Read Stories > Therapy Helps Veteran Regain Sense of Self After Injury

These days, friends and family members who visit Tiffany had better bring their appetite. “It makes me feel great that I’m feeding life into people,” she says. Cooking is “a labor of love that I can do every day.” It has also helped Tiffany, an Army Veteran, with her depression and PTSD. 

Therapy is another ingredient that has helped Tiffany regain her sense of self. “My life has changed since I got mental health treatment,” Tiffany says. “I was able to get back to me.”

Veteran Finds Renewed Joy After Treatment for Depression and PTSD

Undergoing a rough transition 

Tiffany served in the Army from 2001 to 2012 as an ammunition specialist. She left the service after injuring her neck during Operation Iraqi Freedom. She and another Soldier had been carrying a pallet of missiles when the other Soldier accidentally dropped their end of the pallet. “My neck swung back,” Tiffany says. “And the next day I woke up in my tent, and I could not move.” 

She recalls her transition to civilian life as “a bit tumultuous.” She experienced severe chronic pain after cervical spine surgery. She was also deeply depressed and afraid of what the future might hold for her.  

“What led me to seek mental health treatment was my son,” Tiffany says. “I did not want him to have this example of me being in the bed all day every day, not having a quality of life. So I had to fix myself so I could make sure I could be a great example for him in the future.” 

Getting stronger 

As she went through treatment, Tiffany learned the importance of finding the right therapist: “Someone who sees you and hears you can definitely understand what you’re saying.” The therapy also helped her develop coping skills. “If you change your mind, you can definitely change yourself,” she says.  

Therapy improved Tiffany’s relationships with her family and friends, she says—as well as her relationship with herself. Through therapy, she says, she learned: “I am not my PTSD. I’m not my depression. I’m not my cervical spine surgery. And I am indeed stronger than I was 15 years ago.” 

Sharing the recipe for her success  

Supported by family and friends, Tiffany has now developed her love of cooking into a small business, providing food for specialty events, birthday parties, and anniversaries. “I know that this is something that I enjoy,” she says. “It helps me with my PTSD. It helps me with my depression. It makes other people happy as well.”  

Tiffany is also helping other Veterans with their own transitions to civilian life. “I have a lot of friends who are now getting out of the military, and they come to me for advice,” she says. “So it’s like I can help them with their transition better because I’ve already been there.”