PTSD affects many people, including those who work in essential jobs such as police officers, health care workers and firefighers, and others who have had traumatic experiences unrelated to their work such as sexual assault survivors, Laufman said.

The VA page on mental health describes symptoms one may experience with PTSD to include replaying the event in their head, sleeplessness, anxiety and avoiding places that remind an individual of the event.

PTSD is not a crime, but it feels like prison, Laufman said. The prison Laufman is referring to is what the Eagles sing about in their song Desperado: Your prison is walking through this world alone.

The Ornery Vets Cafe is more than a place to get coffee. Laufman said he wants it to be a place for anyone, especially those dealing with mental illness, to get information for finding help. The cafe has a bulletin board with mental health and community resources, such as the Athens County Veterans newsletter and the Veterans Crisis Line.

We have, I think, made a difference in a few lives so far. And that means a lot to me, Laufman said.

The name Ornery Vets Cafe came serendipitously through a conversation Laufman had with one of his former students. Laufman was a teacher in the Alexander School System for 35 years, and when he saw one of his former students, he said, hey ornery.

Thats what I called her when she was a student because she was ornery, Laufman said. She said, No, youre the ornery one.

It came together for Laufman then that the name of the cafe would be Ornery Vets Cafe.

Ornery Vets Cafe opened on March 11, 2021, according to a report by OHIO News. Its located at 30 East State St and open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and groups can reserve space in the cafe during the evening for meetings.

Here is the original post:
Ornery Vets Cafe brings awareness to Veterans' mental health The New Political - The New Political