Hurricane Helene’s Aftermath: A First Responder’s PTSD (A Case Report)

The primary focus of this article is directed towards the rehabilitation and restoration of function in a first responder tasked with identifying and recovering remains from the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. His involvement included operating a heat-seeking drone for identification purposes, as well as a Zodiac boat for the recovery of remains. Regarding his recovery involvement, he identified the deceased mother of a close friend, thereby triggering his PTSD reaction. Salient excerpts from his storm-induced treatment for PTSD are included in the case study section of this article. A binaural sound-based intervention called RESET Therapy (RT) (Reconsolidation Enhancement by Stimulation of Emotional Triggers) has been found to rapidly unlock the emotional aspects of long-term memories of trauma among combat veterans with PTSD. An iPhone version of RT named Resolve-It! has been developed and utilized in this case report. Its purpose is to provide home-based support that exceeds what is available in a traditional office visit. Resolve-It! is a binaural sound generator device used for nonverbal remediation, control, and reduction of varied emotional or physiologically based difficulties. Examples of targeted complications may include stress/anxiety/trauma reactions or other factors such as prolonged grief, pain, or addiction tendencies that are stored in key long-term memory sites in the brain. Within this context, our first responder was treated solely through telehealth for his PTSD condition. Foundational aspects of RT are elucidated, including method and theoretical perspective, as well as essential components of the reconsolidation process. Additionally, current research findings related to the cumulative stress response, including neuroinflammation, trauma, and the use of telehealth, are briefly reviewed.