“I was terrified, but my desire to get better was far greater.” Shane, a former member of the 5th Special Forces Group; one of the most decorated active-duty United States Army Special Forces groups. With a multitude of deployments, Shane’s time was nothing short of active. Like many, he wasn’t fully equipped or prepared for everything he saw and…
“I understood, with chilling clarity, that if I allowed myself the temptation of taking the easy path, by reaching for a bottle, pills, or anything of the kind, it would inevitably be a choice that would lead to my own death, whether by an overdose, or by my own hand, I simply would not survive…
“When you wake up, you won’t remember any of this. You won’t remember getting kicked out of the restaurant, having a stranger sign your bar tab because you couldn’t write a fucking tip…you won’t remember getting back to the room, and throwing me headfirst into the mirror. You won’t remember, trying to kill me.” Words…
Hannah Edwards*, a Connecticut Police Officer, lives quietly with her service K9, Thor. An Army Veteran, who transitioned into the life of Law Enforcement, she has a lot of life to look back on. “Most mornings, everything seems normal, and I’m able to function through everything as it should be. Other mornings, the only thing…
2 Timothy 4:7 “I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith.” Growing up, Denise faced challenges that would have brought anyone to his or her knees. Raised with six siblings (five brothers and one sister), a Veteran father who battled PTS after a career as a medic…
Every day, someone who has been diagnosed with anxiety, depression, or Post Traumatic Stress (PTS) will feel heightened levels of unrest due to fluctuating levels of triggers or stressors; from loud parties and fireworks, to relationships, jobs, and traffic jams. Whether out and about, gathering with family and friends, or at your child’s sporting event,…
Warrior (n) a person who shows or has shown great vigor, courage or aggressiveness. Trauma (n) a deeply distressing or disturbing experience. For years, Brandon* attempted to numb the inevitable flashbacks of what he’d experienced during his 20 years in the military (to include time in SOCOM), with bourbon; shoving them to the back of…
“I wanted to be a Sniper for as long as I can remember,” recalls Justin Collins*. “Ever since I was in elementary school, I wanted to do the stuff they showed ‘heroes,’ doing.” A child of two veterans, Collins enlisted when he was 17. “I had barely graduated, and two weeks out of high school…