BRANDON  -- Michael Burgos is a soft tissue therapist at the Brandon Pain Treatment Center.


What You Need To Know

  • Zack Zindler says his mental health did not improve until he used CBD

  • Anxiety, Michael Burgos says, prevents people from getting help altogether

  • Today both veterans are educating other veterans and showing them  - there are other options

Burgos says by the time veterans set up appointments with him, they are weary from their battle with PTSD. 

"They say, 'I've tried everything else. How can you possibly help me?'" Burgos said.

Then the Navy veteran met a new client and Marine veteran Zack Zindler who introduced him to an alternative. 

Zindler is the owner of a CBD Company, Native Ceuticals Tampa. 

"I was on a lot of pills from being a service disabled veteran," said Zindler. 

Zindler says his mental health did not improve until he used CBD. 

"I went from being pessimistic to optimistic," he adds.

Today both veterans are educating other veterans and showing them  - there are other options. 

"I know that CBD can drastically help with anxiety," added Burgos.

Anxiety, Burgos says, prevents people from getting help altogether. He has applied for an outpatient care license with the VA. 

"It allows the VA to send people to us to get treated," he said.

And while Zindler says this is a step in the right direction. There's still more work to do. 

"I see that this is such a huge issue of veteran suicide," he said. "Narcotic prescriptions have gone up, but it hasn't impacted the veteran suicide rate."

Meanwhile, Zindler applied for the Disabled Veteran owned business seal with the VA which would give him access to government contracts.