Drive On: Helping Veterans Navigate PTSD & Life After Military Service

Scott DeLuzio
  • 5.0 (92)
  • SELF-IMPROVEMENT
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Are you a veteran struggling with PTSD, combat stress, or adjusting to civilian life? Tired of feeling isolated and unsure where to turn for support? You deserve solutions from mental health experts, veteran nonprofits, and fellow veterans who truly understand what you're facing. Each week, host Scott DeLuzio, an Army veteran and Gold Star Brother, shares interviews and practical steps to help you regain purpose, rebuild confidence, and thrive after military service. Find hope and take the next step forward.

  1. Four Ways Veterans Can Serve Again

    FEB 24

    Four Ways Veterans Can Serve Again

    The hardest part of transition is not always the job search. It is the moment you realize the mission feeling did not automatically follow you home. This conversation is a reset for that. You will hear a clear, practical way to turn veteran strengths into local impact without burning out, starting with the Four Ts of true changemaking: time, talent, treasure, and testimony. The examples are grounded and real, from mentoring to board service, from small civic habits to the kind of logistics thinking that can take a nonprofit line from a long wait to a quick, efficient flow. The episode also goes deeper than volunteering. It gets into values alignment, purpose beyond titles, and emotional intelligence as a resilience skill you can train. The finish is a simple 30-day approach that starts with awareness, moves into small action, then self-regulation, and finally connection with other people, so service becomes a steady habit. Timestamps: 03:17 - The Four Ts that make service possible again 05:28 - Why veterans quietly transform nonprofits with execution and logistics 15:00 - The volunteer crisis and the veteran-sized solution 31:33 - Emotional intelligence as a resilience skill you can build 45:00 - The 30-day changemaker plan from zero to momentum Links & Resources Veteran Suicide & Crisis Line: Dial 988, then press 1 Website: http://www.meetsuzanne.com/ Follow Suzanne Smith on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SocialImpactArchitects Follow Suzanne Smith on Instagram: https://instagram.com/socialtrendspot Follow Suzanne Smith on Twitter/X: https://x.com/snstexas & https://x.com/socialtrendspot Transcript View the transcript for this episode.

    57 min
  2. Migraine and Headache Care for Veterans

    FEB 17

    Migraine and Headache Care for Veterans

    Headache pain can look like a minor annoyance until it starts stealing whole days. For many veterans, it is not a random ache that fades with water and a nap. It can be a complex, repeating neurological problem that shows up after exposures, stress, disrupted sleep, or injuries that never fully healed. This episode walks through why headaches and migraines hit the veteran community so hard, why the root cause often gets missed, and how to stop walking into appointments empty-handed. You will hear how the National Headache Foundation built Operation Brainstorm to make resources easier to find and use, including stories from veterans who live with this every day. The takeaway from this episode is treat this like a mission. Track attacks, document patterns, identify triggers, and bring a clean record to a dedicated appointment that stays focused on headache care. The conversation also covers the differences between preventive and abortive meds, how to advocate for referrals when primary care reaches its limits, and why specialized care, like the VA Headache Centers of Excellence, matters, especially for the hardest cases. This is for anyone tired of powering through and ready to build a plan that respects work, family, and the reality of living with pain. Timestamps: 01:47 - One third of veterans live with headaches and migraines 06:15 - Hundreds of headache types and why the label matters 09:45 - Cluster headache severity and the hidden days before head pain 13:45 - Build a plan, track patterns, walk in prepared 34:45 - VA Headache Centers of Excellence and the access fight Links & Resources Veteran Suicide & Crisis Line: Dial 988, then press 1 Websites: https://www.operationbrainstorm.org/ https://headaches.org/taking-charge/ Follow National Headache Foundation on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NationalHeadacheFoundation Follow National Headache Foundation on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nationalheadachefoundation/ Follow National Headache Foundation on Twitter: https://x.com/nhf Follow National Headache Foundation on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/national-headache-foundation/ Transcript View the transcript for this episode.

    47 min
  3. Document Everything When Trust Breaks

    FEB 10

    Document Everything When Trust Breaks

    One report can flip your whole world upside down, especially when the people who promised support start calculating what your truth costs their careers. Chelsey Woodard shares what it felt like to go from a strong first stretch of service to a back half defined by retaliation, bureaucracy, and leaders choosing self-protection over accountability. She breaks down the tactics she saw up close: being pushed into a corner, being watched, being baited into mistakes, and having paperwork used as a weapon to build a "problem" narrative. Chelsey explains the moves that helped her hold herself together when the pressure spiked: document every conversation, send follow-up emails, keep copies in multiple places, use leave as recovery time, and find a place that calms your body so your mind stays sharp. She also talks about why the Vet Center felt safer than on-base options, and what it was like to set a hard boundary during SkillBridge when a civilian workplace started echoing the same patterns she was trying to escape. Timestamps: 00:03:05: Reporting and realizing the system protects careers first 00:04:15: Expedited transfer and an IG conclusion that changed nothing 00:07:09: The survival playbook: document everything and control the paper trail 00:14:15: How the Vet Center provided breathing room 00:21:00: SkillBridge fell apart fast Links & Resources Veteran Suicide & Crisis Line: Dial 988, then press 1 Transcript View the transcript for this episode.

