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TED: COMING UP NEXT ON "ARIZONA HORIZON," THE IMPACT OF NEW ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR FOOD STAMP RECIPIENTS?

>>> ALSO TONIGHT, AN EFFORT TO CLOSE THE GENDER GAP IN HEALTH CARE IN THE NATION.

>>> AND A VETERAN AND GOLD STAR FATHER WORKS TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT PTSD.

THOSE STORIES AND MORE NEXT ON "ARIZONA HORIZON."

.

TED: GOOD EVENING, AND WELCOME TO "ARIZONA HORIZON."

I'M TED SIMONS.

THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC SECURITY IS GETTING BACKLASH FOR MAKING IT MORE DIFFICULT FOR FOOD STAMP RECIPIENTS TO PROVE ELIGIBILITY FOR THE PROGRAM.

THIS ALL FOLLOWS CONGRESSIONAL APPROVAL OF NEW ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR THE SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, BETTER KNOWN AS S.N.A.P.

JOINING US IS KJZZ CAMRYN SANCHEZ COVERING THE STORY.

THANKS FOR COMING IN.

WHAT EXACTLY IS S.N.A.P.?

>> SO IT'S BASICALLY FOOD STAMPS, AND IT MEANS THAT PEOPLE CAN APPLY FOR ELIGIBILITY, AND ABLE TO AFFORD FOOD MORE EASILY IF THEY MEET CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS.

THIS INCLUDES ALL STATES, BUT ARIZONA HAS ROUGHLY 900,000 PEOPLE ON S.N.A.P., AT LEAST THEY DID, UNTIL THE CHANGES WENT INTO EFFECT.

TED: I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE LOSS OF PEOPLE ON THE PROGRAM, BUT THIS AGAIN FOLLOWS CONGRESS WITH NEW REQUIREMENTS.

HOW MUCH OF AN IMPACT ARE THOSE NEW REQUIREMENTS ON WHAT'S HAPPENING IN ARIZONA?

>> BIG, BUT SMALLER DEPENDING WHO YOU ASK, THAT'S KIND OF THE RUB.

HR1, THE BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL, MADE CHANGES TO ELIGIBILITY FOR S.N.A.P.

YOU NEED TO FILL IN APPLICATIONS MORE FREQUENTLY AND HAVE TO MEET WORK REQUIREMENTS, STUFF LIKE THAT.

IN ARIZONA, IT'S ADMINISTERED BY AZDES AND SLASHED A BUNCH OF PEOPLE.

IT'S SO MUCH MORE THAN ANY OTHER STATE.

THE QUESTION IS WHAT IS ARIZONA DOING DIFFERENTLY IN THE NAME OF IMPLEMENTING THOSE CHANGES?

>> WHAT IS ARIZONA DOING DIFFERENTLY?

IS IT ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS OR SOMETHING ELSE?

>> IT'S MORE BUREAUCRACY, SOMETHING ELSE.

ACCORDING TO THE PEOPLE WHO I SPOKE WITH, WHICH ARE THE PEOPLE APPLYING FOR S.N.A.P.

BENEFITS AND SAYING THEY LOST THOSE BENEFITS BECAUSE ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS IS DES REQUIRES INTERVIEW OF THE APPLICANTS AND USED TO DO THAT IN PERSON, YOU COULD GO TO THE DES OFFICES.

NOW YOU HAVE TO DO IT ON THE PHONE, AND YOU HAVE TO DO THE PHONE CALL WITH DES WITHIN A CERTAIN AMOUNT TIME.

HOWEVER, IF THEY DON'T PICK UP THE PHONE AND YOU MISS THE WINDOW, YOU'RE NOT ELIGIBLE, YOU LOSE BENEFITS AND THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE TOLD ME OVER AND OVER AGAIN.

TED: THEY'RE NOT PICKING UP THE PHONE?

>> NOT PICKING UP THE PHONE.

TED: IS THAT A CHANGE FROM THE PAST?

IF IT'S PHONE ONLY, I WOULD IMAGINE THE LINES ARE JAMMED.

