I tried to schoolyard-taunt an AI language model once. My wife wasn’t home. I was bored and had to find another outlet for my childish male energy. So, I took jabs at Grok’s sexual orientation and its mother. I got no traction. “Bold of you to assume I’m gay, and have a mom who was […]
Mental Health
Posted inReflections
A Marine Walked Into Rehab Like He Owned the Place, But Learned You Can’t BS a Horse
No one ends up in rehab on a winning streak, but my collapse had been pretty spectacular. I had gone from one of the most powerful political figures in San Diego to a complete outcast. I was unfaithful in my marriage, which morphed into accusations that flattened everything in their path. While the accusations were […]
Posted inNewsroom
‘Sounds Like a Mutiny.’ Secret Recording Exposes Claims of Toxic Leadership After a Marine’s Suicide
Active-duty service members and veterans thinking of harming themselves can get free crisis care. Contact the Military Crisis Line at 988, then press 1, or access online chat by texting 838255. People who are not in the military can also call 988. “Who knows what was going on in Cpl. Mobley’s personal life?” The question […]
Posted inReflections
Military Suicide Prevention Training Did Not Prepare Me for the Deaths of My Friends
When I think of suicide, I don’t think of annual training slides, 22 pushup challenges, or the “thoughts and prayers” from social media posts. Instead, I think about the phone call with my mom. I think about needing to call her because I had just been told that my friend had taken his own life. […]
Posted inNewsroom
Mental Health Issues Plague New Moms in the Military. The Pentagon Is Supposed to Help
Shawna Bush had been blissfully ignorant during her pregnancy: happy, excited, and expecting the best out of motherhood. It took just two days for the wrecking ball of postpartum depression to demolish her joy and leave her sobbing on the couch. “It hit me like a train,” Bush said. “I was not expecting any of […]
Posted inReflections
Desperate for Help, a Marine Battles Phone Trees, Hold Music, and Indifference
I started calmly. Politely, even. The first recording asked me to select from a list of options. I listened to all of them. Pressed the numbers that seemed closest to what I needed. Thank you. Please hold while we transfer your call. Vivaldi played for a few minutes. The next recording asked me to describe […]
Posted inNewsroom
‘I Felt Like a Factory Worker.’ Why VA Psychologists Are Burning Out
Each year, the Department of Veterans Affairs’ internal watchdog sends a survey to all 139 of the agency’s medical centers coast to coast with a straightforward question: Which jobs have severe staffing shortages? In fiscal year 2025, the responses raised alarm: VA health care facilities reported more than 4,400 severe staffing shortages—a 50% hike from […]
Posted inReflections
He Hunted Roadside Bombs in Iraq. Now He Hunts Adventure to Combat PTSD
Over the last quarter-century, especially since the war on terrorism began, the United States has produced a quiet army of combat veterans. Many carry injuries you can see: shrapnel wounds, limps, missing appendages. Others carry scars you cannot: the flinch at fireworks, a 3 a.m. stare at the ceiling, the sudden urge to check the […]
Posted inNewsroom
Finding Solace In Chickens: One Veteran’s Fight To Save His Flock and Mental Health
Cats and dogs were out when Iraq war veteran Todd Combs considered pets as a way to cope with the crushing impact of his military service. Like thousands of other former servicemembers, he struggled with depression, PTSD, and suicidal thoughts, but his family’s allergy issues prevented him from bringing a furry companion into their home […]
Posted inNewsroom
A Veteran’s Search for Healing Led to an Ibogaine Trip and an Epiphany: ‘I’ve Got to Let It Go’
This story was supported by the Pulitzer Center. Marc Dervaes sat straight-backed in a circle of 10 men at a clinic in Tijuana, Mexico. The glass window behind him looked out on a pool deck and the Pacific Ocean beyond. Inside, sunglasses masked his eyes and a beard grew down to his chest. His blank […]
Posted inNewsroom
Are You a Veteran Struggling to Get Mental Health Care? These Resources May Help
A list of free or low-cost mental health resources for veterans who struggle to get care from Veterans Affairs.
Posted inNewsroom
‘I Feel Lost.’ Anxiety Grows Among Veterans Cut off From VA One-on-One Therapy
Veterans told The War Horse that therapy session limits are damaging their mental health. VA says it works with veterans to create care plans.
