Changing the tune and creating new melodies.

My name is Danielle and my husband is a combat veteran who served in OIF and suffers from severe PTSD. The journey we have been on for the last 13 years together is challenging at best and impossible at worst. I have been through it, I have learned from it, I survived it, I almost did not survive it, I know where the gaps are, I know it is confusing, painful, frustrating, and a moment by moment grind.

I know it is hard to find a friend who understands, a professional who knows what to do, an organization that will support you, and even harder to connect with a community that can heal you! I know the feeling of being forgotten, the isolation, the loneliness, the burden of caring and needing to be cared for. I know what it's like to look in the mirror and not know the person staring back at you, wondering if this is even worth it. I know we are always sacrificing our own needs for the needs of our loved ones. I know we are full of compassion, always putting others first, and quietly wondering when will it be time for me? 

My friends, the time is now. It is time to remember that we matter. It is time to raise our voices and be heard. The Unsung Heroes Support Group is the vehicle of change and our mission both online and at our in person meet ups is to build resilience in our community of those caring for our veterans, especially those with PTSD. Together we will master our ability for a stronger mentality, positive emotional regulation, and internal locus of control. We will develop our problem solving skills and practice self-compassion and self-acceptance all through a solid network of supportive people. 

This is important to me for many reasons but undoubtedly because I believe we can do more to SAVE VETERAN LIVES. and that is to SUPPORT VETERAN WIVES. When the deployment ends and the discharge papers are signed, for most married service members it soon becomes the wife who leads the charge in many of the support efforts veterans are in need of without ever getting support themselves.
For those of you who have journeyed down this path you know the depths of this responsibility can often lead to broken relationships, broken homes, and broken lives. I believe with the proper support, education, and community involvement we have the power to change future outcomes for transitioning service members.

Together we will change the tune, and create new melodies! We all have a song written on our hearts. Now it is up to us to sing it! I hope to see you join us both online and in person as we empower each other to bring ourselves back to life!

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