quote:

jimmy can talk about everything,

Maybe the dog has PTSD.

Pardon my ignorance:
Could someone explain what a PTSD Support Dog is really supposed to do or provide ?
{I admit I have a high level of skepticism on this, but i am willing to learn, if anyone knows what the science really is.} Thanks.

quote:

Originally posted by Crom:
Pardon my ignorance:
Could someone explain what a PTSD Support Dog is really supposed to do or provide ?
{I admit I have a high level of skepticism on this, but i am willing to learn, if anyone knows what the science really is.} Thanks.

A not-completely-accurate, very high-level description of PTSD is that someone with PTSD has severe panic or anxiety attacks in response to things that that wouldn't normally be upsetting (or not that upsetting) because of associations with past trauma.

A service dog for someone with PTSD will notice as one of those panic or anxiety attacks is just starting and interrupt it by redirecting the person's attention to the dog.

This should be a start for learning about service dogs and the VA

http://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntag...al-health-disorders/

Why couldn't the woman wear her vest?

quote:

Originally posted by Fenris:
Maybe the dog has PTSD.

"Probably from the pound."

Hey!!! If you find yourself in a hole, maybe you should stop digging.

The current criteria for PTSD:

PTSD and DSM-5
In 2013, the American Psychiatric Association revised the PTSD diagnostic criteria in the fifth edition of its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5; 1). PTSD is included in a new category in DSM-5, Trauma- and Stressor-Related Disorders. All of the conditions included in this classification require exposure to a traumatic or stressful event as a diagnostic criterion. For a review of the DSM-5 changes to the criteria for PTSD, see the American Psychiatric Association website on Posttraumatic Stress DisorderLink will take you outside the VA website. VA is not responsible for the content of the linked site..
DSM-5 Criteria for PTSD

Full copyrighted criteria are available from the American Psychiatric Association (1). All of the criteria are required for the diagnosis of PTSD. The following text summarizes the diagnostic criteria:
Criterion A (one required): The person was exposed to: death, threatened death, actual or threatened serious injury, or actual or threatened sexual violence, in the following way(s):
Direct exposure
Witnessing the trauma
Learning that a relative or close friend was exposed to a trauma
Indirect exposure to aversive details of the trauma, usually in the course of professional duties (e.g., first responders, medics)
Criterion B (one required): The traumatic event is persistently re-experienced, in the following way(s):
Intrusive thoughts
Nightmares
Flashbacks
Emotional distress after exposure to traumatic reminders
Physical reactivity after exposure to traumatic reminders
Criterion C (one required): Avoidance of trauma-related stimuli after the trauma, in the following way(s):
Trauma-related thoughts or feelings
Trauma-related reminders
Criterion D (two required): Negative thoughts or feelings that began or worsened after the trauma, in the following way(s):
Inability to recall key features of the trauma
Overly negative thoughts and assumptions about oneself or the world
Exaggerated blame of self or others for causing the trauma
Negative affect
Decreased interest in activities
Feeling isolated
Difficulty experiencing positive affect
Criterion E (two required): Trauma-related arousal and reactivity that began or worsened after the trauma, in the following way(s):
Irritability or aggression
Risky or destructive behavior
Hypervigilance
Heightened startle reaction
Difficulty concentrating
Difficulty sleeping
Criterion F (required): Symptoms last for more than 1 month.
Criterion G (required): Symptoms create distress or functional impairment (e.g., social, occupational).
Criterion H (required): Symptoms are not due to medication, substance use, or other illness.
Two specifications:
Dissociative Specification. In addition to meeting criteria for diagnosis, an individual experiences high levels of either of the following in reaction to trauma-related stimuli:
Depersonalization. Experience of being an outside observer of or detached from oneself (e.g., feeling as if "this is not happening to me" or one were in a dream).
Derealization. Experience of unreality, distance, or distortion (e.g., "things are not real").
Delayed Specification. Full diagnostic criteria are not met until at least six months after the trauma(s), although onset of symptoms may occur immediately.
Note: DSM-5 introduced a preschool subtype of PTSD for children ages six years and younger.
How Do the DSM-5 PTSD Symptoms Compare to DSM-IV Symptoms?

