Foundation holds retreats for veterans to address invisible wounds of war

LAKE WALES, Fla. (FOX 13) - Robert Simison and his fiancee, Jamie, enjoy a couple's retreat that's tailored to the needs of veterans like him. 

"You're going to see smiles and laughter come from people that you haven't seen smiles and laughter come from in a long time," Simison said.

The retreat is courtesy of the Brian Bill Foundation, which was established by Scott Bill in honor of his Navy Seal son, who was killed in Afghanistan.  

"I started with the operators that were like Brian, that had PTSD, had a mild traumatic brain injury or chronic pain. Those are the ones I figured needed the help most," Bill told FOX 13.

Simison said veterans often don't seek help or treatment.

"We tend to try to find ways to numb the pain or fix it ourselves because we're told to suck it up, get it together," he said. 

The retreats include relaxation therapies and counseling to help veterans cope in the aftermath of battle. 

"They open up and they let all these feelings out and they take feelings in and they take communication in to help them be a better person and to deal with the anxiety and the depression and things that they have," Simison explained.

"I've seen so much growth in him just in being able to ask for help and getting it and the trust that that builds with people, it plays over into our relationship," said Simison's fiancee, Jamie Boat.

For more information about the Brian Bill Foundation, visit their website.