In this episode of Mind Beyond the Mission, hosts Brian and Laryssa dive into the topic of “biting off more than you can chew” as it relates to Veterans, their Families and those who serve in caregiving roles.

Sharing candid stories and personal experiences, they explore how easy it is to become overwhelmed when supporting others while managing your own mental health and the day-to-day challenges that come up. Their conversation highlights the complexity of balancing care for loved ones while maintaining your own personal well-being, and how setting boundaries can feel both necessary but incredibly difficult.

Key topics

• The unique pressures faced by Veterans and their Families around mental health and recovery
• The challenges around supporting others while managing your own mental health
• The importance of boundaries and maintaining a personal “reserve”
• Strategies to empower others to support themselves instead of doing everything for them
• The risks and realities of burnout and compassion fatigue
• The significance of small tasks accumulating into overwhelming responsibilities

Resources

• Hope in hand: Honouring our needs this holiday season
• For Families: Supporting yourself when your loved one is struggling with a posttraumatic stress injury
• Looking after yourself and others — a toolkit of practical information and guidance on suicide prevention for Veteran Families
• Resources for Families and friends — including information on signs and symptoms of posttraumatic stress injuries, potential impacts on Families, navigating challenging relationship dynamics and coping strategies
• Peer support program directory — an online directory of peer support programs that are available to Veterans and their Families, searchable by location
• Military sexual trauma: Self-care for Family members — learn about self-care and setting boundaries
• Veteran Family Summit 2026 — January 22 – 23, 2026

Lire en français : https://atl-as.ca/mbtm-ep34

In this episode of Mind Beyond the Mission, hosts Brian McKenna and Laryssa Lamrock welcome returning guest Ryan Carey — a Canadian Armed Forces Veteran, former Canadian Football League (CFL) player, musician and football coach — for a candid conversation about brain health, traumatic brain injury and life after service.

Ryan shares insights from both his military and professional athletic experiences, diving into how repetitive impacts can affect brain function and sharing practical strategies for maintaining brain health. Brian, Laryssa and Ryan also explore the often-overlooked role of Family members and caregivers, the unspoken realities around transition to post-service life and the ongoing evolution in safety practices in the military and in sports. Throughout the discussion they highlight the importance of self-care, solidarity and peer support in navigating both physical and psychological challenges.

Ryan Carey was drafted fourth overall in the 1994 CFL draft and played for five years with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the Saskatchewan Roughriders. He served as an infantry officer in the Royal Canadian Regiment from 2002 to 2016. Ryan is a brain donor and leader of Project Enlist, which brings awareness to head injuries in the military for the Concussion Legacy Foundation Canada.

Key topics

• The physical and psychological impacts of repetitive head trauma
• Practical strategies for managing brain health
• Advancements in military and sports organizations' understanding of brain health and adoption of safer practices
• The differences in symptoms between posttraumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury
• Coping with memory loss and changing capabilities after injury
• The importance of communication and support from Family, peers and caregivers

Interested in hearing more about traumatic brain injury? Listen to Ryan’s previous appearance on Mind Beyond the Mission where he first joined Brian and Laryssa to discuss traumatic brain injury and brain health.

Resources

• Resources on traumatic brain injury for Veterans, their Family members and people who work with them
• Traumatic brain injury and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Concussion Legacy Foundation
• Project Enlist
• Operation Brain Health
• The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk
• Brain Injury Canada resource website

Lire en français ici : https://atl-as.ca/mbtm-ep33-fr

In this episode of Mind Beyond the Mission, hosts Laryssa Lamrock and Brian McKenna explore the prevalence of sleep issues in the Veteran and Family population and discuss how posttraumatic stress injuries (PTSIs) can impact sleep. They are joined by special guest Dr. Craig Stewart, a psychiatrist and certified sleep specialist at St. Joseph’s Health Care London’s Operational Stress Injury (OSI) Clinic, who helps unpack the complex relationship between trauma, sleep and our overall well-being.

They explore the common challenges Veteran Families face when sleep is disrupted by PTSIs, discuss practical advice for managing sleep issues and highlight new research around sleep health and trauma.

Dr. Craig P. Stewart, MB BAO BCh, MA, FRCPC is a Consultant Psychiatrist and Interim Medical Director at the St. Joseph’s Health Care London OSI Clinic. He completed a clinical fellowship in sleep medicine at the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry at Western University, where he serves as Adjunct Professor in the Department of Psychiatry. He holds a master’s degree in behavioural neuroscience from Brock University with a focus on neurophysiological correlates of sleep, with additional research experience in circadian rhythms. He also practises at a community sleep clinic in the greater Toronto area.

Key topics

• The impacts of trauma and sleep deprivation on memory and mental health
• The common differences and similarities in sleep issues between Canadian Armed Forces and Royal Canadian Mounted Police Veterans and public safety personnel
• The long-term physical and mental health consequences of chronic insomnia
• Nightmares, dream enactment and practical Family strategies to manage sleep disruptions and behaviours
• How electronic device use and "doom scrolling" affect sleep routines and conditioned arousal
• Realistic expectations and recovery models for improving sleep after trauma

Resources

• ‘To sleep, perchance to dream’: An overview of common sleep issues, treatments and myths with Dr. Craig Stewart (video)
• Participate in a study aiming to better understand the prevalence of sleep conditions and challenges among Canadian Veterans and their Families
• Learn about posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and some treatment options
• Resources on living with PTSIs for public safety personnel and their Families
• Resources for Families and friends —includes information on signs and symptoms of PTSIs, potential impacts on Families and coping strategies
• Anxiety Canada: Getting a good night’s sleep
• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: Path to better sleep
• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: Sleep problems and PTSD

Lire en français ici : atl-as.ca/mbtm-ep32-fr