The non-profit 22Zero is on a mission to support veterans and first responders who are struggling with PTSD. Their work has helped many of the heroes who stepped up in the wake of 9-11.
After the towers fell on that day 22 years ago, a Marine Corps veteran, Johnny Walker, had gotten on the ferry to join a friend from the National Guard at Ground Zero.
He told KNX reporter Margaret Carrero, "You know, in my mind, I really thought that I was going to save somebody."
As he approached the site, he said the debris cloud got thicker, and the gravity of the situation began to set in.
"It was really surreal. You would see shoes, briefcases, purses; there was still paper floating down from the sky that was, you know, partially on fire," Walker recalled.
For nearly 20 years, Walker struggled with what he experienced, that is, until he was invited to take part in a documentary by 22Zero and went through their process.
Executive director for 22Zero, Doctor Pamela Arnell, told KNX News that their peer-to-peer program has two protocols for "trauma and negative emotions related to that trauma" to help the veterans, first responders, and their families at no cost.
Dr. Arnell is herself a first responder who went through the process, and she said, "There were just events that really were problematic and traumatizing for me," and she didn't realize how much it affected her.
Once she went through the program, Dr. Arnell said it was the first night she could sleep without taking the medication her doctor prescribed to help combat her lack of sleep and nightmares.
According to the 22Zero website, the protocols are, 'Tactical Resiliency Training (TRT),' which consists of "The Trauma Resiliency Protocol (TRP) for PTSD and acute stress," and the "Emotions management Process (EMP) for negative emotions like anger, anxiety, fear, sadness, and survivor's guilt, etc."
Walker said the best way to describe the program is, "They took the emotions, and they put in the proper shelf in your brain. So you're not living in the moment anymore like you still have the emotions connected to the event, but they're in the right place, and they don't affect your daily life."
The non-profit believes its well-established system "Gives the individual the resiliency skills to bounce back from trauma or extreme negative emotions, teaching their brain a new skill. Effectively ending the symptoms associated with PTSD."
Their approach, which has helped over 1,000 clients, offered Walker peace and the ability to sleep.
If you or someone you know is in need of help, find more information about 22Zero here.
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