ARTICLE ON MANNY. jsonline.com

Veterans get help surviving the peace

Ernie Mastroianni for the Journal Sentinel

Veterans (from left) Justin Lambness, Manuel “Manny” Mora and Mark Flower stand in front of Dryhootch on E. Brady St.

Dryhootch offers counseling to those returning from war

Posted: July 25, 2010 |(0) Comments

No one could relate to Manuel "Manny" Mora when he returned home from the Iraq war.

His mother couldn't reach him, and neither could his father. Never mind any of his friends.

"I had major anger issues," said the four-year Army veteran, who served in Baghdad for a year.

"They prep you to go to war, but coming back they don't show you how to live afterwards. My friends and family saw a side of me that they never saw before. They were freaked out."

He also didn't recognize himself.

"I ended up being homeless. I had to hustle in the street to make it for another day or week," the 27-year-old confides. "There are some things that I did that I'm not too proud of."

Mora, who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, is among a growing number of new-generation vets returning from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq who are struggling to gain a foothold on life.

Unable to connect with the outside world, Mora and others are turning to those who know them best: other veterans.

"Veterans will talk to other veterans," said Bob Curry, a Vietnam War vet who is one of the founders of Dryhootch.

The nonprofit organization, which serves as a safety net for veterans returning from the combat zone, has a particular eye on preventing suicide.

According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, suicide among young war veterans is on the rise, with 18 veterans committing suicide each day.

Some health experts have attributed the rise in suicide partly to the multiple tours of duty served by many U.S. soldiers deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq - a stressful situation that is different from previous wars fought by the United States.

Mora, who served in the Army's logistics unit, said he was always on edge after returning from war and constantly relived his time on the battlefield.

"I dealt with a lot of near-death experiences," Mora said. "We didn't know who the enemy was. It could have been anyone. Even doing checkpoints, you didn't know who was going to blow themselves up."

Dryhootch, which is now a VA referral agency, provides individual and peer-to-peer counseling, as well as support groups for veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, alcoholism and drug addictions.

Mora, who had a difficult time discussing his time in Iraq with anyone, began opening up for the first time to fellow veterans. "Everything started to turn around for the better from there," said Mora, who now serves as a peer counselor.

Next month, the organization, which had been meeting at the Milwaukee County War Memorial, will move into its own permanent building at 1030 E. Brady St.

The grand opening ceremony will take place at 10:30 a.m. Aug. 28. The building's first floor will house the group's coffee shop where veterans, their families and friends can meet, socialize and have access to a resource database. The second floor will consist of meeting areas for counseling sessions and support groups.

Curry said the coffee house is a key setting and also where the group's name was formed.

"In the early days, veterans established supportive groups built around bars and taverns. Not much was known at the time about the link between PTSD and alcoholism and drug addiction," he said. "We wanted to offer the social healing space that is so important in recovery."

Peter Hoeffel, executive director of NAMI Greater Milwaukee and a member and former chairman of the Milwaukee Mental Health Taskforce, said the organization provides a link that was missing in Milwaukee's mental health arena.

"These individuals have gone through a lot of heavy, traumatic events and they should be supported rather than people turning them away," Hoeffel said. "Dryhootch is really opening up communication and breaking new ground."

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DRYHOOTCH

Mission: Helping our veterans and their families who survived the war, to survive the peace.

Address: 1030 E. Brady St., Milwaukee, 53202

Phone: (414) 763-2785

Web site: www.dryhootch.org

Faces of Hope focuses on Milwaukee-area people who need a hand and the organizations that are helping them. If you have story ideas, e-mail Felicia Thomas-Lynn at fthomas-lynn@journalsentinel.com or call (414) 224-2073

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Comment by gary a staples USMC on July 28, 2010 at 9:29pm: Great article, Great picture, Great men. oorah gary

Comment by Sheila Staples on July 26, 2010 at 5:46pm: I agree, a credit to society to be able to reach out and turn things around. That is courage. Kudos -Manny

Comment by Laura E Ebert on July 26, 2010 at 3:56pm: Proud of you Manny! You are a great example!
Peace and all good, Laura Ebert

Comment by Sheila Staples on July 25, 2010 at 7:07pm: Thank you, great answer. I know someone out there must be paying attention! Stop drinking any alcohol, do not self medicate and call your local VA and seek professional help. Not only will it help you, but those of us that are around you as well. Love, Light & Peace!

Comment by Gunner's Mate Master Chief on July 25, 2010 at 6:37pm: "Comment by Sheila Staples 50 minutes ago Alcohol is probably not good for people suffering from PTSD...right? So if someone has a "bout" or is suffering as of late, they should not drink. I am just asking?"

Ms. Staples,
I would like to answer your question using my personal experience. "DEFINITELY NOT!" When I retired due to injuries, I tried (in vain) to drink my demons away. I can assure you it does not work. Even if I was having a 'good' day, drinking would and did always make it worse. When I was diagnosed with P.T.S.D. and began receiving treatment, the FIRST requirement from the VA was; no self medication <(VA terminology for using illegal drugs, consuming alcohol etc.)

If you know a Veteran Warrior diagnosed with P.T.S.D. and he or she is having difficulty with drug and/or alcohol abuse; try and get them to talk with OTHER VETERAN WARRIORS. Attempting to get them to "get to the VA", more likely than not; will make for a confrontational situation.

I thought I could do it by myself and at first refused to talk to ANYONE, including my Brothers & Sisters-In-Arms. It took a WWII Veteran Warrior that I had never met, to get me headed in the right direction. Now, I am a Volunteer Veterans Benefit Officer and spend the MAJORITY of my time "paying it forward."

I am a 100% Service Connected - Totally & Permanently Disabled American Veteran; and I am SOBER. HOOYAH! If I can help you with anything, please let me know.

Regards,
Master Chief

Comment by Sheila Staples on July 25, 2010 at 6:32pm: Is there a more private forum where these things can be discussed? I have so many questions.

Comment by Sheila Staples on July 25, 2010 at 6:30pm: Yes, I certainly know what you are saying...because it affects everyone around those that suffer or think they suffer from PTSD. We can support and help our friends and family but they are not always capable of stopping themselves from their own bad behavoir...correct? If it is mental illness everything is skewed. And alcohol does not help. I would think it just precipitates or aggravates the mood or situation. So if one is suffering a lot from PTSD and drinking, how can they manage to take care of an eldery person with their own medical issues, for example? Wouldn't that be dangerous?

Comment by bob@dryhootch on July 25, 2010 at 5:42pm: That is the problem with addiction that affects so much of society. It is a medical issue that needs the help of professionals. Too often we can see physical injuries, but issues that affect the mind are often hard to understand.

Comment by Sheila Staples on July 25, 2010 at 5:19pm: Alcohol is probably not good for people suffering from PTSD...right? So if someone has a "bout" or is suffering as of late, they should not drink. I am just asking?