PTSD Patients Find Relief Through Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Treatment Supported By CHW’s Annual Campaign

February 2024

The sharp drop in oxygen levels sparks stem cells in the brain to proliferate, and then repair the damage that had been done to the brain.

Shachar Mizrachi spent weeks in Gaza fighting in 2014 in Operation Protective Edge. When he returned home, he found himself unable to function in normal life – he couldn’t sleep, he was afraid to leave the house, and he felt like he couldn’t talk to any of his former friends.

He tried therapy, but it didn’t help. He felt himself slipping into depression and being afraid all the time. By chance, he heard about hyperbaric oxygen therapy for PTSD at Shamir Medical Center and decided to try it. He attended 60 sessions of two hours each, where he sat in a hyberbaric oxygen chamber, which looked more like a public bus.

For 20 minutes, he breathed in pure oxygen through a mask similar to those you see on a plane. During that time, he played cards with patients, read, or did brain teasers on a tablet computer. For five minutes he took off the mask, breathing regular air, and then repeated the cycle several times.

“I came here like the walking dead,” Mizrachi told The Jerusalem Report. “I felt like I didn’t have anything in my life that could help me, so I went all in with this therapy.”

After 60 daily sessions (done every weekday), his PTSD improved significantly. He started sleeping more, felt better, and even met a woman who would become his fiancée.

CHW’s 2024 Annual Campaign, ONE DAY AT A TIME, is supporting PTSD treatment utilizing hyperbaric oxygen therapy at Shamir Medical Center.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE and learn more about Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy HERE