Silent Strength with Invisible Warriors

In this episode, Deborah Mallow, a motivational speaker and “ray of sunshine,” shares practical ways to choose happiness, interrupt negative thinking, and bring more light into everyday life. A central theme is the power of simple tools—like a gratitude jar—to retrain the brain to notice what is going right instead of what is wrong.​

Deborah is a positive energy and success coach who helps people shift out of self-sabotage and chronic negativity.​

She is the author of “6 Steps to Fewer Days That Suck,” where she offers stories, strategies, and science-backed tips for cultivating a more uplifting mindset.​

Negativity bias and the brain: How the brain’s ancient focus on problems and danger creates more “bad days” than necessary, and what it takes to interrupt that pattern.​

Being personally considerate: Treating yourself with the same kindness you offer others and replacing harsh self-talk with more supportive thoughts.​

Small daily practices: Simple habits—like dancing to a favorite song or using a “make me smile” box—that help your nervous system shift toward calm, joy, and resilience.​

Deborah explains the gratitude jar: writing one good thing each day on a slip of paper and dropping it into a jar to create a visible record of what’s going well.​

On tough days, pulling out a few slips offers concrete reminders that life holds many moments of joy, connection, and progress, even when current circumstances feel heavy.​

Start with one small shift: notice when your mind spirals into worst-case scenarios and gently ask, “What would I rather be thinking right now?”​

Create your own happiness tools: a gratitude jar, a smile box, or a short list of “go-to” feel-good activities to use when your mood dips.​

Remember that you have more control over your daily happiness than you think; your choices and focus can steadily lead to fewer days that “suck.”​

If you are dealing with trauma and want a way to lessen or rid yourself of the challenges, head over to ebt.org and see what it can do for you.

Trauma is difficult to acknowledge, difficult to handle and hard to eliminate from your life. Amanda Lee, an author and survivor of her own trauma, talks about how she has dealt with it and what she does to make it go away!

Tia shares her experiences as a young woman in the military, highlighting the prevalence of sexual harassment and assault. She recounts her own traumatic experience of being sexually assaulted by a superior and the reprimand she received for reporting it. Tia expresses concern for the wellbeing of female soldiers, noting that many face similar experiences. She also discusses her struggle with PTS and its impact on her life, which eventually leads her to seek help from the VA. Tia emphasizes the need for better support and resources for veterans dealing with trauma and PTS.

Tia discusses her journey with mental health services, including being misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder and experiencing suicidal thoughts. She expresses frustration with the lack of support from previous healthcare providers. However, after a session with 22Zero, a mental health organization, she experiences a significant improvement. Tia feels exhausted after the session, leading to better sleep and fewer nightmares. Her self-esteem and overall well-being improve, and she becomes an advocate for 22Zero, believing it saved her life.

Lisa discussed the unique challenges faced by women in the military who have experienced trauma. She highlighted the additional layer of trauma due to the betrayal of trust within the military community, as well as the lack of agency and safety. Lisa also pointed out the societal ignorance and disrespect faced by these women outside of the military. Nancy added to this, emphasizing the compounded trauma experienced by women veterans due to both military and societal factors. The conversation concluded with the importance of naming and understanding the various aspects of trauma to better address and support these women.

Nancy and Lisa discussed the impact of trauma on individuals, particularly those who have experienced it in the military. Nancy highlighted how trauma can affect people differently and how it can be difficult for them to seek support from family members or others. Lisa agreed, noting that trauma often starts within the family of origin and can impact every relationship in a person's life. She also emphasized that trauma can be invisible to the person experiencing it and that it can be triggered by various stimuli. Both agreed that trauma can be caused by both big and small events, and that compound trauma occurs when an individual experiences multiple successive traumatic episodes.

Nancy Becher introduces Invisible Warriors, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting women veterans dealing with PTSD, military trauma, and invisible illnesses. The organization aims to provide specialized resources and build a supportive community for these often overlooked heroes.

Women make up 17% of the U.S. military's active duty force, but face distinct challenges upon returning to civilian life. They struggle with reintegration, have higher rates of homelessness compared to male veterans, and often feel invisible or overlooked in predominantly male-oriented veteran spaces.

Invisible Warriors focuses on three key issues affecting women veterans: PTSD, military trauma, and invisible illnesses. These conditions can have devastating long-term impacts, but are often misunderstood or go unrecognized.

Invisible Warriors takes a comprehensive approach to supporting women veterans, offering individual and group therapy, workshops on coping skills and reintegration, career counseling, and a range of holistic services including nutrition, fitness, and creative therapies. The organization also fosters a strong peer support network.

Invisible Warriors has created the Invisible Warriors Club, a private, encrypted online platform where women can connect with others facing similar challenges without fear of their posts being taken down or their privacy violated.

Invisible Warriors is planning a 5-day outdoor retreat for women veterans, providing counseling, activities, and a supportive environment at no cost to participants. The organization is seeking sponsors and donors to fund this and other programs.

Invisible Warriors' work has the potential to transform lives and influence how veteran care is approached on a broader scale. The organization is advocating for systemic changes to better support women veterans, and invites volunteers and donors to join their important mission.

Managing chronic pain is overwhelming for those living with and providing treatment for chronic pain. The demand of patients’ complex needs cause provider burnout, while chronic pain sufferers describe their experience as an “invisible disability”.