About The Struggle Zoo
The Struggle Zoo uses lovable animal characters to help people understand, identify, and talk about mental health challenges -- making it easier to start the conversation and find the path to healing.
Our Mission
Mental health affects everyone, yet it remains one of the most difficult topics to discuss openly. The Struggle Zoo was created to change that. By giving each emotion and challenge a character -- a Struggle Buddy -- we make these invisible battles visible, approachable, and easier to understand.
Whether it is Patt the Bear representing PTSD, Annie the Chicken embodying anxiety, or Seth the Dog facing social isolation, each character carries a story that resonates with real human experiences. Our goal is simple: help people recognize what they are going through, know they are not alone, and find the courage to seek help.
We pay special attention to veterans, active-duty service members, and first responders, who carry unique burdens and deserve dedicated support. Our Military and First Responder Buddies honor their service while addressing the mental health challenges they face.
The Struggle is a Philosophy
The Greeks embraced it and Friedrich Nietzsche taught us the joy of it. The Argento Society works to empower individuals and communities through humor, sincerity, and sometimes just plain absurdity. Satire is time tested and civilization approved.
By undertaking a philosophical approach to mental health and wellness, you develop a path and a system for pursuing an understanding of the human mind and our place in reality.
American Pragmatism is our contribution to the evolution of philosophy and the struggle to understand why we are the way we are as we navigate the complexities of a world in a state of sensory overload.
Core Pillars
Struggleford
Our disheveled and lovable characters help connect people to something tangible. We learn through storytelling.
Pragmatism
We rally around a modern philosophy that focuses on the practical and cuts through the noise that seeks to bring us down.
Global
Empowering people of all cultures and communities is central to building a healthy world.
Community
No one is alone in this. By working together we can share knowledge and resources.
Care
Our partners are dedicated to providing real care that delivers results. Through research and lived experiences, we've identified providers and methods to begin the healing journey.
Meet Your Captains of Struggle
Your Captains of Struggle are here to guide you along a path of discovery, knowledge, and expression as we work to wrangle up answers to mysteries both grand and ultimately dumb. Get to know their own stories while they share their own journeys and exciting insights into the fact that all hope is not lost.
Brandon Sivret
Baron Struggle BearUS Air Force retired & business owner/software engineer. After a 13-year career in the US Air Force ended with medical retirement, Brandon took up the effort to fight for veterans and their mental health and wellness.
Dealing with disabilities and the private sector led him to start his own software development company of fellow disabled veterans. Following involvement in brain injury recovery, he became an advocate for emerging medical technology paired with the latest in AI and ML.
Jacob Lamitie
Admiral SwanUS Navy & quantum scientist. Senior NCO in the US Navy and hot on the pursuit towards uncovering the mysteries of the universe through quantum mechanics and the philosophy of science.
As a pre-eminent member of the Argento Society, Jacob strives to pursue a unified theory of life, happiness, and whatever the heck all these other people are trying to describe as a way of living.
Part of the Argentoverse
The Struggle Zoo exists within the Argentoverse ecosystem -- a connected universe that spans gaming, media, and community. The Struggle Buddies appear as characters in the Argentoverse virtual world, bringing mental health awareness into an immersive experience.
Visit the ArgentoverseThe Struggle Cast
Brandon Sivret and Jacob Lamitie take on mental health and wellness among veterans and the public with expert guests. Through The Argento Society podcast, we dive deeper into the stories behind each Struggle Buddy and connect with experts and community members.
Listen to the PodcastDisclaimer
The views and opinions presented herein are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of DoD, the Air Force, or the Navy. Appearance of, or reference to, any commercial products or services does not constitute DoD, Air Force, or Navy endorsement of those products or services.
The Struggle is Real. So is the Help.
Meet the Struggle Buddies and find the one that speaks to your journey.
Meet the Struggle Buddies