Speaker 1: Multiple people in my family clean my father, are veterans.
Speaker 2: Troops that have been to war and now they're.
Speaker 3: Back and think and be grateful for their service.
Speaker 4: Sacrifice, love for their country, just unselfishness, all that they
Speaker 4: do for us.
Speaker 1: There are some people in this country who take extraordinary
Speaker 1: steps to provide for the freedom and security. We forget
Speaker 1: that those people exist. We know them as the Army, Navy,
Speaker 1: Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard. They call themselves soldiers, seals, rangers, airmen, sailors,
Speaker 1: devil dogs, and so much more. We call them fathers, brothers,
Speaker 1: sons and husbands, mothers, daughters, sisters and wives. We call
Speaker 1: them friend and neighbor. These veterans answered the call. Now
Speaker 1: we answer Theirs are the best our country has to offer,
Speaker 1: and we love them. Today, we honor them and we
Speaker 1: serve them. David Malsby is your host, and he welcomes
Speaker 1: you to this community of veterans. As together we are
Speaker 1: building the road to.
Speaker 3: Hope and glad to have you along. On a Sunday afternoon,
Speaker 3: those of you listening through the KPRC to nine to
Speaker 3: five OO on the AM dial here in Houston, Texas,
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Speaker 3: All right, on the show with us today. We've got
Speaker 3: a couple of combat vets with us. One currently on
Speaker 3: our staff and been here for a while've been on
Speaker 3: the show a few times. Yes, sir, Justin reintroduce yourself
Speaker 3: to the world, because it's been a minute now. My
Speaker 3: name is Justin.
Speaker 2: I'm a Marine Corps combat veteran of Kosovo. I currently
Speaker 2: work at Camp Hope. It's been three years now, this
Speaker 2: month is when I started. But I am the legal
Speaker 2: resident liaison.
Speaker 3: So to John Doe driving around six' ten right, now
Speaker 3: He i'm not really sure what that. Means so SO
Speaker 3: i handle the national liaise with the different probations, courts
Speaker 3: district attorneys to make sure the veterans Of Camp hope
Speaker 3: are doing what they're supposed to be doing and where
Speaker 3: they are supposed to. Be and it's pretty.
Speaker 2: Amazing we get a lot of small, victories but sometimes
Speaker 2: guys are facing some cases and they get it an
Speaker 2: opportunity to come To Camp hope and change their life
Speaker 2: and instead of going to jail and just being thrown
Speaker 2: in the, slammer the judges and district attorneys see the
Speaker 2: change in them and they reduce their.
Speaker 3: Sentence, yeah and you, know it's one of those things
Speaker 3: we can't quote, UNQUOTE i guess advertise or market because
Speaker 3: you can't guarantee what a judge is going to do
Speaker 3: in any given, court in any given. Case but we
Speaker 3: have seen some guys come through not expecting to get
Speaker 3: their record cleaned, up only to find out once they've
Speaker 3: completed the, program the judge did it completely wiped it.
Speaker 3: UP i, mean it's just been incredible to get to
Speaker 3: see some of those. Moments it's.
Speaker 2: Amazing it's amazing these, guys AND i believe every judge
Speaker 2: and every lawyer they go into the profession because they
Speaker 2: want to help. People and it definitely doesn't take away
Speaker 2: what some of us have, done but it may explain
Speaker 2: it a little. Bit going around with UNDIAGNOSED ptsd and no,
Speaker 2: treatment you get the, anger maybe the self medication so
Speaker 2: it doesn't take it, away but it kind of explains.
Speaker 2: It and then we have an opportunity to come To
Speaker 2: Camp hope and change our lives and put that behind.
Speaker 2: Us and LIKE i said, that the, testimonies it comes
Speaker 2: from the guy's. Heart it's not what they, say it's their.
Speaker 2: Actions and whenever they go back to their courts and
Speaker 2: they speak to the, judge and the same judge that's
Speaker 2: trying to help this guy and he actually sees that
Speaker 2: change in that, person it's amazing to see. It like you,
Speaker 2: said it doesn't always work. OUT i don't sell, it
Speaker 2: but if the guy's willing to, change willing to do the,
Speaker 2: work and it's, evident, man it's.
Speaker 3: Evident. Yeah one of the things always better, choices better. Results, yes,
Speaker 3: sir make better, choices things are going to go a
Speaker 3: little better for. You in, fact here In, houston this
Speaker 3: is mid two, Thousand somewhere around two thousand and six or,
Speaker 3: Seven Judge March March Mark carter began the First Felony
Speaker 3: Veterans court here In. Houston it was one of the,
Speaker 3: FIRST i think maybe like a second in the, nation
Speaker 3: and it took him while because he had to work
Speaker 3: through the state legislature and get all that set. Up
Speaker 3: but he worked really really hard at it because he
Speaker 3: was seeing guys coming home and getting into trouble pretty.