Overall, the symptoms of PTSD are generally comparable between DSM-5 and DSM-IV. A few key alterations include:
The revision of Criterion A1 in DSM-5 narrowed qualifying traumatic events such that the unexpected death of family or a close friend due to natural causes is no longer included.
Criterion A2, requiring that the response to a traumatic event involved intense fear, hopelessness, or horror, was removed from DSM-5. Research suggests that Criterion A2 did not improve diagnostic accuracy (2).
The avoidance and numbing cluster (Criterion C) in DSM-IV was separated into two criteria in DSM-5: Criterion C (avoidance) and Criterion D (negative alterations in cognitions and mood). This results in a requirement that a PTSD diagnosis includes at least one avoidance symptom.
Three new symptoms were added:
Criterion D (Negative thoughts or feelings that began or worsened after the trauma): Overly negative thoughts and assumptions about oneself or the world; and, negative affect
Criterion E (Trauma-related arousal and reactivity that began or worsened after the trauma): Reckless or destructive behavior
What Are the Implications of the DSM-5 Revisions on PTSD Prevalence?

Changes in the diagnostic criteria have minimal impact on prevalence. National estimates of PTSD prevalence suggest that DSM-5 rates were only slightly lower (typically about 1%) than DSM-IV for both lifetime and past-12 month (3). When cases met criteria for DSM-IV, but not DSM-5, this was primarily due the revision excluding sudden unexpected death of a loved one from Criterion A in the DSM-5. The other reason was a failure to have one avoidance symptom. When cases met criteria for DSM-5, but not DSM-IV, this was primarily due to not meeting DSM-IV avoidance/numbing and/or arousal criteria (3). Research also suggests that similarly to DSM-IV, prevalence of PTSD for DSM-5 was higher among women than men, and increased with multiple traumatic event exposure (3).


American Psychiatric Association. (2013) Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, (5th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.
Friedman, M. J., Resick, P. A., Bryant, R. A., & Brewin, C. R. (2011). Considering PTSD for DSM-5. Depression & Anxiety, 28, 750-769. doi:10.1002/da.20767

Oh I definitely hate malls.

Fuck malls.

quote:

dog tags worn outside the clothes?

oh, heavens, they sound positively unhinged.

how dare they.

how DARE they, sirs!!!!!

(About 1% of Americans are active duty military. No one else, basically, a solid 95+% of Americans, gives a shit where or how one wears dog tags.)

quote:

"Probably from the pound."

Hey!!! If you find yourself in a hole, maybe you should stop digging.

Which hole is that? Pound dogs make great work dogs. I have owned several, the local police tend to use them for a variety of things, and I suspect there may even be service dogs among them.

Going back to what I have typically observed, service dogs tend to be trained as puppies, and tend to be labs, GSDs, or retrievers.

Again, just another piece of the puzzle that was off a little bit. Not one single thing in and of itself painted a picture of an issue. All of them combined did.

quote:

(About 1% of Americans are active duty military. No one else, basically, a solid 95+% of Americans, gives a shit where or how one wears dog tags.)

Granted I only have a small sample to choose from, a handful of relatives and a few friends who have served. I have never noticed any of them wearing their tags in any fashion outside of them being in uniform.

It was another small piece of the total picture.

quote:

Originally posted by 46and2:


(About 1% of Americans are active duty military. No one else, basically, a solid 95+% of Americans, gives a shit where or how one wears dog tags.)

And that 1% of us who were active military don't give a shit what the 95+% think.

For the 1% of us who did serve it is pretty strange to see someone who was legitimately in the military wearing dog tags outside of their shirt. I don't know anyone who isn't still in the military who wears them at all. Hell most of the Marines I knew took them off when they took their uniform off even when they were in. I'm sure some boot some where has popped them out of his shirt a few days after getting home from basic but it is extremely uncommon.

