Veterans who deal with mental health issues have a tough time after service.

“Drive on,” is what most soldiers are told in the military says veteran Jaron Johnson, who served in two military branches of service (Marines and Army). Most soldiers internalize issues such as PTSD, depression, anxiety, etc. so that they won’t be labeled as weak by their chain of command. There is a stigma attached to certain individuals who deal with mental health issues while serving in the military. Some officers and senior enlisted non-commissioned officers (NCO) believe that you won’t be fit to lead others if you can’t handle your own issues. That usually factors in when it’s time to get promoted to the next rank.

“I have seen plenty of military personnel who would benefit from counseling suppress their issues because they want to get promoted,” said Johnson, who served 20 years in the military. “Keeping those issues inside usually leads to problems once they get out and it spills over into their personal life.”

Johnson experienced that firsthand after an incident with his son while being stationed at Fort Polk, Louisiana. He lashed out angrily at him during a conversation and the scared look on his son’s face let him know that it was time to seek professional help.

“I had to do a self-assessment of myself. It made me realize that I was different, and I knew that I needed help with my anger,” said Johnson.

His military career began after lacking the necessary grades to go to college. Jaron joined the Marine Corp at the tender age of 17 and served for 4 years, before leaving the Corp to go back to be a civilian. It was during this time that he realized he missed the military way of life and enlisted in the Army for another 16 years.

“I was hard headed when I was in the Corp,” Johnson said. So, I decided to get out and start fresh in the Army. Plus, the Navy wanted me to go on a ship at sea and that wasn’t happening, and the Air Force wasn’t taking Jarheads.”

After multiple deployments to Iraq had taken a toll on him mentally and physically, Johnson retired from the Army and began his peaceful life as a civilian. Well, at least that is what he thought. Having masked the fact that he suffered from multiple mental health issues for such a long period of time only made matters worse once they resurfaced. He was taught by his father that you take accountability and responsibility for your own actions. That normally left Johnson scrambling for answers during his time in the Army, but now he couldn’t seem to find them in the civilian world.

“It was to the point where I couldn’t tell if I was going or coming. Waking up every day brought about a new challenge and an old issue I never resolved,” Jaron said as he reminisced over just how far he had come on his path to mental freedom.

Johnson is just one of many veterans, including myself, that deal with mental health issues on a consistent basis. Our pride and military backgrounds are normally roadblocks we build in our minds to handle things ourselves and to use the aforementioned cliché’, “Drive on.”

One obstacle that prevents minority veterans, especially African American men from seeking the proper help when dealing with these issues is they were raised not talk to anyone outside of parishioners and matriarchs of the family. It was against the family rules to tell your business to anyone else. Religion along with suppression played a huge factor when it came to dealing with mental health issues in the community as some believe that prayer and not professional help would solve the problem.

Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health reported that 20% of African American males are more likely to experience serious mental health problems than the general population. That number increases when you combine race and prior military service.

“A lot of African American male veterans don’t seek help once they have retired because they still carry around that mindset of what will others think,” Johnson reiterated. In the Army, it was your superiors. In the civilian world, its co-workers, family, and friends.”

Most Veterans Administration facilities around the U.S. provide counselors and a variation of support groups that will help veterans deal with their mental health issues. That was the step Johnson took and is now doing a lot better when it comes to dealing with his issues. His three sons and fiancé have also helped provide the support he needs to make it through daily. He is pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in business along with honing his culinary art skills to compete in various competitions.

“My advice to people is to talk to your loved ones and good friends,” said Johnson. “My fiancé has been my outlet when I am not having a great day. She has a spin on things that makes me look at my issues in a different light and that helps me.”