PTSD/Moral Injury & Alternative Care Through Humanitarian Clowning

Guest George Patrin, MD, U.S. Army COL was a pediatrician in the Army for over 23 years and understands the needs of veterans. When his 17-year old son, under the care of military clinics at the time, took his own life, George and his wife Pam had their world changed forever. Though he participated in VA therapy, and worked in the transition from Walter Reed to Bethesda helping others, the “cloak of depression and grief” would not lift.

Through association with the famous Patch Adams (played in the movie of the same name by Robin Williams), George learned humanitarian clowning, the practice of sensing (listening, hearing, focusing) while also learning the power of the humor and the red bulb nose. As Patch says: “The nose is just a way to get close” and fairly quickly, the joy and laughter of helping others takes precedence.

Since then, George has gone to Russia twice with Patch, and they organized a veterans-only trip to Guatemala (George is fifth from the left in the photo above, wearing the red nose). The foreign location, the third-world conditions, and the universal language of listening, compassion, and humor has changed veteran lives. The next trip will be in 2018 under Patch’s organization “Gesunduit!” (www.patchadams.org) and interested vets are encouraged to contact George directly: [email protected].

Click here to download the show http://bit.ly/HumanitarianClowningPTSD, or click below to listen live. Also available on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, and other outlets.  Air date 22Aug2017.