Speaker 3: Quickly there was no way for him through his court
Speaker 3: system at the time to help, them and he was
Speaker 3: seeing it like they just need a little bit of.
Speaker 3: Help but he got that set, up and we've had
Speaker 3: a lot of guys come through our. Program we now
Speaker 3: have Two veterans courts here In. Houston we've had a
Speaker 3: lot of guys come into our program through one of.
Speaker 3: Those so truly to appreciate those judges who are able
Speaker 3: to do. That we don't have a lot of time,
Speaker 3: here but just real, quick we Got, chris if you
Speaker 3: want to introduce yourself and when we come back from the,
Speaker 3: break we'll kind of get into your. Story.
Speaker 4: Yep, CHRIS Us army four two or Combat vet did
Speaker 4: one FOR oif and one and three back to back
Speaker 4: to back rotations over and our acts starting to know
Speaker 4: three with the initial, push.
Speaker 3: Got the frequent flyer. Card it's pretty, good just so much,
Speaker 3: fun So i'll just keep doing.
Speaker 4: It, yeah we didn't have a.
Speaker 3: Choice, YEAH i, KNOW i. Know for for you, know
Speaker 3: those kind of stories just they hurt my heart just
Speaker 3: hearing them like that's that's. Insane, anyway we're going to
Speaker 3: get Into chris's story a little bit after a quick.
Speaker 3: Break we'll be back with More road To Hope radio
Speaker 3: in just a, moment and welcome Back road To. Hope.
Speaker 3: Ray i'm glad to have you along as we get
Speaker 3: into this. Story. One we're not a war story, show
Speaker 3: so don't but still we'll touch on just a little
Speaker 3: bit Of chris's time four, tours you, know and all
Speaker 3: that that comes with. That so we will get into
Speaker 3: that just a little, bit but not. Much but between
Speaker 3: that and talking about the reintegration and coming home and
Speaker 3: some of those. Issues we do know and understand that
Speaker 3: these can be triggering to some as they hear some
Speaker 3: of these, stories and we want to make sure everybody
Speaker 3: has our. Number this is Our Combat Trauma Crisis support.
Speaker 3: Line eight seven seven seven one seven seventy eight seventy.
Speaker 3: Three give that to you. Again there's a lot of
Speaker 3: sevens in. There eight seven seven seven one seven seventy
Speaker 3: eight seventy. Three now here's what you need to know
Speaker 3: and understand about. That it has answered twenty four to
Speaker 3: seven three sixty five by a combat. VET i want
Speaker 3: you to know and understand that a combat vet is
Speaker 3: going to answer the. Phone eight seven seven seven one
Speaker 3: seven seventy eight seventy. Three it's not a psych it's
Speaker 3: not someone just reading answers off the. Screen it's someone
Speaker 3: who's been, there done, that come through our, program and
Speaker 3: received a good amount of additional training on suicide prevention
Speaker 3: and other such. Things so they are qualified to answer the.
Speaker 3: Phone but you just need to know it's somebody that
Speaker 3: truly does. Understand how many times do you think you've
Speaker 3: had what we commonly call the bad phone around our? Place?
Speaker 2: OH i think it's about every, month once a, month
Speaker 2: and anywhere between two and thirteen fifteen, calls and, man
Speaker 2: it's it's it's the nicest. Thing once you tell the guy, like, hey,
Speaker 2: MAN i hear. You i'm a, marine and you can
Speaker 2: just hear it in their, Voice you're, like, oh thank.
Speaker 2: Goodness you know they don't have to explain, anything they
Speaker 2: can just.
Speaker 4: Talk.
Speaker 3: Yeah it means the. World so just eight seven seven
Speaker 3: seven one seven seventy eight seventy. Three even if you're
Speaker 3: not of, that please put that in your. Phone you
Speaker 3: never know who you might come across that could use
Speaker 3: that number and you'd be kicking yourself because you, know
Speaker 3: oh what was that number? Again so go ahead and
Speaker 3: put on the phone eight seven seven seven one seven
Speaker 3: seventy eight seventy. Three before we get back Into chris's,
Speaker 3: story just real, quick a lot of things go wrong
Speaker 3: at THE Ptsd foundation Of america And Camp. Hope we
Speaker 3: encourage you to check out the WEBSITE ptsdusa dot, org
Speaker 3: but also our social. Media look. This people ask me
Speaker 3: all the time how CAN i? Help and of course
Speaker 3: every nonprofit in the world needs. Money we get something
Speaker 3: from the electric company every single, month surprising to me
Speaker 3: justin it's not a thank you note for taking care
Speaker 3: of our. Bets it's a very large. Bill and you,
Speaker 3: know if you ever run, business you know and understand
Speaker 3: there's a lot of expense in doing what we. Do
Speaker 3: but everyone can follow us on social Media, Facebook, instagram
Speaker 3: x formerly know, This, twitter all those HANDLES PTSD. Usa
Speaker 3: just Think Post Traumatic Express DISORDER PTSD. Usa if you'll follow,
Speaker 3: us reshare READ i don't know that is it? REACTS
Speaker 3: i mean there's to say retweet what reacts just sounds.
