From insider attack survivor to leadership expert — this is the untold cost of combat trauma and resilience.

In this episode of Unwritten Chapters, I sit down with Command Sergeant Major (Ret.) Bart Womack, author of Embedded Enemy. Bart shares his firsthand experience surviving a brutal insider attack during his time with the 101st Airborne Division, and what it taught him about trust, leadership, and mental toughness.

🔍 What you’ll hear:
– A harrowing account of the 2003 insider attack in Kuwait
– How trauma reshaped his view of service and security
– Critical leadership lessons from combat to civilian life
– The importance of situational awareness and mental resilience
– Why sharing these stories matters for our collective healing

This conversation goes beyond headlines — it’s a real look at how trauma tests character and forges strength.

🔔 Subscribe to Unwritten Chapters for more raw stories from the frontlines of trauma, healing, and survival.
#CombatTrauma #VeteranLeadership #EmbeddedEnemy #BartWomack #MentalHealth #UnwrittenChapters #Resilience #PTSDRecovery

Family trauma runs deep — and sometimes, it echoes through generations.
In this episode of Unwritten Chapters, I share a recent experience that reopened an old wound — a message from a family member that didn’t ask how I was, didn’t recognize what I’ve survived, but instead demanded justification.

I’ve been here before — having to explain why I’m hurting, why I left, why I needed distance. But this time, it wasn’t a sibling — it was someone from the next generation. And that’s when it hit me: family patterns don’t just persist. They multiply.

💬 What you’ll hear in this episode:
– The emotional toll of being asked to justify your pain
– Why boundaries are not betrayal
– How trauma survivors are often expected to be the most emotionally responsible
– What it means to finally stop apologizing for your healing
– The difference between love and control — and how to tell the two apart

👉 If you’ve ever had to explain your silence, your distance, or your healing — this chapter is for you.

#FamilyTrauma #BreakingTheCycle #EmotionalHealing #UnwrittenChapters #BoundariesAreLove #Estrangement #MentalHealthPodcast #SurvivorStories

Legal immigration shouldn’t feel like punishment — but for many, it does.

In this episode of Unwritten Chapters, I explore the emotional toll of doing everything “by the book” and still being left in limbo. Inspired by the stories of legal immigrants caught in the shadows of ICE raids — and my own stalled Veterans Affairs claim — this episode sheds light on the silent suffering inside systems that promise fairness but rarely deliver it.

🎧 What you’ll hear:
– The harsh truth behind “legal immigration” delays
– The real human cost of ICE raids on vulnerable families
– My personal journey with Veterans Affairs limbo
– Why bureaucracy is its own kind of trauma
– A call to build empathy beyond headlines

If you’ve ever waited for justice, for help, or even just for answers — this one’s for you.

🔔 Follow Unwritten Chapters for raw, honest stories from a veteran, medic, and survivor finding meaning in the wait.

#ImmigrationReform #VACDelay #ICEraids #MentalHealthPodcast #BureaucracyTrauma #VeteransVoices #HumanRights #PodcastWithPurpose #UnwrittenChapters

PTSD nearly ended my life in 2017. Last week, I used my recovery to save someone else's.
In this powerful episode for PTSD Awareness Month, I share my journey from diagnosis as a paramedic to real-world healing—culminating in a moment where my recovery truly came full circle.

🎧 What You’ll Hear:
– My PTSD diagnosis and mental health crash in 2017
– Why PTSD in first responders is often misunderstood
– Performing CPR on someone close to me—and they lived
– What recovery actually looks like (and why it’s worth it)

#PTSDRecovery #ParamedicLife #MentalHealthAwareness #FirstResponderPTSD #UnwrittenChapters

👉 Follow for real stories of trauma, resilience, and life after survival.

If you drink 0.0 beer, you're not broken — and you haven't failed.

In this episode of Unwritten Chapters, I speak from experience about the nuance of sobriety — including why I used 0.0 beer early in my recovery, why I’ve moved away from it, and why I still don’t believe it’s a relapse.

