She Struggled With Alcohol Abuse. Now This Sailor Wants to End the Stigma of Seeking Help.
February 2, 2022| Theresa Carpenter
When I became an officer, I dreamed of telling the Navy’s story aboard an aircraft carrier. In July 2017, I was at the pinnacle of my public affairs naval career. I was in charge of a media department, working along with 25 sailors aboard an aircraft carrier, one of the Navy’s largest vessels. My unit took part in an international exercise in India, and I planned and executed the communication campaign—the largest event I had managed in a decade.
The exercise had received international press attention, and even the then-president of the United States, Donald Trump, was talking about it. On the evening of the opening day of the exercise, I attended a cocktail reception on an Indian Navy warship along with diplomats from the State Department, commanding officers from all the navies involved, and many other high-ranking military officers.
The evening should have been one of the most memorable and enjoyable evenings of my 25-year military career. Instead, I nearly destroyed it because I couldn’t control my drinking.
https://thewarhorse.org/alcohol-abuse-inspired-effort-to-help-end-military-stigma/
