Other People Have It Worse: Veteran Jason Kander on PTSD & recognizing you need help

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
• A really helpful golf club analogy to describe the difference between deployment and civilian life
• 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
• How saying “wow that was really f*cked up” makes things better - for everyone

Announcement: want to become a grief-informed therapist? Registration is open now for Megan Devine’s 6 month grief care professional program. Details at this link.

Notable quotes:

“Therapy for me was a lot like going to graduate school, but it was just a graduate program in my brain.” - Jason Kander

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 new 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.

Additional resources

Learn about the Veterans Community Project

Follow Jason Kander on social media @jasonkander

The book Jason mentioned is Tribe by Sebastian Junger

Get in touch:

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