Chasing Thoughts | S01 E10: Keith’s Journey Part One

Embark on a powerful journey with hosts Mindy Aisling and Keith Dauch as they delve into the profound challenges and triumphant moments of rebuilding one's identity after military service. In this episode Mindy guides Keith in sharing his story of military service and the challenges he faces as a veteran. Keith lived for fifteen years with PTSD without knowing what was wrong with him. Once he learned about PTSD and realized all the things he thought were “wrong” with him were symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress, he believed his hope would be found at the VA. This only began a fight with the VA which lasted several years to get the help he needed. Keith finally decided to figure out his problems for himself. He enrolled in college and studied Anthropology, where he looked at his mind as if it was its own independent culture. From this point Keith learned the reason for the behaviors and feelings that were hollowing him out, and he set out to retrain his mind and build an identity that served him as a Veteran. Mindy brings a compassionate and understanding atmosphere, as together, they explore the complexities of post-military identity. We hope you join the conversation as we explore the challenges and triumphs of rebuilding identity after military service. 00:00:00 Introduction 00:01:03 The beginning 00:04:34 Seeing the world outside of church 00:05:47 High stress with a lot of fun 00:07:11 Journey into the military 00:08:14 the technique of war verse the emotional aspect 00:10:26 PTSD 00:12:06 The failing of the military 00:15:46 Gnarly experiences 00:19:46 Beliefs that I’m weak and a coward 00:20:46 Dehumanizing the enemy 00:21:24 Coming home from Bosnia 00:25:26 There is no place for help 00:30:37 Adventures with the VA 00:33:46 PSA—Nobody gets to minimize your trauma 00:36:15 Going outside the VA 00:37:34 I didn’t understand what was wrong with me 00:40:24 Recognizing the effects of trauma in the moment 00:40:55 How I got to this point 00:44:52 Finally get to see a steady doctor at the VA 00:49:21 PSA—Your doctor is not an expert on you—but you are 00:52:30 Try again with a new doctor 00:55:14 Even with a good doctor I’m not getting better—I’ll figure this out for myself 00:55:35 Rite of passage model 1:02:00 Purpose of Basic Training—an identity shift 1:02:38 New relationship with identity 1:13:58 Cannabis as a tool More about Keith and Mindy: Mindy Aisling (@mindyaisling) www.mindyaisling.com [email protected] Keith Dauch (@mastercheeseee) www.breakpointcoaching.org [email protected]