Mental health, it’s the main reason I started this blog. It started as a quest to improve mine and grew to creating awareness, destigmatizing, and talking about the relevant issues.

Suicide is all around us. It’s a growing issue. The past few years have been difficult on everyone and the isolation imposed on the world exacerbated it.

Does the military make it worse? I think yes and no. For some, the actions taken and tragedy witnessed creates a new issue, but for many the issues of life before service are brought to boil.

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The military attracts people looking for a new start, a family, stability, or an intense distraction. The trauma of their previous life lies just beneath the surface, simmering. When things heat up, the issues begin to boil over.

When a pot of water starts to boil you can turn down the heat and it still boils! People who are struggling mentally may have an improvement in life, their metaphorical heat input decreased, but the issue is already boiling; it takes less energy to keep it boiling. We have to cool things down.

Active intervention!

Trauma doesn’t just resolve. A majority of the time professional intervention is required. Can it be difficult to get care? Sometimes. How easy is it to convince yourself to seek and accept the help you need? I know for me it was hard. Just admitting I needed to talk to someone was a massive battle but once I engaged, the fight was just beginning.

Do Veterans have access to mental health care?
Some do. But even the ones who have registered with the VA and are eligible for care may not be seen due to lack of providers.

It’s sad knowing that so many have committed suicide in the parking lot of a VA medical center. What a commentary on the brokenness of the system.

When I saw the “Stop Soldier Suicide” ad on Facebook I was intrigued and began to research them and look into the cycling fundraiser they were having in July.

Pledge to ride a bike 250 miles in July and raise funds to provide mental health care to veterans

…independent of the VA. The VA isn’t open when you need it anyway. The ER/Urgent Care at my VA closes at 1800. I’ve lost 4 therapists at the VA. I stopped seeking mental health care there because I was tired of building relationships and starting over with someone new.

This month has been difficult. Life has been getting in the way of my riding.
I was a Marine for a reason- I don’t know how to do things the easy way. I don’t want to ride a stationary bike and rack up easy miles (same with the road if I can help it).

Mountain biking has been a massive part of my mental self care over the last two years. Thanks to my friend Mike for turning me on to it. I used to be a trail runner but after my feet were surgically reconstructed that went away. Mountain biking (MTB) has gotten me back into the woods, on the trails, and healthier.

I’m not at my riding goal yet, I’ve only ridden 175 of my 250 miles. Right now I’m sitting in a hotel in Colorado, getting ready to ride MTB but it’s a fun clinic, not long mileage days. There will be some long rides to finish, but I will meet my goal, even if it means riding at 2330 on July 31.

Could you spare $1?

Almost everyone can. Please consider donating a dollar, I’m not joking, just one. If a million people decided to give a dollar to a cause, that would be a powerful force for good. Small acts of kindness go a long way, their ripples felt by many you’ll never know.

Do you have a story about your mental health journey you’d like to share with Mental Grenade and its audience?
Email: drew@mentalgrenade.com

See you on the trail!

-Drew OUT.