Normalize PTSD podcast

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Action Academy | Replace The Job You Hate With A Life You Love

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Ready to replace your 6-figure salary with real freedom? This is the podcast for high earners who feel stuck in jobs they’ve outgrown. If you’re asking, “How do I actually replace $10K–$20K/month so I can quit and never look back?” — welcome home. At Action Academy, we teach you how to buy small businesses and commercial real estate to create cash flow that actually replaces your job. Monday through Friday, you’ll learn from 7–9 figure entrepreneurs, real estate moguls, and acquisition pros who’ve done it — and show you how to do it too. Hosted by Brian Luebben (@brianluebben), who quit his 6-figure sales role in 2022 to build a global business while traveling the world. If you're a high-income earner ready to become a high-impact entrepreneur, this show is your playbook. Subscribe now and start your path to freedom — or keep pretending your job will get better someday....

Normalize PTSD

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Connecting those suffering in silence to a PTSD community. Join us on Twitter, YouTube, IG and FB.

72 Episoden

#Fitness #Podcasting Education #Mental Health #Jonathan

Normalize PTSD

11 subscribers

updated vor 27 Tagen

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Connecting those suffering in silence to a PTSD community. Join us on Twitter, YouTube, IG and FB.

72 Episoden

#Fitness #Podcasting Education #Mental Health #Jonathan

Alle Folgen

Normalize PTSD

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70_The Kinetic Man Movement with Stuart Grazier 1:11:10

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1:11:10

Stuart Grazier is a retired Navy officer, entrepreneur, and co-founder of The Kinetic Man Mastermind, dedicated to helping men, military veterans, and Christian business owners flourish by aligning their lives with their highest purpose through faith, leadership, real estate, and personal growth. Social Media: Storehouse Mastermind - The Kinetic Man Movement: https://youtu.be/d4_E1Eq3W68 Linktree: https://linktr.ee/fillingthestorehouse Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/militaryinvestornetwork/ Stuart Grazier is a retired Naval Officer who served for 20 years, flying helicopters and C-40 aircraft before transitioning into entrepreneurship and leadership development. As a devoted husband, father, and Christian, he co-founded The Kinetic Man Mastermind , a community focused on helping men become better fathers, husbands, and leaders through intentional action and accountability. He also co-hosts The Kinetic Man Podcast , where he explores topics such as faith, service, financial literacy, real estate, and entrepreneurship, particularly for veterans and business owners seeking purpose and adventure. Recognizing the need to realign his own priorities, he pivoted his career to focus on building financial freedom through real estate investing, launching Storehouse 310 Ventures to fund nonprofit initiatives. With a passion for servant leadership, personal growth, and empowering others, Stuart continues to guide men toward discovering their best selves through mastermind retreats, real estate investment strategies, and purpose-driven living. Stu is a positive and inspiring person, and it was a great experience getting to pick his brain and hear his story. Born and raised in Texas, his childhood dream of flying led him to the Naval Academy, where he became a pilot, flying helicopters and later C-40s. After serving 20 years in the Navy, he transitioned into real estate, flipping houses and building a successful passive income stream. But despite financial success, he found himself feeling disconnected from his family, faith, and personal well-being. He co-founded The Kinetic Man Mastermind, a community dedicated to helping men become better husbands, fathers, and leaders through accountability, self-improvement, and faith-driven growth. Through retreats, coaching, and a structured curriculum, he empowers men to live intentionally, focusing on family, fitness, faith, and financial freedom. Now, with a thriving podcast and a strong community, Stu continues his mission of service, helping others find clarity, balance, and their highest purpose in life. Resources Mentioned: Community & Accountability Mental & Emotional Resilience Physical & Mental Wellness Faith & Spirituality Avoiding the “Hustle Trap" Key Takeaways: Build a strong community – Avoid isolation after military service. Prioritize mental & physical health – Exercise, mindfulness, and reflection. Have a structured routine – Stability leads to growth. Live with purpose – Success is more than financial gains. Stay accountable – Through masterminds, mentors, or partners. Outline: 00:00 Intro to Stuart Grazier 00:25 Military Background 15:40 The Road to Real Estate 10:29 Challenges and Changes 36:30 Daily Routines and Balancing Life 47:01 KineticMan Curriculum and Leadership 01:07:24 Impactful Stories and Testimonials 01:02:19 Retreats and Their Importance 01:10:42 Final Thoughts and Contact Info…

Normalize PTSD

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69_Sonny Gerber Patrol Sergeant 2:04:00

vor 7 weeks2:04:00

2:04:00

26 years of law enforcement experience spanning corrections, probation, patrol, narcotics, SWAT, and detective work Social Media: https://www.instagram.com/punk_rock_son/ I’m honored to introduce a man cut from the same cloth as Steve Odom—another absolute warrior with an incredible journey. Meet Sonny Gerber, a patrol sergeant on the central coast of California with 26 years of law enforcement experience spanning corrections, probation, patrol, narcotics, SWAT, and detective work. A former instructor at a California police academy, Sonny is a court-recognized expert in defensive tactics and holds master instructor certifications in ARCON (arrest and control), baton, taser, tactical communication, active shooter response, and firearms. He’s also a BJJ black belt under Chris Lovato with Paragon BJJ in San Luis Obispo and has tested his skills in Muay Thai, boxing, and MMA. Beyond the fight, Sonny is a certified critical incident stress debriefing mentor and peer support specialist, dedicated to guiding fellow officers through high-stakes and high-stress careers. As Sonny approaches retirement from law enforcement, Sonny remains focused on pushing for better training and wellness in the profession. He has long advocated for incorporating BJJ fundamentals into defensive tactics programs, and after years of effort, departments across the country are finally adopting this essential training—though there is still much work to be done. He has also witnessed firsthand the lack of mental health resources and wellness support for officers, despite the overwhelming evidence on divorce rates, suicide, and addiction in law enforcement. Thankfully, change is happening, and departments, including his own, are beginning to implement officer wellness programs. Looking ahead, Sonny’s plans to retire healthy, open his own Paragon BJJ school specializing in training law enforcement, and continue mentoring young officers while remaining actively involved in officer wellness initiatives. His journey is one of resilience, dedication, and a relentless commitment to making law enforcement safer and stronger—both on the mats and in life. Today, we dive deep into the intersection of mental health and law enforcement with Sergeant Sonny Gerber , a 26-year veteran who’s seen it all—SWAT operations, high-stakes encounters, and the personal toll of a life dedicated to service. But this episode isn’t about war stories—it’s about resilience, growth, and breaking the stigma around mental health in policing. Sonny talks about his own struggles, the lessons he’s learned the hard way, and the powerful tools that helped him turn things around—everything from jiu-jitsu and peer support to breathwork, journaling, and faith-based programs like Mighty Oaks. Whether you’re a first responder, a veteran, or just someone looking to build a stronger mindset, this episode is packed with insights on how to train your body, sharpen your mind, and take back control of your well-being. Resources Mentioned: Mighty Oaks Warrior Program – A faith-based program for first responders and military personnel that provides tools for personal resilience and healing. EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) and Tapping – Techniques used for processing trauma and reducing stress. Journaling – Used for processing thoughts, setting goals, and practicing gratitude. Biweekly Men’s Group (Mighty Oaks Outpost Meetings) – A support group for public safety professionals that includes Bible study and discussion. Breathing Techniques – Includes box breathing, four-count breathing, and guided breathing apps to manage stress and anxiety. Dr. Kevin Gilmartin’s Book: Emotional Survival for Law Enforcement – A recomme…

Normalize PTSD

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68_Operation Song with CEO Jon Foti 51:25

vor 13 weeks51:25

51:25

Jon Foti is a U.S. Army Veteran and the CEO of Operation Song. Social Media: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanfoti01/ Operation Song: https://linktr.ee/operationsong I’m honored to introduce an incredible guest who embodies leadership, resilience, and dedication. With over a decade of experience leading teams in government, non-profit, aviation, and military environments, he’s a natural mentor and communicator. Jon is U.S. Army Veteran and former helicopter pilot. Beyond his impressive military and leadership background, he’s now the CEO of Operation Song, an amazing organization using music to tell the stories of veterans, first responders, and their families. This was such a fun episode! If you have questions about opportunities for veterans or the organizations out there that support them, look no further. Jon Foti is truly a Yoda of knowledge. Even after recording, I’m still researching the incredible resources and insights he shared during this episode and in our previous conversations. Jon’s vision with Operation Song is nothing short of powerful. At a time when support for our veterans feels like it’s at an all-time low, this episode made me take a step back and really reflect on that reality. Operation Song is doing something extraordinary taking each individual, unique story and transforming it into something beautiful. This work shines a much-needed positive light on our veterans, ensuring their sacrifices are not forgotten and that a support structure is in place for the challenges of today and whatever the future holds. Resources Mentioned: Networking Get out of your comfort zone Dale Graham Veteran Foundation: https://www.dalekgrahamveteransfoundation.org Wounded Warrior Foundation: https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org Supporting your fellow veterans We would really appreciate a share and like on IG, FB, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Twitter. I am always looking for veterans or first responders who have PTSD to share how you have raised the quality of your life to hopefully shorten that journey for others. Additionally, if you support, provide services for these groups, or have extensive knowledge of benefits available please reach out. I would love to have a chat and share that knowledge with the community. If this podcast has impacted you, a friend, or a loved one, and you want to help us support those struggling with PTSD, please consider making a donation today at www.normalizeptsd.com. 100% of all donations go to sponsor veterans, first responders, and organizations supporting them.…

Normalize PTSD

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67_VET S.O.S. Podcast with Shawn Welsh 41:12

vor 15 weeks41:12

41:12

Shawn Welsh is the Founder and Co-Host of the VET S.O.S. Podcast. Social Media: Website YouTube LinkedIn Facebook X Instagram TikTok Podcast Platforms RSS.com Spotify Apple Shawn is a retired U.S. Army veteran with over twenty years of experience as an intelligence professional. As a senior noncommissioned officer, he was dedicated to taking care of his Soldiers and continues that mission today with VET S.O.S. Shawn holds several advanced degrees including a master’s degree in administrative leadership from the University of Oklahoma. A member of the Maxwell Leadership Team, Shawn is also a certified resiliency trainer who lives in Jacksonville, Florida with his wife and their two children. Their mission at VET S.O.S Podcast is to educate veterans, service members, and spouses about the various resources available to them to assist with life’s transitions. They offer a military transition focused podcast and have now added a Veteran Entrepreneurial Spotlight and Veteran Educational Resources Spotlight to highlight those resources for our community. We are working to launch a nonprofit organization to capture every veteran and veteran spouse’s transition story and create a sortable database that can be sorted by demographic and psychographic to enable our community to find and watch the stories that will directly help them. I have no idea how Shawn keeps up, but he’s absolutely crushing it with Vet S.O.S.! It was such a pleasure having him take time out of his busy day to talk about his podcast and the incredible direction it’s heading. If you’re a veteran or first responder navigating a life transition, this is a podcast you don’t want to miss—they’ve got an episode for just about every challenge you might face. I’m especially excited about the nonprofit they’re launching, Veterans Sharing Our Stories . It’s going to be a powerful collection of stories by veterans for veterans. Your journey is uniquely yours, but how great would it have been to have had a roadmap or even just a few shortcuts along the way? I hope this episode brings you something valuable, and as always, thank you for your continued support. Resources Mentioned: The Master Resilience Training (MRT) course in the U.S. Army Positive Psychology Program Hunt the Good Stuff Keeping a positive mindset Do challenging things and get out of your comfort zone Good support group Operation Song https://www.operationsong.org Veteran’s last patrol https://www.veteranlastpatrol.org 988 and Kristen Christy Don’t be afraid to ask for help We would really appreciate a share and like on IG, FB, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Twitter. I am always looking for veterans or first responders who have PTSD to share how you have raised the quality of your life to hopefully shorten that journey for others. Additionally, if you support, provide services for these groups, or have extensive knowledge of benefits available please reach out. I would love to have a chat and share that knowledge with the community.…

Normalize PTSD

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66_Happy Holiday Season from Normalize PTSD Podcast 22:48

vor 18 weeks22:48

22:48

2024 has come and gone, and what an incredible year it has been. I’ve had the privilege of meeting some amazing people and collaborating with truly inspiring individuals. Looking ahead to 2025, I’m excited about the opportunities to continue building these connections and growing together. To everyone who has been a part of this journey—whether you’ve listened, subscribed, shared an episode, connected me with a guest, donated, or simply shared something positive you gained from the podcast—I want to express my heartfelt gratitude. Your support has meant the world to me and has been a constant reminder of why I started this podcast in the first place. This year has been not only a fun and fulfilling adventure but also a deeply meaningful exploration of my own mental health journey. Sharing that with all of you has been an honor, and I wouldn’t be here without the incredible support of so many people along the way. As we move into the holiday season, I hope you have a blessed and joyful time filled with love, connection, and peace. Thank you for being a part of this community and for inspiring me to keep going. 2025 is going to be amazing, and I can’t wait to see what it brings. Let’s keep building, healing, and growing together. Merry Christmas, happy holidays, and here’s to an incredible new year! Lessons learned this year: Listen to your intuition. It often knows the right path even when your mind is full of doubts. Keep challenging yourself. Growth comes from stepping outside your comfort zone. Consistency builds discipline. Small, steady efforts lead to big changes over time. Surround yourself with people who inspire you to be better. The right environment can shape your mindset and your future. Don’t sweat criticism from those you wouldn’t seek advice from. Trust your instincts and focus on feedback that truly matters. Trust yourself. You’re capable of more than you think. Do hard things. Facing challenges head-on prepares you for when life throws something truly difficult your way. Be ready for opportunities. If you’re not prepared when they come, they’ll pass you by. Find balance and have fun. Life isn’t all about grinding, joy and presence matter too. I’ve struggled with living in the moment, often chasing a “perfect” life just around the corner that never seems to arrive. Take time to live now. No one knows the best way to live your life. Only you can figure that out. We would really appreciate a share and like on IG, FB, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Twitter. I am always looking for veterans or first responders who have PTSD to share how you have raised the quality of your life to hopefully shorten that journey for others. Additionally, if you support, provide services for these groups, or have extensive knowledge of benefits available for these groups please reach out. I would love to have a chat and share that knowledge with the community.…

