Matthew Livelsberger, a seasoned veteran of the US Army’s elite Green Berets, took his life on New Years Day in front of the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas. As of the writing of this article, it appears he took his life by shooting himself in the head, which caused the Tesla Cybertruck he was sitting in to set off the explosives and fireworks he packed the car with.
Matthew was 37 years old.
It appears he was suffering from depression, PTSD, and whatever else. He reportedly had several concussions during his time in the Green Berets, which included several combat deployments. Depression and PTSD are caused and/or amplified by Traumatic Brain Injuries, aka TBI. I don’t need to know any more about the incident to know it was the suffering from TBI/PTSD that caused him to take his life in desperation.
How do I know this?
I remember the night too well. I was sitting on my couch in Hoboken, NJ staring at my FBI issued .40 Glock handgun on the coffee table. Next to it was an unopened bottle of Jack Daniels. I stared at the gun and whiskey through tear filled eyes for what seemed like hours.
My desperation had come to a boiling point. I didn’t know why I felt so hopeless, so helpless, so lost. It was becoming more than I could bear. Maybe if I knew I was suffering from a thing called TBI it would have helped. But I didn’t know that then.
I took apart my Glock and placed every piece in a different part of the house. Once that was done, I proceeded to drink the bottle of whiskey in the hopes that I wouldn’t remember where the parts to my weapon were or, if I did find them, my whiskey induced stupor would prevent me from putting the weapon back together and putting a bullet through my head.
Shooting myself was on the table, I just hoped I had put enough obstacles in my way to not go through with it because not drinking the whiskey was not on the table. It was the only way I knew how to numb the pain.
I was just a few years older than Matthew when this incident took place some 20 years ago.
When I woke up this New Years Day and read about the terror attack in New Orleans I was sad and devastated like everyone else. Then, when I heard there was another attack in Las Vegas I got worried, like everyone else.
But when I heard the details of the man in Las Vegas, Matthew Livelsberger, I knew these weren’t coordinated terrorists’ attacks. I knew instinctively that Matthew Livelsberger committed suicide because he had simply had enough.
How much longer must this go on? Veterans who have served our great nation are still committing suicide at a rate of nearly 22 a day, or at least that was the number not so long ago.
Here’s what is really making me crazy: THERE IS A TREATMENT FOR TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY!!!
It is a simple procedure called “Intranasal Insulin”. That’s correct, a non-pharmaceutical treatment that HEALS the brain. When the insulin is injected into the nose it passes the blood/brain barrier, enters the brain, and brings energy to the damaged parts of the brain.
Health Partners Institute is conducting the studies to get the procedure and delivery mechanism FDA approved. I received the treatment “off label”, meaning I got it done before it is an FDA approved procedure.
As of now, I am Health Partners “Patient Zero”. The images of my brain show healing after the procedure. The better news is that my brain continues to heal.
I no longer suffer the devastating effects of TBI and it has changed my life in ways I cannot even describe. I am one of the lucky ones.
But this trauma isn’t reserved for soldiers. Have you hit your head falling down on the slopes? Have you fallen off your snow mobile or mountain bike and hit your head? Have you ever gotten into a car accident? You get the point.
The ravages of TBI are everywhere and Health Partners is struggling to raise $2 Million Dollars to keep the study going. I’ve made it my life’s mission to help raise money and awareness for this study and this cause.
I’ve talked to many people in a position to help, who either don’t believe brain injuries can be treated so simply and effectively, or don’t care enough to help. This includes the CEO of a military and law enforcement equipment manufacturer who profits from soldiers like Matthew Livelsberger.
If you or someone you know is in a position to help, please reach out. You can find more information about intranasal insulin treatment here and donate here.
Errol Doebler is a former Navy SEAL platoon commander, FBI terrorism investigator, and founder of his leadership consulting company, Ice Cold Leader. He can be contacted at Hello@Icecoldleader.com.
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