Here at LifeDaily, we’ve shared countless stories of lucky soldiers and veterans who are alive today because of their loyal service dogs, but many more soldiers are forced to try and cope on their own because being paired with a service dog can be a complicated and costly ‘luxury’ that many can’t afford.
Despite the overwhelming amount of soldiers who have been saved by their loyal service dogs after struggling to cope with the invisible trauma leftover from the battlefield, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs refuses to acknowledge how effective service dogs are for preventing suicide and relieving PTSD symptoms. In 2012, the VA decided not to support or provide service animals as there wasn’t enough evidence proving their efficacy.
In 2012, the VA decided not to support or provide service animals as there wasn’t enough evidence proving their efficacy, but now one Marine veteran is speaking out before Congress as physical proof of the difference these dogs can make for a soldier with PTSD to get the VA to reconsider.
Cole Lyle, a Marine veteran who served in Afghanistan, suffered with severe PTSD after returning home and spent years on prescription sleep aids and antidepressants. When he started thinking about killing himself, he finally decided to try a medicine that didn’t come from a bottle, and instead had a furry tail, four paws, and a wet nose.
Since service dogs are not provided by the VA, Lyle was forced to contact several nonprofit organizations, which placed him on waiting lists that had wait times of over a year. Lyle knew he didn’t have that much time without any support, and desperately spent his own $10,000 to purchase Kaya, his trained service dog.
Veterans with service dogs often stop needing their medications, have reduced night terrors, are able to handle anxiety better, and have fewer suicidal thoughts. For Lyle, Kaya helped his symptoms instantly. “The bad days are less frequent than they have ever been,” Lyle told the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
“I believe that allowing veterans to fight PTSD without all options available to them is tantamount to sending our military to fight an enemy without a secondary weapon in their arsenal,” Lyle said.
Can you believe how hard it is for soldiers to get access to such an effective, life-saving therapy option? Let us know what you think in the comments below, and please SHARE this with friends on Facebook.
[Featured image credit: House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform]
Hero Marine Alive Today Thanks To His Service Dog: Wants Every Veteran To Have The Same Chance is an article from: LifeDaily