Mike's Story
I met Mike Thompson in my office on a Tuesday. His eyes darted around the room, taking in every exit, every potential threat. A Marine who had survived three deployments, Mike was now losing the battle at home. At 32, his marriage was fraying, the alcohol was flowing, and sleep was a distant memory.
"Doc, I'm drowning here," he confessed, his voice barely audible. "But I can't let anyone see it."
This is the terrible truth I've witnessed countless times in my practice: our warriors return home only to face a new enemy—one that lurks in the shadows of their minds, striking when they're most vulnerable. An enemy that whispers, "You should be stronger than this."
While Mike is fictional, his psychological wounds represent what I see every day. His story is America's story.
THE PSYCHOLOGICAL BATTLEFIELD
Let me be perfectly clear about what's happening to our veterans. The statistics are not just numbers—they are human beings in pain:
Seven percent of veterans will experience PTSD. Think about that. The same men and women who dared to face enemy fire now battle flashbacks that hijack their brains, avoidance behaviors that shrink their worlds, and hypervigilance that prevents them from ever truly relaxing.
Depression stalks 14-16% of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, a silent predator that steals joy and purpose. Many Americans don't understand that depression can be just as crippling as PTSD, leaving veterans emotionally numb and cognitively impaired.
THE WARRIOR'S HIDDEN WAR: THE TRUTH ABOUT VETERANS' MENTAL HEALTH
- by: Keith Ablow, MD and Kathryn Munoz PhD., MPH
- May 15, 2025
- Source:
feelamazingdaily.com
- 07/03/2025
There Are Heroes Among Us. This is Danny Francisco, a 96-year-old WWII veteran who flew 50 successful missions over Europe as a tail-gunner in a B-17 warplane. by Eric Ward is licensed under Unsplash unsplash.com
There Are Heroes Among Us. This is Danny Francisco, a 96-year-old WWII veteran who flew 50 successful missions over Europe as a tail-gunner in a B-17 warplane. He recently had the chance to jump back in the same plane he fought at 18 years old in 1945. Stories like his need to be told as veterans like him are the reason the world is free today. He is a hero that lives among us, and there are plenty more in this great country. Let's not lose sight of how wonderful America is and what it has always stood for.
