More than 20 veterans commit suicide each day in America. Suffering from Post-Traumatic Disorder (PTSD), thousands of veterans struggle daily, encountering significant roadblocks as they seek to reintegrate with society after completing their service.
Matthew Sanchez knows this struggle. Since being honorably discharged from the U.S. Marine Corps in 2008, Sanchez has personally experienced the debilitating effects of PTSD. He found himself in and out of treatment centers for substance abuse as he battled depression and other roadblocks to his recovery.
"I accepted that this was going to be my life," Sanchez said. "I was unable to be the husband or father that my family needed. Making a change in my life was urgent and I didn’t know where to turn."
During the past 10 years, Sanchez was married, divorced and remarried. He went from job to job, trying to find his true purpose in life, but always ran into the fear of failure, judgment, uncertainty and self- doubt.
Today, however, Sanchez has found himself in a much better situation. He is sober and has a closer bond with his family and friends, and today he is on a mission to help his fellow veterans.
"I’ve learned how to manage my night terrors and PTSD," Sanchez says. "This amazing gift is needed for other veterans who are still trying to get their lives back."
Sanchez says attending a seminar hosted by Tony Robbins was the key to overcoming his grief and despair. "I have had a completely different outlook on life. I have learned that I am in control of my state of mind and the perspective in which I view situations, Sanchez says. "My future doesn’t have to be a consequence of my past but a learning experience in which I can control my destiny, my thoughts and my feelings."
Sanchez wants to help other veterans attend one of Robbins’ seminars so that they can also gain the tools to recovery from the effects of PTSD. He has set up a Go Fund Me page to raise $20,000 to house, feed and pay the admission for 22 veterans to attend one of Robbins’ seminars in November.
So far, Sanchez has raised almost $13,000 to meet his goal. "We have a desperate need to get our deserving veterans the help they need," Sanchez says.
https://www.gofundme.com/gctrk-hope-for-veterans?member=644242&fbclid=IwAR1aBQFltqH2QyAh4Mgn5CPQZ8u1DHRaNG3VzrWwpgpPGw68hcgDwoKEG70
