SEVEN GREAT EVENTS

 Military- and Spouse-Friendly Career Fair

 Informational Workshops  MOAA Partners and Exhibitors Expo

 Community Heroes Award Night  MOAA Annual Meeting  Chairman’s Luncheon  Chapter Levels of Excellence Award Ceremony

PTS [CONTINUED FROM PAGE 59]

dancing is such a social activity, it has also been invaluable to patients with post-traumatic stress and post-traumatic stress disorder,” the organization explains on its website (soldierswhosalsa.org). “Common symptoms of [post-traumatic stress] include an aversion to close contact, avoidance of new activities and new surroundings, and reluctance to meet new people. Our classes pro- vide a safe place for patients to not only learn a new activity but also work on several of the most com- mon symptoms. It is not uncommon to see patients laughing, smiling, and engaging with new people each week.” Pleasurable activities that en-

courage veterans with post-trau- matic stress to interact with others have tremendous value, Schnurr notes, because they can break the cycle of isolation. “Anything that helps a person get out and connect with other people, to feel good, even if it’s only temporary, is a good thing,” Schnurr says.

2015 MOAA ANNUAL MEETING Save the date for MOAA’s 2015 annual meeting Oct. 29-31at the Buena Vista Palace Hotel! ORLANDO

Top MOAA chapters will receive four- and fi ve-star streamers at a recognition dinner. Net- work with employers at a military- and spouse-friendly career fair, and attend informational seminars. Find out what’s going on at MOAA at the annual meeting, and join us as we salute caregivers of wounded/injured servicemembers from the Southeast region at the Community Heroes Award Night.

For more information — and to register online — visit www.moaa.org/2015annualmeeting.

110 MILITARY OFFICER SEPTEMBER 2015

Combining approaches Though the VA off ers complemen- tary and alternative forms of treat- ment at the majority of its medical centers, Schnurr is cautious about the eff ectiveness of such modalities to address post-traumatic stress. “The clinical evidence on almost all of these approaches is either lack- ing or very preliminary,” she says. “Even looking outside of PTSD, we don’t have defi nitive information on the eff ects of complementary and alternative approaches. Some of the best evidence is around stress reduction, which is something you would want to do for someone who has PTSD or any other sort of mental disorder. But that’s not the same thing as directly addressing the PTSD or

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