Unwritten Chapters with Matthew Heneghan

Matthew Heneghan

Unwritten Chapters with Matthew Heneghan is a raw solo mental health podcast and reaction channel about PTSD, trauma recovery, addiction recovery, sobriety, and life after rock bottom — from a veteran and former paramedic / first responder. Expect long-form talking-head episodes on therapy, setbacks, and small wins, plus reaction videos to pop culture, internet drama, news and politics through a lived-experience lens. If you’re looking for an honest recovery podcast with dark humour and real talk about healing, grief, burnout, relationships, and starting over — subscribe and stick around.

  1. 1D AGO

    What Alcohol Took From Me

    For a long time, alcohol felt like it was helping me survive.I didn’t realize what it was costing me until much later.In this episode of Unwritten Chapters, I talk honestly about what alcohol took from me — not in dramatic headlines or recovery slogans, but in the quiet, cumulative ways that matter most. Time. Presence. Sleep. Relationships. Clarity. The ability to actually be there for my life.I share my story of drinking through trauma, military service, paramedic work, loss, grief, and burnout, and the moment I finally had to look at where alcohol had taken me. Rehab wasn’t a reset button. Sobriety wasn’t instant relief. For a long time, it was harder before it got better.This episode isn’t about judging drinking or preaching sobriety. It’s about honesty. About the lie that sobriety is boring. About the reality that alcohol doesn’t just numb pain — it quietly steals parts of your life you don’t realize you’re giving up.We talk about:What alcohol took from me before I noticedDrinking as a response to trauma and PTSDRehab, detox, and the loss of perceived controlWhy sobriety isn’t boring and what it actually gives backGrief, loss, and staying sober through devastating momentsTherapy vs AA and finding what actually works for youLearning how to be present for relationships, family, and everyday lifeToday, I’m sober. I’m not perfect. I’m not inspirational. But I’m present. I’m healthier. And I have a life I would not recognize if I were still drinking.If you’re questioning your relationship with alcohol, thinking about sobriety, supporting someone in recovery, or just tired of hearing the same shallow conversations about addiction — this episode is for you.alcohol recovery, sobriety story, quitting drinking, life after alcohol, addiction recovery podcast, veteran sobriety, first responder addiction, PTSD and alcohol, rehab experience, sober life, recovery without AA, mental health and addiction

