Hidden Wounds

By Robert Bauer

Washington DC-Last night (July 13, 2022), I attended an exclusive first cut showing of “Hidden Wounds,” a Richard Lui production at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC.?First, I was honored to be invited by the Elizabeth Dole Foundation to be part of this event. The storyline focused on the lives of three families fighting the battles related to Alzheimer’s disease, Cancer, and Combat-related injuries and how these disorders impacted their families.

I represent an organization that advocates for Veterans, 1st Responders, and their families who are trauma survivors and are still dealing with the invisible wounds of trauma, so I get the terminology of hidden wounds. ?Let’s say you break your arm, the injury is visible, and your pain is obvious, but when we discuss hidden or, as I refer to them, invisible wounds, not even the injured understand them.?It is part of the realm of Mental Health that we do not discuss very often. When we discuss Mental Health, corporate media has created this image that we have boughten into being an Active Shooter or someone who is suicidal. The picture sells subscriptions and generates clicks on social media that paints the picture that Mental Health is related to those that are broken and sick. I believe that is why Congress is apathetic to stepping forward to fund Mental Health programs.

As a society, we don’t understand that mental health can be the exhaustion of a caregiver, especially those in the sandwich generation. Imagine caring for your father and watching his world disappear from him as he deals with Alzheimer’s or that of a caregiver dealing with the pending loss of their wife due to rare cancer created by the burn pits of war. Then there is the caregiver dealing with the effects of her husband’s wartime injuries, Traumatic Brain Injury, and PTSD.?Society does not see these as mental health issues.?But they are, and they are real. As I sit here and write this section, I am drawn to three families I know personally dealing with these same issues. And I must be honest; it never crossed my mind that they might be dealing with the very things that Richard’s movie addresses.

Over the past ten years, I have advocated for those on a healing journey from their traumatic experiences. ?I know that journey; I was once on it. You often feel alone, abandoned, and betrayed while on this journey.?How can anyone understand what I am going through??I isolated myself from people; in fact, I ran away from everyone, thinking I could outrun my pain. I lied to myself that isolation from the rest of the world would keep me from being scrutinized and judged. This is where I connected with Luke and Amy in the movie. Luke was a combat leader who experienced great tragedies in the war; his wounds resulted in TBI and PTSD. His war came home with him, and his wife had to battle it.

Richard’s storyline focused on Dr. Kate Hendricks Thomas, who herself was a strong advocate for female veterans and active-duty members dealing with the traumas of war. Sadly, she fell to an enemy she was not trained to battle, a rare cancer that has been linked to the burn pits in theater.?Though she was not prepared to battle this particular enemy, she did fight, but it must be noted that she might have lost the battle to her cancer, but she won the war on life. Her legacy will live forever through her advocacy work, her son, and her husband, Shane.?

After the showing, the audience was introduced to Shane, Amy, and Richard; each had an opportunity to address the audience personally. Shane was the first to speak; for me, the one thing that stood out about Shane and his late wife Kate was his love for his wife and their love for others. Shane was very grateful for those that have been part of his journey.?He made it a strong point that without a community, he would not have made it to where he is today just months after his wife’s passing. That community sentiment was echoed by Amy, the OIF Army Veteran’s wife and the Director of the movie Richard Lui.

It is easy to curl up and disengage from society when we face our most significant life challenges and feel the most numbing pain you may ever experience. Being alone and isolated only impacts the pain greater.?Shane, Richard, and Amy will attest that a genuine community makes the journey palatable.?The challenge will pass, but the community will remain.?Your pain will be turned into your purpose, so you will be the compass for the next traveler that enters the world of the unknown of hidden wounds.

Now it was said that this was the first cut of the showing of this movie.?I think the final amount will be released in November of 2022. It is impactful, and the message is priceless. But the journey is just starting for someone else today, and they will need the community to support and guide them.?Are you ready to be part of that community??For the past two years, we have been directed to stay in our homes and stay away from people because of a deadly virus.

Thank you, Richard, Amy, and Shane, for sharing your story. As Amy said, her story is a gift that she had entrusted to those who viewed the movie. All she asked all the viewers were to do the stories right and share them.?That is why I am writing this article.?I want others who are on this journey to know that you are not alone; there is a community out there for you to guide you and support you. I challenge you to become part of a genuine community; if you can’t find that one, create one.

HOOAH

About the author:?Robert Bauer is the Founder of WarriorsHeartUSA.org, Power2Change Academy, a retired law enforcement officer, former US Army Infantry Platoon Sgt, College Professor, and Certified Member of the John Maxwell Leadership Team as a Speaker, Coach, and Trainer.?He is an author, writer, and advocate for Veterans, 1st Responders, and their families who are trauma survivors navigating through the traumatic minefields of life leading to a fulfilling life.