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 have come before us,

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

She is a military spouse.
Her husband had many deployments

and had been exposed to some
of the most extreme environments.

and situations that really had
deeply, deeply impacted him.

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

Looking after the plant,
trimming the plant.

And starting to bring this plant
back to life.

And he experiences, as well as his wife
saw, 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 bond with the earth,
growing food and plants

as a way forward for them.

Meditation is something others
are finding.

Working with animals, horses, dogs.

Others through surfing, actually
I've been surfing

with severely wounded warriors,
disabled veterans,

and others who are finding
their empowerment once again

in the ocean,
It's an incredible thing.

We've gotta support this
holistic approach to actually

treating the root cause rather
than just seeing

mental health and post-traumatic
stress treatment

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