Key Takeaways
- Combat veteran Dave Carlson faced severe PTSD, leading to incarceration and mental health crises.
- Carlson experienced a spiritual awakening, committing to a new mission of serving others.
- Despite a significant relapse, intervention and rehabilitation helped Carlson pursue a new path.
- He founded "We Adapt" to mentor youth and successfully became a practicing attorney.
- Carlson emphasizes community support and vigilance for continued stability and family thriving.
Deep Dive
- Over 10 years ago, combat veteran Dave Carlson was incarcerated following two tours in Iraq.
- Untreated PTSD in prison led to severe mental health struggles, triggering combat-like survival responses and suicidal ideation.
- Carlson suffered violent outbursts, leading to solitary confinement, where he described hearing constant screaming.
- He experienced a spiritual awakening in solitary confinement, marking a turning point for his recovery and a new mission to serve others.
- Despite Carlson's history, Judge Hassen sentenced him to two years confinement and two years extended supervision concurrently, allowing release in months.
- The judge, a veteran, ultimately expressed trust in Carlson's potential for success and his obligation to those who believed in him.
- Carlson was sentenced to 12 years of extended supervision and three years of probation, then released from jail on December 30, 2015.
- Upon release, Carlson experienced severe disorientation described as "shell shock" during his difficult re-entry into society.
- Approximately one year after his release, Carlson began a relapse, initiated by ordering a drink with dinner.
- This led to a year and a half of instability and a potential return to prison due to his probation status, occurring amidst his marriage to Alicia and her pregnancy.
- After their son's birth during this chaotic period, Carlson disappeared for six weeks and was found by Alicia in a hotel room using drugs and alcohol.
- Carlson's partner and a friend intervened, locking him in an apartment and insisting he seek rehabilitation at the VA's inpatient program in St. Cloud, Minnesota.
- Carlson began channeling his 'rage' and 'power' constructively, adopting the philosophy of being a 'warrior in a garden.'
- He graduated from grad school, purchased a house with his partner, and was accepted into law school, while the couple had another child.
- In March 2021, Carlson was a student at Mitchell Hamline Law School in St. Paul and worked as a paralegal.
- Dave and Alicia Carlson founded 'We Adapt,' a company mentoring youth through physical fitness and outdoor activities, teaching that violence is ineffective.
- Carlson faced a new test of his 'warrior in a garden' concept when he intervened with a colleague in a domestic dispute.
- The situation escalated into a physical confrontation with a husband threatening his wife and children.
- Following the confrontation, Carlson called his probation officer and went to the courthouse, anticipating jail, but was not incarcerated.
- Ten years after his initial incarceration, Dave Carlson, a married father of three, graduated from Mitchell Hamlin Law School in St. Paul.
- Carlson explained his recovery is interconnected with supporting others, similar to an Alcoholics Anonymous model, as he overcame his dark past.
- He appears to have found stability with his family in Eau Claire, though he still feels a need to remain vigilant.
- Carlson believes that building and maintaining a stable support community allows for relaxation and enjoyment of family life.
- Dave Carlson recently passed the bar exam and is now a practicing attorney, with a mission to fortify his personal sector.