Warrior Care Network Helps Veterans Cope

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- When Wounded Warrior Project^® (WWP) launched Warrior Care Network^® last year, the goal was to provide treatment and coping skills for today's generation of wounded veterans. Now, Warrior Care Network has proven results.

Take Charles, a warrior who served deployments in Afghanistan and Iraq – and still serves our country today. He asked to keep his identity hidden because of his active-duty role and the stigma associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Charles suffered repeated concussions from numerous incidents on deployment.

"I was in vehicle rollovers, we ran into improvised explosive devices, I was in proximity of other explosions, and there were frequent percussions from artillery rounds," Charles said.

Charles thinks he first noticed the effects of PTSD back in 2007. Trying to manage anger, anxiety, flashbacks, and sleep issues impacted him daily. About a year ago, Charles discovered WWP and learned he could register and benefit from its free programs and services, even though he was still active in the military. WWP led him to help for his PTSD.

"Warrior Care Network is very thought-out," Charles said. "The best way to identify the right treatment is to understand what someone is going through, and Wounded Warrior Project does that. It is good to know what someone is dealing with to help get the best care."

Warrior Care Network provides world-class mental health care for warriors and their caregivers – creating new opportunities for veterans to live their lives to the fullest. It is a partnership between WWP, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and four top academic medical centers: the Veterans Program at Emory Healthcare; the Road Home Program at Rush University Medical Center; Operation Mend at UCLA Health; and Home Base, a Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital program.

Trained professionals led Charles and other warriors through intense therapy sessions to revisit the trauma that haunts them – and to learn new ways to cope.

"We learned new ways to think about and approach situations," he said. "We don't have to let PTSD define us. I'm now a lot calmer and more mindful of myself."

Read Charles' full story and his message to other veterans at https://newsroom.woundedwarriorproject.org/Warrior-Care-Network-Helps-Veterans-Cope.

About Wounded Warrior Project
Wounded Warrior Project^® (WWP) connects, serves, and empowers wounded warriors. Read more at https://newsroom.woundedwarriorproject.org/about-us.

SOURCE Wounded Warrior Project