MINNEAPOLIS — Alan Vanhoever and Brian Neidt are honored to have served the United States.
Vanhoever was in the Army and Neidt in the Marines.
“We joined to defend something greater than ourselves,” Neidt said.
Vanhoever struggled with alcohol and drugs before joining the military. He hoped the work would set him straight.
For Neidt, the challenges he encountered led to substance abuse.
“It was in the military that I started using. Basically, to deal with the stress and trauma,” said Neidt.
They had traumatic experiences that no one seemed to understand when they returned home.
“I don’t see a bullet wound on you, so you must not be damaged,” Vanhoever said.
Both men struggled for years before giving a specialized long-term program a try.
“I just felt isolated, alone. It was a pretty fearful time for me. I had PTSD. I had anxiety, depression. I didn’t want to show that weakness,” Neidt said.
Vanhoever and Neidt say the program deployed at Minnesota Teen and Adult Challenge is unlike any other treatment program they had experienced.