    39 min
  2. FEB 19

    The Day I Stopped Judging Suicide

    I used to judge suicide.Then a man I worked with died on shift.In this episode of Unwritten Chapters, I tell the story of paramedic Greg Turner and the day I stopped judging suicide. I talk honestly about what it’s like to lose a brother in uniform, how PTSD and unspoken trauma eat people alive, and what changed in me after standing in the aftermath of a death that never should have happened.As a former army medic and paramedic, I’ve seen a lot of death. But nothing prepares you for losing someone you know, someone you worked with, someone who carried the same weight you did. Greg Turner died by suicide in the back of his ambulance. A place where he had saved countless lives. And that detail alone still wrecks me.This isn’t a motivational speech.It’s not a hot take.It’s not sanitized mental health content.It’s a raw, honest conversation about suicide, PTSD, grief, addiction recovery, and the long aftermath of survival.We talk about:The death of paramedic Greg TurnerFirst responder suicide and mental healthPTSD, trauma, and unspoken painWhy judging suicide misses the real storyGrief, survivor’s guilt, and carrying the dead with youWhy people in uniform don’t ask for helpWhat changed in me after losing a colleagueIf you’re a first responder, veteran, nurse, therapist, teacher, or someone who’s lost a loved one to suicide — this episode is for you.And if you’re struggling right now, please know this:You’re not weak. You’re not broken. You’re not alone.There are people who want you here, even if your mind is lying to you about that today.suicide awareness, first responder suicide, paramedic suicide, PTSD, trauma recovery, mental health podcast, addiction recovery, grief, survivor guilt, veteran mental health, suicide prevention, Greg Turner, first responder mental health, depression, therapy, suicide loss, trauma podcastUnwritten Chapters with Matthew Heneghan is a raw, solo channel about life after trauma, modern culture, and the quiet parts nobody says out loud.Hosted by a veteran, former army medic, ex-paramedic, and nonfiction author, the channel explores PTSD, addiction recovery, sobriety, grief, burnout, and identity — not as inspirational slogans, but as lived reality.Alongside the recovery lens, Unwritten Chapters dissects modern culture, politics, media narratives, nostalgia, and social decay through a grounded, lived-experience perspective.There are also behind-the-scenes conversations about writing, creativity, addiction and art, discipline, publishing, and what it’s actually like to build a life and career after rock bottom.This isn’t a polished self-help channel. It’s dark humour, blunt honesty, cultural commentary, and real mental health talk for people who are empathetic but exhausted — veterans, first responders, nurses, partners of medics, folks in or around recovery, and anyone trauma-literate and allergic to b******t.If you’re searching for PTSD stories, addiction recovery, veteran mental health, first responder burnout, cultural commentary, reaction videos with lived experience, or honest conversations about writing and creativity — you’re in the right place.New videos weekly.Subscribe if you want company in the chaos, not clichés about positive vibes only.📚 My BooksA Medic’s Mind– Memoir of military medic → paramedic, trauma, loss, and reinvention.Amazon: https://a.co/d/fbYbp7xTrauma and Tea: Essays on Trauma, Recovery and Growing Up the Hard Way– Raw essays about rock bottom, healing, and telling the truth.Amazon: https://a.co/d/9GnaoDV🌐 Website: www.authormheneghan.com🎙️ Host of the podcast Unwritten ChaptersPodcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/5hmuMofDnEkc8Ec9MqGHmC

    32 min
  3. FEB 12

    Two Americans Dead And Nobody Is Asking Why

    Two Americans are dead after an ICE protest turned violent — and nobody seems interested in asking the uncomfortable questions.In this episode of Unwritten Chapters, I talk honestly about what really happened at the ICE protest, how the media is framing the shooting, and why our political climate keeps turning real people into collateral damage. I’m not here to defend institutions or score ideological points. I’m here to talk about what happens when outrage culture, media narratives, and moral tribalism collide with real-world consequences.As a former army medic and paramedic, I’ve seen what violence actually looks like. I’ve watched people die. I’ve stood in the aftermath of chaos that started with words, rhetoric, and bad decisions. That’s why the way this story is being handled matters — and why pretending this is just another political talking point is dangerous.We talk about:The ICE protest shooting and what the headlines aren’t sayingHow media framing shapes public outrage and misinformationWhy political polarization keeps getting people killedThe real-world consequences of ideological activismGun violence, law enforcement, and institutional trustWhy nobody wants to ask who benefits when protests turn deadlyThis isn’t a hot take.It’s a hard conversation about accountability, truth, and the cost of pretending that violence only counts when it fits your narrative.If you’re a first responder, veteran, nurse, therapist, teacher, writer, or just someone who’s tired of being lied to by the media and politicians on all sides — this episode is for you.ICE protest shooting, ICE news today, law enforcement shooting, political violence in America, media bias, gun violence, protest violence, political polarization, veteran commentary, paramedic perspective, real world politics, American politics today, institutional trust, culture war consequencesUnwritten Chapters with Matthew Heneghan is a raw, solo channel about life after trauma, modern culture, and the quiet parts nobody says out loud.Hosted by a veteran, former army medic, ex-paramedic, and nonfiction author, the channel explores PTSD, addiction recovery, sobriety, grief, burnout, and identity — not as inspirational slogans, but as lived reality.Alongside the recovery lens, Unwritten Chapters dissects modern culture, politics, media narratives, nostalgia, and social decay through a grounded, lived-experience perspective.There are also behind-the-scenes conversations about writing, creativity, addiction and art, discipline, publishing, and what it’s actually like to build a life and career after rock bottom.This isn’t a polished self-help channel. It’s dark humour, blunt honesty, cultural commentary, and real mental health talk for people who are empathetic but exhausted — veterans, first responders, nurses, partners of medics, folks in or around recovery, and anyone trauma-literate and allergic to b******t.If you’re searching for PTSD stories, addiction recovery, veteran mental health, first responder burnout, cultural commentary, reaction videos with lived experience, or honest conversations about writing and creativity — you’re in the right place.New videos weekly.Subscribe if you want company in the chaos, not clichés about positive vibes only.📚 My BooksA Medic’s Mind– Memoir of military medic → paramedic, trauma, loss, and reinvention.Amazon: https://a.co/d/fbYbp7xTrauma and Tea: Essays on Trauma, Recovery and Growing Up the Hard Way– Raw essays about rock bottom, healing, and telling the truth.Amazon: https://a.co/d/9GnaoDV🌐 Website: www.authormheneghan.com🎙️ Host of the podcast Unwritten ChaptersPodcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/5hmuMofDnEkc8Ec9MqGHmC

