Advanced Strategies Are Available For Stress of Shocking and Awesome War

The negative effects of this "awesome" war on the US population should be treated with the most advanced and "awesome" stress and trauma relief techniques available. One such approach is known as Emotional Freedom Techniques. It's easy to learn and use and is backed by scientific and clinical research.

The war has begun and as White House spokesman, Ari Fleischer, has said, we 'ought to be prepared for the loss." says Michael Reins, a local personal coach and psychotherapist. Reins believes we should be prepared with the most sophisticated and effective methods available to combat the effects that war has on our personal lives.

The United States has the worlds most advanced and powerful weapons at their disposal and the delivery of these weapons in Iraq promises to elicit the most shocking effects known to date, says Reins, but dont think for a moment that the shock will be restricted to Iraqs military and civilians populations"

Reins quotes a Yale School of Medicine report, The recent deployment of U.S. special operations forces and the call to active duty of thousands of American solders to fight the 'war on terrorism reawakens a long-dormant interest in understanding the societal costs of war. ...this report demonstrates the lasting and pernicious effect of exposing U.S, citizens to war."

After the invasion of Afghanistan in the fall of 2001 the Santa Rosa Press Democrat reported their poll results of how residents in Sonoma County were affected by the war," said Michael Reins. Over 40 percent reported feelings sadness or depression."

Another notable fact from the article," according to Reins, was that "sales of antidepressants, anti-anxiety drugs and sleeping pills had risen nearly 10 percent since the attacks."

Conventional defenses to war related stress and trauma are pretty well known," says Reins. Among his suggestions for effective coping strategies are:

*Maintain as normal a routine as possible. Interruptions of routines can invite anxiety and fear.
*Minimize time spent watching war coverage on the television and even radio reports as this can trigger disturbing thoughts and emotions. Try to avoid watching war coverage alone. Children should definitely not be watching alone and preferably not at all. Follow periods of watching these reports with discussion.
*Maintain personal contacts , talk with your friends, avoid isolation and withdrawal.
*Spend time in nature.
*If you re-experience a trauma, try to remember how you overcame the trauma from that earlier experience.

There are, however, more advanced, and sophisticated techniques that can provide rapid relief from the symptom clusters of stress and trauma, says Reins. He lists those symptoms to include loss of sleep, irritability, sadness, withdrawal, increased sense of vulnerability and decreased sense of security, difficulty concentrating, feelings of helplessness, powerlessness, being out of control.

Reins teaches an advanced stress relief technique called Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT). He says, EFT is in essence a psychological version of acupuncture except that needles aren't necessary. Instead, a person tunes in" to their symptom while stimulating stress relief points by tapping on them with their fingertips. This provides a 'balancing effect" that replaces emotional distress with a form of peace."

Drawing on scientific research, Reins cites a noted Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) researcher, Professor Charles R. Figley, Ph.D., Director of the Traumatology Institute at Florida State University,

Figly has found that the method of tapping on the bodys energy system, to hasten the processing and neutralizing of strong negative emotions stands with its impressive results for the following reasons:

1.It is extraordinarily powerful, in that persons receive nearly immediate relief from their suffering and the treatment appears to be permanent.
2. It can be taught to nearly everyone so that persons cannot only treat themselves, but treat others affected.
3. It appears to do no harm.
4. It does not require the person to talk about their troubles, something that often causes more emotional pain and discourages many from seeking help.
5. It is extremely efficient, fast and long -lasting."

Reins says EFT has also been proven clinically effective in the Veterans Administration with many of our Vietnam War Veterans.

This is without question one of the most troubling times we as a country and as individuals have faced," Reins suggests. Yes, we ought to be prepared and we ought to be prepared with the very best approaches to stress and trauma relief that are available today."

For more details about EFT and how to learn it, contact Michael Reins at 707-585-9300 or go to www.coachreins.com.