0:00:00.000,0:00:05.081
The-- The VA is an organization[br]that has a mission to protect

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and to serve the needs[br]of our veterans,

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

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And unfortunately what we're[br]seeing is that even after

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

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but also with Vietnam veterans,[br]Korean War veterans,

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

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falling short.

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And this area of post-[br]traumatic stress I think

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

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There continues to be a[br]stigma around this,

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whether people are willing[br]to admit it or not,

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both within the military and[br]also with people transition back to

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their civilian lives.

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

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who've come home really, really[br]struggling and

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

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This is one of the drivers[br]behind the continued rate

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

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shows that we have to take[br]a more holistic approach,

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and this is what I would[br]lead as president,

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where as a veteran I understand [br]in a deeply personal way

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

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and will ensure that our VA[br]leaves no veteran behind,

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that every single veteran gets[br]the care that they need.

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And as we look at post-[br]traumatic stress,

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there are many different levels[br]of how it impacts people

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on a whole spectrum.

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Some very, very extreme situations;[br]some may be less extreme.

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But every person heals and finds[br]their therapy and their path forward

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in a different way.

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And as a VA, as a government,[br]as a society,

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we need to be able to help[br]support that-- that journey.

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

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

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and had been exposed to some[br]of the most extreme environments

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

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

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

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

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

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that was dying on their front step.

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

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Taking care of the plant,[br]trimming the plant.

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And starting to bring this plant[br]back to life.

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And he experiences, as well[br]as his wife saw, that that was

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

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

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He has found his path towards[br]peace by working the land

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and is inviting other veterans[br]there to come and join him,

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and finding that connection with the[br]earth, and growing food and plants

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as a way forward for them.

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Meditation is something others[br]are finding.

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Working with animals, horses, dogs.

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

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severely wounded warriors,[br]disabled veterans, and others

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who are finding their[br]empowerment once again

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

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We've gotta support this[br]holistic approach to actually

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treating the root cause[br]rather than just seeing

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mental health treatment and[br]treatment for post-traumatic stress

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