Candid talk about recognizing challenges and finding solutions
Are you having a hard time deciding whether changes in your feelings or behavior are temporary or a cause for concern? Do you hesitate to ask for help? Ever wonder if mental health care could really make a difference?
For Mental Health Month this May, VA is inviting you to learn from hundreds of other Veterans who have shared how they handled these questions and considerations. They’re men and women of all ages, from all branches of service, with a wide range of military and life experiences.
Speaking openly in their own words, Veterans share the ups and downs of their mental health journeys. They talk about their symptoms, why they asked for help, which treatments worked best for them and how mental health care changed their lives. In sharing their stories, they’re hoping other Veterans like you will hear something that will guide you on your own path forward.
“My anxiety would go up”
As a Veteran whose emotions or behaviors may be impacting your quality of life, you’re not alone.
Jamie, a Marine Veteran, described feeling overwhelmed. “I couldn’t focus on one thing, so I wasn’t going to focus on anything,” she said. “And then my anxiety would go up and then depression would set in because I just couldn’t function.”
For Stanita, a Navy Veteran, self-imposed isolation became a warning sign. “I would withdraw. I did not want to interact with others in any way,” she explained.
For Nick, an Army Veteran, there was no mistaking his biggest symptom. “I got off active duty and there was a huge hole missing in my life, and so I turned to alcohol to kind of fill that void,” he said. “I was going through 18 beers a night and passing out.”
“Don’t wait to ask for help”
If you’re a Veteran feeling uncertain about reaching out for support, this is a common experience. Many Veterans hesitate, for a variety of reasons. Veterans sharing their stories urge others to overcome their reluctance or any barriers they might encounter when seeking care.
“Don’t wait to ask for help,” said Nick, who started treatment after he became suicidal and a friend drove him to a VA hospital. “We think that we can fix our problems ourselves, and you just have to accept that you might not be able to.”
Gregg, who was a Maj. Gen. in the Army, didn’t let his rank dissuade him from seeking treatment for symptoms of bipolar disorder and sharing his story with other Veterans. “I am not going to be stigmatized, embarrassed, ashamed,” he said. “If you have a mental health issue and you don’t get help, you’re looking at a path of destruction.”
“I’ve learned so many things”
Mental health treatment and support from VA gives Veterans the tools they need to improve their quality of life. Hear Veterans explain which treatments and support worked for them and how treatment impacted their lives.
Jamie, diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, mild depression and anxiety, said that receiving talk therapy, learning mindfulness and gaining confidence to reveal her true self made a huge difference. “I could tell that was easing my stress and anxiety once people saw me for me,” she said. “I feel more support today than I ever have.”
Nick, diagnosed with PTSD and depression, believes he’d still be drinking if not for the 28-day inpatient program with VA that started his path to recovery. One-on-one therapy with life coaching keeps him on course.
Stanita said every tool she’s learned in therapy has helped her manage her PTSD, anxiety and depression. “I’ve learned so many things, to be honest, and I actually utilize every technique that I have been taught,” she said. “Get help. It will help you navigate the world better.”
Ready to take the next step? Find a Veteran story that speaks to you and explore VA mental health resources by visiting VA’s Mental Health Month website.
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After Iraq, the VA put me on SSRIs and benzos for 15 years. Fifteen years of feeling numb, disconnected, hollow, and barely recognizing myself. They handed me pills instead of teaching me how to heal. Those medications ran my life and came with brutal side effects, including intense suicidal ideation that almost destroyed me. I forgot what joy even felt like. It took me nearly 20 years to fight my way back, and it wasn’t through another prescription. I healed through breathwork, holistic modalities, deep inner work, nature, community, and plant medicines that forced me to finally confront the pain instead of suppress it. Today I wake up and actually feel alive. I feel peace. I feel purpose. I feel joy every single day. Veterans deserve more than being chemically restrained and abandoned in a broken system that profits off lifelong dependency instead of real healing.
I have been so fortunate to have a wide array of Mental Health supports from the VA, DBT, CBT, Mindfulness and Mindful Self-Compassion have been the bedrock of my mental wellness toolbox for over a decade. Most recently I appreciate the opportunity for EMDR therapy. I tell folks that I am alive, mentally and physically because of the VA and their programs.
I have been a 50 year VA patient from Viet to retire after 23 years and the VA has helped me and I would be probably dead if it didn’t have them but it’s again the same problem. More people say the same thing not my job. I know nothing about it. I wasn’t trained on it and I’m not gonna tell you anything you don’t need to know so we need more of a veteran board back in shape to review the issues of our car Vet and find out if the VA is doing a good job or not and then report to whoever is in charge of it. Thank you for all this work and help and may God bless America and our troops.
Mental health support or assistance at the VA is a joke. Since I’ve been with my current VA, (5 years), I have already gone through 7 mental health providers, and 4 congressman. My current provider thinks she’s god just like those who have gone before her and trying to replace her is tantamount to pulling my own teeth. The VA can run all the feel good campaigns it wants, but what they actually provide to their suffering clientele is two different things. This is just this VA, I’ve been in the VA system for over 25 years and it hasn’t improved any in all that time, nor has the competency level of their mental health “professionals” improved any during this period either.
This is a great Article & so true, with all of the Excellent Healthcare that we as Veterans have , Mental Health Care is definitely top of mind & we have the best Clinicians in the country…Thanks VA