"Volunteering my time with our service men and women in Erie at Roar on the Shore proved to be a beneficial experience and put in to perspective the sacrifices they commit themselves to on a daily basis. I was privileged to have the opportunity to participate in raising funds towards the training of a therapy dog for a Navy Seal suffering from post traumatic stress disorder. The Rocke Solid McShane Foundation is a tremendous non-profit organization that has the ability to touch the lives of our military men and women in a positive way and offer a service in return for theirs."
-Larae Tymochko, volunteer

"Roar on the Shore brought together many types of people of all walks of life. It was nice to see families, bikers and service people having a good time and enjoying themselves. I enjoyed meeting the people of the Vet Center and thought their participation was great. The Service Pets for Service Vets Group got some real face time being part of Roar on the Shore. I thank all the volunteers who contributed their time to help our cause. I look forward to seeing you all again next year.
The flags were a tremendous hit will the adults and kids alike."
-Tom Carney, board member

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VA PTSD Programs
www.va.gov/directory/guide/PTSD.asp

VA Health Benefits
1-877-222-8387

Military OneSource
1-800-342-9647

Mental Health Services Locator
http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/databases/

Suicide Prevention Hotline
1-800-273-TALK (8255)

The VA reports it treated more than 400,000 veterans for PTSD in 2010.
PTSD is an anxiety disorder. Symptoms include re-experiencing a traumatic event, avoidance, irritability, having difficulty concentrating and being overly watchful of your safety.
The Departments of Defense (DOD) and Veterans Affairs (VA) have jointly developed the \"PTSD Coach\", a free smartphone application to help those withPTSD.
It allows users to track and manage symptoms, find support and get reliable information aboutPTSD. The app can also bring up personal photos or play music during times of distress.
The free app is available now on iTunes (for the iPhone/iPad) and the Android Market (for Android devices). For those without a smartphone, visit the National Center forPTSD website for similar information.

Jo Hanna Schaffer's dog is more than a best friend. The 67-year-old veteran, a former Army medic, suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and three years ago, she decided to get a service dog, a Chihuahua named Cody. Cody barks if someone is approaching from behind and cuddles with her when she is depressed.

"I never took a pill for PTSD that did as much for me as Cody has done," says the Billerica, Massachusetts, resident, who no longer takes medication for the disorder.

Schaffer is one of a growing number of veterans with PTSD who are turning to an alternative therapy: psychiatric service dogs.

Like guide dogs for the blind, psychiatric service dogs aid people with mental illnesses, from anxiety disorder to bipolar disorder to PTSD. The dogs are trained to know when their owners are depressed or having a panic attack, for example, and the animals might calm them down by curling up in their lap or giving a nudge.

For five years, Persian Gulf War veteran Karen Alexander, 52, of Pensacola, Florida, has relied on Cindy, a Bernese mountain dog that can sense when Alexander is having an anxiety attack.

"She'll come up and touch me, and that is enough of a stimulus to break the loop, bring me back to reality," says the retired Air Force captain. "Sometimes I'll scratch my hand until it's raw and won't realize until she comes up to me and brings me out. She's such a grounding influence for me."

The use of service dogs for mental illness has emerged in the past decade, says Dr. Joan Esnayra, founder and president of the Psychiatric Service Dog Society. Esnayra coined the term "psychiatric service dog" in 1997 and has worked with thousands of people who are using the animals. She estimates that the society's online community is adding more than 400 members each year.

The number of veterans diagnosed with PTSD is increasing as well: Young veterans are three times as likely as veterans older than 40 to be diagnosed with PTSD or another mental illness, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs. Of the 750,000 veterans of wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, more than 100,000 have sought mental-health treatment from the government, and about half of those have been diagnosed with PTSD.

Esnayra is in talks with the Walter Reed Army Medical Center about developing a program to train and place dogs with soldiers diagnosed with PTSD to try to help stem the problems.