SAME
SAME WITHOUT HER. ALL RIGHT, MARKETTE, BACK TO
YOU .
YOU .
YOU . >>>
YOU . >>> THE MONTH OF MAY IS MENTAL
HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH.
IT OFFERS AN OPPORTUNITY TO
BRING ABOUT UNDERSTANDING AND
REMOVE THE STIGMA ATTACHED WITH
SEEKING TREATMENT, PARTICULARLY
AS IT PERTAINS TO VETERANS.
HERE WITH MORE INFORMATION AND
THE IMPACT IT HAS ON VETERANS
AND THEIR FAMILIES IS DC
VETERANS AFFAIRS MEDICAL
CENTER, AND JOHN SEYMOUR AND
HIS WIFE AND CAREGIVER GLORIA.
WELCOME TO ALL OF YOU TO GREAT
DAY WASHINGTON.
DAY WASHINGTON. >> DRIVING, PICK YOU SO MUCH
FOR YOUR SERVICE.
I UNDERSTAND YOU WENT TO
AFGHANISTAN AND IRAQ AND I JUST
WANT TO THANK YOU.
AND DR. CRAWFORD, I KNOW IT'S
VERY RARE TO HAVE VETERANS COME
OUT ON THE PUBLIC STAGE AND
SAY, HEY, I'M ONE OF THOSE
PEOPLE AFFECTED MENTALLY.
CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT SOME OF
THE WARNING SIGNS OUT THERE
THAT PEOPLE CAN RECOGNIZE THAT
MAY BE THEY NEED SOME EXTRA
HELP?
HELP?
HELP? >>
HELP? >> MOST OF THE TIME PEOPLE WILL
HAVE A FEELING OF BEING DOWN OR
DEPRESSED AND THEY START
ISOLATING THEMSELVES AND THEY
DO NOT ENJOY THE THINGS THEY
USED TO ENJOY.
SOMETIMES THEY WILL HAVE
SUICIDAL THOUGHTS WHICH ARE
VERY CONCERNING.
VERY CONCERNING. >> ABSOLUTELY.
>> ABSOLUTELY. GLORIA, TELL ME ABOUT YOUR
HUSBAND.
HUSBAND.
HUSBAND. >> IT IS HEART WRENCHING TRYING
TO KEEP THE FAMILY TOGETHER.
WHEN YOU GET THE ORDERS TO
DEPLOY OVERSEAS, IT IS LIKE YOU
ARE LOSING THE MAIN LINK TO
YOUR HOME, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S
THE HUSBAND AND FATHER AND THE
BIG BROTHER.
BIG BROTHER. WE ARE LOSING HIM AND YOU HEAR
EVERYTHING HAPPENING ON THE
NEWS WITH THE THEATER OF COMBAT
AND YOU'RE WONDERING IF YOU
WILL GET YOUR LOVED ONE BACK.
THE THOUGHT PLACE IN THE BACK
OF YOUR HEAD BUT IN REALITY,
YOU NEED TO BE STRONG FOR YOUR
LOVED ONES BECAUSE I HAVE TO BE
IN A GOOD FRAME OF MIND.
WHEN MY HUSBAND GOT READY TO
DEPLOY, HE DID NOT WANT TICKETS
TO BE THERE FOR THE SENDOFF.
I COULDN'T UNDERSTAND THAT.
AND HE WAS ADAMANT BECAUSE HE
NEEDED TO BE IN A CERTAIN
MENTAL SPACE AND HE DID NOT
WANT HIS CHILDREN TO SEE HIM
HEADED FOR DANGER.
>> AND JOHN, DID YOU GET YOUR
WISHES?
WISHES?
WISHES? >> THEY WERE NOT THERE.
>> WHEN YOU CAME BACK, YOUR
WIFE SAID YOU HAD CHANGED.
>> THE THINGS THAT WE WENT
THROUGH OVER THERE, I WASN'T
REALLY PREPARED FOR.
IT WAS REALLY HARD.
WE LOST FOUR SOLDIERS, AND IT
WAS JUST HARD.
>> YOU CAME BACK BUT THEN YOU
WERE DEPLOYED A SECOND TIME.
>> BECAUSE OF THE INJURIES I
SUFFERED FOR MY FIRST
EMPLOYMENT, I CAME BACK EARLY.
>> WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE YOU'RE
GOING TO GET SOME EXTRA HELP?
>> ONE OF THE SOLDIERS
COMMITTED SUICIDE.
COMMITTED SUICIDE. WHEN I FIRST RETURNED I HAD
QUESTIONS, ANXIETY, AND I
NEEDED HELP.
NEEDED HELP. I TURNED TO MY WIFE WHO
SUGGESTED I GO TO THE VA.
>> I'M SO GLAD THAT YOU'RE HERE
TALKING ABOUT THOSE.
MOST PEOPLE THINK, DR.
CRAWFORD, I'M GOING TO GO AND
THERE'S GOING TO BE SOMETHING
ON A FORM THAT SAYS I CAN'T
HELP.
HELP.
HELP. THAT IS NOT THE CASE.
YOU OFFER TRADITIONAL AND
ALTERNATIVE CARE AND TREATMENT.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> ABSOLUTELY. A LOT OF PEOPLE DO NOT WANT TO
BE ON MEDICATION.
YOU DO NOT ALWAYS HAVE TO BE ON
MEDICATION.
MEDICATION. WE HAVE ANGER MANAGEMENT,
STRESS MANAGEMENT, BEHAVIORAL
THERAPIES, AND MULTIPLE THINGS
YOU CAN TAKE PART IN TO HELP
WITH YOUR MENTAL HEALTH.
>> I UNDERSTAND THAT JOHN TOOK
UP YOGA.
UP YOGA.
UP YOGA. TELL ME ABOUT YOUR NEWFOUND
YOGA MOVES?
YOGA MOVES? >> IT IS A WORK IN PROGRESS.
I WAS SHOCKED WHEN I REALLY GOT
INTO WITH.
INTO WITH. IT WAS VERY HARD AND LIKE I
SAID, A WORK IN PROGRESS.
>> HOW IS YOGA HELPING YOU?
>> IT TAKES MY MIND TO A BETTER
PLACE SO I'M NOT FOCUSED ON
WHAT I WENT THROUGH WHEN I WAS
DEPLOYED.
DEPLOYED.
DEPLOYED. >> AND HE HAS MEDITATING AS
WELL.
WELL.
WELL. >>
WELL. >> YOUR WIFE IS SMILING,