Sometimes HOPE can be found simply by recognizing the need to ask for help.
When Sarah Dale’s husband John, an Army National Guard veteran, returned home after serving in Iraq, their happy reunion quickly turned cold as the fog of PTSD, depression, and suicidal ideation set in. While fighting for answers and the care her husband desperately needed, Sarah could feel her marriage falling apart.
Between her new role as caregiver and the added stress of her marriage, Sarah was so consumed that she forgot to take care of herself and suffered from secondary PTSD. That is when she made the “life-altering” decision to attend her first HOPE caregiver workshop, a decision that inspired her to seek help and pursue her passion for art.
After gaining the courage to seek help for herself, she had the courage to save her marriage, despite having already started the divorce process. Together, she and John attended a marriage workshop, called a Love Reboot. It wasn’t an easy weekend. They had very deep hurts to face and heal. They decided instead of continuing to listen to fear, to be brave and choose love. Those two words shaped and defined their future. From that day, they have worked together to pay forward the support they have received and give hope to other military couples facing the fog.
Today, John and Sarah are living their lives PTSD free. To read more of their story, visit
https://www.hopeforthewarriors.org/newsroom/resilient-love-weathering-the-storm/