What is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)?

20140301-003103.jpgWhat is Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)?

When in danger, it’s natural to feel afraid. This fear triggers many split-second changes in the body to prepare to defend against the danger or to avoid it. This “fight-or-flight” response is a healthy reaction meant to protect a person from harm. But in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), this reaction is changed or damaged. People who have PTSD may feel stressed or frightened even when they’re no longer in danger.

PTSD develops after a terrifying ordeal that involved physical harm or the threat of physical harm. The person who develops PTSD may have been the one who was harmed, the harm may have happened to a loved one, or the person may have witnessed a harmful event that happened to loved ones or strangers.

PTSD was first brought to public attention in relation to war veterans, but it can result from a variety of traumatic incidents, such as mugging, rape, torture, being kidnapped or held captive, child abuse, car accidents, train wrecks, plane crashes, bombings, or natural disasters such as floods or earthquakes.

FMI from the National Institute of Mental Health, please click here.

Army Veteran Richard Englander Murdered by Live-In Caregiver 5 Days After Move In Date; Sara Moore Sentenced to 25 Years to Life in Prison (February 6, 2014)

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Richard Englander, U.S. Army Veteran

Disabled Army veteran Richard Englander, 79, was attacked in his home by his live-in caregiver in Albany, New York on February 6, 2014. Englander served as a 1st Lieutenant with the 3rd Gun Battalion, 84th Artillery, US Army Europe and received many awards for outstanding service. As a result of his service during the war, Richard was exposed to plutonium in Germany and it left him disabled with Multiple Sclerosis. He was 100% dependent and in need of a live in caregiver. Richard placed an ad in the paper. And Sara Moore saw this job helping an elderly infirm as an opportunity because she needed a place to live. Sara Moore had never been a caregiver and Richard’s daughter was concerned and voiced those concerns but Richard decided to give her a chance.

Sara Moore moved in on February 1, 2014. It immediately became apparent to Richard that Sara was more interested in his finances then she was his welfare. Sara asked Richard if she could borrow some money on the second day of employment. Englander didn’t have any cash in the house so he gave her his credit card and she disappeared. On the third day of employment she left him alone for hours. And on the fourth day, she slept all day. As Richard was laying helpless in his bed, he realized she has got to go. On the fifth day of employment, Sara Moore stole one of Richard Englander’s checks and left the house to cash the check she wrote to herself. Sara had a secret that she didn’t share with her employer; she was addicted to crack cocaine.

Richard realized that Sara stole a check so he called the bank to initiate a stop payment and then called the police. Police report that Richard was coherent and cognizant at the time of the report. After Sara realized that the bank would not authorize her to cash Richard’s check, she became angry and went back to Englander’s home. Richard confronted Sara about the check. Sara went into Richard’s garage, grabbed a tire iron, and began viciously bashing Richard about the head while he was on the phone with the bank. The bank heard the beginning of Richard’s murder. Richard lost consciousness after the second blow. Sara hit Richard so many times that the medical examiner couldn’t determine how many times. After she got done hitting him with the tire iron, Sara used a knife and cut his esophagus.

Sara Moore then took another check and his credit cards and went back to the bank. The bank would not cash the check for Sara and called the police. First responders found Richard near death and he was transported to the hospital where he later died of the injuries. Meanwhile, Sara is using Richard’s credit cards which were on a watch list. As a result, police were able to track Sara down and arrest her. Sara was charged with second degree murder. She eventually plead guilty and was sentenced to twenty five years to life in prison. Richard was known for helping people and honorably serving his country. Sara was so desperate to get money that she preyed on a completely defenseless disabled elderly veteran.

(Deadly Women on Investigation Discovery states that 79-year-old Richard Englander served in the Army during World War II which effectively ended in 1945. According to reports, Englander died in 2014 at the age of 79. If the age is correct, he would have been 10 years old in 1945 (2014-79) when the war ended.)

Source: ‘The Vulnerable’ Deadly Women, Investigation Discovery

Investigation Discovery:

A secret addiction drives a young woman to sacrifice her wheelchair bound employer; a scheming caregiver betrays the man who trusts her; and a single mother’s desire for a better life leads to a brutal dismemberment. -The Vulnerable, Deadly Women (S9, E13)

Editor’s note: With a cable subscription, you can download the free ID Go app and watch Investigation Discovery programming at your convenience. And for those who do not have cable, you can watch “unlocked” episodes on the ID Go app including the latest premieres. For those who prefer commercial free programming during your binge session, Prime Video has an ID channel: ‘True Crime Files by Investigation Discovery” available for $3.99 a month. It’s a compilation of older seasons but totally worth the cost if you are a true crime addict. Download the ID Go app or purchase ID True Crime Files & binge away.

