I served for 8 years in the U.S. Army Airborne Infantry and after my honorable discharge, I made the decision to go into nursing where the focus would be on helping people, instead of hurting them. My time in the Army and now my struggle with the VA has instilled within me a desire to help my fellow veterans receive the best healthcare possible and to help them understand the value of taking care of themselves both physically and mentally. During my time in the Army, I not only witnessed but took part in the culture of 'just rub some dirt on it' and 'feelings/emotions are weakness', and though these mentalities have a place in the dire situations and circumstances of training and warfare, they should not extend past those realms and until more servicemembers realize this, I intend to do my part to help other veterans. After leaving the Army I found myself dealing with an issue that is very familiar to veterans and one that is severely undertreated due to the stigma associated with mental health. I had: difficulties adjusting to civilian life, anxiety in crowds and closed-off spaces, problems with falling and staying asleep, and difficulty making friends and developing relationships; it took me roughly nine months of suffering through these before I finally broke down enough to see a therapist. After the help that I had received from my therapist, I knew that my future was in helping other veterans. My therapist helped me to realize that what I needed was: God, family, and community; that with these and time the issues that plagued me would subside, and after more than two years, his words ring true for me. I know that what helped me will help many others and that is why I have chosen the path to help people others, starting as an RN. I am currently in my final year of RN school after which I will work full-time for the VA and continue my education with the ultimate goal of becoming a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. The healthcare industry relies on drugs as a first-line treatment for mental health disorders; as it worked for me, I believe that open and honest talk therapy should be the first step in healing for many of the issues that plague veterans. I believe that my background of combat arms in the Army will help my fellow veterans to see that therapy and speaking openly about one's feelings and hardships is beneficial and necessary for true healing to begin, and to dispel the stigma that many feel with regards to therapy.