I’ve Been There: Reflections on Mental Health Stigma

By Monroe “Roe” Holcomb

When I meet with individuals seeking support at the Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at Hope For The Warriors, located in Jacksonville, North Carolina, I truly understand their situation. I’ve been there!

I’m the outreach manager for the clinic, which offers mental health services for post-9/11 veterans and military families. In February, our clinic also started treating active-duty service members. 

Currently, our services are provided virtually through Cohen Veterans Network (CVN) Telehealth face-to-face video therapy across the state of North Carolina. When pandemic restrictions are lifted, we will also offer in-person sessions in our newly renovated 5,300-square-foot clinic in Jacksonville.

When I say, “I’ve been there,” I truly mean I’ve been there. I struggled with depression after transitioning out of the Marine Corps with 10 years of service.

The staff at the clinic has an understanding and appreciation of military culture. As outreach manager, when asked, I share my experience with depression and the issues I faced when I left the Marine Corps. This understanding is important, because it allows the clinicians to empathize with their clients and build a better rapport. 

From my own experience, I know it’s difficult for service members and veterans to seek mental health help.

There’s a stigma in today’s society about mental health, and it carries over to the armed services. 

From my perspective, the military is very alpha-dominant. Service members do not want to be perceived as weak and are less likely to express their emotions or discuss their mental health. There seems to be a “suck it up” mentality. That “there is nothing wrong. I will be okay. This will pass.”

While there isn’t anything that a service member wouldn’t do for their brother or sister standing next to them, it is less likely that a service member will seek help for themselves.

That’s where the Cohen Clinic at Hope For The Warriors comes in, as does our sister site, the Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at Centerstone in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Together, we stand ready to serve the entire state of North Carolina.

The clinics offer brief, evidence-based, client-centered therapy for a variety of mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, adjustment issues, anger, grief and loss, family issues, transition challenges, relationship problems, and children’s behavioral problems. Services are available regardless of discharge status, role in uniform, combat experience, ability to pay, or insurance.

We are proud that our clinic is here to provide mental health services for post-9/11 veterans, military families, as well as active-duty service members. 

For active-duty service members who seek treatment, it is important to note that the Cohen Clinic at Hope For The Warriors will not contact commanders, adding another layer of privacy.

Again, all of our services are currently offered through CVN Telehealth, which has been shown to be equally effective as in-person therapy. Virtual appointments make it more convenient for service members to seek the help they may need and have not previously received.

Those who need services that are provided by our clinic can seek help from the comfort and privacy of their home. For many, depression and PTSD are an everyday struggle, and leaving home can be a challenge, especially during a pandemic.

Virtual appointments can also ease the worry of the financial strain of travel and the societal stigma they may feel is attached to being seen entering a mental health facility.

When safe, we will offer in-person services at both North Carolina Cohen Clinics. If you prefer in-person treatment, you can access care from either Jacksonville or Fayetteville locations. However, we will also continue our virtual services across the state to serve as many clients as possible.

For more information on the Cohen Clinic at Hope For The Warriors, go here. To learn more about the Cohen Veterans Network and its system of 19 mental health clinics around the country, visit cohenveteransnetwork.org/.

Monroe “Roe” Holcomb is the outreach manager at the Steven A Cohen Military Family Clinic at Hope For The Warriors in Jacksonville, North Carolina. He served in the Marine Corps, where he spent ten years of service as a 0341 Infantry Indirect Fire Crew Member, 8153 Marine Corps Security Force Cadre Trainer, and 0369 Infantry Unit Leader. 

Holcomb started with Hope For The Warriors as a volunteer and later secured a position as a military veteran program coordinator. In that role, he worked alongside Wounded Warrior Battalion-East at Camp Lejeune, serving as a liaison providing assistance to service members, veterans, and families to increase awareness of programs available to them through Hope For The Warriors.

When not working with the veteran and military community, Roe is a diehard sports fan—go Cubs, Bears, and Bulls! He enjoys volunteering his spare time to mentor youth. Roe’s hobbies include coaching a local Christian school basketball team and attending charity events and local fundraisers.