Fighting PTSD (Source: US DoD)
Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affects nearly 20% of post-9/11 US veterans, and one-fourth of US soldiers have already experienced a mental health issue before their deployment, which only increases the risk of returning with PTSD. Researchers have found that recovery lies in the body’s own ability to self-regulate. One important method for helping to understand and control this ability is “heart rate variability biofeedback.” In this relatively new form of biofeedback, individuals learn to use paced breathing to maximize the variability in their heart rate. This variability is a marker for health and resilience.
