LB Woman Helps Vets Keep Peace of Mind

A firefighter who committed suicide months after 9/11 made a profound impact on Amy Mahoney of Long Beach, so much so that she co-founded a group to help combat veterans experiencing emotional pain.

Mahoney met the firefighter, whom she identified only as Daniel, also a Long Beach resident, in the Tiki Bar about eight months after the terrorist attacks and he poured his heart out to her.

“He was a stranger to me but he revealed every horrific detail that he witnessed at Ground Zero,” said Mahoney, who has lived in the West End for 15 years. “He was crying and was pretty intense. When I walked away from the situation, I realized something was wrong. About a month later he committed suicide.”

She said she began closely following the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and realized that the combat veterans and the war casualties were being, for the most part, ignored by the news media.

“They were dying every day and there was nothing in the news about them,” Mahoney said. “No one was honoring them.”

Mahoney, who has since become a licensed acupuncturist, said that about five years ago she wanted to help these war veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression and insomnia. She volunteered her services at Veterans Administration hospitals, but that did not pan out.

She then met April Hannah of Catskill, a state-licensed mental health counselor, in October 2009. In early 2010 they decided to create Peaceful Minds to assist combat veterans free of charge with some of the emotional trauma that they had been dealing with from Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.

They launched a 12-week pilot project, set up an office in Catskill and made a presentation in May 2010 before 50 soldiers at an armory there. About a dozen signed up for their program and only half of those walked through the door at Peaceful Minds.

Mahoney and Hannah collected initial data showing those they treated demonstrated a 35 percent reduction in post-traumatic stress, with the most dramatic being 71 percent.

By April 1, they hope to open an office in Rockville Centre, with space donated by an acupuncturist, and eventually one in Long Beach, hopefully by the summer. In the Catskill office they treat veterans on Wednesdays and will see them on Tuesdays once the Nassau County office is open. The goal is to keep both offices operating five days a week.

The women also travel to army bases to speak to the troops. At Fort Drum, they addressed 200 troops and 31 made use of their services, with those treated showing a 98 percent reduction in their pain. Many of the more than 100 combat veterans treated by Mahoney and Hannah have shown great appreciation for the free services.

One of the challenges the women faced is that veterans are reluctant to seek help because of the stigma attached and that it may be perceived as a sign of weakness. But they are determined to reach out to the veterans before it’s too late. In June 2010, there were 32 suicides of veterans across the U.S.

“Many of them don’t want to admit that something is wrong and delay in getting help,” said Mahoney, who is also an herbalist. “Some don’t want to deal with it, even though they don’t sleep for days at a time.”

A day before they visited the Fort Drum base on Jan. 20, a soldier committed suicide, said Mahoney. “They are suffering,” Mahoney said. “We want to reach out to the silently wounded.”

Roy, 41, a retired Marine Corps staff sergeant, is thankful that Peaceful Minds was there for him after he suffered a traumatic brain injury when a car bomb exploded in Iraq in 2004. He has suffered severe neurological problems and has been taking all sorts of medications and painkillers.

“I lost quite a few guys in the war,” said Roy, whose last name is being withheld to maintain his privacy. “I was getting no sleep.”

He said that after he received Mahoney’s acupuncture treatments, he has slept like he did before 2004.

Roy said those veterans who fail to make use of Peaceful Minds are foolish. “I would tell them they are stupid for not trying it,” he said. “I highly encourage them. I highly recommend it.”

He also thanked the women for helping him out when he was in such physical and emotional pain.

“I think they are great people and have a passion for what they do,” he said. “They sincerely care for veterans.”

Hannah is also a Reiki master, using “life force energy” for stress reduction, relaxation and promotion of healing.

“The combination of all the services we are providing are getting profound results for the vets,” said Hannah. “They are dealing better and have some closure with the grief they are feeling. They are sleeping better and their anxiety is more manageable.

“I’m really gratified to be in a position to provide services to them,” she added. “I’m gratified for every vet who walks in the door and makes use of the services.”

With three grants worth $47,500 still pending, the women have operated on donations and benefits to help support the program. They will hold a golf tournament on April 30 at the Catskill Golf Club, when they hope to raise between $8,000 and $10,000. An $85 entry fee includes a dinner at around 5 p.m. following a 12 p.m. registration and 1 p.m. shotgun tournament.

Mahoney said she sees herself continuing to provide services since soldiers continue to get redeployed. Peaceful Minds is seeking local volunteers and plans to hold a meeting in the spring at the Long Beach VFW.

Anyone interested in volunteering or making a donation may call Mahoney at (516) 395-7007 or log onto www.peacefulmindsNY.org. Combat vets may also schedule an appointment to see them.