Revolutionizing Hope: Mental Health And The Power Of Connection

By Tim Jensen

As a co-owner of a large, successful, veteran-founded brand that champions the lifestyle and values of the American patriot, I could focus on any cause or passion project. Yet, I choose mental health—not because it’s flashy or trending, but because it’s real. Unlike skydiving or thrill-seeking, it’s not the topic influencers race to promote. It lacks the adrenaline rush or instant gratification that dominates our hyper-connected, information-driven world. But mental health is one of the few things we all share, woven into the fabric of our lives, whether we acknowledge it or not. In a society that demands constant engagement—where falling behind often means being forgotten—understanding and addressing mental health isn’t just important; it’s essential.

The Twenty-Year War—what most call the Global War on Terror—has placed an immense strain on the veteran healthcare system, often leaving those who served wondering whether they’ll receive the care they need for both the physical and psychological wounds of combat. Over the years of building our business, I’ve seen firsthand how deeply our community struggles with access to care and a system that feels outdated, overwhelmed, and, as many of us grimly joke, “built to kill them.” This isn’t a new problem. The cracks we see today are the same ones that failed the last generation of warfighters—not in Desert Storm or the operations that predated that conflict, but in Vietnam. The question isn’t just whether the system can keep up but whether it ever genuinely learned from the past.

I’ve met countless veterans who feel like numbers in a bureaucratic machine rather than individuals who put their lives on the line for their country. Appointments delayed for months, treatments that feel more like guesswork than science, and a sense of isolation when they realize the help they need isn’t coming. We train warriors to be resilient in the harshest of conditions, but we leave them to navigate a broken healthcare system alone, with little more than a handful of prescriptions and a “good luck” handshake.

My own experiences with the VHA have profoundly shaped my views on mental health in the veteran community. Like many others, I was handed a cocktail of prescriptions—polypharmacy at its worst—intended to help but ultimately leading me down a path of self-destruction. The mix of medications took an already unstable mental state and pushed it further into paranoia, depression, and anxiety until I reached a breaking point where something had to change. So I made the call—a dangerous one—to get off the meds. No medical guidance, no structured tapering. It’s just sheer necessity. The road through withdrawal was brutal, but I found an unexpected ally in a plant: cannabis. It wasn’t just an alternative; it was a turning point.

Cannabis provided me with clarity, stability, and a renewed sense of control over my mental health. It was a stark contrast to the chemical fog that had dominated my life before. Yet, despite its effectiveness, the stigma surrounding cannabis use among veterans remains strong. The irony is hard to ignore—we are given opiates and sedatives without question, yet something natural that genuinely helps is viewed with suspicion. It’s time to change that conversation.

I made it. But in 2009-10, I watched too many others who didn’t. By the time I was leading people at Grunt Style, it had become painfully clear—our community was filled with veterans silently battling the same unresolved struggles, hiding behind masks to avoid the emotions dragging them toward self-destruction. One of my earliest efforts to make an impact was simple but powerful: pairing combat veterans within our organization with others who had walked the same path. What happened next was undeniable. These men and women began to bond in ways that pulled them out of isolation, improving their emotional well-being and their ability to re-engage with the world around them. It wasn’t a program or a policy—it was a lifeline.

Through those connections, I saw the power of shared experience. When veterans talk to other veterans, there’s an understanding that doesn’t require explanation. They don’t have to censor themselves or translate their experiences into digestible pieces for civilians. They can be raw, honest, and, most importantly, heard. That sense of belonging, of not being alone in the fight, is a crucial part of healing that our system largely overlooks.

That experience set me on a path—not just as a personal mission but as a commitment to real change. It led me to formally establish a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to finding new, innovative, and effective solutions for veterans and their families. We focused on breaking the cycle of ineffective treatments and developing protocols specifically for PTSD, TBI, and toxicity-related issues. Instead of relying on the same outdated approaches, we pushed for real innovation—integrating toxicity screening, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, detoxification treatments, and even psychedelic-assisted therapies. These proven methods have delivered life-changing relief to those battling treatment-resistant depression, brain injuries, and debilitating medical conditions. This isn’t about following the status quo—it’s about rewriting the playbook for veteran care.

Psychedelic-assisted therapy, in particular, has shown incredible promise. While still controversial in some circles, the data is clear: guided therapy using substances like psilocybin or MDMA has the potential to achieve breakthroughs where traditional treatments have failed. Veterans who once saw no way forward have reported dramatic improvements, finding a renewed sense of purpose and clarity. It’s not about getting high—it’s about healing in a way that conventional medicine has yet to fully embrace.

Sometimes, radical change is necessary to challenge long-accepted, so-called “settled” scientific practices—especially when they fail to address today’s unique problems. We must be willing to ask difficult questions, challenge outdated norms, and explore every possible avenue for improving veteran mental health. The cost of inaction is too high.

I never expected to find myself in this fight, but looking back, I’m proud of our work to create real solutions for those who raised their hand to do the unthinkable—to serve, to fight, to sacrifice in lands far from home. I think about the veterans we’ve helped, the lives changed and the conversations that have finally started to shift in the right direction. And when I reflect on the rebellious spirit of our American ancestry—the men and women who defied odds, challenged authority, and fought for a better way—I realize one truth that has guided me through this journey: this is the way.

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

Check out our Social Media and The Objective Podcast! This Linktree goes to all of our outlets.

Sign up for our newsletter to get updates on our latest articles, podcast episodes, events, and more on our Homepage!

You can learn more about Objective Arete and our Team Here.

We seek writers who want to share stories, lessons learned, and opinions that can help others. If you would like to publish with us, please email Ayman@objectivearete.com.

Live With Purpose, Embrace Adversity, and Relentlessly Pursue Excellence!