Hope And Healing For Warriors Inc

I have been blessed to have had several interactions with Hope and Healing for Warriors in the past several years. And each and every time their kindness, generosity, and warm hearts have been amazing.
I have met several of the members and they make you feel like a longtime friend, and they are wonderful when they interact with my special needs children. It is a joy to talk with them during events and meetings, and when you leave, you have the feeling that they actually care for you and that it is not just some obligation.

As a mature women that suffered sexual abuse as a child, by family members, I thought I would suffer through this trauma alone, for the rest of my life. I had gone to expensive therapist, with no healing, only more memories.

I did not know where to turn or what to do, except live with it and attempt to go on with my life. A friend of mine told me about Pastor Janet Teague and her story. When I reached out to her she was comforting and amazingly helpful. She invited me to Hope and Healing for Warriors, where I connected with other women with similar trauma, which gave me comfort and hope. After hearing Pastor Janet's complete testimony of sexual abuse and trauma, I knew God had placed me where I needed to be.

The other individuals of the class ALWAYS comforted me during my time of sorrow. I learned that I was not alone and that I did have hope. HH4W brought me back to God and helped me to become more of who God made me to be. With the word of God and my continued studying and reading the Word, He has brought to a more stable place in my life. I know that I still have a long way to go but at least I have found the correct road to travel.

Thank you Hope and Healing for Warriors and Pastor Janet for having faith in me to change. But mostly thank you Lord Jesus for never giving up on me.

The Testimony of law enforcement officer with a 40-year career reveals a powerful story of resilience and journey to oneself. During the long years of services in the police department, he had been burdening himself with trauma of memory from being a veteran of Vietnam War. These unsolved trauma’s affected his professional and personal life in a number of ways for the decades to come. The transition from military life to civilian did not go lost in time, as intimidation of moments from combat events always returned, disrupting the peace that should have followed. For years during his services, he lived with underlying issues from unsolved moments, which directed the course of his life and moved him to search for the resolution.

Throughout the author’s law enforcement profession, his un-dealt trauma was also hindrance from the start. The trauma and experiences from the Vietnam War often became flashbacks in his daily life. As a result, he was often buying time for relaxation due to his overreactive stress and anxiety that often influenced his decisions. The veterans with damaged or missed experiences often found themselves in a state of hypervigilance and tension. The same was done by the author as he often found himself failing to cope with other people at his workplace or with his family or relationships. Even though he was doing law enforcement, the continuous gap from his traumatic experiences missed him from coping with others and understanding the need for even coping with oneself. His same went on suffering and therefore from results, there was a need of coping skills was witnessed driving him to go outside and seek help.

The author attributes the beginning of his healing to a significant encounter with Pastor Ray Teague, who helped him to deal with trauma he had not resolved. Pastor Teague's counseling was based on understanding and empathy. He offered the author a safe space to access painful memories of his service during the Vietnam War, allowing the author to begin recognizing how his experiences had affected him. The author felt it's a major step forward, as he experienced counseling for the first time and learned how to develop new coping mechanisms, and the right mindset to fully engage in the "Hope and Healing for Warriors", which ultimately helped him towards healing and become an emotionally healthy individual.

Additionally, the author’s participation in the “Hope and Healing for Warriors” program was a significant step toward his recovery and reconciliation. This program provided the author with the essentials to work on the psych trauma impacts that became a barrier to his well-being for many years. Most importantly, it was an encouraging and understanding environment created by the structure and the author’ co-participants experiencing similar issues. The program’s psychological and emotional perks significantly influenced the author’s well-being and standard of living during retirement years, which became rewarding and gratifying rather than burdened with past pains.

Now that the author is retired and has a different state of being, spending time with family has become an expression of deep happiness and fulfillment. He is grateful, in this time of life’s new peaceful stage, to Pastor Ray Teague and the “Hope and Healing for Warriors” program. It worked wonders in his healing journey. His transition from years of suffering to finally having peace of mind is due to the full support and understanding he was given, The Author did not just release traumatic experiences through a cathartic process. He also regained his faith and learned to live through the blessings of even the ordinary days. He is now able to enjoy his life’s new stage, with his family relationships being an everlasting source of amusement and his past is all but history now.

Hope and Healing for Warriors, is amazing and the Pastor are God filled. Pastor Robert tells me exactly how it is without sugar coating anything, During counseling I may seem angry at first until I have thought it completely through and realize he was right!!! Being brought back to Christ has and will continue to change my life. Thank you HH4W.

The help I have received from Hope and Healing for Warriors has been simply amazing. I found this group when I was on my last thread of hope and no idea of who to turn to. I'll never forget when Pastor Janet answered my call. I started attending that very week and have been receiving counseling for CPTSD, healing, hope and ministry for the past two years. I truly don't know how I could have gone through the last couple of years, or what I'm facing in the future, without their support and love. Bringing me back to Christ after losing my faith means everything to me. Hope and Healing for Warriors is an organization with extraordinary leadership and values. I am so grateful to be a member.

