Star Spangled Salute-D&D Helps a Veteran

LTC Eugene Chu
..."Today’s Star Spangled Salute honors the Veterans getting help from a program with a unique approach at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center. Allison Battles, along with VA psychologist Thomas Quinlan created one of the first group therapies using the game Dungeons & Dragons. While the game play is fantasy, the communication and conversation among the Veterans is real, which is the point. Veterans with depression, post-traumatic stress and other disorders practice with social skills that can be barriers in real life. Veterans prone to aggression can practice patience, while those with anxiety can express themselves or test personality traits through the game’s mythical characters. The “Roll for Growth” program has seen positive results."...

LTC Eugene Chu
"Today’s Star Spangled Salute honors the Veterans getting help from a program with a unique approach at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center. Allison Battles, along with VA psychologist Thomas Quinlan created one of the first group therapies using the game Dungeons & Dragons. While the game play is fantasy, the communication and conversation among the Veterans is real, which is the point. Veterans with depression, post-traumatic stress and other disorders practice with social skills that can be barriers in real life. Veterans prone to aggression can practice patience, while those with anxiety can express themselves or test personality traits through the game’s mythical characters. The “Roll for Growth” program has seen positive results."...