After a year of intense combat in the jungles of Vietnam, Mike Orban, an Army veteran who served in the Vietnam War in 1971, returned home with severe post-traumatic stress that led him to an incredibly dark mental place. Mike discusses his story and experience with PTSD in his book Souled Out: A Memoir of War and Inner Peace, which highlights his journey in the war and how he dealt with combat's traumatic impact. Today, Mike dedicates himself to outreach, connecting with numerous veterans and their families through his organization, the Orban Foundation for Veterans.

Mike Orban joins me today to discuss his journey before and during his year of service in the Vietnam War. He shares how serving in Vietnam transformed his worldview, his relationship with fear and courage during his time overseas, and the “thousand-yard stare” Mike witnessed in the troops who left combat. Mike discusses how being in the war completely altered his perspectives on life and the human race, and the guilt and shame he felt around his thoughts. Mike also highlights the overwhelming trauma symptoms he experienced upon returning to civilian life, including intense rage, anxiety, depression, social isolation, and the coping mechanisms he turned to in an effort to manage the intensity.

“I remember thinking to myself: ‘I am going home to life as it had been before.’” - Mike Orban

This week on the Stigma Free Vet Zone Podcast:

How Mike’s family life shifted when he was a teenager and the impact this had on himWhat Mike’s view of the world was like before he entered the militaryWhat basic training was like for Mike physically and emotionallyMike’s experience entering Vietnam and the point that fear and terror of the situation set inWhy Mike thought there was a good chance he might not survive the warWhat coming home from the Vietnam War was like for MikeHow the war impacted Mike’s faith and spirituality and some of the events and experiences that haunted him mentallyHow civilian life changed for Mike when he returned from Vietnam and the mental “bunker” Mike placed himself in to copeThe hypervigilance, isolation, rage, and panic attacks Mike dealt with after he returned homeMike’s experience with mental health stigma

Resources Mentioned:

Souled Out: A Memoir of War and Inner Peace by Mike OrbanOrban Foundation for Veterans

This episode is brought to you by…

The Orban Foundation for Veterans is dedicated to bringing greater hope, understanding, resolution, and togetherness on issues of civilian readjustment for all military veterans and their families. Orban Foundation for Veterans promotes the importance of education, identification, understanding, acceptance, and resolution of many of the complex and severe responses to war and military life.

Visit our website to learn more about the Orban Foundation for Veterans and to support our mission.

Helping Veterans & Their Families Transition to Civilian Life

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