Veteran Died by Suicide After Not Receiving Needed Care at Memphis VA, IG Report Says

You are so right Brother, unfortunately many of them do not know where to go for help and then when they find a place they think is their salvation, the above happens in some cases. It appears that PTSD is pushed aside by some as not as traumatic as a visible injury, but believe me, it can be many times worse. Please pray for these Brothers and Sisters as they need all the help they can get.

Emotional and mental pain became prevalent as rational thought receded and I wanted to throw in the towel many times during my times of irrationality. There were many moments when I did not feel like a human anymore. By random chance, I was fortunate to talk to a medical E-7 who told me to admit myself to the ER on post. I followed his advice and he was right. My journey towards healing started there, albeit it was at the incipient stages of admitting I needed help.

I was fortunate that mental health professionals made things happen for me like sending me to in-patient facilities for specific problems. I had always had compassion in my 20 year career and I was supremely lucky that I was showed compassion. I had made mistakes soldiers should not make let alone officers. None were immoral or unethical. My leadership wanted me to heal instead of kicking me out of the army. For that I have a tremendous amount of gratitude.

Over the years my paradigm had shifted in regards to PTSD. Don't hurt yourself and ask for help is not sufficient. People need to know with crystal clarity where to go for help despite the arduous circumstances. We also need to find that switch in people. The switch to turn off reasons to die with reasons to live. It gives them a way ahead, the right thing to do.

It was natural to feel like a victim of my circumstances. Why me? Having PTSD really disturbed me. It was the toughest battle in my life, but I noticed something. None of the therapists could connect with me so I had much contemplation on the mental and emotional battlefield that PTSD brought. Little did I understand the metamorphoses I would undertake.

My military thinking kicked in. Commanders want to paint the picture before battles to understand the situation and that also applies to PTSD. Understand PTSD. Commanders want to know what are the threats on the battlefield. Those are the symptoms. Commanders want to know how to defeat the threats. Those are coping skills. This process, unknown to me in the early stages of visualization, became essentially a PTSD OPORD. What is the situation? What is the mission? What is the execution? This methodical process was not anticipated, I just stumbled across it; and as time marched on; my own paradigm of having PTSD shifted from being a curse to being a gift. It gave me a sense of clarity. It gave me a road map. It gave me a way ahead. It gave me something I can share with others and for that, I have overwhelming gratitude that I might be able to help others. I am truly blessed.