2010 Fearless Nation General Press Release

Online PTSD Support Community Pioneers Use of Free Social Media to Assist Sufferers

Virtual Reality and Social Media Help Trauma Survivors Connect and Find Community Through Educational Information, Awareness‐Raising and Stigma‐Busting Activities, and Consumer‐Savvy Guides

Contact:
Colleen Crary, (207) 319‐7556
BeFearlessToday@gmail.com
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ‐‐ The first and only PTSD support organization to offer community and
support in a virtual reality environment (outside of a laboratory or research facility) is now online for use by people around the world.
 
Fearless Nation PTSD Support is an international, nondenominational, multicultural community of PTSD and trauma survivors, offering support, education and understanding of the symptoms and treatment of PTSD using the latest research and scientific information about PTSD. A 501c3 Non Profit Charity Organization, Fearless Nation focuses on raising awareness, providing education, and offering support to all trauma survivors in order to empower them to take control of their care and recovery. Banishing stigma and misinformation associated with PTSD is also a focal point for this forward‐looking
organization.
 
Fearless Nation encourages participants to author their own individual recovery, pushing away “one size
fits all” solutions in favor of the unique set of variables each trauma survivor brings to treatment. At the
same time, it encourages the sharing and intercommunication between people from a range of
vocations.
 
“Whether you experienced trauma in the line of duty, in your work, or involuntarily, it is very important
to mingle with people of all vocations to reconnect and share your trauma,“ states Colleen M. Crary,
Founder and Executive Director of Fearless Nation. “This includes those from other nations, cultures,
and ethnicities. One finds that they not alone in PTSD, but that they have a common family across the
globe.
 
“PTSD does not discriminate, “ says Crary. “It deeply affects any human it touches. Having a one‐world
view of PTSD not only helps trauma survivors, but is forward thinking. Grief is grief, pain is pain. The
origin of a trauma may vary from person to person, but the feelings of isolation, guilt, and anxiety are
the same.”
 
To make a big planet small and sociable, Fearless Nation offers a virtual reality environment as part of its
programming so that participants can not only interact in a 3‐D “realistic” environment, but also meet
with others, try various relaxation techniques and monitor their feelings/reactions, yet maintain a sense
of safety, anonymity and privacy by doing these things from their home PC.

 “Social interaction is very difficult for those affected by trauma because their trust in others has been compromised,” observes Crary. “Using a virtual environment to reconnect with others and participate in science‐based techniques for recovery allows users to acclimate to social interaction, and eventually rejoin the community that waits outside their front doors.”

Once the realm of gaming and role‐playing enthusiasts, the technology of Second Life
(http://www.secondlife.com) is now being used to support and help heal those with trauma.

 “We encourage the use of biofeedback hardware and software, now commercially available and affordable to consumers, to monitor and regain control over their responses to their activities in the virtual world," Crary states. “If things start to feel uncomfortable, one can shut off the PC, and walk away. The point is to build up tolerance to anxiety‐producing stimuli in a virtual space, while remaining safe at home. But the end goal is to eventually leave the virtual world and venture out to the real world armed with the confidence and experience gained knowing that one has a supportive online team cheering them on.”
 
The organization welcomes PTSD sufferers, their families, friends, and therapists, war veterans, law
enforcement personnel, emergency response workers, and survivors of sexual abuse, child abuse,
torture, crime, human trafficking, man‐made and natural disaster survivors, and survivors of all physical, psychological, and verbal trauma who are experiencing post trauma symptoms and issues.
 
To find out more about Fearless Nation PTSD Support, or to visit their library of PTSD‐related
educational materials, visit http://www.fearless‐nation.org

Fearless Nation PTSD Support is a 501c3 Non Profit Public Charity that provides free community support for all post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) sufferers, their family, friends and therapists through raising awareness and education about PTSD based in proven science in order to banish the stigma and misinformation associated with the condition.

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