Women Veterans Describe Sources of Support
Kelley: Even though that we served as well as men and we want to be looked at equally and the same, we are different. We have different challenges, physically and mentally. There's just something different about the level of care that we need. And when I go into the women's clinic, I'm there because I'm a woman veteran, and they treat me as such. So, to walk in somewhere where you feel comfortable with other people who have similar experiences just because they are women, it takes a lot of that anxiety and anxiousness away.
Jennifer: I ended up getting another female doctor, and it took a little while, but I finally opened up to her and somebody could hear me for once, and I could just let go. I went in there and I just screamed and yelled and cried, and I didn't even know what half of what I said was or why I said it. I just got it out, and she let me cry. This was a release and there was no judgment, and she wasn't trying to fix me. She was just listening to me.
Nadine: The group was a support group, and it was really cool because we all felt empowered, because there was other women like us that had experienced the same thing. There are other people involved, and instead of just having a one-on-one with a therapist... Usually when you're having a one-on-one with a therapist, you're getting a professional person's input on how to do things. In group, you have other people that may think a little bit different than you and give you some advice, but it's also somebody who's been through what you've been through, so it comes from a different point of view. It's like safety in numbers, so to speak, and we're developing relationships that we haven't had before of other people that you can identify with.
Kelley: You have to be more responsible for your own care, and then try, try again.
Jennifer: With therapy, I was able to not only find my true self, but also find my true happiness. Now I'm a good mom and I'm a good wife and I'm a good friend.