Related Links:
Obituary: Richard Englander
A friendly face gone too soon
Wynantskill woman charged with killing Albany man
Wynantskill woman pleads not guilty to murder, robbery charges
Sara Moore Pleads Guilty to Woodside Drive Murder
Elderly man’s killer sentenced
Home care worker sentenced for brutal murder of patient
Murderer gets 25 years to life
Care provider faces 25-to-life after plea
Albany murder cast light on senior thefts
Albany murderer focus of ‘Deadly Women’ episode
The Vulnerable | Deadly Women | Investigation Discovery (S9, E13)
The Vulnerable | Deadly Women | Investigation Discovery (website)
The Vulnerable | Deadly Women | Investigation Discovery (Amazon)
The Vulnerable | Deadly Women | Investigation Discovery (Hulu)
Deadly Women Premiered ‘The Vulnerable’ on ID: Sara Moore Killed Disabled Veteran Richard Englander for Drug Money (November 6, 2015)
Deadly Women: 30 Military and Veteran Homicide Cases Featured on Investigation Discovery

Unusual Suspects Premiered ‘Vanished in Reno’ on Investigation Discovery: The Rape & Murder of Brianna Denison Leads to Nevada Passing Brianna’s Law (January 12, 2014)

ID Go: When a young college student is abducted from a friend’s home in the middle of the night, the city of Reno lives in fear of who might be next. Dogged investigation leads detectives to a serial rapist who’s just escalated to murder. -Vanished in Reno, Unusual Suspects (S6,E1)

“The bill mandates a DNA cheek-swab whenever a person is booked for a felony arrest. If the arrest is deemed legitimate, the DNA would be cross-referenced with DNA from other crime scenes to see if the arrestee was involved. The proposal is named after Brianna Denison who was raped and murdered by James Biela in Reno in 2008. Proponents believe such a law may have saved Denison because Biela had a prior felony arrest.”

Editor’s note: With a cable subscription, you can download the free ID Go app and watch all of the Investigation Discovery programming at your convenience. And for those who do not have cable, you can watch “unlocked” episodes on the ID Go app including the latest premieres. Download the ID Go app and binge away. For those who prefer commercial free programming during your binge session, Prime Video has an ID channel: ‘True Crime Files by Investigation Discovery” available for $2.99 a month. It’s a compilation of older seasons but totally worth the cost if you are a true crime addict.

Related Links:
Vanished in Reno | Unusual Suspects | Investigation Discovery (website)
Vanished in Reno | Unusual Suspects | Investigation Discovery (S6,E1)
Vanished in Reno | Unusual Suspects | Investigation Discovery (Amazon)
College Student Brianna Denison Kidnapped, Raped and Strangled by a Former Marine in Reno, Nevada; James Biela Sentenced to Death (January 20, 2008)
From May 2013: Brianna’s Law officially becomes Nevada state law
Brianna’s Law has matched more than 1,000 DNA samples to crimes

Scorned, Love Kills Premiered ‘Naval Affairs’ on Investigation Discovery: Jealous Wife Kills Fred Trayers After Learning About Affair (January 4, 2014)

Fred and Jennifer have a picture perfect marriage. But when Fred meets Danielle, a young doctor in the Navy, Jennifer fights to keep Fred for herself. The love triangle explodes, leaving police struggling to understand a grisly crime scene. -Naval Affairs, Scorned: Love Kills (S3,E1)

Editor’s note: With a cable subscription, you can download the free ID Go app and watch Investigation Discovery programming at your convenience. And for those who do not have cable, you can watch “unlocked” episodes on the ID Go app including the latest premieres. For those who prefer commercial free programming during your binge session, Prime Video has an ID channel: ‘True Crime Files by Investigation Discovery” available for $3.99 a month. It’s a compilation of older seasons but totally worth the cost if you are a true crime addict. Download the ID Go app or purchase ID True Crime Files & binge away.

