Hesitating to take the final step?

After persevering through her experiences, accepting she needed help, and then deciding to enter a treatment program, Sherry Robinson found herself hesitating to take the final step of walking into the residential rehabilitation and treatment (RRTP) program at Coatesville VA.

Robinson owned a working car and was staying 45 minutes away in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, but admitted to making all kinds of excuses for why she couldn’t go.

“Am I really doing this? I was scared that I was going to be in a lockdown facility because I did not want that. I don’t want to be controlled anymore. You were being controlled the whole time in the military and I’m just completely over that,” she shared.

Robinson (pictured above) accepted she couldn’t heal on her own and needed help to work through everything she had experienced during her military service.  

Life altering events

Robinson served in the Army during Operation Enduring Freedom but says she decided to separate from the Army at the end of her term of service. She was honorably discharged in 2010 after experiencing toxic discrimination and military sexual trauma during a deployment.

Until four years ago, Robinson had been managing her PTSD symptoms. Then her mother died and her long term relationship ended badly. That’s when the depression and drinking worsened. 

When a new relationship turned abusive, it triggered PTSD from events during her time in service and she felt alone. “I just completely shut down. I couldn’t get out of bed. It’s like my body could not move and I kept trying to tell myself get up. I got to take care of myself,” she said.

She spoke to her outpatient therapist, told her she wasn’t taking therapy seriously, hadn’t been honest with her therapist in a while and asked about other options. Her therapist recommended a women Veterans residential program. That’s how Robinson found herself in Reading, hesitating to take the next step.

Taking the final step

Robinson eventually stopped hesitating and took that final step, checking in at the Coatesville VA for the Power of Women Embracing Recovery (POWER) residential treatment program.

“They made me feel so welcomed here, even the other Veterans that are in here. It’s hard to explain the comfort you feel when it’s another Veteran. I can be myself. I’m not going to be judged. They’re here for the same things,” she said.

Robinson was relieved to see for herself that residents were not “on lockdown” and described the environment as a safe zone for women Veterans who have a say in their medication plan, the activities they attend and even when to check out of the program.

The treatment team supported her while she worked through her PTSD, depression and alcohol dependency and together they set goals on what she wanted to accomplish. Robinson sought a better version of herself and made plans to return to school with the prospect of a career she was excited about.

If you are a Veteran or know a Veteran who is hesitating to accept treatment for depression, anxiety, PTSD substance use or Military Sexual Trauma, talk to your care provider about your treatment options.