TB 33: Cherissa Jackson

Cherissa Jackson is a retired United States Air Force captain, author, speaker, and a Post Traumatic Stress Disorder "thriver," and her mission is to help other PTSD survivors thrive beyond their challenges through her non-profit organization, "PTS Faces." "Be at peace, and not in pieces." She shares her story and being an actress in the upcoming movie, "A Sense of Purpose, Fighting For Our Lives," is providing continued awareness for the PTSD community. For more info on Cherissa's book, "At Peace Not In Pieces: Powering Through My Pain"  Go to, http://www.cherissajackson.com  (Proceeds to http://thrivingbeyondbook.com Will go to http://ptsfaces.tv) Captain Cherissa Jackson is a retired Air Force Nurse with 14 years of nursing experience.  She has served 23 years and survived 4 deployments - 3 to combat hospitals. She is a SHERO United Ambassador and a Hall of Famer for her efforts to help women veterans. Cherissa's passion; to motivate, inspire and encourage; has led her to be an advocate for Post-Traumatic Stress disorder soldiers and their families.  On Veterans Day in 2015, Ms. Jackson launched PTSFaces, a global platform that brings awareness to the treatment and the treatment options for PTS Veterans. This online one stop shop provides support groups, partnerships, Medical Teams, webinars, survival stories, and other resources to any Veteran looking for support and assistance with coping with PTS. PTSFaces.tv was created from Ms. Jackson's own experiences as a survivor of PTSD and the stories of other Veterans challenged with their condition. Four tours of duty in some of the worst war zones required Ms. Jackson to compartmentalize her emotions. Re-bandaging charred bodies as she inhaled the smell of burned skin and watching injured soldiers with amputated limbs emerge from helicopters were a part of her daily work. After the bombing in Afghanistan of her building in 2011, which caused her to live in fear for six months, Ms. Jackson ultimately retired. When she returned, she was haunted by the memories from her deployments and suffered from increased anxiety. Soon after, Ms. Jackson was diagnosed with PTSD. With a few months on prescribed medication, continued exercise, and her will to conquer PTSD, Ms. Jackson stands today as a PTS Survivor ready to help her fellow Veterans combat PTSD. Passionate about helping others and determined to make a difference, helping other war veterans overcome the challenge and the stigma of PTSD has become Cherissa Jackson's new legacy and mission.  This spring, Ms. Jackson will release her much-anticipated book, At Peace: Powering Through My Pain, where she shares seven powerful principles for coping with PTSD and trauma.  Ms. Jackson is also is a proud mother of 2 beautiful twin daughters.