Normalize PTSD

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65_What Is TBI with Dr. Mark Gordon 1:49:56

vor 20 weeks1:49:56

1:49:56

Social Media: New YouTube Channel: Mark L. Gordon On-Line 7-part TBI Lecture Series www.MillenniumHealthStore.com Latest Podcast with Montel Williams Latest Podcast with Joe Rogan and Andrew Marr (700, 1056, 1589, 438, 574) Quiet Explosions; Healing the Brain – The documentary film http://www.tbimedlegal.com Dr. Mark Gordon has spent over 35 years pioneering the use of natural ingredients to enhance memory, mental energy, cognition, and physical performance—all without the use of banned or restricted substances. A true thought leader, he has been instrumental in advancing the fields of Interventional Endocrinology and Neuroendocrinology, particularly in addressing the symptoms of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). His work has had a profound impact on conditions such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, OCD, dementia, Parkinson's, post-concussion syndrome, and more. As the founder of Millennium Health, Dr. Gordon leads a team of experts in Naturopathic Medicine, Nutrition, Endocrinology, and Complementary Medicine, offering natural, clinically tested products designed to support healthy brain function and psychological well-being. These products are non-GMO, gluten-free, and crafted with natural ingredients, utilizing Liposomal technology for enhanced absorption. Through the sale of these products, Millennium Health funds the Millennium-Warrior Angels Foundation TBI Project, a groundbreaking initiative that provides critical support to veterans suffering from symptomatic traumatic brain injury. This episode was especially meaningful for me. Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is something that impacts my life every single day, and I know it’s a challenge many in my EOD community face as well. It was an absolute honor to have Dr. Mark Gordon join me to discuss TBI and share his expertise. This conversation with Dr. Gordon was incredible because I finally had the chance to ask someone knowledgeable about TBI. It was a much-needed dialogue, and I’m excited to share it with you. Resources Mentioned: Neuroinflammation, Oligodendrocytes and Multiple Sclerosis: https://youtu.be/m5GTF9E6q28 Peptides for Health Series: https://youtu.be/0uM77nPq9Wc Quiet Explosions TBI Therapies: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X35-SjnJ0ZE&t=681s&authuser=0 Free TBI Lecture Having a healthy lifestyle. (alcohol is horrible for brain health) Meditating at least 3x a week for at least 15mins Exercising No drugs Some SSRIs and injectable testosterone can negatively impact your body’s ability to naturally produce hormones. We would really appreciate a share and like on IG, FB, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Twitter. I am always looking for veterans or first responders who have PTSD to share how you have raised the quality of your life to hopefully shorten that journey for others. Additionally, if you support, provide services for these groups, or have extensive knowledge of benefits available for these groups please reach out. I would love to have a chat and share that knowledge with the community. &…

Normalize PTSD

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64_ You Can’t Fix A Problem That You Don’t Know Exists with Dr. Cherylynn Lee 1:29:30

vor 26 weeks1:29:30

1:29:30

Dr. Cherylynn Lee is a First Responder Psychologist specializing in Police Psychology. Social Media: Website: https://thecounselingteam.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-cherylynn-lee-6a1420120 Dr. Lee is a Police Psychologist and a full-time employee of the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office, overseeing the Behavioral Sciences Unit (BSU). The BSU houses four mental health co-responder teams, provides Crisis Intervention Training, engages in Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management (BTAM), and oversees the department’s wellness unit and peer support team. Dr. Lee serves on the crisis negotiation response teams for both the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office and the Santa Barbara Police Department, and she is a member of the Association of Threat Assessment Professionals (ATAP). Dr. Lee is contracted with The Counseling Team International as both the Clinical Operations Director for the Tri-Counties and as a practitioner. She offers individual counseling and emergency response services across the state of California and has led dozens of critical incident stress debriefings for officer-involved shootings (OIS), line-of-duty deaths (LODD), and natural disasters for local and state agencies. Dr. Lee maintains a private practice in the Santa Ynez Valley, where she exclusively works with first responders, specializing in trauma and post-traumatic stress injuries. Dr. Lee is a subject matter expert with California Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST), teaches officer wellness in the basic academy, and is a volunteer instructor for the FBI's 40-hour negotiators course. Dr. Lee was named one of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) 40 Under 40 award recipients for 2023, and she has been recognized as Crisis Intervention Training International’s (CIT) Behavioral Health Practitioner of the Year for 2024. I absolutely loved this conversation with Dr. Lee. She is so busy out there making a positive impact in our first responder community. So much of what we discussed is being integrated into how I now think about mental health challenges for first responders. If you’re not yet implementing some of her recommendations into your wellness programs, I encourage you to reach out to her. I really appreciated how real Dr. Lee is. She has a realistic viewpoint on how trauma will—not can—impact the lives and mental health of police officers. We can’t expect our police and first responders to be superhuman. It really resonated with me when Dr. Lee spoke about being purposeful with exercise and lifting. That, along with eating healthy, were the two most important and impactful things I did for my mental health journey. I feel like those two habits gave me the emotional space to then address the deeper struggles in my mind that needed to be resolved. I hope you all find something rewarding in this episode. Resources Mentioned: Educate yourself on mental health Resilience building Keep realistic benchmarks for mental health Working out and having physical standards Healthy eating - Fuel your body properly Wellness checks are working Only way you fail is if you stop showing up Discipline Lift heavy shit Invest in yourself first Spend time in a world that has nothing to do with your job, detach. Writing and journaling Helping others I am always looking for veterans or first responders who have PTSD to share how you have raised the quality of your life. Additionally, if you support, provide services for these groups, or have extensive knowledge of benefits available for these groups please reach out. I would love to have a chat and share that knowledge with the community.…

Normalize PTSD

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63_Psilocybin Assisted Therapy with Dr. Zelfand 1:16:33

vor 28 weeks1:16:33

1:16:33

Dr. Erica Zelfand specializes in integrative mental health and functional medicine. Dr. Zelfand is a ketamine prescriber, facilitator of therapeutic psychedelic experiences, trainer of psychedelic facilitators, acclaimed international speaker, and medical writer. Social Media: Website: https://ericazelfand.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drzelfand/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DrZelfand YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLf-uE2JAoUVRVoXMy26LCA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drzelfand/ Dr. Erica Zelfand is the CEO of Right to Heal, a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating and empowering people around psychedelic healing and other life-saving techniques that conventional medicine has ignored. Dr. Zelfand's expertise covers a wide range of both conventional and natural medical approaches. She treats patients of all ages, from newborns to those in their final stages of life. Her family practice focuses on areas such as autoimmunity, endocrinology, and integrative mental health with a strong dedication to patient-centered, root-cause-oriented, and nature-based healing methods. In addition to her clinical practice, Dr. Zelfand facilitates therapeutic psycho-spiritual experiences and is a frequent lecturer on psychedelic science at medical institutions worldwide. She also offers in-person and online training for practitioners and has been recognized by the Portland Business Journal as a pioneer in psilocybin therapy. Dr. Zelfand enjoys sharing her knowledge, her deep respect for nature, and her lively sense of humor with colleagues, patients, and global audiences. A lover of dark chocolate and group hugs, you can learn more and connect with her at www.DrZelfand.com . Dr. Zelfand is so much fun to talk to. I love how she is able to simplify the complexities of the science in a way that makes it digestible for those out there like myself who are just beginning to get more curious about psychedelics and their positive impact on those with PTSD and other mental health challenges. I feel like my favorite part of this episode is when she is speaking about crosstalk. I really enjoyed how she broke that down. It was fun being able to apply more context to my personal experiences and those my friends have expressed. I used to always try and explain how it would remove my ego and I was able to see the stories I was telling myself. Almost like playing a hidden object puzzle but only the items you are looking for have color. It helped me see there were very obvious things in my life I was lying to myself about to justify why I should change. And it also showed me that the change would only provoke challenge and change. It did, and now I’m slowly moving toward my goal and purpose. Resources Mentioned: Stament Stacking Stacking (combining positive mental health practices with microdosing) ‘A Really Good Day’ by Ayelet Waldman Hikes or being outdoors https://psychedelic.support/education/ Meditation, mindfulness practice Religious or spiritual practice Therapy, group therapy T’ai chi, yoga, qi gong Joyful movement, exercise Journaling Making, appreciating art Volunteering, helping others We would really appreciate a share and like on IG, FB, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Twitter. I am always looking for veterans or first responders who have PTSD to share how you have raised the quality of your life to hopefully sh…

Normalize PTSD

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62_Peace Officer and Psychotherapist Trained in Psychedelic-assisted Therapy, Lt Sarko Gergerian 1:26:54

vor 32 weeks1:26:54

1:26:54

Lieutenant Sarko Gergerian is a distinguished member of The Winthrop Public Safety and Health Departments and holds a pivotal role as the outreach, peer support, and health & fitness officer. Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarko-gergerian-818967233/ Email: Speakers@LawEnforcementAction.org Email: Media@LawEnforcementAction.org Website: http://www.lawenforcementaction.org I'd like to introduce Lt. Sarko Gergerian, an individual deeply committed to reimagining the structure of law enforcement within their community. Lt. Sarko aspires to become a Deputy Chief, where they envision a police department that balances both enforcement and guardianship. Their innovative approach includes an enforcement arm connected to the courts and a guardianship arm integrated with the public health department. This dual structure aims to create lasting, systemic changes that outlive their initial implementation, ensuring that the benefits remain accessible to all who need them. At the heart of Lt. Sarko’s work is a mission to humanize every individual involved—both civilians and officers. They recognize that the systems we operate within often dehumanize, objectify, and commoditize suffering. Lt. Sarko reminds us that behind every call for service, there is a human being in need, and behind every badge, there is a human being responding. As Massachusetts prepares to vote in November on joining Oregon and Colorado in reforming certain laws, Lt. Sarko is actively involved with grassroots and national groups working to correct injustices that have been ingrained in the system for decades. They are a strong advocate for MDMA-Assisted Therapy, believing it will profoundly impact how we serve those struggling with PTSD by enhancing therapeutic engagement and enabling deep psychological processing of trauma. It’s not every day you meet a psychotherapist trained in psychedelic-assisted therapy who also happens to be a peace officer. Chatting with Lt. Sarko Gergerian was a real eye-opener and honestly, a lot of fun. I never thought of police departments as potential hubs for mental health information, but Lt. Sarko really made me rethink that. One of the wildest stats they shared—something they mentioned in a previous conversation—is that 60-70% of all 911 calls are related to mental health issues. That really highlights just how widespread our society’s mental health challenges are. Lt. Sarko brought up the idea of being proactive, suggesting that law enforcement could start proactively helping people with possible mental health struggles before things escalate to an emergency. It got me thinking—if I’m all about being proactive with mental health for first responders and veterans, why not extend that same approach to everyone else? Lt. Sarko made a strong case for why we should, and I think it is an awesome idea. Resources Mentioned: Psychedelic Assisted Therapy Understanding your spirituality Martial Arts Blue Courage Learning where your baseline is and how to come back to it Educate yourself, challenge your mind Find your purpose Observation based therapy Meditation I am always looking for veterans or first responders who have PTSD to share how you have raised the quality of your life to hopefully shorten that journey for others. Additionally, if you support, provide services for these groups, or have extensive knowledge of benefits available for these groups please reach out. I would love to have a chat and share that knowledge with the community.…

Normalize PTSD

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61_How Many Officers Struggle with Mental Health Challenges with Dr. Nick Carleton 55:36

vor 40 weeks55:36

55:36

Dr. Nick Carleton is a Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Regina whose work focuses on supporting first responders and other public safety personnel. Links: Website: http://www.rcmpstudy.ca/ Dr. Carleton works to build evidence-based solutions that can help mitigate the impact of the numbers and varied stressors on the mental health and wellbeing of first responders and other public safety personnel. This episode resonated with me. I appreciated the extensive data provided in the study and admired the proactive approach to mental health. Normalizing it from the outset, like any other skill—starting with the basics and gradually advancing—reminded me of my early days in my EOD career. Just as I didn’t begin by learning about IEDs but first had to grasp the fundamentals like explosives, switches, and triggers, there’s a necessary progression in understanding and addressing mental health. The episode presented numerous striking statistics, one of which stood out: while an average civilian might experience five or fewer potentially traumatic events in their lifetime, police officers and other first responders may encounter hundreds, even thousands, of such events throughout their careers. Resources Mentioned: https://www.ptsd.va.gov/ https://div12.org/psychological-treatments/disorders/post-traumatic-stress-disorder/ https://www.cipsrt-icrtsp.ca/ Approaching mental health is like learning a new skill. (crawl, walk, run) Evidence based coping skills Practice skills before you need them Mindfulness Cognitive challenging Go to a mental health professional like you would a physician. Don’t wait until there is a problem, be proactive. Exercise Meditation or stop and take a 60 second break Stopping internal dialogue and challenge if there’s truth to it. Identify if you are using avoidance coping strategies (alcohol abuse, denying an emotional response, behavior avoidance) We would really appreciate a share and like on IG, FB, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Twitter. I am always looking for veterans or first responders who have PTSD to share how you have raised the quality of your life to hopefully shorten that journey for others. I would love to have a chat and share that knowledge with the community.…

