A new documentary highlights the powerful recovery stories of active-duty service members, veterans and first responders this PTSD Awareness Month.
“Healing Warriors” explains Warriors Heart 42-day on-site healing program and how it was created to help warriors struggling with addiction and PTSD, depression, suicide ideation, and other co-occurring issues - and their loved ones.
“Our new documentary emphasizes why Warriors Heart was created to help solve the problem of the unacceptable averages of 22 veteran suicides per day and one first responder suicide every 25 hours, which includes law enforcement officers, firefighters, EMT/paramedics, FBI, and CBP in the United States drove the mission behind this `training program’ and even with these high suicide numbers, warrior suicides are likely underreported,” said retired Army Green Beret and Warriors Heart president/co-founder Tom Spooner.
Lisa Lannon, a former law enforcement officer and Warriors Heart co-founder, explains in the film how she gave her husband Josh, Warriors Heart co-founder/CEO, an ultimatum to get sober or their marriage was over.
After Josh got sober, the couple started their first addiction healing centers in Arizona and Utah. The challenge was that it mixed civilians and first responders together in treatment.
When the Lannons realized there was a need for a program that exclusively serves warriors, they joined forces with Spooner to open Warriors Heart in 2016.
“I’ve done a lot of hard things in my life,” said Spooner. “To date, the hardest thing I ever did was early sobriety in my 20s because I was trying to change my whole life, all my behaviors, some people, places and friends, I had to get rid of. And I was still in the military.”
Spooner said he has struggled with both PTSD and injuries and has had suicidal ideation since retiring from the Army in 2011 following 21 years of service and deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq.
“The film highlights our team’s inspiring mission to bring one million warriors home by helping clients rebuild their lives as sober, confident warriors,” he said.
The feature-length documentary includes moving recovery stories and how the Warriors Heart evidence-based treatment and mind, body, and spirit electives help warriors heal.
Along with each individual having two licensed clinicians - one for addiction and one for their co-occurring issue - Warriors Heart clients can choose electives such as fishing, hiking, canine therapy, equine, wood shop, metal shop, gym and more at its ranch locations in Texas and Virginia to help them learn new skills and process their recovery.
The film closes with the Warriors Heart team sitting by the fire pit with special songs being played, including “Cry of the Wounded” and “Long Way Home.” The lyrics were written by warriors, including Spooner.
And with 22 chairs sitting around the fire pit at both locations to represent the 22 veteran suicides per day, that’s where “the magic happens” because the warriors can share reflections on the day and their healing.
Anyone can now watch “Healing Warriors” for free online on Make Ready TV, and soon on Amazon.
Spooner has a message to anyone who wants to contact Warriors Heart either for themselves or a loved one.
“You are not alone,” he said. “Choose life."
Warriors Heart’s 24-hour hotline can be reached at 866-955-4035 and is answered by veterans and former first responders.
To learn more, visit here.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.