I met the leaders of HH4W and they allowed me to come in and speak about the organization I volunteer with. They provide a lot of support for not only first responders and veterans, but anyone who wants help with traumatic experiences. I enjoy attending the bible studies and growing in my faith with this loving family! Pastor Ray, Ms. Janet, Ms. Lisa and Rob are great leaders and really care about the people they are helping. I would highly recommend joining this group.

Adapting to a New Normal: Faith-Based Strategies for Coping with PTSD
Introduction
Faith-based practices can ensure our transition towards a “new normal” for the PTSD patient. This lifestyle includes elements on one’s holistic being that can positively contribute as a “support” mechanism towards one’s recovery and adaptation. Most of the time, these communities serve as a source of support that is constant in one’s life, which focuses on acceptance, understanding, and right conduct. These elements produce a healing environment for the emotional aspect of individuals suffering from PTSD. Sense of community belongingness and an assuring presence can help significantly in the adjustment of the patients, which lessens the feeling of isolation they usually have. These practices also possess methodologies that help in strengthening one’s resilience and building hope as an important component of defeating the psychological walls erected by one’s traumatic history.
The Role of Faith in PTSD Recovery
Faith creates a deep sense of community and hope that contributes immensely to the emotional and psychological healing of PTSD patients. Bresser’s quantitative research established that faith-based interventions help to significantly lessen symptoms of traumatic stress and improve spiritual health (Bresser, 2022). Besides, congregations present themselves as a significant support system that is inclusive and genuinely compassionate. This is crucial for the healing of PTSD patients as it gives them the confidence to share their stories and emotions without the fear of being judged. Sharing traumatic experiences with others helps to mitigate the loneliness and hopelessness that usually accompany such events. According to Westerfield and Doolittle, the participation of faith communities in the trauma recovery process differs greatly from one tradition to another but all are instrumental in the holistic health of PTSD patients (Westerfield & Doolittle, 2022).
Moreover, certain religious practices like praying, meditating, and communing with fellow believers have been found to help those suffering from PTSD recover. They provide guidelines by which people can abide to encourage not only cerebral exercise but also emotional comfort. Wiebe states that praying with and meditating with others enables shared experiences and “collective experiences of healing” (Wiebe, 2019). Communal worship advances a collective effort to heal that is comforting to people suffering from PTSD. It allows many people to feel “understood” rather than “alone.” These practices extend one’s sense of belonging, allowing them to be strengthened spiritually and emotionally.
Besides the collective level implications, there are individual cases also that showcase the impact of faith-based practices on one being able to adopt a new normal life post effect of trauma. One of the cases was of a veteran who after continued participation in faith community practices was able to reduce isolation and feel more a part of the community by sharing their experiences in the gatherings. As Wiebe explains , communal practices promote bonding and spiritual connection among people, and given the case of the veteran it was central to his recovery (Wiebe, 2019). Similarly, the case was of a domestic abuse survivor who brought prayer and meditation into her everyday life and was able to achieve the benefits of being more emotionally balanced and in-tuned with herself due to faith-based practices. Prayer and meditation were highlighted by Bresser, as being significant as previous research showed that these two faith-based practices showed reduced symptoms of trauma (Bresser, 2022).
Challenges Faced by Individuals with PTSD
The hopeful individuals carrying PTSD experience multiple issues such as heightened anxiety and social withdrawal, which can be debilitating in their effort to get through daily undertakings. Heightened anxiety bring about acute vigilance and recurrent recollections that make regular social engagements overwhelming and result to withdrawal. Faith-based treatments, meanwhile, open up a promising channel towards decreasing these occurrences. Wiebe claims that organized spiritual activities, including prayer and meditation, serve as coping mechanisms that instill emotional tranquility while alleviating anxiety (Wiebe, 2019). Bound with faith-oriented institutions, these people find a security that is coupled with familiarity and over comradery, making it possible to ward off withdrawal, resulting to a safe haven ideal for self-development and recovery.
Aside from that, statistical data also reveal the prominence of PTSD cases and the corresponding impact faith communities can provide on the healing process. The projected population of Americans to develop PTSD within a lifetime is 7-8%, but the percentage of individuals recovering increases significantly when involving participation in faith-based practices. Bresser (2016) notes that faith-based recovery methods show improvement of 25% in recovery rates due to the subject receiving positive reinforcement from the faith communities (Bresser, 2022). Faith communities are able to provide organized support to individuals struggling with the disorder as lack of support, alienation, and anxiety related to PTSD symptoms are reasons for failed recovery attempts. Furthermore, Wiebe (2010) mentions how consistent engagement in spiritual activity, such as group prayer meeting, have been proven to lessen the traumatic stress response and increase emotional health and stability (Wiebe, 2019). Emotional outbursts and spiritual development can affect the critical role of faith communities in the recovery of an individual struggling with PTSD.
Conclusion
To conclude, faith-based practices contribute positively to transitioning to a new healthy, normal lifestyle for those suffering from PTSD. Members in a faith-oriented community support one another as they experience yield out care and nourishment emotionally and spiritually. The faith of members in a community yields emotional tranquility stemming from spiritually aligned practices of praying and meditation. The emotional calmness yield out promotes resilience for members to cope and function amidst the fears of amplified anxiety and growing isolation outwardly caused by PTSD. In addition, the feeling of belongingness in a faith-based community cuts down feelings of detachment from the outside world which is one of the hurdles someone with trauma faces. All in all, the combination of vigorous support present in a community and the integration of spiritually aligned practices creates a wholesome and nurturing lifestyle that positively impacts an individual’s transitioning process. Faith supports healing in a holistic manner that emphasizes mind, body, and spirit.
References
Bresser, K. (2022). A Quantitative Study of a Faith-Based Trauma Healing Intervention among Kenyans. In search.proquest.com. Regent University. https://search.proquest.com/openview/4567be82f15c7462d10bbe194ed699bc/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y
Westerfield, C. M., & Doolittle, B. R. (2022). Spirituality of the traumatized child: A call for increased faith community participation in the trauma-healing process for children. Journal of Religion and Health, 61(1), 203–213. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10943-021-01416-1
Wiebe, K. (2019). Toward a faith-based approach to healing after collective trauma. In Tragedies and Christian Congregations (pp. 64–77). taylorfrancis.com. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781351050791-7/toward-faith-based-approach-healing-collective-trauma-kate-wiebe

