Facing their toughest battles at home versus abroad, Warriors Heart alumni and staff highlight the hidden toll of isolation, addiction, and mental health.
SAN ANTONIO, TX, UNITED STATES, February 9, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — For many veterans and first responders, the most dangerous fight does not happen overseas or on the job. It happens at home, behind closed doors, and often in silence. Leaders at Warriors Heart, a private treatment center built exclusively for military, veterans, and first responders, are speaking out about what they call “the enemy you can’t see.” These invisible wounds include isolation, addiction, PTSD and untreated mental health struggles that can quietly take hold after service.
Warriors Heart President, Founder and U.S. Army Veteran Tom Spooner emphasizes, “For many veterans and first responders, the most dangerous fight does not happen overseas or on the job. It happens at home, behind closed doors, and often in silence.”
This issue is discussed in a new Warriors Heart Podcast episode, The Enemy Within: Why We Can’t Do Recovery Alone (1/31/26), where alumni and staff shared firsthand insights into why so many warriors struggle to ask for help and how connection and community can be lifesaving.
“In our careers, we were trained to face enemies we could see,” said Robert Greer, who is a Warriors Heart Alumni, Retired Law Enforcement Officer, Podcast Host and Warriors Heart Business Development Manager. Greer adds, “But the enemy we face in addiction, depression, and trauma is the one inside our own heads. That one is harder to identify and even harder to fight alone.”
A common thread in this eye-opening conversation is the powerful sense of isolation many veterans and first responders experience after leaving active duty or high-intensity careers. The loss of structure, team environment, and shared mission can leave many feeling disconnected and reluctant to reach out, especially when they have spent their lives being the ones others rely on.
“We were always part of a team in the military or on the job,” explained Shane St. John, who is a Warriors Heart Alumni, U.S. Army Veteran / Green Beret (ret), and now Warriors Heart Alumni Director. St. John then expands, “But somewhere along the way, a lot of us start believing we have to handle recovery alone. That mindset can be deadly.”
Both men emphasized that pride, identity, and fear of appearing weak often prevent warriors from seeking support, even when they are struggling. At Warriors Heart, vulnerability is reframed as a strength.
“Real courage is not just what you do in a firefight,” St. John said. “It is being willing to say, ‘I’m not okay’ and reach out anyway. That is the fight that saves lives.”
Warriors Heart CEO/Founder Josh Lannon adds, “Isolation can quickly become a gateway to relapse, depression, and hopelessness.”
To address this isolation, Warriors Heart has built an alumni program and peer-led Warriors Anonymous 12-step meetings designed to ensure warriors stay connected long after completing the 42-day on-site treatment program.
“No matter how far someone feels they have fallen, they are never beyond help,” Greer said. “We tell people all the time, ‘Welcome Home’, every time.”
Warriors Heart Founder Lisa Lannon adds, “We encourage veterans, first responders, and their families to talk openly about mental health and substance use struggles and to seek help early. Staying connected to a supportive community can make the difference between continued suffering and a new path forward.”
Warriors seeking help, or their loved ones, can call Warriors Heart’s 24-hour hotline: 866-955-4035 and/or visit www.warriorsheart.com to learn more about this in-patient treatment, alumni support, and Warriors Anonymous meetings.
Listen to this Warriors Heart Podcast Episode here:
YouTube
The Enemy Within: Why We Can’t Do Recovery Alone (1/31/26)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=albshATgCFY
Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-enemy-within-why-we-cant-do-recovery-alone/id1852332254?i=1000747420472
Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/episode/6jlIBtgkk7aKxmIb9jyqYn
ABOUT: WARRIORS HEART (Bandera, Texas near San Antonio and Milford, Virginia, near Richmond and Washington D.C.) is the first and only private and accredited treatment program in the U.S. exclusively for “warriors” (active duty military, veterans, first responders and EMTs/paramedics) faced with the self-medicating struggles of alcohol addiction, prescription and drug addiction, PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), mild TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) and other co-occurring issues in a private, 100-bed facility on a 543-acre ranch in Bandera, Texas and 60-bed facility in Milford, Virginia. Along with a minimum 42-day peer-to-peer residential treatment program, Warriors Heart offers a full continuum of care with the option of Detox, Residential Treatment (inpatient), Day Treatment, Outpatient (IOP), Sober Living, TMS (brain treatment) and Aftercare. Warriors Heart is accredited by the Joint Commission, and is a member of the NAATP (National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers). As a “Preferred In-Network Community Care Provider”, Warriors Heart accepts TRICARE and most insurance. Warriors Heart’s work has been featured on the TODAY Show, CBS Health Watch, A&E Intervention, CNN, National Defense Radio Show, NPR, Shawn Ryan Show, Dr. Drew Midday Live, FOX 5 DC, and in TIME, Forbes, FOX News Digital, Stars and Stripes, Task & Purpose, Military Families Magazine and many more. Warriors Heart’s 24-hr hotline is 866-955-4035, and is answered by warriors. For more information, visit https://warriorsheart.com/connect
Liz Kelly
Goody PR
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The Enemy Within: Why We Can’t Do Recovery Alone
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