So I noticed now that I am trying to take good care of myself that even the smallest of things is a difficult task to manage when you have PTSD. I sit here wondering how this could have happened and why it happened to me. I wish every day that I didn’t have PTSD and … More Starting Over: The Daily Struggles of Accepting & Living with PTSD
I learned about equine therapy at a veteran retreat in Bluemont, Virginia. I immediately experienced a lot of anxiety around the large animals but as we worked more with the horses, I realized that I could work through that anxiety in many ways. As a result of the interest that had been sparked, I decided … More Equine Therapy for Veterans: A Gentle Respect
My first journey in true healing was when I got my service dog, Onyx. She broke through this warrior and opened up a new area of life: love & trust. The love and trust was reciprocal in every way. As she showed me that I could trust her to have my back, my allegiance to … More The Healing Power of Animals for Troops with PTSD
About this series Five separate fatal shootings of mentally ill people by Maine police in 2011 prompted the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram to examine law enforcement’s use of deadly force. Since 1990, police have fired on 101 people, many of them mentally ill, and in every case the state attorney general ruled that the … More Deadly Force: Police and the Mentally Ill
Veteran’s Day Ceremony 2012 Sponsored by Maine Veterans Art Project VA Maine Healthcare System, Augusta, Maine
November 9, 2012 I am struggling to find a place to begin. Do I tell you all the nitty gritty details to persuade you that I am telling you the truth, do I just simply state what happened and assume that I will be believed, or do I tell you the story in a way … More A Place to Begin By Jennifer Norris, USAF, Ret
Military provides inadequate care for injuries suffered during sexual assaults Some women in the military are still receiving inadequate care for sexual assault, a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report published Tuesday found. The report found that “not all first responders had completed the required training,” even after a 2005 Department of Defense directive mandated “a comprehensive policy … More Military provides inadequate care for injuries suffered during sexual assaults
