Testimonials from Former Participants
Why did you participate in Project BRAVE?
"Primarily to help other veterans, because you need information to do that. Plus, I'm one of those veterans who may need a little bit of help, so it just made sense." - Jim
"Being a retired junior leader in the Army, it was imperative to keep helping combat veterans. I felt it was my duty to start with the Project and hoped others would follow in my footsteps." - John Mc
"To help other people understand about some of the mental health issues veterans deal with and let them know it's okay to have it and not be judged about it." - Anonymous
"To get a better understanding of PTSD and help other veterans that are going through it." - Demario
"Because I feel my experience is noteworthy to help other veterans deal with their combat traumas." - Karen
"To provide a voice for PTSD from an LGBT veteran's perspective." - Kevin
Tell us about your experience participating in the project.
"I had some obvious anxiety before the program started…however, when I was in the session and I was with the [Project BRAVE staff] it was far less anxiety provoking than I expected. Plus, I know it was working toward a good cause and helping my fellow veterans." - Jim
"[Participating in the study] brought up things I was trying to suppress, but I was prepared for that. But I chugged through it to help out future soldiers." - John Mc
"I enjoyed participating…The overall experience…[with the staff] was nice and very friendly and very informative and helpful. It helped me pay attention to a lot of things that I was doing in my day to day life… pay attention a little bit more, stuff like that." - Demario
"The staff were awesome, very helpful, and they help try to provide resources if you’re having any kind of episodes. So it was enjoyable." - Anonymous
"It helped me to focus on myself and to better process traumatic experiences that I have avoided dealing with in the past. Project BRAVE challenged me to face my fears." - Karen
"I was kind of nervous at first...but [the Project BRAVE staff] made me feel comfortable." - Anonymous
"There were times it was tedious having to take the tablet home and have it constantly on and have it on my person but it was interesting… I don’t consider myself to have severe PTSD but answering all the questions kind of brought my attention to the level of severity of the symptoms that I did have so that was eye-opening." - Anonymous
What would you say to a veteran who is considering participating in the project but feeling unsure?
"I would tell them to go ahead because it will eventually help other veterans and eventually help himself too. When… we have more people talking about it, we can get a better understanding of what we’re going through. It helps other brothers and sisters in arms and that’s what we do. We’re here to help each other." - Demario
"Go in and talk with [the Project BRAVE staff], so [you] can learn more about it…Go through the steps and if you feel uncomfortable, [the staff] are gonna understand. There’s nothing wrong with stopping something if you’re not feeling comfortable with it." - John Mc
"Just be open on all aspects on every question…It’s kinda like a basic instinct for soldiers to not share their thoughts and to try to keep their feelings to themselves. So just be open to it." - Joseph
"I would tell them to go for it because you get to learn more about yourself – a lot of things you probably didn’t know." - D. Adams
"I would recommend Project BRAVE to another veteran. It is a tool/device that helps you to better accept saying 'I'm not okay'. And I believe awareness is the first step to healing." - Karen
"Do it! You have nothing to lose, and the community has a lot to gain and learn from your experience." - Kevin