    37 min
  4. FEB 5

    A Veteran Reacts To Trump’s NATO Comments

    In this episode of Unwritten Chapters, Matthew Heneghan — former Canadian Armed Forces medic, civilian paramedic, recovering alcoholic, and author — delivers a raw, unfiltered response to Donald Trump’s recent NATO comments and his claim that allied troops “stayed a little back from the front lines” in Afghanistan. As a veteran who served during wartime and lost friends in the conflict, Matthew breaks down why Trump’s remarks are not just wrong — they’re historically inaccurate, deeply disrespectful, and damaging to NATO alliances, Canadian veterans, and the truth about the war in Afghanistan.This is not a partisan rant. It’s a frontline perspective from someone who lived it.Topics covered in this episode:Donald Trump NATO comments reactionCanada Afghanistan war factsCanadian Armed Forces in AfghanistanNATO allies and frontline combatVeterans mental health and trauma War history and political rhetoric PTSD, grief, and moral injury Life after military service Veteran perspective on politics Unwritten Chapters podcast Matthew also shares deeply personal stories about Canadian soldiers who died on the front lines, the cost of war that never shows up in speeches, and why political leaders rewriting history matters — especially to veterans, first responders, and anyone who still gives a damn about truth.If you’re a veteran, first responder, military family member, or someone who’s tired of sanitized political narratives and empty rhetoric, this episode is for you.Unwritten Chapters is a solo storytelling podcast where a former army medic and paramedic turned author talks honestly about:Mental healthAddiction and recoveryPTSD and traumaReal world events and politicsWriting, publishing, and setbacksLife after rock bottomNo filters. No performative outrage. No b******t.If any part of this episode resonates with you, share it with someone who needs to hear it.Like, subscribe, and leave a comment — I actually read them.Unwritten Chapters with Matthew Heneghan is a raw, solo channel about life after trauma, modern culture, and the quiet parts nobody says out loud.Hosted by a veteran, former army medic, ex-paramedic, and nonfiction author, the channel explores PTSD, addiction recovery, sobriety, grief, burnout, and identity — not as inspirational slogans, but as lived reality.Alongside the recovery lens, Unwritten Chapters dissects modern culture, politics, media narratives, nostalgia, and social decay through a grounded, lived-experience perspective.There are also behind-the-scenes conversations about writing, creativity, addiction and art, discipline, publishing, and what it’s actually like to build a life and career after rock bottom.This isn’t a polished self-help channel. It’s dark humour, blunt honesty, cultural commentary, and real mental health talk for people who are empathetic but exhausted — veterans, first responders, nurses, partners of medics, folks in or around recovery, and anyone trauma-literate and allergic to b******t.If you’re searching for PTSD stories, addiction recovery, veteran mental health, first responder burnout, cultural commentary, reaction videos with lived experience, or honest conversations about writing and creativity — you’re in the right place.New videos weekly.Subscribe if you want company in the chaos, not clichés about positive vibes only.📚 My BooksA Medic’s Mind– Memoir of military medic → paramedic, trauma, loss, and reinvention.Amazon: https://a.co/d/fbYbp7xTrauma and Tea: Essays on Trauma, Recovery and Growing Up the Hard Way– Raw essays about rock bottom, healing, and telling the truth.Amazon: https://a.co/d/9GnaoDV🌐 Website: www.authormheneghan.com🎙️ Host of the podcast Unwritten ChaptersPodcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/5hmuMofDnEkc8Ec9MqGHmC

