"You're getting control back," he says. "You're breathing." He decides to explain. "I used to be a soldier. Guys who see combat, a lot of them end up shutting down like this from time to time. Just happens to people sometimes, no real way to predict who it'll happen to."

He gives a noncommittal shrug. "So you're doing well. Recovery's gonna take awhile. But I have known a lot of guys who put the work in, and then, it becomes manageable."