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

Scott DeLuzio
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  • 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. The Selfless Path To Healing

    5D AGO

    The Selfless Path To Healing

    Military transition can strip away structure, identity, and the sense that your life is aimed at something that matters. This conversation follows what happened when that loss of purpose collided with anxiety, PTSD, and the frustration of trying to build a meaningful civilian life. The story moves from feeling disconnected after service to finding direction through advocacy, community involvement, and one of the most selfless decisions a person can make. Lindsay Gutierrez shares how she became part of the first living donor chain in VA history, what led her to donate a kidney, and why she later chose to donate part of her liver as well. She also explains the part most people never see: the recovery, the emotions after surgery, and the lack of long-term support donors can face once the procedure is over. This episode matters because it puts real language around purpose after service. It shows how service can continue in civilian life, how meaning can be rebuilt through action, and why healing often requires both sacrifice and support. It also brings attention to the policy and psychosocial gaps Lindsay is working to address through her doctoral research, so future donors are not left to navigate the aftermath alone. If you have ever left the military and felt unanchored, this conversation offers a clear message: purpose is not gone, but it may need to be rebuilt in a new form. Timestamps: 06:30: The identity hit after separation and the fight to redefine herself 12:30: The VA living donor chain milestone 21:05: Becoming a dual living donor 25:30: The emotional crash after donation 34:45: Transition advice Links & Resources Veteran Suicide & Crisis Line: Dial 988, then press 1 Website: https://www.lindsaygutierrez.com/ Follow Lindsay Gutierrez on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/livingtoservethroughdonation/ Follow Lindsay Gutierrez on Instagram: https://instagram.com/linds_gutierrez Follow Lindsay Gutierrez on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsayngutierrez End Kidney Deaths Website: https://www.endkidneydeathsact.org/ Congressional link: https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/2687/text

    45 min
  2. Turning PTSD Into Creative Work

    APR 14

    Turning PTSD Into Creative Work

    PTSD does not always look dramatic. Sometimes it looks like overthinking, staying busy, and trying to keep your mind from going places you do not want it to go. This conversation is about what happens when a veteran finds a healthier outlet and actually commits to it. Ken Webb talks about leaving the cycle of contract work behind, building a new life in Peru, and using writing to deal with fear, betrayal, and stress that did not disappear after service. He gets into the discipline it took to finish a novel, why he wrote the first draft by hand, and how reading and writing forced him to slow down and focus. He also shares how parts of his book were pulled from real experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan, along with the personal betrayal that pushed him to finally get the story out. This episode will connect with veterans who feel stuck in their own head, miss having a mission, or need a reminder that productive work can still be part of healing. It is honest, grounded, and useful. It also gives a clear look at how creative work can help someone process what happened without pretending the past never happened. Timestamps: 00:03:15 - He decides to stop waiting and start living 00:08:39 - The hard truth about PTSD and the past 00:11:15 - Why writing the villain was cathartic 00:21:30 - Ken talks honestly about fear in Iraq 00:30:31 - His advice for any veteran who wants to write Links & Resources Veteran Suicide & Crisis Line: Dial 988, then press 1 Website: https://www.kenwebb69.com Follow Ken Webb on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61574048104781 Follow Ken Webb on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/webbinator2000/ Transcript View the transcript for this episode.

