Deciding to Take a Chance on Change
Hector fought as an Army Ranger, but his biggest battles were after deployment. From flashbacks that almost cost him his life, to posttraumatic stress, and finally becoming a counselor for veterans himself, Hector learned firsthand about the power of resilience. Find out how he reclaimed his life by getting help from the VA.
Related Videos
Check the VA’s page on Flashbacks to see how the VA can help, including “What are flashbacks?”, “What can I do about it right away?”, and much more.
More Information About Flashbacks
Learn more about what you can do if you are experiencing specific concerns related to flashbacks, from the VA’s sites, such as stress and anxiety, feeling on edge, posttraumatic stress, and effects of military sexual trauma.
National Center for PTSD
ptsd.va.gov provides information, resources, and practical advice for veterans, their family and friends, and the public when dealing with trauma.
After Deployment
afterdeployment.org has wellness resources for veterans and service members, including information and self-help tools for posttraumatic stress and other issues they commonly experience.
Moving Forward: Overcoming Life’s Challenges
Moving Forward is a free online educational and life-coaching program that teaches problem-solving skills to help you better handle life’s challenges. While it’s designed to be especially helpful for veterans, service members, and their families, Moving Forward teaches skills that can be useful to anyone with stressful problems.
Vet Center
If you are a combat veteran, you can bring your DD214 to your local Vet Center and speak with a counselor or therapist, many of whom are veterans themselves, for free, without an appointment, and regardless of your enrollment status with the VA. In addition, any veteran who was sexually traumatized while serving in the military is eligible to receive counseling regardless of gender or era of service. Services are also available for spouses. See va.gov
VA Medical Center Facility Locator
Flashbacks may be related to other health conditions that need attention. The VA provides world-class health care to eligible veterans. Most Veterans qualify for cost-free health care services, although some veterans must pay modest copays for health care or prescriptions. Explore your eligibility for health care using the VA’s Health Benefits Explorer tool and find out more about the treatment options available to you.
Non-VA Local Help
Know A Vet? presents this information and these national resource directories, not as a recommendation of any specific service or provider, but as a starting point for your own research.
Please feel free to use the check sheets Before, During and After the Medical Appointment and Choosing a Medical Service Provider to help you in your search for the best help for your individual circumstances.
In addition, there may be other federal, state and local government or private resources for your individual needs.
VA, Government, and Organization Help
Know A Vet? presents this information and these national resource directories, not as a recommendation of any specific service or provider, but as a starting point for your own research.
Clicking here will bring you to a database of other VA services you can locate by zip code.
Please also check out our page on Filing Claims. We recommend that you do NOT file claims on your own. If you do not file exactly the way the VA looks for information, it can take literally years for your claim to go back and forth before approval or denial.
The other resources listed, such as your local Veterans Service Office (names vary by county), VSO counselor, VFW, etc., will help you determine what you are eligible for and file correctly for results in as little as a few weeks.
Learn More – Get More
Learn more about what it feels like to live your best life. Go to our Self Help page to explore other issues that can bring you “All The Way Home.”
Also, check out the Claims and Appeals topic to maximize compensation and benefits for yourself AND your loved ones.
It’s your turn to get your best life back! You EARNED it with your service!
