PTSD & Substance Abuse
PTSD/Substance Abuse Committee Update November/December 2020
November 25, 2020
BY THOMAS C. HALL, PH.D., CHAIR There is no known cure for post-traumatic stress disorder. But PTSD symptoms can be managed to a point at which they no longer interfere with a person’s ability to…
PTSD/Substance Abuse Committee Update September/October 2020
September 10, 2020
BY THOMAS C. HALL, PH.D., CHAIR As the chair of VVA’s National PTSD and Substance Abuse Committee, I, and other mental health experts, have relied on guidance from the Department of Defense’s Center for the…
PTSD/Substance Abuse Committee Update July/August 2020
June 29, 2020
BY THOMAS C. HALL, PH.D., CHAIR Our freedom stands on the sacrifices of many. And what is sacrifice? It’s the “act of giving up something that you want to keep, especially in order to get…
Managing Our Demons While Sheltering in Place
May 14, 2020
Tom Hall, Ph.D., Chair, VVA National PTSD/Substance Abuse Committee As we enter our 7th, 8th, or even 9th week of sheltering in place, many of us are really starting to feel the burden this is…
Managing Problem Gambling
April 24, 2020
Dr. Thomas Hall, PhD, Chair, PTSD Committee Since the onset of the pandemic, with stay-at-home orders, the gambling industry has increased its online push, advertising on television and radio, and offering countless ways to gamble…
An Open Letter to Health Care Providers from Vietnam Veterans
April 18, 2020
We recognize the hardships and challenges our healthcare providers are facing in the midst of the Covid-19 health crisis. We applaud the brave, lifesaving work being done on the front lines. In the midst of…
PTSD/Substance Abuse Committee Update January/February 2019
February 21, 2019
BY THOMAS C. HALL, Ph.D., CHAIR On a recent beautiful Midwest afternoon, I attended my PTSD support group at our local VA outpatient facility. Approximately seventy people attended. The gathering started in the usual way,…
PTSD/Substance Abuse Committee Update November/December 2018
December 21, 2018
BY THOMAS C. HALL, Ph.D., CHAIR During the October Board of Directors meeting, several issues came to the PTSD/SA committee’s attention regarding frustrations that veterans are reporting about behavioral health. All of these need to…
Chapter 327 Members Honored in Student Salute
November 28, 2018
Members of Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 327 were honored as part of the annual "Salute to Honorable Citzenship" staged by the Valley Road School in Stanhope, N.J. Students, faculty, staff and community members honored local…
Chapter 994 Event Addresses PTSD
October 20, 2018
Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 994 joined Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7339 and American Legion Post 108 in sponsoring a resolution in Franklin, N.C., focusing on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The resolution designates Oct. 27, 2018,…