Normalize PTSD

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60_What is MDMA Assisted Therapy with Gina Gratza 1:26:14

vor 43 weeks1:26:14

1:26:14

Gina Gratza, MS, LMFT is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Licensed Psilocybin Facilitator, and Psychedelic Educator and Researcher. Social Media: Websites: www.ginagratza.com & www.lookingglasscounselingpdx.com Instagram: @gina.gratza Affiliated Websites: https://www.chrisstauffermd.com/ , https://www.innertrek.org/ , & https://www.coracenter.org/ Gina is the owner of Looking Glass Counseling, which supports individuals with complex trauma and eating disorders. She also operates a coaching practice where she practices legal psilocybin facilitation and leads women's empowerment groups supporting preparation and integration practices. Gina teaches at InnerTrek, a psilocybin facilitator education program. And she also supports psychedelic research as a study therapist with the Social Neuroscience and Psychotherapy Lab. Gina works with the Cora Center, InnerTrek Services, and Chariot in offering psilocybin facilitation in Portland, Oregon. One of the coolest things that jumped out to me about MDMA assisted therapy was how it removes the fear aspect of historical trauma or memories and allows you to go into those spaces with compassion and love. That’s probably as hard to read for some of you as it was for me to write. I am not a super lovey-dovey or overly expressive person. I will often say a dumb joke to avoid direct expression of my deeper feelings. I have talked to several people now who have first-hand experience with this therapeutic practice, and they all said the same: so much love and compassion. I know for me I went a decade without feeling those kinds of feelings. I went so long that I began to think that how I felt was normal. Dark, irritated, uncomfortable, easily annoyed, numb, and so on. If I could have tried this type of therapy, I believe it would have expedited my healing process. I would have been more motivated because it would have been more obvious that I was not okay. I feel like the changes within myself were so subtle that I wasn’t aware how bad it had gotten. I was so far off baseline and for so long that when I began to heal the good feelings coming back felt wrong. I would pick fights or create problems to have those negative feelings come back. I felt uncomfortable when I was not in a dysfunctional state. Resources Mentioned: Somatic psychotherapy (sensorimotor psychotherapy) Internal Family Systems Therapeutic Relationship ‘The Language of Emotions’ - Karla McLaren ‘Trauma and Recovery’ - Dr. Judith Herman ‘The Body Keeps the Score’ - Dr. Bessel van der Kolk ‘Waking the Tiger’ - Dr. Peter Levine ‘How to do the work’ - Dr. Nicole LePera ‘The Myth of Normal’- Dr. Gabor Mate 'My Grandmother's Hands’ - Resmaa Menakem ‘In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts’ - Dr. Gabor Mate Psychedelic assisted therapy EMDR Meditation Learning to trust yourself and building that self-trust Be in relation with your nervous system Painting Inner healing intelligence Self-compassion practices Socializing Support structure Human interaction Developing your internal dialogue Kundalini yoga We would really appreciate a share and like on IG, FB, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Twitter. I am always looking for veterans or first responders who have PTSD to share how you have raised the quality of your life to hopefully shorten that journey for others. I would love to have a chat and share that knowledge with the community.…

Normalize PTSD

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59_SWEL with Founder Rob Sanderson 52:36

vor 45 weeks52:36

52:36

Rob Sanderson is the Founder and Director of SWEL which provides a positive setting for Veterans and First Responders to decompress, disconnect, and reinvigorate through the sport of surfing. Social Media: Website: https://www.theswel.org Facebook and Instagram: @theswelmission SWEL hosts free, all inclusive, weekend-long guided surfing “missions” for deserving first responders and veterans where participants learn how to surf as a new way to decompress, disconnect, and reinvigorate themselves away from the stressors of their demanding careers. For first responders and veterans, physical separation from a world of hyper-vigilance, high personal risk, adrenaline spikes, and unpredictable encounters is key to the ability to manage stress. SWEL uses a pairing of therapeutic sport, primarily surfing, and skills-based learning to promote healing through improving one’s self-efficacy. Travel, lodging, meal costs, and equipment associated with SWEL Surf Missions are fully funded through the generosity of donors, partners, and sponsors, allowing participants to be fully present without the worry of financial burdens often associated with traditional therapy programs. SWEL uses volunteers in the local community who are passionate about surfing to further create a robust and community-connected impactful program. Surf coaches are formally vetted prior to participation, and many have their own experience finding refuge in the ocean to relieve stress. Other SWEL Surf Mission volunteers include yoga instructors to teach and provide participants with another way to connect and align their bodies and minds, Chaplains who provide a supportive, participant-led listening ear, and other empathetic civilians who assist with mission logistics. I have no idea why I was so pumped in this episode. I think it has a lot to do with the passion of those I’ve been talking with behind the scenes. Rob is one of those. He is so passionate about what he is doing, and I just love seeing that and having the chance to talk to those like him, Matt, Steve, Abigail, John, and so many more. If you are a vet or first responder out there, get back in touch with the crew. There must be one or two of them that are on the right path that you can chat with. I isolated myself for so long. I just sat quietly in mixed groups or parties. Have you ever answered the questions too honestly? Haha I had one just the other day. The response, “Why do you suck the air out of every conversation? Everything is about death with you.” They were joking, but it feels true sometimes. I was speaking with an upcoming guest, and I mentioned to him that I loved those times me and the boys got together around a bar and just talked story. It was so nice to get those thoughts out and in an environment where death wasn’t a conversation stopper but the start of an even better story. He said, “That’s not all good and not all bad.” It’s healthy to have those chats. Rob has created a healthy environment where these hammers can get together and have those kinds of conversations again. The one he shared about the two officers that haven’t seen each other since the one saved the other after he was shot in the face still gives me goosebumps. I loved this episode, as I do most of them. I hope you find something rewarding in it also. Resources Mentioned: “The Impact of Ocean Therapy on Veterans with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)” by Dr. Russell Crawford Surfing EMDR Meditation Eating right Hiking Tactile Meditation Physical fitness and staying fit Do challenging things We would really appreciate a share and like on IG, FB, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Twitter.…

Normalize PTSD

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58_Warrior Mindset with Steve Odom 1:47:50

vor 47 weeks1:47:50

1:47:50

Steve Odom is the Owner/Operator of Spartan Tactical Solutions, a Former Marine, Former Sergeant, and SWAT Team member for San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office. Social Media: Website: https://www.spartanshooting.com/ Instagram: @spartan_steve_odom Steve Odom is owner/operator of Spartan Tactical Solutions firearms training company located in San Luis Obispo. He served four years in the United States Marines as an Infantryman, fireteam leader, and squad leader. He was meritoriously promoted several times and awarded the “Navy and Marine Corps Medal” for heroism. He recently retired at the rank of sergeant after serving 29 years at the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office. He spent 17 years on the SWAT Team and was twice awarded the “Medal of Valor”. He has been a law enforcement firearms instructor for over 29 years and rose to the position of Senior Range Master for the sheriff’s office. Steve is a lifelong martial artist and LAPD certified Arrest and Control Instructor. He has studied various traditional martial arts, Muay Thai, western boxing, and Brazilian Jui Jitsu. He has boxed and grappled competitively at the amateur level and holds a blue belt in BJJ. Steve spent the latter years of his career developing a wellness program for the sheriff’s office to help other deputies deal with the impact of life as a first responder. I really enjoyed talking with Steve. His approach to being prepared really resonates with me. I see some people in this space accept being a victim or accept being “broke”. When I started this journey, I noticed I had issues related to being insecure. That was a huge ego check for me. I was living a life and projecting an image of a person who was so confident. I was very confident while still running ops back in the day but somewhere along the way I lost some confidence. I think it had a lot to do with me not challenging myself anymore. I stopped pushing the limits of myself, and then I started doubting myself and what I was capable of doing or being. I started listening and believing those barking dogs. Ha, that’s a reference to a book by Rickson Gracie. He says, “Never lose sleep over the barking dogs. They are dogs, that’s what they do.” Talking to doctors at the VA saying that my TBI/PTSD was like a child touching a hot stove. Or being villainized for seeing life through a lens that’s not all rainbows and sunshine. There is nothing wrong with struggling with a traumatic situation. It’s not weak; it’s really freakin' normal. I felt alone in the civilian word with my struggles. I notice when I tried to talk about the real stuff around some groups it would completely kill the vibe in the room or party. I just stopped talking about those things. It wasn’t until I reconnected with the boys that I found a big resource that I was missing: Reach out to those who have been there and done it with you. They are most likely having some of the same struggles you are and won’t judge you for asking for advice or just venting. Resources Mentioned: Martial Arts Discipline Being a servant leader Having people in your life that hold you accountable Surround yourself with the people you want to be like Leadership courses Working out Sobriety EMDR Brazilian Jui Jitsu Peer support training to help identify problems early Warrior mindset Box breathing OODA Loop (Observe, Orient, Decide and Act) Stress Inoculation (Exercise, combative, martial arts) Building resilience Build confidence 75 Hard Challenge Self-care (sauna, cold plunge) Journaling Eating well; properly fueling your body…

Normalize PTSD

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57_Peter Forcelli 1:00:09

vor 49 weeks1:00:09

1:00:09

Peter Forcelli is a 9/11 Survivor, Retired ATF Executive, and former NYPD Homicide Detective Social Media: Website: www.peterjforcelli.com LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/peterforcelli Purchase His Book: https://www.amazon.com/Deadly-Path-Operation-Furious-Lawyers/dp/B0CCMMQKCQ In retirement from his role in law enforcement, Peter Forcelli now focuses his time and energy on coaching law enforcement leaders and in speaking out about the importance of self-care, resilience, understanding, and dealing with both PTSD and survivor’s guilt. He also speaks about law enforcement accountability and his role in blowing the whistle on Operation Fast and Furious, which he did while battling PTSD. He is also a recurring guest speaker at the 9/11 Memorial and Museum. This was an unexpected pleasure. I say that because I heard of Operation Fast and Furious, but I was so consumed with deploying, then chasing money and adrenaline that I didn’t realize it had happened in my old stomping grounds. It was fun reading a book about places and events I have a memory of instead of imagining where this all took place. That aside, the man who is telling the story, Peter Forcelli, was an awesome guest. He is so passionate and genuine. I really enjoy talking with him. It was so cool hearing his story, struggles and triumphs. There were a few moments that popped out to me personally. In his book he is mentioning being able to tell that someone was likely dead due to the amount of blood he saw while entering a scene. This jumped out to me because knowing that is not a normal thing. The cues that first responders have stored in their minds to help them quickly assess a situation is wild. This reminded me of a chat I had with a medic. He knew before anyone else that the child he was looking at would not survive; he didn’t need to spend any time on her and moved on. Or how an EOD tech can smell sulfur in the air or white phosphorus from a mile away (sarcastic mile). Sound of an explosion to know if it’s incoming or outgoing. Sound of a bullet zipping past or a mortar coming in. A person learns a lot and retains a lot from their life experiences. First responders and some combat veterans sometimes have years of learned lessons that help them be better in chaotic situations. I just find it interesting that people who know these things and have them so quickly accessible to be successful are then demonized or looked down on by others for later struggling with the weight of those learned lessons. Resources Mentioned: Meditation with Anthony Profeta ( https://www.youtube.com/@AnthonyProfeta ) Walking, being outdoors Support Structure Medication Doing challenging things Get those dark thoughts out, with a friend, a therapist, spouse, journal… Spending time with family or loved ones Helping other and giving back to your community We would really appreciate a share and like on IG, FB, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Twitter. I am always looking for veterans or first responders who have PTSD to share how you have raised the quality of your life to hopefully shorten that journey for others. Additionally, if you support, provide services for these groups, or have extensive knowledge of benefits available for these groups please reach out. I would love to have a chat and share that knowledge with the community.…

