Help on the Way for a Tennessee Army Vet

The Call

In February a Gulf War Army Veteran called from Tennessee saying he felt like he’d lost his family after his recent divorce.  He told Counselor Greg Flowers that he felt like a very bad person because of the things he’d seen and done at war. He began to cry uncontrollably. It was really hard to understand what he was saying.  After Greg had calmed him down a bit, he recounted the reoccurring nightmares he was experiencing.  Greg recognized the signs of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).  As he heard more about the difficulties this veteran had been experiencing since his discharge, Greg thought that it would be good to have Shad intervene on this call.

Follow Up

When they called the veteran back, he started to cry uncontrollably again. Shad put on his old Captain’s hat and spoke to him sternly, giving him a command that he responded to immediately. The crying stopped. The vet asked for help and Shad reassured him that help was on the way.  He recommended that we put him in touch with the team leader for a Tenessee Vet Center in his area. Greg made the phone call, a successful hand off to the Vet Center team leader. The veteran is receiving the help he deserves.