Mind Beyond the Mission

Major (Ret’d) Mark Campbell was wounded in 2008 while serving in Afghanistan with the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry. He lost both of his legs and his military career came to a sudden halt after 34 years of service. That instant in time marked a massive transformation in Mark’s life and that of his wife Donna, herself a Warrant Officer with 30 years of service in the Ca...

When people develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), certain parts of their brain can be over- or underactivated, triggering thoughts, emotions, moods and behaviours that can be unhelpful or distressing. These responses can be unconscious and happen very quickly, making them hard to manage. Neurofeedback therapy helps people learn how to self-control brain activity and regulate PTSD symptoms....

Posttraumatic stress injuries (PTSIs) can have many impacts on health and well-being. This can create unique challenges when it comes to fostering and maintaining healthy relationships with loved ones. Many Veterans and Family members living with PTSIs face struggles with sex and intimacy, and stigma around the subject can make it uncomfortable to talk about or seek support. Dr. Candice Monson is...

Posttraumatic growth can be defined as, “positive personal changes that result from the survival struggle to deal with trauma and its psychological consequences.” The process of traumatic growth can lead to improved relationships with others, more compassion, openness, appreciation for life, spiritual growth, and personal strength. This personal growth extends beyond pre-trauma functioning. Jason...

The ongoing situation in Ukraine has significant potential impact on the mental health and well-being of Canadian Veterans and their Family members. Watching events unfold, including images of conflict, can be not only distressing but also re-traumatizing. Many Veterans have shared that they feel like they are re-living their mission in Sarajevo. Family members of Veterans are observing and suppor...

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is defined as damage to the brain from applied force. It can come from hitting one’s head, or even from a strike to the body that jolts the head. Symptoms can range from being mild enough that they go unnoticed and untreated, to severe enough that an individual can be in a coma for a prolonged period of time. Military TBI has recently come to the forefront as one of...

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is damage to the brain from applied force. It can come from hitting your head, or even from a strike to the body that jolts your head. Symptoms can range from being mild enough that they go unnoticed and untreated, to severe enough that an individual could be in a coma for a prolonged period of time. Military TBI has recently come to the forefront as one of the invis...

When imagining the experience of serving in the military, a sense of belonging often comes to mind. We may picture soldiers marching in unison, living in close quarters, watching each other's six. We hear terms like brotherhood and sisterhood, esprit de corps and camaraderie. So why it is that several recent studies show that many Veterans are experiencing loneliness at alarming rates? In thi...

What does it mean to grieve the loss of someone who’s still alive? Can we mourn the life we thought we’d have while still appreciating the one we’ve got? Many Veteran Family members can relate to the experience of feeling grief, even when they haven’t actually lost a loved one. We can deeply grieve the person our loved one used to be, the people we used to be, or the lives we thought we would have...

While communication is a critical skill for anyone serving in the military, it can often become a challenge for Veterans living with a traumatic stress injury. Veterans and their Family members can face unexpected barriers that impede the open, safe communication that every relationship thrives on. In this episode, Brian and Laryssa draw from their own experiences to share strategies and resources...

"It often comes down to a decision that a person has to make in the moment and then they’re second guessing that decision for the rest of their life with the disadvantage of having hindsight." Moral injury is a relatively new term in the mental health research sphere, but one that countless Veterans can relate to from lived experience. Moral injury refers to the psychological, social, an...

In this second episode of Mind Beyond the Mission , Brian and Laryssa are joined by Polly Maher, Lived Experience Lead – Families at the Atlas Institute, to discuss how Veteran Family members are impacted by mental health and operational stress injuries. The spouse of a Veteran living with PTSD, Polly shares personal experiences of balancing motherhood, work life, her own well-being, and her spous...

Meet our hosts, Brian McKenna, retired warrant officer with the Canadian Armed Forces and Laryssa Lamrock, military mother and daughter, and partner of a Veteran.   Our first episode introduces Brian and Laryssa, and explores what it’s like to be a Veteran and a Veteran Family member living with PTSD. As experts of their own experiences, they are candid about what a PTSD diagnosis really meant for...