Normalize PTSD

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56_Guest on Pathway to Wellness with Robin 55:02

vor 52 weeks55:02

55:02

Robin Collins is a certified Health Coach and the founder of Pathway To Wellness With Robin. She educates, empowers and encourages Veterans and First Responders to learn ways they can support and balance their mind and body. She knows firsthand what it's like when the brain and body are not functioning optimally. During the process of healing from a TBI, Robin became inspired by the science of Neuroplasticity and Posttraumatic Growth. As a result of learning different ways to retrain her brain, she learned about and experienced both and this is some of the important information she wants to educate others about. Her goal is to help fill some of the gaps that Veterans and First Responders are experiencing in standard treatment options with compassionate coaching utilizing Holistic Health principles. Social Media: Website : http://www.pathwaytowellnesswithrobin.com/ Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/pathwaytowellnesswithrobin/ If you didn’t hear our first episode together, please go back and checkout episode 45. I was so pumped to have the opportunity to be the first guest on Robin’s podcast. I have not really checked in with my audience and given a status update and loved the challenge of being the one being interviewed. After this episode I spent days - that's a lie, weeks - reflecting on how I could have said things differently or better. This really gave me a chance to appreciate those who have joined my podcast. In addition to that I feel like this gave me a chance to have a hard look at myself. I noticed that I am giving myself excuses to prioritize my professional career over my mental health. I justified it by saying it was okay, “I was too strict”, “needed to loosen up”. I do not agree with that after giving it some thought. The ego is a sneaky beast. It is as clever and smart as I am. I’m being lazy and justifying it how I need to while I allow myself to slip back into some old habits that are comfortable but lead me in a direction I do not want to be going in. This was an amazing experience, and I think I want to get out there and talk to more. I want to be held accountable. Robin did an amazing job as a host on her new podcast. It was such a pleasure to be part of it. If you haven’t seen her website and podcast, I hope you go check it out. I hope you all enjoy her episode! She is such a positive and uplifting person to speak with. We would really appreciate a share and like on IG, FB, YouTube, and Twitter. I am always looking for veterans or first responders who have battled PTSD to share how you have raised the quality of your life to shorten that journey for others. Additionally, if you support, provide services for these groups, or have extensive knowledge of benefits available for these groups please reach out. I would love to have a chat and share that knowledge with the community.…

Normalize PTSD

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55_Microdosing LSD and Psilocybin with Dr. Zelfand 55:46

vor 1 year55:46

55:46

Dr. Erica Zelfand specializes in integrative mental health and functional medicine. Dr. Zelfand is a ketamine prescriber, facilitator of therapeutic psychedelic experiences, trainer of psychedelic facilitators, acclaimed international speaker, and medical writer. Social Media: Website: https://ericazelfand.com Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DrZelfand Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drzelfand/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drzelfand/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLf-uE2JAoUVRVoXMy26LCA Dr. Erica Zelfand is the CEO of Right to Heal, a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating and empowering people around psychedelic healing and other life-saving techniques that conventional medicine has ignored. Dr. Zelfand’s training and skill set span the spectrum of both conventional and natural approaches. She treats people of all ages and stages of life, from newborns to those approaching the end of life. Areas of focus within her family practice include: autoimmunity, endocrinology, and integrative mental health. She is deeply committed to patient-centered, root-cause-oriented, nature-honoring approaches to healing. Dr. Zelfand loves sharing her knowledge, her reverence for nature, and her zesty sense of humor with her colleagues, her patients and clients, and audiences of all sizes worldwide. She is also a fan of dark chocolate and group hugs. To learn more and connect, please visit www.DrZelfand.com . A zesty sense of humor is an understatement - Dr. Zelfand was so much fun to talk with. She is such a positive person and had what seemed like an endless amount of information on this topic. I really enjoyed her passion in the science behind how these chemicals work in our body to help and in some cases, it could lead to a bad experience or even a worse situation. Dr. Zelfand and I are on the same page in not believing in a magic pill. The big takeaways for me are stacking and 1A/2A receptors. Stacking (adding positive mental health practices with micodosing) is something I have done and others have talked about doing, but it was by accident. It has me wondering what other coping mechanisms or positive life practices I can stack to make those moments and experiences better. The 1A/2A receptors is a cool concept too. I am still reading about how these compounds attach to the 2A and assist with unlearning or learning new ways around psychological problems instead of connecting to the 1A. Most SSRIs are compounds that will attach to 1A receptors. They will help you endure more discomfort or increase your psychological resilience. I hope you all find this chat interesting and informative! Resources Mentioned: Class on Microdosing: https://psychedelic.support/education/microdosing-psilocybin-lsd-what-we-know-so-far/ Stament Stacking Stacking (combining positive mental health practices with microdosing) ‘A Really Good Day’ by Ayelet Waldman Hikes or being outdoors https://psychedelic.support/education/ Meditation, mindfulness practice Religious or spiritual practice Therapy, group therapy T’ai chi, yoga, qi gong Joyful movement, exercise Journaling Making, appreciating art Volunteering, helping others…

Normalize PTSD

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54_Matt Domyancic a Medically Retired Officer, SWAT, and Chaplain 2:32:07

vor 1 year2:32:07

2:32:07

Matt Domyancic is a Medically Retired Officer, SWAT, Chaplain, Former Police Officer and Strength Coach, Police Chaplain, Spiritual Director, & Peer Support and Wellness Advocate. Social Media: Website: https://www.tacticalchaplain.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thinbluelinespirituality/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-domyancic-b7203b6/ Profile: https://www.globalassociates.org/matt-domyancic/ Matt Domyancic is a medically retired police officer that worked patrol, Peer Support, SWAT, and as full-time police academy instructor for fitness and officer survival. While a police officer he was also concurrently a D1 strength and conditioning coach at Yale and Georgetown universities and led campus ministry for athletes. After his retirement, he was a strength coach and sports psychology consultant for professional and Olympic athletes at Velocity Sports, including NFL combine preparation for top round draft picks. Now Matt is also a Chaplain and Peer Support for various nonprofits that proactively support first responders dealing with stress and trauma. Police psychologists refer officers to Matt to do wellness activities along with peer support such as cold plunge, sauna, breath work, and sensory deprivation float tank. His approach integrates fitness, nutrition, sleep, self-regulation, and holistic self-care as a path to proactively grow mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually - rather than the common reactive-only approach to after someone has begun experiencing breakdown with PTSD, addiction, divorce, or suicidal ideation. This is a cool story. I’m so grateful to have been connected to Matt. His father challenged him academically and athletically growing up, leading to him developing discipline and structure that would become the core of what is Matt. This led him to be a D1 football player at the Air Force Academy, later graduating from Colgate. Then forensics, SWAT, strength and condition coach at Yale, chaplain and now a mentor and advocate for our first responders. I love it when I meet someone who has a life I admire. I want to know how they did it. What cheat code did they use? The more people I talk to that have lives I admire the more I realize the cheat code is simple: Being disciplined, prioritizing mental and physical health, being mindful of what you fuel your body with, and having a goal. The other little commonality is how they view challenges. The cheat code is to see challenges as a positive thing - don’t fear failure. If you fail, you still learn, you still grow, and you become more enlightened or knowledgeable. Chase those dreams. The more I talk to the amazing people, the more that I’m only afraid of living an unchallenged life. Resources Mentioned: Meditation Discipline, consistency, and passion in the things you do Have goals Working out Journaling Having someone you trust to talk with Therapy or a spiritual leader…have an objective perspective to check you and tell you when something seems off or is off Train your unconscious competence Have the tools to endure rough waters in place before you find yourself in rough waters. Be proactive. Artwork Dancing Get outdoors Fast from technology If something resonates with you, write it down and do more of it tomorrow Breath work We would really appreciate a share and like on IG, FB, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Twitter. I am always looking for veterans or first responders who have PTSD to share how you have raised the quality of your life t…

Normalize PTSD

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53_Happy Holidays from Normalize PTSD Podcast 21:03

vor 1 year21:03

21:03

I wanted to thank everyone who has helped with the podcast this year and since the beginning. If it wasn’t for the hard work and awesome support of Adore Digital Marketing, I would have reached only a fraction of the supports that I have. I have crushed all the expectations I had for the size of this podcast and the reach. I just assumed it would be my family and a few of those EOD brothers and sisters. Thank you to all the first responders, NGOs and leaders that have joined the podcast to share their stories and resources out there to help others find peace or raise the quality of their lives. I cannot wait until this podcast is my only job because it has been so much fun and has allowed me to connect with people really changing the landscape of mental health. I hope you have the most wonderful holiday season. If you are feeling isolated, alone, or depressed, reach out to friends and family that you haven’t talked with in a while. If no one pops to mind, feel free to shoot me a DM or email. Next year is looking to be another impactful year for the podcast and me personally. Happy holidays; see you next year! Resources Mentioned: Social network that allows you to talk openly and freely about mental health. I have a group of people I text, video chat with that help me stay accountable, as well as allows me to bounce my ideas off them to develop my internal dialogue better. Helps me challenge my perspective and become a better person. Educating myself on topics I want to learn more about. Gives me confidence and helps me feel like I’m not wasting my time. Challenging myself. When I challenge myself, I realize that I am not as sensitive to discomfort. The things that once felt challenging are no longer intimidating. Being companionate with myself. It has been a challenging year. I have had moments this year where I really struggled to stay on the path. I have been in a few high-pressure situations and found myself slipping into old habits. Becoming a better person isn’t like turning on a light switch. It’s a constant disciplined approach toward betterment. We would really appreciate a share and like on IG, FB, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Twitter. I am always looking for veterans or first responders who have PTSD to share how you have raised the quality of your life to hopefully shorten that journey for others. Additionally, if you support, provide services for these groups, or have extensive knowledge of benefits available for these groups please reach out. I would love to have a chat and share that knowledge with the community.…

Normalize PTSD

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52_Dispatching the Stigma of PTSD with Deborah Green 34:52

vor 1 year34:52

34:52

Deborah Green is a retired 911 dispatcher, mental health advocate, and memaw of 10. Social Media: LinkedIn : http://www.linkedin.com/in/deborah-green-202781237/ Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/d911green/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/deborah.green.790/ TikTok: Deborah Green (@d911green) Deborah Green is a former 911 dispatcher who developed PTSD after a horrific call where she lost her officer. She is now a mental health advocate hoping to change the support provided to first responders. When she is not wrangling one of her TEN grandchildren, she is on a podcast or talking to all that will listen about her story and those like her. Deborah was a wonderful guest. My mother was a dispatcher. I remember we were too small to stay at home and babysitters were not free. Thankfully my mother was able to take us to work when she worked the night shift. We would sit there and listen to her officers get into some hairy situations. I was pretty good at looking up license numbers on the microfiche. I still remember how she would end a transmission: KR441. Talking with Deborah had me walking down memory lane. Even back then I would worry for the officers, and when the silence was over and they came across the radio saying all was good to go, it was such a relief. I hope you enjoy her story as I did and find something positive to take with you. Resources Mentioned: Meditation Exercise, going for walks outside Being outside Be present in the moment Therapy Gratitude posts every day on Facebook for two years Discipline and holding herself accountable Positive support structure We would really appreciate a share and like on IG, FB, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Twitter. I am always looking for veterans or first responders who have PTSD to share how you have raised the quality of your life to hopefully shorten that journey for others. Additionally, if you support, provide services for these groups, or have extensive knowledge of benefits available for these groups please reach out. I would love to have a chat and share that knowledge with the community.…

Normalize PTSD

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51_Deer Hollow with Matthew Quackenbush 1:07:25

vor 1 year1:07:25

1:07:25

Matt Quackenbush is a trauma therapist, public speaker, researcher, a writer, and a teacher. Matt is the Director of Education and Training for Deer Hollow Recovery and host of the Finding Strength Podcast. Social Media: Website: https://deerhollowrecovery.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/deerhollow/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/57638957/admin/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deer_hollow/ Matt's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mattquackenbush.lcsw/?ref=py_c Finding Strength Podcast Instagram: https://instagram.com/findingstrengthpodcast Matt has been a prominent advocate for change within the mental health community for nearly two decades, an exceptional public speaker with over 300+ hours of on-stage speaking experience. Renowned for his captivating presence, thought-provoking ideas, and impeccable delivery, Matt has become a sought-after expert. He is currently engaged in a national speaking tour with Deer Hollow Recovery & First Watch Wellness, where he educates First Responders, Veterans, & their families on the profound impact of stress, trauma, & PTSD. This highly requested training program showcases the most up-to-date best practices that are currently being utilized to address the mental health crisis within the First Responder and Veteran Communities. In addition to his speaking engagements, Matt serves as the esteemed host of the critically acclaimed Finding Strength Podcast. Through this platform, he explores various topics related to mental health, resilience, & personal growth, providing valuable insights to thousands of listeners. Moreover, Matt holds the distinction of being a Certified Mind-Body Bridging Therapist, specializing in a diverse range of evidence-based trauma treatment models. With extensive experience encompassing over 15,000 hours of trauma-focused therapy, he employs therapeutic approaches such as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Internal Family Systems (IFS), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Psychodrama, & mindfulness techniques. Matt's dedication to his field and his extensive expertise makes him a highly respected professional within the mental health community. He was recently honored at the Health 2.0 International Healthcare Conference receiving the "Outstanding Leadership Award" due to his innovative work that is creating wide-spread change across the landscape of healthcare. Matt Quackenbush, The Quackstack, Sir Quackattack, The Quack is back… I had so much fun meeting Mr. Quacktastic, and it wasn’t just because he has such a fun name to say. This guy is knowledgeable and passionate. It was an amazing combo. Addiction has been a topic I wanted to discuss, and I hope to discuss more. I find it interesting how we can grab onto things for comfort and ignore the consequences that are sometimes deadly. I really enjoyed how Matt broke addictions down and put it in a perspective that clicked for me. I have always been fascinated on how an addiction isn’t always drugs, it can be an action like too much working or excessive exercise. It could be eating or most popular in the Veteran and first responder community…. alcohol. You can, and many do, love an addiction to death. Matt breaks down ways to identify if you are struggling, steps and resources to try if you are struggling and lets you know there is hope. I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did. We would really appreciate a share and like on IG, FB, YouTube, and Twitter.…

