Locked, Loaded, and Listening: Hunting, Healing, and Hearing Loss with Darren Zenger

In this episode of The Blind Chick, hosts Penn and Moses sit down with therapist and avid hunter Darren Zenger for a powerful, raw, and deeply insightful conversation. Darren shares his journey of vision and hearing loss, recovery through the 12-step program, and how he rediscovered his love for the outdoors and hunting using adaptive tech and strong community support. The conversation dives into trauma, addiction, neuroplasticity, and the importance of family systems in healing. Darren's story reveals how blindness and deafness don’t limit one's identity—they demand innovation, patience, and community. Plus, you won’t want to miss the story of how Darren bagged a deer at over 500 yards using adaptive hunting gear. ⏱️ Chapter Markers 00:00 – Welcome to The Blind Chick 00:28 – Meet Darren Zenger: Therapist, hunter, and mental health advocate 01:45 – The link between trauma and addiction 02:50 – Vision loss and its role in addiction risk 04:10 – Medications and treatments for curbing addiction 05:15 – The importance of mental health in recovery 06:00 – Brain spotting, neuroplasticity, and healing the unseen 09:45 – The blind brain: how sensory loss rewires neural activity 11:20 – Family systems and community in recovery 12:15 – The opposite of addiction is connection 13:30 – Everyday trauma in the blind community 14:10 – Can blind people hunt? (Short answer: YES!) 16:00 – Adaptive hunting: crossbows, scopes, and 5-inch monitors 18:50 – Taking the shot: a 525-yard success 21:15 – Hunting as healing and connection 23:40 – Final thoughts: resilience, community, and not letting blindness define you 25:35 – Closing remarks: Be kind to yourself—and someone else 📞 Contact Info Website: aftersight.org Email: [email protected] Phone: (720) 712-8856