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Isolation, substance abuse, and...cutting off from the world was the only coping mechanisms I had.

Jon Caito (US Army, 2001-2012) reflects on how substance use and PTSD affected his relationships and career.

Transcript

I didn't actually admit

that I had PTSD.

I came home from Iraq

and didn't think

I had a problem at all.

I thought I was fine.

I thought,

I can just jump back into life

and everything's

going to be okay.

That didn't work at all.

I tried going back to college.

That didn't work.

I had so many different

jobs, it was ridiculous.

I couldn't maintain a job.

I couldn't maintain

a relationship.

Well, I could maintain

one relationship.

And I was with substances

because that,

since I started at 14,

it was really the isolation,

substance abuse,

and kind of cutting off

from the world

was the only coping

mechanisms I had at the time.

So that's what I turned to.

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