Veteran’s PTSD and Meditation & Mindfulness

*I am not a doctor, please seek medical attention if needed. These are just papers I have written during my time as a student while earning my master’s degree in Integrative Health.

Veteran’s health, specifically those suffering with PTSD is very near and dear to me.  As a retired Navy Ombudsman who had volunteered for over 10 years, it is a mission of mine to help break the stigma of PTSD and other mental health concerns.  Veterans who have deployed to active zones are at a greater risk of experiencing traumatic events, therefore increasing the risk for PTSD.

Abstract

To show how meditation and mindfulness can ease the symptoms of PTSD.  I believe through meditation and mindfulness you become more aware of your body and its reactions to stressors, therefore before the stressor reaches a high point, you should be able to ease the symptoms to reduce the severity of the episode.

PTSD

            Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is a psychiatric disorder that can occur when you have been in a traumatic event (either it happened to you, you witnessed it or can even happen when just being told/hearing of the event).  This doesn’t mean it will happen, but it could, and it can also occur from being exposed to reoccurring traumatic events.

            In order to be diagnosed with PTSD, symptoms must last for over a month.  Those suffering from it can show symptoms shortly after the event, for others it can develop and become noticeable years later (Psychiatry.org).  These symptoms can also start as little things that go unnoticed, and grow over time.

Symptoms

            While not everyone may have the same symptoms or to the same degree, they affect the quality of life for the veteran and their family.  Symptoms can include but are not limited to the following: avoidance, engaging in negative behaviors, difficulty sleeping, being hyper aware of surroundings, mood changes, sleep issues or nightmares, difficult with loud noises and startles easily and more.  Anything can bring on triggers such as fireworks or, even a date, such as the anniversary of the traumatic event (VA, 2018 Sept. 14).

Treatments

            Typical treatments are pharmaceutical drugs such as paroxetine, sertraline, and venlafaxine.  These types of drugs are to help ease the anxiety and depression that goes along with PTSD (VA, 2016, Aug.17). 

There are a number of holistic treatment options that can also help ease the suffering that goes along with PTSD.  There are talk therapies such as Cognitive Processing Therapy and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing to just name two.  There is also Neuro Emotional Technique that I was told years ago by my chiropractor (Dr. Frank Segreto) that using this technique can help in days and weeks what talk therapy can do in years.  Other types of therapies include art, music, yoga/exercise and journalling to just name a few.  There’s a tapping exercise that (EFT) that like meditation and mindfulness, distracts the brain, and reroutes the thinking to the here and now.  There are vitamins, minerals and essential oils that can have calming effects as well to ease the symptoms of PTSD as well.

Meditation and Mindfulness

            Mediation is a spiritual practice that helps to calm the mind and bring in peace and awareness.  Most people use this practice as a means of relaxation and a way to handle stress, while other may use it for more of a spiritual connectiveness.

            Mindfulness brings awareness to the present.  You are fully aware of what is going on around you without having distractions to pull you away.  You are taking in the moment.

            Both meditation and mindfulness practices are done without judgement of self (or to anyone/anything else).  They teach you compassion.  These two skills are highly important when dealing with PTSD.  Both have been known to lower stress levels, could lower heart rate, they bring on positive moods and other positive outcomes, physically, emotionally and spiritually.

            Meditation and mindfulness practices can be done anywhere at any time and by any one.  There’s no equipment needed (or every little just as a phone to listen to guided meditations or even mala beads).   This makes this practice accessible to everyone.  There’s no driving, no appointments needed, no insurance or co-pays.  You just need you and a willing to not give up when struggling, especially in the beginning.

Complementary and Integrative Health (CIH) practices are becoming more and more popular with seeking relief from PTSD.  Using mind-body practices helps to not only know your body better but can help to regulate emotions.  These practices can be yoga, meditation, qigong; these all focus on breathing techniques and focusing the mind while retraining it to allow thoughts to just pass through and not focus on them.  The V.A. has studied Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and offers an 8-week program. “A study in 2022 reported that almost all (96%) of the specialized PTSD treatment programs in VA offered CIH. The most common approaches used were mindfulness, stress management (or relaxation), progressive muscle relaxation, and guided imagery” (VA, 2025, Mar. 12).

            The benefits to those who practice meditation and mindfulness have been studied to show an improvement of wellbeing.  People who use these techniques have been shown to “manage anxiety, stress, depression, pain, or symptoms related to withdrawal from nicotine, alcohol or opioids” (US Department of Health).

Findings

            In 2017, there had been recent data collected from different VA sites that found meditation practices (which included mindfulness) did show positive effects.  One of the meditation types that was looked at was the use of Mantram repetition.  “Mindfulness was demonstrated to be a significant negative predictor of PTSD symptoms, depressive symptoms, physical symptoms and problematic alcohol use among firefighters a popular high risk of trauma exposure” (Talkovsky, A., Lang, A.). 

            A study in 2018 there was  a study conducted by the Department of Defense found that “meditation was as effective as prolonged exposure therapy at reducing PTSD symptoms and depression and it was more effective than PTSD health education period the veterans who used meditation also showed improvement and mood and overall quality of life” (US Department of Health).

            Meditation and mindfulness practices, such as yoga is showing positive results for not only helping with the typical reduction of stress and anxiety but has shown to help to reduce the startle effect and to have a reduction in hyperarousal symptoms.  This is after a year of doing these practices, which in order to maintain positive effect, it needs to be a routine practice (Talkovsky, A., Lang, A.).

            As mentioned above, doing these practices brings on not only non-judgement and compassion, it brings on self-compassion and self-kindness which is often needed for our veterans who are suffering.  This, along with improving positive emotional state can help to build resilience and reduce dysphoria (Talkovsky, A., Lang, A.).

Summary

PTSD is a debilitating disorder that affects can be devastating.  By continually practicing these meditation and mindfulness techniques routinely can help to reduce some of the more prominent symptoms like anxiety, depression and the startle response.  Being able to focus on your breath, like in meditation or on a physical object like in a mindfulness practice (can be done in both), you are taking away the fear, the ‘what it’, the past painful memory and focusing on the now.  You’re bringing awareness to your body, how it’s feeling.

            If you are able to become more aware of yourself, you should be able to feel when you are starting to get triggered.  From there, you can go into one of these practices so that you can stay present and focused.  You are training your mind and body to stay here.

            This isn’t a cure, and if medication is needed, that’s ok, but this can help alleviate the pain and suffering of PTSD.  I have seen first-hand how focusing on the breath during a PTSD episode can help to bring back the veteran (more easily than not) back to the present, which is where he was safe.  I think that’s key, the safe part.  These practices help to feel safe again, and that is what they need.

References

Tarkovsky, A. M., & Lang, A. J. (2017). Meditation-based approaches in the treatment of PTSD. https://www.ptsd.va.gov/publications/rq_docs/V28N2.pdf 

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). Meditation and mindfulness: Effectiveness and safety. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/meditation-and-mindfulness-effectiveness-and-safety 

Va.gov: Veterans Affairs. Complementary and Integrative Health (CIH) and PTSD. (2025, March 12). https://www.ptsd.va.gov/understand_tx/cih_ptsd.asp 

Va.gov: Veterans Affairs. Medications. (2016, August 17). https://www.ptsd.va.gov/understand_tx/medications.asp 

Va.gov: Veterans Affairs. What is PTSD? (2018, September 14). https://www.ptsd.va.gov/understand/what/index.asp 

What is posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)?. Psychiatry.org - What is Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)? (n.d.). https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/ptsd/what-is-ptsd