Alexander barnes

Companions for Life

Alexander Barnes 1

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Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Freestyle Academy for providing me the tools and knowledge to make this documentary, as well as Sandra Carson, Director of Paws for Purple Hearts at the Menlo Park Veterans Administration, who made this documentary possible with all the help that she gave me. Also, a special thanks to veterans Rob Stribling and Irvin McClain.

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Table of Contents 7.

Preface

9.

Introduction

10.

Chapter 1

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Chapter 2

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Chapter 3

28.

Conclusion

31.

Works Cited

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Preface

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s we began this project, I was very worried about the whole of it. What would I do for my topic? This question was glued to my mind for days as I frantically looked for its answer. When I asked my mother for any ideas, she told me about a program called Paws for Purple Hearts. Honestly, at first I was a little reluctant to choose this topic because I did not have any prior knowledge of the program and what it did. As the deadline to decide pressed closer, I chose it because it was the only viable option I could think of to satisfy the requirements of the project. After contacting the director, Sandra Carson, it suddenly occurred to me how perfect this opportunity was with its abundances of topics to choose from. With a slight interest in physchology at the time, I decided to break from my comfort zone and delve head-first into the topic of treating Posttraumatic Stress Disorder with Animal-Assisted Therapy.

The greatest challenge I faced was communication. It felt like Freestyle was pushing us over a ledge with having us communicate on our own because we had never had this experience before. I learned how valuable of a skill this is, and how to moderate myself so that I could meet the deadlines while working with people in the community. This also proved difficult when I was required to reach out to the veterans, however thanks to Sandra I was able to secure interviews with two.

Throughout this book, I have learned and achieved many goals I thought I never would until college. After all, this is my first book! My hope is that people will also learn what I have, and will apply their new-found knowledge of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in positive ways.

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Introduction

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n the middle of the 19th century Florence Nightingale, the “Mother of Modern Nursing”, made observations of small animals affecting children’s emotional states by making them more relaxed, displacing negative emotion and high tension. By the 1930’s, Sigmund Freud, the “Father of Psychotherapy”, worked with his dog Jofi. He hypothesized that depending on the location Jofi sat in the room, he could detect the level of tension of his patients. Freud also speculated that certain patients responded positively to the presence of Jofi, abling them to speak with Freud.

Thirty years later, Boris Levinson authored the first book about Pet-Oriented Child Psychotherapy, making him the “Father of Animal-Assisted Therapy”.

Levinson argued that dogs are able to improve socio-communicative abilities of children with autism. Now, in the present day, dogs are being used for a variety of therapeutic treatments, including the recovery of veterans with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Throughout the United States, programs tailored to the training and pairing of dogs to veterans have been established. Paws for Purple Hearts, an active example, is a program that provides select veterans with PTSD instruction and support for overcoming their disability by training young golden retrievers and labradors to assist veterans with physical disabilities. Veterans are able to learn to control their emotions and develop interpersonal skills that have been damaged or lost due to their PTSD. Through Paws for Purple Hearts, there is strong evidence that animal-assisted therapy is a viable option for patients with PTSD.

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Chapter 1

P

osttraumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD for short, is defined by the Mayo Clinic as “A mental health condition triggered by experiencing or seeing a terrifying event.” PTSD is caused by any trauma, including abuse, neglect, rape, war, or even something as common and innocuous as moving to another house.

Although it does not affect everyone, anyone is able to develop PTSD, whether a war-stricken veteran or a malnourished child.

The effects of PTSD range anywhere from emotional detachment

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(otherwise known as “numbing”) to re-experiencing a trauma, both very common. Numbing is a response to a person’s trauma where individuals with PTSD may find it difficult to be in touch with their feelings or express emotions toward other people. For example, after World War One, those who lived and fought in the war (otherwise known as “The Lost Generation”) experienced a dramatic lack of feeling and purpose resulting from the disillusion created by the war. This shift in outlook by millions of people led

to the philosophy of existentialism, leading to new art forms and the roaring twenties. Writers, such as Ernest Hemingway and Gertrude Stein, document this phenomenon in their well known novels.

