Breaking the Cycle

PTSD, Biology, and the Urgency of Early Detection

June marks National PTSD Awareness Month, a time dedicated not just to understanding post-traumatic stress disorder, but to advancing how we detect and treat it. Because awareness without action isn’t enough.

For the ARK Health Foundation Founder, Brandon Davis, and our CEO, John Schmitt, two veterans who’ve lived through the hidden aftermath of trauma, this month is personal. In partnership, they’re helping redefine what effective PTSD care can look like, starting with biology, not just behavior.

PTSD is More than a Mental Health Issue

PTSD isn’t “just in your head.” It leaves a physical footprint in the body, disrupting immune function, driving inflammation, and altering brain chemistry. Over time, these disruptions can lead to cognitive decline, cardiovascular issues, and chronic illness.

That’s why the old model, waiting for someone to say they’re struggling, isn’t working. By the time many seek help, the damage has compounded. What we need is a proactive approach, grounded in early detection and biological insight, not just talk therapy after the fact.

Brandon’s Journey: A Story of Brokenness, Strength, and a New Way Forward

As a Black Hawk pilot in the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, Brandon Davis was on the road more than 180 days a year. The stress was constant, the stakes were high, and slowly, his personal life began to unravel. He leaned on alcohol to cope until that no longer worked. Then came a traumatic brain injury.

“I didn’t feel like I could ask for help,” he recalls. “I could’ve lost my home. I felt like I had to figure it out on my own.” That moment marked the beginning of a new chapter, not through formal diagnoses or prescriptions but through non-verbal, stigma-free healing modalities like meditation, cold plunging, and neurofeedback. “This wasn’t about masking symptoms,” Brandon says. “It was about treating the root cause.”

John’s Journey: From Stuck to Strategic

John, also a veteran, struggled with perseveration, a loop of overthinking and chronic stress that traditional interventions couldn’t fully resolve. It wasn’t until he participated in body-based therapies through The ARK Health Foundation that he found a breakthrough.

“In one session, I short-circuited the loop I’d been stuck in for years,” he says. Through cold therapy and structured mindfulness, he regained clarity and cognitive agility, without needing to disclose a diagnosis or revisit his trauma. “It gave me focus. It gave me relief. And it didn’t require me to explain everything I’d been through.

The ARK Health Foundation: Redefining Trauma Recovery

Born from Brandon’s own recovery journey, The ARK Health Foundation is built on a clear belief: trauma healing doesn’t have to rely on labels, diagnoses, or long waitlists. It can be proactive, physical, and deeply human.

Their program blends diagnostics with cold plunging, breathwork, meditation, and coaching accessible without needing to declare a diagnosis. This is crucial for veterans and high-clearance professionals who avoid mental health care out of fear that it could impact their careers.

By treating function over pathology, the project removes stigma and restores performance, not just mental wellness, but cognitive sharpness, focus, and emotional steadiness.

Learn more about the ARK Health Foundation at arkhealthfoundation.com.