Founder’s Message

Mark D. Hinds, Co-Founder and Co-Visioneer

Dear HealthWalk Family and Friends,

October is here and the weather is changing, some days it is cold and misty and today it was like summer again with sunny skies and the temperature reached 81 degrees. The changes in the weather seem to reflect the uncertainty in the world as a whole. Stress and anxiety are high in most people as the economic and political situation in the US and the world are in flux. For the people who were already strained and feeling vulnerable before the recent economic woes, the current conditions may move them to illness and to seek health support. It is a wise person who looks for help before the situation becomes a crisis.

Many of us have been conditioned to "grin and bear it" or to "tough it out" and are reluctant to get care when physical and emotional stress gets high. However our bodies tell a different story, our bodies feel and manifest the dis-ease we are feeling whether we recognize or acknowledge it or not. If we continue to ignore the body’s attempts to alert us to the need to remedy the strain, increasingly serious health consequences happen.

This is most evident in our brave men and women in uniform, our military troops, firefighters and law enforcement officials who have been trained to deal with extreme and trying situations. They have oftentimes also been trained to ignore their own symptoms of stress and to put the people they are helping and protecting first and foremost.

You may recall that I wrote about our HealthWalk™’s presentation of Post Deployment Decompression Program at the Annual US Marine Corp Combat Operation Stress Control Conference a couple of months ago. It was inspiring and touching to receive the enthusiastic and positive feedback to our presentation. Our combat troops and returning veterans have suffered tremendous trauma, both physical and mental and often have very limited resources with which to seek resolution for their health challenges. The most debilitating are the myriad of issues arising from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD which has been conservatively estimated by the military to be affecting over 50% of the troops.

Yet there is a huge reluctance to seek help for fear of being regarded as weak or that it may damage their careers by admitting that they need support to deal with the hyper-vigilance, fight or flight response, the dramatic mood swings, anger, depression, the inability to focus, blinding headaches and other pains among other issues. So the problem is growing and our society is losing many who could otherwise be high contributors and participants as workers, community members and members of their families.

What we heard at the conference was that there is an urgent need for an effective and lasting program to resolve the chronic challenges associated with PTSD and that we were the most exciting and promising program that they have ever encountered. With the research and clinical experience we have developed over the years, we have a powerful array of technologies and products which can resolve the biological, chemical, hormonal and neurological aspects of PTSD. Having worked with a number of our troops and other people with PTSD we know that our program is efficient, lasting and very cost effective as compared to all other options.

HealthWalk™’s Post Deployment Decompression Program was designed with input from our partner organization, Veterans and Families Foundation www.veteransandfamilies.org and particularly its founder John Henry Parker, the son of a combat Marine, himself a former Marine and the father to an Army combat veteran. What we developed was a paradigm shifting approach to resolving the challenges of PTSD with dignity, privacy and respect and is an effective and lasting solution. Our approach is completely supportive, non-judgmental, empowers the person and does not involve any reenactment of the stressors that caused the issues. Our program is also very effective for people who suffer from PTSD from other sources e.g. assault, robbery, rape, and other violent and prolonged and chronic stress issues.

On Saturday, November 1, 2008 we are proud to partner with the San Diego Chargers, NFL Alumni San Diego, US Marines, local Fire Fighters and Police to sponsor a Benefit Ride for Combat Troops and Veterans suffering from PTSD starting in San Diego’s Gas Light District. It is a fun and communal way to share and return our thanks to our brave men and women in uniform. If you live in the area, please join us and if you don’t please send us your good thoughts and wishes for a successful and enjoyable day. For more information, click here. Donations for this much needed cause are also gratefully accepted at HealthWalk Foundation, a 501-c3 non profit foundation at 5825 Avenida Encinas, Ste. 111 Carlsbad, CA 92008.

Until next month, please take care of your health - especially in times of high stress it is very important to maintain your health so that you are mentally, physically and emotionally prepared to deal with the challenges that come your way.

To your vibrant health,

Mark Hinds,Founder and Co-Visioneer, HealthWalk