My guess is that anyone wearing dog tags that are visible wasn't in the military at all, or maybe was some POG reservist who got discharged after 6 months for hurting their back when a filing cabinet fell on them. They spend hours practicing their thousand yard stare, only use military time and commonly say things like "sitrep" and "hoorah" in normal conversation. They use "opsec" too but they always use it wrong. Either way they are trying to draw attention to themselves and in this case she got exactly what she wanted. Judgement is usually a byproduct of attention so she got that too.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Pale Horse,

I think she's guilty of pointless redundancy. All she needs is an emotional support SIG..

I think we have it all wrong.

The Dog is the Veteran and has PTSD.

The woman is the Support 'animal' and bodyguard, for the dog.

I just hope those guys who do those open carry protests at Starbucks aren't reading this.

Using this technique they can go from zero to hero. They can no longer be considered douches or have their demonstrations observed let alone critiqued.

quote:

Originally posted by mutedblade:

quote:

Originally posted by a1abdj:

quote:

What acceptable level of PTSD in your trained opinion warrants the removal of a person's right to bear arms?

What acceptable level of other mental issues warrants the removal of a person's rights?

I'd say it's when that level reaches a point where it may be dangerous to the person or those around them.

She may have been a rape victim (and probably was)

?? What leads you to believe that? I don't have an opinion on the OP because I don't know enough about the subject, but I did listen to a podcast about this awesome organization that rescues dogs from the spca and trains them to be service dogs https://www.k9sforwarriors.org

Service dogs I've worked with have real tags, attached to the vest. They aren't dog tags either. They're big in plastic, kind of like someone's work badge, and there will be 2-3 of them stacked in a layer. Dogs are registered with the city or state. What these people are doing is buying crap off the internet for their charade. I went to a film a few days ago and a lady had her shepherd in there with the fake vest, no tags. What a shit show.

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:
If the average person knew what goes through the minds of some people they would never leave their homes.

My God, ain't that the truth.

The law says:
"Service animals are defined as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. Examples of such work or tasks include guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling a wheelchair, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, reminding a person with mental illness to take prescribed medications, calming a person with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) during an anxiety attack, or performing other duties. Service animals are working animals, not pets. The work or task a dog has been trained to provide must be directly related to the person’s disability. Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA."

No badge, registration, letter, certificate, harness or patches is required. By law you can nly ask two questions:
"When it is not obvious what service an animal provides, only limited inquiries are allowed. Staff may ask two questions: (1) is the dog a service animal required because of a disability, and (2) what work or task has the dog been trained to perform. Staff cannot ask about the person’s disability, require medical documentation, require a special identification card or training documentation for the dog, or ask that the dog demonstrate its ability to perform the work or task."

Most of the service dogs (3 I've worked with) wear a harness with "service dog" on it. The people tell me it just saves hassles. One person has a non-combat PTSD diagnosis from a psychiatrist. Ive seen the dog do his service a couple of times. He alerts when tensions rise and starts pushing the person. When a full meltdown has happened he comforts and gets between the person and others.
The service dog's are pretty much bombproof and laid back. None of the people with service dogs make an issue of it. I've leaned not to greet or even make eye contact with the dogs,

Service dog differ from emotional support animals. Remember the turkey on the airplane?
"While Emotional Support Animals or Comfort Animals are often used as part of a medical treatment plan as therapy animals, they are not considered service animals under the ADA. These support animals provide companionship, relieve loneliness, and sometimes help with depression, anxiety, and certain phobias, but do not have special training to perform tasks that assist people with disabilities." These animal are NOT allowed in resturants and stores.

All the people I know with actual service dogs do angry at the fake dogs.

quote:

Originally posted by Prefontaine:
Service dogs I've worked with have real tags, attached to the vest. They aren't dog tags either. They're big in plastic, kind of like someone's work badge, and there will be 2-3 of them stacked in a layer. Dogs are registered with the city or state. What these people are doing is buying crap off the internet for their charade. I went to a film a few days ago and a lady had her shepherd in there with the fake vest, no tags. What a shit show.

Service dogs have to be trained to perform a specific task, but no registration is required with or in any city or state in the United States.

Any registration, certification, or paperwork carried by a service dog is legally essentially meaningless and is just something provided by a trainer or some random company to make it easier for the owner of the service dog to deal with people who don't know anything about service dogs or the laws about them.