William Clevenger remembers clearly when he began to believe he could regain control over his life: It was the moment last year that he mastered the rising trot while riding a dappled gray Percheron named Dakota.
In the decade since Clevenger returned to the U.S. from Iraq, where he served three tours as a sergeant in the Marine Corps, he suffered from combat-induced hyper-vigilance. In 2006, he was diagnosed with adult leukemia and almost died. He became so depressed he had a hard time leaving his room. The only way he could calm his anxiety was by getting drunk.
"I couldn't connect with people," he said. "I withdrew from everyone. I was trying to muscle through my anxiety on my own and without getting any kind of help. Then a couple of DWIs made me realize that I had a problem, and I checked myself in to the hospital."
[For more of this story, written by Mary Carole McCauley, go to http://www.baltimoresun.com/he...-20160901-story.html]
Comments (0)