Veterans Mental Health Council

Veterans Mental Health Council Veterans and families empowering each other through advocacy, education, and support. We're here to advocate and improve services for all.

Meetings are held virtually via Zoom on the second Tuesday of the month at 6:00pm. To participate, contact us at info@veteransmentalheathcouncil.org, and we will send you the link. We welcome Veterans and family members utilizing VA behavioral health services to join our council. For inquiries or to share your concerns, please email us at info@veteransmentalhealthcouncil.org.

“I had to learn everything again after brain injury. It was like a reset was done on me.”These words carry more truth th...
01/07/2026

“I had to learn everything again after brain injury. It was like a reset was done on me.”

These words carry more truth than most people realize.

For many veterans, traumatic brain injury (TBI) doesn’t just affect memory or concentration—it reshapes identity, confidence, and the way the world feels. Tasks that once felt automatic can suddenly require immense effort. Emotions can feel unfamiliar. Patience can wear thin, especially when others can’t see the struggle.

If this resonates with you, please know this:
You are not broken.
You are adapting.
You are rebuilding in a body and brain that survived something significant.

Healing after TBI isn’t about “going back” to who you were. It’s about learning forward—at your own pace, in your own way. Progress may be slow, uneven, and quiet—but it is real.

💡 Gentle reminders:
• Relearning is not failure
• Needing support is not weakness
• Your effort matters, even when it’s invisible

👉 You don’t have to navigate this alone. Support, education, and understanding are available through the Veterans Mental Health Council (VMHC):
https://veteransmentalhealthcouncil.org/

Grief was never meant to be carried alone. When we hold it inside, it can feel heavy, isolating, and endless. But when w...
01/05/2026

Grief was never meant to be carried alone. When we hold it inside, it can feel heavy, isolating, and endless. But when we share it—through words, tears, silence, or simply sitting with someone who understands—the weight shifts. It doesn’t disappear, but it becomes more bearable.

For veterans living with PTSD, loss, or complicated grief, opening up can feel risky. Yet connection is one of the strongest forms of healing. Being heard reminds us that our pain is real—and that we are not alone in it.

💡 Remember:
• Sharing doesn’t weaken your strength—it supports it
• You don’t have to have the right words
• Presence matters more than fixing

If you’re carrying grief today, consider letting someone walk with you—even for a moment.

👉 Support, understanding, and community are available through the Veterans Mental Health Council (VMHC):
https://veteransmentalhealthcouncil.org/

Trauma doesn’t just live in memories—it changes how the brain functions. And understanding this matters, especially for ...
01/05/2026

Trauma doesn’t just live in memories—it changes how the brain functions. And understanding this matters, especially for veterans living with PTSD.

🧠 Prefrontal Cortex
This part of the brain helps with focus, decision-making, and emotional regulation. Trauma can disrupt its function, making it harder to think clearly, plan, or manage stress—even when you’re trying your best.

🧠 Amygdala
This is the brain’s alarm system. After trauma, it can become overactive, constantly scanning for danger. That’s why you may feel on edge, easily startled, or unable to fully relax. This isn’t weakness—it’s survival mode.

🧠 Hippocampus
Responsible for memory processing, the hippocampus can shrink after trauma. This can cause fragmented memories or difficulty separating the past from the present—why triggers can feel so real and immediate.

💡 Important reminder:
Nothing about this means you’re broken. Your brain adapted to keep you alive. Healing is about helping it learn safety again—slowly, gently, and with support.

👉 You don’t have to figure this out alone. Education, connection, and care are available through the Veterans Mental Health Council (VMHC):
https://veteransmentalhealthcouncil.org/

Gentle Reminders for January 💙January can feel heavy. The days are short, the energy is low, and the pressure to “start ...
01/04/2026

Gentle Reminders for January 💙

January can feel heavy. The days are short, the energy is low, and the pressure to “start strong” can be overwhelming. So here’s your permission slip to move gently.