Normalize PTSD

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50_Stronger Families with 'Tall' Tim Sears 1:17:35

vor 2 years1:17:35

1:17:35

‘Tall’ Tim is a retired firefighter with 44 years in the fire service. Married 29 years, two adult kids, and now the Director of First Responders for Stronger Families, a non-profit that does relationship work for military, veterans and first responders. Social Media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/strongerfamilies/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/strongerfamilieslive Podcast: Heroes at Home Podcast Website: www.strongerfamilies.com Tim's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tim.sears.92 Tim's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timgsears/ Stronger Families helps departments strengthen marriages, families, and personnel. They understand how important it is to have a strong support system, especially in the workplace and at home, there to provide that support. The support they provide is Department Wellness Block Training. This is 6 sessions, available in both on-site training and online training through their Dashboard, which includes videos, PowerPoint slides, scripts, and materials needed for the training. For First Responders at home, they offer customized 8-hour Couples Retreats for departments, unions, and guilds. A Stronger Families OXYGEN Retreat is an experience designed for First Responder couples to receive life-changing relationship skills so they can be strong and thrive at home and at work. This weekend includes tools and opportunities for couples to connect with their partners and to laugh, learn, and become empowered to better navigate their relationships. They also offer Date Nights where they help customize 6 different topics, each lasting about 90 minutes that you can bring to the couples in your department. These can be taught as “train-the-trainer” as well, so your own people from your department can host the events. They have a newly created Spouse Support Network, where they assist in building a custom online dashboard for the PARTNERS of First Responders. The dashboard provides access to videos, podcasts, articles, and book suggestions, with new material added each month. They are a non-profit organization whose goal is to bring life-changing relationship skills to military, first responder, and veteran families so they can be strong and thrive both at work and at home. I really enjoyed talking with ‘Tall’ Tim. I know I say that about every episode, but I really do enjoy these stories. It reminds me of when I felt alone and isolated. I was trapped in my own mind assuming that everyone was judging me and seeing me in the warped negative light that I saw myself in. Hearing Tim’s story about getting help and not just getting it but wanting it. Wanting to be a better person - a better spouse - is so cool. Stories like these are my favorite to share because I know there’s a ton of us out there that feel exactly like he did. I know I did. Hopefully you all find something in this that is motivating and helpful. Resources Mentioned: Deer Hallow https://deerhollowrecovery.com First Watch Wellness , https://1stwatchwellness.com/ Warrior’s Rest Foundation, https://warriorsrestfoundation.org/ Mighty Oaks https://www.mightyoaksprograms.org No Bad Parts by Richard C. Schwartz We would really appreciate a share and like on IG, FB, YouTube, and Twitter.…

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49_Freespira with Dr. Cuyler 41:06

vor 2 years41:06

41:06

Robert N. Cuyler, PhD serves as Chief Clinical Officer of Freespira, Inc. Dr. Cuyler supervises clinical operations of the company, heads research initiatives, and represents Freespira in conference, publication, and media outlets. His research on real world outcomes with Freespira was published in 2022 in Frontiers in Digital Health. Dr. Cuyler received his Ph.D. in Psychology from Louisiana State University and Post-Doctoral Fellowship at the Menninger Foundation. Social Media: Dr. Cuyler's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-cuyler-phd-0618a62b/ Freespira's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Freespira Freespira's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/freespira Freespira's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@freespirainc Freespira's Twitter: https://twitter.com/Freespira_ Freespira's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freespira/ Robert N. Cuyler, PhD's consulting and management activities have focused on solving access problems in behavioral health, with a concentration on incorporating telemedicine and healthcare technology into clinical practice. He is the author (with Dutch Holland, PhD) of the book "Implementing Telemedicine: Completing Projects On Target On Time On Budget". He has authored or co-authored four textbook chapters on telemedicine, including the recent editions of Emergency Psychiatry and Textbook of Community Psychiatry. As Freespira's Chief Clinical Officer, he is involved in their research activities. They have a randomized clinical trial underway at the University of Texas using Freespira as a treatment for a range of anxiety conditions. They are collaborating on a grant that will gain additional evidence on effectiveness with PTSD in veterans and active-duty military. They are also collaborating with a VA psychologist looking at sleep apnea in veterans to determine if Freespira will help participants use CPAP therapy more effectively. It was such a pleasure speaking with Dr. Cuyler. I love talking to people who are passionate about what they are doing. You can hear his enthusiasm as he talks about helping others. I always find myself learning something new when I have the opportunity to speak to these individuals with so much experience and knowledge working with people with PTSD. This was no different. I think the one that stood out the most to me was that deep breathing meditation may not be the best tool to use in a situation where you are being triggered or during a panic attack. This lines up well with what the doctor from Ukraine said to me. She mentioned that meditation can sometimes make the symptoms worse. I am not suggesting mediation is bad at all. I find that it is the best way to set me up for a successful day; I love doing a quick session following my cardio in the morning. I have noticed that if I’m in an intense situation I can maintain my calmness with controlled breathing. I would like to explore that topic more. Staying calm in highly stressful situations. Well, until next time… Resources Mentioned: Freespira Learning to breathe properly and importance of your breath Doing things that make you feel uncomfortable. Don’t avoid or allow avoiding behaviors to take control Talk therapy Prolonged exposure therapy In-Vivo therapy We would really appreciate a share and like on IG, FB, YouTube, and Twitter.…

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48_Merging Vets and Players with Andi Ward 27:07

vor 2 years27:07

27:07

Andi Ward, former Construction Electrical with the Navy Seabees; Director of Training and Resources for the non-profit Merging Vets and Players; Fitness coach and all-around health and wellness enthusiast Social Media: Andi's Instagram: @andi.ward64 Andi's Facebook: Andi Ward Andi's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andi-ward/ Website: https://vetsandplayers.org MVP Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mergingvetsandplayers/ MVP Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MVPMergingVetsandPlayers MVP LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/merging-vets-and-players/ MVP the Movie: https://vetsandplayers.org/mvp-the-movie Watch now on iTunes , Prime Video , Verizon , Google Play , DirecTV , Microsoft Movies , Showtime and more! Andi served as a Construction Electrician with the Navy Seabees and did deployments to Iraq and Africa. Knowing first-hand what it was like to struggle with the transition after leaving the service, Andi was drawn to working with other veterans and has been in the veteran non-profit space since 2017. In her role as the Director of Training and Resources for the nonprofit Merging Vets and Players, Andi designs and delivers training plans for staff, coaches and volunteers and connects members to resources in their area. She also co-authors MVP-PRO, a collection of concepts, topics, questions, and practices designed to move us all forward, increase our wellness, and build a stronger foundation of the people we deserve to be and the lives we deserve to live. Andi has a Bachelors in Kinesiology with an emphasis on Active Lifestyle Development and is a strength coach at Unbreakable Performance in West Hollywood, CA. In her free time, Andi enjoys working out, snowboarding, scuba diving, working with horses, and adventuring with her partner and their 90 lb. pit-bull. I always like to try and formulate a concept of someone prior to recording or really starting to talk with a guest. I have heard of MVP but never really dove into the organization before. When I was first connected with Andi, I had a much different idea of the person as to the one I soon discovered. If you would like more info on her story, go check it out on the MVP website. She’s a real badass. I really enjoyed this conversation and talking with someone who is so passionate about what she does. I mean, she literally took time out her freakin WEDDING DAY to speak with me and share the awesomeness MVP is doing in our community. I hope you enjoy this chat as much as I did. Resources Mentioned: The Body Keeps the Score – Bessel Van Der Kolk In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts – Dr. Gabor Mate (anything by Dr Maté) Chasing the Scream – Johann Hari What Happened to You – Dr. Bruce Perry and Oprah Anything by Brené Brown We would really appreciate a share and lik…

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47_Brainspotting and GHP with Dr. David Copeland 2:00:10

vor 2 years2:00:10

2:00:10

Brainspotting and GHP with Dr. David Copeland, Licensed Mental Health Counselor-Supervisor in Florida, Licensed Clinical Pastoral Counselor, Certified Clinical Trauma Specialist, and Brainspotting Practitioner; Author of God’s Healing Process: An Everyday State of Grace Existence Social Media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GHPCounselingServices/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdavidicopeland/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/dicopeland Website: https://www.ghpcounselingservices.com Dr. David Copeland is a retired USAF veteran: started off front line Cold War, fall of the wall, Desert Shield/Desert Storm, over to the desert a number of times to include Kobar towers, and a remote tour at Kunsan Korea. After retiring from the USAF, he entered Youth Ministry for four and a half years and became a mental health counselor. His work has included both individuals & families with experience ranging from infants, children, & adolescents to Special Forces Combat Veterans (men & women). He's a former counseling director at Genesis House, where he worked with addiction issues and individuals coming out of prison or addiction centers. He has experience working in a clinical setting with a Medicated Assistant Treatment (MAT) program for opiate addictions. Currently, Dr. Copeland is providing mental health counseling services in his private practice in Niceville, FL near Eglin AFB. His work includes helping individuals with trauma issues from adverse life experiences. His experience includes working with Combat veterans and their families on marital and attachment issues created from adverse conditions aka trauma. He has had several years of experience as a child and youth behavioral counselor with military families. Dr. Copeland is also a Christian Life Coach helping individuals with spiritual formation and has developed a unique and practical approach to trauma treatment by integrating science and faith that he calls God's Healing Process (GHP). I have always enjoyed my conversations with Dr. Copeland. I understand why people may have approached him with their problems in the days before he became a counselor. He is very approachable and has a depth of understanding that is easy to follow. I listened back to our episode, and I noticed I didn’t ask a ton of questions in the early stages of the episode. I felt like every time I had a question, he just naturally transitioned into explaining that specific question I had. I feel like we could have talked for hours. I'm looking forward to the next time we chat and getting some experience trying brainspotting and self-spotting. Resources: Brainspotting: The Revolutionary New Therapy for Rapid and Effective Change by David Grand, PhD The Power of Brainspotting: An International Anthology by Gerhard Wolfrum Ed. This is Your Brain on Sports: Beating Blocks, Slumps, and Performance Anxiety for Good! by David Grand, PhD and Alan Goldberg, EdD Brainspotting with Children and Adolescents, An Attuned Treatment Approach for Effective Brain-Body Healing by Monika Baumann Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl Having connection with others We would really appreciate a share and like on IG, FB, YouTube, and Twitter. I am always looking for veterans or first responders who have battled PTSD to share how you have raised the quality of your life to shorten that journey for others. Additionally, if you support, provide services for these groups, please reach out. I would love to have a chat.…

Normalize PTSD

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46_John H. (Veteran) 2:39:05

vor 2 years2:39:05

2:39:05

John H. is Former EOD, a Combat Veteran, & the Author of Awakening of a Foot Soldier . He is a friend, father, soldier, sailor, and lover of life with a dash of pessimism and a hankering for shit-stirring. John served in the military in Somalia and Bosnia and has worked on the contracting side in the Middle East, East Europe, and Asia. In Iraq, he experienced a profound spiritual awakening which altered his life trajectory and consciousness. This was a fun episode for me. It was my first video recording; I don’t have the video, or I would post it. It was fun having a conversation about PTSD and life with a friend in a real setting. I enjoyed listening to how he identified internal signs that he was heading back to a war zone prior to his departure to Ukraine. I had also been identifying some changes within myself prior to coming to Ukraine. It was also interesting hearing him explain his personal journey to understanding his psyche, understanding it in his own way and in his own time. It may be hard to pick up on John's sarcasm, but it is so thick and constant. That is one of the reasons I find him hilarious. It really made for a fun episode. I remember when it ended thinking to myself, "how was that two and a half hours?" It felt like it went so quick. I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did. Resources Mentioned: Exercise Outdoors Acupuncture Cranial Sacral Rolfing Meditation Energetic Therapy Shamanism Psychedelics Pursuing Truth Living open, real, and true to yourself We would really appreciate a share and like on IG, FB, YouTube, and Twitter. I am always looking for veterans or first responders who have battled PTSD to share how you have raised the quality of your life to shorten that journey for others. Additionally, if you support, provide services for these groups, or have extensive knowledge of benefits available for these groups please reach out. I would love to have a chat and share that knowledge with the community.…

Normalize PTSD

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45_Pathway to Wellness with Robin 40:28

vor 2 years40:28

40:28

Robin Collins is a Health Coach and founder of Pathway To Wellness With Robin. Robin educates, empowers and encourages Veterans and First Responders to learn ways they can support and balance their mind and body. Her passion is to help fill some of the gaps Veterans and First responders are experiencing in standard treatment options with compassionate coaching utilizing Holistic Health Principles. Social Media: Website Instagram Robin was such a lovely guest. She mentioned something that took me back to thoughts I had before seeking help for my mental health issues. I clearly remember thinking to myself that I wouldn’t get help for what I assumed was this PTSD thing everyone spoke about. I was so mad at myself for being weak and not being able to handle war better. I saw so many other guys who were over there with families, kids, normal lives and no anger issues or drinking problems. My pride kept me from healing for so long. Almost like if I pretended I didn’t need help then I wasn’t weak, and I didn’t have PTSD. Seeking help was the hardest thing I ever did. I believe it was so hard because it was the death of the idea of who I wanted and thought I should be. The projection of me I wanted others to believe was the real me. By getting help I was finally free to just be me. The peace that comes with just being free to be you and being a version of you that you are proud of, I cannot articulate accurately enough to give justice. Resources Mentioned: Dynamic Neural Retraining System Neuroplasticity Coach Structure Nutritionist Meditation by Joe Dispnza Breathing Exercises We would really appreciate a share and like on IG, FB, YouTube, and Twitter. I am always looking for veterans or first responders who have battled PTSD to share how you have raised the quality of your life to shorten that journey for others. Additionally, if you support, provide services for these groups, or have extensive knowledge of benefits available for these groups please reach out. I would love to have a chat and share that knowledge with the community.…