Re-experiencing a trauma on the other hand is just as common. Re-experiences may include symptoms such as flashbacks and nightmares. An individual is likely to show one or many of the various symptoms simultaneously.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder is usually comorbid, which means

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it is not the only disorder present in a person. Many victims of PTSD will experience multiple illnesses to accompany their PTSD such as depression or the withdrawal symptoms caused by substance abuse. Brady K.T., from the Institute of Psychiatry of the Medical University of South Carolina, states, “Substance use disorder may often develop as an attempt to self-medicate the painful symptoms of PTSD.” In effect, individuals often self-medicate as an attempt to cure their PTSD, and as a result, they experience withdrawal symptoms. Veteran Rob Stribling, a member of Paws for Purple Hearts, recounts his experience with self-medication as

he attempted to cure his symptoms of re-experience: “I had recurring dreams that brought me to my… my drug history, you know. I started medicating the drugs. I wouldn’t go to sleep, I knew what was waiting for me when I went to sleep, and it wasn’t too good for me.”

In Stribling’s case, for years he had been struggling with his nightmares and undertook substance abuse. He enrolled with Paws for Purple Hearts in an attempt to subdue his PTSD symptoms, as well as to become sober.

He was paired with Ollie, a half-blind dog who has been instrumental in easing his PTSD symptoms and helping him stay sober.

Comorbidity with alcohol and drug abuse also coincides with individuals experiencing emotional numbing. Irvin McClain, another veteran with Paws for Purple Hearts, had been in and out of multiple rehab programs throughout the United States as a result to self-medicating to stop symptoms of his PTSD. He had been putting himself repeatedly into isolation to avoid contact with anything that may have triggered his PTSD. In 2014, McClain joined Paws for Purple Hearts and is showing dramatic improvement from when he joined with his dog Ovidio.

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Chapter 2

S

o there it is: AnimalAssisted Therapy is employed as a viable treatment for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.

Now, what is Paws for Purple Hearts? Quite simply, it is a program established to help male veterans in anguish from their PTSD through the companionship of a dog. However, it is much more than that.

Paws for Purple Hearts uses the veterans to train dogs to support veterans with physical disabilities.

Sandra Carson, director of Paws for Purple Hearts at the Menlo Park Veteran’s Administration Hospital,

has even mentioned, “I’ve had a trainer that never owned a dog in his entire life who wanted to be a trainer because this is his way of giving back to another veteran.” Paws for Purple Hearts is not only a recovery program, but a way to give back to the other veterans.

Located at the Menlo Park Veteran’s Administration Hospital, Paws for Purple Hearts consists of a room, a small office space serving as an entrance, a washroom, and an enclosed outdoor space.

After one goes through the office, the large room

immediately emerges, which is designed to resemble a house, equipped with all the common appliances as necessary such as a refrigerator and washing machine. This is to model as closely as possible what one of their dogs would experience in a veterans home. The appliances are also used to train the dogs so that they can assist the disabled veterans. For example, there is a rope tied to the refrigerator handle to allow a dog to open it. Scattered around the room, other appliances are set up for training different

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skills. One of these is a light switch that the dog will learn to trigger with its nose. Connected to the main room, the washroom is a small room used for washing the dogs weekly. This is one of the responsibilities that a veteran must attain to in order to keep both the dogs healthy and their fur sanitary, as other people are constantly in contact with the dogs. In the enclosed outside space, obstacles are placed for training the dogs. For instance, small tables are placed which the dogs must learn to jump over. This free space may also be cleared to allow the dogs to have plenty of space to run and play.

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Each veteran receives a dog for three months, during which they share their dog with another veteran; this is one way that the v e t e r a n s are able to

“This is his way of giving back to another veteran.” recover c o m municative skills. Working with another veteran to train their dog forces both veterans to interact with a common goal: the dog.

This is an important way to discover both the dog’s

needs and desires. By learning how the dog responds to certain incentives, such as treats or tennis balls, the veterans are able to make a better connection with the dog.

Finding different tools is also an effective method to teach the veteran how to be assertive without aggression.

