logo
episode-header-image
Jun 2024
1h 12m

Other People Have It Worse: Veteran Jaso...

iHeartPodcasts
About this episode

On the outside, veteran Jason Kander had everything going for him: successful political career, lovely family, the respect of his peers. But on the inside, he was struggling: nightmares, depression and suicidal thoughts were constant companions.

Jason joins us to talk about his new book, Invisible Storm, and what it really takes to go from post traumatic stress to post traumatic growth. (Don’t let that ‘post traumatic growth’ turn you away from this episode! There are no shortcuts to happiness here.) 

 

In this episode we cover: 

 

- Why most returning vets believe that getting help is great - for other people. 

- The concept of “stolen valor” and how it relates to treatment options for PTSD

- How Jason used shame as a way to give himself the illusion of control 

- What “redemptive heroism” is, and why there’s a much better way to manage PTSD

- Every trauma is valid trauma: avoiding the temptation of comparing emotional injury

 

We're re-releasing some of our favorite episodes from the first 3 seasons. This episode was originally recorded in 2022.

 

Looking for a creative exploration of grief? Check out the best selling Writing Your Grief course here.



About our guest:

Jason Kander joined the Army National Guard in 2005 after getting a law degree at Georgetown University. He deployed in 2006 to Afghanistan, where his mission was to assess the corruption levels of former Afghan warlords and government leaders. Ten years after serving in Afghanistan, Jason Kander was a rising star in the Democratic Party, exploring a presidential run. But outside of the political spotlight, he was racked by nightmares, depression and suicidal thoughts. His book, Invisible Storm, shares the story of his experience with PTSD, and his hopes for anyone who’s survived trauma. 

Jason is the president of the Veterans Community Project, a national nonprofit organization, and the host of Majority 54, one of the nation's most popular political podcasts. Follow him on social media @jasonkander

 

About Megan: 

Psychotherapist Megan Devine is one of today’s leading experts on grief, from life-altering losses to the everyday grief that we don’t call grief. Get the best-selling book on grief in over a decade, It’s Ok that You’re Not OK, wherever you get books. Find Megan @refugeingrief

 

Additional Resources:

The book Jason mentioned is Tribe by Sebastian Junger

 

Want to talk with Megan directly? Join our patreon community for live monthly Q&A grief clinics: your questions, answered. Want to speak to her privately? Apply for a 1:1 grief consultation here

Check out Megan’s best-selling books - It’s OK That You're Not OK and How to Carry What Can’t Be Fixed

Books and resources may contain affiliate links.

Follow our show on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok @refugeingrief and @itsokpod on TikTok.

For more information, including clinical training and consulting and to share your thoughts, visit us at refugeingrief.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Up next
Jul 2024
Protecting Your Mental Health in the Healthcare Workplace, with the Burned Out Burnout Expert, Dr. Jessi Gold
We know that healthcare workers are burned out and exhausted. Provider mental health is a huge issue… but are the institutions listening?  This week on It’s OK, burnout expert Dr. Jessi Gold talks to us about (obviously) burnout, but also ways HCW* can start to change the workpla ... Show More
37m 29s
Jun 2024
Over and Over Again: Illustrator Aubrey Hirsch on the Power of Storytelling
The world is such a hot mess: every day a new disaster, a new human rights catastrophe. It can just feel… endless. Illustrator Aubrey Hirsch joins us to talk about outrage and trauma and community building - it’s like the greatest hits of modern culture. But mostly, she joins us ... Show More
39m 19s
Jun 2024
Untangled: Suffering & The 8-Fold Path with Koshin Paley Ellison
If you look at social media with its reliance on meme-based psychology, you’d think that the Buddhist approach to life is to not let things get to you - that the true spiritual path helps you rise above such limited, unenlightened human feelings like grief, greed, and resentment. ... Show More
1h 2m
Recommended Episodes
Oct 2022
PTSD, Post-Traumatic Growth, and Prioritizing Mental Health with Jason Kander
In 2016 Jason Kander was a rising star in the Democratic Party. After narrowly losing the race to become one of Missouri’s Senators, he began laying the groundwork for a Presidential run. Jason unexpectedly pivoted to declaring his candidacy for the 2019 Kansas City mayoral elect ... Show More
58m 38s
Jun 2023
Dealing With PTSD, Featuring Filmmaker, Author, and Veteran Clint Van Winkle
Episode 138 of the Fit Father Project Podcast is all about dealing with PTSD and the realities and struggles soldiers and veterans face when reintegrating into society.In this episode, you’ll meet Clint Van Winkle, a family friend and great guy with a critical message we haven't ... Show More
31m 51s
Mar 2023
Why PTSD made Army Vet Jason Kander Leave Politics (RECAST)
While President Barack Obama was in office, he gave a speech shouting out army veteran Jason Kander as “the future of the Democratic party”. The events that followed were shocking. Jason started making his rounds as a presidential hopeful in 2018, before dropping out of politics ... Show More
48m 56s
Aug 2020
Complex PTSD and Developmental Trauma with Pete Walker
What are the consequences of growing up inside an abusive family, and what can we do as adults to heal old wounds? Today we're joined by Pete Walker, a practicing therapist and expert in Complex PTSD. About Our Guest: Pete is a licensed psychotherapist practicing in the San Franc ... Show More
55m 54s
Dec 2020
I Feel Nothing
What’s the point of going to treatment if you’ve essentially been dealt a death sentence? That’s the way some veterans feel about a potential PTSD diagnosis. Another thing holding people back? The fear that their trauma isn’t bad enough. So how do you admit you need help? And whe ... Show More
56m 27s
Feb 2015
How Do You Live After You’ve Almost Died?
"PTSD is less of a brain event than an existential event."We've all heard of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, but we may not realize that we probably all know someone who suffers from it.While it is typically associated with war and soldiers coming home after combat, trauma is a b ... Show More
1h 14m
Jul 2022
#494 - Dr Martin Polanco & Michael Higgs - How Does Psychedelic Treatment Work For PTSD?
Martin Polanco is Founder of The Mission Within and a Veteran Mental Health Advocate and Michael Higgs was Command Master Chief of a Navy SEAL team and is Director of Operations at The Mission Within.For a very long time, once soldiers have finished in war, their battles have oft ... Show More
58m 53s
Aug 2023
Jason Kander: A Story of Service, Mental Health, PTSD, and Recovery
On this week’s episode, Will Ahmed, the Founder and CEO of WHOOP, is joined by former Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander. Before being elected Secretary of State in 2012, he was a member of the Missouri House of Representatives. Jason is also a veteran of the United States ... Show More
59m 24s
May 2024
Jason Fox
Former SBS Sergeant turned TV presenter and author, Jason Fox, joins Gabby on the podcast this week. Jason speaks at length about how being diagnosed with PTSD and medically discharged from the military sparked a chain of events which led to thoughts of suicide. He explains how b ... Show More
44m 27s