American Freedom Foundation’s Post

✨ Exciting news! ✨ My book It’s Your Turn is officially launching on October 23rd! 🎉 If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, putting everyone else first, and losing touch with yourself, this book is for YOU. It’s time to reclaim your life, rediscover your purpose, and say “yes” to yourself. I can’t wait to share more-stay tuned for more details on how you can be a part of the special virtual launch event! 💖 #ItsYourTurn #BookLaunch #SelfCare #MidlifeEmpowerment #military spouse #SayYesToYourself #alivewithpurposecoaching #sharibiery

✨ Exciting news! ✨ My book It’s Your Turn is officially launching on October 23rd! 🎉 If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, putting everyone else first, and losing touch with yourself, this book is for YOU. It’s time to reclaim your life, rediscover your purpose, and say “yes” to yourself. I can’t wait to share more-stay tuned for more details on how you can be a part of the special virtual launch event! 💖 #ItsYourTurn #BookLaunch #SelfCare #MidlifeEmpowerment #military spouse #SayYesToYourself #alivewithpurposecoaching #sharibiery

In this conversation, MAJ (R) Annette Whittenberger shares her experiences as a military spouse and combat veteran, discussing the challenges of dual military life and the sacrifices made for family and career. She opens up about the struggles in her marriage and the decision to divorce, highlighting the importance of communication and seeking therapy. Annette emphasizes the need for self-reflection and finding one's voice, sharing her journey of self-discovery through her blog, podcast, and book. She encourages others to prioritize mental health and offers resources for support. Overall, Annette's story serves as an inspiration for resilience and personal growth. In this conversation, Brittinie Wick and Annette discuss various topics related to mental health and the military. They address the stigma surrounding mental health and the importance of breaking it. They also talk about the wellbeing of military personnel and their families, emphasizing the need for leaders to be more involved and supportive. The conversation then shifts to the transition process and the challenges faced by veterans. They discuss the need for improved transition programs that focus not only on finding employment but also on preparing individuals for life after the military. Finally, they touch on the importance of finding oneself and embracing change. https://lnkd.in/gFaB4yKb #femalevet #militarytransition #militarywomen #militaryveterans #womenempoweringwomen #womenservetoo

"In this episode, Jenna Griffith, International Best Selling Author and Coach, shares insights on overcoming these challenges and empowering other military and first responder spouses to find their purpose, embrace their individual skills, and thrive." #newbeginnings #militaryspouses #specialforces #firstresponders #militarycommunity #militaryspouse

I AM: Spiritual Insights for Overcoming Unresolved Trauma and the Journey of Self-Rediscovery https://a.co/d/2lnvfa7

Suicide prevention is an active responsibility for organizations, not just the requisite posting of a 988 crisis line number in a break room. From the outside, it looked like Staff Sergeant Michelle Young had it all. May her memory be a blessing. Please remember that just because someone looks fit or happy, or is at the top of their game, it doesn’t mean they are in a good state of mental health. I know this from personal experience, having spent much of my life battling anxiety and depression, adding PTSD and suicidal thoughts to that mix since my military days. I've lost several friends to suicide, including some famous household names who had what the world calls "everything." I’m in a film about one such friend, a pro soccer player who dazzled fans and lit up every room he entered. I’ve owned two pro soccer teams, played soccer for the Air Force team, got an offer to play professionally in Sicily, been in films and TV shows, written and published four books, had my body of work honored by a POTUS and in a history book, and have received more accolades than I can count. And yet, every day is a struggle for me. Some days I have to work really hard on staying here. If it takes 10,000 hours to become an expert, then I’m an expert in staying alive one more day. That’s what I tell myself sometimes, “just one more day.” I’m thankful that the VA always ask us if we are thinking of hurting ourselves or others, but I wish they and others would do more in a proactive manner. All of us know to say “not today” when they ask that question. That’s the workaround to keep from being “inconvenienced” with a 3-day stay in a VA hospital when we have shit to get done or just want to be left alone because we don’t want to talk about our problems. That's part of the reason that I do the work that I do. It's therapy for me I've extended that to others. L.O.V.E. Is The Answer exists to help people learn how to love themselves and others. Our work also does a great job of teaching people how to spot the signs of someone who is struggling mentally or emotionally and needs help. I would encourage every employer to enroll at least a few team members in our Lead & Serve With L.O.V.E. class so that their level of organizational emotional intelligence rises, creating a more supportive environment to identify people who need help and get them the help they need. Attention leaders: We all know by now that some people who plan suicide take others with them, multiplying their trauma into immeasurable tragedy. The life you save by being proactive with suicide prevention efforts could literally be your own. Visit www.trylovenow.com to enroll in our next class.

