Harder Than Healing
A Green Beret, a playwright, and a clinician with expertise in learning disabilities walk into a podcast studio ... the result? A podcast that cuts through the noise surrounding mental health for uncensored conversations with real people. Harder Than Healing grapples with the perceived differences in trauma, mental health, and learning disabilities. Our hosts, Donald (a Green Beret), Nathaniel (a clinician), and Jason (a playwright), share the stage with a wide range of guests to fuck around, find out, and move forward. Together, our hosts, guests, and listeners forge connections here and NOW – as a Network Of Warriors united in storytelling.
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Scenes From the Rat Park – The Episode About Connecting the Dots
05/27/2024
Scenes From the Rat Park – The Episode About Connecting the Dots
After 10 episodes and countless stories shared by guests, listeners, and our cohosts, Jason pitches his ideas for plays based on discussions from Season 1 of Harder Than Healing with Nathaniel, Donald, and actress Janessa Ho. This episode embodies the goal of Harder Than Healing – cutting through the noise surrounding mental health to find connections in our shared struggles. Together, they summarize and build on the themes and topics of Season 1. Harder Than Healing is produced in partnership with All Points North. Show Hosts: Jason: Donald: Nathaniel: Follow Donald on Facebook: Veteran and Military Outreach Special Guest: Janessa Ho Trauma Challenge: If you want to learn more, please reach out to Maloy Mental Health at Bridging the Gap: What is Survivor's Guilt? Nathaniel Ellison, in partnership with University of Denver's Learning Effectiveness Program, hosts an annual ADHD conference called LEP ADDventure Conference Theme Music by Jeff During Jr. Facebook: @jduringjr Instagram: @jduringjr YouTube: @jduringjrmusic iTunes/Spotify/Amazon: jduringjr Record Label/Merch Shop: Drift Loud Records: This episode was created and produced by . Show design by , , and . Copy editing and quality analysis by . Special thanks to for supporting this program and spreading awareness through email marketing.
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Call and Response - The Episode About the Fans
05/20/2024
Call and Response - The Episode About the Fans
Jason, Nathaniel, and Donald answer questions from Harder Than Healing fans – about trauma, achievement, addiction, healing, anger, supporting other people, boundaries, agency, control, oversharing, treatment, humor, power, and more shared human experiences. Harder Than Healing is produced in partnership with All Points North. Show Hosts: Jason: Donald: Nathaniel: Follow Donald on Facebook: Veteran and Military Outreach Trauma Challenge: If you want to learn more, please reach out to Maloy Mental Health at Bridging the Gap: Battle drills in the military are standardized collective actions made in response to common battle occurrences. They are designed for rapid reaction to situations without the application of a deliberate decision-making process. For example, military personnel are trained to have their "head on a swivel" so that they are not taken by surprise in a battle scenario, or that when they hear gunshots and explosions they know to find cover rather than stand in one spot looking around. When applying this logic to life in general, a battle drill is a series of coping skills used to regulate emotions and behaviors, that when practiced regularly, will automatically kick in during times of stress. Theme Music by Jeff During Jr. Facebook: @jduringjr Instagram: @jduringjr YouTube: @jduringjrmusic iTunes/Spotify/Amazon: jduringjr Record Label/Merch Shop: Drift Loud Records: This episode was created and produced by . Show design by , , and . Copy editing and quality analysis by . Special thanks to for supporting this program and spreading awareness through email marketing.
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FUBAR SNAFU - The Episode About Triggers (Part 2)
05/13/2024
FUBAR SNAFU - The Episode About Triggers (Part 2)
This episode picks up after the previous discussion on trauma with Kyle Quincey, former professional ice hockey defenseman turned mental health advocate. Kyle talks with Jason, Nathaniel, and Donald about being conditioned to chase the highs of adrenaline in a shared arena – and how the abrupt loss of the combat environment feels isolating, dehumanizing, and completely disorienting. Kyle shares how he uses community and plant medicine to help himself and others find peace in calm. Harder Than Healing is produced in partnership with All Points North. Show Hosts: Jason: Donald: Nathaniel: Follow Donald on Facebook: Veteran and Military Outreach Special Guest: Kyle Quincey Theme Music by Jeff During Jr. Facebook: @jduringjr Instagram: @jduringjr YouTube: @jduringjrmusic iTunes/Spotify/Amazon: jduringjr Record Label/Merch Shop: Drift Loud Records: This episode was created and produced by . Show design by , , and . Copy editing and quality analysis by . Special thanks to for supporting this program and spreading awareness through email marketing.
