Your Massachusetts Veteran Service Officer
I never thought that I'd be the recipient of any form of government assistance.
My mom's mom, "Nana," received government assistance; she lived in the Maverick projects, where she raised her nine kids. My mom, too, ended up receiving multiple forms of government assistance near the end of her life; she lived in one of Amesbury Housing Authority's units. My father, after getting sober, became a 100% disabled veteran.
I'm in the same shoes as my dad. I'm a 70% disabled veteran. I started practicing abstinence from alcohol consumption more than nine years ago. The journey to abstinence has opened up a Pandora's box that had been stuffed with a litany of mental illnesses. Here's an incomplete list of my issues.
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) – My mind jumps tracks without warning, always moving, never resting.
Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD) – Control feels like survival, and perfection is the only way I know how to feel safe.
Anxiety Disorder – Even in silence, my thoughts race toward worst-case scenarios as if calm is just the calm before a storm.
Panic Disorder – Sometimes, my body goes to war without a trigger, and all I can do is ride it out and hope it ends soon.
Depression – It’s like living underwater—everything is slower, heavier, and harder to reach.
Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) – I built a self-image to protect the parts of me that never felt good enough to be seen.
Other Cluster B Traits – My emotions sometimes speak louder than logic, and I can burn down what I love without thinking.
Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD) – I learned not to trust, not to feel, and not to need anyone because once, that was how I stayed alive.
At first, I performed a bunch of self-diagnoses. The first pillar to fall was my Narcissistic Personality Disorder. After I accepted its malignancy, I learned to recognize that malignancy and deride it.
The dominoes of acceptance fell one by one, and they started to fall fast.
It's a strange feeling to be on government assistance. I'm a libertarian. I was strong in my resistance to government assistance; I wanted to break the familial cycle. I waited, in pain, for financial help. When I realized that it wasn't about me; it was about my wife and three daughters, I decided to seek assistance.
The Veterans Service Officer (VSO) and the Program Administrator at the Town of Stoughton's Veterans’ Office were instrumental in my journey. I never would've had the confidence to apply, despite the Anxiety Disorder, without their help. They deserve all the credit.
I'm now seeing a GREAT psychiatrist and a FANTASTIC therapist through the Brockton VA Medical Center, part of the VA Boston Healthcare System.
If you're a veteran who lives in Massachusetts and you think that your physical or mental issues are related to your military service, I implore you to contact your local VSO. Do not, I repeat, do not go to any of those third-party organizations that you may see in advertisements to file your claim; they will add an extra layer of red tape to your application process and will suck money out of your benefits. Your VSOs and program administrators are there to help you, not hurt you.
