June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 16

Community Center
Recreational Therapy: Helping
Soldiers Cope With PTSD
By Allison Colman

M

ore than 1 million U.S. citizens serve as active-duty military personnel. According to U.S. Census Bureau estimates, almost 22
million Americans are veterans of U.S. Armed Forces service.
These men and women - whether serving in the Air Force,
Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps or Navy - are supported by millions more
family members whose letters, phone calls and care packages are essential to
buoy spirits and boost morale throughout a serviceperson's career.
Often, however, that need for support extends long after the battlefield
quiets. Many men and women have
experienced direct combat exposure
or other highly stressful situations
during their service. With such a
large number of people serving in
active combat zones, the prevalence
of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
(PTSD) is a serious concern.
PTSD is defined as " an anxiety disorder that may develop after exposure to a
terrifying event or ordeal in which severe
physical harm occurred or was threatened. " While PTSD more commonly
affects those who have direct experience
with high-stress situations, it can also
impact people who have witnessed or
observed traumatic events - both directly and indirectly. It is estimated that
almost 8 percent of Americans will be
affected by PTSD at some point in their
lives. Within the U.S. Armed Forces,
that percentage is even higher. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans
Affairs, the number of veterans with
PTSD varies by service era. For those
serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom
(OIF) and Enduring Freedom (OEF),
about 11-20 out of every 100 veterans
has PTSD in a given year. From the

14	 Parks & Recreation

Gulf War (Desert Storm), about 12 out
of every 100 veterans is affected each
year. And, it is estimated that 30 out of
every 100 veterans who served in the
Vietnam War have experienced PTSD
in their lifetime.
Prescribing Recreation
With so many armed forces servicemen and women experiencing PTSD
in combat and upon returning home,
the military has developed effective
treatment tools and methods to help
individuals struggling with the disorder. Increasingly, recreational activities
are being folded into treatment plans,
as they can be an effective prescription
to enhance physical, mental, social and
emotional health through structured
activities. Recreational therapy provides additional coping mechanisms
related to stress and intense emotions
by lowering levels of anxiety, providing social opportunities and creating
a sense of community, cohesion and
engagement among veterans. 
The Marine Corps offers a variety
of programs aimed at coping with
PTSD. Capt. Robert Alonso is the
executive officer of the Naval Health
Clinic at Marine Corps Base Quanti-

| J U N E 2 0 1 5 | W W W. N R PA . O R G

co, which often serves as the first step
in a patient's treatment plan, providing outpatient counseling and medication management. Alonso believes
that Marines experiencing PTSD can
benefit from other treatments including recreational programming. " Often times there is more to be gained
in recovery through sources outside
of behavioral health, " he says. " We
have been pleased with the positive
feedback that many of our patients
[involved in outreach programs provided by Marine Corps Community
Services (MCCS) and Semper Fit]
are reporting. " The Marine Corps
Semper Fit program facilitates recreation programs that strengthen
resilience and contribute to military
effectiveness. Other active recreation
programs that are available through
MCCS can be tailored specifically
for units, such as alternative physical
training (PT), high-intensity tactical
training (HITT), aquatics maximum
power intense training (AMP-IT) and
functional fitness.
For U.S. Army personnel and their
families, the Family and Morale,
Welfare and Recreation Programs
(MWR) is the hub of supportive wellness programming. It offers activities
like fun runs, triathlons, bike races,
hiking, whitewater rafting, swimming, rock/ice climbing, skiing and
other activities to encourage physical
activity and improve mental health.
The Army's MWR program also
utilizes art therapy as a mechanism



June 2015 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of June 2015 - Parks & Recreation

June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 1
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 2
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 3
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 4
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 5
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 6
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 7
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 8
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 9
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 10
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 11
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 12
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 13
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 14
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 15
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 16
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 17
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 18
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 19
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 20
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 21
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 22
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 23
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 24
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 25
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 26
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 27
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 28
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 29
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 30
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 31
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 32
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 33
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 34
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 35
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 36
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 37
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 38
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 39
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 40
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 41
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 42
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 43
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 44
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 45
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 46
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 47
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 48
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 49
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 50
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 51
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 52
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 53
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 54
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 55
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 56
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 57
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 58
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 59
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 60
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 61
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 62
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 63
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 64
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 65
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 66
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 67
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 68
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 69
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 70
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 71
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 72
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 73
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 74
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 75
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 76
June 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 77
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2009
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2009
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com