Recovery is personal. It’s not a template. And if you’ve ever felt judged for how you stay sober — this one’s for you.

🔍 In this episode:

• Why 0.0 beer helped me in early sobriety

• Why I walked away from it — without shame

• Why I don’t attend AA — and how I still stay sober

• How to own your recovery, your way

#SobrietyJourney #SoberNotSilent #AddictionRecovery #MentalHealthPodcast #UnwrittenChapters

Follow for raw reflections on recovery, trauma, and rewriting your ending — from a former medic and sober writer.

📚 Love whatyou heard? There’s more.
I’m Matthew Heneghan — a former military and civilian medic, now a sober writersharing raw stories about trauma, grief, addiction, and healing.

🎙 Listento the full podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/5hmuMofDnEkc8Ec9MqGHmC
📰 Subscribe to my newsletter for reflectionsI don’t share anywhere else: https://substack.com/@unwrittenchapterspodcast?utm_source=user-menu

📚 Read my books:

A Medic’sMind: https://a.co/d/fyBwpo1

Woven inWar: https://a.co/d/6DlWdg6

Life AfterLoss: Reflections on Moments of Grace and Courage in Grief: https://a.co/d/2U4zSG4

Dream:Tales from the Pikes Peak Writers: https://a.co/d/cbi7A9n

BrainstormRevolution: True mental health stories of love, personal evolution, andcultural revolution: https://a.co/d/gatLrby

A Versionof Me: Askew's Word on the Lake Anthology 2024: https://a.co/d/iEON2Rw

🌐 Visit: www.amedicsmind.com
📸 Follow me: @UnwrittenChaptersPodcaston Instagram

Because thenext chapter is still unwritten — and you don’t have to write it alone.

In this episode of Unwritten Chapters, I re-release my CBC Daybreak interview with host Sarah Penton — a raw and reflective conversation recorded after I was awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal.

Though the honour was official, what we talk about here is much deeper: the real cost of service, the lifelong weight of trauma, and what it means to be recognized for simply surviving.

I may not be at full vocal strength today — but the words in this interview still carry weight.

🎙 Originally aired March 2025
🔔 Subscribe for personal stories on healing, identity, and the truths behind the uniform.

#VeteranVoices #MentalHealthPodcast #CBCInterview #CoronationMedal #TraumaHealing #ServiceAndSacrifice #UnwrittenChapters #CanadianVeterans #StorytellingPodcast

📚 Love whatyou heard? There’s more.
I’m Matthew Heneghan — a former military and civilian medic, now a sober writersharing raw stories about trauma, grief, addiction, and healing.

🎙 Listento the full podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/5hmuMofDnEkc8Ec9MqGHmC
📰 Subscribe to my newsletter for reflectionsI don’t share anywhere else: https://substack.com/@unwrittenchapterspodcast?utm_source=user-menu

📚 Read my books:

A Medic’sMind: https://a.co/d/fyBwpo1

Woven inWar: https://a.co/d/6DlWdg6

Life AfterLoss: Reflections on Moments of Grace and Courage in Grief: https://a.co/d/2U4zSG4

Dream:Tales from the Pikes Peak Writers: https://a.co/d/cbi7A9n

BrainstormRevolution: True mental health stories of love, personal evolution, andcultural revolution: https://a.co/d/gatLrby

A Versionof Me: Askew's Word on the Lake Anthology 2024: https://a.co/d/iEON2Rw

🌐 Visit: www.amedicsmind.com
📸 Follow me: @UnwrittenChaptersPodcaston Instagram

Because thenext chapter is still unwritten — and you don’t have to write it alone.

In this special episode of Unwritten Chapters, I’m sharing a powerful conversation from the archives — my guest interview on The Last Show with David Cooper. As I take some time off to recover from illness, I wanted to bring you a previously aired episode that explores themes central to this podcast: mental health, PTSD, addiction recovery, grief, trauma, healing, and life after service.