    33 min
  5. JAN 29

    BC Paramedics Going on Strike Will Cost Lives

    Canada’s healthcare system is already failing — and it’s about to get worse.In this short, I explain what a potential paramedic strike in British Columbia really means for public safety, 911 response times, and patient care. Based on my lived experience as a former army medic, ex-paramedic, and first responder, I break down why paramedics in BC are not considered an essential service, why negotiations with the province broke down, and why a province-wide strike would cost lives.This isn’t a political rant. It’s a grounded, lived-experience perspective on Canada’s healthcare crisis, paramedic burnout, first responder mental health, and how government policy failures are putting both paramedics and the public at risk.I also connect this to the fallout from British Columbia’s drug decriminalization program, the rising overdose crisis, and the impossible conditions paramedics are working under on the front lines.Topics covered:• BC paramedic strike• Canada healthcare crisis• Paramedic burnout• First responder mental health• 911 response times• Public safety• Drug decriminalization in BC• Overdose crisis• Health policy failure• Veteran and paramedic perspectiveIf you’re looking for honest conversations about trauma, recovery, modern culture, and the quiet parts nobody says out loud, subscribe for more from Unwritten Chapters.Unwritten Chapters with Matthew Heneghan is a raw, solo channel about life after trauma, modern culture, and the quiet parts nobody says out loud.Hosted by a veteran, former army medic, ex-paramedic, and nonfiction author, the channel explores PTSD, addiction recovery, sobriety, grief, burnout, and identity — not as inspirational slogans, but as lived reality.Alongside the recovery lens, Unwritten Chapters dissects modern culture, politics, media narratives, nostalgia, and social decay through a grounded, lived-experience perspective.There are also behind-the-scenes conversations about writing, creativity, addiction and art, discipline, publishing, and what it’s actually like to build a life and career after rock bottom.This isn’t a polished self-help channel. It’s dark humour, blunt honesty, cultural commentary, and real mental health talk for people who are empathetic but exhausted — veterans, first responders, nurses, partners of medics, folks in or around recovery, and anyone trauma-literate and allergic to b******t.If you’re searching for PTSD stories, addiction recovery, veteran mental health, first responder burnout, cultural commentary, reaction videos with lived experience, or honest conversations about writing and creativity — you’re in the right place.New videos weekly.Subscribe if you want company in the chaos, not clichés about positive vibes only.📚 My BooksA Medic’s Mind– Memoir of military medic → paramedic, trauma, loss, and reinvention.Amazon: https://a.co/d/fbYbp7xTrauma and Tea: Essays on Trauma, Recovery and Growing Up the Hard Way– Raw essays about rock bottom, healing, and telling the truth.Amazon: https://a.co/d/9GnaoDV🌐 Website: www.authormheneghan.com🎙️ Host of the podcast Unwritten ChaptersPodcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/5hmuMofDnEkc8Ec9MqGHmC

