One Warrior’s Fight Against Post Traumatic Stress

Last Monday, Brewer spoke to a group of students and faculty about Post Traumatic Stress disorder, or PTSd.  The speaker, who has served as a Marine, a state trooper, a bodyguard, and a teacher, struggled for 20 years with his own Post Traumatic Stress disorder and now lectures about his experience with the condition. He founded the non-profit organization One Warrior Won, which is dedicated to providing support and therapy to veterans and active soldiers who suffer from PTSd, as well as education and support to their families. 

PTSd, Brewer says, isn’t a mental disorder. It’s not comparable to depression or schizophrenia, and it’s not a condition you’re genetically predisposed to. It’s an injury, inflicted by the same events that might cause physical damage. An explosion, an ambush, a sudden building collapse—these are situations that can harm not only a soldier’s body, but also a soldier’s mind. A traumatic event, or series of events, may leave a soldier with flashbacks, anxiety, and increased levels of adrenaline for the rest of his or her life. 

According to Brewer, the problem with PTSd is that soldiers suffering from it may have no physical signs of injury. “Vets come back from service with a prosthetic leg, a prosthetic arm—no one questions they’re injured—they’re missing a limb, for god’s sake. But a veteran comes back intact, except for the PTSd, and everyone’s less understanding.”

“They don’t get it,” Brewer says. “You look fine—except you’re different. You’re pissed off all the time, you can’t sleep through the night, you’re constantly checking the doors and windows, constantly looking behind you. You freak out when the waitress drops a couple of glasses. That’s PTSd. And they keep waiting for you to get over it. But it’s not something you can just get over.”

PTSd, Brewer believes, is an injury from which most veterans can never truly recover. No matter how hard they try to “get over it,” often veterans will suffer from flashbacks and what he calls “hyperarousal” for the rest of their lives. However, though PTSd may not be curable, it is treatable. With therapy, support, and education for families and the general public, Brewer believes that the quality of life for veterans around the nation can improve considerably. And these services are exactly One Warrior Won seeks to provide. Brewer and his team lead trips especially for soldiers and veterans with PTSd, which provide both an outlet for adrenaline and a connection with other veterans who have undergone similar experiences. In addition, the organization seeks to raise awareness about PTSd across the country in the hope that greater understanding of the condition will lead to greater compassion for the veterans who suffer from it.

It’s a big task, Brewer knows. But as he explains, there’s a reason he named the foundation One Warrior Won. With years of therapy and support from his family, Brewer, one warrior, won in his struggle with PTSd. And if his organization can bring one more warrior just a little closer to winning, Brewer believes, every hour spent is worth it.—Olivia Thompson ’14