Santa wasn’t supposed to find this kind of house on Christmas Eve.No Christmas tree. No stockings. No cookies.Just combat boots by the mantle, sand where comfort should be, and a Canadian soldier sleeping alone on the floor.In this episode of Unwritten Chapters, I recite an original Christmas poem / Christmas story I wrote—told through Santa’s eyes—about a Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) soldier spending Christmas alone. It’s a spoken word piece about military life, loneliness, and the real cost of freedom, especially during the holidays.If you’re searching for a Christmas poem about soldiers, a military Christmas story, a Canadian soldier Christmas poem, or a Christmas message for veterans, you’re in the right place. This is for anyone who has served, loves someone who serves, or knows what it feels like to carry trauma, mental health struggles, addiction recovery, or isolation through the season that’s “supposed” to be joyful.In this episode you’ll hear:A Christmas Eve story about a Canadian soldier aloneA raw look at veteran loneliness and the quiet side of serviceReflections on trauma, PTSD, and mental health during the holidaysA reminder of why we say “support our troops” and remember veteransA closing Christmas blessing for those standing watch—at home or deployedIf this story resonates, please like, subscribe, and share it with someone who needs it.💬 Comment: Are you a CAF member, veteran, military family, or someone missing a loved one this Christmas?New here? Unwritten Chapters is a solo storytelling podcast from a former army medic and paramedic turned author, talking honestly about trauma recovery, addiction, mental health, and making sense of life after rock bottom—with dark humour, empathy, and a writer’s eye for detail.📚 My BooksA Medic’s Mind – Memoir of military medic → paramedic, trauma, loss and reinvention. Amazon: https://a.co/d/fbYbp7xTrauma and Tea: Essays on Trauma, Recovery and Growing Up the Hard Way – A collection of raw essays about hitting rock bottom, healing and telling the truth. Amazon: https://a.co/d/9GnaoDV🌐 Visit my website for more: www.authormheneghan.com Author Matthew Heneghan🎙️ Host of the podcast Unwritten Chapters – Life After Trauma (for veterans, first responders, survivors of addiction and anyone rewriting the next chapter). Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/5hmuMofDnEkc8Ec9MqGHmC?si=N66NaCV_RGWcOrJz9HR-nALINKS & RESOURCES– Buy my books: authormheneghan.com/buy-the-book Author Matthew Heneghan– Follow on IG / Twitter / Facebook – @matthewhenehgan_author– Drop a comment, hit Subscribe, ring the 🔔 — let’s build a community of truth-telllers, healers and story-keepers.WHAT YOU’LL FIND ON THIS CHANNEL– Solo storytime episodes about PTSD, therapy, addiction recovery, relationships, family, and life after rock bottom– Unfiltered reaction videos to pop culture, internet drama, and politics through the eyes of a former army medic and paramedic– Honest conversations about mental health, trauma, grief, and trying to stay human in a burned-out world (with plenty of dark humour)– Updates on my books, podcast, and creative projects, plus real talk about writing and living your own next chapterThanks for being here. Whether you’ve worn a uniform, watched someone struggle, or are simply trying to make peace with your past — you’re not alone. Let’s walk it out together.

A “home” tournament that isn’t at home.No ref for a girls’ gold medal game.A 13-year-old boy watching for three seconds before saying, “They suck.”In this episode, Gender Inequality On Ice With Our Daughters, I talk about what it’s like trying to raise two girls in a man’s world… while sitting in freezing arenas that quietly remind them they’re second. From girls’ teams getting leftover ice times and four-hour playoff drives, to boys’ hockey treated like the main event, we dig into the quiet ways gender inequality in youth sports shows up long before anyone talks about pay gaps or pro leagues.If you’re a woman who’s had to work twice as hard to be taken half as seriously…If you’re a nurse, medic, frontline worker, partner of a veteran, in or around recovery…If you’re a tired, bookish, trauma-literate soul who’s so done with bullshit…this conversation is for you.We’ll talk about:Girls hockey vs boys hockey and who gets the prime iceThe invisible messages our daughters hear when they’re treated as an afterthoughtHow boys learn it’s okay to dismiss girls’ effort as a jokeWhy “men’s sports bring in more money” can’t keep being the only answerWhat this does to self-worth, mental health, and identity as they growThis is not an anti-boy rant. It’s a dad, a former army medic and paramedic, trying to make sense of what his daughters are being taught about their value—on the ice and far beyond it.👉 If you’ve seen this kind of gender inequality in sports or at work, tell me your story in the comments.