PALMETTO, Fla. — The Department of Veterans Affairs released a 2022 report finding that 17 Veterans died by suicide every day.
For many, adapting to life after war can be the most challenging.
“For years, I lived my life behind a mask and not telling anybody the pain and the struggle that I was dealing with. The war I was fighting internally,” said Sean Brown, Army Veteran.
After 7 years in the Army with 3 deployments to Iraq, Sean Brown came back pretty beaten up both mentally and physically.
“So, I found myself living with TBI on the left side of my brain, traumatic brain injury. I've got a dead spot in the left side of my brain as well. I've had nine major surgeries on my left knee including a total knee replacement, degeneration in my spine,” explained Sean.
And just when he wanted to give up on life, his wife realized he needed help and assisted him in finding it.
“Helping somebody change their life for the better is the best thing they can do. When that situation occurred for me, I was taking 16 pills a day. I was well overweight. And I was I was borderline a lot of things, including suicide. And that moment by itself changed my trajectory because somebody loved me enough to say, hey, let's get you some help,” said Sean.
That’s when his journey began. Sean was paired with Nick, his service animal, who’s been instrumental in helping him deal with his anxiety and PTSD.
“He's very good at deep pressure relief therapy. So, when those moments get stressful, he's able to sometimes just come up and put his head on my lap. Or if I'm in a lot of pain, he'll jump up on the couch and just lay down on top of me,” explained Sean.
Nick can also help Sean with mobility issues responding to over 20 tasks.
“If I'm sitting down on the floor, he's able to help me get up off the floor with a position that we call brace. He's able to be my third point of contact,” said Sean.
He continued “Before I got my knee replacement, my knee gave out whenever it wanted to. So I found myself falling often. Having the assistance of a dog there made it where I didn't have to fall flat on my face everywhere I went.”
“I've done a little cue of a leg tap, which can be a stress sign for a lot of people. He is then putting his chin there. I can scratch. Good boy, thanks for being here for me, buddy,” said Amanda Merino with Southeastern Guide Dogs.
Amanda is an instructor and says the animals are trained to constantly look at their handler paying close attention to their every move.
“When it comes to PTSD mitigation, a lot of it can be internal. The public can't see what's going on. But if the dog is really in tune with their person, they've been together so long, they'll pick up the subtle nuances of their breath has changed, their heart rate has possibly changed. Maybe they're moving at a different pace,” explained Amanda.
She says the service animal can help a handler feel secure by creating a protective barrier.
“Oftentimes, we can do a standing close. If I'm standing in a waiting room, and I may or may not want to sit down. I'm in a grocery store waiting in a checkout line. He is in a close position, with me leaning on my leg providing that deep pressure therapy onto my leg," explained Amanda.
And the dog can bring the handler their phone, keys, umbrella, or whatever is needed, especially if the Veteran suffers any physical challenges.
“They learn how to retrieve on stimulus control because I don't want him to just pick up anything anytime, right? I want him to do it when I asked him for it. I've dropped my leash, Benny get it. Good boy. Very nice,” said Amanda.
Sean says having a service dog has been so life changing he turned it into a career and now works for Southeastern Guide Dogs.
He travels through out the country with Nick to help other Veterans learn how an emotional support animal can help save their life.
“It's something that's special about the bond between man and dog is they're there when no one else is there. They understand what no one else understands. And they're not going to give us any flack for feeling like we're being weak in the moment. It's one of the greatest gifts that we could ever be given,” said Sean.
Any Veteran can receive a Southeastern Guide Dog at no cost and that continues throughout the animal’s life. Their food, vaccinations, and wellness visits are all free.
If you or someone you know may be interested in receiving a service animal you can learn more about Southeastern Guide Dogs here.