It’s okay if your energy is lower this month.
It’s okay to take things one step at a time.
You don’t have to fix everything or smash every goal.

Brighter days are coming—sometimes progress looks like resting, asking for help, or simply choosing to keep going. If you’re feeling low, speak up. Connection matters. You matter.

For veterans living with PTSD, anxiety, depression, or grief—January doesn’t have to be about reinvention. It can be about care, patience, and showing up as you are.

💡 This month, prioritize you:
• One step at a time
• Your mental and physical health
• Trying something new—only if it feels right
• Letting go of last year’s weight

👉 You don’t have to navigate this season alone. Support, understanding, and community are available through the Veterans Mental Health Council (VMHC):
https://veteransmentalhealthcouncil.org/

Growth rarely begins with clarity. It usually begins with discomfort, confusion, and things feeling out of place. That m...
01/03/2026

Growth rarely begins with clarity. It usually begins with discomfort, confusion, and things feeling out of place. That messy middle doesn’t mean you’re failing—it means something is shifting.

For veterans living with PTSD, anxiety, depression, or grief, the mess can feel overwhelming. Old coping strategies stop working. Emotions surface. Questions get louder. But this isn’t the end—it’s the beginning of change.

💡 Remember:
• Breakdown often comes before breakthrough
• Feeling lost doesn’t mean you’re off track
• Discomfort is part of becoming something new

You don’t have to rush through it. You don’t have to have it all figured out. Just stay. Breathe. Take the next small step.

👉 If the mess feels heavy, you don’t have to carry it alone. Support and community are available through the Veterans Mental Health Council (VMHC):
https://veteransmentalhealthcouncil.org/

Veterans—right now, it may feel like the weight is endless. Like the climb is steeper than you expected. PTSD, anxiety, ...
01/03/2026

Veterans—right now, it may feel like the weight is endless. Like the climb is steeper than you expected. PTSD, anxiety, depression, grief—these things can make each day feel like a battle you didn’t ask for.

But this season is not the end of the story. One day, this chapter will be something you remember, not something you’re trapped inside. You’ll look back and realize how strong you were—especially on the days you didn’t feel strong at all.

💡 Hold onto this:
• Hard seasons don’t last forever
• Surviving is still progress
• You’re allowed to take it one day, one step at a time

Keep going. Keep breathing. Keep choosing to show up—even when it’s messy.

👉 And remember, you don’t have to make it through alone. Support, understanding, and community are available through the Veterans Mental Health Council (VMHC):
https://veteransmentalhealthcouncil.org/

Veterans—when life feels overwhelming, it’s often because we’re trying to see everything at once. The entire staircase. ...
01/02/2026

Veterans—when life feels overwhelming, it’s often because we’re trying to see everything at once. The entire staircase. The whole journey. The full weight of what’s ahead.

But you don’t have to climb it all today.
You only need to take the next step.

Healing, growth, and rebuilding after PTSD, anxiety, depression, or grief doesn’t happen in one leap. It happens one small, intentional move at a time. One decision. One breath. One act of courage.

💡 Remember:
• Progress doesn’t require perfection
• Small steps still move you forward
• You are capable of doing hard things—one step at a time

Pause. Ground yourself. Look at what’s directly in front of you. That’s where your focus belongs.

👉 If you need support as you take those next steps, community and understanding are available through the Veterans Mental Health Council (VMHC):
https://veteransmentalhealthcouncil.org/

Remember: You Can Do Hard ThingsSome days the challenge is obvious. Other days it’s invisible—just getting out of bed, a...
01/01/2026

Remember: You Can Do Hard Things

Some days the challenge is obvious. Other days it’s invisible—just getting out of bed, answering a message, walking into a crowded room, or sitting quietly with a racing mind.

But if you’re reading this, it means you’ve already survived moments you didn’t think you could. You’ve carried weights most people will never see. And you’re still here. That matters. You matter.

