Post Traumatic Stress Disorders are common among military veterans. Veterans with PTSD experience symptoms such as being easily startled, difficulties sleeping, feeling tense, and being irritable. Anxiety is one of the most common symptoms of PTSD. It is diagnosed when a patient is determined to have a chronic feeling of fear, dread, and uneasiness that is a response to stress. Mindful Based Programs have been presented as possible therapeutic approaches that can have a positive impact on the physical and mental health of these veterans. The main MBPs approaches that can be used to treat anxiety in veterans struggling with PTSD include; mindfulness-based stress reduction, dialectal behavior therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. The use of these approaches can have a positive impact on veterans dealing with anxiety that results from PTSD. The different types of MBPs approaches can be used in different ways to reach the desired outcomes.
Introduction
Post Traumatic Stress Disorders (PTSDs) are a common condition among military veterans. It is characterized by major symptoms such as being easily startled, difficulties sleeping, feeling tense, and being irritable. These symptoms arise after experiencing traumatic events such as physical assault, natural disaster, and military combat (Breneman & Reinhard, 2023). Those suffering from PTSD struggle to become closely integrated into the community around them because of the various issues they are struggling with. It is common to have people with PTSD becoming emotionally numb, to use drugs, and having difficulties maintaining relationships (Barr & Keeling, 2019). These complications have created an urgency to provide effective treatments and interventions that can be used to support the recovery of those affected. Most of these interventions and treatments have tried to remedy the symptoms of PTSD. This work aims to assess the effects of using mindfulness-based programs (MBPs) in therapeutic recreation in reducing anxiety among veterans with PTSD.
Anxiety Among Veterans with PTSD
Anxiety is one of the most common symptoms of PTSD. It is diagnosed when a patient is determined to have a chronic feeling of fear, dread, and uneasiness that is a response to stress (Barr & Keeling, 2019). There are different disorders associated with anxiety that can affect a patient. Most of them share similar symptoms such as intense and excessive feelings of fear, dread, and worry. Some common physical symptoms of anxiety include rapid heartbeats, shortness of breath, and dizziness. These symptoms have a devastating impact on the overall wellbeing of individuals because it means that they have limited functionality in a society. It means that people have limited physical and mental capabilities to perform day-to-day tasks that they should be capable of achieving. Anxiety has been associated with causing sleep issues where individuals struggle to get the rest they need. People diagnosed with anxiety have also been observed to have negative behavioral changes. Such people might also have a reduced life expectancy.
The challenges and issues that arise from anxiety creates a need to find effective interventions and treatments that will ensure that veterans find it easy to be integrated into their communities. However, such treatments and interventions have remained out of reach for most patients. Most of them have remained with the symptoms of anxiety that have significantly decreased their quality of life. Anxiety is not the only symptom associated with PTSD. However, it is one of the most common and detrimental symptoms among veterans (Letica-Crepulja & Stevanović, 2020).
Mindfulness-Based Programs
Mindful Based Programs (MBPs) are therapeutic approaches that are based on being considerate as a major component of attaining good physical and mental health. Some of the most common MBPs approaches include; dialectal behavior therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. These approaches are designed to prioritize the experiences that a person has in a non-judgmental way. This “mindful” approach to treatment can be offered to individuals or in groups. The general idea of using these “mindful” approaches is that they allow an individual to become more aware of their physical, mental, and emotional state in the present moment. Hence, individuals would be in a position to pay close attention to their experiences such as cognitions, feelings, and sensations without being influenced by others. This is believed to be effective at allowing such individuals to have more control over their thoughts, rather than being controlled by their thoughts (Mak & Zhang, 2024).
MBPs have been shown to have a generally positive impact on treating mental health challenges and emotional concerns. Different approaches have been developed to provide specific results. For example, some approaches focus mainly on the reduction of stress while others are more focused on developing spirituality. The use of mindful approaches in therapy has mainly been focused on meditation. Mindful meditation is used to allow participants to become more aware of their thoughts, and many of the challenges that are contributing to the development of their mental and physical issues. Therapists assist participants to use MBPs by facilitating a process through which they are able to better understand and address the emotions and physical sensations associated with their cognitions. The use of MBPs has been found to be most effective in treating emotionally overwhelming experiences such as those caused by anxiety (Hofmann & Gómez, 2017).