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44_ Plant Your Flag with Co-Founder Rob Hollingsworth 46:27

vor 2 years46:27

46:27

Rob Hollingsworth is a co-founder of Plant Your Flag and former Navy K9 handler and police officer in Henderson, NV and Tacoma, WA. Social Media: Website Linktree Rob is a veteran and former law enforcement officer. Through his service his assignments included K9 and SWAT. Unfortunately, he had the misfortune of responding to multiple heinous events in his career. These included just about anything imaginable and unimaginable. Through these experiences he developed PTSD that took him years to "admit". Also, during these times, he would hear military veterans and law enforcement officers express their desires to change the trajectory of their life but say things like: "but what else would I do". As someone who is constantly striving for growth, to build an empire, and live how he wants to live, he realized that there was a dire need to help these individuals. He now seeks to help people from these communities to think big, get healthy physically, mentally, and spiritually, and to learn how to live the life that they want. They do this all in their community: Plant Your Flag. Since exiting LE, he has started a roofing consultant company & engaged in conducting roofing inspections, insurance claim consulting, and other aspects of the industry. He is an open book when it comes to speaking about PTSD and the effects on both veterans and law enforcement officers. Rob is someone I really wished I had met when I started transitioning out of the military. My first job after active duty was Home Depot. Rob’s introduction to new members is asking if they wanted to work at Home Depot. I, for one, did not . I feel like Rob is on an awesome path connecting with transitioning police officers and veterans to civilian life. The progression of my civilian career was mostly built on who you know and friends introducing you to others. That’s the impression I got from talking with Rob. This is the first introduction to a friend who wants to help others with educating them on lessons learned through trials and errors he’s made in life to make that transition easier for you. Resources Mentioned: Healthy Eating Habits Keeping Your Body Fit EMDR 22Zero Networking Short Realistic Goals We would really appreciate a share and like on IG, FB, YouTube, and Twitter. I am always looking for veterans or first responders who have battled PTSD to share how you have raised the quality of your life to shorten that journey for others. Additionally, if you support, provide services for these groups, or have extensive knowledge of benefits available for these groups please reach out. I would love to have a chat and share that knowledge with the community.…

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43_Warriors Healing Network with Founder Ray Murphy 32:32

vor 2 years32:32

32:32

Ray is a US Marine veteran 0331 who served with the 1st Battalion 2nd Marines STA platoon during Operation Desert Shield / Desert Storm. After the Marines, Ray attended Illinois State University, where he graduated with a BS in Criminal Justice Sciences. Social Media: Website: https://warriorshealingnetwork.org/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Warriors-Healing-Network-103865162334905 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/warriorshealingnetwork2022/ Ray is the owner and founder of Koru K9 Dog Training and HRD Police K9 , serving as a trusted advisor and trainer to some of the most elite law enforcement K9 units across the country. The focus of HRD Police K9 is to create intense scenario-based training to help save lives on the street. Ray has first-hand knowledge with complex PTSD and the short falls of existing treatment options, especially within the VA system. He has personally attended Rythmia Life Advancement Center in Costa Rica and can speak to the use of Ayahuasca Ceremonies as an effective treatment for PTSD as well as the importance of set and setting when choosing a safe treatment option. Knowing what is expected from our men and women in the military and/or law enforcement, he felt more needed to be done to help them deal with the crushing symptoms of PTSD - so he started Warriors Healing Network to give those in need the opportunity to get back in the fight for their lives. In his spare time, he enjoys heavy metal, shooting, fine dining, horseback riding, and caring for the many animals that reside on his farm. He lives just outside of Charleston, SC with his wife, Bridget. The Warriors Healing Network was founded to help facilitate psychedelic treatments to combat veterans and police officers who have been diagnosed with PTSD and require financial assistance to get the help they need to fight for their lives. I really admire Ray and what his organization is doing. There is a lot of talk about the legalization of psychedelics, and with that there will be more opportunities for people to have access to them. I really appreciate how Ray elaborated on integration work. This is why I believe psychedelics were beneficial for me. I felt like psychedelics gave me a window of opportunity where I was emotionally disconnected from past trauma and old patterns. I used that window to add healthy habits like exercising regularly, eating better, and meditation. I have never regressed back to where I was before trying psychedelics. I do want to add that I also think it’s important to be in the right mindset before trying psychedelics. There is tons of research out there. My personal go to is the MAPS organization. Episode 21 with Dr. Feduccia is a great episode. She made a comment that has also stuck in my mind: “It’s important for someone to work with a therapist if the intention is to work through past traumatic experiences or if they have PTSD. Because if they [trauma] come up [during an experience on psychedelics] and a person doesn’t have support or someone there to help them work through what’s going on, it can be re-traumatizing.” Resources Mentioned: Psychedelics Psychedelic assisted therapy Integration work Integration coach Ayahuasca retreat Lifestyle changes (being uncomfortable and vulnerable) Meditation Yoga Cold plunge Breathing exercises Wellness practices Documentary ‘How to Change Your Mind’ Documentary ‘Awaking Soul’ Documentary ‘Heal’…

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42_A PTSD Journey through the Eyes of a Paramedic by Founder of DOHP, Derek O. Hanley 1:29:05

vor 2 years1:29:05

1:29:05

Derek O. Hanley is a paramedic and prior military combat medic, author of the book Photos From The Front Lines , and the founder of DOHP.net. Social Media: Website: DOHP.net Instagram: @thatsdohp LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derekohanley SF Chronicle feature: https://datebook.sfchronicle.com/art-exhibits/photographer-documents-alameda-county-first-responders-in-time-of-pandemic-protest EMS World feature: https://www.hmpgloballearningnetwork.com/site/emsworld/feature-story/your-job-captured-photos Link to book materials: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/gf609gsaq6wbru7/AAA0YtGRDLc6HUmpQhlle0OLa?dl=0 Derek O. Hanley is a paramedic and prior military combat medic, author of the book Photos From The Front Lines , and the founder of https://www.dohp.net/ . Derek endeavors to increase honor and respect for medics in society through photography and visual media. After serving in the US Air Force as a paramedic and instructor, he worked as a civilian paramedic in New York and served a tour with the Army National as a combat medic and instructor. During his service, Derek received many commendations, including the Army Achievement medal, and a nomination for division soldier of the year. He has feature-length credits for cinematography, photography, and sound. Derek’s photos have also been heavily published in EMS World Magazine. I saw so many similarities with Derek’s journey and my own. I really enjoyed this conversation. I could have chatted with him for hours longer I feel like. He articulates his journey so well. Listening to him describe the feelings of being burnt out and how he was fearful of it having a negative impact on his ability to operate resonated with me. It reminded me of that conversation I had with myself in Afghanistan after hitting our third IED in a few weeks. I remember something broke inside and for the first time ever I felt fear creep in. That fear never left. Like most fear in my life, I was able to move past it but it was always subtly nagging at me. I often wondered if it was also subtly influencing my decisions I made and if it would negatively impact my process in disarming IEDs. Resources Mentioned: The Body Keeps The Score - Bessel Van Der Kolk (A game changing book on trauma) The Brain That Changes Itself - Norman Doidge (An amazing book on neuroplasticity) ‘Liberated Mind’ Steven Hayes ACT therapy Neurofeedback therapy RTMS Consistency with a Healthy Routine Good Support Structure Getting Out of the Four Walls (Get Outside) We would really appreciate a share and like on IG, FB, YouTube, and Twitter. I am always looking for veterans or first responders who have battled PTSD to share how you have raised the quality of your life to shorten that journey for others. Additionally, if you support, provide services for these groups, or have extensive knowledge of benefits available for these groups please reach out. I would love to have a chat and share that knowledge with the community.…

Normalize PTSD

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41_PTSD Awareness Month and Thank You with Jonathan 42:30

vor 2 years42:30

42:30

This month is PTSD Awareness month and the 1-year anniversary of attempting a podcast. When I started this journey, I was unaware of all the groups and organizations that are out there helping other humans. Then I found out there seems to be a new modality or type of therapy popping up all the time. It can really be overwhelming trying to figure out, if you need to work on mental health, what might work for you, where to get more information, and who to reach out to for help. I do not feel like I have sufficiently touched on those, so I hope to improve that next year. I do feel like I am better informed now than I was last year, and I hope you all are also. I am starting to evolve my understanding of my own mental health and see that my questions are changing a bit. It has been such a pleasure to have the opportunity to speak with so many people. I never would have thought I would have had the chance to speak with professors, doctors, owners of huge companies, and inspirational leaders. I am so blessed. It has been an interesting year. This podcast experience was terrifying at first but has evolved into something I look forward to recording. You can ask the social media team that I am less enthusiastic about the editing side of things haha. Thankfully they are awesome and have really helped with the creatives and getting the voice of everyone I have talked to out there for you all to hear. I thought it would be fun to do a quick little episode on some of my favorite experiences, quotes that stuck, and sometimes moments where my perspective was changed to see something completely different. Resources Mentioned: EMDR Meditative breathing https://eodwarriorfoundation.org https://lonesurvivorfoundation.org https://bouldercrest.org https://hiddenbattlesfoundation.org https://mobile.va.gov/app/ptsd-coach https://www.ptsd.va.gov/apps/aboutface/ https://www.ptsd.va.gov/apps/decisionaid/index.aspx Struggle Well: Thriving in the Aftermath of Trauma by Ken Falke/Josh Goldberg (book) Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Franki (book) https://vetsandplayers.org https://semperfifund.org https://www.outwardbound.org https://www.davidlynchfoundation.org https://psychedelic.support/education/free-courses/ https://maps.org https://projectnewday.foundation https://sarahschlote.com https://22zero.org https://www.linkedin.com/posts/abigail-g-manning-915ab2154_thinksaydo strongertogether-whatif-activity-6990628185075838976-hy2-/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop https://abigailgmanning.com https://mental…

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40_ Perspective of Kateryna Katerynchuk, a Ukrainian, Refugee and Psychologist 58:00

vor 2 years58:00

58:00

Kateryna Katerynchuk: Psychologist, Psychotherapist specializing in treating depression, anxiety disorders and trauma Social Media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kateryna.katerynchuk Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kateryna.katerynchuk/ LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kateryna-katerynchuk-8754ba236 Kateryna used to work as a therapist in a psychological center based in Kyiv. After the full-scale war began, she had to relocate and now works with clients in private practice. She works with individuals and as a couples’ therapist. The methods she uses are CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), EFT (Emotionally Focused Therapy), Schema-therapy, EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), and RTM (Reconsolidation of Traumatic Memories Protocol). She specializes in treating depression, anxiety disorders, and trauma. In these hard times Ukrainians need psychological help and support, and as a psychologist she does her best to be helpful. Recently she has also joined a project providing psychological support for journalists. She believes in Ukraine’s victory and wants to contribute to it as much as she can. What a unique and interesting story! Often when I meet people, we discuss topics that we are interested in, and the list can be long sometimes. Kateryna has a great deal of experience and knowledge in PTSD and dealing with trauma. While listening to her talk about her experience and how well she could express it, I had an idea. It was talking with her that sparked my interest in discussing personal experiences of the psychologist in Ukraine. I cannot think of anyone who could articulate and identify their shifts in mental state during an acute stressful situation than a psychologist who has lived through one. Not only did Kateryna live through an invasion and relocation, but she taught her children resilience through her example. She shares what she learned that helped her and what she saw that helped others that were struggling, and I hope you find it as interesting as I did. Resources Mentioned: Healthy Routine (Exercise, quality sleep, healthy lifestyle) CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) EFT (Emotionally Focused Therapy) Schema-therapy, EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) RTM (Reconsolidation of Traumatic Memories Protocol) We would really appreciate a share and like on IG, FB, YouTube, and Twitter. I am always looking for veterans or first responders who have battled PTSD to share how you have raised the quality of your life to shorten that journey for others. Additionally, if you support, provide services for these groups, or have extensive knowledge of benefits available for these groups please reach out. I would love to have a chat and share that knowledge with the community.…

