Creative Healing: How Veterans Find Strength Through Crafting

Creativity is a powerful tool for healing, and the nonprofit Help Heal Veterans knows just how to harness it. In this episode, Jane chats with retired Navy Captain Joe McClain, CEO of Help Heal Veterans, and Dr. Keith Stuessi, a naval physician specializing in traumatic brain injuries. We dive into how their craft therapy programs are transforming the lives of injured veterans and active-duty military.

We discuss the "invisible wounds" of war—PTSD, depression, and traumatic brain injuries. Help Heal Veterans goes beyond traditional medicine, offering therapeutic craft kits that enhance motor skills, concentration, and community. These kits reconnect veterans with their families and provide a healthy alternative to substance abuse.

The results are astounding! Craft therapy benefits 75% of veterans with traumatic brain injuries and 97% of those dealing with chronic pain. Captain McClain and Dr. Stuessi share inspiring stories of how simple crafts can pave the way for healing and growth.

Here are some quick timecode reference points if you want to skip ahead: 

(2:00) Creativity, crafting, and healing for veterans with PTSD

- Retired Navy captain and medical expert discuss creative therapy for injured veterans.
- Jane interviews Captain Joe, a Navy veteran and CEO of Help Heal Veterans, about his experience with PTSD and TBI.
- Dr. Stuessi explains how traumatic brain injuries can cause lasting effects on the brain, including PTSD, depression, and concussions.

(4:36) Mild traumatic brain injury in veterans, its effects, and programs to help heal
- Dr. Stuessi discusses the effects of traumatic brain injury (TBI) on military personnel, including lingering effects and the relationship between TBI and mental health issues like PTSD.
- Dr. Stuessi explains how chemical changes occur inside the brain after TBI, with some shifts returning to normal and others resulting in long-term effects.
- Clinicians struggle to diagnose mild traumatic brain injuries due to lack of definitive tests.
- Dr. Stuessi shares personal experience with TBI and PTSD, highlighting stigma and lack of recognition in military culture.
- Programs like Help Heal Veterans offer support for veterans and families, addressing traumatic brain injury, PTSD, anxiety, and motor function challenges.

(11:40) Using creativity and crafts for therapeutic healing
- Captain Joe McClain explains how their organization creates crafts to help supplement clinical therapy for veterans and their families.
- Captain Joe McClain shares a story of a Marine with tears in his eyes, thanking them for a craft that helped him feel more creative and successful in therapy.
- Jane Clauss asks Dr. Stuessi about the benefits of creativity and craft kits in therapy.
- Dr. Stuessi explains how craft kits can stimulate multiple parts of the brain, providing a complementary alternative to traditional therapy.
- Dr. Stuessi highlights the positive impact of the organization's kits on veterans and active duty individuals, with stories of incredible results.
- Captain Joe McClain discusses the versatility of the organization's kits, which are used in various settings, including VA medical centers, and help with pain management, reconnecting with family, and more.

(19:00) Craft therapy for veterans with invisible wounds
- Jane Clauss and Dr. Stuessi discuss the integration of mindfulness and spirituality in Western medicine.
- The organization manufactures and distributes DIY craft kits to help veterans heal from invisible wounds of war, with 75% of materials upcycled.
- The organization relies on small individual donors, with some donating for over 40 years, and has a PHR program for remote veterans.
- Captain Joe McClain discusses how crafting can help people express themselves creatively and therapeutically.
- Dr. Stuessi discusses the potential for long-term cognitive and motor skill improvement through crafting.

(24:45) The effectiviness of art, music, and craft therapy for mental health improvement
- Dr. Stuessi shared a story of a stroke survivor who experienced significant improvement in fine motor skills after using a rehabilitation kit.
- Dr. Stuessi emphasized the importance of repetition in rehabilitation, citing the PHR program as an example of successful repetitive training.
- Dr. Stuessi emphasizes the importance of finding a therapeutic activity that suits an individual's needs and interests.
- Cross talk and community engagement are highlighted as beneficial aspects of art therapy and craft therapy.

(30:03) Using creative tools to help veterans heal from trauma and mental health issues
- Captain Joe McClain: "Our demand only goes up, triple if we advertise."
- Captain Joe McClain: "75% of TBI veterans said it helped, 97% for pain management."
- Captain Joe McClain: "One veteran credits Help Heal Veterans with reducing suicidal thoughts."
- Captain Joe McClain shared stories of how craft kits provided by the organization helped veterans cope with various challenges, including palliative care, caregiver support, and managing chronic pain.
- Veterans expressed gratitude for the kits, which gave them a sense of purpose and helped them deal with stressful situations, such as the opioid epidemic.

(36:20) Using creativity to help veterans heal
- Captain Joe McClain shares a story of a Marine who found relief with a therapy kit after struggling with deployment and family issues.
- Therapy kit helped Captain Joe McClain's friend connect with his children for the first time in months, bringing tears of joy to his eyes.
- Jane Clauss encourages creative professionals to donate their skills to help veterans.
- Creativity can help veterans heal, and sharing stories of healing can inspire others to take action.

(41:23) Creativity and its benefits for veterans and active duty military members
- Creativity is opening up the mind to new areas of the brain, even for those who have not been exposed to it.
- HealVets.org provides resources for creative therapy in veteran communities.

Want to support our veterans? Donate your time, talents, or resources to Help Heal Veterans. Their work is truly making a difference, harnessing creativity to heal the invisible wounds of war.