Using MBPs for Veterans with PTSD
The use of Mindful Based Programs can have a positive impact on veterans dealing with anxiety that results from PTSD. The different types of MBPs approaches can be used in different ways to reach the desired outcomes (Hofmann & Gómez, 2017). The main MBPs approaches that can be used to treat anxiety in veterans struggling with PTSD include; mindfulness-based stress reduction, dialectal behavior therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (Loucks & Crane, 2022).
Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is an approach that would educate the veterans to focus on the present moment with the intention of managing stress and other stressors. It might involve taking part is simplistic processes such as maintaining postures and stretches. This approach aims to make the participant more aware of their immediate surroundings, thoughts, feelings, and emotions without facing judgement (Marchand & Klinger, 2019). This can empower veterans to overcome their worries and regrets that play a major role in the development of anxiety. Some common exercises that can be classified under MBSR include; deep breathing, meditation, yoga, and group dialogue. These exercises empower the individual to focus on the situation they currently are in rather than worrying about the past or future. MBSR can be beneficial for many veterans because most struggle with the trauma they faced during service. MBSR would empower them to focus on the moment, and overcome their past worries and concerns.
Dialectal behavior therapy (DBT) is a psychotherapy intervention that aims to train people on how to manage their emotions and improve their relationships with others. Veterans who have been diagnosed with chronic anxiety have a hard time dealing with their overwhelming emotions, and have difficulties maintaining relationships. This approach has evolved over time as efforts have been made to utilize it in different situations. It can be completed using techniques such as; group therapy, individual therapy, and over-the-phone therapy (Takahashi & Sugiyama, 2019). The ability to manage emotions would allow veterans to live normal lives.
Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is an approach that aims to help participants understand and accept their thoughts and feelings, and make appropriate changes in their behaviors. This an approach that views the actions that people dealing with mental disorders as having limited knowledge and awareness of the thoughts and feelings they have. For the most part, they are overwhelmed by such emotions. This approach involves six steps; acceptance, cognitive defusion, being present, self as context, values, and committed actions (Szoke & Murphy, 2024). These steps are necessary to move veterans from their current state of anxiety to one of committed actions that overcomes many of the limitations associated with the mental health disorder.
Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) combines cognitive behavioral therapy with meditation and other related therapies to help participants develop a new way of dealing with their thoughts and feelings. This approach is viewed as effective in ensuring that recurring mental health issues such as depression and anxiety are dealt with by empowering the participants to change how they deal with their thoughts and feelings (Miller & Bagley, 2020). Some of the ways that veterans can use to overcome their anxiety include; meditation, stretching, and yoga.
Summary
This work aimed to assess the effects of using mindfulness-based programs (MBPs) in therapeutic recreation in reducing anxiety among veterans with PTSD. Post Traumatic Stress Disorders (PTSDs) are a common condition among military veterans. It is characterized by major symptoms such as being easily startled, difficulties sleeping, feeling tense, and being irritable. Mindful Based Programs (MBPs) are therapeutic approaches that are based on being considerate as a major component of attaining good physical and mental health. The main MBPs approaches that can be used to treat anxiety in veterans struggling with PTSD include; mindfulness-based stress reduction, dialectal behavior therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is an approach that would educate the veterans to focus on the present moment with the intention of managing stress and other stressors. Dialectal behavior therapy (DBT) is a psychotherapy intervention that aims to train people on how to manage their emotions and improve their relationships with others. Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is an approach that aims to help participants understand and accept their thoughts and feelings, and make appropriate changes in their behaviors. Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) combines cognitive behavioral therapy with meditation and other related therapies to help participants develop a new way of dealing with their thoughts and feelings.
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