Speaker 3: Weird sharing the stories On instagram it's, free it costs you,
Speaker 3: nothing just hit the share button and it's a great
Speaker 3: way to share our. Story and again it costs. Nothing,
Speaker 3: Also i've always failed to mention, this but also our
Speaker 3: YouTube channel which is ALSO PTSD, usa and of course
Speaker 3: this Show road To Hope radio wherever you listen to,
Speaker 3: Podcasts road To Hope radio and all that's. Free Next, No, No
Speaker 3: may the, third we're just a couple of weeks away
Speaker 3: one of those fun. Events there's a lot of different
Speaker 3: we call a third party. Fundraiser other folks do in
Speaker 3: fundraisers that benefit. Us the, big the largest crawfish boil
Speaker 3: in the world happened a few years ago right here In.
Speaker 3: Houston few friends of. Ours they Had Guinness book Of
Speaker 3: World records out to verify. It fifty two THOUSAND i
Speaker 3: believe it was fifty two thousand. POUNDS i don't know
Speaker 3: how many semi trailers load it. Was it was, crazy
Speaker 3: fifty two thousand pounds of crawfish that they boiled in
Speaker 3: a six hour. Period here's the cool. Thing you can
Speaker 3: come and there's a six hour time. Frame It's may the,
Speaker 3: third and we'll have all this if you look for
Speaker 3: us On facebook for the show road To Hope radio On.
Speaker 3: Facebook we'll post the. Link but you can buy the
Speaker 3: wristbands right. Now it's thirty bucks if you wait and
Speaker 3: buy it. THERE i think it's thirty. Five but here's the.
Speaker 3: Deal thirty. Bucks you've got a six hour time period
Speaker 3: where you can eat as much crawfish as you can
Speaker 3: possibly put. Down and there's going to BE i think
Speaker 3: somewhere around sixty different cook, teams so you can check
Speaker 3: every single one of them out.
Speaker 4: If you want.
Speaker 3: TO i can't eat that much food, anymore SO i
Speaker 3: always kind of. Wait let the guys go stroll, around,
Speaker 3: comebacks all, right which ones were the, best and Then
Speaker 3: i'll go to one of. Those, yeah six hours all
Speaker 3: you can. Eat plus there's there's live, music there's A
Speaker 3: they've got to. Now they do a complete like fair for.
Speaker 3: Children there's all kinds of rides and all kinds of
Speaker 3: fun things for the family. Do but you get a to,
Speaker 3: Eat you get your crawfish fixed taken care of that.
Speaker 3: Day all you can eat thirty bucks is the deal
Speaker 3: of the. Day plus they raise a lot of money
Speaker 3: for THE Ptsd foundation Of. America, again if you just
Speaker 3: look For road To Hope radio On, facebook we'll have
Speaker 3: a link there and all the information how you can
Speaker 3: be a part of That may the Third. Saturday all, Right,
Speaker 3: Chris so we were talking a little bit ago about
Speaker 3: the legal. Issues you were kind of nodding your head
Speaker 3: the part of your. Story, yes, Okay so let's let's
Speaker 3: back up for a. Minute originally From, oklahoma, right originally From,
Speaker 3: dallas but From. Dallas then you were In oklahoma From,
Speaker 3: dallas and you went to high school in The dallas. Area,
Speaker 3: correct all? Right what was life like For chris when
Speaker 3: he was in high? School?
Speaker 4: DIFFERENCE i was always the, yeah not. BUBBLY i kind
Speaker 4: of was, sheltered saying to myself quite a, bit and
Speaker 4: then ended up graduating in ninety eight and going to
Speaker 4: buy my.
Speaker 3: Business, okay anything siding star football.
Speaker 4: PLAYERS i played, football but it wasn't no, star SO
Speaker 4: i gave gave that up AND i went to the baseball. Field.
Speaker 4: OKAY i ended up playing that for seven years where
Speaker 4: down In dallas for who? For with The soto at,
Speaker 4: first and then back with my community, college which Was Mountain.
Speaker 3: View uh Mountain. View, No, No so what position were you?
Speaker 3: PLAYING i normally played the, field, okay? Outfield?
Speaker 4: Correct?
Speaker 3: Okay all? Right got a gun for an arm had, yeah, yes,
Speaker 3: yeah well this is all past tense for, yeah all,
Speaker 3: right so? Baseball uh and in, college when did You
Speaker 3: when did you decide to go to the.
Speaker 4: Army after my second semester. Started WHILE i was in,
Speaker 4: COLLEGE i had found out that you're allowed to walk
Speaker 4: out of school in, college SO i continued to walk
Speaker 4: out quite. Often so my father gave me an, ultimatum
Speaker 4: AND i chose the higher, route which was joined The
Speaker 4: United States.
