PTSD: Cannabis Vs. Virtual Reality Therapy (VRT) Pizzen Conflict 2008

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PTSD: Cannabis Vs. Virtual Reality Therapy (VRT) Pizzen Conflict 2008

Dr. Phil Leveque Salem-News.com

Salem News

http://www.salem-news.com/articles/novembe...is_11-10-08.php

 

Phillip Leveque has spent his life as a Combat Infantryman, Physician Pharmacologist and Toxicologist.

 

American soldiers on patrol in Afghanistan

Photo by Tim King Salem-News.com

 

(MOLALLA, Ore.) - As a Combat Infantryman with PTSD and an observer of PTSD breakdown on the "Front Lines" and as a physician who took care of about 400 Vietnam PTSD victims who requested cannabis medication, I take a dim view that subjecting battle PTSD victims to intense battle sounds – bombs and heavy machine gun fire – would "snap them out" of their PTSD. Most such battle Veterans will hit the dirt if they hear a truck backfire.

 

To even think or suggest that Virtual Reality battle sounds would "help" battle caused PTSD stretches my understanding and my memories of artillery barrages.

 

I read of recent VRT with clinical but quizzical interest. I was in Europe for 18 months with 5 months in the battle zones. I endured heavy artillery barrages, mortar barrages, 40mm anti-aircraft cannon fire and more than my share of rifle and machine gun fire as a scout, point man and forward observer.

 

On my best day, a buddy and I captured 26 German officers – we were on the POINT. My worst day we lost 150 men crossing the Rhine River. I've been there, seen that and done that and believe me it requires frontline battle experience to understand what it is and what it does to self and close buddies. The six younger guys (18 & 19) in my section never could talk of their experiences the rest of their lives.

 

My wife was a holocaust survivor who also was under bombing in England during WWII. We shared a lot of misery in common. For me to let her understand what it was like to be a frontline Dogface we went to see the movie Battleground which was the first movie about the Battle of the Bulge. It was tough on me as it was so realistic and re-witnessing experiences like my own was really stressful.

 

I couldn't even read WWII books for 25 years after the war. My first book was about the North African War. It was much different from my own experience in the snow, ice and mud.

 

I had recurring nightmares of being caught in artillery barrages for years and still do occasionally 65 years later. My therapy was hard physical work and harder mental work getting two Doctors degrees (medicine and internship are a lot similar with battle).

 

When my sons got to be about 15 they asked their mother "does dad ever talk of his war experiences?". She got me in a corner, "I know you can't talk about it but you've got to write it down". Because I had spent most of my time in "no-mans-land" I was forbidden to keep a diary.

 

Remembering battle experiences was a terror and anyone who says it's cathartic is full of crap. The book took me ten years to write. I still get the shakes when I read it.

 

I was in a War History writing class, mostly Vietnam Vets, for three years. I couldn't even read many of my stories to the class.

 

I got reacquainted with the Army and Marine Vets in the writing class and again as a physician for at least 400 battle Vets with PTSD.

 

My classmates told me most of their friends could not or would not talk of their experiences and most of my classmates couldn't talk with their wives or children.

 

Only about one of ten World War Two Vets were in actual battle. The Infantry (my branch) suffered 70 percent of the killed (about 300 thousand) and 70 percent of the wounded (about 600 thousand). Damned few Infantrymen could even go deer hunting when they got home.

 

Virtual Reality Therapy subjects PTSD patients to genuine battle sounds. I rate myself with PTSD at about 6 out of 10. I know damned well I can barely tolerate real battle noise and I can't imagine any PTSD Vet with PTSD about a scale of 4 tolerating VRT or benefiting from it.

 

My Vietnam Vets told me that cannabis was the best medicine they had used. For a VRT Psychologist to call them "basement hiding pot smokers" is disdainful and disgusting. They need all the help and understanding we can give them.

 

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