For veterans living with PTSD, anxiety, depression, or grief:
Doing hard things doesn’t always look heroic.
Sometimes it looks like:
• Taking one next step
• Asking for help
• Resting without guilt
• Choosing not to give up today

Strength isn’t the absence of struggle—it’s the decision to continue through it.

👉 Breathe. You’re stronger than you feel. You can do hard things. And you don’t have to do them alone.

For support, understanding, and community, visit the Veterans Mental Health Council (VMHC):
https://veteransmentalhealthcouncil.org/

This year was hard for many of us.But we made it through. And that is a victory.Not because everything went right.Not be...
12/30/2025

This year was hard for many of us.
But we made it through. And that is a victory.

Not because everything went right.
Not because we stayed strong every day.
Not because we hit every goal.

But because we kept going.

Because we showed up on mornings that felt too heavy.
Because we faced days our nervous system told us to hide.
Because we adapted, even when progress felt invisible.

If you are a veteran living with PTSD, anxiety, depression, grief, or the weight of memories you didn’t ask for—you are not “behind.”
You survived a year that tried to break you.
That is not failure.
That is strength.

💙 A victory is not always loud.
Sometimes a victory is breathing.
Sometimes it’s resting.
Sometimes it’s trying again tomorrow.
Sometimes it’s simply being here.

As we step forward, do not forget:
• You showed grit this year
• You learned hard lessons
• You grew in ways you might not see yet
• You made it to this moment

And that counts.

👉 You do not have to walk into the next year alone.
Support, understanding, and community are here through the Veterans Mental Health Council (VMHC):
https://veteransmentalhealthcouncil.org/

When the excitement fades and reality settles back in, it’s normal to feel a little low. Post-celebration blues don’t me...
12/29/2025

When the excitement fades and reality settles back in, it’s normal to feel a little low. Post-celebration blues don’t mean you’re ungrateful — they mean you’re human. Here are gentle ways to ease back into yourself:

🧠 Slow down and notice the present
Feel your feet on the ground. Breathe. Name what’s around you.

🚶‍♂️ Move your body
A short walk, stretching, or light exercise can reset your nervous system.

📚 Let your mind escape
Pick up a good book. Let a story carry you for a while.

🫶 Practice extra acts of self-care
Comfort food, warm blankets, longer showers — tenderness counts.

😴 Let yourself do nothing
Rest isn’t laziness. It’s repair.

🎧 Listen to music that softens the edges
Your playlist can be a lifeline.

🎨 Start a small project just for fun
Creativity helps your nervous system regulate.

🌟 Do something you loved as a kid
Nostalgia is medicine.

⸻

If you’re a veteran navigating PTSD, anxiety, or depression — these feelings don’t mean you’re going backwards. They mean your nervous system needs support, not shame.

👉 You don’t have to figure this out alone. The Veterans Mental Health Council (VMHC) is here when you need connection, clarity, and community:
https://veteransmentalhealthcouncil.org/

Breathe.You are doing your best, and that’s enough.I know some days feel heavier than others.Some moments feel like your...
12/29/2025

Breathe.
You are doing your best, and that’s enough.

I know some days feel heavier than others.
Some moments feel like your chest is tight, your mind is racing,
and the world expects more than you feel capable of giving.

But just for a moment—pause.
unclench your jaw
relax your shoulders
inhale like you deserve oxygen
exhale like you deserve peace

You don’t have to earn rest.
You don’t have to prove your worth.
Your existence is enough reason to take a breath.

If you are a veteran living with PTSD, anxiety, or depression, please hear this:
There is nothing weak about needing space, support, or stillness.
Your nervous system is not broken—it’s adapting.

💙 You are allowed to slow down.
💙 You are allowed to take up space.
💙 You are allowed to be human.

👉 If today feels heavy, you don’t have to carry it alone.
Support, community, and understanding are available through the Veterans Mental Health Council (VMHC):
https://veteransmentalhealthcouncil.org/

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Columbia, MO
65201

Telephone

+15734186658

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