John O'Brien's Story
My treatment at NewYork-Presbyterian has brought me to a point in my life where I can really start to move on and do the things I want to do.
Retired Lieutenant Colonel John O'Brien
John O'Brien served four tours as a Special Operations officer in the Middle East. John has seen things that no living person should ever have to see. The nightmares of war can leave the body and mind ravaged. It's estimated that more than 500,000 U.S. participants in the Middle East conflicts suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. John wants to remove the stigma associated with this condition. He says that some of his fellow soldiers believe that the need to go to psychotherapy means that “you're weak, that you're something less than a man, and that it's something only crazy people do.” John took advantage of new therapies for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder being developed at NewYork-Presbyterian. He says, “My treatment at NewYork-Presbyterian has brought me to a point in my life where I can really start to move on and do the things I want to do.”
John has been awarded a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star for service to his country.