We talk candidly about post-traumatic stress, the challenges of living with anxiety and depression, and how storytelling has become a tool for connection, reflection, and survival. Whether you’re a veteran, first responder, or someone navigating personal loss, this conversation offers insight, support, and shared experience.

If you're looking for a podcast about mental health journeys, recovery after trauma, or simply need to hear an honest, human story — this episode is for you. Please consider sharing it with someone who might benefit from these words.

🎧 Topics covered: PTSD, trauma recovery, mental health awareness, addiction, grief, anxiety, veteran stories, podcast interview, emotional resilience, therapy, sobriety, storytelling

📚 Love whatyou heard? There’s more.
I’m Matthew Heneghan — a former military and civilian medic, now a sober writersharing raw stories about trauma, grief, addiction, and healing.

🎙 Listento the full podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/5hmuMofDnEkc8Ec9MqGHmC
📰 Subscribe to my newsletter for reflectionsI don’t share anywhere else: https://substack.com/@unwrittenchapterspodcast?utm_source=user-menu

📚 Read my books:

A Medic’sMind: https://a.co/d/fyBwpo1

Woven inWar: https://a.co/d/6DlWdg6

Life AfterLoss: Reflections on Moments of Grace and Courage in Grief: https://a.co/d/2U4zSG4

Dream:Tales from the Pikes Peak Writers: https://a.co/d/cbi7A9n

BrainstormRevolution: True mental health stories of love, personal evolution, andcultural revolution: https://a.co/d/gatLrby

A Versionof Me: Askew's Word on the Lake Anthology 2024: https://a.co/d/iEON2Rw

🌐 Visit: www.amedicsmind.com
📸 Follow me: @UnwrittenChaptersPodcaston Instagram

Because thenext chapter is still unwritten — and you don’t have to write it alone.

You don't have to follow the 12 steps to stay sober — sometimes, you have to create your own.
In this episode of Unwritten Chapters, I reveal the 12 real-world strategies that helped me stay sober after rehab — without ever attending an AA meeting again.

This is for anyone who feels lost outside the traditional recovery system.
It's not about rejecting AA — it's about finding YOUR path to healing.

Inside this episode:
– Why AA didn't fit my story after rehab
– The daily habits that kept me grounded
– How trauma recovery shaped my sobriety journey
– Building resilience without a sponsor or steps
– The power of community, creativity, and self-forgiveness

#Sobriety #AlcoholFreeLife #RecoveryJourney #UnwrittenChapters #AddictionRecovery #MentalHealthAwareness #SelfHealing #PTSDRecovery

Follow for raw, honest reflections from a former medic finding healing one unwritten chapter at a time.

📚 Love whatyou heard? There’s more.
I’m Matthew Heneghan — a former military and civilian medic, now a sober writersharing raw stories about trauma, grief, addiction, and healing.

🎙 Listento the full podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/5hmuMofDnEkc8Ec9MqGHmC
📰 Subscribe to my newsletter for reflectionsI don’t share anywhere else: https://substack.com/@unwrittenchapterspodcast?utm_source=user-menu

📚 Read my books:

A Medic’sMind: https://a.co/d/fyBwpo1

Woven inWar: https://a.co/d/6DlWdg6

Life AfterLoss: Reflections on Moments of Grace and Courage in Grief: https://a.co/d/2U4zSG4

Dream:Tales from the Pikes Peak Writers: https://a.co/d/cbi7A9n

BrainstormRevolution: True mental health stories of love, personal evolution, andcultural revolution: https://a.co/d/gatLrby

A Versionof Me: Askew's Word on the Lake Anthology 2024: https://a.co/d/iEON2Rw

🌐 Visit: www.amedicsmind.com
📸 Follow me: @UnwrittenChaptersPodcaston Instagram

Because the next chapter is still unwritten — and you don’t have to write it alone.