In How Dogs Can Help Veterans Overcome PTSD, journalist Chris Colin explains, “Teaching the dogs service commands develops a patient’s ability to communicate, to be assertive but not aggressive, a distinction some struggle with.” Colin’s point is that post-traumatic stress disorder patients are able to recover certain commu-

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nicative skills that they may have lost, through teaching their dog commands, such as turning on a light or opening the refrigerator door, in nonaggressive ways. To be assertive, but not aggressive, they use positive reinforcement. Sandra Carson explains, “It’s OK to

say no. What they’re here to do is figure out how to do it differently from what they’ve been doing in the past. What you would do with the dog is what you would do with people, and how you would relate to other people.” Although you would not give another person a treat for

doing something you ask, positive reinforcement teaches the veterans that there’s always an alternate method. Without being aggressive, veterans learn another tool to teach their dog to respond to a certain command. Their ‘toolboxes’ are equipped with specific treats for

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certain dogs, because not all dogs will respond to the same incentive. The same concept applies to humans; everyone’s needs are different. To have a dog pick up metal when they dislike the taste would be like making a little boy read Dante Alighieri’s renowned Divine Comedy, when clearly he is not into epic poetry.

The dogs also help the veterans realize when they are doing something correctly or incorrectly by responding to their actions. In an online article titled “The Truth About Animal-Assisted Therapy”, reviewed by Psy.D., John M. Grohol, BrandiAnn Uyemura describes, “She’s worked with her dog Bailey and a recre-

ational therapist at an inpatient psychiatric hospital. While there, she’s witnessed an increase in patient participation in group therapy and changes in patient behavior.”

Uyemura is talking about the experiences of Amy McCullough, M.A., as she recounts the observations she made of her patients’ reactions to her dog.

Within the same article, Uyemura states: Animal-assisted therapy can also help individuals develop social skill. Chandler says, ‘If they say or do something the animal doesn’t like, the animal will just go and react negatively immediately and if they do

something the animal likes, the animals going to react positively immediately. It gives them a chance to practice caring skills and social skills with a being which is simpler to do that with than a human.’

Uyemura’s argument that animal-assisted therapy is able to develop an individual’s social skill agrees with Colin’s earlier statement about a patient’s ability to overcome certain social behaviors caused

by PTSD. Through the dogs provided by Paws for Purple Hearts, the veterans are able to command and correct their behaviors through observing a dog’s reactions.

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Chapter 3

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here are many theories that attest to the rationale of Animal-Assisted Therapy.

For example, the Biophilia Hypothesis, set forth by Edward O. Wilson, states that humans have an innate tendency to be drawn to nature. Studies claiming to support this have found that interacting with animals can produce calming effects and a greater sense of wellbeing. In other words, studies support the idea that humans make connections with non-human animals as a source of companionship and social support. With

PTSD patients, this form of a bond between human and animal is important for the well-being and healing process of the patient. Heinz Kohut, a postFreud psychoanalyst, created Psychoanalytic Self Psychology. This concept uses the term “selfobject” to describe an object of a fixation that is the basis for a narcissistic transference. What this means is that the reason that humans become attached to animals is because they become an extension of their individual selves. As humans, we also have the tendency to anthropomor-

phize animals, or to attribute human characteristics to them.

This theory is put to the test when the veterans form a bond with their dog. By forming a bond, the veterans gain a feeling of purpose, something that is necessary to the recovery of patients with PTSD. Veteran McClain attests to this theory in his interview, when he fullheartedly says, “It’s just that you know you have the- I feel like I have a purpose in life, now that dog counts on me. He wants me to have to be there for him and he has to, you

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know, be there for me.

It’s just it makes me, you know, [have] a purpose to get up in the morning, and stuff like that.” McClain’s dog, Ovidio, has evidently given him a positive outlook on life – a reason to get up in the morning.

Similar to McClain, Veteran Stribling has shown great improvement that we are able to attribute to his dog Ollie. With his symptoms of re-experience, Stribling stayed

with the program for six months – three months longer than the standard –- and has formed an impervious bond with Ollie. As a disabled veteran, Stribling was the first notified when Ollie finished training with Paws for Purple Hearts. During his interview, he constantly referred back to Ollie for support, even stating, “[Ollie has] helped me socializing, like this interview I probably wouldn’t never

have done it [without Ollie].” Ollie has shown to be a strong source of support to Stribling, enabling him to talk and socialize with others. According to him, Ollie also manages to waken Stribling during his recurring nightmares.

They have recently been less frequent, something that Stribling attributes to Ollie being by his side at night.

