For Erick Scott, reintegration into civilian life was extremely difficult. His experience in the army left him bruised both mentally and physically. Worse still, his soul was completely consumed by a large amount of guilt of a survivor after many of his friends went to war.
Source Image / Story Source: USA Today via YouTube Video
Eric is was diagnosed with PTSD soon after, but the combination of medications he took didn’t help much. He would wake up from a nightmare in the middle of the night and soak in a puddle of sweat in his bed.
When things hit rock bottom for Erick, he contacted “K9s for Warriors“In the hope of finding myself a medical service dog. This is how Erick met Gumbo, a black Labrador who is fully trained to help people with severe PTSD. With his soothing compassion and ability to support PTSD, Gumbo helped turn Erick’s life around.
Source Image / Story Source: USA Today via YouTube Video
In this video, we see Erick sit down with an interviewer to recount his burnout experiences. Gumbo obeyed Erick’s words”sit“Commander and place yourself right next to him, completely glued to the grass.
But midway through the interview, Eric kept his emotional wounds to the surface as he headed for another panic attack, and that’s when Gumbo got up to do his job. It’s magical to see Gumbo petting Erick exactly when he needs it! This dog helps Erik manage anxiety with his well-timed distraction gestures and helps Erick hit the reset button and continue the interview!
Source Image / Story Source: USA Today via YouTube Video
Gumbo deduces the causes of Erick’s injuries before he realizes them, and Gumbo’s first priority is to keep Erik healthy and functioning properly.
According to the video below, “Veterans Administration“Reported that every 65 minutes a veteran commits suicide. Service dogs like Gumbo make all the difference between life and death by preventing these tortured veterans from falling apart.
Click on the video below to see Gumbo detect and address Erick’s PTSD triggers at a critical point.
