I speak with Victor Bencomo, Navy corpsman, father, husband and activist. Victor discusses his military experience deployed as a "green zone" medic in Iraq and imbedded with SEAL Team 17. After returning home Victor began working with the organization Team America helping Afghani service members fleeing from the Taliban immigrate to the United States. Like many veterans, the imbedded trauma and heartbreak of losing friends and colleagues caused Victor to develop PTSD, alcohol dependence andf severe depression. He fortunately found successful treatment through the mental health aid organization "Warrior's Heart" which helped him rehabilitate and heal. Suicide rates-predominantly with a firearm- for military, law enforcement, medical and EMS personnel are at an all-time high, and we are at the precipice of a global health crisis. This imperative has shaped Victor's passion for curbing veteran suicide and taking his activism to the state legislature to champion mental health awareness and sensible gun control. We discuss the value of service and helping others for healing mental trauma, and how we have both found healing in that regard.
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Please follow the podcast in Instagram: @thegritwithdrbenpeery
Please reach out to with any feedback to: @drben0636 on Instagram.
Check out these resources from previous podcast guests for assistance with tracking your mental health, and reaching out for therapeutic assistance:
From today's podcast:
Please follow Victor on Instagram and on his website to help support his mission for raising mental health awareness and legislating for sensible gun control:
https://www.victorbencomo.com/
https://www.instagram.com/victorbencomo_/
Rehabilitation resources for those suffering from addiction and severe PTSD and depression:
https://www.warriorsheart.com/
From Previous Podcasts:
1. Jonathan Wilson and INVI MindHealth have developed an App using smart watch technology to track your daily mental health wellness:
2. From Raul Rivas and his Trauma Behind the Badge podcast episode he shared the inline resource therapy resource:
https://www.lighthousehw.org/
Available on the App Store or on Google Play.
Lighthouse Health & Wellness is an in-hand, on-demand, 100% confidential health and wellness platform available at no cost to our nation's public safety agencies.
Lighthouse was designed to provide your employees and their families anonymous access to your agency's existing health and wellness programs, along with a growing library of the latest educational health and wellness information and tools that have been tailored to the unique needs of those working in public safety.