    32 min
  6. JAN 22

    Stranger Things Finale Review What Writers Notice

    Stranger Things Season Finale Review through a writer’s eyes and a fan’s heart.In this episode of Unwritten Chapters I break down what the Stranger Things finale does right and what most people miss on a first watch. Not plot trivia. Not outrage. The craft. The choices. The emotional beats that land hardest when you’ve lived through stress grief addiction recovery or the kind of work that makes you carry other people’s pain.If you’re a first responder a veteran a trauma literate human who is burnt out but still trying to stay soft this one is for you.I talk about:Why the ending hits so deep when you’re exhaustedWhat the finale reveals about grief hope and survivalThe writing moves that make it workWhat I would steal as an author and what I would changeWhy this story connects with mental health and recoveryIf you love Stranger Things and you’re also a writer reader creative or just someone trying to make sense of life after hard years you’ll feel seen here.Drop a comment with the moment that got you. I read them all. 📚 My BooksA Medic’s Mind – Memoir of military medic → paramedic, trauma, loss and reinvention. Amazon: https://a.co/d/fbYbp7xTrauma and Tea: Essays on Trauma, Recovery and Growing Up the Hard Way – A collection of raw essays about hitting rock bottom, healing and telling the truth. Amazon: https://a.co/d/9GnaoDV🌐 Visit my website for more: www.authormheneghan.com Author Matthew Heneghan🎙️ Host of the podcast Unwritten Chapters – Life After Trauma (for veterans, first responders, survivors of addiction and anyone rewriting the next chapter). Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/5hmuMofDnEkc8Ec9MqGHmC?si=N66NaCV_RGWcOrJz9HR-nALINKS & RESOURCES– Buy my books: authormheneghan.com/buy-the-book Author Matthew Heneghan– Follow on IG / Twitter / Facebook – @matthewhenehgan_author– Drop a comment, hit Subscribe, ring the 🔔 — let’s build a community of truth-telllers, healers and story-keepers.WHAT YOU’LL FIND ON THIS CHANNEL– Solo storytime episodes about PTSD, therapy, addiction recovery, relationships, family, and life after rock bottom– Unfiltered reaction videos to pop culture, internet drama, and politics through the eyes of a former army medic and paramedic– Honest conversations about mental health, trauma, grief, and trying to stay human in a burned-out world (with plenty of dark humour)– Updates on my books, podcast, and creative projects, plus real talk about writing and living your own next chapterThanks for being here. Whether you’ve worn a uniform, watched someone struggle, or are simply trying to make peace with your past — you’re not alone. Let’s walk it out together.