Related Links:
Naval Affairs | Scorned: Love Kills | Investigation Discovery (S3,E1)
Naval Affairs | Scorned: Love Kills | Investigation Discovery (website)
Naval Affairs | Scorned: Love Kills | Investigation Discovery (Amazon)
Navy Lt. CDR Fred Trayers Fatally Stabbed by Jealous Wife Angered by Infidelity; Jennifer Trayers Sentenced to 16 Years to Life (December 4, 2010)
Scorned, Love Kills: 6 Active Duty Military Homicide Cases Featured on Investigation Discovery

A Stranger in My Home Premiered ‘Roommate From Hell’ on ID: Jeffrey Wheatley Found Murdered in House Fire Because False Accusations (December 15, 2013)

When Jeffrey Wheatley moves to Stockton, California he sees it as a second chance. His friend Drew offers him a room in a house that he shares with Valerie Nessler. But soon, the house will be the setting of the most brutal murder the town has ever seen. -Roommate From Hell, A Stranger in My Home (S1,E10)

Editor’s note: With a cable subscription, you can download the free ID Go app and watch Investigation Discovery programming at your convenience. And for those who do not have cable, you can watch “unlocked” episodes on the ID Go app including the latest premieres. For those who prefer commercial free programming during your binge session, Prime Video has an ID channel: ‘True Crime Files by Investigation Discovery” available for $3.99 a month. It’s a compilation of older seasons but totally worth the cost if you are a true crime addict. Download the ID Go app or purchase ID True Crime Files & binge away.

Related Links:
Roommate From Hell | A Stranger in My Home | Investigation Discovery (S1,E10)
Roommate From Hell | A Stranger in My Home | Investigation Discovery (website)
Roommate From Hell | A Stranger in My Home | Investigation Discovery (Amazon)
Coast Guard Veteran Jeffrey Wheatley Found Dead in House Fire; Valerie Nessler, Robert Turner & Allen Periman Found Guilty of Murder (April 7, 2010)

Politico: McCaskill’s ‘lonely’ sex-assault stand (2013)

My Approved PortraitsSen. Claire McCaskill is on the verge of a historic victory reforming the Pentagon’s sexual assault policies.

But rather than basking in acclaim during the debate’s climatic week in the Capitol, the Missouri Democrat finds herself paying a political cost for being an outlier within her own caucus. She’s the only one of the Senate’s 16 Democratic women opposing a much more sweeping change that removes the chain of command from prosecuting sexual assault and other major military crimes.

Read more from Politico here.

“Dear @clairecmc Thanks 4 railroading the Military Justice Improvement Act. Is it true that you have never served a day in your life? #MJIA,” Jennifer Norris, a Maine-based Air Force veteran who works with sexual assault victims…tweeted, referring to Gillibrand’s legislative proposal by its official name. -Politico

Editor’s Note: It appears the original tweet has disappeared and it was never deleted by Jennifer Norris. Also the tweet is not on the web version of the article but is still part of the mobile version of the article.

Deadly Women Premiered ‘Souls of Stone’ on Investigation Discovery: Donna Trapani Hired Hitmen to Kill Lover’s Wife (November 15, 2013)

Selfish women will sometimes sell their souls to the devil to get what they want. A scorned lover weaves a web of lies, a teenage Goth orders a reign of terror, and a gold-digger buries secrets in her basement. These Deadly Women have “Souls of Stone.” -Souls of Stone, Deadly Women (S7, E18)

Full Episode: Gail Fulton, a librarian living in a Detroit suburb, was gunned down in a parking lot by a trio of Florida killers. Donna Trapani, a nurse from Pensacola, hired the three because she had been jilted by Gail’s husband. This documentary goes on the road, re-riding the death trip from the deep south. It’s a crime of passion that leaves behind a ruined family. -Red Neck Revenge, Mugshots (TruTV)

Editor’s note: With a cable subscription, you can download the free ID Go app and watch Investigation Discovery programming at your convenience. And for those who do not have cable, you can watch “unlocked” episodes on the ID Go app including the latest premieres. For those who prefer commercial free programming during your binge session, Prime Video has an ID channel: ‘True Crime Files by Investigation Discovery” available for $3.99 a month. It’s a compilation of older seasons but totally worth the cost if you are a true crime addict. Download the ID Go app or purchase ID True Crime Files & binge away.