Speaker 3: Army what year was.
Speaker 4: This this was back in the end of ninety, eight
Speaker 4: beginning in ninety, nine so.
Speaker 3: Pre nine to, eleven, Correct so you join the, army you,
Speaker 3: know there's always an, opportunity but we weren't really nothing hot going,
Speaker 3: on at least at the. Time. Correct then nine to eleven?
Speaker 3: Happens what happens to?
Speaker 4: YOU i remember that day watching it happen on THE,
Speaker 4: tv and we were immediately put on. Lockdown we were,
Speaker 4: told if you're, married call your, spouses have him bring your.
Speaker 4: Bags if you're singling in the, barracks get, escorted pack
Speaker 4: your bags and everyone get. Back and then we were
Speaker 4: sitting on the.
Speaker 3: Tarmac by the, way why did you join the army
Speaker 3: versus any other.
Speaker 4: Brand, well my dad was In vietnam in The. NAVY
Speaker 4: i wasn't so much of a fan of The Air.
Speaker 4: Force army just kind of had WHAT i needed and you,
Speaker 4: KNOW i like the recruiter quite a bit so and
Speaker 4: it didn't do me.
Speaker 3: Wrong what was what was your? JOB i was.
Speaker 4: A nineteen kilo tank commander and patuons are on THE
Speaker 4: m ONE a one.
Speaker 3: Abrams all, right so your first deployment was.
Speaker 4: That was For operation and During freedom in two thousand and,
Speaker 4: one and that was over In.
Speaker 3: Kuwait so right after you guys were.
Speaker 4: Rolling, yeah we actually hadn't met with the Commands Army
Speaker 4: major of The, Army Jack. Tilly he had came out
Speaker 4: there and ripped up our orders to go across the
Speaker 4: border at that. Time instead be looking for may have
Speaker 4: three and sure, enough may HAVE o. Three we were
Speaker 4: sitting right there going across the.
Speaker 3: Border goodness stirs up lots of, memories uh for me
Speaker 3: just watching on the, news but for you guys having
Speaker 3: to lude through. It So i've heard, yeah goodness all
Speaker 3: right again the phone. Number you are a vetting, crisis,
Speaker 3: NO a veteran in crisis eight seven seven seven one
Speaker 3: seven seventy eight seventy. Three, again a combat that's going
Speaker 3: to answer the. PHONE ptsdusa dot org for all of,
Speaker 3: information not only for our interim housing, program can we
Speaker 3: Call Camp, hope but also for our support groups both
Speaker 3: for veterans and for family. Members PTSD usa dot.
Speaker 4: Org we'll be right.
Speaker 3: Back all, Right, well welcome you. Back justin AND i had,
Speaker 3: said The Marine corps veteran staff member At Camp hope's
Speaker 3: three years you've been on stuff.
Speaker 4: Now, YEAH i graduated three years.
Speaker 3: Ago that's. Awesome this MONTH i love those. Stories, yeah
Speaker 3: it just hit. Me actually TODAY i was, like, Whoa,
Speaker 3: YEAH i was getting ready for. Graduation, yeah which that reminds.
Speaker 3: Me let me find this real QUICK i should have
Speaker 3: had that on tap, here BUT i saw a date
Speaker 3: on my. Phone let me find it here real. Quickly
Speaker 3: MAYBE i won't find. It i'll look for it doing the,
Speaker 3: break we'll move, on but we'll find. It it's an
Speaker 3: anniversary day for the show. Anyway so first deployments right
Speaker 3: after nine to, eleven you're into a right Or kuwait
Speaker 3: and four? Total? Correct and you said the three In.
Speaker 3: Afghanistan we're back to back to. Back those those are All, iraq,
Speaker 3: correct Gotcha, Okay, yeah they were back to.
Speaker 4: Back we actually changed our own name To Operation.
Speaker 3: Extension how long were those three?
Speaker 4: Deployments six months? Piece SO i was over there three oh,
Speaker 4: four came back in.
Speaker 3: Five, Okay so you were hitting it really hard with
Speaker 3: those four. Deployments. Correct since you're At Camp, hope obviously
Speaker 3: THERE'S ptsd involved in there. Somewhere when did you first
Speaker 3: notice something was? Up maybe you didn't understand what it,
Speaker 3: was but something's not quite, right or did somebody else
Speaker 3: have to help you understand? It something wasn't quite.
Speaker 4: Right WHEN i was introduced to, addiction m you, know it's.
Speaker 4: It had always thought everything was okay and going, through
Speaker 4: but THEN i kind of noticed my own. REACTIONS i
Speaker 4: would evaluate myself AND i would know, that like the
Speaker 4: conduct THAT i was performing or WHAT i was doing
Speaker 4: was uncharacteristic of. Me so there was something deeper going.
Speaker 4: On SO i had to chose to get that looked
Speaker 4: at on several different, aspects AND i landed At camp.
