(1/5) “I understand that it’s not sexy to talk about...

(1/5) “I understand that it’s not sexy to talk about treatment. But the maddening thing about PTSD is that it’s completely fucking fixable. The narrative about it has got to change. PTSD is not Uncle Joe from Vietnam. It’s not homelessness. It’s not a heroin addiction. It’s not the end of the world and it’s certainly not suicide. PTSD is an anxiety disorder and we can treat it. But you’ve got to get help. In the military, you hear things like ‘shake it off’ or ‘rub dirt on it.’ And those are great messages for people at war. But you’re home now. You’re back with your families and the warrior mindset is no longer appropriate. If your nervous system is broken, it needs to be fixed. Just like a broken leg needs to be fixed. It’s that simple. You may have served with guys who don’t have issues– that’s great for them. But that doesn’t mean they are stronger than you. It means they don’t have the same nervous system as you. It’s not weakness. It’s science. And it can be solved.”

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Gerard Ilaria is the head clinician at Headstrong Project. He has provided one-on-one treatment for most of the veterans featured in this series. Many of those veterans credit him with saving their life. Gerard often speaks out passionately against the ‘warrior culture’ of the military. He believes that an overemphasis on ‘toughness’ and ‘not needing help’ contributes to the stigmatization of PTSD. He believes this stigma keeps veterans from getting the help they need. For the rest of the day, we are holding a fundraiser to help Gerard and Headstrong in their mission to heal veterans with PTSD. The organization’s budget last year was only $750,000, so a small donation will go a long way. Together we can significantly magnify Gerard’s impact: http://bit.ly/2bQe8cR