Transcript
What kept me from going into the VA
and seeking treatment initially was my fear
that the VA would be affiliated with the military and that some
of my negative military experiences would reappear
with my VA experiences.
I was very afraid of the chauvinism.
So, walking back into a military situation would have been a no
go for me.
But my experience was so different.
I heard conversations between these guys
and I even did see some women which kind
of made me a little bit more comfortable but nobody really,
none of the women were really engaging in conversation
but the doctors were really super understanding.
And it seemed like once I overcame the fear of being
in a military environment and I was really able
to take a deep breath and see this gift that was given to me
which was that PTSD is a recognized disorder,
that there are ways to treat me for that
and I didn't know that before.
So once I was diagnosed, I was very relieved
and there was a way to treat it and I have been on the path
to recovery ever since.