LOXAHATCHEE, Fla. — The West Palm Beach VA Medical Center says around 23,000 veterans in our area have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Now they are expanding a free program that’s helping to treat the sometimes deadly disorder.

“I actually had a plan to take my life,” Cheri Alonso said.

For 6 years Alonso served in the United States Air Force working in Security Forces. Her service took her to Iraq and Kuwait.

“Everyday there was explosions going off and we didn’t know whether that was our people blowing up found explosives or if it was attacks,” she recalled.

When Alonso got back to the U.S. she brought with her anxiety, depression, and PTSD. She is an example of the 20 percent of veterans battling a form of PTSD.

“Sleepless nights, nightmares, you distance yourself from a lot of people,” Alonso said.

After a while, she sought out help. When the pills didn’t work her doctor recommended a free 8-week program offered by the VA Medical Center in West Palm Beach in partnership with the Vinceremos Therapeutic Riding Center in Loxahatchee. It uses horses for healing.

“Using techniques to be able to rewire their brain to get back to the life they had before the combat,” Carly Brown said

Brown is a therapist, she says the veterans walk, brush and feed the horses, building trust along the way.

“I’m just really enjoying this,” Alonso said.

It wasn’t an unlikely partnership, but Alonso learned by taking care of the horses she was taking care of herself.

“I’m able to be a better wife, a better mother through it,” she said.

Group sessions start every 8 to 10 weeks. For more information on this program call the VA Medical Center at 561-422-8283.