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FUBAR SNAFU - The Episode About Triggers (Part 1)
05/06/2024
FUBAR SNAFU - The Episode About Triggers (Part 1)
What is a trigger, and what different ways do we respond to them? Are triggers always negative? In this episode, Jason, Nathaniel, Donald, and Producer Tiffany talk everything triggers: what they look like, how PTSD happens, and what to do. Donald shares some of his triggers after returning home from deployment, how he worked through them, and what he does to help his Veterans cope with triggers. They share grounding techniques for Veterans and civilians how and when to start practicing so you can handle triggers when they come up, and setting boundaries around talking about trauma. Harder Than Healing is produced in partnership with All Points North. Show Hosts: Jason: Donald: Nathaniel: Tiffany Morgan Follow Donald on Facebook: Veteran and Military Outreach Resources: Overwatch Project "Just Fucking Ask" Bridging the Gap: What is Moral Injury? Theme Music by Jeff During Jr. Facebook: @jduringjr Instagram: @jduringjr YouTube: @jduringjrmusic iTunes/Spotify/Amazon: jduringjr Record Label/Merch Shop: Drift Loud Records: This episode was created and produced by . Show design by , , and . Copy editing and quality analysis by . Special thanks to for supporting this program and spreading awareness through email marketing.
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Good Dog, Bad Dog - The Episode About Anxiety
04/29/2024
Good Dog, Bad Dog - The Episode About Anxiety
What is anxiety? Jason, Nathaniel, and Donald explore the metaphor of anxiety as a guard dog – one that can overcorrect or act up when threatened. With this metaphor in mind, they talk with special guest, Craig Knippenberg, and discuss how the guard dog translates to different arenas - like the battlefield or the classroom - and what we can do to distract it. Together, they explore the roots of anxiety and the consequences of anxiety, discuss how anxiety can lead to depression and addiction and show up in different ways, and share hacks for thriving alongside a vigilant guard dog. Harder Than Healing is produced in partnership with All Points North. Show Hosts: Jason: Donald: Nathaniel: Follow Donald on Facebook: Veteran and Military Outreach Special Guest: Craig Knippenberg Knippenburg, Patterson, Langley, & Associates welistentokids.com Legit Parenting: The Podcast Books: "Shame-Free Parenting: Building Resiliency in Times of Hardship, Guns, and Social Media" and "Wired and Connected: Brain-Based Solutions to Ensure Your Child's Social and Emotional Success" Resources: Wim Hof Method Bridging the Gap: The OODA Loop (developed by Air Force Colonel John Boyd) is an acronym (observe, orient, decide, act) for a four-step approach to decision-making that focuses on filtering available information, putting it in context, and quickly making the most appropriate decision, while also understanding that changes can be made as more data becomes available. Theme Music by Jeff During Jr. Facebook: @jduringjr Instagram: @jduringjr YouTube: @jduringjrmusic iTunes/Spotify/Amazon: jduringjr Record Label/Merch Shop: Drift Loud Records: This episode was created and produced by . Show design by , , and . Copy editing and quality analysis by . Special thanks to for supporting this program and spreading awareness through email marketing.
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Killing Your Darlings - The Episode About Depression
04/22/2024
Killing Your Darlings - The Episode About Depression
What's the difference between feeling depressed and having depression? And what's the difference between feeling depressed as a Veteran and feeling depressed as a civilian? Nathaniel, Jason, and Donald talk with Steve Hueston, host of The Dogs of War Podcast, to explore the relationship between "holding on" and different forms of depression, and how our culture can get better at addressing depression, supporting people who struggle, and finding connection. Harder Than Healing is produced in partnership with All Points North. Show Hosts: Jason: Donald: Nathaniel: Follow Donald on Facebook: Veteran and Military Outreach Special Guest: Steve Hueston Founder and Owner of "Dogs of War Podcast" Oracle K9 Training Resources: "It Didn't Start with You: How Inherited Family Trauma Shapes Who We Are and How to End the Cycle" by Mark Wolynn https://bit.ly/3U6MMCO Bridging the Gap: As discussed during today's show, there are many ways to improve cultural competence with the military, veteran, and family member community. There is free online training through places like Psycharmor, as well as experiential conferences, and then there are volunteer OJT (on-the-job training) opportunities to participate in national veteran-serving organizations like Team Rubicon, The Mission Continues, and Team RWB. Theme Music by Jeff During Jr. Facebook: @jduringjr Instagram: @jduringjr YouTube: @jduringjrmusic iTunes/Spotify/Amazon: jduringjr Record Label/Merch Shop: Drift Loud Records: This episode was created and produced by . Show design by , , and . Copy editing and quality analysis by . Special thanks to for supporting this program and spreading awareness through email marketing.
