National Recovery Month: When Healing Becomes Heroism
September 23, 2025
For National Recovery Month, we encourage you to honor a different kind of warrior.
Many of our nation’s Service Members and Veterans have fought battles within their own minds, bodies, and spirits. These battles don’t always leave visible scars, but they cut just as deep. We’re talking about the battle with a substance use disorder.
The physical toll of war, the emotional weight of trauma, and the cultural pressure to “push through” causes many Service Members and Veterans to turn to substances as a way to cope. Consequently, addiction is a fight that often begins in silence and always thrives in isolation. But recovery is possible—and those who rise from the ashes are warriors of the highest order. They’ve faced addiction head-on, endured setbacks, and chosen healing over hiding.
This September, during National Recovery Month, we celebrate the courage of our nation’s recovery warriors—because we don’t just acknowledge the struggle, we honor the comeback. So, to our sober Service Members and Veterans: we see you. We honor your grit, your growth, and the grace it takes to rise again.
And, we say to anyone who is still in the battle, you are not alone. Keep fighting the good fight. There is hope. Don’t give up. This blog is for you.
From Silence to Strength: The Rise of Loud Recovery Among the Military Community
Healing from addiction was treated like a hush-hush affair for far too long—especially in military circles. Stoicism and “suck it up” culture often overshadowed vulnerability, and as a result, alcoholism was prevalent in military communities.
But that narrative is changing.
Recovery is being normalized, and a growing movement of Service Members and Veterans is emerging from the fire to boldly declare: I survived addiction. I chose healing. And I’m proud of it.
These recovery warriors aren’t just quietly rebuilding their lives—they’re living loudly and publicly. They’re sharing their stories and mentoring others through peer support. Furthermore, they are showing the world that sobriety shouldn’t be kept secret because healing happens in the Light. Their courage is contagious, and it’s helping to dismantle stigma across the military and Veteran communities.
Real Comeback Stories from Real Recovery Warriors
One powerful example of this shift is the “This Version of Me” campaign created by Make the Connection, a Veterans Affairs initiative. It features real Veterans from every branch of service who have faced addiction, trauma, and mental health challenges and found their way to recovery.
These stories aren’t tucked away in dusty case files or whispered behind closed doors—they are front and center, shared with pride and purpose.
Through video interviews, written testimonials, and peer-to-peer encouragement, the Make the Connection campaign gives Veterans a platform to get raw and real about their recovery journeys. They talk about hitting rock bottom, navigating VA resources, rebuilding relationships, and rediscovering their worth. And they do it with a kind of authenticity that resonates far beyond the screen.
By loudly sharing “this version” of themselves—the healed, sober, and self-aware version—these Veterans are flipping the script on what it means to be strong. They’re showing that recovery isn’t weakness—it’s a warfare of the soul that can be fought and won.
Recovery is choosing vulnerability over silence, connection over isolation, and purpose over pain. Their voices are rally cries for others still in the trenches, reminding every Service Member and Veteran: You are not broken. Healing is possible.
These are not cautionary tales—they’re comeback stories. And they’re proof that recovery warriors are redefining what it means to serve: not just in uniform, but in truth, transparency, and transformation.
A Message of Hope from Soldiers’ Angels
In conclusion, this National Recovery Month, we’re celebrating sobriety and helping to build a comeback culture where recovery is visible. We honor the warriors who’ve fought battles most will never see and celebrate sobriety for those walking the path of recovery.
Also, we hold space for those who are still in the trenches fighting addiction. Remember: recovery is not a retreat—it’s a rally point.
We believe victory awaits you. You only need to reach out your hand and ask for help. If you’re ready to take that brave first step toward sobriety, learn more about substance use disorder treatment and find out how your local VA can help. Because when one warrior makes a comeback, the whole military community rises with them.
About the Author
Bethany Heinesh is a proud Marine Corps Veteran living in San Antonio, Texas. Bethany holds a Master of Arts in Administration-Communication Arts from the University of the Incarnate Word and a B.A. in Public Relations (Minor Religious Studies) from the University of Houston.
