Ultramarathons to Fight Addiction and Prevent Suicide
Happy Monday all. If you’re reading this, here’s the reminder you needed that you have air in your lungs and time. Get something done and make a difference.
Podcast Episode 2 - Conrad Jeffries
High Impact Segment 26:00 - 31:20
This was a bit of an emotional episode for me. We talked with Conrad about some of the biggest issues facing our military today; alcohol and suicide. If you’ve served, you’ve been impacted by both of these in a major way.
Military culture perpetuates alcohol abuse. Our service members are attempting to handle and cope with tremendous problems - family separation, long hours, financial hardships, the list goes on. The military mental health stigma removes the ability for service members ability to seek counseling for these issues out of fear of the repercussions. These include loss of security clearance, removal from work space, put on administrative hold, etc. We have a long way to go to get rid of this stigma and get the help and coping skills to the people who need them most.
Conrad had a quote in this segment that really hit me - “Emotion will take you to the drink every time”. If you or someone you know is struggling with alcohol, there are options and resources available. First and foremost is us - send us an email back here and we’d love to talk with you. Second is the Veterans Crisis line: 1-800-273-8255.
There are people willing to listen and talk. Don’t let the alcohol be in control.
Where To Learn More
You can check out everything Conrad is doing at Shot At Dawn Project website and his personal Instagram @ConradJeffries.
This Week On The Podcast
This Wednesday, we speak with Dario DiBattista. Our conversation ranges from topics including the problems with VA healthcare, why no one cares about veterans stories, and how powerful writing can be when it comes to processing and validating your own story. Dario is a writer and the editor of Retire the Colors. I’m currently reading through this collection of stories and been impressed with his attention to detail.
An Interesting Veteran
As we hunt to talk to interesting AD members and veterans, we come across some extremely talented people that we want to highlight.
Recently I stumbled upon an online knife shop owned and operated by a former USMC infantry veteran. I participated in a monthly charity auction for a bowie knife in support of the Travis Mills Foundation. The knife is truly a thing of beauty.
This is going to be an essential in my hunting pack going forward. If you’re in the market for a great knife or looking for a great gift for the hunter/outdoorsman/badass in your life, check out Striped Dog Forge. The SDF monthly auction begins today for this blade - auction takes place on Instagram @stripeddogforge.
“I can’t give you a surefire formula for success, but I can give you a formula for failure: try to please everybody all the time”
Herbert Bayard Swope
Stay hard.
-SC