Prior to Veterans Day, veteran shares mental health tips

TYLER, Texas (KLTV) - Many veterans live with lifelong trauma after serving in the line of duty.

“He definitely experienced some traumatic experiences from his service, but he was still very proud of his service,” says Travis Gladhill, executive director of Camp V, when speaking about his farther who served in the Vietnam War.

Gladhill served 22 years in the air force and says he was inspired by his father and other family members who all served.

“I definitely feel having a strong social wellness directly corelates to your mental wellness at the same time,” said Gladhill.

Gladhill says being able to talk to someone in a non-judgmental way helped him to overcome his own personal challenges after retiring.

“When you get out of the military the biggest thing that you miss is that family, that comradery ship, that commonality, that you have with your brothers and sisters,” Gladhill said.

Elizabeth Coe is a psychologist at Warriors Research Institute at Baylor Scott & White Health.

She lists some of the key signs to look for to determine if a veteran is in need.

“Post-traumatic stress or PTSD, other things like depression symptoms or anxiety or substance use, anger issues or relationship issues,” said Coe.

Coe recommends thinking about the traumatic experience in depth instead of avoiding it.

She stressed that avoiding a traumatic experience and finding ways to cope through it can often lead to more stress and anxiety.

“Paying attention to it for the purpose of processing through and moving beyond,” said Coe.

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