This Memorial Day, Andy speaks with veteran and politician, Jason Kander. Jason has long been candid about his experiences with PTSD but also how post-traumatic growth is possible. He and Andy talk about challenging assumptions about what’s appropriate to feel, accepting help, and how COVID-19 has been so traumatizing for people. They also discuss voter suppression and the importance of making sure everyone has a voice in American politics.

Keep up with Andy on Twitter @ASlavitt and Instagram @andyslavitt, and find Jason at @JasonKander on Twitter and @jasonkander on Instagram.

In the Bubble is supported in part by listeners like you. You can become a member, get exclusive bonus content, ask Andy questions, and get discounted merch at https://www.lemonadamedia.com/inthebubble/

Check out our fantastic show sponsor this week! Teladoc provides access to certified doctors from the comfort and safety of home. Register now at https://www.teladoc.com/

Here are some other important resources from today’s show:

Learn more about protecting voting rights and support the work of Let America Vote here: www.letamericavote.org

Check out Veteran’s Community Project and find out how you can support their work here: https://www.veteranscommunityproject.org/

If you or a loved one is in crisis you can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline here: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/

Jason’s book Outside the Wire is available now: https://jasonkander.com/outsidethewire/

Jason created a podcast with some incredible resources for talking to friends and family across political divides. Check it out here: https://crooked.com/podcast-series/majority-54/

Jason mentioned the book Tribe by Sebastian Junger. You can find it here: http://www.sebastianjunger.com/tribe-by-sebastian-junger

We hope you want to listen to In the Bubble with your family, or talk to them after you listen about what you’ve heard. We want families to be able to discuss this content across the generations, and we are producing it with that in mind. To that end, we’re going to start to offer a discussion prompt based on one central theme from each new episode, broken down with developmentally appropriate age bands to keep the conversation going. 

Discussion Prompt: Be Open To Talking

Jason Kander says in today’s episode, “everybody's going through this right now together and it's difficult in a lot of different ways. But you’ve just got to be really open to talking to the people in your lives about it, because you can make a big difference in their life just by talking to them about it.”

For children under 5: What is the hardest thing about our new routines for you?

For children 5-12: It’s important to talk openly about things, especially when they are hard. What is the hardest thing for you about how things have changed since early March when schools closed?

For youth 12-18: Have you talked with any friends about the hardest parts of this new reality? What do your friends say is hardest? What is hardest for you? Sometimes talking openly with people about really hard things can help you and them process them better.

For the 18+ crowd: What’s a particularly challenging change for you over these last couple months, maybe even something you are working through that you are reluctant to talk about, because it’s naturally hard to talk about such things? 

To follow along with a transcript and/or take notes for friends and family, go to www.lemonadamedia.com/show/in-the-bubble shortly after the air date.

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