Imagine finding yourself in a place so painful, dark and hopeless that suicide feels like the only option.

Welcome to post traumatic stress disorder.

Few things are more important than mental health. Nonetheless, the World Health Organization estimates that about 300 million people worldwide suffer from depression. In the United States, anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness, affecting 18% of the population — 7.7 million of whom are afflicted by PTSD.

Sarah Lee is one such individual.

A former Army Sergeant and Operation Iraqi Freedom II Combat Veteran, Sarah experienced more than her fair share of trauma during her 2004 deployment. After 8-years of service, she retires to civilian life and begins to struggle mightily with re-acclimating to normalcy. Numb, she begins to withdraw from friends and family. Her only companion becomes chronic neck and knee pain. And her only solace the food she binges to salve her emotional wounds. 100 pounds heavier, she is then diagnosed with a potentially life-threatening, grapefruit-sized ovarian cyst.

By April 2017, Sarah descends into a depression so bleak, she very nearly takes her own life.

Today she tells her story — an inspiring tale of survival and service that begins with a bike

However, countless who suffer from PTSD never find their way out. In fact, 22 veterans take their own lives every single day.

The very day I hosted this podcast was no exception. On November 7, 2018, just miles from my house, 28-year old combat veteran Ian David Long was planning an outlet for the dark thoughts he couldn't shake. And just hours after Sarah shared her solution with me, Long succumbed to his pain. Pulling out a .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol with a laser sight, he opened fire on a crowd of 20-somethings gathered at the Borderline Grill in Thousand Oaks, killing twelve before fatally shooting himself.

The confluence of these two events — and the disparity in their respective outcomes — perfectly underscores the severity of PTSD, our mental health epidemic at large, and the dire need for better diagnostics and more innovative treatment solutions for the untold millions who suffer.

So let's talk about it.

This is a story about courage. It’s about healing. And it’s about redemption.

I'll let Sarah tell the rest.

To view our conversation on YouTube, visit bit.ly/sarahlee424. And don't forget we're also now on Spotify.

Peace + Plants,

Rich