Module 1: Introduction
NATE: Hi. I’m Nate. I served in the First Battalion Third Marines, and I thought that experience would prepare me for anything.
But when I came home, it… wasn’t what I expected. I felt like a stranger to my family and friends… I had to fill out a lot of VA paperwork, find an apartment, apply to schools… the list seemed endless, and it was getting to me.
I just assumed the stress was part of civilian life, something I had to push through. So I sucked it up, started my first semester. It was… well, I couldn’t concentrate, I could barely sleep, so… it was a disaster.
Lucky for me, one of my buddies from the Student Veteran Organization had my back. He could see just what was going on and talked to me about getting help. And it turns out my anxiety wasn’t just a part of life and it wasn’t just personal weakness… it was a problem that I could do something about.
Things aren’t perfect now… I mean, I still have to deal with my stuff when it comes up. But now I have the tools I need to do it. I’ve come a long way since then… and I’ve thought a lot about how, on active duty, we succeeded because we were looking out for each other. Now that I’m doing better, I see some of my friends struggling like I did, and I want to help them the way my buddies helped me.
Looking out for your buddies isn’t always simple or easy… but a few basic tactics can take you pretty far. A big one is staying alert. Specifically, look for patterns of negative behavior, look for changes in behavior, and trust your gut.
So, you'll hear from three of my buddies who might need an assist. Let’s find out what’s going on with them.