Make the Connection
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ national public awareness campaign.
Make the Connection Facebook
Make the Connection Facebook
Make the Connection Instagram
Make the Connection Instagram
Make the Connection YouTube
Make the Connection YouTube
Make the Connection Spotify
Make the Connection Spotify
May is Mental Health Month
May is Mental Health Month
May is Mental Health Month
Hundreds of Veterans speak openly about their mental health hardships, symptoms, treatments, and recoveries. Watch their real stories to help you find your path.
Veteran Stories
Watch Brennae's Story
Watch Brennae's Story
Dining in restaurants, Brennae eyed doors for danger. Outside, the Air Force Veteran couldn’t tolerate anyone walking behind her. Anywhere she went, she ducked at the sound of a closing door. Trying to cope, she resorted to isolation. Then therapy, journaling, and other women Veterans taught her how to deal with stressors and reconnect with people.
Watch John's Story
Watch John's Story
Twice divorced at 23, feeling alone and unsupported by his Marine Corps leaders, John considered suicide. “Who would miss me?” he thought. Mental health care pulled him back from the brink, showing him how to manage life’s challenges. After 20 years of service and the start of a new family, the Veteran shares what he’s gained—and could have lost.
Watch Paul's Story
Watch Paul's Story
Paul tried to repress his combat memory of having to stand by helplessly while an 18-year-old soldier died in a burning Humvee. As the emotional toll inflicted severe damage on Paul’s family relationships, a fellow Veteran’s candid message inspired him to seek treatment for PTSD. Now Paul wants to share that message with everyone.
Watch Michael's Story
Watch Michael's Story
When Michael experienced culture shock and financial hardship in the U.S. after his service, the newly married Marine Veteran from American Samoa felt stressed and suicidal. Just showing up for therapy wasn’t enough. “I had to accept help in order for it to work,” he says. Having learned new ways to adjust, he now enjoys life with his wife and daughters.
Watch JD's Story
Watch JD's Story
When VA therapists first tried to treat the PTSD behind JD’s anxiety, fear, outbursts, and mood swings, she resisted. “I felt like it was a hoax,” she says—her distrust deepened by cultural stigma around therapy. The Veteran explains what convinced her to believe in treatment and why she now urges other Veterans to overcome their hesitancy.
Watch Jenn's Story
Watch Jenn's Story
EMDR therapy and special treatment programs for PTSD and substance misuse gave Jenn better ways to handle the impact of her combat correspondent experiences. Now the Marine Corps Veteran says it’s her weekly chats with a therapist and frequent outdoor activities with other Veterans that keep her recovery on track, and she explains why.
Watch Vernon's Story
Watch Vernon's Story
Following a military training accident, Vernon began to misuse his medication and experience mental health challenges. He reached out to VA, where he found the tools to help live a better life. Now Vernon uses his journey to inspire and motivate his fellow Veterans.
Watch Scotty's Story
Watch Scotty's Story
From just 12 feet away, Scotty’s attacker fired 10 shots at him in Afghanistan, striking the Army infantryman’s shoulder, hip, and thigh. Scotty survived but saw the shooter’s face each night as he tried to sleep. Seeking help, he found that treatments like exposure therapy can help Veterans like him manage PTSD caused by the severest of traumas.
Watch Matt's Story
Watch Matt's Story
Matt couldn’t escape what felt like a big weight on his shoulders. It started after 9/11 while serving in the Navy when he was thrust into a key role in securing one of the world’s busiest ports. After service, he lost his sense of identity and self-worth and sank into depression. Talk and movement therapies lightened his load and lifted his mood.
Watch Paul's Story
Watch Paul's Story
Paul’s healing journey began with his wife’s urgent plea, “I want my husband back,” and with the Army National Guard member’s honesty in his mental health review about the impact of his battlefield experiences. It continued with EMDR therapy and everyday tools for managing PTSD. Now he’s able to leave the battlefield behind and enjoy the present.
Resources for Veterans
Visit Make the Connection
Visit Make the Connection
Connecting Veterans with information, resources, and solutions to issues affecting their health, well-being, and everyday lives.
Watch More Stories From Veterans
Watch More Stories From Veterans
Choose from the options below to find the stories most relevant to you. Sort videos on as many or as few options as you prefer.
Find Mental Health Resources
Find Mental Health Resources
Find the Veteran resources most helpful for you. No matter what you may be experiencing, there is support for getting your life on a better track.
Sign Up for the Make the Connection Email List
Sign Up for the Make the Connection Email List
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