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Show LIFE VOLUME HI ISSUE 21 New.suicide survivors support group After someone close commits suicide, many are left to deal with the trauma, now, with a new support group on campus, they do not have to deal with it alone By KELLY CANNON Life Editor When Wade Haskell, a married father of two, lost his mother last July to suicide, he immediately sought out a support group in Provo for people who have lost a loved one to suicide. He met with the group once a month, talked and listened to the other members, taking comfort in knowing he wasn't alone. The group was a huge help to him in his time of need. Now Haskell is starting up the same type of support group here on campus. The group would be an aid during a time of need and trauma that will last longer than their time here at UVU.,, -WADE HASKELL With over 32,000 students, Haskell figured there would likely be a need for a group like this on campus. "It would fill a need that I think is probably here," Haskell said. Called "Breathe: Suicide Survivors Support Group," the group would be open to anyone who has lost a friend or family member to suicide. SUPPORT B5 FEBRUARY 6, 2012 WWW.UVUREVIEW.COM BY VETERANS, FOR VETERANS Veteran group provides supportive, relaxing environment ? Ni :isv sTHT F IA SUFFER 0 ilp 0 - by TIMOTHY ERIC WOOD II Staff Writer The plane lands and the sound of rollers and shuffling feet on tile fill the room, and a family smiles at their returned soldier from down the escalator. The return home is a goal cherished by many of America's fighting men and women. But for many homebound veterans there is a lingering presence, an unshakable, undeniable scar left from the ravages of the battlefront. For those veterans with mental and emotional health problems, life back home is not quite what it should be. Dr. Richard Hooper, who has a Ph.D. in Social Work, is the head of a program on campus that offers free counseling to veterans. The counseling sessions are held every Wednesday from 10-11 a.m. in the Sorensen Center, room 221. The sessions emphasize the empowerment that comes from the brotherhood of combat veterans, talking with one another in a relaxed environment, guided by Hooper, himself a veteran of the Korean War. A "New England Journal of Medicine" study examined 6,201 combat veterans from the current conflict in the Middle East. According to this research, 15-30 percent of returning soldiers have mental health issues. There are 300 Veteran Centers in the United States with the goal of helping veterans readjust to civilian life. Hooper shares this goal. There are close to 1,000 veterans on UVU's campus, many with experience in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the veteran's counseling group helps deal with many of the mental health problems soldiers face. Among the symptoms exhibited by returned soldiers are uneasiness in crowds, being easily startled, an increase in anger and ag- ‘ AT 1 Sith _ N i/so FR 098 101-Y 35 % OFois,„ '5 ),, / \-P 43 -7tP 1. o\ \ ,. • (r) (f) O cp 0 li ND CD c*I C) ]. C3 • • /,/ CF s A‘' ,,,\. °IA 83S IN 08A 10\- 4,°\` ' (23110VdVONI °/000cu -)-- Among the 23, 286,922 American Veterans (2011 US Census Bureau), 17% suffer from service-related disabilities, while an estimated 33% suffer from post traumatic stress disorder. DREW MILION/HYUREVIEW gression, anxiety and problems with sleep, particularly nightmares. Hooper, having worked with veteran health for twenty years, claims that Many of the methods include working with memory, which take the edge off traumatic experiences, enabling veterans to retain memories Ai Deep relaxation in our counseling sessions allows access to memories. ,9 -DR. RICHARD HOOPER only six sessions at veteran's counseling groups are consistently effective in treating the symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. but not be troubled by them. "Deep relaxation in our counseling sessions allows access to memories in such a way that we can adjust them," Hooper said. The process includes adjusting the memory of colors and sounds and the point of view of the experience. In one session, Hooper helped veterans by adding a secondary memory in front of the original. The violent events were made to be just practice wounds replaced with paintball impacts. The soldiers still retain the original memories of the event, but they are emphasized less next to the happier memories, like an image in photoshop placed over another with the transparency turned to low. VETERAN CENTERS PROVO:1801)377-1117 SLC: 1801)266-1499 There are also ONLINE SURVEYS at: afterdeployment.org further information at www.ptsd.va.gov. Mother/daughter duo graduate against all odds No blood pressure or ficult Aim a}, venous draws from Joy and Rebecca Brown both overcame remarkable obstacles in order to achieve their goals of college degrees, through all the hard times, they supported one another and were both honored with their degrees last semester By FELICIA JOY Staff Writer rigkupper extremity her associate's in 1993. During that time, she became a foster mother and also had children of her own. School was once again postponed so she could take the classes that are required by law in order to adopt a child. She resumed Every year, there are students who graduate from this university even in the midst of incredible hardship. This can certainly be said of two of our alumni, Joy Brown and her daughter Rebecca, who got their diplomas last year after facing a lot of challenges. Joy Brown has worked on acquiring a bachelor's degree for about twenty years. -JOY BROWN She was enrolled at University of Utah where she met her husband her studies at California State, and took on a full time job to Bakersfield, and made the put him through school. They hour commute to take classes moved to California where for a bachelor's degree. At this she got back in to a college time, she also took her 4-yearin Porterville and received old with her to be cared for in the nursery provided by the campus. After a couple of semesters, she stopped attendance again to care for her five children and work full time. Their family decided to move to Utah and Joy started working at UVU in the Extended Studies Department. Because of the employment benefits she was able to go back to school and work on her bachelors, which is also where her daughter Rebecca was attending college. Both were on the fast track to graduation when Rebecca was in a terrible accident in 2007. She was walking in Salt Lake City when she was hit by a car that was traveling 45 miles per hour. She is my inspiration; she is the most patient and perseverant person I know.,, Even though she was struck by a car, Brown was determined to finish school. CONTACT: PHOTO COURTESY OF REBECCA BROWN LIFE EDITOR ASST. LIFE EDITOR LIFE DESIGNER lifesectionuvu@gmail.com devenleighe@gmail.com drewmilton@gmail.com KELLY CANNON DEVEN LEIGH ELLIS DREW MILTON GRADUATE B5 TWITTER UVU LIFE SECTION @UVULife |