    38 min
  4. Wounded Warrior Project Help That Works

    FEB 3

    Wounded Warrior Project Help That Works

    Sleep breaks down, pain turns constant, and the mind keeps running like it never got the memo that the mission is over. This conversation follows what it looks like to claw your way back when the body is hurting, the nights are loud, and isolation starts to feel normal. Rowdie McMahon shares her experience as an Air Force nurse deployed to Afghanistan, including the relentless pace and mass casualty reality, and how that pressure followed her home. She opens up about chronic pain, years on heavy medications, and the slow work of tapering off while staying engaged with mental health support. From there, the story shifts to what finally helped: Wounded Warrior Project programs, small steps back into community, and a surprising turning point through racing, building cars with other veterans, and putting 988 and the Veterans Crisis Line on the car as part of the mission. Timestamps: 00:02:15: Mass casualty chaos and zero time to process it all 00:09:00: Nightmares, sleep fights, and realizing it is time to get help 00:19:08: Not all wounds are visible, the call that opened the door to support 00:26:09: Pickleball, sunlight, and the first step back into community 00:53:03: Putting 988 on a race car and why racing saved her life Links & Resources Veteran Suicide & Crisis Line: Dial 988, then press 1 Follow Rowdie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rowdie988/ Wounded Warrior Project: https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/ Transcript View the transcript for this episode.

    1 hr
  5. Nature Therapy For Combat Veterans

    JAN 27

    Nature Therapy For Combat Veterans

    Walking away from the uniform often means walking away from purpose, identity, and your tribe all at once. In this conversation, retired Marine Colonel Brian Gilman shares how his own unexpected orders to a Pentagon reintegration office opened his eyes to what veterans really need after service and eventually led him home to Montana to lead Warriors and Quiet Waters. He breaks down their nine-month Built For More program, in which post-9/11 combat veterans spend two-week immersions in the Montana backcountry, with fly fishing, hunting, or photography as "co-facilitators," and six months of guided work at home focused on purpose, community, and thriving. You will hear Brian explain what actually happens to your brain and body in nature, why light focus activities can trigger those shower epiphanies, and how journaling and small peer cohorts of eight vets give you space to finally process what happened and what comes next. He shares real-world outcome data, including significant gains in purpose, sleep, and connection, and explains why strong relationships beat money and status for long-term well-being. If you are a post-9/11 vet in a civilian job who misses the platoon more than you can explain and wants a roadmap for a life that feels worth getting up for, this one is dialed in for you. Timestamps: 01:12 - 27 years in the Marines 04:18 - About Warriors and Quiet Waters 09:32 - The science of nature and why your brain relaxes outside 14:05 - Inside the 9-month Built For More program 27:10 - Why strong relationships keep vets alive Links & Resources Veteran Suicide & Crisis Line: Dial 988, then press 1 Website: https://www.warriorsandquietwaters.org/ Follow Warriors and Quiet Waters on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wqwMontana/timeline Follow Warriors and Quiet Waters on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/warriorsandquietwaters/ Follow Brian Gilman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gilmanbrian/ Transcript View the transcript for this episode.

    45 min
  6. Plant Medicine And Veteran Healing

    JAN 20

    Plant Medicine And Veteran Healing

    Pain meds after surgery were supposed to help her heal, not take over her life. Years of prescriptions following a C-section, miscarriages, and unresolved childhood sexual trauma quietly turned into addiction, shame, and a double life that looked perfect on the outside while crumbling on the inside. When everything finally imploded, Shannon said yes to help, went to The Meadows in Arizona, and started the hard work of sobriety, inner child healing, and facing what she had been trying to numb for years. In this conversation, Shannon talks with Scott about why addiction is a symptom, not an identity, and why shame and silence keep so many vets stuck. She shares how she supports veterans, including her own partner, who survived a suicide attempt, by creating judgment-free spaces, normalizing dark thoughts, and asking the real question: why would dying feel easier than speaking up. From powerful inner child work and self-forgiveness to psychedelic-assisted healing with iboga at Ayo Life Sciences in Mexico, Shannon explains how some veterans are reducing PTSD, TBI symptoms, and pill loads while rebuilding a new sense of purpose after the uniform. They close with simple daily practices like gratitude lists, reframing painful experiences, and finding new missions through retreats and coaching that help vets move from fight-or-flight into a life that actually feels worth staying in. Timestamps: 00:01:35 - When Shannon's perfect life implodes, and she finally says yes to help 00:06:02 - Miscarriages, childhood trauma, and how prescriptions became her coping strategy 00:08:20 - Addiction as a symptom and why she refuses to shame anyone for using it to cope 00:26:35 - Inner child work, protecting the little boy who never felt safe, and why vets struggle to see themselves as worthy of love 00:31:18 - Iboga plant medicine in Mexico, massive shifts for PTSD and TBI, and why preparation and safety matter so much Links & Resources Veteran Suicide & Crisis Line: Dial 988, then press 1 Website: https://www.angelgoddesshealing.com Follow Shannon Curtis on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/angel.goddess.healing Follow Shannon Curtis on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/angelgoddesshealing Transcript View the transcript for this episode.

