Warren Price spends an afternoon fly fishing in the Provo River. He is a licensed recreational therapist striving to help those who suffer from PTSD through retreats. (Todd Wakefield/BYU)
Warren Price, a veteran who served as a medic in Iraq, works to provide recreational therapy for veterans who, like himself, suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder.
Price first became acquainted with fly fishing through his wife's friend, who was also a veteran, according
Through fly fishing, Price found the peace he had been looking for. 'When I was at the point where I wanted to kill myself, that's when I was introduced to the fly fishing and the recreation,' he said.
Price experienced rejuvenation through spending time in natural surroundings. He wanted to share his experiences with other veterans. He wrote an academic journal article about his experiences while in combat, the effects of his PTSD at home
However, writing about his experiences in combat and dealing
Price worked on the article with Neil Lundberg, a professor in the recreation management department at BYU. Price attended BYU as a graduate student and worked with Lundberg, researching services for veterans. The article served as his master's thesis before it was published.
'He and I started doing research together, and we discovered that his personal story would add to the research in this area,' Lundberg said. 'So we developed the expertise to make sure he could tell the story using a research method known as autoethnography.'
Price's article was unique in that it was told from the perspective of an individual. This is rare in academic journals, according to Lundberg.
'We finally had the chance to hear from a veteran who could tell his own story and apply
Ramon Zabriskie, another professor in the recreation management department, also helped Price with his thesis. After Price finished writing it, both Zabriskie and Lundberg encouraged him to get it published.
Warren Price, a BYU alum and veteran who suffers from PTSD. (Todd Wakefield/BYU)
Although it was painful, Price felt that writing about his experiences in such great depth was both cathartic and therapeutic. However, recreational therapy was ultimately the method that saved him and provided him the relief he had been seeking for so long. Price has expressed that helping other veterans has helped him deal with his own PTSD. 'The best way to deal with PTSD is to get out of your
Price dealt with the loss of fellow soldiers in the battlefield, and that loss continued even after returning home
Because of this, Price said he wants to make an effort to save lives through recreational therapy.
'I didn't want to continue
Price also organizes retreats for veterans who suffer from PTSD and their families. He described the retreats as patient-guided therapy, because the activities
Price's passion for recreational therapy is evident as he talks about the retreats and his goals for the veterans who participate in the recreation.
'If we can get people into recreation, they're connecting with the outdoors,' Price said. 'There's a really spiritual aspect of it. They connect with a cause that's greater than them. Once we create that focus, real healing starts.'
Price continues
Price is interested in creating human-animal bonds with disabled
Warren Price spends an afternoon fly fishing in the middle Provo River. Price is now a licensed recreational therapist. (Todd Wakefield/BYU)
'You take a veteran who has broken family relationships and has basically forgotten how to be a person and a productive part of the family,' Price said. 'You get them involved with animals. ... They naturally bond with those animals.'
Price believes veterans can take the bond they form with animals and apply
Price has found that these human-animal bonds have been effective in his relationships with his family members.
'It's been so transformative for our family,' Price said. 'We do things together, we talk more, we share more.'
Through his experiences, Price has been able to find relief and use his story to help not only others but also himself.
'Telling the story and being in it and being able to look at it from different viewpoints really helped me to see some of the things that I've done in a different light and really helped me settle some of the issues that I had not settled,' Price said.