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39_Personal Perspective of a Ukrainian Psychologist with Svitlana Tarasenko 39:42

vor 2 years39:42

39:42

Svitlana Tarasenko, Ukrainian psychologist working in a positive and transcultural psychotherapy approach; Member of National psychological Association in Ukraine and American Psychological Association; Volunteer in the project "Psychosocial support service for families of military personnel" founded by the NGO “Public movement for Empowering Women in Ukraine” Social Media: svtarasenko.com instagram.com/svtarasenko?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y= At the moment, Svitlana has a private practice as a psychologist. She provides online consultations to clients with various requests, ranging from problems with self-esteem or personal relationships to the consequences of PTSD or experienced traumatic events. For almost a year, Svitlana has been volunteering for a project where she and her colleagues, as psychologists, provide psychosocial support to military personnel and their family members in the format of phone consultations or messenger chats. Svitlana’s story and personality is the encapsulation of a comment she said to me during one of our conversations about the struggles of negative situations. I am paraphrasing, but she mentioned it is powerful when positivity comes from negative situations. I see her as that positivity. I really enjoyed her uplifting nature and positive outlook on her situation in Ukraine. That’s not to demean or diminish the realness of the dangers of a war - but staying positive is powerful. She is making such a positive impact for so many, and it’s awesome I got the opportunity to talk with her. Resources Mentioned: Healthy Routine Controlling the controllable Getting enough sleep Exercise Psychoeducation - educate yourself about mental health Svitlana's volunteer project: pidtrymka.in.ua/ veteranhub.com.ua/ vvybir.org.ua/ vtprostir.com.ua/ ukraine.iom.int/uk/haryacha-liniya-emotsiynoyi-pidtrymky lifelineukraine.com/ bit.ly/414Kpls We would really appreciate a share and like on IG, FB, YouTube, and Twitter. I am always looking for veterans or first responders who have battled PTSD to share how you have raised the quality of your life to shorten that journey for others. Additionally, if you support, provide services for these groups, or have extensive knowledge of benefits available for these groups please reach out. I would love to have a chat and share that knowledge with the community.…

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38_Researching the Impacts of the War on the Mental Health of Ukrainians with Антон Курапов 33:14

vor 2 years33:14

33:14

Anton Kurapov, Assistant Professor, Department of experimental and Applied Psychology, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv; post-Doc researcher, Department of Psychology, Paris Lodron University of Salzburg, founder of PsyRoom Online Social Media: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Anton-Kurapov https://psyroom.online During the first month of the war (March 2022), Антон and colleagues conducted a study on the overall impact of war on students and academic personnel. Right now, he mainly works on the assessment of mental health of Ukrainians - in particular, PTSD, Stress, Depression, Anxiety, and Post-Traumatic Growth; they will launch a second wave of the research soon. They assessed the impact of explosions, air raid alarms, and blackouts on mental health of Ukrainians in a longitudinal study (obtained daily data within 14-20 days). After quick data analysis they can confirm that air raid alarms and explosions, even heard in a distance, increase situational anxiety and reduce overall well-being and arousal; on the days with no alarms, explosions, and blackouts, overall wellbeing of participants is higher, and anxiety is lower than if at least one air raid alarm was present. Note they have assessed only subjective perceptions that might not be fully accurate. Also, they work on the assessment of mental health of Ukrainian refugees in the European Union. Finally, they developed a huge project related to the assessment and enhancement of sleep quality of Ukrainians based on the online cognitive-behavioral therapy intervention. They named it Nukkuaa4Ukraine. This was an interesting chat with Anton. This situation in Ukraine is a unique one. You can see the evolution of mental health and awareness and the importance of good mental health. I can only imagine what the conversation would have been having this type of conversation 10-15 years ago. I did a poor job of asking the question, but one thought I would like to explore more of is something that was noted in the early stages of the war: the bad coping mechanisms were higher than normal. It is still a bit too early to see elevated PTSD, I believe. I mean it took me 10 years to admit to having PTSD. I am very curious if there is a commonality between adapting bad coping mechanisms in the early stages and if those become systemic, does this lead to elevated levels of PTSD. This was a really great conversation, and I am looking forward to seeing the results of future work completed by Anton. He is such a positive individual to discuss this topic with and very passionate about helping those negatively impacted by the current situation in Ukraine. Resources Mentioned: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Anton-Kurapov https://psyroom.online Meditation Breathing techniques We would really appreciate a share and like on IG, FB, YouTube, and Twitter. I am always looking for veterans or first responders who have battled PTSD to share how you have raised the quality of your life to shorten that journey for others. Additionally, if you support, provide services for these groups, or have extensive knowledge of benefits available for these groups please reach out. I would love to have a chat and share that knowledge with the community.…

Normalize PTSD

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37_Combat Brain Training with John Kennedy Director of Mental Performance Institute 33:35

vor 2 years33:35

33:35

37_Combat Brain Training with John Kennedy Director of Mental Performance Institute John Kennedy, Neuroplastician, Director of the Mental Performance InstituteInternational Best Selling Author, john@combatbraintraining.com Social media: Websites: https://community.thriveglobal.com/how-navy-seals-and-4th-graders-alike-train-their-brains/ & http://www.mentalperformanceinstitute.org/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennedycg/ John’s program was developed at the request of the Marine Corps in 2007 to improve focus, situational awareness, and faster and better decision making under stress. The goal was to improve Warfighting and reduce casualties, but we found it was also a significant accelerator of recovery from PTS and TBI. It spread to Snipers, pilots, Navy SEALs, and EOD, as well as Wounded Warrior units. I really enjoyed my chat with John. You can tell that he genuinely cares about helping others. The exercises that he provided to me were not complicated or hard. It reminded me of swimming. Go with me for a second…. When I think about swimming I would think about the days when I was on the swim team when I was a kid. I just assume when I jump in a pool I am going to frolic through that water like a fish. I do not anymore. It’s more of a fight to not drown. It’s because I might have swam 10 times in the last 20 years. When John gave me a sheet of paper and told me to read it aloud left to right, it was going to be as easy as it sounded. I was so fascinated by how sleepy and sluggish my mind felt. When we added fruits to colors and tapping….my mind was blown by how quickly my mind caught up to the complexity of the tasks being asked. It really was a cool experience and also showed me I need to do more to challenge my mind. I hope you all find this as interesting as I did. Resources Mentioned: ‘The Brain That Changes Itself’ by Norman Doidge (book) Cognitively Primed Decision Making Combat Brain Training We would really appreciate a share and like on IG, FB, Youtube and Twitter. I am always looking for veterans or first responders who have battled PTSD to share how you have raised the quality of your life to shorten that journey for others. Additionally if you support, provide services for these groups, or have extensive knowledge of benefits available for these groups please reach out. I would love to have a chat and share that knowledge with the community.…

Normalize PTSD

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36_Equine with Sarah Schlote founder of EQUUSOMA 1:19:17

vor 2 years1:19:17

1:19:17

36_What is Equine with Sarah Schlote founder of EQUUSOMA Sarah Schlote, MA, RP, CCC, SEP, Registered Psychotherapist, Canadian Certified Counsellor, Somatic Experiencing® Practitioner Social media: Websites: http://www.sarahschlote.com & https://equusoma.com Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/equusoma/ & https://www.facebook.com/therefugecentre/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahschlote/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1rXGxRtVOQ65_XidtX5Wxw Sarah is a bilingual trauma therapist in private practice who integrates a number of approaches in her work, including Somatic Experiencing®, parts work, EMDR, Brainspotting, Deep Brain Reorienting, various forms of somatic touch work to support nervous system regulation and relational repair, and equine-facilitated wellness, among others. She is also the founder of EQUUSOMA® Horse-Human Trauma Recovery, a paradigm shift looking at how human and equine trauma intersect and how to support healing for both species on a bodily and relational level in a variety of equine-related professions. I am still pretty new to some of the nonconventional psychotherapeutic practices. I was struggling to wrap my head around equine. I knew equine was really close to the Latin word "equinus" and had something to do with horses. Obviously someone mentioned this to me, I was not googling Latin words for fun on a Sunday evening just to do it. Sarah did an amazing job breaking down this concept and helped clarify what it was in a simple and comprehendible way. It makes so much more sense to me know how equine assisted therapy can be used as a tool to give us a way to become aware of our subconscious mannerisms - ways we are holding stress, built up tension, or fear. A horse lets you know when it is uncomfortable and then you have to evaluate what you are doing that could be causing that. I have not used equine assisted therapy but can see how it would have been a useful tool to help me become more introspective and aware of how my deeper feeling manifests themselves in my body language, tone of my voice, or by being uncomfortable in a situation. I also enjoyed how Sarah highlights the importance of the horse and that they are treated well and are in a healthy environment when assisting in this type of service. Resources Mentioned: Animal assisted play therapy Equine assisted therapy Brainspotting Talk therapy We would really appreciate a share and like on IG, FB, Youtube and Twitter. I am always looking for veterans or first responders who have battled PTSD to share how you have raised the quality of your life to shorten that journey for others. Additionally if you support, provide services for these groups, or have extensive knowledge of benefits available for these groups please reach out. I would love to have a chat and share that knowledge with the community.…

Normalize PTSD

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35_What is Vasper with Chelsea of Waimea Yoga 9:08

vor 2 years9:08

9:08

Episode 36_36_What is Vasper with Chelsea of Waimea Yoga Chelsea Morriss, owner of Waimea Yoga Social media: Email: https://waimeayoga.com FB: https://www.facebook.com/waimeayoga/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/waimeayoga/?hl=en Donate: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=ZBA92YQTJVXSU Chelsea is the owner of Waimea Yoga and is a huge support to the veteran and first responder community. She was previously on the podcast on Episode 9 and 9.5. That episode was on iRest meditation. She graciously reached out to me to try out a new piece of equipment she is using to help veterans and first responders. It is called the Vasper. I hope you enjoy the quick episode on how to try it and support those looking to get an opportunity to use it. I have been getting organized to head off island for a bit and this was a blessing. I was a bit stretched thin and was neglecting my normal workout routine and then walked in Vasper. It was so nice, it was easy but about 30 mins I felt like I did a solid workout. My favorite part after the exercise was sitting on the cooling table and doing a quick 10 minute session of iRest. After that I was ready for my day and everything it brought my way. This opportunity really helped remind me, for the millionth time, how valuable exercise is each day. It seems like almost everyone who jumps on here to share their story is doing the same. I hope you found something useful in this episode. Resources Mentioned: Vasper iRest https://www.irest.org/about-irest Meditation Being introspective Nidra Yoga Daily exercise We would really appreciate a share and like on IG, FB, Youtube and Twitter. I am always looking for veterans or first responders who have battled PTSD to share how you have raised the quality of your life to shorten that journey for others. Additionally if you support, provide services for these groups, or have extensive knowledge of benefits available for these groups please reach out. I would love to have a chat and share that knowledge with the community. Quotes: "It's simple, but it's not easy". Can apply to almost all normal problems in our life. Simple to know what to do but when emotions, egos and stubbornness get involved, it's no longer easy.…

Normalize PTSD

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34_Happy Holidays and Thank You So Much for the Support 8:48

vor 2 years8:48

8:48

This has been such an awesome adventure. I have met so many interesting people with unique perspectives. Being able to openly discuss the real issues I have faced and listen to others talk about theirs, it has helped me understand myself better. It has made me more comfortable discussing it in public and has led to some really cool conversations. The holiday season can be tough for some. Please reach out to your friends, family and loved ones to let them know you are thinking of them, they are loved and appreciated. Thank you for everything and excited to see where this adventure goes. We would really appreciate a share and like on IG, FB, Youtube and Twitter. I am always looking for veterans or first responders who have battled PTSD to share how you have raised the quality of your life to shorten that journey for others. Additionally if you support, provide services for these groups, or have extensive knowledge of benefits available for these groups please reach out. I would love to have a chat and share that knowledge with the community.…

Normalize PTSD

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33_Abigail Manning, Founder of Create Awareness...Change Lives, Inc. 1:40:54

vor 2 years1:40:54

1:40:54

Abigail Manning, Founder of Create Awareness...Change Lives, Inc. Abigail’s Areas of Expertise Include: Think = Cognitive Skills Say = Social & Communication Skills Do = Behavioral Skills Social media/Links to work: Website: www.AbigailGManning.com Speaker Highlight Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q10p3KfyVt4 Air Force Academy National Symposium Speech: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Acfg5zZ-VrQ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abigail-g-manning-915ab2154/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGklJkeLs-KP1XgLTWACSag Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/abigailgmanning/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/AbigailGManning Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abigail.g.manning/ Abigail Manning, Founder of Create Awareness...Change Lives, Inc., is an innovative voice in enhancing healthy workplace cultures & dynamic leadership. Through international workshops, keynotes & retreats, she delivers professional & personal development programs to companies, U.S. Military & Veteran non-profits. Abigail combines an Indiana University double major (Cognitive, Social & Behavioral), mental health studies, healing modalities research, and resiliency skills learned from overcoming childhood abuse, domestic violence and Post Traumatic Stress. She is an outdoor sports enthusiast who lives in Colorado, proud mom of U.S. Marines, and has a heart-felt passion for serving others. It was such a unique connection that led to this chat with Abigail but by this time in this journey I have to believe there is a higher purpose to all this. I really enjoyed this chat. Abigail has spent a long time researching and speaking to her story. She was able to articulate things in a way that really helped translate, for a lack of a better word, the dialogue within myself. She was able to express and articulate how she is thriving and that articulation helped me understand and connect pieces of thoughts and emotions within myself and understand myself better. I always try to grab a good quote here or something I find impactful to share but I would just put my quotations around the entire episode. I hope you find something impactful and meaningful in this chat. Resources Mentioned: To sign up to be a WWP alumni you need to go here: https://lnkd.in/gXeY5xF6 Once you are signed up as an alumni, you'll be able to register for WWP events, including the one Abigail co-facilitates monthly. "What if" Monster: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/abigail-g-manning-915ab2154_thinksaydo-strongertogether-whatif-activity-6990628185075838976-hy2-?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop We would really appreciate a share and like on IG, FB, Youtube and Twitter. I am always looking for veterans or first responders who have battled PTSD to share how you have raised the quality of your life to shorten that journey for others. Additionally if you support, provide services for these groups, or have extensive knowledge of benefits available for these groups please reach out. I would love to have a chat and share that knowledge with the commun…

