Page 669 - Total War on PTSD_FINAL

things changed the chemistry in the brain, and when we do this constantly, like going outside the wire, when you come back some of those centers in the brain get depleted. So how do you refill that...how do you get that dopamine back? I think many Veterans struggle with that. This definitely helps the Veterans out with this issue because the dopamine is hitting, and they are feeling prideful and getting joy from their participation.
I’ve been able to connect with people like Mary Pozzi, the National Champion for the SCCA, and she’s coaching most of my drivers. She is an amazing gal. She doesn’t even run in the women’s division, she runs in the men’s division. She even got me teary eyed when she was thanking me for the opportunity to help the Veterans improve their driving skills. It was quite emotional for me.
As far as an outcome measurement tool, I do look at effect because I am always contemplating things from a clinical standpoint. I also try to determine whether someone is isolating or is just shy. I tend to be loud and boisterous and tend to take control of situations, so for me it’s a little bit different. At one point I do recall that Peter did mention Ohio State maybe doing some research with VetMotorsports, as far as, or in relation to, clinical outcomes.
For the first event, I had a participant bring his RV, and the RV was parked 300-400 meters away from where the cars actually drove. So that RV served as a ‘barrier’ for the Veterans in relation to excess noise, if they needed to get away from the noise. Also, the cars aren’t really that loud because they are all street legal vehicles, so they aren’t like real race cars. There is part of my job in what I call Hosting, and what Peter calls serving as a Director. But the best part of Hosting, for me, is making sure that people are comfortable, including the Veterans and their Caregivers.
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