Former Navy pilot Chris Claflin is speaking to fellow veterans who are struggling with addiction, and he is doing it as part of WPTV’s coverage of National Veterans and Military Families Month in November.
The invitation came after a WPTV Let’s Hear It story presented by morning anchor Ashley Glass. A viewer contacted Claflin and asked him to speak at the Called to Freedom Veterans Retreat, which is in the West Palm Beach area. He accepted.
Claflin, a Harvard Business School graduate, said he flew jets in combat and was once part of the Top Gun program. He said his career fell apart after he became addicted to drugs for eight years. He traced the start of the addiction in part to childhood trauma he never dealt with.
He is now more than a year sober. His message to anyone struggling, especially veterans, is simple.
“Get help,” Claflin said. “You have to get help. You can’t do this on your own.”
Claflin credits the Hanley Center in West Palm Beach with helping him through recovery. The center offers mental health and well-being support to service members and others. He is also working toward certification as an addiction counselor and hopes to earn it by spring.
