PTSD is a term some people throw around lightly. I studied it in depth when I majored in Psychology in college. Many people associate it with the after affects of war, but it can happen to people who have suffered other traumas as well, including sexual trauma and unexpected loss. One is not "better" or "worse" than another. PTSD can present in many different ways.
This week's guest is on a lifelong journey with PTSD after serving in the United States Army after 9/11. Doing two tours of duty in Iraq, she experienced things most of us never will. Her courage and resilience is inspiring. In this episode, she shares from a very vulnerable space about her experience during her time in the Army and her life since then.
- Her experience with “hidden” PTSD
- How her desire and knowing she was here to make a difference led her to enlist in the U.S. Army after 9/11
- Her experience of taking over the airport in Baghdad and what it was like being on the ground during that
- Why her second tour of duty during peacekeeping was worse than the first deployment
- What happened when she went to Germany on her way back to Iraq after her wedding
- Her initial reaction to being told she had PTSD
- How her husband’s PTSD affected her life
- What she was looking for when she went from the Army to the “Mouse House”
- What she did to avoid facing her trauma and PTSD
- How her PTSD was different from her former husband’s PTSD (this is important because PTSD does present differently for people)
- The things she did to “manage” her PTSD (you might recognize some of these in yourself)
- What helped calm down some of her PTSD reactions
- When she finally realized the scope of her PTSD
- How she turned the symptoms of her PTSD into her superpower - and into a powerful business
- How she changed things that worked against her into things that work for her
- The importance of communication and expectations when navigating trauma and PTSD
- The parenting style she created that honors her children and her PTSD
- What it’s like to be in a “PTSD couple”
- How the Veterans’ organization, Team Red, White & Blue, helped her after she and her husband separated (an organization available for civilians as well as former military members)
- What running a marathon did for her mentally
- The importance of accountability in her healing journey
- How baby steps have helped her reach her goals
- Her experiences with panic attacks from the PTSD
- My vulnerable sharing of an experience I had that brought on an panic attack - and how my late son, Greg, showed me he was supporting me through it
- The importance of having people and a community to support you and honor where you are on your healing journey
- How Heather has been able to help friends who have had difficult experiences
- How she’s created a business that works for her on her healing journey
- Why she believes we should be unapologetic on our healing journey
You can find Heather on Facebook and on her website.
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