Page 6
Friday, July 16, 2021
The Spokesman-Review
VETERANS CHRONICLE
GETTING HELP SHOWS STRENGTH
Army veteran finds hope in her young daughter Courtesy of Make the Connection
MAKETHECONNECTION.NET
Nicole spent more than a decade in the U.S. Army. Throughout de ployments to Guantanamo Bay, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Africa, she never really expected to be in danger because she worked in human resources and finance. “When you deploy, you think, ‘Oh, I have a desk job. I don’t have to worry about all this stuff,’” she explained. A few years into her Army service, Nicole found herself divorced and a single mother. She continued to serve, it was tough leavbut ing her toddler daughter, Amina, with relwas atives while she deployed overseas. Over time, the separation wore on Nicole. By the she was deployed time to a new post in Afghanistan, Nicole hadn’t seen or spoken with her daughter for six months. It was the longest they had ever been apart, but Amina was never far from her mind. Nicole recalls her c h a l l e n g e s wo r s e n i n g following a specific, traumatic event that occurred when she was assigned to escort a group of bankers to replenish an ATM. Before she reached them, three suicide bombers attacked along her path.
MAKE THE CONNECTION
Nicole, an Army veteran, was diagnosed with PTSD and adjustment disorder following her return from deployment. “The explosion actually made my ears bleed,” she said. “You could see body parts even everywhere.” But then, Amina was on her mind. “I thought that we could possibly die, and I wouldn’t see my little girl again. That was the scary part.” When Nicole returned to the U.S. and was required to have a mental health evaluation, she was diagnosed with PTSD and adjustment disorder. “That was really hard for me, and especially explaining it to my fambecause my grandily, ma’s old school. You know, she really didn’t be-
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Seek help. There’s no shame in it. It just shows that you’re strong enough to face what you’re dealing with, and you don’t have to do it alone.” Nicole, Army veteran lieve in that sort of thing. She’s like, ‘Oh, you’ll be fine.’ You know, ‘Shake it off.’” But, as Nicole learned, “this isn’t something you can shake off.” spoke about her She feelings with her commander, her chaplain friend, and finally with
mental health providers. As she recalls, “I realized that I was struggling when I actually had thoughts of killing myself. That's how miserable I was.” Nicole visited her psychiatrist once or twice a week to vent her feelings and work through her
challenges, including hypervigilance: “I noticed when I came back that I’m not really fond of large crowds of people,” she said. “I have to know where the exits are at all times. I don’t like my back facing the door.” After leaving the military, Nicole also developed new hobbies that she found therapeutic, like crafting, writing and painting. And she found peace of mind in spending time with Amina as she grew up, taking her to the park or teaching her new things, like riding a bike. To d a y, i f N i cole ever needs support,
she has a doctor nearby who can help. “Whether you think you have an issue or not, go see someone,” she said. “If nothing’s wrong with you, that’s totally fine, but some people don’t do that and they end up hurting themselves or someone else when it could have been prevented.” “Seek help,” she added. “There’s no shame in it. It just shows that you’re strong enough to face what you’re dealing with, and you don’t have to do it alone.” Sound like someone you know? Find local help in “How Can I Get Help?” on page 5.
