For many Veterans, the transition from military service to civilian life is often accompanied by difficulties with sleep, especially for those with lingering trauma.
Insomnia—and nightmares in particular—plague the sleep of countless Veterans.
Fortunately, VA offers specialized treatments to help Veterans reclaim their sleep and improve their overall well-being. Dr. Kimberly Igirio, staff psychologist at Orlando VA Medical Center, is at the forefront of this effort, offering proven therapy methods that are transforming lives.
Army and Navy Veteran Ray Best’s service aboard the USS Iowa in the 1980s was marked by a tragic event that sadly claimed the lives of 47 of his fellow shipmates, a memory that continues to haunt Best decades later. His survivor’s guilt and nightmares stemming from this tragedy have been a long-standing burden on his mental health.
Best initially approached therapy with skepticism. “When I first heard about it, I thought what new-age nonsense is this?” However, after being referred to Igirio, he realized VA’s therapy programs were much more than he expected.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for nightmares
“Dr. Igirio didn’t treat me like a number or just another patient. She genuinely cares about the people she sees and that makes a big difference,” Best shared.
The treatment for Best centers on a method called Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Nightmares (CBT-N). It’s designed to help Veterans confront and manage their trauma-induced nightmares. It also incorporates relaxation techniques and builds on CBT for Insomnia (CBT-I), an older treatment built to help those struggling to fall asleep or stay asleep. According to Igirio, CBT-I has a long track record of effectively helping people to improve their quantity and quality of sleep in five to eight weeks.
“Nightmares are often the brain’s way of coping with the trauma. Through CBT-I, Veterans like Best face their nightmares head-on using a process called rescripting, which allows the brain to process unresolved thoughts and emotions,” Igirio said.
“Writing down what I’m thinking before bed helps clear my mind. I’ve also learned breathing exercises and progressive muscle relaxation, which have helped me relax both mentally and physically,” Best said, describing the tools he has learned from therapy sessions with Igirio.
“I’m easier to be around now.”
Before treatment, Best was only getting three to four hours of broken sleep a night, often interrupted by vivid distressing nightmares. These recurring dreams left him exhausted, irritable and unable to focus during the day. Since starting therapy, he’s noticed significant improvements.
“I’m getting about six hours of sleep now. It’s still broken sleep, but it’s a lot better than it was. I might have one nightmare a night for a few nights in a row and then go two or three days without one,” he said.
Best’s improved sleep has had a positive ripple effect on his life. “When you’re rested, your day is better. I’m easier to be around now and I don’t get agitated as easily,” he added.
For Best, therapy has been life changing and has meant so much that he presented Igirio with a special challenge coin commemorating the USS Iowa, a token of his deep appreciation for the exceptional care and support he has received. (Pictured above.)
“With improved sleep and mental health, Best continues to honor the memory of his shipmates while moving forward in his own life,” Best said.
Veterans interested in addressing their sleep are encouraged to speak with their primary care provider about behavioral therapy options.
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I have PTSD and if makes me alert most of the time. I take qiutiapine to help me sleep. I have flashbacks about the war in Iraq. I was a radio teletype operator. I during the war went about three days without sleep. I am sure I rested a bit but when your life is on the line. The saying is stay aleart, stay alive. I still have problems with PTSD. I would like to get PTSD treatment in Hot Springs South Dekota VAMC before the facility is closed for good. I need a referral but I have been having a hard time getting this referral. It’s my hope that you can provide me a referral to the PTSD treatment program in Hot Springs South Dekota VAMC before the facility is closed for good. I have been their for PTSD treatment and I found that the program works. I would like a referral to the PTSD treatment program in Hot Springs South Dekota VAMC before the facility is closed for 6. I ask for your help with a referral from mental health. I need this treatment program and I know it helps because I have been there before and it’s has helped me in the past and I would like to return to Hot Springs South Dekota VAMC before the facility is closed for good. Please give me this referral today so I can begin packing for my trip to Hot Springs South Dekota VAMC. I thank you for any assistance you can provide me with. I thank you for any assistance you can provide me with. May peace be unto you always I thank you for any assistance you can provide me with. Gary Temple I thank you for any assistance you can provide me with.
Regarding getting to sleep: I don’t know where I picked this up, but it sure works for me. Try rubbing the area on the underside of your forearm about 4 inches below your wrist. Do this for about 10-15 seconds on each arm. Then relax. I’m out in minutes after that.
Something to do with accupressure?
Hey Ray!
Thank you for sharing your sleep struggles with us.
People who don’t have a history of chronic sleeplessness will never know the far reaching effects it takes on every aspect of your life.
Good for you for putting your skepticism aside and trying a new approach.
I hope the well-rested version of you continues to learn and thrive.
Sleep is God’s medicine.
Sleeplessly yours.
Christine
How do I find this service within the VA? My local clinic is in Salem Oregon, hospital in Portland Or. 30 plus years ago drug therapy was used (IIRC). It did not work well for me.
Let’s see if they post my comment without any redactions or deletions in it’s entirety. Yes, I’m angry and have trouble sleeping. I thought that I would be treated better by the VA after my 10 plus years in the Airforce with an Honorable discharge and a Vietnam tour of duty, where I was instrumental in stopping an attack on the Phu Cat bomb dump. I earned a commendation medal plus a Presidential unit citation for everyone that night. None of that really matters because I had been threatened by the VA Washington head office for what they falsely said that I owed them thousands of dollars in medical bills based on all my so called profits from investments. Even after proving to them that I didn’t owe anything and after my local VA office even said that I owed nothing, they said to just ignore those other letters and throw them away. I still got more and more threatening letters and It got to the point that I actually started to suffer PTSD because I could not open any more VA letters for fear of more harassment. I even tried to get the county VA office to help me to no avail. The Department of Treasury got involved along with the IRS and the VA head office plus a private collection agency where I got threating letters and phone calls. I eventually had to pay out over 6 thousand dollars and they still held back over 3 thousand dollars from my tax refunds too. On top of all this my military wife of 47 years died of cancer and covid complications and they stopped her social security payments leaving me in a hardship situation taking half of the families income away. I was also denied agent orange compensation for prostate cancer which spread through out my body very fast, nearly killing me, The local VA diagnosed me but said that because I didn’t get a biopsy they denied my claim. I also tried to get a lawyer called Morgan and Morgan but they refused my case too. I went to Tampa General using my private insurance benefits from the Department of Transportation where I worked and my Doctor told me that he had to dig for my VA records confirming the VA’s diagnoses, and he finally found them. I’m sure I left off more details because I really don’t want to remember all the hell I was put through.
What is the advantage besides seeing my Doctor and taking medication
I’m having dreams about my tour in Vietnam having trouble sleeping and waking up in cold sweat Lost my wife of 45 years to cancer about 9 months ago so that doesn’t help either