Page 615 - Total War on PTSD

Rieman’s PTSD symptoms increased, and he began to self-medicate with prescription pills and alcohol. As a result, his marriage crumbled. “I wrote a goodbye letter to my kids, letting them know that I loved them more than anything and leaving was not what I wanted to do, but I felt like it was all I could do to make their lives better because they would be better off without me,” he recalls. And then he got into his truck, hit the gas, and closed his eyes as his steered towards a tree.
As fate would have it, Rieman survived the collision. Rather than being punished for his actions or sentenced to jail for DUI, Rieman instead received compassion from the community where he resided in North Carolina. He was assigned to a Veterans Treatment Court and, with the help of mentor who was a fellow Veteran, he fulfilled the program’s requirements. According to Rieman, the respect and compassion he received from his community is what truly helped him get his life back on track. He now devotes his career to helping other Veterans do the same.
***
As evidenced by the many caveats and treatment techniques discussed in the preceding chapters of this book, PTSD has a real impact on real people like Rieman. When real people are hurting and don’t receive the treatment that they need, they may turn to thoughts of suicide, as evidenced by Rieman’s cautionary tale.
Importantly, not all Veterans are as fortunate as Rieman. One of the less fortunate Veterans who was also struggling with substance abuse after service was U.S. Army Sergeant John Toombs. When Toombs was turned away from a VA emergency room, he
615 of 1042