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192. From Chaos to Clarity: Dr. Lisa Nezneski’s Path to Healing, Resilience, and Mindful Living

Warriors Unmasked

Release Date: 05/27/2025

216: Never Out of the Fight — Healing Trauma, Identity, and Addiction After Military Service with Anthony Dyer show art 216: Never Out of the Fight — Healing Trauma, Identity, and Addiction After Military Service with Anthony Dyer

Warriors Unmasked

In this episode, Chuck Thuss sits down with Anthony Dyer for an honest, deeply human conversation about military service, accumulated trauma, identity loss, addiction, and the long road to healing. Anthony shares his 21-year career in the United States Air Force, including high-risk missions, elite rescue operations, and the emotional weight that followed him home long after the uniform came off. From the quiet moments that haunt servicemen and women to the stigma around asking for help, Anthony opens up about how suppressed trauma and alcohol nearly cost him everything. What followed was a...

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213: Healing Head Trauma, Finding Hope — The Journey of Team USA Bobsledder William Person show art 213: Healing Head Trauma, Finding Hope — The Journey of Team USA Bobsledder William Person

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212: Finding Freedom After Addiction — The Inspiring Journey of Mary Beth O’Connor show art 212: Finding Freedom After Addiction — The Inspiring Journey of Mary Beth O’Connor

Warriors Unmasked

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211: From Underground Hacker to Healing: The Remarkable Journey of Ryan Merket show art 211: From Underground Hacker to Healing: The Remarkable Journey of Ryan Merket

Warriors Unmasked

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209: Overcoming Adversity: The Inspiring Journey of Navy Seal David Brown show art 209: Overcoming Adversity: The Inspiring Journey of Navy Seal David Brown

Warriors Unmasked

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208: Courage, Perseverance, and Mental Health: A Veteran’s Tale of Resilience show art 208: Courage, Perseverance, and Mental Health: A Veteran’s Tale of Resilience

Warriors Unmasked

In this deeply moving episode of Warriors Unmasked, host Chuck Thuss welcomes Mark Tilsher, a 21-year Air Force veteran and founder of the Military Sherpa movement. Mark shares his transformative journey from a troubled childhood, marked by constant upheaval and exposure to a negative culture, to finding a lifeline in the U.S. Air Force. Despite initial disciplinary struggles, the mentorship of a new supervisor helped him alter his path. Mark candidly discusses his mental health challenges, including a two-year battle with suicidal ideations following his transition to civilian life. He...

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207: Basking in Grace: Marcia Earhart's Journey Through Grief, Healing, and Divine Strength show art 207: Basking in Grace: Marcia Earhart's Journey Through Grief, Healing, and Divine Strength

Warriors Unmasked

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More Episodes

What happens when your entire life crumbles in a matter of months? When the people you trust betray you, your health gives way, and you're left staring into a future you never expected? For Dr. Lisa Nezneski, that wasn’t a hypothetical—it was her reality.

In this powerful episode of Warriors Unmasked, Chuck Thuss sits down with Dr. Lisa—pharmacist, poet, mindfulness teacher, and shamanic healer—to explore her extraordinary journey from heartbreak and upheaval to deep healing and transformation. Lisa opens up about the moment she learned her wages were being garnished, how that shock pulled the veil off years of hidden dysfunction, and how she picked up the pieces of her life with unwavering spiritual discipline, emotional honesty, and daily mindfulness practices.

You’ll hear how she went from living on 10 wild acres in a sulfur-scented North Carolina forest (yes, with bears and snakes!) to finding emotional refuge in beach sunrises, spiritual teachers, and eventually, love. Dr. Lisa also offers grounded wisdom on how meditation, journaling, and letting yourself feel grief—even in the most inconvenient places—can offer a path through the hardest seasons of life.

If you’ve ever felt like life knocked you down too many times… this episode is your reminder that healing is possible, the journey is worth it, and you are never alone.

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Episode Minute By Minute:

  • 00:00 – Intro and welcome to episode 192
  • 02:00 – Lisa’s story: “Putting on the armor of God” during the hardest season
  • 04:15 – Facing IRS garnishment and selling the family home
  • 06:00 – Moving to North Carolina and feeling totally out of place
  • 08:00 – Surviving isolation, bears, and emotional breakdowns
  • 10:15 – Divorce, healing on the beach, and Hurricane Florence
  • 13:00 – How Lisa found herself again through structured healing
  • 15:00 – Meditation: the practice that helped her navigate chaos
  • 18:00 – Why journaling + movement + meditation became non-negotiable
  • 21:00 – Becoming a shaman: learning to trust what the Earth provides
  • 23:00 – How nature and spiritual rituals helped rebuild her identity
  • 26:00 – The importance of feeling emotions and letting grief move through
  • 31:00 – Chuck shares the loss of his sister and the power of feeling deeply
  •  34:00 – Honoring her aunt’s death and learning to sit with loss
  • 39:00 – About her book Grounded in Chaos and the journey behind it
  • 43:00 – Writing poetry as a tool for emotional healing
  • 45:00 – Lisa’s advice to anyone walking through their own chaos
  • 48:00 – The story of the man and the open manhole: healing takes time
  • 49:00 – Final words: You are worthy, you are not alone, and healing is possible