>> THEY ARE, AND THIS IS SOMETHING DES SAYS AS A RESULT OF BEING UNDERFUNDED AND UNDERSTAFFED AND HEARD SIMILAR STORIES WITH WHAT THE AGENCY ADMINISTRATORS WORK ASSISTANCE AND DDD, IN THE CASE OF SNAP, A MASSIVE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE ARE STRUGGLING TO PUT FOOD ON THE TABLE AS A RESULT.

>> WE'RE TALKING TO CLOSE TO HALF ITS 900 OR 100,000 -- 500,000 PEOPLE AFFECTED?

HOW MANY ARE KIDS?

>> A LOT OF CHILDREN.

LOT OF THEM ARE FAMILIES OR PEOPLE USING S.N.A.P.

BENEFITS TO FEED THEMSELVES AND HOWEVER MANY DEPENDENTS THEY HAVE.

WE'RE THINKING ROUGHLY 200,000ISH KID BUS THE NUMBERS HAVE BEEN CHANGING AS THINGS GO ON.

TED: I WANT TO GET THIS STRAIGHT AGAIN.

50% CUTS, CLOSE TO ABOUT IN ARIZONA.

NEXT HIGHEST STATE IS 15%?

>> YEAH, I BELIEVE THAT WAS BACK EAST.

TED: VIRGINIA, YEAH, YEAH.

AGAIN, THAT'S A BIG DIFFERENCE.

>> EXACTLY.

SO THAT GETS US INTO THE BLAME GAME BECAUSE DEMOCRATS AND GOVERNOR HOBBS HAVE BEEN SAYING THIS IS ALL THE FAULT OF TRUMP, AND FEDERAL -- REPUBLICANS BECAUSE THEY PASSED HR1, AND WE'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING AT DES BESIDE IMPLEMENTING CHANGES.

WE DON'T WANT TO CUT PEOPLE FROM S.N.A.P.

WHO ARE PREVIOUSLY ON IT, WHEREAS DES AND THE REPUBLICANS IN ARIZONA HAVE A DIFFERENCE OF OPINION.

THE REPUBLICANS SAY IF ANYTHING IS GOING WRONG IT'S THE GOVERNOR'S FAULT, IT COULD BE THE PEOPLE WHO ARE CUT ARE FRAUDULENT USERS.

>> THAT'S AN AWFUL LOT OF FRAUDULENT USERS.

DO WE KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE CAUGHT OR SUSPECTED OF FRAUD IN THE PAST?

>> NO, BUT SOME DISCREPANCY OVER PEOPLE ARE USING THE TERM FRAUD SYNONYMOUSLY WITH ERROR RATE, WHICH IS SOMETHING ELSE, A WHOLE OTHER CONVERSATION.

>> YES.

>> THIS CHANGED AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL FROM A YEAR AGO WITHIN THE NAME OF ELIMINATING WASTE, FRAUD AND ABUSE FROM GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS AS WE'VE HEARD MANY, MANY TIMES.

>> FROM YOUR REPORTING, ARIZONA OFFICIALS ARE SAYING AN OUTLIER RIGHT NOW, LOOKS BAD, BUT WON'T BE AN OUTLIER FOR LONG.

THE OTHER STATES HAVEN'T CAUGHT UP TO THE REQUIREMENTS LIKE WE HAVE BECAUSE WE WERE QUICK AND READY TO GO WITH THE NEW ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS DOES, THAT MAKE SENSE?

>> INTERESTING RESPONSE FROM DES BECAUSE WHILE WE'VE HAD TENSE BACK AND FORTH, I'VE BEEN ASKING A LOT OF CHANGES ABOUT THE S.N.A.P.

CHANGES, THEY GOT CAUGHT UP AND SAID FILE A PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST, WHICH THEY HAVEN'T RESPONDED TO.

THERE WAS AN EXCHANGE WITH THE DIRECTOR OF DES, WHERE IT BEGS THE QUESTION, THIS HR1 BILL WENT INTO EFFECT CLOSE TO A YEAR AGO, AND GOVERNOR HOBBS GAVE DES ABOUT 7 TO $8 MILLION TO IMPLEMENT THE CHANGES.

