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’m a Veteran Without PTSd. Staring back at the man in the mirror, Colt* reflects on the way time has taken its toll on a once wrinkle-less, no-grey façade. “When I joined the Army, I was young, reckless, and full of all sorts of terrible ideas! I was eager to see the world, do cool…
Welcome Home Warriors Warriors – At the end of each deployment, Chris* always came home. He would call often when deployed, and make sure he always knew what the winning score of the volleyball game his daughter had played in was. He was always, “there,” until he wasn’t. During his last deployment, which proved to…
Post-Traumatic Stress – “I couldn’t tell you the last time we looked one another in the eye, said ‘I love you’ and meant it,” recalls *Jesse, a former Marine. “When we divorced, I thought that was it – then I went on my last deployment, came home, and needed someone. She was someone I knew…
Trauma and PTSD – Through Their Eyes Trauma? Noah Kelley*, a 4th generation law enforcement officer and first responder, had seen it all; from the evilest domestic assaults, to burned bodies and Hollywood-worthy car accidents. A seasoned veteran of the curveballs the job would offer daily, he felt he could handle anything. “We received a…
COVID-19 with the “Delta” variant, along with the newest variant “Omicron,” has inflicted devastation on public health around the world; disrupting all aspects of life globally. As the unknown future of this ever-mutating virus continues, a largely unmasked nation walks the line of a “new normal;” celebrating the return to near-ordinary life with children returning…
Warrior (n): a person who shows or has shown great vigor, courage or aggressiveness. Courage through Trauma (n): a deeply distressing or disturbing experience. It had been over five years since *Marc slept peacefully for more than one night at a time. The knowledge of the inevitable flashbacks of what he’d experienced during is seven…
Through the Eyes of a Hero – When Marshall Thompson*, a Columbine, CO Police Officer, smells a pizza, his mind transports him to April 20, 1999 — a seemingly normal day – at Columbine High School, when 12 people, including 1 teacher, were shot dead by two young men who subsequently committed suicide following the…
Law enforcement officers, and other members of the first responder community, have a mission to protect and serve the lives of those who are placed in harm’s way. The immeasurable pressure to remain composed and diplomatic in moments of extreme stress can be too difficult for the average person to bear. Law enforcement is a…
