Leave No One Behind

Center City, Minnesota (June 28, 2022) — What happens when the people who keep our country safe need saving? Of the millions of Americans who serve and have served in the United States Armed Forces, many struggle with substance use and mental health disorders. A diverse and inclusive meditation book written entirely by and for veterans and active service members helps to fulfill the promise to Leave No One Behind.

In this new crowdsourced meditation book from Hazelden Publishing, service members and veterans who are in recovery from addiction and mental health conditions share their words of healing and hope in daily meditations. Hazelden Publishing respects the wishes of authors who choose to remain anonymous, and notes that passages represent a wide variety of perspectives across gender, age, service experience and branches of the U.S. military.

"The voices in this book provide daily insights, thoughts and feelings—and a spirit of shared service and solidarity—that others who have served in the military can relate to as they navigate their individual recovery journeys," said Alta DeRoo, MD, chief medical officer of the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, 24-year Navy veteran and a person in long-term recovery. "We look to the service members and veterans on our left and right—and we leave no one behind."

"Veterans are in a class of their own: they know what they experienced; their pain and addiction is unique; and their recovery has been affected by their service to this country. Veterans are one of the most resilient, supportive and driven groups. They strive to help those who struggle, and by helping others, they often are able to help themselves," said Dustin Brockberg, PhD, psychologist at the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, adjunct faculty member at the Hazelden Betty Ford Graduate School of Addiction Studies, and Operation Iraqi Freedom Army veteran.

Brockberg, who is co-writing a book to be released in Fall 2022 that also speaks to the veteran and military-service-member community, said that while more than 1.3 million veterans report having a substance use disorder, that number falls short of the full picture. Research has shown that veterans are more likely to experience substance use and mental health disorders than people who have never served.

Hazelden Publishing is part of the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, the nation's leading nonprofit system of addiction treatment, co-occurring mental health care, recovery resources and related prevention and education services.

Leave No One Behind: Daily Meditations for Military Service Members and Veterans in Recovery is available now from Hazelden Publishing.