were able to speak with one of the males who gave his version of events, which was different from the neighbor’s. When they spoke with the driver at the hospital, he gave another conflicting account. Due to the conflicts, no arrests were made.

• June 15 – A woman requested a deputy come to her residence when her husband allegedly hit her in the face. She said she would sit outside in her car and wait for the deputy to arrive. She said that she had asked her husband where the key was for the 4x4 so she could clear tree branches from the yard. He started yelling at her and eventually hit her in the mouth. The deputy went into the house to speak with the husband who stated that his wife talks a lot and he is tired of her. No arrests were made, but all firearms on the property were confiscated for safe keeping.

• June 18 – Deputies responded to a home on a report that children had been taken by their mother against the wishes of the father. The father said that he and the mother had a verbal argument when she said she was leaving with the kids, which she did. The father said that there was no physical violence and that the mother does stay at the residence with him from time to time. The father has legal custody of the two kids and the moth- and first responders have a new option in the valley for help with a variety of mental-health issues.

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation is a non-invasive, painless, and drug-free therapy that can help with sleep disorders, traumatic brain injury, PTSD, substance-use disorders, mental illness, and sexual trauma.

Adena American Legion Commander Dirk Harkins is deeply involved in the program and explained that there are several studies that show long-term effectiveness. “It’s been FDA approved right now. This program in Ohio is a pilot program. … What we’re seeing as we’ve been doing this over the past few years is it’s been helping with [many issues],” he said. They’re working on getting information together about side effects and positive experiences to show the effectiveness of the program.

“We’re under FDA guidance and we’re taking all the information and compiling all the veterans and first responders and proving it works.”

The treatment is specific and individualized. “Everybody is unique,” Harkins explained. “When we measure on the EEG, we’re taking a look at the brain. Everybody’s brain should be working with the highest peak on line 11 on a zero to 20 scale. So we take a 10-minute, eyes closed, EEG to take a look at 20 different parts of the brain. … Then it’s individualized for each er does not have visitation rights. He said she has taken the children like this multiple times and while he doesn’t want her to go to jail, he does want to press charges. The mother later came to the office and said that the father had become aggressive and violent. She knew the father has legal custody, but has had the children at her mother’s home for up to three weeks before without a problem. She also shared she is working on getting custody. person.”

• June 26 – A driver was traveling on state Route 342 when a deer ran out in front of him. The driver left the right side of the roadway and struck a power pole. The vehicle then spun around into the other lane of traffic, causing heavy damage to the passenger side.

He said it works as a quality of life treatment, “We notice in the first week everyone comes back saying they’re sleeping better.”

According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, sleep disorders “are frequently some of the most troubling aspects of PTSD” and that “insomnia is reported to occur in 90-100% of Vietnam-era veterans with PTSD. Insomnia was also the most commonly reported PTSD symptom in a survey of veterans from Afghanistan and Iraq.”

Peer-to-Peer mentor Brian Majewski shared that he had seen results for his own sleep patterns. He showed a sleep tracking calendar from before he started the program with many restless (shown in red) and light sleep nights (yellow) compared to after he began using eTMS when the majority of nights grew to be restful.

“I don’t have any more reds since starting treatments,” he said.

While the treatment has immediately helped many with sleeping patterns, there have been results in other areas of patient’s lives as well. According to results from the Project Synchrony initiative, which was a collaboration between Wounded Warrior Project, Wave Neuroscience, Braincare Performance Center, and Brain Treatment Center, the PTSD checklist done by patients showed a 60% improvement compared to standard treatment options.

The program is fully state funded and is completely free to veterans and first responders. The program is not affiliated with the VA at all, so treatment will not effect disability or other services a veteran may be receiving.

If you are a veteran or you a know a veteran who could benefit from this treatment, anyone in the county can call 614-665-7905 or to speak to Majewski about the program, call 740-433-9233.

The treatment center in Barnesville is located at the WVU Medicine Barnesville Hospital at 639 W. Main St. Harkins says the treatment helped save his life. “I give God the credit for saving my life, but he definitely put me in the right place for this. I get to watch this change people’s lives every single day now,” he said.

Child advocacy meeting upcoming

Court-Appointed Special Advocates of Tuscarawas and Harrison Counties, through partnership with the League of Women Voters of Tuscarawas County, invites the public to an informational session on what a court-appointed special advocate is and how to become a trained volunteer.

The event will take place Thursday, July 27 in Meeting Room A at the New Philadelphia branch of the Tuscarawas County Public Library, 121 Fair Ave. NW, New Philadelphia, from 6-7:30 p.m. The library makes no endorsement, expressed or implied, of this event.

Jennifer Schandel, director of CASA of Tuscarawas and Harrison Counties, will present information about what a CASA volunteer does and how to become one. CASA volunteers advocate for the best interest of children who have experienced abuse, neglect or dependency. People from all backgrounds and walks of life can complete the training and become CASA volunteers.

CASA volunteers are often the only consistent adult presence in the lives of children experiencing the Ohio child welfare system, spending more time with them than paid guardians ad litem.

Children in care may move residences multiple times during a case, which makes the consistent presence of a CASA volunteer crucial. Tuscarawas and Harrison counties will join 57 other counties in Ohio that can provide this advocacy for children who have experienced abuse and neglect.

To learn more about CASA of Ohio, visit www.ohiocasa.org/ or search for CASA of Tuscarawas and Harrison Counties on Facebook.

To learn more about the League of Women Voters of Tuscarawas County, visit www.lwvtusc.org or search for League of Women Voters - Tuscarawas County OH on Facebook.