MIFFLINTOWN — Journaling not only helped Kevin Macomber heal from his own personal trauma from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, but it provided content for the Navy veteran to author a top-selling book that has helped others find their way.

“I journaled for 15 years, but I never had any intention of writing a book,” said the 61-year-old Macomber, who lives in Dauphin County outside of Harrisburg. “I was just trying to make myself better.”

These journals evolved into a comprehensive narrative detailing his experiences with symptoms, such as night terrors, night sweats and overwhelming fear.

“I’d pass out from exhaustion and wake up with terror,” Macumber recalled.​ “I discovered the more I could write, the more I was getting it out of my head. The more I was processing in front of me. I could take that and think on it. Work on it. It became a tool. Not only for me to process, but it became a tool for someone else to look at and help me process.”

Eventually, it led him to write “Walking From the Shadows: My Journey with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder,” which was published in February and at one time ranked in the top 250 books sold on Amazon and is available for free on Kindle.

Macomber will be speaking at the Juniata County Library, 498 Jefferson St., Mifflintown, on Saturday, June 14 at 1 p.m. The session is free.

Macomber was a field sales engineer and was obliged to retire early due to his illnesses.

He is a survivor who suffered from multiple types of trauma to include military service. After retiring early due to cognitive issues, he transformed himself to an author, advocate, educator and motivational speaker. He is also well known for his contributions to regional military charitable organizations.

His book covers the long journey of healing that one might face. He also emphasized the importance of relatability in mental health resources.

“Most books are written by counselors or psychologists. This one is written by someone who’s been there,” Macomber said. “Trauma is trauma. I made it trauma-agnostic. This book is focused on what I did to heal.”​

While he credits the Department of Veterans Affairs for its efforts, he believes more can be done, particularly in peer-to-peer support and in rural areas where resources are limited.

“You’re looking for someone you can relate to that can validate your feelings intimately,” added Macomber, who attempted suicide twice in his life.

He advocates for programs where veterans support fellow veterans, enhancing trust and understanding, which in turn will allow individuals to open themselves up about their own trauma.

Beyond his book, Macomber is collaborating with Penn State to develop initiatives that encourage individuals to enter the mental health field, with incentives to practice in Pennsylvania. He also proposes the formation of a Senate Advisory Committee focused on veteran suicide, aiming to improve data collection and awareness.​

“I am my brother’s keeper.” A motto that Macomber lives by and the focus of his initiative.

Statistics underscore the urgency of his mission. According to the National Institute of Health, approximately 23%, or about one in four, of U.S. adults live with mental illness. Statistics also show men are four times more likely to commit suicide than women.

The 2024 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report highlighted suicide as the second leading cause of death among veterans, with 6,136 male veteran and 271 female veteran suicides in 2022.​

On average, seven suicides per day were among veterans who received Veterans Health Administration care in 2021 or 2022, and 10.6 were among other veterans.

According to Pennsylvania government numbers, there are 700,000 veterans living in the state, which ranks as the fifth largest population in the country. Of those, an estimated 41%, or 287,000, of veterans are in need of mental health care programs every year.

Resources in the state are also in short supply as Macomber believes there are only about one medical professional available for every 600 to 800 veterans.

Pennsylvania lags behind the national average for access to mental health care providers, according to Hospital and Health System Association’s analysis of data from Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

The Keystone State has a statewide average of 179 mental health care practitioners per 100,000 people. That’s below the national average of 214 providers per 100,000. Additionally, 53 of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties lag below the statewide average.

The United States is experiencing a mental health crisis with increased levels of unmet behavioral health needs among people of all ages, according to the National Center for Health Workforce Analysis. In 2023, about 59 million, or 23% of all U.S. adults, had a mental illness and nearly half of them — 46% — did not receive treatment.

The NCHW said behavioral health services can be difficult to access due to behavioral health provider shortages, high out-of-pocket costs, coverage gaps and other factors. Statistics showed 6 in 10 psychologists do not accept new patients,10 and the national average wait time for behavioral health services is 48 days.

That’s where Macomber hopes his book can provide accessible support for those navigating the complexities of PTSD.

“If I can help one person with this book, it’s a successful thing,” Macomber said. “We need to normalize the discussions on mental health to reduce the stigma and allow people to talk about it.”

Recently, he contacted the Lebanon Community Library in Lebanon to see if anyone checked out the six books he donated there. “They said one person had checked it out,” Macomber replied.

That’s a success, he said. Proceeds from book sales are also used to donate additional copies.

“The book was written so the chapters can be read in any order and are smartly tied together so a reader can quickly delve into more detail on specific topics,” Macomber said. “This profound book is not only readable and relatable, but gives a path towards hope.”

The reader will find specific topics where Macomber shares relatable experiences.

“The wisdom I have are good practices,” he added. “What I’ve found out the most about veterans is that it’s amazing how far simple validation goes. I know what’s going on in your head.”

Macomber will tell you he’s kind of quirky, and has a “brain thing going on,” as he called it. “But this is what PTSD is,” he explained. “I like to show people what the long-term impact of PTSD is.”