    58 min
  7. Operation Resilience Fighting Veteran Suicide

    JAN 13

    Operation Resilience Fighting Veteran Suicide

    Coming home was supposed to be the safe part. For the 1st Battalion 17th Infantry, it did not work out that way. They lost 22 soldiers during their 2009 to 2010 Afghanistan deployment, then as many more after returning home. At one funeral, a soldier finally said what many were thinking: "When is someone going to do something about this?" That question pushed former platoon leader Adam Swift to start searching for an answer in the middle of the night, which led him to The Independence Fund and its unit retreat program, Operation Resilience. Scott sits down with Adam and Independence Fund Deputy Chief of Operations Steven Rozina to hear how Operation Resilience brings entire units back together for a long weekend. Flights are covered, the veteran pays nothing, and the schedule blends fun sober events like NASCAR and hockey with long, guided clinical sessions. Units literally map out their deployment, from pre-mob through the worst days downrange and into life back home, finally talking through firefights, IED blasts, and moral injuries they have carried alone for years. Adam shares what it was like to watch brothers he had not seen in 15 years walk out of the hotel elevators, and how The Independence Fund quietly recreated the teepee memorial from their FOB so the unit could honor their fallen around a final-night bonfire. You will also hear exactly how to get your own unit considered for Operation Resilience and why you do not need to be in command to step up and start the process. Timestamps: 00:03:30: The suicide funeral that sparked Operation Resilience and a hard decision to say no more 00:09:30: Adam realizes being home feels more dangerous than Afghanistan after losing 22 more brothers 00:15:15: Inside the marathon clinical session, where the unit spends eight hours walking through their deployment 00:17:45: Elevators open, brothers step out, and a battalion reconnects after 15 years apart 00:49:15: Scott's challenge to listeners to be the one who steps up and brings their unit to Operation Resilience Links & Resources Veteran Suicide & Crisis Line: Dial 988, then press 1 The Independence Fund Website: https://independencefund.org/ Operation Resilience: https://independencefund.org/pages/operation-resiliency Follow The Independence Fund on X: https://twitter.com/indyfund Follow The Independence Fund on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheIndependenceFund/ Follow The Independence Fund on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/independencefund/ Follow The Independence Fund on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-independence-fund/ Follow The Independence Fund on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUrXtHO1C7HiGNSoOfWlqwg Follow Adam Swift on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-swift-281a688b/ Follow Adam Swift on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/adam.swift.940 17th Infantry Association: https://www.17thinfantry.org/ Transcript

    57 min
  8. Rucking for Veteran Suicide Awareness

    JAN 6

    Rucking for Veteran Suicide Awareness

    Marine combat leader and entrepreneur Rich Brown shares how TBI ended his time in uniform, pushed him into building Honor Bound FIT, and led to GUIDON22, a 22-mile ruck that pairs hard miles with stories of veterans and first responders lost to suicide. You will hear how those stories, family testimonies, and simple phrases like "good friends have hard conversations" give vets a way to move, talk, and stop passing their pain to the people they love. Timestamps: 02:30: From Marine infantry and TBI to unexpected entrepreneurship 08:45: Launching Honor Bound FIT in a parking lot on Memorial Day 13:10: How GUIDON22 turns rucks and stories into suicide awareness 21:20: Passing on your pain vs letting your tribe carry it with you 33:40: Creative ruck events, community impact, and how to get involved Links & Resources Veteran Suicide & Crisis Line: Dial 988, then press 1 Website: https://www.HonorBoundFIT.com Follow Rich Brown on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThisIsRichBrown Follow Rich Brown on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisisrichbrown Follow Rich Brown on Twitter/X: https://www.x.com/@sheepdogalpha1 Follow Rich Brown on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheepdogalpha/ Transcript View the transcript for this episode.

    41 min
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About

Are you a veteran struggling with PTSD, combat stress, or adjusting to civilian life? Tired of feeling isolated and unsure where to turn for support? You deserve solutions from mental health experts, veteran nonprofits, and fellow veterans who truly understand what you're facing. Each week, host Scott DeLuzio, an Army veteran and Gold Star Brother, shares interviews and practical steps to help you regain purpose, rebuild confidence, and thrive after military service. Find hope and take the next step forward.

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