    38 min
  3. Paragliding Recovery for Wounded Warriors

    APR 7

    Paragliding Recovery for Wounded Warriors

    A missed bus. A dead phone. Smoke over lower Manhattan. A life that should have ended at work that morning went in a completely different direction, and years later, it turned into a mission to help wounded warriors feel alive again. This conversation carries the weight of 9/11, the long shadow of war, and the hard truth that many veterans come home with pain nobody around them fully understands. It also brings something a lot of men need to hear. That healing does not always begin in a clinic or an office. Sometimes it starts when someone builds a place where veterans can breathe, move, and remember they still have a future. Lyubim Kogan shares how surviving the 9/11 attacks in New York City shaped the way he sees service and sacrifice, why the Red Cross became a major inspiration in his life, and how Wings 4 Heroes grew from a paragliding idea into a hands-on mission that includes physical therapy, community, and a deeper sense of purpose. Scott also opens up about grief after losing his brother in Afghanistan, the slow slide into anger and self-destruction, and the moment he finally reached for help. For veterans carrying loss, transition stress, survivor's guilt, or the feeling that nobody gets it, this episode might be what you were looking for. You will walk away with a stronger sense that recovery can take many forms, that support is out there even if you don't see it, and that one person taking action can change far more lives than you think. Timestamps: 00:07:52 - The missed bus that kept him out of the towers 00:29:06 - How the Red Cross changed the way he sees service 00:39:00 - Scott explains how grief wrecked his life after Afghanistan 00:47:07 - The veteran resources too many people still do not know about 00:53:21 - How paragliding and physical therapy became Wings 4 Heroes Links & Resources Veteran Suicide & Crisis Line: Dial 988, then press 1 Website: https://www.wings4heroes.org Follow Wings 4 Heroes on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wings4heroes Follow Wings 4 Heroes on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wings4heroes Transcript View the transcript for this episode.

    1h 19m
  4. What Keeps Vets Alive After Service

    MAR 31

    What Keeps Vets Alive After Service

    The stress does not stay at work. It follows you into your sleep, your marriage, and your patience with your kids. Guest, Johnnie Gilpen, talks about a stretch in pediatric emergency medicine where he lost six kids in a short time and had to face a direct question from a colleague about how he was coping. He explains the three supports he relies on: faith, three people he can call without hesitation, and counseling plus honest conversation. He connects it to a simple military idea, the three-man foxhole, and shows how to set that up in civilian life so you are not isolated when things get heavy. He closes with writing and storytelling, including Warhorse Journal, and how putting events on paper can help your spouse understand what you have not been able to say out loud. Timestamps: 03:15: Losing six kids fast and the coping question 04:45: The three supports he uses every time 06:15: A Vietnam-era dad and the cost of staying silent 11:00: Building a three-person call list and using it early 28:30: Writing small stories that change home life Links & Resources Veteran Suicide & Crisis Line: Dial 988, then press 1 Website: https://www.johnniegilpen.com Follow Johnnie Gilpen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnniegilpen/ Transcript View the transcript for this episode.

    44 min
  5. A Veteran Uses Poetry To Process

    MAR 24

    A Veteran Uses Poetry To Process

    A civilian job can pay well and still leave a veteran feeling irritated and restless by the end of the day. Alan Brown breaks down the parts of military life that disappear first after retirement: the uniform, the PT, the daily contact with soldiers, and the built in group that understands the standard without a long explanation. He retired in January 2020 after 23 years in the Army, and he describes the mix of frustration and trial and error that followed while he searched for work that felt like it mattered. The conversation also gets practical. Alan explains how he uses writing as a focused way to slow down and sort out memories from active duty and the pressure of family life. He spent the summer of 2025 revising poems he wrote years earlier, then published a collection in September 2025 on Amazon titled When the Uniform No Longer Fits: Reflections on Military Service, Family, and Being a Veteran. Many of the poems are autobiographical and written for veterans, active duty service members, and family members who want a clearer view of what service leaves behind. Key moments are below. Timestamps: 01:30: Retired after 23 years and still sorting out the next job 08:12: The loss of camaraderie 16:30: Working at full speed while coworkers move slower and the anger that builds 17:00: Writing started in college and turned into a way to put thoughts on the page 35:52: When the Uniform No Longer Fits Links & Resources Veteran Suicide & Crisis Line: Dial 988, then press 1 When the Uniform No Longer Fits Book: https://www.amazon.com/When-Uniform-Longer-Fits-Reflections/dp/B0FSYTQ777/ Transcript View the transcript for this episode.

