Veterans who have served our country often can experience a difficulty transitioning back to civilian life once they get home. Now, there is a retreat designed specifically to address the issues that those veterans might be facing.
The US Mountain Ranger Association, out of Dahlonega, is hosting a free retreat March 29-April 3 at Camp Jabez in Blairsville for any military members who would like to participate in a program designed just for those who could use some compassionate understanding, along with some resourceful tools to readjust. This retreat, called “Unstoppable,” is designed and written by other vets from Valor Clinic Foundation. It targets those with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), as well as those who just wish to transition back to civilian life.
Bob Williams, chairman of the US Mountain Ranger Association says that those who are struggling to transition back to civilian life could have served last year or twenty years ago. The amount of time that has passed since serving doesn’t really matter. “A lot of times it can cause conflict in a workplace, or within a home, when a veteran comes home from serving. Those around them don’t seem to understand that they have operated very differently in the military and sometimes those vets don’t know how to turn it off.”
The retreat is open to anyone from any branch of the military, male or female, who would like to attend. The goal is to focus on the whole veteran-not just their service, but all the way back to their childhood. Williams says that what is taught and seen from an early age can greatly affect a veteran and how they relate to the experiences around them. “What we are learning is that how a person copes with trauma – from horrific to subtle traumas they may have experienced in the military- very much goes back to the way they were taught as a child.” Some of the program focuses on the childhood of each individual as they look at the family tree – including things like drug and alcohol abuse in the family. “We really want each individual to look at their family history and discover how they can change those family patterns,” says Williams.
Another important aspect is setting goals. At the end of the retreat each participant will have the chance to compile a “Life Plan” that is comprised of such categories as “financial,” “emotional,” and “physical,” among others.
The retreat is very private, and personal. It’s a small group – the goal is to have between six to eight participants. “It’s also really important that each person that comes know that what is said here, stays here,” emphasizes Williams.
It’s also important to note, though, that a vet doesn’t have to be in crisis to come. Williams says that any vet will get something out of the program. “You can be as happy as can be, and just want to come figure out ways to help other vets, and learn a little something about yourself along the way. It’ll be a great opportunity to fellowship together with other soldiers,” he says.
Williams really hopes that other vets will find ways to continue serving alongside one another in the trenches of life. “There’s a lot of programs out there, but this one is different in that it is built by veterans, using research based materials, by vets who have been in armed conflict and experienced those things that cause so many of our veterans problems back home,” he says.
All participants will leave the program with a ton of resources to take with them, from books and materials to personal contacts of those they can stay in touch with. “After this retreat, they will come home with a better understanding of their family, patterns in their family and leave with a life plan,” says Williams.
For anyone who wishes to register, the deadline is March 23. To register, or for more details, they can contact Bob Williams by email at [email protected] or by phone at 706-400-2765.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2020/3/887750/veterans-in-the-trenches-of-life-together-at-upcoming-north-georgia-retreat