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ADHD and Other Superpowers - The Episode About ADHD
04/15/2024
ADHD and Other Superpowers - The Episode About ADHD
Raise your hand if you have ADHD. If your hand is up, you'll probably have an easier time listening to this episode. If you've ever struggled to understand ADHD, you'll get to experience it from the inside. Nathaniel, Jason, and Donald get some help from the second generation of Harder Than Healing: Vince, Davon, and Donnie – kids who get ADHD, because they live it. Together, we explore what ADHD is, ADHD superpowers, ADHD kryptonite, and the common thread between neurodiversity, Veterans, and artists. Harder Than Healing is produced in partnership with All Points North. Show Hosts: Jason: Donald: Nathaniel: Follow Donald on Facebook: Veteran and Military Outreach Resources for parents of neurodiverse children: CHADD (Children and Adults with ADHD) Craig Knippenberg Vertical Skills Academy Bridging the Gap: Sick call is a phrase used in the military to explain when you go to the doctor, and it generally happens at a certain time of the day but can also be used as a general phrase for people who are seeking medical attention. Within the military's culture, where "suck it up" and "pull yourself up by the bootstrap" are doctrine, going to sick call could be detrimental to your career. Nathaniel Ellison, in partnership with University of Denver's Learning Effectiveness Program, hosts an annual ADHD conference called LEP ADDventure Conference Theme Music by Jeff During Jr. Facebook: @jduringjr Instagram: @jduringjr YouTube: @jduringjrmusic iTunes/Spotify/Amazon: jduringjr Record Label/Merch Shop: Drift Loud Records: This episode was created and produced by . Show design by , , and . Copy editing and quality analysis by . Special thanks to for supporting this program and spreading awareness through email marketing.
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Drowning Pools - The Episode About Trauma
04/01/2024
Drowning Pools - The Episode About Trauma
The song "Bodies" by Drowning Pool became a favorite of soldiers in the early 2000s; a drowning pool is also a powerful metaphor for trauma. In this episode, we're diving into trauma and the drowning pool metaphor with our guest, Greg Callaghan, a childhood sexual abuse survivor and Vietnam Veteran. We explore what trauma is, why it happens, who it affects, how all trauma overlaps in some way., and why "trauma is trauma is trauma." Harder Than Healing is produced in partnership with All Points North. Show Hosts: Jason: Donald: Nathaniel: Follow Donald on Facebook: Veteran and Military Outreach Special Guest: Greg Callahan, Vietnam Era Air Force Combat Veteran Resources: National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Dial 988 PsychologyToday.com is a search engine for providers. Trauma Challenge: If you want to learn more, please reach out to Maloy Mental Health at Vet Centers (found all across the country) provide readjustment counseling to veterans, service members, including National Guard and Reserve components, and their families who have experienced combat and military sexual trauma The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) has education and support for family members who are impacted by a loved one experiencing mental illness Bridging the Gap: Article 15s are a mechanism that allow the military's chain of command to punish a service member for offenses under the UCMJ (Uniform Code of Military Justice) without formally charging them at a court-martial (the military's highest level trial court). Military branches, as well as special occupations within each branch, have sayings, mottos, and ethos that represent who they are, the work that they do, and their why. For example, the Army's Special Forces motto is De Oppresso Liber "to free the oppressed," the Navy's Ordnanceman have a saying IYAOYAS "if you ain't ordnance, you ain't shit," or the more broadly known Warrior Ethos "I will always place the mission first, I will never accept defeat, I will never quit, I will never leave a fallen comrade." Theme Music by Jeff During Jr. Facebook: @jduringjr Instagram: @jduringjr YouTube: @jduringjrmusic iTunes/Spotify/Amazon: jduringjr Record Label/Merch Shop: Drift Loud Records: This episode was created and produced by . Show design by , , and . Copy editing and quality analysis by . Special thanks to for supporting this program and spreading awareness through email marketing.