Normalize PTSD

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32_22 Zero with founder Daniel Jarvis (Veteran/First Responder) 53:13

vor 2 years53:13

53:13

Daniel Jarvis is a retired Army SFC and Deputy Sheriff. Following a heartbreaking deployment and the loss of his mother he found himself struggling with suicidal ideations and substance abuse. He would find himself contemplating suicide but stopped due the pitter patter of tiny feet of the children in the apartment above him. He would look away from the rifle in the corner of his apartment and pick back up the bottle to continue drinking until he passed out. Following one of these nights he received a call that one of his former soldiers had taken his life. When trying to process the why and how, Dan noticed that he too had all the signs of someone that was at high risk of suicide. His life all started to turn around after he met his wife and she encouraged him to seek help. He was diagnosed with PTSD and started prolonged therapy treatment. He found the process to be just as traumatizing as the events themselves. It wasn’t until he tried an alternative treatment, a variation of Neuron-Linguistic Programming (NLP) that he found a process that allowed him to disconnect from the emotions of his trauma so he could process it and find peace. He is now compelled to help others find the same relief from traumatic memories and founded 22 Zero. Listening to Dan discuss his experience with the VA is a too familiar story. It’s one that I have a lot of relatability with myself. When he mentioned the effort it took just for the first event and then looking at the list of events and breaking down how long traditional prolonged exposure (PE) therapy would take, it was an overwhelming thought. I remember thinking that I would likely be in therapy for the rest of my life if I processed one at a time. I anticipate meeting with my therapist often to check up but that is different from spoon feeding yourself trauma for the rest of your life. I’m sure it would become easier and easier with each event but I really struggled with PE. I hated it more than anything to go to those sessions. It wasn’t so much for addressing those dark moments in my life, it was more out of fear that I would become numb again. I spent the majority of my 20s emotionless. I would only feel extreme happiness and anger but the rest of the time I was blah. Nothing in the world mattered. I went to funerals of loved ones and didn’t shed tears, I would end relationships and it meant nothing, I would shit all over family and friends because nothing had weight or value. I notice when I have tried PE recently all those emotions that I have worked to get back started fading again. In my mind it’s like all my stuff is behind a closed door. I do not seem to be able to open the door and grab just one event to process it. I open the door and everything in that room comes out. Then I’m overloaded and just shut down emotionally. I believe it has a lot to do with how we were forced to hide our issues, it wasn’t acceptable to discuss an event or even a deployment. So now I have several deployments with hundreds of events all connected to one another. The last time I tried to grab just one event, I was completely numb and emotionless in 8 days. It took me about 2 weeks of a positive routine to get back to my normal. This doesn’t mean I’m against PE. While in this program I learned a ton of things that helped me disconnect and recenter. I could see how eventually you would be able to recenter quicker and quicker until there is an emotional callus for that event. I honestly would rather have this pain I carry around and be able to see the beauty in the world, than for everything to be gray and numb. I’m confident there is a path to a better quality of life and anything we set our minds to, we can and will achieve. Resources Mentioned: https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/988 https://22zero.org/about/ https://22zero…

Normalize PTSD

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31_Tia (Veteran) 1:02:17

vor 2 years1:02:17

1:02:17

Tia grew up in a traumatic and toxic childhood. Both of her parents were alcoholics and this environment taught her bad coping mechanisms when dealing with negative situations. She joined the military and then later was medically discharged. She wondered why she had symptoms similar to ADD, had depression, anxiety but later discovered that the root cause of all the issues was PTSD. I am appreciative of Tia joining and sharing her story and how she’s raised the quality of her life and learning/applying positive coping mechanisms. As I mentioned in the last episode, Tia and I met because she reached out to me on FB to talk about 22zero. I spoke with her and enjoyed the chat and thought others would appreciate her journey. Tia’s story resonated with me. From the explosive anger by making a simple mistake, using drugs and alcohol to detach from the reality of life. I was doing all the same things to avoid addressing the unprocessed trauma. I was just speaking with a police officer who dealt with drug addiction and came to a realization. I never had issues with addiction or feeling I needed a substance. I was addicted to not feeling the pain anymore. I am not a believer in a magic pill or program to fix PTSD or systematically suppressed trauma but if I was to pick one of the most important things that improved the quality of my life it was learning to disconnect and be more introspective. I believe 22 zero is a source that can help with that. I hope there is something discussed that you find valuable and helps in some way. Resources Mentioned: Veteran Retreats https://www.campsouthernground.org Https://www.22Zero.org Free Counseling for Veterans https://www.vetcenter.va.gov No alcohol or drugs Personal care Enjoy nature, get outside We would really appreciate a share and like. I am always looking for veterans or first responders who have battled PTSD to share how you have raised the quality of your life to shorten that journey for others. Additionally if you support, provide services for these groups, or have extensive knowledge of benefits available for these groups please reach out. I would love to have a chat and share that knowledge with the community.…

Normalize PTSD

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30_22zero with Dr Arnell 43:16

vor 2 years43:16

43:16

Dr. Arnell has been the Youth Service Officer (YSO) for Giles County. Before being the YSO, she owned Arnell’s Counseling Service, Inc., as a contract provider for the State of Tennessee for 14 years. Dr. Arnell has been an adjunct faculty at Columbia State Community College since 2004, teaching in the Psychology program and some education classes. Dr. Arnell has been a member of the Giles County Fire and Rescue Squad since 2008 and is also a member of the Pulaski Lions Club. She served on the Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network as the regional committee chair from 2004- 2011. Dr. Arnell also served on the State Advisory Council for the Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network from 2004-2014. Dr. Arnell became involved with 22Zero in March 2021, when the Giles County Fire and Rescue Squad assistant fire chief asked if she would be willing to go through the training. Now Dr. Arnell is the Executive Director for 22 Zero. I was put into contact with 22 Zero in an interesting time. I do not really believe in coincidences so I found the timing very ironic ha. I had been chatting with a few veterans and the challenges of getting an appointment for mental health came up. All three were trying to get help, one requesting to be hospitalized and the VA was not able to help. The one was on Hawai’i and did not have the facility for his need and could not fly him to Oahu. The other two did not feel they needed to be hospitalized but came to the point in their lives where they were so desperate they swallowed every bit of their pride to seek help. They were both offered appointments 6-10 weeks out. Then insert a firecracker of a lady who hit me up on Facebook. She will be joining the podcast soon but first I wanted to introduce you to Dr Arnell with 22 Zero. This group responds within the same day and within days is able to pair you up with a coach. I really love their passion and goals. I hope you find something meaningful in this short series with 22 Zero. Resources Mentioned: https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/988 https://22zero.org/about/ https://22zero.org/get-help/resources/ https://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/ We would really appreciate a share and like on IG, FB, Youtube and Twitter. I am always looking for veterans or first responders who have battled PTSD to share how you have raised the quality of your life to shorten that journey for others. Additionally if you support, provide services for these groups, or have extensive knowledge of benefits available for these groups please reach out. I would love to have a chat and share that knowledge with the community.…

Normalize PTSD

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29_Somatic Experiencing with Sarah Schlote founder of EQUUSOMA 1:23:05

vor 2 years1:23:05

1:23:05

Sarah is a bilingual trauma therapist in private practice who integrates a number of approaches in her work, including Somatic Experiencing®, parts work, EMDR, Brainspotting, Deep Brain Reorienting, various forms of somatic touch work to support nervous system regulation and relational repair, and equine-facilitated wellness, among others. She is also the founder of EQUUSOMA® Horse-Human Trauma Recovery, a paradigm shift looking at how human and equine trauma intersect and how to support healing for both species on a bodily and relational level in a variety of equine-related professions. SE isn’t something I have ever heard of until exploring the topic of PTSD. The moment that it really sparked my interest was in episode 3 with Josh. He mentioned how it is common with some combat veterans to develop kyphosis. This is something I do and I can see how years of combat and subconsciously compacting one’s body to protect their vitals could lead to a systemic issue with their posture. That sparked my interest in this topic and I believe Sarah did an amazing job breaking down this topic into a digestible episode that has only encouraged me to look further into SE. Resources Mentioned: https://www.somaticexperiencing.com/about-peter Rolfing: https://www.rolf.org/rolfing.php SEI directory: https://directory.traumahealing.org/ https://youtu.be/nmJDkzDMllc We would really appreciate a share and like on IG, FB, Youtube and Twitter. I am always looking for veterans or first responders who have battled PTSD to share how you have raised the quality of your life to shorten that journey for others. Additionally if you support, provide services for these groups, or have extensive knowledge of benefits available for these groups please reach out. I would love to have a chat and share that knowledge with the community.…

Normalize PTSD

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28_Cary (Veteran) 1:21:41

vor 2 years1:21:41

1:21:41

Cary grew up giving back to his community and has continuously found new ways to do that. He was looking for emergency beacons to downed aircrafts as a kid, retired from the United States Air Force’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD), and is now a volunteer fire fighter. I had the opportunity to be stationed with Cary at my first duty station, Luke Air Force Base. I have nothing but fond memories of him and always valued his insight. Cary’s story is so relatable to me. Both the PTSD issues and TBI. I am looking for professionals and subject matter experts for TBI to speak on the topic a bit more. I will hopefully be releasing an episode on that soon. That embarrassment that Cary talks about from his memory issues is something that I struggle with still. I hate feeling like I’m broken and can’t remember things. I have like 2 million notes in my phone, I have three note books, my house has so many sticky notes it looks like that dude’s car that parked in the handicap parking spot on YouTube. Getting my PTSD symptoms under control has really helped me give more energy and time to the memory issues. Cary talked about cognitive rehabilitation and I had no idea that was a thing. I will be looking into that more too. I started reading more and that has helped so it makes sense how training our minds or “working them out” helps them stay sharp. Resources Mentioned: Exercise Strong support structure Stop drinking Find a purpose that makes sense to you Therapy Amazing significant other We would really appreciate a share and like on IG, FB, Youtube and Twitter. I am always looking for veterans or first responders who have battled PTSD to share how you have raised the quality of your life to shorten that journey for others. Additionally if you support, provide services for these groups, or have extensive knowledge of benefits available for these groups please reach out. I would love to have a chat and share that knowledge with the community.…

Normalize PTSD

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27_Leadership Embodiment with Mike Coe 1:00:49

vor 2 years1:00:49

1:00:49

Mike comes from a family of veterans and is a retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel now serving as a leadership coach and healing expert assisting Veterans, military and spouses through the transition to being civilians again. I really enjoyed chatting with him and exploring the concept of Leadership Embodiment. I was exploring new topics and had someone suggest that Leadership Embodiment was helpful to raising their quality of life with PTSD. After exploring this topic with Mike I can see how it could be very beneficial for someone. At a very basic level this could be a technique to help someone to become more introspective and help show us how our patterns of learned behavior are impacting us. Additionally it hits on how you project yourself. Resources Mentioned: For more information about Leadership Embodiment, www.leadershipembodiment.com Meditation https://www.davidlynchfoundation.org/ Have fun, be silly and play Please share and like on IG, FB, Youtube, LinkedIn and Twitter. If you or someone you know has found a healthy way to deal with PTSD, I would really enjoy knowing how you went about doing that. Additionally if you support, provide services for these groups, or have extensive knowledge of benefits available for these groups please shoot me an email or DM. I would love to have a chat and share that knowledge with the community.…

Normalize PTSD

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26_Trauma-Informed Guilt Reduction Therapy (TrIGR) with Dr Sonya Norman 38:56

vor 3 years38:56

38:56

Trauma-related guilt is common, associated with posttraumatic mental health problems, and can persist after posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) treatment. Dr Norman is a psychologist with experience treating, researching and training others on PTSD. We discuss moral injuries, survivors guilt and how so often shame and guilt play a big role in PTSD. Trauma-informed guilt reduction therapy focuses on this guilt and shame. Dr Norman goes in detail how targeting guilt appears to be an effective means for reducing posttraumatic symptoms and distress. This topic in particular was one that caught my eye. I have tried different therapies and one session my therapist asked me to look for hotspots. This really worked for me. So I just thought of all the chaotic moments that I experienced while deployed. Through meditation I have been able to identify when I first feel my triggered trauma in my stomach. It feels like I just ate a jar of ghost peppers. My stomach feels on fire from the inside. I processed all the situations I could think of and noticed I did not have any “hotspot” related to combat. All of my triggers were attached to the innocent people I saw murdered. The ones without weapons. Dr Norman mentioned something that is so very true for me. She mentioned some veterans hold on to that guilt or shame. I didn’t want to let go of some of that shame because I felt I deserved that pain. I hate that this episode's description went a bit dark. My take away from this is that there are wonderful people, like Dr Norman who are always looking for new and better ways to reach us who are struggling and help us find a path to raising our quality of life. Don’t give up, and don’t wait to make positive changes. Resources Mentioned: Therapy Support structure Honest communication and feedback Please share and like on IG, FB, Youtube and Twitter. I am always looking for veterans or first responders who have battled PTSD. Additionally if you support, provide services for these groups, or have extensive knowledge of benefits available for these groups please reach out. I would love to have a chat and share that knowledge with the community. If you are looking for an awesome social media management team I’d highly recommend: https://adoredigitalmarketing.com…

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