“Seeking help is not a sign of weakness” A Veteran’s reflections on healing and hope
By Gregory House, Public affairs specialist
While serving his country as an Army paratrooper in the 90s, a soldier became a survivor after experiencing Military Sexual Trauma.
The Army Veteran is sharing his story anonymously now, during Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month, with a specific goal: to inspire other Veterans to take the first step toward care.
“Like many Veterans from that era, I carried my experience quietly,” he said. “There wasn’t the awareness or discussion that exists around military sexual trauma today.”
Military sexual trauma, or MST, refers to sexual assault or harassment experienced during military service. Veterans who experience MST may face long-term effects, including challenges with mental health, relationships and overall well-being, but some of the best treatment is available with the VA.
“The types of providers we hire at the Salt Lake VA are truly outstanding,” said Dr. Amber Martinson, clinical Psychologist and MST Coordinator at VA Salt Lake City Health Care System (VASLCHCS). “We only hire doctoral level psychologists or licensed clinical social workers.”
At the VASLCHCS, MST-related care is provided in a range of settings. Providers focus not only on addressing trauma, but on helping Veterans regain a sense of control and stability in their lives.
“The first couple of sessions could feel more distressing than what the Veterans are used to because the default mode for people is avoidance because we don’t want to think about our pain or our trauma,” Martinson said. “But in the long term, it’s that avoidance that actually perpetuates pain and anxiety and trauma.”
Martinson’s goal is to help Veterans feel safe and assured that, if they continue their treatment, they will see improvement.
“I always promise people ‘I’m going to leave you better than I found you’,” she said.
For the Veteran, starting treatment was not a single decision, but a process. It required confronting experiences he had spent years trying to manage on his own.
“One of the realities many Veterans face is one of the hardest parts of seeking help, it wasn’t just acknowledging what happened, it was finally having to write it down and talk about it years later,” he said. “I was poking around and found a male MST Survivor group and that’s how I found out there are services available”
The Veteran continued that treatment did not erase what happened, but it changed how much control it had over his life.
“It created a sense of safety for me that I hadn’t felt around this issue,” he said. “I think just seeing how they were working to their own healing, with their courage and strength, it just helped me realize that I could approach it in a way that felt right for me. It gave me the confidence to start addressing it more directly and eventually seek additional therapies”
The process of treatment is difficult because it needs to be difficult to work.
After initial one-on-one therapy sessions, the Veteran found that many situations seemed unsafe prior to therapy, when they were actually harmless.
“When I first got the taste of effectiveness and the camaraderie that I felt back when I was serving, it made me say ‘okay, I took a step, now show me more,’” he said.
Each April, Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month highlights both the prevalence of sexual violence and the importance of prevention and support. Within the VA, it is also a time to emphasize that care is available to every Veteran who needs it, regardless of when the trauma occurred.
For this Veteran, sharing his experience is part of that effort.
He knows there are others who are still where he once was: unsure whether treatment will help, or whether it is worth the risk of opening up.
His message to them is direct.
“Seeking help is not a sign of weakness, my brothers and sisters,” he said. “It’s actually a sign of strength. Therapy is not reliving trauma; it is about understanding yourself better. It is about moving forward and even if it’s just an inch, it’s moving forward in a healthier way.”
If you know a Veteran struggling with the effects of MST, talk to your primary care team or go to https://mentalhealth.va.gov/SAAPM to find support.