IF WE WERE ROLLING IT OUT FASTER THAN OTHER STATES, LEAVES THE QUESTION ABOUT WHY WE NEED SO MUCH TIME TO ADJUST, AND HOW OUR ADJUSTMENT IS DIFFERENT FROM EVERYONE ELSE?

TED: WE'RE QUICK AT SOME THINGS BUT NOT AT OTHERS, APPARENTLY.

YOU TALKED TO A LOT OF FOLKS AFFECTED BY THIS.

WHAT ARE YOU HEARING?

>> SOMEONE SAID THEY DIDN'T WANT TO BE ON THE RECORD AND I SHOULD LOOK AT THE ISSUE.

TO GET ONE OF THE VOICES, I WENT TO THE FOOD BANK, ST.

MARY'S IN PHOENIX, AND TALKED TO PEOPLE IN LINE, EVERYONE WHO APPLIED FOR S.N.A.P.

TOLD ME THE EXACT SAME STORY, WHICH IS RARE IN A SITUATION LIKE THAT.

YOU ARE ASKING A VERY SPECIFIC QUESTION AND EVERYONE GIVES YOU A SIMILAR EXPERIENCE.

TED: YEAH, AND THE SIMILAR EXPERIENCE IS WE'RE TRYING TO GET ON BY PHONE, THE ONLY WAY TO DO IT, AND NO ONE IS PICKING UP THE PHONE.

>> EXACTLY.

TED: YOU WENT TO ST.

MARY'S FOOD BANK?

>> I DID.

TED: WHAT ARE YOU HEARING FROM FOOD BANKS, FROM ST.

MARY'S AND OTHERS?

>> I WASN'T GOING TO FOLD THEM INTO THE STORY BUT THEY'RE LIKE NO ONE IS COMING TO SAVE US.

FOOD BANK USAGE IS NOT PROPORTIONAL, BUT FOOD BANKS DON'T HAVE THE CAPACITY TO COVER ALL OF THE S.N.A.P.

CUTS, SO THEY'RE KIND OF SCRAMBLING ON THEIR END BECAUSE S.N.A.P.

HISTORICALLY, WHAT I HEARD FROM THE DIRECT OFFER THE FOOD BANK FOR EVERY MEAL THAT S.N.A.P.

GAVE OUT, IT'S LIKE A FIFTH OF WHAT THE FOOD BANK CAN PROVIDE.

TED: OBVIOUSLY, THERE IS BLAME GAME.

BEYOND THE BLAME GAME, WHAT ARE GOVERNORS SAYS, LAWMAKERS, SAYING TO ALLEVIATE THE PROBLEM, OR IS ANYTHING?

>> THE SESSION REPUBLICANS TO SAVE MONEY AS PART OF STATE BUDGET TALKS WANTED TO SLASH THE DES BUDGET FURTHER AND DEMOCRATS PUSHED BACK ON THAT FOR THIS EXACT REASON, BECAUSE OF THE CUTS HAPPENING AND DES IS SAYING THEY'RE OVERWHELMED AND BUDGET TALKS MAY HAVE BEEN WALKED BACK BY REPUBLICANS.

IN TERMS OF COMING TO SAVE PEOPLE, NOTHING YET.

TED: BUT STILL A 5%, THE PLAN FOR REPUBLICAN PLAN IS 5% PLAN ACROSS THE BOARD.

IS THAT STILL IN PLAY FOR DES?

>> BUDGET NEGOTIATIONS ARE FINALIZING THEMSELVES THIS WEEK, BUT POSSIBLE THEY'LL PULL BACK ON THAT.

TED: YEAH, YEAH, GREAT WORK, CAMRYN SANCHEZ, KJZZ TALKING ABOUT S.N.A.P.

AND ALL THE FOLKS, WE'RE LEADING THE COUNTRY IN SOMETHING, CAMRYN.

>> YES.

TED: THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

>> THANKS.

.

TED: ONLY 4% OF MEDICAL RESEARCH IS SPECIFIC TO WOMEN, YET THE DEMAND IS SIGNIFICANT AND THE RETURNS EVEN BIGGER.

