An Airman's experience with depression Artwork

Beneath The Uniform

Beneath the Uniform focuses on the people, not the uniform. Addressing the topics, challenges and issues that military members face each day. We are taking a deep dive into who the people are beneath the uniform- where do they come from, what are they focused on and how has the military helped shape their ideals? We are also getting real with issues and concerns facing military members today- not only military issues, but the real life issues we all face every day.We are Chaplain (Maj) Xiomara Diaz and Capt. Pete Gioia, two officers at the 109th Airlift Wing, New York Air National Guard. We come with the experience of being enlisted, officers, parents, athletes, and friends. We hope to share some of our knowledge, learn some new things, and find out more about who people are Beneath the Uniform.

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Beneath The Uniform

An Airman's experience with depression

January 24, 2023 • Xiomara Diaz and Pete Gioia • Episode 5

TSgt Kayla Casey shares her experience with Postpartum depression and how she was able to seek help when she needed it the most.

Kayla shares what it felt like to have all of the feelings of anger, resentment and rage and the "fog" she was in for the first year after she had her daughter. She gives honest insight to what it feels like to have postpartum, the sense of living a "double life"- excelling at work and no one knowing anything is wrong vs the feelings she had at home, what happened when the people she worked with found out she was struggling and the steps she had to take to overcome her depression.

She talks about the fear of losing her job for seeking mental health help and how a supportive supervisor helped her conquer that fear.