We said 'Happy Memorial Day', but was It "Happy?
On Memorial Day we honor the ones who died in active military service, and we meditate on those that have sacrificed for us. Fortify Wellness thought about all the Veterans we have today struggling with depression, mood disorders, PTSD, and anxiety on a daily basis. Approximately 50% of Veterans are diagnosed with a mental illness.
Wartime deployments can result in witnessing severe injuries, violent deaths' and this trauma can result in intrusive thoughts, sleeping difficulties, flashbacks, unless treated by a professional. Suicide rates of active military members are at an all time high with suicide increasing by 25% since 2020.
One of my personal heroes is my cousin Erik, West Point graduate, Bronze Medal recipient, served in Afghanistan, and wrote a book called "Un-American, A Soldiers Reckoning of our Longest War". On the forefront, the book was essentially a manifesto of his time over in Afghanistan, and about the cost of war. However, what I heard was this underlining deep pain from the terror he witnessed, potentially the feeling of betrayal by the powers at be, and a grieving period for the early adulthood he lost to fight in a war, with zero return on investment.
In early adulthood a young man full of promise and hope enrolls in the army, and leaves with the weight of mental wellness problems.Young men go to war before they are legally old enough to rent a car in the United States. At age 25 you may rent a car, which is the same age scientists say that your prefrontal cortex fully develops. The prefrontal cortex is essentially the region of your brain that is the forefront for all executive brain functioning. This emotional turmoil, specifically, struggling with PTSD prior to the brain fully developing can cause significant changes in the brain. Trauma induced changes can lead to cognitive impairment, emotional dysregulation, difficulty focusing, learning disabilities, difficulty managing anger, aggression and sleep disturbances without the professional care. Fortify wants to help.
Fortify as a brand is committed to not only spreading awareness for mental wellness issues, but also communicating in a direct way about how we can help advocate for others. This Memorial Day didn't feel "happy" because we have a lot of work to do to break the stigma for mental wellness, and to advocate for those who fought for us.
Remember many emails ago, I talked about the cousin studying at Oxford that helped me create my very first business plan when I was in college? Yes, that was Erik, he went on to become a consultant for some elite companies in the world. Erik was one of the first people I called with my idea for my company. In my 800 square foot dorm I asked him " So what should I call this company?" After a pause he goes "what about Fortitude?" Embarrassingly, I actually had no idea what it meant so I looked it up, and the definition read " to have courage during pain or adversity". Of course we know the company transitioned to "Fortify" because it felt more like an action or a feeling, but that was the perfect name for my business. That title would become the compass as we continue to scale the company. Erik is a classic example of honor, both innate and also probably a value of his he developed overseas. I don't think he realized that he not only served the country, but he would later serve me during one of the hardest points in my life. It did not matter where he was in the world, Erik was a phone call away.
There is no one that lives out Fortitude more than Erik, and on this Memorial's Day weekend it was spent thinking about ways Fortify can support Veterans as they heal, and continue on to live incredible lives. The reality is that cook outs on the long weekend is not honoring Veterans, we need to work collaboratively as a Fortify community to put plan to action to help improve the quality of their lives.
We have been getting so much feedback that you enjoy Fortify's direct communication, and in true Fortify fashion here are two specific ways you can support Veterans or those struggling with mental wellness.
1. Check out Erik's book on Amazon, we included the link below.
2. Know a Veteran or someone struggling? Have them subscribe to our newsletter for resources, link below.
Thank you Veterans for your act of service, and we are here to support you throughout your wellness journey. It is okay to ask for help, and you are not alone.
Life will get better,
Bettina
Sources:
Veterans Affairs Gov
The words are entirely the thoughts of Bettina G. Mahoney, the Founder/CEO of Fortify Wellness, and do not necessarily reflect the company Fortify Wellness or the author of "Un-American, A Soldiers Reckoning of Our Longest War".
