Dr. Rob Whitley, an associate professor of psychiatry at McGill University and a researcher at the Douglas Research Center, will be discussing the important topic of veterans' mental health, resilience, and recovery. His research shows men and veterans prefer action-oriented healing modalities, such as fishing and hunting and shoulder-to-shoulder activities.

Welcome to The Hard To Kill Podcast, hosted by army veteran, founder, author, ironman, dad, science teacher and content creator, Dave Morrow. On this podcast you'll hear how to get leaner, fitter and harder to kill and the many lessons to help Dave reach his goal of helping 100k veterans lose 2 million pounds. 

Timestamps:

[00:01:43] Podcast host Dave Morrow aims to improve the health and wellness of military personnel by sharing insightful information. He encourages veterans to sign up for his newsletter and support his business through Patreon. In this episode, he speaks with Dr. Whitley, an expert on veterans' mental health and recovery.

[00:04:14] Wild weather caused chaos and power outages.

[00:07:39] Researcher focuses on people and mental health.

[00:10:47] Men's mental health gains visibility, but challenges persist.

[00:14:24] Recovery model in psychiatry challenges traditional views.

[00:20:30] Research shows men and veterans prefer action-oriented healing modalities, such as fishing and hunting. Shoulder-to-shoulder activities are beneficial for men's mental health. Peer support groups are also helpful. One-size-fits-all mental health treatments are not sufficient. Funding community groups may be a better investment.

[00:25:18] Bureaucracy, wilderness adventures, and communication differences.

[00:30:41] Diverse programs, online support, and setting goals.

[00:35:17] Veterans seek camaraderie and community for healing.

[00:41:07] War impacts veterans, but understanding is lacking.

[00:45:04] Teachers and community leaders should have military experience. Suicide rates are higher among veterans. Programs should be created to mimic military life.

[00:48:10] Veterans struggled with nonadaptive institutions, missed opportunities.

[00:53:00] Retired lieutenant colonel criticizes general staff.

[00:56:21] More effort needed to help veterans thrive.

[00:59:09] Willing to partner with grassroots groups; email me.

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