Retired Green Beret Teddy Lanier made an appearance on the Today Show which has brought to light a subject that has remained in the shadows for a number of reasons. He reached out for treatment for his addiction issues, which resulted from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) stemming from 22 years he spent in the U.S. Army. With a hand up from Warriors Heart—a privately funded treatment center based in Bandera, Texas—this veteran fought one of the toughest battles of his life and has come out the victor.
Lifestyle
Green Beret Shares How Texas Treatment Center Saved his Life
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Photo: Facebook/Warriors Heart
Based in the Texas Hill Country, Warriors Heart works to provide PTSD, addiction, and chemical dependency treatment for veterans such as Lanier, first responders, and those who are active military. If you’re 18 or over and fit that description, the center can provide you with inpatient treatment for chemical dependency, alcohol abuse, and co-occurring psychological disorders which are related to PTSD and Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (MTBI).
Photo: Facebook/Warriors Heart
Lanier’s experience with the program resulted from a successful military career but a difficult transition into civilian life. He felt that as a family they managed quite well, but as an individual veteran, he wasn’t handling things so easily. To cope, he became dependent on drugs and alcohol, telling today.com, “…not only to deal with the average normal day stressors… but also dealing with unprocessed trauma that I didn’t know how to deal with.” By February of 2017, he knew he was in a precarious state and reached out to Warriors Heart.
The organization treats “active military, veterans, firefighters, police, EMTs, and active members from across the United States that belong to organizations that protect and serve the citizens of the United States.” They also established the Warriors Heart Foundation, created for the purpose of helping those “warriors who don’t have insurance or need assistance in the costs of treatment (all levels of care).” It’s a process that has worked for Lanier and countless others.
Photo: Facebook/Warriors Heart
With 40 beds, this residential treatment center specializes in co-occurring disorders (meaning dual – or having substance abuse issues as well as mental health concerns). Warriors Heart works to stabilize and treat the substance use together with its co-occurring psychological matters, paying special attention to PTSD and MTBI, in addition to unresolved grief or loss and moral injury.
Photo: Facebook/Teddy Lanier
Without the help of Warriors Heart, Lanier wouldn’t be here, he told The Today Show. “I’d be dead. Make no mistake about it,” the veteran said. He’s been in recovery for 22 months as a result and has expressed an immense desire to pay it forward and help veterans heal. He felt he was untouchable in his professional life, yet a train wreck in his everyday life, and when his issues collided, he hit a wall and realized he’d found rock bottom. He wanted to put as much effort into actively living as opposed to simply existing. He explained that the first words Warriors Heart says to those they assist are, “Welcome home.” Lanier said they literally gave him the tools to live and though it wasn’t easy, it was specialized for him and his counterparts – warriors. Like one of the show’s anchors stated, his story will give you chills. The treatment center has established a dedicated toll-free number at 888-378-1474, as well as direct text service, the link for which are provided here.
