Stephen Jansky was born in Texas on a ranch a couple hours East of here.  He was raised on the ranch and attended school in a small town about 15 minutes away.  Stephen was an LVN for 9 years and in 2004 he graduated from the University of Texas with a BSN.  He has worked everything from nursing homes to trauma and everything in between including the burn unit at BAMC for 8 years.  Stephen has served 3 years in the Army and was a volunteer fire fighter for a few years right out of high school.  He loves hunting, fishing, and writing.  Stephen is passionate about helping people in any way he can. He has been married to his soulmate and best friend for 23 years.

My Why:

My why is pretty simple.  It is to help the warriors achieve and keep sobriety. To be able to do that you have to deal with the problem head-on.  The main problem is not the drinking or drug use, that is the symptom, the actual problem is much deeper than that.  Warriors Heart is the only treatment facility, that I have worked at, that truly understands this and works tirelessly to bring the problem to the surface so the warrior can deal with it and therefore achieve sobriety.  This step is crucial to achieve long-term sobriety.

I had to do this.  My trauma all happened before I was 14 years old.  I left that house at 14 and found a reprieve till I was 18 from my troubled past.  I thought it was passed me and that I was over it but little did I know it had not even started.  My past never left me.  I started abusing alcohol and drugs and abused and ran from myself for the next 22 years.  The problem with running from yourself is that your ass is always right behind you.  A chain of events happened in early 2008 and I realized I have to turn and face my demons head-on.

With my soul mate and best friend about done with me and my life and license both in a mess I knew I had to do something, so I reached out for help and went to a rehab.  I could not lose my wife and son; she is my best friend.  It was not her fault; I was the problem.  Best decision I have ever made.  I never even considered that I had PTSD but quickly understood that I do have it.  I soaked in as much information as I could about PTSD and developed new coping skills so I could deal with my past in a healthy manner.

I knew I have to give it to keep it.  I knew I have to tell others my story so I could stay sober.  I went to A.A. daily for years and found a good church and got close to my God.  My first sponsor told me, “Anybody can sober up but staying sober is the hard part.”  He said, “It’s all about developing new coping skills and putting them into practice.”  I did what he said and finally I became happy and found that long-term sobriety.  Today I hold on to II Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, is anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”