    32 min
  7. JAN 15

    2026 Is Your Year to Write a Book Start Here

    If you’ve been telling yourself “one day I’ll write it” while carrying everyone else’s weight… this is your sign.In 2019 I wrote a book largely by accident. I wasn’t “ready.” I wasn’t confident. I wasn’t some disciplined writer with a perfect morning routine and a color coded calendar. I was a former army medic and paramedic who’d seen too much, felt too much, and was trying to make sense of life after rock bottom.And that’s exactly why I’m saying this out loud now.2026 is your year to write your book. Start here.This episode is for the women in their 30s to 50s who are tired in their bones but still alive inside. First responders. Veterans. Trauma literate readers. Creative types. Mental health advocates. The ones who keep showing up for everyone else… while quietly wondering if their own story matters.In this talking head episode I walk you through:How I started writing my first book even when my life was messyHow to begin writing a book when you’re burnt out, overwhelmed, or scaredThe simplest way to turn your lived experience into a book ideaPractical tips for building a writing habit that actually works for real peopleHow to stop waiting for permission and start writing your memoir or book nowNo fluff. No guru nonsense. Just honest guidance with dark humour and a writer’s eye for the details that actually make a story land.If you’ve been carrying trauma, recovery, addiction, grief, service, motherhood, burnout, or just the quiet weight of “I’ve lived a lot”… this is for you. You don’t need to be healed to write. You just need a place to start.Hit play. Then write one page.If you want, drop a comment with what you’re trying to write:memoir, fiction, poetry, trauma recovery, mental health, first responder stories, or something you can’t name yet. I read them.#WriteABook #MemoirWriting #WritingTips #AspiringAuthor #MentalHealth #TraumaRecovery #FirstResponderLife #VeteranStories #AddictionRecovery #UnwrittenChapters📚 My BooksA Medic’s Mind – Memoir of military medic → paramedic, trauma, loss and reinvention. Amazon: https://a.co/d/fbYbp7xTrauma and Tea: Essays on Trauma, Recovery and Growing Up the Hard Way – A collection of raw essays about hitting rock bottom, healing and telling the truth. Amazon: https://a.co/d/9GnaoDV🌐 Visit my website for more: www.authormheneghan.com Author Matthew Heneghan🎙️ Host of the podcast Unwritten Chapters – Life After Trauma (for veterans, first responders, survivors of addiction and anyone rewriting the next chapter). Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/5hmuMofDnEkc8Ec9MqGHmC?si=N66NaCV_RGWcOrJz9HR-nALINKS & RESOURCES– Buy my books: authormheneghan.com/buy-the-book Author Matthew Heneghan– Follow on IG / Twitter / Facebook – @matthewhenehgan_author– Drop a comment, hit Subscribe, ring the 🔔 — let’s build a community of truth-telllers, healers and story-keepers.WHAT YOU’LL FIND ON THIS CHANNEL– Solo storytime episodes about PTSD, therapy, addiction recovery, relationships, family, and life after rock bottom– Unfiltered reaction videos to pop culture, internet drama, and politics through the eyes of a former army medic and paramedic– Honest conversations about mental health, trauma, grief, and trying to stay human in a burned-out world (with plenty of dark humour)– Updates on my books, podcast, and creative projects, plus real talk about writing and living your own next chapterThanks for being here. Whether you’ve worn a uniform, watched someone struggle, or are simply trying to make peace with your past — you’re not alone. Let’s walk it out together.

    26 min
  8. JAN 8

    Canada Wants 300,000 Troops Can This Even Work

    Canada wants 300000 troops across the Regular Force, Primary Reserve, and a Supplementary Reserve that could include civil servants. On paper it sounds bold. In real life it raises a question nobody is answering clearly:Can this even work?In this episode of Unwritten Chapters, I break down Canada’s military recruitment plan in plain language from the perspective of a CAF veteran and paramedic who’s lived inside institutions and watched how trust is built… and how it breaks.This isn’t fear porn. It’s a reality check.We talk about what a Supplementary Reserve actually is, what it would take to build a volunteer force at that scale, and why the biggest obstacle isn’t gear, money, or paperwork. It’s belief. When Canadians are constantly told our institutions are morally bankrupt or systemically broken, how do you ask the same people to volunteer their lives to defend them?If you’re a first responder, veteran, trauma-literate listener, or just someone exhausted by performative politics and allergic to b******t, this one’s for you. No yelling. No spin. Just honest questions, hard truths, and the kind of dark humour you need to get through it.In this episodeCanada’s 300000 troop target explainedWhat the Supplementary Reserve is and why it mattersUsing civil servants to bolster readinessRecruiting realities in 2025 and what Canada is up againstTrust, identity politics, and why messaging mattersWhy good people hesitate to serve when they feel blamedIf this hit a nerve, drop a comment with your take: Would you volunteer right now? Why or why not?

    35 min
5
out of 5
9 Ratings

About

Unwritten Chapters with Matthew Heneghan is a raw solo mental health podcast and reaction channel about PTSD, trauma recovery, addiction recovery, sobriety, and life after rock bottom — from a veteran and former paramedic / first responder. Expect long-form talking-head episodes on therapy, setbacks, and small wins, plus reaction videos to pop culture, internet drama, news and politics through a lived-experience lens. If you’re looking for an honest recovery podcast with dark humour and real talk about healing, grief, burnout, relationships, and starting over — subscribe and stick around.