YOU'VE
YOU'VE HEARD OF PTSDDBUT A VETERAN FROM HE MARINE CORPS
IS OFFERING ANOTHER
PERSPECTIVE ON VETERANS
EXPERIENCES AFTER SERVICE
DANNY VALDEZ WROTE A BOOK
CALLED P S 80 POSTS SERVICE
ADJJSTMENT DISORDER INSPIRED BY HIS OWN EXPERIENCES DANNY
JOINS US HIS MORNING TO TALK
MORE ABOUT THE BOOK AND ABOUT
HIS CAREER BACKGROUND SYDNEY
THANK YOU SOOMUCH FORRBEING
HERE THANK YOU GLAD TO BE
HERE TELL US FIRSTTABOUT YOURR
HERE THANK YOU GLAD TO BE HERE TELL US FIRSTTABOUT YOURRR
THE UNNTED STATES MARINE HE
ENLISTED IN 1997 AND I WAS
STATION WITH THE 2ND
BATTALION FIRST MARINES
ECHOED COMPANY THROUGH
PLATOON AND I WAS OH
DISCHARGED EXACCLY ABOUT
THREE WEEKS PRIOR TO 9/11
AUGUST 24TH OF OF 2000 BUT I
WAS PART OF THE MILLTARY
PRESENCEETHE ONGOING PRESENCC
OUT IN THE MIDDLE EAST DURING
PEACETIME BEFORE THE MAIN
COMMITMENT HAPPENED. WITH
9/11 AND WHAT HAPPENED AFTER
THHT TELL US WHAT CHALLENGES
YOU FACCD AFTER LEAVINN
THE MARINE CORPS THE MARINE
CORPS AS ONE OF THE BEST
EXPERIENCES F MY LIFE IT
TOOK ME DOWN A ROAD WHERE I
LEARNED A LOT ABOUT THE WORLD
I LEARNED A LOT ABOUT WHO I
WAS INTERNALLY AND HAT I WAS
CAPABLE OF AND SO IT WAS
PRETTY MUCC THE FIRSTTTIME
THAT I GENUINELY TASTED REAL
SSCCESS IN MY LIFE UPON
DISCHARGE EVERYTHING FAILED
EVERYTHING FELL APART FELL
APART AND I COULDN'T EXPLAIN
WHY IT WAS HAPPENING BECAUSE
IT WASSHAPPENING SO FAST II WA
WHY IT WAS HAPPENING BECAUSE IT WASSHAPPENING SO FAST II WAH
EMPLOYMENT I WAS STRUGGLING
WITH UDGETING I WAS
STRUGGLING WITH FINANCIAL
ISSUES I WAS STRUGGLING IN
SOCIIL SETTINGS AND SOCIAL
CIRCLES AND LITTLE BY LITTLE
IT JUST GOT I'VE BEEN THROUGH
IT ALL SURE I IT'S YOU KNOW
IT'S SOMETHING THAT I'M
LEARNING TO USE NOW AS AN
ASSET TO HELP OTHER PEOPLE
HOMELESSNESS CRIMINAL
HOMELESSNESS CRIMINAL ACTIVITY SUBSTANCE ABUSE
CHEMICAL DEPENDENCY IT'S NOT
SOMETHING THAT I THOUGHT MY
LIFEEWOULD END UP GOING
THROUGH WHEN I GOT OUT AND
ALL OF A SUDDEN WITHIN THREE
TO FOUR YEARS I WAS I WAS A
TRAIN WRECK I WAS N ABSOLUTE
MESS NOW YOOR BOOK PSAT
ADDRESSES ALL OF THAT. WHAT
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY THAT YOUR
BOOK REALLY DOES FOCUS ON IS
II DO YOU THINK IT'S FOR
VETERANS OR IS IT SOMETHIIG
THAT WE ALL CAN LEARN FROM MY
EXXERIENCE FROM WHAT I FELL
APART AND THEE THE 10 TO 12
YEARS FFLLOWING OFFGETTTNG
RECOVERY GETTING HELP GOING
THROUGH ALL THE VARIIUS V.A.
