PTSD Veteran says Veterans Court gave him a chance to live

'They gave me a chance to live:' Veterans Court produces first graduate
The Star Press
Written by Andrew Walker
Jul. 31, 2013

MUNCIE — Joshua Rogers learned his cellphone was his worst enemy as he began the long road to recovery from his chronic problems associated with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Rogers — a veteran of both the Army and Navy — said there were certain go-to contacts in his phone that would encourage drug and alcohol use to help him numb his pain.

So, one by one, Rogers went through his phone and deleted the contacts he’d later call his “bad influences.” When he was done, 72 people were cut out of his life.

Over the next few months, however, Rogers was able to add 42 new contacts to his phone — names of family members, new friends and other veterans who had his best interests at heart.

On Monday, in another huge step forward in his recovery, Rogers graduated from the Delaware County Veterans Court, a system aimed at directing eligible military veterans in trouble with the law to services, including treatment for conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder, provided by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
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