There are hundreds of thousands of veterans out there today who are suffering with PTSD.

Back in 2013, it was estimated that the prevalence of PTSD had seen an increase of about 700 percent; according to a study that was conducted by the Congressional Research Service. In that same year it was estimated that there was an alarming suicide rate among veterans; estimated to be roughly 22+ every day.

Many continue to need help and they still aren't getting it.

A variety of possible solutions have been employed to try and ease the difficulties that come with suffering from PTSD.

From medication and counseling, to acupuncture, music therapy, and meditation, a variety of treatment options have been thought of, by the many out there who are struggling and trying to help those who are struggling.

And one unlikely activity that those suffering with PTSD might not have expected that they'd see some relief from is surfing.

Researchers have been looking into the possibility of this for quite some time. It seems like with the increase in prevalence of those suffering with PTSD however, that the practice is becoming more popular now. With more veterans who are looking to see if surfing might be able to help them.

And now the Navy has also been looking to spend at least $1 million on a research project that is seeking to investigate whether or not surfing might be able to help veterans.

For many of those who are suffering with PTSD, exercise has been shown to be vastly beneficial. According to a physician with the Naval Medical Center San Diego, James LaMar II, exercise is regarded as one of the best medicines.

For part of their study, service members had filled out questionnaires following a surfing session, which they did once a week for at least 6 weeks.

The researchers said that they viewed an improvement in their sleep patterns, a decrease in feelings of anxiety, an improvement in their overall life view and decrease in symptoms of depression.

Next they want to determine if surfing is more beneficial than hiking in trying to help those suffering with PTSD. And so they are going to investigate this by having some participants engage in surfing sessions and others will go on hikes.

The hope is that they conclude with their research that surfing is more than just a recreational pastime but that it might be considered a legitimate therapy for their PTSD struggle.

There is even a new film on Netflix about this sort of surf therapy and how surfing might be able to help save veterans lives, it's called Resurface (see below).

Today, there are a variety of nonprofit efforts, such as Operation Surf, One More Wave, Warrior Surf, and others, that are geared towards using surfing as a means to help veterans with PTSD.

Pics:
Pixabay
giphy
pixabay

The information that is posted above is not intended to be used as any substitute for professional medical advice, or diagnosis or treatment. The above is posted for informational purposes only.

Sources:
http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/washington-post/us-national/navy-investigates-sur%EF%AC%81ng-as-a-way-to-counteract-ptsd-1.23198631
https://psmag.com/news/addressing-ptsd-with-surf-therapy-33888
https://www.cnn.com/2013/09/21/us/22-veteran-suicides-a-day/index.html
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5047000/
https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-surfing-veterans-therapy/surf-therapy-helps-u-s-veterans-recover-from-war-idUSLNE74I05V20110519
https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/2017/11/16/how-these-veterans-using-music-win-fight-against-ptsd/736827001/
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-athletes-way/201601/meditation-reduces-post-traumatic-stress-disorder-symptoms
https://www.theinertia.com/surf/the-netflix-film-resurface-illustrates-how-surfing-can-actually-save-veterans-lives/

Related Posts:

Cannabis Helping To Treat Tourette Syndrome, Alzheimer's Disease, Schizophrenia, And More

https://steemit.com/cannabis/@doitvoluntarily/cannabis-helping-to-treat-tourette-syndrome-alzheimer-s-disease-schizophrenia-and-more

A Push For Alternative Treatments To Deal With PTSD

https://steemit.com/ptsd/@doitvoluntarily/a-push-for-alternative-treatments-to-deal-with-ptsd