Would veterans dealing with PTSD and/or depression benefit from participating in auto racing?

June 19, 2012 10:11 PM

Would participating in auto racing help Veterans dealing with PTSD and/or depression? I am especially interested (although not exclusively) in getting feedback from few different perspectives: 1) Clinical Practitioners – Would this help or hinder someone dealing with PTSD and/or depression? 2) Veterans – Does this seem valuable from the perspective of someone dealing with PTSD and/or depression? 3) Racers – Any suggestions on what kind of racing might lend its self to this? (My thoughts were Autocross, Chump Car, or Club Racing)

Having gone through a dark spell myself over the last couple of years one of the things that helped pull me out of it was getting involved with autocrossing. The next event gave me something else to focus on beside the circumstances that I was obsessing over that were dragging me down. My experience having served on submarine for four years and the circumstances I’ve dealt with personally pale in comparison to what the Vets coming home from multiple combat tours are dealing with. I have been developing a real passion for racing but at 41 year of age it will really never result into anything more than a hobby. My thought is instead of focusing on developing another hobby I would combine my passion for racing and helping Veterans.

Right now all I have is my passion, an idea, and some good intentions. I am ready and willing to throw myself into this. My question revolves around the concerns that this would this potentially do more harm than good and if I do move forward with this that I structure it appropriately.

I was able to find similar programs:
One sponsored by Safety-Kleen which seems to focus on job skills and transition while Racing4Vets is focused on physically disabled veterans.

posted by empty vessel to health & fitness (6 answers total)

OK.

I suffer PTSD from my not so lovely upbringing. I've done a lot of therapy, and a lot of research. My two years younger brother dealt with same by getting into meth, going to rehab, and then going to Iraq (he was in the Air National Guard at the time, formerly in the Army.)

My understanding from research is that activities that spark the same responses to fear and danger in our brains does not help with PTSD, it only reinforces it.

This rings true because my first two TRUE professions were broadcast news, and then I went to culinary school and worked The Line in restaurants in NYC - two very high-adrenaline professions.

I did not "get better" until I was forced to slow down (back injury) and got into meditation and such. My brother never really got better, and I no longer speak to him.

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The science behind this is that continuing to spark those particular neural pathways that are sparked during trauma, only solidifies the trauma.

Google this. For I know I am right here.
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If you really want to help Vets and others effected by trauma, your best move is to provide an opposite experience - horses, backpacking camping, meditation - that's your niche.

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I understand where you are coming from, because in an odd way, I was a Professional Dominatrix for a while - and that did help me understand and let off steam. But honestly? That sort of high-adrenalin activity was not nearly as useful as meditation or re-orienting myself towards helping others selflessly.

In fact, I'm pretty sure this distinction is why my brother is still likely very fucked up, and possibly using again, and why I am now OK.

YMMV. I get where you are coming from. Just telling you the science supports not repeating the experience. Especially chemically.

Best.
posted by jbenben at 11:12 PM on June 19, 2012 [1 favorite]

jbenben, I just came in to say that a person suffering from PTSD might want to stay away from activities that trigger them, and that car racing as a category could go either way depending on the person. (Loud noises, for example, may not be pleasant for someone returning from a war.)

But I was wondering if you have and be able to post source materials regarding the scientific research suggesting it's a bad idea for PTSD sufferers to participate in high-adrenaline activities. I've been in treatment on and off for sixteen years, almost exclusively with trauma specialists, and have never heard that theory.

This is only anecdotal, but I was also a news reporter (print), and I found it quite helpful to be able to direct my "super-senses" toward something external -- it took a potentially maladaptive coping mechanism (hyper-arousal) and allowed me to develop it into a pleasurable and useful skill.

Back to the original question, the loud noise might be a problem. PTSD sufferers might also run into difficulty with their fight/flight responses going into overdrive in a bad way, and you don't want someone freaking out in the middle of a race for obvious safety reasons. Unfortunately, you don't always know how triggering a thing is going to be until you try it. BUT sports can be great outlets for the anger, frustration and sense of helplessness a person feels when recovering from trauma, so it really could go either way depending on the person and the situation.
posted by brina at 11:46 PM on June 19, 2012 [1 favorite]

1. As mentioned above, it really depends on the person. Loud noises in general (i.e. revving engines) wouldn't bother me, but (depending on the context) smells of fuel or burning rubber might trigger me, and sharp or crashing sounds, like a dropped toolbox, could freak me out. If you do manage to start up a program you'll want to be clear on what types of things participants might encounter, but other than that I think there'd be no inherent conflict with PTSD.

2. Part of the problem with me getting rid of my Army-induced PTSD and depression is that, in a lot of ways, I'm not able to get on with my life, so I end up dwelling on my issues. I've heard similar sentiments from people in the support groups I've been in. It's not something inherent to auto racing, but if I were able to participate in something fun, something where I'm able to see concrete changes from my efforts (repairs, efficiency modifications, faster times, etc), I think it would help me improve mentally.
posted by Evilspork at 1:55 AM on June 20, 2012 [1 favorite]

I am a veteran diagnosed with PTSD. I think that for each person, the answers are gonna be different.

I've found that activities that take me out of myself help -- a lot. For me, those activities have included skydiving, hiking/camping, taking photographs of landscapes & wildlife.

The skydiving itself is one of the most attention-grabbing activities. It requires concentration to stay safe; and may I add, not once have I thought of committing suicide by "going in" during this potentially dangerous activity. The reason I mention that? The PTSD-induced depression does have me wishing, from time to time, that I was dead.

I really think that for the right kind of person, auto racing just might be that demanding activity that requires them to get out of their own heads a bit, to concentrate on the reality that is just outside that windshield.
posted by dwbrant at 5:43 AM on June 20, 2012

There is an organization of soliders in the UK with tramatic injuries that races in the Dakar Rally. Race2Recovery. I learned about them on Top Gear.
posted by Uncle at 8:06 AM on June 20, 2012 [1 favorite]

It seem that the Army is taking this approach with it's Warrior Adventure Quest program.

One of the participants they interviewed seem positive about it:

"When you are downrange you are looking forward to coming home, but you are amped up because anything can happen. When you come home you have to turn that switch off," he said.

During the first few months after soldiers get home, the last thing they want to do is military training, Gorman said. But they want to do things with buddies who were downrange with them.

"The whitewater rafting involves a lot of teamwork with an element of danger. It is similar to what you feel downrange, but in a safe environment. It is a real good way to relieve the stress that you get from downrange, and having an outlet for it that is safe and fun,"

Since this came from Stars and Stripes I'm not sure they would have been exposed to anyone whom the program didn't go well for. It does seem there is some benenfit to including some form of debriefing process.
posted by empty vessel at 9:59 AM on June 20, 2012