Have you ever felt like you or your troops cannot go seek help from mental or behavioral health professionals without it effecting your career? If you feel this way, you are not alone, BUT you deserve to be able to seek help without being chastised or hindered in your career. Listen in to Col Shawn Walrath as he has decided to be a champion for change to begin the process of normalizing mental and behavioral health care in the military so all members of the Armed Forces can receive the help they need.
MENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTHCARE for all in our Armed Forces is a GOOD, IMPORTANT, and ESSENTIAL thing that SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED.
For my sisters and brothers-in-arms of the United States Armed Forces, this is for you… for all of us! The beauty of being at the pinnacle of one's military career and in its twilight years is that you just may find you have more courage and confidence to speak up about things that you should have always been able to speak up about when you felt fairly certain that you would be criticized or scorned.
I am Shawn Walrath. I am an Air Force O-6/colonel. These are matters of public record. And I’m asking for a few minutes of your time.
We SHOULD NOT have NEGATIVE STIGMAS associated with MENTAL and BEHAVIORAL HEALTHCARE! Someone (me) seeking Mental or Behavioral healthcare should be viewed no differently than someone seeking everyday Primary Medical or Dental healthcare. It’s about taking care of oneself and each other!
So, here's that next big step in my career...I choose to be an even stronger advocate for Mental and Behavioral healthcare. I choose to not only lead, encourage, and support others but to LEAD BY MY OWN EXAMPLE! So here it is...
I am a MENTAL HEALTH PATIENT. I am a BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PATIENT. I am a survivor and I am receiving therapy for diagnosed Anxiety Disorder. The specifics are for me and my provider(s). I am also a survivor and I am receiving therapy for diagnosed Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Again, the specifics are for me and my provider(s). I share this NOT for sympathy. Because, I'm all good. My therapy over the past 14 months has helped me a great deal in learning how to change how I think about and how I respond to these challenges. Rather, I share this to REASSURE my fellow service members--my fellow joint warriors--that you too CAN and SHOULD be comfortable in seeking Mental or Behavioral healthcare. I DIDN'T LOSE MY SECURITY CLEARANCE. I WASN'T REMOVED FROM MY JOB OR MY POSITION OF TRUST. I WAS STILL A VERY SUCCESSFUL SQUADRON COMMANDER WHILE SUFFERING MOSTLY ALONE. I'M STILL WORLDWIDE DEPLOYABLE. AND... I'M STILL A STRONG HUSBAND, FATHER, FRIEND, AIRMAN, LEADER, OFFICER, INTELLIGENCE PROFESSIONAL, AND JOINT WARRIOR. AND MOST IMPORTANTLY...THERE IS NOTHING, AND I MEAN NOTHING, TO BE ASHAMED ABOUT!
If you need support, encouragement, or assistance, CALL ON ME. I'M HERE. I will NEVER leave a SISTER or BROTHER-IN-ARMS alone. We're in this TOGETHER, through it all.
I am writing an article on this topic that I started over a year ago. And it will hopefully be published this summer. Please feel welcomed and encouraged to share this blog and podcast on your own social media platform.
Again if you need help and you are unsure of where to start or how to start, call on me. I’m here... for you!
--Sincerely and faithfully yours,SHAWN P. WALRATH, Colonel, USAF (14N / O-6 / Joint Staff J261)
Personal Email: shawn.walrath@gmail.com
Work Email: shawn.p.walrath.mil@mail.mil
DISCLAIMER: The views expressed in this blog are those of the author, Shawn Walrath, and not those of the Department of Defense or the Department of the Air Force or any branch of the United States Armed Forces.