PROGRAMS AND WHATNOT. HELPED
E GET BACC ON MY FEET I WAS
LOOKING FOR AN ANSSER I WAS
LOOKING FOR ANSWERS AS TO WHY
WHY MY LIFE WHEN IT II WE
ENDED UP SO SO OFF TRACK IT'S
LIKE YOU'RE DROWNING AND
YOU'RE REACHING FOR A ROPE
YOU'RE REACHING FOO AN
ANSWER. IT'S NOT THE RIGHT
ANSWER IT'S NOT JUST THE WELL
OU MIGHT BE PTSD YOU MIGHT
BE BIPOLAR IT'S THE DRUGS
STUB YOUR IRRESPONSSBILITY
YOUR OWN DISCIPLINED AND NONE
OF THHT REALLY FELT HOME TO
MEESO
MEESO NOW
MEESO NOW HAVING OME FULL CIRCLE AND BEING IT LICKED
IT CLICKEE I CANNOT BE A
MARINE AND THE CIVILIAN WWRLD
AND THAT'S THAT'S WHAT I'M
NOTICING MORE AND MORE AND
FOR THE LONGEST TIME I
THOUGHT I WAS THE ONLY ONE I
THOUGHT I WAS AN ISOLATED
CASE AND SO ANDDA LOT OF WAYS
THAT MADE IT MORE HARD FOR ME
ASHAMED. BECAUSE I'M WEAK
BECAUSE I CAN'T BECOME A
CIVILIAN WOODS I'M A MARINE
WHO CAN'T FUNCTION AS A
CIVILIAN IT DOOSN'T MAKE
SENSE AND THE MILITARY
DOEEN'T TEACC OU ABOUT
THE PROCESS THATTTRANSITION
FROM MILITARY LIFE TO
IVILIAN LIFE IT'SSIT'S NOT
SO MUCH THE MILITARY NOR
THE VETERAN NOR ANYBBDY'S
FAULT THIS IS AN OBJECTIVE
LOOK AS TO JUST HOW IT
HAPPENS YOU KNOW IT SOUNDS II
SOUNDS KINDDOF YOU KNOW I
GUESS OFF THE WALL BUT I
REALLY DO FEEL THAT MILITARY
PERSONNEL AND VETERANS. NEED
TO GO THROUGH CIVILIAN
TRAINING CLASSES YOU HAVE TOO T
CAMP GOES AND TAKES
THE CIVILIAN OUT ANN PUTS
THE MARINE OR THE SOLDIER IN
THE AIRMEN OR THEESAILOR
WHOMEVER HOW DO WE TAKE
THE SERVICE MEMBER OUT AND
PUT THE CIVILIAN BACK. WHEN
IT'' DONE AND THIS BOOK IS
WRITTEN THROUGH OUR ICE
THROUGH THE EYES OF A VETERAN
WHO WENT THROUGH IT ALL AND
IT'S IN OUR LANGUAGE THAT
SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO DO
AND FOO ANYONE ELSE PUTTING
THE POKER MAY NOT BE A
VETERAN WE CAN ALL LEARN
SOMETHING LANGUAGE HOW TO
APPROACH ABOUT HOW DON'T TALK
TO A VETERAN IT'S DESIGNED TO
HELP AII ALL MEMBERS OF
SOCIITY THAT DEAL OR INTERACT
WITH THE MILITARY WHICH IS
ABBUT 90 PERCENT OF
THE POPULATION OF THE UNITED
STATES THAT INCLUDES
EMPLOYERS SOCIAL WORKERS
FAMILIEE FRIENDS ANYBODY AAD
EVERYBODY WHO'S HAD TO WATCH
THEIR VETERAN OR A SERVICE
MEMBER FALL APART AND THEY
CAN'T FIGURE OUT WHY THIS IS
A MAP TO GIVE HIM A Y WHAT
WOULD YOU ULTIMATELY LIKE TO
SEE HAPPENNAND THE CHANGES TO
HAPPEN N THE MILITARY THIS
IS AN ATTEMPT TO REACH OUT TO
THE FIRST AND OREMOST
BECAUSE AS OF THIS MOMENT IS
JUST A THEORY BUT IT'S A
THEORY BASED ON PERSONNLL EXPE
JUST A THEORY BUT IT'S A THEORY BASED ON PERSONNLL EXPES
TESTIMONY IN ALL THE YEARS OF
RECOVERY THAT I'VE GONE
THROUGH I NEED THE TO GET
INVOLVED WWTH THISSI NEED TO
HEAA THEIR STORIES I WANT TO
HEAR THEM AND THIS IS A GREAT
OPPORTUNITY FOR ANY VETERAN
WHO'S A MESS RIGHT NOW. WHO
DOESN'T KNOW WWAT TO DO I
NEED YOUR HELP YOU CAN
ACTUALLY TAKE THAT THAT
WEAKNESS AND TUUN IT INTO AN
ASSET SO HAT WE CAA HELP
FUTURE VETERANS FUTURE
SERVICE EMBERS TRANSITION
AND ADJUST PROPERLY WHEN THEYY
SERVICE EMBERS TRANSITION AND ADJUST PROPERLY WHEN THEYYE
GOAL. THIS NEEDS TOOBE MADE
POLICY WHICH IS MY ULTIMATE
GOAL LL RIGHT DANNY ALDEZ