Stories of Hope: Action Steps

1. Name What You Are Still Carrying
   • Most veterans have never said out loud—to another human being— exactly what they brought home from combat.
   • Not to perform it. Not to relive it. But to name it.
   • Find one safe person this week—a spouse, a friend, a counselor— and say one true thing you have been carrying alone.
     • Naming it is the first step to not being owned by it.
2. Reach Out for Veteran-Specific Support
   • General counseling is good.
   • But trauma-informed care built specifically for veterans is better.
   • The Veterans Crisis Line: call or text 988, then press 1.
   • The VA’s PTSD treatment programs—including evidence-based therapies like Cognitive Processing Therapy and EMDR.
   • Team Red White and Blue, Mission 22, and Give an Hour are nonprofit organizations specifically built to support veteran mental health and connection.
   • You fought for this country. You are allowed to ask it for help in return.
3. Find Your Brotherhood Again
   • The military gave you something most civilians never find— people who would die for you.
     • That kind of bond does not have to end when the service does.
   • Find a veterans group in your area.
   • Reconnect with someone you served with.
   • Build a community of people who understand what you carry because they carry it too.
4. If You Love a Veteran—Show Up
   • Jerry stepped off a plane to an empty room.
   • Do not let the veteran in your life come home to silence.
   • You do not have to have the right words.
   • You do not have to fix anything.
   • Just be there. Show up.

Additional Resources:

• Gain Exclusive Access to Athena’s Book Launch Updates, Pre-sales, and Promotions!
• Download the Season 5 Resource Guide!
• Non-Profits for Veterans:
  • Team Red, White & Blue
  • Mission 22
  • Give an Hour
• Veteran’s Crisis Line: Call or Text 988 then press 1