Proposed truckstop will have impacts for county
Editor:
Thanks to the excellent reporting of The Fincastle Herald editor, it has become evident there are plans underway to develop a large (57 bay) truckstop on locally owned property near I-81 Exit 162 south of the town of Buchanan.
I encourage all citizens, either for or against such a development, to actively acquire the latest information and make sure your questions and concerns are adequately addressed as the planning commences.
Such a commercial site will have positive and negative impacts for our county and we all must engage to assure what is best for the most people of Botetourt County.
Molly O’Dell
Buchanan
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder deserves more attention
Editor:
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or commonly known as PTSD, is defined as a psychiatric disorder that may occur in people who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event such as a natural disaster, a serious accident, a terrorist act, war/combat, or rape or who have been threatened with death, sexual violence or serious injury. Throughout the entirety of our nation, PTSD has been referenced by a few different names. During the Civil War era, it was known as Soldiers Heart and after World War Two it was referred to as Combat Exhaustion. It was not until the post-Vietnam era that psychologists referred to this disorder as PTSD.
In order to be diagnosed with this disorder, you need to fall into one of these criteria for at least one month. First, you need to have experienced a traumatic event. This includes war, rape, car accident, among others. You can also experience what is called “Re-experiencing.” During re-experiencing, you may have intrusive thoughts, nightmares, flashbacks, or strong reactions. You may also be very avoidant. For example, one may avoid referencing their own trauma. Additionally, you may deal with insomnia, irritability, self-blame, or reckless behavior.
Now, why does PTSD deserve more attention? In the United States, these symptoms are seen in around 3-4% of civilians and 12-15% of Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans. In addition to those numbers, PTSD has a wide variety of effects on the brain; for example, cortisol, which is a stress hormone, released during fight-or-flight response. Extreme cortisol levels can reduce the size of your hippocampus, which plays a major role in learning and memory. A study conducted by world-renowned Dr. Tamatha Gurvits and Dr. JD Bremner discovered that diagnosed PTSD veterans have been observed to have smaller hippocampi than those who are undiagnosed and healthy. Additionally, during treatment, PTSD patients often have struggles with substance abuse and depression, as well as their suicide risk increasing.
Throughout the entire holiday season and beyond, keep an eye out for a veteran or others who are dealing with PTSD. Those who are struggling deserve an extra wave or some homemade cookies delivered to their house this holiday season. Mental health disorders are increasing each year, and only we can help tackle this issue.
Cadet Crews A Jones
Lord Botetourt Class of 2020
Virginia Military Class of 2024
Neil thanks veterans’ lunch helpers
Editor:
I want to say thank you for all of the veterans who came to my veterans’ lunch on November 10. We enjoyed being able to serve you lunch as a small token of our appreciation for your service to our country. I hope I will get to see you all again next year.
I would also like to thank Three Li’l Pigs Barbeque and Angelle’s Diner for their contributions of food for the lunch, and Kimberly Clark for coming and participating with her veterans’ candy give-away (what a sweet treat).
I want to also thank Atlantic Bay Mortgage Group for its food contributions and for all of their help in putting these lunches together for the last six years. And I want to thank MKB Realtors for letting me use our new Daleville office to serve lunch to our area veterans.
We plan on doing it again next year, so stay tuned.
Penny Neil
(a.k.a The Purple Penny, The Patriotic Penny)
Fincastle