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Conclusion

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osttraumatic Stress Disorder is a very common mental illness that may affect anyone. At the Menlo Park Veterans Administration Hospital, Paws for Purple Hearts works with veterans with PTSD to overcome their disorder. By pairing a veteran with a dog, they are able to recover socio-communicative skills that have been lost due to their trauma. Animal-Assisted Therapy is used an applicable method of therapy for those diagnosed with PTSD. The support behind this, one of many, is the Biophilia Hypothesis.

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Stating that humans and animals make bonds as survival mechanism, with supporting studies we are able to see how this helps with a patient’s PTSD through veterans Rob Stribling and Irvin McClain. With two common symptoms of PTSD, numbing and hyperarousal, the dogs were able to provide support for these veterans as they felt they had a loyal companion; a strong incentive to wake up in the morning. Through training the dogs, veterans are also forced to interact with others, such as the staff or their co-trainer.

With a common goal to train the dogs to become service dogs for physically disabled veterans, the PTSD patients also feel that they are giving back to other veterans; another strong motivation. Finally, the dogs help veterans struggling with their PTSD by being a mirror for the veteran to practice interaction. The dog will respond in various ways, allowing the veteran to see what he is doing wrong or right, so that he is able to use skills that he learns to interact with other humans.

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Works Cited “10 Causes Of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder In Children.” Friendship Circle. N.p.,

08 Jan. 2013. Web. 24 Mar. 2015.

“About Us.” Paws for Purple Hearts. N.p., 11 Oct. 2011. Web. 24 Mar. 2015.

Adams, Naomi. “Animal Assisted Interventions for Adolescents with Emotional

and Behavioural Problems.” Ed. Pauleen Bennett. (2009): 5-6. Web. 31 Mar. 2015.

Brown, Sue-Ellen. “The Human-Animal Bond and Self Psychology: Toward a New

Understanding.” Society and Animals 12.1 (2004): 68. Web. 23 Mar. 2015.

Bruneau, Laura, Ph.D., and Amy Johnson, M.A. Fido and Freud Meet!: Integrating

Animal-assisted Therapy into Traditional Counseling Theories (2011): 01-18.

Oakland.edu. Web. 21 Mar. 2015.

Carson, Sandra. Personal interview. 03 Mar. 2015.

Colin, Chris. “How Dogs Can Help Veterans Overcome PTSD.” Smithsonian. N.p.,

July 2012. Web. 23 Mar. 2015.

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Coren, Stanley, Ph.D. “How Therapy Dogs Almost Never Came to Exist.”

Psychology Today. N.p., 11 Feb. 2013. Web. 24 Mar. 2015.

Eggiman, Janet. “Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy: A Case Report -- Animal-Assisted

Therapy.” Medscape.com. Medscape, 12 Oct. 2006. Web. 23 Mar. 2015.

KT, Brady. “Comorbidity of Psychiatric Disorders and Posttraumatic Stress

Disorder.” National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National

Library of Medicine, n.d. Web. 24 Mar. 2015.

McClain, Irvin. Personal interview. 04 Mar. 2015.

“Narcissistic Transference.” A.H. Almaas. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Mar. 2015.

The Nebraska Department of Veterans’ Affairs. “Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.”

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. N.p., 2007. Web. 11 Feb. 2015.

Nitkin, Patricia, M.A. “The Human-Animal Bond.” B.C. Cancer Agency (n.d.): n. pag.

Bccancer.bc.ca. Web. 23 Mar. 2015.

O’Conner, Kate. “Lost Generation.” Writers Inspire. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2015.

Solomon, Olga. “What a Dog Can Do: Children with Autism and Therapy Dogs in

Social Interaction.” Ethos 38.1 (2010): 143-66. Uclahealth.org. 2010. Web. 23 Mar. 2015.

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Stribling, Robert. Personal interview. 04 Mar. 2015.

Uyemura, Brandi-Ann. “The Truth About Animal-Assisted Therapy.”

PsychCentral.com. N.p., 30 Jan. 2013. Web. 13 Mar. 2015.

“What Is Self Psychology?” What Is Self Psychology? N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Mar. 2015.

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Alexander Barnes is a 17 year-old student attending both Mountain View High School and Freestyle Academy of Communication Arts and Technology.

At Freestyle Academy, he is learning how to express himself through multimedia arts. As a resident of Los Altos, California, he is regularly found at the beach or in the hills where he partakes in many activities ranging from cycling to photography to relaxing. He is very much into old cameras and vinyl records, spending much of his time sitting back with his favorite album spinning in the background.

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