Juggling and soldiering on

The immersive method of revisiting trauma did not work for Raquel. She learnt about it in a book about PTSD. But she experienced it by accidentally, when she and some friends entered a restaurant that served Middle Eastern food. Memories came flooding back, and her heart began pounding in anxiety. 

Learning to look for help was another challenge. She found support in Vet Center at Orange County. “People there are combat veterans. They know how combat affects another soldier. They know different coping skills,” she believes. Also, the confidentiality of the Vet Center weighed in for her. She did not want her chain of command to hear about her problems before she left the military. 

Raquel is optimistic about healing from the war. She has finished a course at Long Beach Community College with good grades and is studying to become a vocational nurse. She believes she will make more progress. Like so many wounded warriors, she wants to use her skills to help other soldiers and veterans, so that they can better cope with the same hardships she went through.