For Erick Scott, reintegrating into civilian life was extremely difficult. His experiences in the military had left him both mentally and physically bruised. To make matters worse, his soul was absolutely consumed by an intense quantity of survivor’s guilt after many of his friends in combat.
Image/Story Source Credit: USA Today via YouTube Video
Erick was diagnosed with PTSD shortly after, but the mix of medications he took did little to help. He would awaken from his nightmares in the middle of the night and soaked in a puddle of sweat on his bed.
When things hit rock bottom for Erick, he reached out to “K9s for Warriors” in hopes of finding himself a medical service dog. This is how Erick met Gumbo, a black Labrador who was completely trained to help those with severe PTSD. With his soothing compassion and PTSD support abilities, Gumbo helped Erick turn his life around.
Image/Story Source Credit: USA Today via YouTube Video
In this video, we see Erick sitting down with an interviewer to recount his draining experiences. Gumbo obeys Erick’s “sit” command and positions himself right beside him, completely glued to the grass.
But mid-interview, Eric repressed emotional wounds surface as he heads toward another panic attack, and that’s when Gumbo rises up to do his job. It’s magical to see Gumbo caressing Erick exactly at the moment he needs it! The pooch keeps Erik’s anxiety in check with his well-timed distracting gestures and helps Erick hit the reset button and resume the interview!
Image/Story Source Credit: USA Today via YouTube Video
Gumbo deduces Erick’s trauma triggers before he even recognizes them, and Gumbo’s top priority is to keep Erik sane and functional.
As per the video below, “Veterans Administration” says a veteran commits suicide every 65 minutes. Service dogs like Gumbo make all the difference between life and death by preventing these tortured veterans from falling apart.
Click the video below to watch Gumbo detecting and addressing Erick’s PTSD triggers at a crucial point.
Toledo, United States.
