Interview Topic: PTSD - Tulsi Gabband

The-- The VA is an organization
that has a mission to protect

and to serve the needs
of our veterans,

those who go and are willing
to sacrifice all for our country.

And unfortunately what we're
seeing is that even after

all of these years --both in the
post 9/11 era of veterans

but also with Vietnam veterans,
Korean War veterans,

those who've come before us--
the-- the services are still

falling short.

And this area of post-
traumatic stress I think

is one of the main areas
where that's true.

There continues to be a
stigma around this,

whether people are willing
to admit it or not,

both within the military and
also with people transition back to

their civilian lives.

I've experienced it through some
of my friends who I've served with,

who've come home really, really
struggling and

having a hard time finding the best
place that can really help them.

This is one of the drivers
behind the continued rate

of veterans' suicide that we're
seeing in our country and

shows that we have to take
a more holistic approach,

and this is what I would
lead as president,

where as a veteran I understand
in a deeply personal way

who pays the price for war
and how heavy that price is,

and will ensure that our VA
leaves no veteran behind,

that every single veteran gets
the care that they need.

And as we look at post-
traumatic stress,

there are many different levels
of how it impacts people

on a whole spectrum.

Some very, very extreme situations;
some may be less extreme.

But every person heals and finds
their therapy and their path forward

in a different way.

And as a VA, as a government,
as a society,

we need to be able to help
support that-- that journey.

I-- I had a woman who'd work
for me in my congressional office.

She's a military spouse.
Her husband had many deployments

and had been exposed to some
of the most extreme environments

and situations that really had a--
deeply, deeply impacted him.

He got to the point where he
couldn't fly, he couldn't travel.

And they didn't know what to do
to be able to help him.

He didn't want to just take drugs
to try to numb the pain.

And for him, their breakthrough
happened when they had a plant

that was dying on their front step.

And he was home, and he just
started watering the plant.

Taking care of the plant,
trimming the plant.

And starting to bring this plant
back to life.

And he experiences, as well
as his wife saw, that that was

awakening something in him
that had been lost for a long time.

Long story short, now they have
a farm with many acres.

He has found his path towards
peace by working the land

and is inviting other veterans
there to come and join him,

and finding that connection with the
earth, and growing food and plants

as a way forward for them.

Meditation is something others
are finding.

Working with animals, horses, dogs.

Others-- others through surfing,
actually. I've-- I've been surfing with

severely wounded warriors,
disabled veterans, and others

who are finding their
empowerment once again

in the ocean, and it's
an incredible thing.

We've gotta support this
holistic approach to actually

treating the root cause
rather than just seeing

mental health treatment and
treatment for post-traumatic stress

as something that can only
be responded to with more drugs.