David Carlson is a Whole Wellness Coach at Milkweed Connections LLC, a company founded in 2019 to provide consumers with actionable strategies to overcome addictions, emotional turmoil, and mental health disorders so they can regain their independence and create a healthier lifestyle. David is also a CrossFit trainer at Momentum Sport Fitness, a Rights for All Organizer at ACLU, and an Army National Guard veteran, where he achieved the rank of Sergeant. While serving his country, David completed two tours in Iraq, where he received several honors and awards.

David joins me today to discuss his troubling childhood upbringing - from being raised in chronic toxic environments, acting out, and getting in trouble with the law to joining the military and rebuilding his life. He shares his battles with substance abuse, why he chose to join the Army National Guard, and how the structure and discipline he received during basic and infantry training improved his perspective about his self-worth and his sense of identity. He shares his experiences while serving two tours in Iraq and the stark differences in structure and discipline between military life and civilian culture. He also shares his experiences with losing sight of his purpose in life, how CrossFit and what inspired him to dedicate his life to serving and helping others.

“It’s not someone just throwing textbook ideas at you. You need someone to walk by you through that.” - David Carlson

This week on the Stigma Free Vet Zone Podcast:

David’s childhood upbringing, being raised in toxic environments, and why he decided to join the militaryDavid’s struggles with alcoholism and how it affected his lifeHow serving in the military gave David a sense of pride, respect, self-worth, and sense of identityLeaving home to serve his first tour in IraqWhy he struggled with maintaining discipline after returning homeFeeling ‘let down’ by the stark differences between his expectations of serving his country versus the realities of warFeelings of being responsible for your comrades’ war injuries and fatalitiesStaying committed to maintaining discipline and structure after returning to civilian lifeDavid’s experiences during his second tour in Iraq, how it changed his personality and how he dealt with his post-combat-related depression and suicidal thoughtsWhy he served time in prison, his experiences while there, and why he finally decided to rebuild his lifeWhat inspired him to devote his life to helping other veterans rebuild their lives after the militaryHow CrossFit helps David address the emotional turmoil he still experiences after returning home from combatWhy David believes PTSD never truly goes away - you just develop better coping mechanismsHis opinion and perspective of using medications, peer-counseling support, and VA treatment programs to address combat-related mental health disordersWhy it’s critical for veterans to connect with other veterans for support

Helping Veterans & Their Families Transition to Civilian Life

Thanks for tuning into this segment of the Stigma Free Vet Zone podcast, the show dedicated to helping veterans and their families make the transition from the military to civilian life and culture. If you enjoyed this episode, please head over to Apple Podcasts to subscribe to the show and leave a review. For more stories, insight, and resources on coping with military-related trauma and PTSD, visit our website and follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn. Don’t forget to share your favorite episodes across social media to help us raise awareness and help our brothers and sisters and their families transition to civilian life.

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