Veteran Mental Health And Operation Overwatch

Army combat medic veteran Adam Fluegel talks about answering the call for medics after 9/11, running patrols during the first Iraqi elections, losing a brother-in-arms in his first real trauma case, and coming home with no decompression. To hold it together, he leaned on alcohol, hydrocodone, and Adderall, which fueled anxiety, insomnia, paranoia, and eventually a stay in a psychiatric ward.

He then walks through the night, he took his pistol from the safe, and almost ended his life before the thought of his daughters pulled him back. That choice started him on the path of PTSD recovery through journaling, facing memories from Iraq, and using medication as a tool instead of a crutch. Adam and Scott dig into veteran mental health, suicide prevention, therapy dogs and service animals, and the damage of pretending to be fine at work, then pivot to Operation Overwatch, a veteran nonprofit and app that connects vets and veteran nonprofits for community, PTSD support, fly-fishing and skydiving groups, GI Bill-backed scuba therapy, and more.

Timestamps:

• 00:04:45: From Baghdad streets to a calm warehouse floor
• 00:13:25: The first IED and losing a brother in his care
• 00:24:30: Adderall, burnout, and a life spinning out of control
• 00:31:30: Pistol in hand and the thought that saved him
• 00:40:04: Operation Overwatch and a new way to find your people

Links & Resources

• Veteran Suicide & Crisis Line: Dial 988, then press 1
• Follow Adam Fluegel on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1A3KitAG2b/
• Follow Adam Fluegel on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fluegeladam
• Follow Adam Fluegel on LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/adam-fluegel-b14793150

Transcript

View the transcript for this episode.