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Therapy Helps Veteran Heal From PTSD

2-minute read

Therapy Helps Veteran Heal From PTSD

2-minute read

Read Stories > Therapy Helps Veteran Heal From PTSD

When Leon came home from Vietnam, he tried to leave that chapter of his life behind. The Marine Corps Veteran didn’t talk about what he had experienced and didn’t follow the news. “It was just like it had never happened,” he says. “But it did of course.”

Bringing the war home

In Vietnam, Leon realized that being alert and constantly vigilant was critical to staying alive. “I knew I was going to have to stay awake 24/7,” Leon says. He knew he needed to take care of himself if he wanted to make it out.

When Leon came home, he tried to move past his experience at war, but his in-country mindset came with him. He was stashing guns above doors and pistols in drawers. He recalls asking himself, “What am I afraid of?

A revelation and seeking help

He didn’t have the answer. Then one day, he came across a book by psychiatrist Robert Lifton describing PTSD. The symptoms Lifton described sounded all too familiar to Leon. He recalls thinking, “Well, I’ve never asked for help.” So he decided to go to the Vet Center to seek treatment, as well as answers about what he was experiencing.

“I didn’t know what to expect for therapy,” he says. What he found was people who were both trained to help and committed to supporting Veterans. “They have the heart to help, and they really extend themselves, wanting to get the person back—as much as they can—as the way they were before they went over.”

Making peace with his time at war

While Leon acknowledges that some emotional effects of his time in Vietnam will always be with him, he is no longer trying to pretend that it never happened. In fact, he has donated items he brought back from Vietnam to a museum and has seen some of his photos on display.

He shared this advice for Veterans who haven’t sought help: “Go. That’s all I can say is go.” He adds, “You fought in a war; you’re tough. All right, now you’re out of it; you get tougher.”

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