CARBONDALE, Colo.—Adam McCabe knows the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder all too well.
McCabe, a 26-year-old Marine veteran of the Iraq war, has been dealing with the disorder since he returned from his second tour of duty in 2006. He found that it was hard to acclimate back into society after having seen the reality of war.
“I’ve been having a lot of struggles the past few years,” McCabe said.
McCabe found that he was pushing those closest to him away, and he had a tough time connecting with people. Life was very different than he remembered.
“I thought that I would be successful in the civilian world because I was successful in the military,” he said. “But there is a big disconnect here. I couldn’t connect with people, family and friends. Not because I didn’t want to, but because everything had changed about me.”
He’s undergone intensive inpatient treatment for PTSD, he said. And now, he’s found solace in talking with other veterans who suffer from the same disorder.
“Once I started talking about it, it was a good thing,” McCabe said.
And now he’s helping other veterans in the Roaring Fork Valley who suffer from the disorder to deal with it head-on.
McCabe started a PTSD support group in Carbondale. The group is not a 12-step program but it is set up as a group-led meeting, similar to other support groups, he said.
“To have a group of guys that have been through similar things, we need that,” McCabe said. “And to be able to come in and share about things that only other combat vets understand is a big thing.”
McCabe is not a therapist. But just being able to talk and listen to others who have been through similar traumatic situations is a big part of dealing with the disorder, he said.
“PTSD affects us in all aspects of our life,” he said. “It manifests into problems. The idea is to talk about what is happening and get some ideas from the others about how to deal with it.”
The suspect in a November bar shooting in Vail that left one person dead and three injured said he was suffering from PTSD stemming from the Vietnam war.
“That one happened close to home, but it’s happening all over the nation,” McCabe said.
McCabe said that incident was not the main reason behind organizing this group. He said not a lot of help available for Carbondale veterans other than traveling to the Veterans Center in Grand Junction, a drive of about 100 miles.
Julie Fuller, a licensed independent social worker with the Veterans Center in Grand Junction, said the Department of Veterans Affairs offers help for PTSD. Fuller makes a trip to Glenwood Springs, about 12 miles from Carbondale, once a month to help local vets with their needs.
Garfield County veteran service officer Joe Carpenter said about 6,000 veterans live in Garfield County, which includes Carbondale, and the neighboring counties of Pitkin Eagle.
However, Carpenter said that as far as he knows, there are no other support groups of this type in the valley, and it is a very good idea to have one.
“It’s a lifelong struggle,” he said.
McCabe said that the benefit of a group meeting is the feedback from others who are going through the same things.
“Just sharing some of the trauma. There is power in giving a voice to it, and hearing other people talk about it,” McCabe said.
Craig Rathbun, a Vietnam veteran and President and CEO of the Fleisher Co. in Carbondale, is helping McCabe facilitate the meetings. Being an “older” vet, Rathbun said he is appreciative of what McCabe is trying to do. That is why he decided to become involved.
“What Adam is doing, putting this together and all the training he’s gotten to facilitate these groups, principally for these Afghanistan and Iraq veterans in our valley, is wonderful,” Rathbun said. “Absolutely wonderful.”
Rathbun said a couple of local Vietnam vets are willing to participate to show the younger vets that there are ways to deal with what they are feeling.
“We understand how so many Vietnam vets lost 20 years of life when they got back to get through it, and some never did,” Rathbun said. “What we know from that experience, to help the Gulf War guys to be able to deal with issues they experienced in violent environments, and to help them transition into our society is a challenge.”
But it’s a challenge that McCabe is taking head on.
