Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

In conjunction with the Dare County Saving Lives Task Force, the Dare County Health & Human Services and the Dare County Veterans Advisory Council, a virtual community screening of “Medicating Normal” a “76-minute documentary film exploring our current mental health care system’s reliance on psychiatric drugs to deal with trauma, grief, and distress. There will be an interactive community discussion immediately after the film focused on polypharmacy and overmedication within the military veteran community and beyond” will also be available to all who are interested.

Panelists include: Erin Stair, MD, MPH, former US Army officer, health communication specialist and public health consultant at Bloomingwellness.com, podcaster at “Causes or Cures” Podcast; Lynn Cunningham, Co-Director/Co-Producer of Medicating Normal; Angela Peacock, MSW: former US Army Sergeant, subject of the film Medicating Normal.

When: Thursday, May 13, 6 – 8 p.m. EDT

Where: To RSVP, go to: bit.ly/DareCountyMedNorm

This valuable information and opportunity has been introduced to all of us by Roxana Ballinger, MBA, CCM, RN; Health Education and Outreach director; co-chair Saving Lives Task Force, 252-475-5619 – www.darenc.com and/or www.savinglivesobx.com.

If you are a veteran; know or love someone who is, please help spread the word about this special showing or contact the office number or county website as noted above for more details. Veterans – or a friend or a family member of a veteran – who have served our country are due any/all help, assistance, information and guidance into living your best life.

You are important to all of us, you matter – a LOT – and if there’s even the slightest chance viewing this documentary could help, it’s well worth the 76 minutes to watch it.

In addition, if you have other needs, please note that Patty O’Sullivan, our Dare County Veterans Service Officer, is eager to help you. She is the only official V.A. representative in Dare County and she can help you obtain a duplicate of your DD-214 (if yours has been misplaced over the years) and she can answer questions, give you direction and help you file a claim for a potential V.A. benefit or possible medical disability claim.

Personally? I’m a dedicated and engaged veteran advocate and have been for the last 11 years officially. My husband and one and only true love Billy, a Vietnam veteran who passed in 2016 due to Agent Orange has been my inspiration in writing Gig Line, this weekly column, to honor all our veterans since 2011.

Please, please consider taking part and joining in on the film, ‘Medicating Normal’ in the event you know someone else the information might help.

On behalf of the Dare County Veterans Advisory Council, we thank all reliable sources for help for our veterans.

Until next time, be happy, be safe and be proud. As Americans we have much to be thankful for regardless of our political differences. Email me at giglineheroes@aol.com if you have a question, comment or something to share. I’m interested in your thoughts always. Next time, I will be writing about a topic everyone, veteran or not, should read. You are all in my thoughts and prayers and I love you all. God bless you and your family and thank you for reading Gig Line and please call my cell: (252) 202-2058 or email me anytime. Stay tuned!

FOR MORE COLUMNS AND LETTERS TO THE EDITOR, CHECK OUT OUR OPINION SECTION HERE.