Related Links:
Souls of Stone | Deadly Women | Investigation Discovery (S7, E18)
Souls of Stone | Deadly Women | Investigation Discovery (website)
Souls of Stone | Deadly Women | Investigation Discovery (Amazon)
Souls of Stone | Deadly Women | Investigation Discovery (Hulu)
Mugshots: Donna Trapani – Red Neck Revenge | FilmRise
Mugshots: Donna Trapani – Red Neck Revenge | FilmRise True Crime
Mugshots: Donna Trapani – Red Neck Revenge (Amazon)
Martha Fulton was Gunned Down in Michigan; Donna Trapani Guilty of Hiring 3 Hitmen to Kill Lover’s Wife, Sentenced to Life in Prison, No Parole (October 4, 1999)
Deadly Women: 30 Military and Veteran Homicide Cases Featured on Investigation Discovery

A Stranger in My Home Premiered ‘Buried Secrets’ on ID: Army Veteran Allan Kowalski Found Buried in Shallow Grave on Texas Property (October 27, 2013)

Al Kowalski is new to Hill Country, Texas. He plans to spend his early retirement hunting and fixing his vintage vehicles. Al welcomes meth-addicted mechanic Charlie Tidwell into his home to help with the cars, but Charlie has a different plan. -Buried Secrets, A Stranger in My Home (S1,E3)

Editor’s note: With a cable subscription, you can download the free ID Go app and watch Investigation Discovery programming at your convenience. And for those who do not have cable, you can watch “unlocked” episodes on the ID Go app including the latest premieres. For those who prefer commercial free programming during your binge session, Prime Video has an ID channel: ‘True Crime Files by Investigation Discovery” available for $3.99 a month. It’s a compilation of older seasons but totally worth the cost if you are a true crime addict. Download the ID Go app or purchase ID True Crime Files & binge away.

Related Links:
Buried Secrets | A Stranger in My Home | Investigation Discovery (S1,E3)
Buried Secrets | A Stranger in My Home | Investigation Discovery (website)
Buried Secrets | A Stranger in My Home | Investigation Discovery (Amazon)
Army Veteran Allan Kowalski Found Buried in Shallow Grave on Texas Property; Charles Tidwell Sentenced to 45 Years in Prison for Murder (November 6, 2008)

Death on the Home Front: Women in the Crosshairs

stop the violenceDeath on the Home Front: Women in the Crosshairs

Wake up, America.  The boys are coming home, and they’re not the boys who went away.

On New Year’s Day, the New York Times welcomed the advent of 2009 by reporting that, since returning from Iraq, nine members of the Fort Carson, Colorado, Fourth Brigade Combat team had been charged with homicide. Five of the murders they were responsible for took place in 2008 when, in addition, “charges of domestic violence, rape and sexual assault” at the base rose sharply.  Some of the murder victims were chosen at random; four were fellow soldiers — all men.  Three were wives or girlfriends.

This shouldn’t be a surprise.  Men sent to Iraq or Afghanistan for two, three, or four tours of duty return to wives who find them “changed” and children they barely know. Tens of thousands return to inadequate, underfunded veterans’ services with appalling physical injuries, crippling post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and suck-it-up sergeants who hold to the belief that no good soldier seeks help.  That, by the way, is a mighty convenient belief for the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs, which have been notoriously slow to offer much of that help.

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ann-jones/death-on-the-home-front_b_181728.html

A Stranger in My Home Premiered ‘Trailer Park Terror’ on ID: Rick Taber Killed Next Door Neighbor Micky Widmer in Minnesota (October 20, 2013)

Mickey Widmer and her boyfriend Darnell Mears move into a Minnesota trailer park looking for a fresh start, but after meeting Rick Taber, a reclusive neighbor, he grows too close for comfort. Good neighbors go bad; and bad neighbors spill blood. -Trailer Park Terror, A Stranger in My Home (S1,E2)

Editor’s note: With a cable subscription, you can download the free ID Go app and watch Investigation Discovery programming at your convenience. And for those who do not have cable, you can watch “unlocked” episodes on the ID Go app including the latest premieres. For those who prefer commercial free programming during your binge session, Prime Video has an ID channel: ‘True Crime Files by Investigation Discovery” available for $3.99 a month. It’s a compilation of older seasons but totally worth the cost if you are a true crime addict. Download the ID Go app or purchase ID True Crime Files & binge away.

Related Links:
Trailer Park Terror | A Stranger in My Home | Investigation Discovery (S1,E2)
Trailer Park Terror | A Stranger in My Home | Investigation Discovery (website)
Trailer Park Terror | A Stranger in My Home | Investigation Discovery (Amazon)
Michaela Widmer Found Murdered in Minnesota Cemetery; Suspect Ricardo Taber Guilty of Stolen Valor, Died by Suicide (July 25, 2009)