Helping Veterans Ditch the Pills
By Kate Stow
While progressive technology has claimed to make our lives better, the truth is we have become so dependent on mechanical inventions that we have lost our connection to Mother Earth. Our frenzied schedules have driven us to seek any comfort we can find, and pharmaceutical companies have created a pill for every symptom, especially for our veterans.
The most common prescriptions today are written for conditions that were virtually nonexistent just a few hundred years ago. Antidepressants, sleep aids and blood pressure medication have taken the place of using herbal roots, leaves and flowers as forests have been replaced with cities and paved roads.
Bear Blend herbs were created to give city dwellers the opportunity to experience holistic healing. Using ancient techniques, each blend is carefully formulated to ease specific symptoms and conditions.
Archeological findings reveal that indigenous peoples all over the globe have used the flora and fauna available to them as a wellness tool. Centuries of experimentation with various herbs have helped to concoct the perfect recipes that have been handed down through generations.
When Anthony Bear’s mother gave him the name “Singing Bear” at his coming-of-age ceremony, little did she know the significance it would hold. From that moment on, Bear has retained his spiritual nature in all he does – whether it’s playing music or creating holistic healing blends.
Native American folklore includes many legends about bears, which roamed freely throughout the country before man slowly carved away at their territories. In these legends, the bear is revered as a symbol of wisdom, strength and healing, as the “keeper of the medicine.”
Beginning in 2001 with a job on his family’s organic farm in Southeastern Ohio, Bear was influenced by herbalists seeking a more natural way of living. While traveling with his band, Bear shared his first blend with others and discovered his.
Just as Bear was beginning to learn about the medicinal properties of herbs, military hospitals were diagnosing massive numbers of soldiers with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), as they returned from Iraq and Afghanistan with injuries – both physical and mental. This was the largest spike of PTSD diagnosis since the American Psychiatric Association added it to its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders in 1980.
It was estimated that, of 6 million Veterans who served in 2021, about 10 out of every 100 men (10%), or 19 out of every women (19%) were diagnosed with PTSD. Common symptoms of Combat Stress and PTSD include: irritability and anger outburst, excessive fear and worry, headaches and fatigue, depression and apathy, loss of appetite, behavioral changes and sleep disorders.
As pharmaceuticals rushed to market new medication for these battle-weary troops, the United States found itself in the grip of a major opioid addiction issue. Never before had the country had so many different behavioral medications stocking pharmacy shelves.
As psychiatric professionals tried one prescription after another to treat their patients – experimenting until something worked – a new shocking reality emerged: 30,177 soldiers committed suicide between September 11, 2001, and 2021. For some veterans, the use of illegal substances was found to work better than any of the pharmaceuticals on the market to achieve a peaceful and productive civilian life.
In January 2022, 58.5% of veterans in one health group sample self-reported the use of cannabis to treat their PTSD. As of May 2022, only 10 states allow access to CBD products with low THC concentrations; seventeen states allow higher THC concentration marijuana use for medical purposes, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
For those veterans attempting to return to their civilian career, random drug testing can compromise their ability to retain gainful employment. It’s that demographic that can gain the most from using natural herbal blends.
Herbs to Try
Integrating various herbal traditions from around the world with powerful ingredients that maximizes their benefits, Bear Blend Herbs offers several blends that can be beneficial to those with a PTSD diagnosis who wish to ditch the pills:
Dream Lodge contains wormwood and valerian, which create a calming and dream-enhancing experience.
Moon Ceremonial Blend brings calmness and balance with a magical blend of rose petals, lavender, Holy Basil and St. John’s Wort.
The Kin Nik Nik Blend, both peaceful and cerebral, helps to open and expand the third eye as it soothes stress. Using Damiana, Uva Ursi, Motherwort and Passion Flower, it is named from the Native American tern “Kinnikinnick,” which means “that which is mixed.”
Vizion Ceremonial Blend is a daytime blend of Mate, Ginkgo Biloba, Gotu Kola and Skullcap. It delivers energizing clarity and awareness with an earthy flavor.
The OG Ceremonial Blend is the oldest of the selections and the foundation of the Bear Blend brand. This combination of Mugwort, Rose Petals, Damiana, Catnip, Lobelia and Vanilla Bean offer a floral aroma that brings with it centered relaxation.
The Mintz Herbal Ceremonial Blend balances Peppermint, Mugwort, Damiana and Lobelia in a refreshing blend with cooling and stimulating elements.
The Amazon Herbal Ceremonial Blend inspires balance and attentiveness with a mixture of Calamus, Clove, Passion Flower and Vanilla Bean.
The Shaman Ceremonial Blend, made with Hemp CBD Flower, Red Raspberry Leaf, Rose Petals and Uva Ursi is used for healing. Paying homage to the traditions of medicine men and women the world over, it contains 0.3% THC and does not comply with drug test standards.
Only the purest strains of a carefully selected choice of plants are used in these blends. Once used in ceremonial rituals, these products are now available in many forms that can be used at any time.
