PTSD LIFE D WORDS & PHOTOS BY DAVID CLAYBOURN
Relying on faith, music and his dog
Army veteran Matthew Middleton has found his prescription for PTSD, anxiety
To cope with PTSD and anxiety from a variety of causes, Army veteran Matthew Middleton of Greenville relies on his faith, his music and his service dog.
" Yeah, I deal with anxiety, depression, PTSD," said Middleton. " I have a psychiatrist that I see and I have a service dog. I have challenges every day."
Middleton served four years in the Army as an E4 Specialist.
" I went in at the end of Desert Storm," he said.
He said being in the Army taught him how to be motivated, about teamwork and about brotherhood.
" We were taught we are always part of that brotherhood," he said. " Don ' t leave a man behind."
So when two of his closest buddies in the military were killed in training exercises, Middleton took those losses hard.
Being in the military was also hard on his body as he jumped out of helicopters. Now he says he has bad knees, a bad back and has suffered hearing loss.
" My ears are still ringing because of gunshots and explosives," he said.
And yet he ' s a singer and a musician. He first became involved with music at Spruce High School in Dallas where he played football, was on the swim team, played guitar in the jazz band and sang in the choir.
" I was first tenor in choir," he said. " In fact, I was the only tenor."
" I got a full ride [ scholarship ] in music to Hill College in 1993," he said. " I went a semester and got burned out and went into the Army." He continued his music while in the Army and then after his discharge became a professional musician. Along the way he ' s opened up for some big-name acts including Lee Ann Rimes, Vince Gill, Dierks Bentley, Willie Nelson, George Thorogood, Cody Johnson, Toby Keith, Tracey Lawrence, Wade Bowen and Randy Rogers, plus the bands Molly
Hatchet, The Charlie Daniels Band and Three Dog Night and even comics Cheech and Chong.
He tried out for the X-Factor in 2012 at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin where there were thousands of other hopefuls. He sang a cover of the song " Drift Away " for judges Simon
18 GREENVILLE LIFE