Canadian Veteran of Afghanistan War Develops His Own PTSD Therapy

Many veterans who suffer from PTSD often seek out non-medical therapy as an alternative to medications and therapists. A veteran from the Afghanistan War took matters into his own hands and has developed a drugless treatment for his PTSD.

Travis Schouten of Sarnia, Ontario was stationed in Afghanistan when he was traumatized during a mission. His time spent in Afghanistan left him with crippling PTSD symptoms that drove him to use alcohol and drugs in order to cope with isolation and suicidal thoughts. Finally, he realized that his mental issues were causing him to lose his life both socially and physically.

Quitting cold turkey on the drugs and medications, Schouten forced himself to begin interacting with friends and family again. He began a fitness regimen to lose the weight he gained while in isolation and enrolled in university courses. 

His battle with PTSD sparked an interest in neuroscience and he began studying how the brain's structure is changed by a traumatic experience. Working with doctors at the University of Western Ontario in London, he's working on a new program called plasticity therapy.

Plasticity therapy works by affecting the brain the way anti-depressants do, but minus the drugs. Schouten discovered that strenuous exercise has the same effects as the medication when it comes to how the brain reacts to the stimulus. The therapy combines exercise with professional mental support and a structured, military-style regimen to generate more positive experiences in veterans.

The therapy will be under a trial program called Broken Wing, a 9-month course that involves support, education and rehabilitation to PTSD veterans willing to participate. 

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