Below is a round-up of this month’s news highlights, resources and upcoming events in case you missed them. Catch up on one veteran’s conversation with President Barack Obama, stress-therapy techniques to manage post-traumatic stress disorder, sleep hygiene and how to register for the popular Trauma Spectrum Conference, scheduled for Dec. 8-9, 2011.

Veteran Demos Mobile App for President
“He took my phone and played with the app – moving the sliders around, checking it out. And then he saw my most recent graph and stopped. I had charted some bad days previously, and I think it got his attention,” said Army veteran Brian Sullivan, referring to the National Center for Telehealth and Technology’s T2 MoodTracker mobile application and his unexpected sit-down lunch with President Barack Obama in Hampton, Va.

Is Stress Therapy Going to the Dogs?
“I was in a dark place and Thor brought in the light,” said retired Army Capt. Adrian Veseth-Nelson, referring to Thor, his companion dog. Learn how he and his wife are working to help service members return to a sense of normalcy with Battle Buddies, their mentoring and canine placement program for veterans with PTSD.

Acupuncture Treatment Helps Ease TBI Symptoms in Theater
“Like western medicine, it’s another tool in a medical bag.” The tool retired Air Force Col. Richard C. Niemtzow is referring to is battlefield acupuncture. Learn how this technique treats symptoms of mild traumatic brain injury in theater.

Holistic Therapies Help Manage Stress at Home
Yoga expert Robin Carnes taught us simple ways to relieve stress in the form of holistic therapies such as yoga and Qi Gong: “These therapies help you understand how your body and mind work together, and help you proactively improve your own health.”

Frontline Psych with Doc Bender: The Importance of Sleep
“If you’re serious about performing at your peak, either physically or mentally, sleep must be a priority.” DCoE’s Doc Bender reminds us about the effects of too little sleep.

DCoE TBI Expert Participates in Live Webcast to Veterans
“When a service member is exposed to a potentially concussive event, they’re now required to have a mandatory evaluation,” DCoE Deputy Director for Traumatic Brain Injury Kathy Helmick said in a live webcast hosted by USVets.tv as she addressed combat-related injuries, such as traumatic brain injury.

4th Annual Trauma Spectrum Conference
Registration is open for the 4th Annual Trauma Spectrum Conference, Dec. 8 and 9. This year’s theme is “Bridging the Gap Between Research and Clinical Practice of Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury: Prevention, Diagnosis, Treatment and Recovery for the Iraq and Afghanistan Cohort.” Visit our conference website for more information.

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