Speaker 3: Op, now okay and time. Again when you got out
Speaker 3: of the army twenty ten, ten you but your last
Speaker 3: apponment was back five? Correct, okay but you were still
Speaker 3: in until? Ten? Correct all, Right so when did you
Speaker 3: not when did the addiction become apparent to, YOU.
Speaker 4: I would say about ten years ago.
Speaker 3: And at, all so another five years ish, correct after
Speaker 3: you got out of the.
Speaker 4: Army i'm sure it was there prior TO i just
Speaker 4: didn't pick up on.
Speaker 3: It. Yeah so, yeah in addition to the, addiction at
Speaker 3: least the story REASON i here all the, time you,
Speaker 3: know it begins with it's the coping mechanism that you're. Using, absolutely,
Speaker 3: so whether it's hypervigilance or the night terrors or, whatever
Speaker 3: what were some of those things you were, experiencing some
Speaker 3: of the things we now call symptoms OF.
Speaker 4: Ptsd THAT'S i, mean you're pretty much at the nail
Speaker 4: on the. HEAD i JUST i drink too. Whenever you,
Speaker 4: know my addiction of alcohol and my, OTHERS i did
Speaker 4: it to, escape you. KNOW i just didn't want to
Speaker 4: think of the activity in front of me or what
Speaker 4: was going. On SO i would partake and whatever my
Speaker 4: addiction was at that time and just to forget about.
Speaker 4: It but THEN i learned quickly that when you wake,
Speaker 4: up it's still.
Speaker 1: There.
Speaker 3: Yeah JUST i think it's one of the things people
Speaker 3: have to understand Because i've had we've now been out Of.
Speaker 3: Afghanistan what a little over two. Years i've had people ask, me,
Speaker 3: well we're not a war, anymore which is. Okay still
Speaker 3: some people in PLACES i don't want to be right
Speaker 3: now doing THINGS i don't want to, do but call
Speaker 3: what everyone call. It But i've had people ask, well
Speaker 3: the needs should be kind of going, away, right because
Speaker 3: we're not like oh, no, no, no, yeah, no it
Speaker 3: doesn't work that. Way, no for the guys that and
Speaker 3: gals that went, there went, overseas for the country that
Speaker 3: they're we're still fighting that war very much.
Speaker 2: So and you may not see. It it's not. Publicized
Speaker 2: oh the war is, over but man It Like chris was,
Speaker 2: saying it took him five years to figure it, OUT
Speaker 2: i think it took me about ten fifteen years until
Speaker 2: those thoughts and feelings started coming. OUT i could only
Speaker 2: self medicate for so long before these emotions came, out
Speaker 2: AND i couldn't hide them.
Speaker 3: Anymore. Yeah so the point is simply that the symptoms
Speaker 3: OF ptsd do not necessarily show up. Immediately it can
Speaker 3: take a. WHILE i remember one of the First Korean
Speaker 3: war vets THAT i spoke to on behalf of The.
Speaker 3: Foundation his story. Was you, know he had gone To, korea,
Speaker 3: fought came, home went to, work you, know got, married
Speaker 3: raised his, kids lived his, life didn't have any, issues
Speaker 3: retired and within a month he was at the. Viagoing
Speaker 3: what in the world diagnosed him WITH ptsd fifty something years,
Speaker 3: Later so that's that's not. Unusual we've had a lot
Speaker 3: of vets come in From. Vietnam vets come into our
Speaker 3: program at fifty plus years of self, medicating which is
Speaker 3: heartbreaking to, Me like you've been in your addiction for
Speaker 3: ten years about, Roughly, yeah WHICH i, mean that's. AWFUL
Speaker 3: i hate. IT i hate it that you had to
Speaker 3: go through that to get To Camp. HOPE i Hated
Speaker 3: but WHEN i think of these guys who've been doing
Speaker 3: that for fifty plus, Years oh, my how do? You
Speaker 3: how do you exist through all? That?
Speaker 2: Yeah they built them differently back. Then those, guys, man
Speaker 2: they weren't taught and same with. Us you, KNOW i
Speaker 2: wasn't really. Taught my dad's A vietnam. Veteran he didn't
Speaker 2: teach us. Emotion nothing against my, dad but you know
Speaker 2: that wasn't something they talk. About you get a totally different,
Speaker 2: world then.
Speaker 3: You suck it.
Speaker 2: Up you go to, work you provide for your, family
Speaker 2: and AND i think there's something for. Me it was
Speaker 2: a lot of pride to you, Know i'm A. MARINE
Speaker 2: i have to admit THAT i HAD. Ptsd it really
Speaker 2: held a lot of power over. Me UNTIL i was
Speaker 2: able to ADMIT i do HAVE. PTSD i kind of
Speaker 2: took that power back from, it and that that's kind
Speaker 2: of that's that's WHAT i tell. Guys but now there's
Speaker 2: no shame in HAVING. PTSD i found strength with other
Speaker 2: veterans that HAVE, ptsd AND i found that through Camp.
