By David Spunt Reporter
News 3 On Your Side
It's a condition many soldiers deal with the day they leave the battlefield, and for many it lives with them the rest of their lives. News 3 On Your Side
Email to a Friend
Stumble It!When most people think of PTSD they think of the sights and sounds of war, and how they still terrify many today.
Of course some suffering with PTSD see a doctor and take medication to control it, but a study that's helping combat PTSD is making it's way through Columbus this week.
It's the sights, smells and sounds of war that Army Colonel Biff Hadden and Staff Sergeant Brian Davis deal with on a daily basis.
“There are certain images and certain experiences which become so vivid it's as if I lived them 30 seconds ago, not 40 years ago,” Hadden said.
Biff Hadden has been all over the world. He's seen and done a lot while serving in the Army, and he admits he suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
“When you encounter that level of severe stress, certain incidents will stay with you the rest of your life and you'll learn how to work through that,” he said.
Staff Sergeant Brian Davis served his country during a different chapter of American history, and it took him a while to realize he too suffered from PTSD.
“I thought I was just a mean guy. I didn't know what I was dealing with,” said Davis.
That's why both Davis and Hadden wanted to put a stop to their suffering.
They've become part of a PTSD workshop called the Tapas Acupressure Technique or TAT. It was developed by Tapas Fleming who's visiting Columbus for the study.
Hadden and Davis have only tried TAT for a few days, but so far, they say it seems to be working.
“Between the two of us with many years in combat, we're both saying come try it. There’s nothing that's going to hurt, it could only help and we're both saying it has helped,” Davis said.
We're on your side with some information if you'd like to take part in the study.
You can head over to the Columbus Airport Hotel on Airport Thruway. The study will last another week, and begins every night at 6pm. Veterans, soldiers and spouses are all welcome.
For more on TAT, click here.