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Whiskey Tangro Oxfot - The Episode About Dyslexia
03/25/2024
Whiskey Tangro Oxfot - The Episode About Dyslexia
With the help of our guest, Angela Moriera, we explore different ways of thinking and what it feels like to be dyslexic. We start unpacking the misconceptions by asking "What *isn't* dyslexia?" and exploring the potential superpowers that come with thinking differently. Harder Than Healing is produced in partnership with All Points North. Show Hosts: Jason: Donald: Nathaniel: Follow Donald on Facebook: Veteran and Military Outreach Special Guest: Angela Moriera Resources: International Dyslexia Association (IDA) is a non-profit education and advocacy organization devoted to issues surrounding dyslexia Orton–Gillingham is a structured literacy approach. It introduced the idea of breaking reading and spelling down into smaller skills involving letters and sounds, and then building on these skills over time Eye to Eye at the University of Denver (founded 20 years ago) is a national mentoring program that pairs college and high school students with learning differences with middle school students that have similar learning differences Vertical Skills Academy Bridging the Gap: The NATO Phonetic Alphabet is a spelling alphabet (also known as telephone alphabet, radio alphabet, word-spelling alphabet, or voice procedure alphabet) Nathaniel Ellison, in partnership with the University of Denver's Learning Effectiveness Program, hosts an annual ADHD conference called LEP ADDventure Conference Theme Music by Jeff During Jr. Facebook: @jduringjr Instagram: @jduringjr YouTube: @jduringjrmusic iTunes/Spotify/Amazon: jduringjr Record Label/Merch Shop: Drift Loud Records: This episode was created and produced by . Show design by , , and . Copy editing and quality analysis by . Special thanks to for supporting this program and spreading awareness through email marketing.
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The Enemy Gets A Vote - The Episode About Substance Abuse
03/18/2024
The Enemy Gets A Vote - The Episode About Substance Abuse
Megan Marx joins Nathaniel, Jason, and Donald to talk about the pathways into and out of substance abuse: why it happens, how it overlaps with trauma and neurodiversity, how it affects the body, and how preparing for sobriety is similar to preparing for battle. Harder Than Healing is produced in partnership with All Points North. Show Hosts: Jason: Donald: Nathaniel: Follow Donald on Facebook: Veteran and Military Outreach Special Guest: Megan Marx, Director of Integrated Care at Oregon Recovery & Treatment Centers Resources: Rat Park Bridging the Gap: An NCO (noncommissioned officer) in the military pertains to a senior enlisted individual with the rank of E-4 to E-9 Gold Star Family - Story of Megan's Grandfather: Theme Music by Jeff During Jr. Facebook: @jduringjr Instagram: @jduringjr YouTube: @jduringjrmusic iTunes/Spotify/Amazon: jduringjr Record Label/Merch Shop: Drift Loud Records: This episode was created and produced by . Show design by , , and . Copy editing and quality analysis by . Special thanks to for supporting this program and spreading awareness through email marketing.
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A Clinician, a Playwright, and a Green Beret Walk Into a Sound Studio
03/11/2024
A Clinician, a Playwright, and a Green Beret Walk Into a Sound Studio
Meet Nathaniel, Jason, and Donald: your hosts of Harder Than Healing. This episode sets the stage for the show and what we're hoping to accomplish. We're covering a lot of ground, but we're not pulling any punches. Let's get into it. Harder Than Healing is produced in partnership with All Points North on campus in Edwards, CO. For more info on APN click here > Show Hosts: Jason: Donald: Nathaniel: Follow Donald on Facebook: Veteran and Military Outreach The Rat Park was a series of studies into drug addiction conducted in the late 1970s and published between 1978 and 1981 by Canadian psychologist Bruce K. Alexander and his colleagues at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, Canada Bridging the Gap: The United States Army Special Forces, also known as the Green Berets, are guerrilla warfare experts who use unconventional techniques to fight terrorists abroad: Nathaniel Ellison, in partnership with the University of Denver's Learning Effectiveness Program, hosts an annual ADHD conference called LEP ADDventure Conference: Theme Music by Jeff During Jr. Facebook: @jduringjr Instagram: @jduringjr YouTube: @jduringjrmusic iTunes/Spotify/Amazon: jduringjr Record Label/Merch Shop: Drift Loud Records: This episode was created and produced by Keith Weiner. Show design by Jenn Hu, Molly Eddington, and Eber Marin. Copy editing and quality analysis by Jess Johnson. Special thanks to Vanessa Detwiler for supporting this program and spreading awareness through email marketing.
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