VA PTSD treatment gives Vietnam Veteran his life back

Air Force Veteran Dave Hanson had built a life with his wife and two daughters, but he was carrying a not-so-hidden secret: undiagnosed PTSD. The invisible wounds of his service in Vietnam—where his duties included going out in night ambush teams—had not healed. Although he lived in a peaceful, rural setting, with the woods just beyond his back door, Hanson was uneasy.

Growing up, he had enjoyed hunting, but now he couldn’t even walk in the woods because it put him on high alert. The skills he had built in his youth that later served him well during wartime—scanning for movement, being alert to the slightest sound—meant he couldn’t be at ease in nature or at home.

His wife Lindy and daughter Cori were constantly aware of how Hanson never felt safe—he had a 9 mm gun under his mattress, a baseball bat by the front door, and would always check and recheck the locks.

“Vietnam was controlling me,” Hanson said.

When he finally sought treatment at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center, he was scared, desperate and skeptical. His therapist seemed so young, and Hanson wondered if she could really understand what he was going through as an older Veteran.

Quickly won over by her skill and dedication, Hanson threw himself wholeheartedly into a treatment known as prolonged exposure therapy. He faced the memories he had been avoiding for so long, and did it again and again until they weren’t as terrifying. It was tough, but over time it worked. Slowly, he felt Vietnam’s grip easing.

Now, thanks to the care he received at VA, the support of his family and his own determination, Hanson has finally been able to leave PTSD behind. He is proof that it is never too late to seek PTSD treatment.

“It’s been wonderful,” he said. “My treatment has been an absolute return of my life.”

Watch’s Dave’s story at AboutFace, where Veterans talk about how PTSD treatment has turned their lives around. Learn more about PTSD and how treatment can help at the National Center for PTSD website and find a mental health provider at your local VA Medical Center.

If you’re a Veteran in crisis or concerned about one, contact the Veterans Crisis Line to receive 24/7 confidential support. You don’t have to be enrolled in VA benefits or health care to connect. To reach responders, dial 988 then press 1, chat online at VeteransCrisisLine.net/Chat, or text 838255.