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Episode 136: From Crisis to Connection with Brad Shepard

What happens when the crisis isn’t on the call sheet, but inside you?

In this episode of After the Tones Drop, I sit down with retired Oklahoma Highway Patrol Captain Brad Shepherd for one of the most honest conversations we’ve had about what it really takes to survive the weight of this work.

Brad shares his journey through decades of law enforcement, building peer support teams, and eventually facing a personal reckoning marked by alcoholism, betrayal, loss, and isolation. We talk openly about the realities first responders don’t often say out loud. The cumulative toll of trauma. The danger of believing you have to carry it all alone. And the moment when surrender becomes the only way forward.

This conversation dives deep into the power of surrender, storytelling, and community. Brad explains how vulnerability became a lifeline, how peer support and recovery spaces quite literally saved his life, and why telling your story can open the door for someone else to find hope.

If you’re a first responder, a veteran, or someone who loves one, this episode is a reminder that strength isn’t found in silence and healing doesn’t happen in isolation.

You are not alone. And your story matters.

DISCLAIMER:
After the Tones Drop has been presented and sponsored by Whole House Counseling. After the Tones Drop is for informational purposes only and does not constitute for medical or psychological advice. It is not a substitute for professional health care advice diagnosis or treatment. Please contact a local mental health professional in your area if you are in need of assistance. You can also visit our shows resources page for an abundance of helpful information.

ATTD Music Credits (Music from #Uppbeat):

• https://uppbeat.io/t/vens-adams/adventure-is-calling License code: ANJCYVHRMULSNKQR
• https://uppbeat.io/t/vens-adams/rise-of-the-hero License code: H4WTAGJZIXZCM8DM
• https://uppbeat.io/t/yeti-music/homewardLicense code: KO7FZAIJBAEAJLKE
• https://uppbeat.io/t/sonda/the-heart-grows License code: KAID0ITO96GJZAPS
• https://uppbeat.io/t/philip-anderson/achievement License code: XZ4PMCKHW94GUR74
• https://uppbeat.io/t/tobias-voigt/nexus
  License code: MVMDRGHKHTJRABVR
• https://uppbeat.io/t/paul-yudin/breakthrough
  License code: FYPM3OJF0NQ4OGTE