“I didn’t get out of bed for days,” said military veteran Melanie Stewart. “I would have moments of joy with friends and family, but they were fleeting. I just felt very alone, very alone.”
At 18, Stewart enlisted in the Army and retired after 25 years of service. Within a few months of her retirement, she faced the loss of both her ex-husband and father. She struggled with feelings of loneliness, anxiety and depression. The transition from military to civilian life also added to this weight, making each day a battle of its own.
Seven out of every 100 U.S. veterans deal with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, according to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, and over 17 veterans die by suicide each day.
Stewart said it wasn’t until she went to the Big Red Barn Retreat that she started to feel some relief. Located on 77 acres in Columbia, South Carolina, the retreat has provided activities, holistic healing and peer support for over 2,5000 veterans like Stewart since 2017.
“This is a place of their peers, fellow veterans, fellow combat veterans, fellow first responders,” said Big Red Barn Retreat director Marty Martinez. “The wall starts coming down, and they realize we’re just here to help. We’re here to restore hope.”
Learn how the retreat is helping veterans cope with PTSD in the video above.