During the mid-sixties I honorably served in the Viet Nam War. To this day it remains one of the most contentious and impactful wars in modern history. All that served faced profound challenges, as we were abruptly thrust into an environment marked by intense warfare, complex political tensions, and far reaching societal changes. The horrific experiences that have had a mark on my life, the psychological and societal impacts upon returning home, where we were meet with anger and total disrespect. One can only imagine how disruptive of formative years, the personal struggles of our identity as to how the war in Viet Nam shaped my generation.

I have suffered with PTSD, seems throughout my entire life, until I was introduced to Hope and Healing for Warriors, where I learned to take back control of my life. Hope and Healing for Warriors not only saved my life, but also saved my marriage. The continual love, compassion that was shown to me and my family. Understanding through the word of God that I have been redeemed, and adopted into the family.

In reflection I had allowed the war to shape my life, however knowing now that I can have a new normal and live a life of happiness. Thank you Hope and Healing for Warriors for all that you done and all that you are doing. And most importantly, thank you Jesus, for helping me through those terrible times. Knowing the Word of God through Hope and Healing for Warriors and continuing my study of the Word will be with me the rest of my years.

My husband & I moved around every couple of years due to his job. We played church in every little town we lived. Then we moved to Montgomery Texas. One of the very first couples we met were Ray & Janet the founders of Hope & Healing for Warriors. To say they taught us how to study & grow in God’s word is an understatement. It was their walk in God’s Word that we saw. When my husband was diagnosed with cancer & several years later passed, Hope & Healing was there for me. It was years of a devastating tragedy. It was more than just sad, hurt or lost. I was brokenhearted! They taught me that PTSD isn’t just for military & first responders. Situations in everyday life can be traumatic also, mine was to me. I am so grateful for Hope & Healing. They continue to give me the support, tools & most of all love to find my way. I could have never imagined the peace, hope, strength & most of all love I feel in my life now from this group of friends. Thank you to Hope & Healing and for everyone in it!!

This group has helped my family tremendously. We look forward to the fellowship and sense of community every Wednesday. I love how this group has helped my family heal and gain more understanding of PTSD and trauma for the spouses side and how to navigate thru those tough times.

I have been a member of Hope & Healing for Warriors for several years. The support and encouragement that I have received from this organization has been tremendous. I felt as if I was par of the family since day one. The classes are Christian based and is very helpful. It has brought me and my wife back closer to a Christian life. I have found that my PTSD symptoms have lessened since joining the group.

I am a survivor of sexual abuse and rape. It wasn't easy to overcome the abuse, but I found out that talking about what happened to a supportive network of friends, family, and the love of the Lord has helped me to forgive and to heal. HH4W has helped me with my past and improved my relationship with my significant other, fellow veterans and first responders. Being a HH4W member, through weekly classes, I have learned to forgive and release my hatred to regain my dignity and self-worth. "We know that all things God works for the good, of those who love Him, and have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28

For the past 15 plus years, I have struggled with PTSD. I finally hit rock bottom, I was thinking about taking the easy way out and taking my own life. That day God grabbed hold of me and guided me on this epic journey. Being saved by the good Lord and being baptized by Pastor Ray, I am finally living my life free from the horrors of evil that PTSD had drummed up in my mind. My new normal has begun, Thank You Jesus.

My husband began attending Hope and Healing for Warriors, and a few months later, I was encouraged to join him in order to learn ways to support him.
As the wife of a USMC veteran, I greatly appreciate the encouragement and support from this group.