Speaker 4: O to add, that my father is, also LIKE i,
Speaker 4: said A vietnam. Vet he was in The, navy and
Speaker 4: due to THE va and the recent LIKE ptsd the
Speaker 4: sayings on, it he was just not diagnosed and granted
Speaker 4: his disability For Vietnam. Era so that's that's a long long. Time.
Speaker 3: Yeah, Yeah well we talked about this two weeks ago
Speaker 3: in The Vietnam Veteran Vietnam War Veterans. Day it was
Speaker 3: just it was beyond a. Disgrace does not do it
Speaker 3: justice what we did not do for Our vietnam guys
Speaker 3: when they came, home which leads to, truly what's a
Speaker 3: true diagnosis of SECONDARY. PTSD a lot of kids Of
Speaker 3: vietnam vet's unfortunately experienced that sure and same as with their,
Speaker 3: parents Their VIETNAM vet. Parents there was no no, diagnosis
Speaker 3: there was no, acknowledgment there was no. Anything so there
Speaker 3: was you, know where do you? Go what do you?
Speaker 3: Do did you go to THE va for?
Speaker 4: Help WHENEVER i was In, MONTANA i? Did, okay prior
Speaker 4: TO i went To how long ago ish was? THAT
Speaker 4: i was back there about two years ago In? Montana
Speaker 4: so BUT i did a couple visits out there to get.
Speaker 4: Help prior to, THAT i did some just at local
Speaker 4: facilities In. Dallas nothing was ever really, identified or SHOULD i.
Speaker 3: Say they didn't diagnose.
Speaker 4: Anything, no not, Necessarily, no not until they didn't get
Speaker 4: to the bottom of it until my counselor at that,
Speaker 4: time he really peeled back the layers and got to
Speaker 4: the underlying issue so it could be addressed.
Speaker 3: Properly how long ago was?
Speaker 4: This that was about three years ago.
Speaker 3: OF va or PRIVATE? Va, okay what was the response
Speaker 3: once they kind of figured out here's what's.
Speaker 4: HAPPENING i went through a world of testing WHERE i
Speaker 4: was diagnosed with SEVERE, ptsd SEVERE. Tbi you know the
Speaker 4: whole laundry.
Speaker 3: LIST i was going to ask if TV i was
Speaker 3: part of, that because, yes it's not everybody's, story but
Speaker 3: it's not.
Speaker 4: Unusual, YEAH i do HAVE tbi and tonightis and tonights.
Speaker 3: Wonderful thank you for your. Service, AGAIN i shouldn't laugh at,
Speaker 3: it JUST i just keep hearing all these, diagnoses like
Speaker 3: and then people stand out in the street and want
Speaker 3: to go to war over, everything, like did you guys
Speaker 3: just stop?
Speaker 4: This i'm too, young according to, them BUT i don't
Speaker 4: understand how you can put an age on a. Veteran they.
Speaker 4: Didn't they did a full hit replacement on. Me but
Speaker 4: again they were so hesitant BECAUSE i was too.
Speaker 3: Young was this an? Ied, yeah it.
Speaker 4: Was an incident that happened out, there, Correct.
Speaker 3: Okay all, right.
Speaker 2: All?
Speaker 3: RIGHT a quick reminder eight seven seven seven seven seventy
Speaker 3: eight seventy, Three AND i Mentioned Camp hope is the interim,
Speaker 3: program which is Where chris is, currently And justin came
Speaker 3: to the program as. Well we know and understand not
Speaker 3: everybody can and not everybody needs to go into a
Speaker 3: six to nine month. Program we got, it we, understand
Speaker 3: but many. Do but we do run support groups in
Speaker 3: several different cities across the. Country we do one, virtually
Speaker 3: so you can join literally from anywhere and it's absolutely,
Speaker 3: free and it's the you, know what's spoken in the
Speaker 3: room stays in the. Room so we have law enforcement first,
Speaker 3: Responder we've had contractors in, there all dealing with the
Speaker 3: same issues that we call combat RELATED ptsd all that
Speaker 3: information of those support groups is on their website ptsdusa dot.
Speaker 3: Org BUT i have to say one of the things
Speaker 3: that separates us is we not only have it for the,
Speaker 3: veteran but we also have it for family and. Friends
Speaker 3: all that information for those GROUPS ptsd usa dot org
Speaker 3: will be right back and we welcome you back give.
Speaker 3: Where if you listened to, podcasts just look For Road Hope.
Speaker 3: Radio if you'll hit that subscribe, Button we truly do
Speaker 3: appreciate it and share it with all your friends and, enemies, coworkers,
Speaker 3: neighbors ex, neighbors. Whoever just share. It you never know
Speaker 3: who might come in contact with us that needs the
Speaker 3: services that we, provide and all again at zero cost
Speaker 3: to our veteran or to their. FAMILY ptsdusa dot. Org, Okay,
Speaker 3: chris this is the last. Segment we've got a few.
