However, to counter this, she said, “I think that an attitude to never give up, to keep moving forward and to not accept ‘I don’t know’ or ‘we’ll never know’ as an answer, has kept me. She has acknowledged the temptation to let inner discouragement become stronger. When it comes to mental health, there’s not a lot of markers you can pick up - though recent research is finding some ways.” Normal symptoms you may have in a hospital related to a traumatic injury or heart attack - you can pick up markers in the blood, or you can pick up X-rays. LEO recently spoke by phone with the author, who realizes what a compounded dilemma she has faced - with veterans’ mental-health issues poorly understood, and her own condition not even readily recognized: “When it comes to mental health in general, you’re dealing at times with subjective medicine. Ritaff au-Mallek, who recognized her symptoms as “cycloid psychosis.” Unfortunately, this diagnosis isn’t fully accepted among medical standards - leaving Furdek trying to keep well and further understanding while negotiating the patchwork that is today’s American mental healthcare. She has since assertively assembled an admirable social and professional support network, including a new career as a doctor of physical therapy - but she continues to have some periods where she is, as she puts it, “locked-in.”Īlong the way doctors and clinics, some of whom seem as frustrated as she is, gave her diagnoses that just didn’t fit. She struggled mightily to get back to the comrades she left behind - and succeeded, but relapse led to disability dismissal. Unable to perform to the Army’s needs or her own high standards, she was pulled back for hospital care - where she experienced the confusing and often-discouraging treatment of service members in need of mental health diagnosis and therapy. Suddenly, while doing intelligence assignments in a war zone, she was overcome with an episode of paranoia and extreme difficulty communicating. Military Academy at West Point, followed by multiple Army deployments in Afghanistan and Iraq. The path that Louisville’s Furdek traces includes competitive swimming and studies at the U.S. The experiences have led to the book “Locked-In: A Soldier & Civilian’s Struggle with Invisible Wounds,” which Furdek will read from at Carmichael’s Bookstore on Thursday. After suffering and observing indignities to fight back against recurring symptoms, she’s learned much. These have mandated life changes, and caused her to search far and wide for the means to stay healthy.

She’s been an accomplished soldier and athlete, but she’s been staggered by misunderstood mental health issues. Carolyn Furdek has had her share of stresses - and then some.

Locked-in by Carolyn Furdek