Mental Health: Don’t Wait to React to Contact

Boy did you ever get this right Brother.

Good afternoon SSG Clint Romesha. Excellent post. Thank you for sharing this Brother Clint. :->

Good advice SSG Clint Romesha. Thanks! I'm a Trustee and regular volunteer at my VFW Post.

Let's not forget that even after we're done wearing the uniform, we're still serving. We're still fighting battles in life, although nobody's shooting at us. We're still a part of a team, so let's be there for one another!

All Vets need to think like this , I've been in some bad places with my health and my brothers in arms have been there and I've been there for them . We try too talk at least once a day.

I could write a dozen pages on the neuropsychological science behind why this works, but suffice it to say it’s highly effective. I’m a board-certified trauma/PTSD therapist in the VA Community Care Network and I recommend this all the time to my clients. 2/3 of my caseload consists of veterans. OP captures the essence of it very well. I hope this post ends up being widely read.

I've tried to connect to VA counseling for nearly twenty years, but the depth of the counselors lack of empathy, along with their lack of professionalism, I find to be a total put-off. What they've learned about PTSD from a book, I've live in real life, so they can't teach me anything. I've found that apparently the Army motto of: "Be All You Can Be", doesn't really transition well over to mental health services when you hold the same credentials as your counselor. The minute you call something into question, a negative comments is placed in your chart for being uncooperative, combative, or worse, you're reported to the Disruptive Behavior Committee. I've gone to my congressman's office so many times to complain I'm sure they're sick of hearing from me because in every case, they're hands are tied as the VA does nothing! After the experiences I've had from my "MANY" VA counselors, anymore, when I go in to see them, I no longer talk to them out of fear that something will be used and weaponized against me - it has before and they've proven time and time again that they can't be trusted. I've known a lot of veterans that don't bother to use their Blue Button Premium Services through the VA to access their own records, and they should. You need to know what's in those records! I had a friend of mine, a fellow 12 year Air Force veteran and Sheriff's Deputy I worked with, collapse at work one day. He had suffered two strokes. He was taken to the local hospital for treatment and when his wife accessed his Blue Button Premium medical records from the VA for the hospital, it was a shock to her to learn that 4 years, 4 YEARS, prior, the VA diagnosed him with stage 4 renal failure and NEVER told him! He was left permanently paralyzed on his left side and would have died had he not been able to get a liver and kidney transplant within 8 months after his diagnosis! We got in touch with the congresswoman for his district, and I encouraged his wife to sue, which she did. We may have friends (fellow vets), that we can rely on, we may have brothers in arms that we can trust that will have our six covered at all times, but rest assured that big brother, the VA. and your mental health counselor, don't fit into any of those categories and should be considered dangerous as serpents.

I am a member Post 19 Bayonne NJ.
Just so you know, being a Vet? You will be isiolated whether you nlike it or not. Civilians don't like to hear what needs to be said. And if you start talkind with another Vet? and they over hear the converstion? They will label you right away as crazy, a show off, attention seeker. And they will try to get you to forget and not talk as I have been told. Even from family members. Being around the right people is key to transitioning. Transitioning is very difficult be careful who you talk to.

Thank you for saying it out loud. I am sure it hits home for a lot of people.. It’s such an important reminder that staying connected isn’t just about timing or convenience. I appreciate the way you put it, we all need to hear it sometimes.
And you’re right, whether it’s a buddy check, a text, or showing up for each other, that connection can make all the difference.

Unfortunately when I went for help at VA because of PTS issues. The only thing that was given was a handful of sleeping pills. After that I realized that I wasn’t going to get any help from the VA. They didn’t even reach out to check on my mental health. They just didn’t care at all!