Speaker 3: Minutes let's just dig into a little. Bit you mentioned
Speaker 3: the addiction notice becomeingparent about ten years. Ago three years
Speaker 3: ago is when they kind of diagnose things as we
Speaker 3: can make SURE i get my numbers. Right that's, Okay
Speaker 3: so you're self medicating during that. Time and look, again
Speaker 3: we're not a war, story BUT i mean you said
Speaker 3: enough to know between four to eployments and with the
Speaker 3: diagnosis OF tbi. Tonight as you mentioned the hip, placement
Speaker 3: some things. Happened that stuff comes home with you absolutely
Speaker 3: didn't just stay. There so you're dealing with, that coping
Speaker 3: with that through the. Addiction at some point it had
Speaker 3: to be bad. Enough you had to have gotten to
Speaker 3: a dark enough place that When Camp hope comes into
Speaker 3: your radar and you learn about, It i'm always, curious
Speaker 3: how did you first hear About Camp. Hope what was
Speaker 3: the first understanding, Of, hey there's a place In, Houston
Speaker 3: texas that can help.
Speaker 4: You WHENEVER i was In, OKLAHOMA i met a group
Speaker 4: of friends and they were working With Camp, hope and
Speaker 4: then they kind of briefly told me what they did
Speaker 4: and what it was. About and ORIGINALLY i had no
Speaker 4: plans on going To Camp. Hope, however the time arose
Speaker 4: to WHERE i had to take full advantage of it
Speaker 4: AND i could not be.
Speaker 3: Happier court system is part of, That, Okay so we
Speaker 3: don't need to get into all, that but just it's
Speaker 3: part of the, story so you hear about it and
Speaker 3: this becomes an. Option.
Speaker 4: Yeah my last, INCIDENT i GUESS i figured it'd be
Speaker 4: a good, idea was On september twenty fifth of last
Speaker 4: year to go ahead and go out drinking and.
Speaker 3: Driving and this was In, oklahoma, Correct.
Speaker 4: AND i rolled my, truck my new, truck and of
Speaker 4: course got locked, up went to jail dui and started
Speaker 4: the ball from there to try to get to. Camp
Speaker 4: hope put the feelers.
Speaker 3: Out that's kind of the wake up. Call, hey this isn't. Normal, yep, Absolutely,
Speaker 3: Okay so that Was. September when did you arrive at
Speaker 3: Camp january?
Speaker 4: Sixth?
Speaker 3: Okay were you incarcerated in the in? BETWEEN i, was,
Speaker 3: Okay so you came to us In? January, correct and
Speaker 3: you met justin when you first came in day, one
Speaker 3: because day one's ALWAYS i try to imagine that like
Speaker 3: from whatever circumstance you're coming, from it's not a good. Circumstance,
Speaker 3: right you're not Coming we always say you're not coming
Speaker 3: in on a winning. Streak so something's, happened and it
Speaker 3: can be a little. Different there's a few different versions
Speaker 3: of what that, is but it's never.
Speaker 4: GOOD i had to go spend some time at the
Speaker 4: other hospital prior to coming, back right because my. ADDICTION
Speaker 4: i was in deep AND i showed up at camp.
Speaker 3: Intoxicated, okay, again not the first time that's happened in
Speaker 3: the right. Place but you're going to someplace like for,
Speaker 3: you coming out of, state going to a place that
Speaker 3: you've heard, about but you don't really know. Anything you
Speaker 3: don't know, anybody and you've GOT ptsd and trauma not
Speaker 3: only of, war but what just happened that led you
Speaker 3: to the point where you needed. Camp. Hope that has
Speaker 3: to be. Overwhelming walking on day, one that's just do
Speaker 3: you remember your day?
Speaker 2: One just? So, YEAH i Was my pen was. SHAKING
Speaker 2: i was so, nervous BUT i was trying to play it. Off,
Speaker 2: man it was scarier than going to boot. Camp, yeah
Speaker 2: but you mean you met justin day, one? Correct and
Speaker 2: what what do you remember from?
Speaker 4: THAT i remember getting approached By justin and he asked
Speaker 4: me IF i knew Who Community court, was AND i
Speaker 4: kind of shook my, head dear in the, headlights, look
Speaker 4: had no clue who it. Was and we kind of
Speaker 4: found out it was a group or whatnot that wanted
Speaker 4: to take what take my? Charges and then boy did
Speaker 4: they ever take my? Charges?
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah our outreach team did a great job contacting the,
Speaker 2: courts And chris let him, know, HEY i got this,
Speaker 2: charge and so they contacted the, courts got the correct
Speaker 2: people in. Line so while he was getting ready to
Speaker 2: come To Camp, hope they we were in contact with each,
Speaker 2: other and by the Time chris showed, up he had
Speaker 2: an offer that if he Graduates Camp, hope that they're
Speaker 2: gonna dismiss the.