ACCORDING TO FEM TECH AZ, A NONPROFIT WORKING TO ADVANCE WOMEN'S HEALTH INNOVATION IN ARIZONA, WE WELCOME DR.

MITZI CRACKOVER, PROFESSOR OF PRACTICE AT ASU'S COLLEGE OF HEALTH SOLUTIONS.

YOU HAVE A FEW THINGS GOING ON AT ASU?

>> YES, VERY EXCITING.

TED: WHAT IS FEM TECH AZ?

>> AN ORGANIZATION FOCUSED ON CONNECTING THE ECOSYSTEM OF WOMEN'S HEALTH TO CREATE A HUB FOR WOMEN'S HEALTH HERE IN ARIZONA THAT WILL IMPROVE WOMEN'S HEALTH AS WELL AS THE ECONOMY.

TED: CLOSING THE GAP IN GENDER HEALTH CARE.

TALK ABOUT GENDER GAP IN WOMEN'S HEALTH CARE.

>> WHEN WOMEN'S HEALTH, THEY THINK OF REPRODUCTIVE AND GYNECOLOGIC HEALTH, WHICH IS ONE OF THE BUCKETS, THE OTHER BUCKET IS CONDITIONS THAT MANIFEST DIFFERENTLY IN WOMEN.

HEART DISEASE, NUMBER ONE KILLER OF WOMEN AND MEN, BUT WOMEN HAVE DIFFERENT SYMPTOMS.

IT MAY BE THAT WE HAVE DIFFERENT PHYSIOLOGY AND ANATOMY.

THE SECOND BUCKET IS THE CONDITIONS THAT ARE PREDOMINANTLY WOMEN, SO THINK ABOUT ALZHEIMER'S, 67% OF PEOPLE WITH ALZHEIMER'S ARE WOMEN, 80% OF PEOPLE WITH OSTEOPOROSIS ARE WOMEN, AND IF WE LOOK AT WOMEN'S HEALTH INNOVATION, WE CAN REDUCE THAT GAP BY MORE RESEARCH, MORE DATA AND MORE INVESTMENT SO THAT WE CAN GET THAT INTO CLINICAL CARE.

TED: FOR THOSE WHO SAY, ANY KIND OF RESEARCH, BE IT MAN OR MALE OR FEMALE HERE, ANY RESEARCH INTO THE SYMPTOMS SHOULD BECOME LIKE A BIG UMBRELLA.

YOU'RE SAYING NO, YOU GOT TO BE MORE TARGETED.

>> YOU HAVE TO -- BASICALLY WHAT WE CALL DISAGGREGATE OR LOOK AT THE DATA THROUGH A SEX LENS.

IN 1993, WASN'T UNTIL 1993 THAT WE ACTUALLY STARTED BRINGING IN WOMEN IN UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS INTO MEDICAL RESEARCH, SO THAT BASICALLY WE WERE DOING MEDICAL RESEARCH ON 70 KILOGRAM MEN.

THAT'S WHY THE DISPARITIES IN CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH INFORMATION IS DIFFERENT, AND WASN'T UNTIL 2016, WE STARTED LOOKING AT IT FROM A PRECLINICAL OR ANIMAL STUDIED LOOKING AT SEX AS A BIOLOGICAL VARIABLE, IT WAS MANDATED TO DO THAT BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT SEX DIFFERENCES EVEN AT THE CELLULAR LEVEL ARE IMPORTANT, SO THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR BOTH MEN AND WOMEN TO KNOW WHAT THE SEX DIFFERENCES ARE TO TARGET SOLUTIONS FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS.

TED: THE VARIABLES, DO THEY APPLY TO RISK FACTORS?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

IF YOU LOOK AT, FOR EXAMPLE, MATERNAL HEALTH, AND UNFORTUNATELY THIS COUNTRY IS NUMBER 27 OF THE WORLD BEHIND 26 OTHER COUNTRIES IN OUR PEER GROUP AND BEYOND, IN TERMS OF MATERNAL MORTALITY.

SO IF WE LOOK AT, FOR EXAMPLE, HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE IN PREGNANCY, WE KNOW THAT NOW IS A RISK FACTOR FOR CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE IN WOMEN.