    50 min
  6. A Good Death Starts Today

    MAR 17

    A Good Death Starts Today

    Hospitals can strip you down fast, not just physically, but mentally. You walk in hurting, and the system can make you feel lucky to be there at all. Dr. Pamela Pyle trained inside a VA hospital where camaraderie filled open wards, and she has spent decades watching what helps people fight for better care, and what quietly breaks them. This conversation gets practical fast: why the first answer is often no, how to push past it, how to get a second opinion, and how to walk in with a plan so you do not leave feeling powerless. Then it turns personal and heavy in the best way, with the moment a dying patient gave her a phrase that changed everything: a good death is built by how you live right now. If you are carrying depression, PTSD, or that numb, isolated feeling where it takes everything just to make it to tomorrow, you will also hear real treatment hope, plus a peer-to-peer tool built for the moments when talking to your spouse or a clinician feels impossible. Timestamps: 14:30 - The "stripping" effect that steals your control the moment you enter the system 17:00 - Knowledge is power, the questions that change your care and your confidence 19:45 - A patient's final words that reshaped how to live with purpose now 31:30 - PTSD and depression treatment hope, including EMDR and newer options she's seeing 32:45 - White Flag App, peer support in your lane when you need an assist right away Links & Resources Veteran Suicide & Crisis Line: Dial 988, then press 1 Website: https://drpamela.com Follow Pamela Pyle on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drpamelapyle Follow Pamela Pyle on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drpamelapyle/ Follow Pamela Pyle on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamela-prince-pyle-48323028/ White Flag App: https://www.whiteflagapp.com/ Transcript View the transcript for this episode.

    45 min
  7. TAPS Suicide Prevention And Postvention

    MAR 10

    TAPS Suicide Prevention And Postvention

    Home should feel like the safe part. For many veterans, it is the opposite. The noise is gone, the mission is gone, and the people around you might not know how to read the signs when you are running low. That is where isolation starts, and isolation is where things can get dangerous fast. This conversation pulls you into the real stakes of suicide prevention through the eyes of someone who has lived the aftermath. You will hear why suicide loss hits far beyond one household, why "I do not want to say the wrong thing" keeps too many of us quiet, and how a simple, direct question can create enough space for a crisis to settle. Carla also shares how her own story began: a young Marine wife, pregnant, then suddenly a widow, trying to survive grief, trauma, and a community that did not know what to do with suicide loss. If you have ever worried about a buddy, a spouse, a coworker, or yourself, this gives you a grounded way to think about the next right move. You do not need a title or a uniform to help save a life. You need connection, a willingness to ask, and a plan to get to the next level of support. Timestamps: 07:45: One death, 135 people impacted, and why that number changes how you show up 17:30: Pregnant, widowed, and suddenly alone, how suicide loss cut her off from the community 26:30: "Are you thinking about suicide?" Why asking it out loud is the turning point 36:59: The myth that "nothing can stop it," and what actually helps in a crisis 52:39: The Military Mentor Program, purpose and connection for veterans who want to give back Links & Resources Veteran Suicide & Crisis Line: Dial 988, then press 1 Website: https://www.TAPS.org Follow TAPS on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TAPSorg/ Follow TAPS on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tapsorg Follow TAPS on Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/tapsorg Follow TAPS on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tragedy-assistance-program-for-survivors/ Follow TAPS on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/tapsorg Follow Carla Stumpf Patton on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carla-stumpf-patton-edd-lmhc-1a242936 Transcript View the transcript for this episode.

    57 min
  8. Free VA Eye Care Most Vets Don't Know About

    MAR 3

    Free VA Eye Care Most Vets Don't Know About

    A lot of veterans grind through blurry vision, eye strain, and overpriced frames because nobody ever told them the VA can cover eye exams and prescription glasses. This episode puts that benefit in plain language, straight from a fellow infantryman who now runs the operation that fills millions of prescriptions for veterans each year. You will hear how Sean Loosen moved from West Point to Iraq, felt the culture shock of civilian work, and eventually stepped into leading PDS Optical, a company built around Pride, Dignity, and Service. Then the conversation locks onto the practical stuff veterans actually need, including who qualifies for VA eye care, how the VA workflow moves from optometrist to optician, and why the process can be smoother and faster than most people expect. It closes with a look at what it means to serve beyond the job, including their Honor Flight sponsorship. Timestamps: 04:15 - The VA glasses benefit 06:09 - Civilian culture shock and finding purpose again 14:00 - Eligibility based on service-connected disability and the PACT Act ripple 22:15 - Fast turnaround times 26:15 - Honor Flight sponsorship and the emotion behind giving back Links & Resources Veteran Suicide & Crisis Line: Dial 988, then press 1 Website: https://pdsoptical.com/ VA Vision Care Information: https://www.va.gov/health-care/about-va-health-benefits/vision-care/ Follow Sean Loosen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-loosen/ Transcript View the transcript for this episode.

    38 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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