Brent’s transition back to civilian life was hard and he started drinking to deal with the memories. He had difficulties with jobs and relationships. He felt alone and lost. Only when he finally reached out for help from VA was he able to get his life on a better track. Listen to his story.
View Video TranscriptBrent:
When I got out, I had a hell of a time assimilating back into civilian society. I drank a lot, every night. I worked in a bar, so, when the bar closed, I got drunk. And it was a problem. I'd go into blackouts for three or four days and I did it to numb myself or try to forget what I saw and what I did. I got deployed, called back and deployed, and the day after I got, the night after I got back, I went out, got liquored up and got arrested for drunk driving. It was a pretty bad situation, but I was fortunate that the people involved said, “We just got a guy here that needs help” and I got substance abuse through the city and had to go on probation.
I was having a hard time. I was bouncing from job to job and relationships weren’t, I just wouldn’t let anybody in and I just told myself, I came from family or a generation that you don’t talk to people about your problems, you don’t, you’re not allowed to have mental issues, and so that’s what I thought and it went on for several years, feeling lost, hopeless at times.
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