THAT'S A VERY SPECIFIC AND DIFFERENT RISK FACTOR.

TED: AND CONTRACTING DISEASES DIFFERENT AS WELL?

>> IT MAY BE THE WAY WE EITHER MANIFEST THEM OR EVEN THE ONES THAT WE OBVIOUSLY ARE MORE EXPOSED TO.

FOR EXAMPLE, MORE WOMEN ARE GETTING HAERJS BUT IF YOU LOOK AT PARKINSON'S IT'S PREDOMINANTLY MEN.

WHAT ARE THE SEX DIFFERENCES?

IT'S SO IMPORTANT TO KNOW.

TED: TO KNOW, THIS IS A COLLABORATIVE ATTEMPT HAVE YOU AT FEM TECH, CORRECT?

>> YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE PROCESS, NEED THE RESEARCH, YOU NEED THE FOUNDERS WHO COMMERCIALIZE THAT RESEARCH AND THE ENTREPRENEURIAL ECOSYSTEM, YOU NEED INVESTMENT TO PILOT THE TECHNOLOGIES OR DO THE CLINICAL STUDIES AND YOU NEED INDUSTRY TO BE STRATEGIC PARTNERS.

WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS CONNECT ALL OF THE DOTS SO THAT WE CAN BRING FORWARD AND REALLY FOCUS ON THE WOMEN'S HEALTH NEEDS HERE IN ARIZONA AND GLOBALLY, SO THAT WE CAN CREATE INNOVATIONS AND GET THEM INTO PRACTICE.

TED: AND YOU CONNECT THOSE DOTS AND THAT'S A BIG ECONOMIC IMPACT, IS IT NOT?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

WE THINK SO.

IF YOU LOOK GLOBALLY, IF YOU DO CLOSE THE GAP, GLOBALLY YOU CAN GET A $1 TRILLION RETURN ON INVESTMENT BY 2040 ANNUALLY AND IN THE UNITED STATES, $295 BILLION.

SO WOULDN'T ARIZONA WANT A LITTLE PIECE OF THAT?

TED: WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SEE FROM FEM TECH AZ, WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SEE INVOLVING THIS NONPROFIT?

>> ABSOLUTELY, WE WANT TO, AGAIN, AND WE'VE HAD A GOOD START, WE HAD OUR FEM TECH LAUNCH SUMMIT WHERE, WE'RE LAUNCHING A BLUEPRINT, IN ORDER TO BRING IN ALL OF THOSE STAKEHOLDERS AND MANY OF THEM IN LEADERSHIP CAME TO THAT SUMMIT INCLUDING MAYOR KATE GALLEGO GAVE OPENING REMARKS, AND WE'VE DONE LISTENING SESSIONS BETWEEN FOUNDERS AND INVESTORS, AND WE'VE ALSO GONE THROUGH TO TUCSON, PHOENIX AND FLAGSTAFF, THANK YOU TO THE FLYNN FOUNDATION FOR UNDERWRITING THAT, DOING ROUND TABLES WITH LEADERSHIP TO FIND OUT WHAT ARE THE RESOURCE, WHAT ARE THE NEEDS AND HOW CAN WE WORK TOGETHER?

TED: HOW CAN PEOPLE FIND OUT MORE?

>> FEM TECH AZ.COM.

TED: GOOD TO HAVE YOU HERE.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.

.

TED: JUNE IS PTSD AWARENESS MONTH, AND TONIGHT WE WELCOME A VIETNAM VETERAN AND RETIRED POLICE DETECTIVE WHO MADE IT HIS MISSION TO HELP OTHER VETERANS COPE WITH TRAUMA.

HE ALSO HAS A PERSONAL CONNECTION TO HIS EFFORTS, HE LOST HIS SON WHO HAD HIS OWN BATTLES WITH PTSD.

JOINING US NOW IS VIETNAM VETERAN AND GOLD STAR FATHER, FRANK WHITE.

WE APPRECIATE HEARING YOUR STORY.

>> I APPRECIATE YOU HAVING ME, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

TED: WHAT IS -- HOW DO YOU SEE PTSD?

