Invisible Wounds: The Mental And Emotional Rehabilitation Of Our Nation's Heroes

On 19 March, 2004, an AH-6 Little Bird pilot and instructor with the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR), CW4 (R) Greg Coker, was shot down south of Fallujah. His resulting traumatic brain injury changed me mentally, emotionally and physically, he says. 11 combat tours and 14 surgeries later he still believed like most elite forces that he was immortal. Now, after years of painful recovery: mentally, emotionally and physically, he knows, teaches and advises others on his crusade to help those who have helped our country and want to serve in the general population.

SFC Green Beret Andrew Marr knew he had multiple traumatic brain injuries (TBI) over the years, but his performance was never an issue and he says he was never a liability to his team team. However, after seeing four of my Green Beret buddies commit suicide in 16 months, I knew we had a problem, and I had a problem. He turned to numerous primary care physicians (PCPs), neurologists, endocrinologists and even psychologists before he decided to learn more about brain injuries and methods of diagnosis and treatment that didnt need months of waiting for an appointment and testing.

After being shot 27 times at close range by Al Qaeda, Navy SEAL Sr. Chief Mike Day knows about sacrifice for his country and his three ladies at home. He also, now, knows that the whole body is a system. I was a skeptic of my new care, but the tests dont lie, and I am all in on trying to take care of myself and my family. Mike also continues to push himself every day by training for the Ironman 70.3 in Florida (which he is currently raising money for), benefiting the Carrick Brain Center and mental health treatment for veterans.

Non-Invasive, Non-Pharmaceutical, Team-Based Care

At its facilities in Dallas, Texas, the neurologist-based team at Carrick Brain Centers works day and night to maximize healing and treatment for veterans suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), TBI and concussions. They also work with athletes, seniors and youth from around the country who are battling with brain-related injuries and disorders, but with a focus on our nations warriors and their invisible wounds.

Like the teams that veterans become accustomed to on the battlefield, the mission at Carrick is described by Greg Coker as mutually supporting. According to him, the Special Forces that have previously visited Carrick Brain Centers tell you how much trust and word of mouth count amongst his peers, most of whom the general public do not know exist. He admitted that before his time at Carrick he viewed a trip to the psychologist as a stamp across the forehead that said Crazy. Now, he shares his treatment plan and open gratitude with anyone who expresses needing help finding the resources and mentorship for integration back onto the battlefield or into civilian life.

Ive seen it all throughout the years, says Mike Day, EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing), art therapy; the same treatments and the same results over and over. It usually ends in assigning medications and more medications. But really, all we want is to have increased function and capacity. He believes by identifying specific parts of the brain that have been injured and targeting those with therapy, he can regrow and retrain his neural pathways without the massive medications his previous doctors have prescribed.

Treatment Plan

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Invisible Wounds: The Mental And Emotional Rehabilitation Of Our Nation's Heroes