Speaker 4: Charges, absolutely that's.
Speaker 3: Unbelievable that's just that's.
Speaker 2: CRAZY i was, like, Man god works a mysterious. Ways
Speaker 2: and he's, like who are?
Speaker 4: You what's your?
Speaker 3: NAME i was, like, man he's the dude with the.
Speaker 2: Magic, yeah kind of take take it, easy but when you're,
Speaker 2: ready let's let's talk about.
Speaker 1: This.
Speaker 4: Yeah it's kind of funny because even at that, POINT i,
Speaker 4: said do we even know who they? Are you.
Speaker 3: Like to shake their Ind, okay so you've been here
Speaker 3: for a minute and you're still work pretty early in the.
Speaker 3: Program what's different today when you wake up in the
Speaker 3: morning versus let's see if the insider happened In. September
Speaker 3: let's go back To august last. Year what's the, Difference,
Speaker 3: hope Explain.
Speaker 4: At that point in my life through the addiction, PROCESS
Speaker 4: i just wanted to shut myself, down like it was
Speaker 4: a daily. OCCURRENCE i would shut myself down to the
Speaker 4: world around, me didn't want to deal with, it didn't
Speaker 4: want to talk to. People then, again The lord shook
Speaker 4: my tree when he flicked over my. Truck and NOW
Speaker 4: i realized That Camp, hope that there are people out.
Speaker 4: There you, know there's law enforcement, officers and whenever they
Speaker 4: HEARD i was upside down at this, time but when
Speaker 4: they heard THAT i was a veteran in, distress their
Speaker 4: whole attitude. Changed so but coming To Camp hope has
Speaker 4: just given me a better understanding of What i'm going.
Speaker 4: Through i'm not, alone that's for, sure and there's definitely
Speaker 4: a peer support group all around. Me you just got
Speaker 4: to get out there and you gotta find. Them you
Speaker 4: got to be in.
Speaker 3: Touch you've got a ways to, go and you're not
Speaker 3: guessing at least time you've been, here you're not in
Speaker 3: the kind of the phase where you're really starting to
Speaker 3: look forward and building the. Plan but what are you
Speaker 3: looking forward? To AND i don't mean a job or anything,
Speaker 3: like what are you looking forward to when you are
Speaker 3: getting that coin in that piece of paper that says you?
Speaker 3: Finished the reaction from my? Kids how many kids you?
Speaker 3: GOT i have three, daughters ages roughly.
Speaker 4: Nineteen my metal one is training eighteen today. Actually and,
Speaker 4: fifthly you, know because the last time they saw, ME
Speaker 4: i was of course self, medicating and so that's what they.
Speaker 4: Knew and WHENEVER i was at my last one of
Speaker 4: my last, centers we were we had to bury one
Speaker 4: of the soldiers and the first THING i thought of
Speaker 4: whenever we turned around to walk away was what would
Speaker 4: my children say and my? Memorial and that try started
Speaker 4: looking at things completely.
Speaker 3: Different, WELL i am happy for, You thank, YOU i
Speaker 3: am thrilled to death for your three. Girls keep doing the, work,
Speaker 3: man just keep doing the.
Speaker 4: Work, absolutely.
Speaker 3: If you'd like to be a, PART i, mean will
Speaker 3: you hear these stories like how do you not want
Speaker 3: to be a part of? That and, again it can be,
Speaker 3: free can be just following us on social media sharing the.
Speaker 3: Story obviously, donations but there's a thousand volunteer opportunities through
Speaker 3: an organization for those of you who listen or who
Speaker 3: live in The houston, area but also in our other.
Speaker 3: Locations we're doing fundraisers In, Florida South carolina And, Georgia,
Speaker 3: California San, Antonio. Dallas so there's a lot of, places
Speaker 3: a lot of events that you can volunteer. At so
Speaker 3: there's a lot of ways to get involved that you
Speaker 3: don't have the ability to write a, check but you
Speaker 3: have some time to. GIVE usa dot org help us
Speaker 3: make sure that when other men Like chris need a
Speaker 3: place Like Camp hope that we have the space and
Speaker 3: we have the people and we have the program in
Speaker 3: place able to take care of. You have you gone
Speaker 3: hungry since you've been with, Us no. Way we just
Speaker 3: had the rodeo come. Through, yeah all kinds of meat
Speaker 3: at camp right. Now thanks exactly, again the crisis number
Speaker 3: eight seven seven seven, one seven seventy eight seventy, three
Speaker 3: all of our social media PTSD, USA PTSD, usa and
Speaker 3: the WEBSITE ptsdusa dot. Org, well let's thank you so,
Speaker 3: much justin thanks for what you, do having every single
Speaker 3: day for our, Guys, chris thanks for what you're doing
Speaker 3: to rebuild your life and repurpose. It thank you appreciate.
Speaker 3: It thanks again for joining, us for being with you.
Speaker 3: Again next week for more Of road To Hope radio