>> I THINK IT'S A BIG PROBLEM AMONG VETERANS, ESPECIALLY COMBAT VETERANS.

WE HAVE A DIFFERENT OUTLOOK THOSE OF US THAT HAD TO SERVE UNDER COMBAT CONDITIONS.

IT'S VERY DIFFERENT.

MANY, MANY VETERANS WORE A UNIFORM.

NOT ALL OF US HAD TO SERVE IN COMBAT OR UNDER COMBAT CONDITIONS.

I THINK MY JOURNEY STARTED IN 1972 RIGHT AFTER HIGH SCHOOL, MY LOTTERY NUMBER WAS PRETTY HIGH, SO I WENT DOWN AND JOINED THE SERVICE.

MY FATHER WAS A WORLD WAR II VETERAN WHO LANDED IN THE PACIFIC AND FOUGHT IN OKINAWA IN THE U.S.

ARMY.

SO FOR ME, I WANTED TO TAKE A LITTLE DIFFERENT PATH, AND I DECIDED THAT THE UNITED STATES NAVY MIGHT BE A GOOD POSITION FOR ME AND MAYBE I WOULDN'T HAVE TO GO TO VIETNAM.

I WAS WRONG.

TED: YEAH.

YEAH.

YOU WERE WRONG AND THE FALLOUT STARTED TO HAPPEN, WHEN DID YOU KNOW YOU WERE HAVING PROBLEMS?

>> I THINK WHAT HAPPENED WAS, IN 1975, I WAS INVOLVED IN THE EVACUATION OF BOTH CAMBODIA, PHNOM PENH AND OPERATION EAGLE PULL AND EVACUATION OF SAIGON, OPERATION FREQUENT WIND, THAT WAS VERY HARD ON ME.

I WAS ABOARD THE U.S.

DESTROYER ESCORT.

U.S.S.

COOK.

PEOPLE WERE COMING OUT, THEY DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING ON THEM.

THERE WERE MOTHERS WITH BABIES IT.

HAUNTS ME TODAY.

THERE WERE HELICOPTERS CRASHING AT SEA.

THE LOOKS ON THEIR FACES.

THEY DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING LEFT, AND THERE WERE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF THEM.

TED: AND YOU SAW THIS, AND YOU EXPERIENCED IT, AND I CAN TELL YOU STILL EXPERIENCE IT, BUT WHEN DID YOU KNOW THAT THIS WAS HITTING YOU IN WAYS THAT YOU PERHAPS WEREN'T EVEN AWARE OF?

>> PROBABLY WITHIN -- SHORTLY AFTER WE ESCORTED ALL THESE REFUGEES OURSELVES, AND OUR SISTER SHIP, THE U.S.S.

KIRK, WE ALONE ESCORTED ABOUT 44,000 REFUGEES BACK TO THE PHILIPPINES.

TED: YEAH.

>> AND IT WAS SHORTLY AFTER THAT I REALIZED THAT I WAS HORRIFIED BY WHAT I SAW AND WHAT HAD HAPPENED, AND IT STRUCK ME, AND I WAS HAVING NIGHTMARES, I WAS HAVING -- I COULDN'T BELIEVE WHAT HAD HAPPENED.

TED: DID YOU FEEL LIKE A DIFFERENT PERSON?

>> YES.

TED: BECAUSE I HEAR THAT A LOT ABOUT PTSD.

>> YES.

I SHORTLY DISCHARGED IN AUGUST OF 1975, AND I WENT HOME, AND MY DAD LOOKED AT ME AND HE SAID, I CAN SEE YOU'VE CHANGED, SON, AND HE HELPED ME BECAUSE HE WAS A COMBAT VETERAN HIMSELF.

TED: DID YOU -- WHAT WORKED FOR YOU IN TERMS OF HELP?

WHAT HELPED YOU TURN AROUND?

>> WELL, I DON'T KNOW THAT IT REALLY HELPED TURN AROUND.

I LEARNED TO DEAL WITH IT.

MUSIC WAS ALWAYS AN OUTLET FOR ME.

TED: INTERESTING.