During my undergrad years, I took a course on Death and Dying. The text is fascinating. It discusses the cultural attitudes toward death and how many societies approach it from a religious and spiritual perspective. Suicide was the most interesting discussion in the course. The response and attitude surrounding suicide were quite fascinating. From an American perspective, you hear the phrase suicide as a permanent solution to a temporary problem. Others have said it's selfish. Many question why. I would offer this perspective on why a person would consider suicide as an option. Being alive is easy. Living is hard. People have reasons for living. Some live for their families, children, and friends. People live because of their resiliency and positive outlook on life. Others live because of their religious faith, which keeps them grounded. Hope also keeps them grounded in living. The hope of a better day, a better future. When you strip someone of the core foundation that grounds them to live, they become vulnerable to external factors. Think of it like you fell in a hole. With optimism, you can climb out. Now, imagine that hole getting deeper. You lost your job, fell behind on bills, your marriage is over, and everything is going wrong every day. Getting out of the hole becomes increasingly difficult because those little things pile on. The hole can also represent depression, grief, substance abuse, mental health disease, stress, etc. In some situations, you can receive outside help to get you out of the hole. Other times, you find a way to escape it because the ladder or rope used to get out is what grounds you to live. Hope is the ladder or rope that helps climb out of the hole. But in not-so-favorable cases, the hole is getting deeper and deeper, and people are quietly suffering. The ladder that is hope, so starts to disappear. The harder it is to climb out of the hole, the deeper it gets as the problems pile on. You are screaming for help, but no one hears you. Instead of projecting your values onto a person's situation by saying, "I don't understand." "This doesn't make sense". "Suicide is selfish". Approach it with more empathy and sympathy. Ask how long were they quietly suffering? How long were they suffering while keeping up appearances? I guarantee it was for months or longer. The people around them dismissed it because they always smiled or said they would figure it out. In other cases, it was flat-out ignored because people viewed them as strong. The person chose this option because the symbolic hole eventually became their grave. Once their spirit died, there was no longer any reason to live. Just some perspective on a very sensitive issue.

Happiness Is For Girls…. Real Men go through hardship. Something that I read on social media. Let me be clear everyone goes through hard part of life and everyone has the right to experience happiness. Who every says real men do this or real men do that, these types of blokes are dickeheads. Because that is such and i hate to say this, toxic thing to say. And you might have thought it sounded cool when you were younger. But listen to this. 86 men committed suicide every single week in the uk in 2023! Probably because they think real men don’t talk, don;t show their emotions, that why just crack on. Stop trying to be so fucking hard. Because a real man reaches out and asks for help when he needs it! #mentalhealth #health #mindset #realmen #exmilitary #veterans #veteranshelpingveterans #focus #mindset #growthmindset #bestversionofyou #fight #askforhelp #fitness #goals

Another great conversation in the testhim podcast studio! Male fertility and the military.... could you stand up in front of a troop of royal marines and explain that you're going through fertility struggles!!? If it can be done and men can get the right support then I think that demonstrates that we're moving in the right direction. Check out this awesome episode https://lnkd.in/euFZ4j45

How can you support and help your partner when they are hurt? This can be challenging being to answer because different people may need different things, and people might need different things at different times! The most common things people need are: 👉🏻 Comfort 👉🏻 Reassurance 👉🏻 Acceptance If you aren’t sure how to help your partner, you can ask them! If they don’t know what they need, give them the options of comfort, reassurance, or your acceptance of how they feel. What other things do you think people need? 👇 comment below and let me know! #needs #need #hurtfeelings #hurtfeelings💔 #support #marriage101 #militaryaviation #militarywomen #militarycouple #militarymarriage #militaryspouselife #milsosupport #communicateandconnect #communicateandconnectpodcast #helpingcouples #relationshiprepair #communication #communicationskills #communicationtips #virginiabeach #nasnorfolk #norfolkva #virginia #virginiaisforlovers #virginiaisforlovers❤️