Tired and Exhausted

For years, I struggled with restless nights and ongoing stress.

As a Gulf War veteran, my body and mind had taken a beating.

Nightmares, sleeplessness, and fatigue were the realities embedded in my life long after leaving the battlefield. I often found myself feeling drained, unable to focus, and searching for a way to support my health naturally. I had gotten over the fear of an early death like my mom at age 45. I was now 65, a survivor of the pandemic, and 20 years as a high school math teacher, the hidden scars of trauma revealed themselves, as I could no longer ignore the fact that I had been suffering from PTSD for nearly 25 years.

I self-medicated with alcohol and the family history of social drinking made it the normal routine. I did not start smoking and drinking until I entered the Marines. I stopped smoking after my wife Joyce had been diagnosed with cancer 11 years ago. But the alcohol continued until the nightmares began to consume my life.

I tried the normal approaches, including working with my doctor to manage my health. They did a good job of preventive actions of annual physicals and routine blood workups. While some treatments helped in certain areas, relying solely on my doctor to take action would not uncover the prostate cancer growing within my body. It surfaced like a submarine, I was reluctant to sink it until I was fearful of it metastasizing. This added additional stress as I delayed medical procedures because of my graduating students. Then I was faced with the reality of retiring earlier than expected because of the necessary steps to maintain my life.

I entered into retirement with constant reminders of a failed VA system after nearly 40 years of government service that failed me three times. First, I never received any GI Bill education benefits. Second, I never received PSLF after 36 years of public service. Third, after contracting prostate cancer and receiving treatments the VA gives and then removes payments for getting better. This really hurts when it happens during retirement. So, I had a decision to make. Live or Die!

Lesson Learned: Don’t depend on Government Guarantees and Benefits.

So I decided that if I wanted to live another 20 years then I needed to make some changes. If I had made a decision to leave it up to my doctors I would have walked in on a normal annual physical only to find out that I had stage 4 cancer. I discovered the out-of-place symptoms and found my prostate cancer because of my proactive approach to my health and getting on the offensive side of preventive care.

After my surgery in March 2024, I began looking for additional ways to support my overall well-being, rest, and relaxation. That’s when I started researching and learning more about the concept of total wellness. I began by looking at wellness products and services from American manufacturers.

There’s a kind of tiredness that no sleep can fix.

That was me for years.

As a Gulf War vet and high school teacher, I carried the weight of trauma, testing pressure, and student loan debt long after leaving the battlefield and the classroom.

My sleep? It was a daily nightmare. Nightmare and walking like a zombie after not wanting to fall asleep because of what happens when I do.

I’d kick, shout out, talk in my sleep, and cry—and wake drenched in sweat. I even bound my hands together so that when I would fight or fight in my sleep during the night I would not hit my wife. Lord, I am lucky to have my wife Carolyn in my life. She has stayed by me during the worst times of my life. I would often cry after she would wake me because I was so embarrassed and I felt guilty. Something was wrong with me. On the outside I looked fine, constantly receiving awards, with the appearance that everything was just fine. But in reality, I was dying inside night by night

When I retired from the Marines I chose to self-medicate on alcohol to suppress the feelings but the nightmares continued. When I entered teaching I would combine the microaggressions adding to the stress. When I retired from teaching I made the mistake of serving on the HOA community Board compounded by daily additional microassaults. I made a decision, I had a choice once again to live or die!

The morning after reports from my wife—what I said or did—just made it worse.

I tried everything: melatonin, prescriptions, and antidepressants

that left me numb, confused, and ashamed. My energy tanked, my confidence dropped, and my libido started to disappear.

But then the nightmares only got worse until I made a decision to fight back. I started to learn about total wellness. Total wellness is a holistic approach to well-being encompassing seven interconnected dimensions: physical, emotional, intellectual, social, spiritual, environmental, and occupational. Each dimension contributes to overall health and vitality, and neglecting one can impact the other.

As a result, I started learning about mood-supporting and sleep-supporting supplements from a company I’d trusted for allergy-safe products. These weren’t just sleep aids—they helped me calm my mind, restore REM sleep, and support my mood naturally.

I committed to a new routine:

✅ Daily movement and walks

✅ A clean gut health supplement

✅ Morning and night wellness packs

✅ Positive self-talk and journaling

✅ Men’s vitality support

✅Natural Mood calming supplements

Slowly, I came back to life.

I started sleeping—peacefully.

I felt clear, calm, and energized.

I even tackled my financial stress by turning my wellness into a side business that’s helping me pay down student loan debt.

Now I sleep better.

Think better.

Live better.

And if you’re where I was—exhausted, anxious, and out of options—I want to help.

Have you had similar struggles and/or would like to achieve similar results to sleep better, feel energized, walk without pain, feel, calm, and be energized? If so then please comment or DM.

I invite you to join me on my journey of living from 70-90. I intend to live life to the fullest during the next two decades. Sharing my story is part of my wellness journey.

Choosing a path of total wellness involves prioritizing physical, mental, and social well-being. It’s about making intentional choices that support a healthy and fulfilling life, rather than just reacting to illnesses or injuries. This holistic approach considers various dimensions of wellness, such as physical activity, nutrition, sleep, stress management, and social connections. My next 20 years will be as a wellness educator.

👉 Follow Me on my Facebook Profile, or Join My Facebook Wellness Discovery Group. DM me or comment “WELLNESS” for my free wellness guide—the exact 10 steps I took to feel better, sleep deeper, and get back in control of my life.

📲 Follow @teachleadandinspire on social media and let’s start your healing together.

Join My Facebook Group: Teachleadandinspire-Wellness Group where you will find wellness resources, subscribe to my newsletter, and get access to free training to help you along your wellness journey. So, what are you waiting for? You have a choice, I made the decision to LIVE! What about you.

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