>> OF ALL THINGS.

I IT SEEK HELP WITH THE VA, AND I STILL GET HELP TODAY WITH THE VA.

I'M NOT ASHAMED TO SAY THAT THE VA HAS HELPED ME QUITE A BIT WITH SOME OF MY STRESSES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

MY SECOND WIFE WAS A SEVERE HELP TO ME IN HELPING WITH MY STRESSES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

ALL THE THINGS I WENT THROUGH IN POLICE WORK, AND I WAS INVOLVED IN A COUPLE OF OFFICER-INVOLVED SHOOTINGS.

NOTHING SEEMED TO COMPARE WHAT I WENT THROUGH IN VIETNAM.

I WAS STILL HAVING THE NIGHTMARES, AND SHE WAS ALWAYS THERE FOR ME.

TED: WE SHOULD MENTION YOU WERE A HOMICIDE DETECTIVE IN COLORADO.

>> YES.

TED: AFTER YOUR SERVICE.

>> YES.

TED: AND DO I WANT TO GET TO YOUR SON, BECAUSE WE'RE GETTING A LITTLE SHORT ON TIME.

I WANT TO HEAR HIS STORY, AS BEST AND AS COMFORTABLY AS YOU CAN TELL IT.

>> MY SON WANTED TO FOLLOW IN HIS FATHER'S FOOTSTEPS.

HE WANTED TO DO THE THINGS THAT I DID, IN 1998, GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL AND JOINED THE UNITED STATES NAVY, AND HE WENT ONTO GRADUATE BOOT CAMP.

HE WENT ONTO A SHIP, AND WITHIN A YEAR, HE GOT HURT ABOARD SHIP, FELL OFF A LADDER AND HURT HIS KNEE, AND THEY TRANSFERRED HIM TO SHORE DUTY, AND LONG STORY SHORT, HE WAS NEVER GOING TO DO WHAT I DID.

HE LOST HIS OPPORTUNITY.

THEY DISCHARGED HIM TO MY DISMAY.

I WAS HOPING HE WOULD TRY TO REHAB, BUT HE GOT OUT ON AN HONORABLE DISCHARGE UNDER MEDICAL CONDITIONS, AND HE WAS ANGRY FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE.

THAT WAS 25 YEARS AGO.

TED: DID YOU RECOGNIZE IN HIM WHAT YOU WENT THROUGH?

>> YES, AND HE WAS UPSET, AND I TRIED WORK WITH HIM.

HE STARTED DRINKING.

HE DRANK A LOT, AND HE WAS AN ANGRY DRUNK, AND 3 1/2 YEARS AGO, HE KILLED HIMSELF.

>> I'M SO SORRY TO HEAR THAT.

DID HE RECOGNIZE HE WAS STRUGGLING?

>> I THINK HE DID, BUT HE WOULD NEVER ADMIT IT.

HE ESTRANGED HIMSELF FROM HIS SISTERS, HIS NIECES, NEPHEWS WOULD TRY TO WORK WITH HIM, BUT HE WAS JUST ANGRY.

TED: YEAH.

>> HE WAS MAD AT THE WORLD FOR WHAT HAD HAPPENED.

TED: WE HAVE ABOUT 30 SECONDS LEFT.

I WANT TO ASK BECAUSE YOU'RE HELPING VETERANS NOW.

>> YES.

TED: DOES HELPING THOSE VETERANS HELP YOU?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

ABSOLUTELY.

IF WE CAN CHANGE ONE THING, IT'S OKAY TO ASK FOR HELP.

DON'T DO TO YOUR FAMILY WHAT MY SON DID TO OUR FAMILY.

DON'T DO IT, GET HELP.

TED: GET HELP FROM FOLKS LIKE YOU WHO ARE VERY WELL MANAGED TO GIVE THAT HELP.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

TED: AND KEEP FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT, YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US FOR YOUR STORY.

APPRECIATE YOU SHARING THESE STORIES.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

TED: YOU BET.

>> APPRECIATE IT.

TED: THAT'S IT FOR NOW.

I'M TED SIMONS.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

YOU HAVE A GREAT EVENING.