I’m a spouse of a veteran and first responder. When I got involved in 2018 I didn’t know a whole lot about PTSD but I knew something wasn’t right with the man I was married to for 26 years. It made me feel very helpless as a spouse to see him suffer. I didn’t understand it and didn’t have anyone to talk to who was in the same boat. And with that process I was hurting too. That changed when I got involved with TRB. I thought I was just going to help with a great cause and had no idea that I was about to gain a whole new family who means so much to me. I got hope.
What really spoke to me was an approach to learn to live with PTSD. After years of comparing himself with others for trauma and not feeling deserving, it took the ride in 2019 for my husband to reach out for help. Trauma is trauma is trauma and the cause is different for everyone. It took conversations on the ride for him to understand that which was the start of healing.
Because of the ride I no longer feel helpless and I feel immense gratitude. I don’t want to call TRB a support network as to me that doesn’t even come close to what it is. I was adopted by a family of brothers and sisters who lean on each other beyond the three weeks of the ride in August. We have deep conversations, we cry together but we also have a lot of laughs and fun together in our mission. We are a motley crue family and I love every part of our motley crue family reunion.
Maybe you are a spouse, son, daughter, mother, father etc who can relate. Maybe you are a service member who is trying to figure out whether you need help. If you don’t think you need it maybe your family does. You must place the oxygen mask first before assisting others.
Hopefully I’m able to pay forward what TRB has given me.
Blitzkrieg
Carola Singer
The Rolling Barrage Alumni / Service and Support / CMO, The Rolling Barrage PTSD Foundation