👍 Like, subscribe, and share this with another parent of daughters, or someone who’s tired of watching girls get the leftover scraps of a man’s world.I’m Matthew Heneghan – former army medic, ex-paramedic, recovering alcoholic, and author trying to make sense of life after trauma.On this channel you’ll find a mix of raw solo episodes and unfiltered reaction videos where I talk honestly about:PTSD, trauma, therapy, and addiction recoveryLife after rock bottom: relationships, grief, fatherhood, and trying to build something betterPop culture, internet drama, and politics seen through the eyes of a veteran medic who’s been in real chaos, not just online argumentsMy ongoing journey as a writer and creator – books, essays, and the stories that didn’t make it to the pageThis isn’t a polished “self-help” channel. It’s dark humour, blunt honesty, and real mental health talk for people who are empathetic but exhausted – nurses, medics, veterans, partners of first responders, folks in or around recovery, and anyone who’s trauma-literate and allergic to bullshit.If you’re searching for:“mental health podcast,” “PTSD stories,” “addiction and recovery,” “veteran and first responder mental health,” “reaction videos with real life experience,” “solo commentary podcast,” “trauma recovery and dark humour”…you’re in the right place.New videos weekly for listeners in the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, New Zealand and beyond – anyone trying to make sense of their own unwritten chapters while the world burns a little around them.Subscribe if you want company in the chaos, not clichés about “positive vibes only.”📚 My BooksA Medic’s Mind – Memoir of military medic → paramedic, trauma, loss and reinvention. Amazon: https://a.co/d/fbYbp7xTrauma and Tea: Essays on Trauma, Recovery and Growing Up the Hard Way – A collection of raw essays about hitting rock bottom, healing and telling the truth. Amazon: https://a.co/d/9GnaoDV🌐 Visit my website for more: www.authormheneghan.com Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/5hmuMofDnEkc8Ec9MqGHmC?si=N66NaCV_RGWcOrJz9HR-nALINKS & RESOURCES– Buy my books: authormheneghan.com/buy-the-book Author Matthew Heneghan– Follow on IG / Twitter / Facebook – @matthewhenehgan_author– Drop a comment, hit Subscribe, ring the 🔔 — let’s build a community of truth-telllers, healers and story-keepers.

In this episode of Unwritten Chapters, I do something a little different: I hit play on two videos and react in real time — as a former army medic, long-time paramedic, and guy who’s watched a lot of people quietly fall apart while the world tells them to “be strong.”First up is the Monochromatic Theory: an author breaking down how pop culture, brands, and even our houses started to lose their colour. Home Alone, Taco Bell, old cars, childhood streets — all more vibrant than what we see now. I talk about why that hits so hard for people who grew up before everything turned beige, and how that muted “aesthetic” mirrors what happens to us after trauma, burnout, and years of caregiving.If you’ve ever felt more like background noise in your own life, this part is for you.Then we shift to something spicier: a clip of Andrew Wilson debating a woman about female roles in the military. As a former army medic, I give my honest take on women in the military and combat roles, drawing on my own experience, the women I served with, and what actually happens on the ground versus what guys on the internet think happens.If you’re a nurse, medic, first responder, partner of a veteran, or a woman who’s ever been told you’re “too emotional” to handle the hard stuff… you’ll probably have some feelings about this.We get into:Why so many of us feel like our lives went “monochrome”The link between nostalgia, trauma, and mental healthWhat people get wrong about women in the military and frontline rolesHow it really feels to carry everyone else’s pain and still show upDark humour, recovery, and trying to make sense of life after rock bottomThis channel is for the empathetic but exhausted — the ones who are trauma-literate, allergic to bullshit, and just want someone to say the quiet part out loud. If that’s you, you’re in the right place.🧠 New here?I’m a former army medic and paramedic turned author, talking honestly about trauma, addiction, mental health, and recovery — with dark humour, real stories, and zero motivational-poster nonsense.💬 If something in this episode hits home, drop a comment.I read them, I respond, and your stories help shape future episodes.If you want more:👉 Hit subscribe for more solo episodes, veteran reacts content, and mental health conversations that don’t talk down to you.Welcome — I’m Matthew Heneghan: Canadian veteran, former paramedic, addiction survivor and storyteller. After 17 years on the front lines — in the Forces and EMS — I now write, podcast and share stories of trauma, recovery and what comes after the worst of it.📚 My BooksA Medic’s Mind – Memoir of military medic → paramedic, trauma, loss and reinvention. Amazon: https://a.co/d/fbYbp7xTrauma and Tea: Essays on Trauma, Recovery and Growing Up the Hard Way – A collection of raw essays about hitting rock bottom, healing and telling the truth. Amazon: https://a.co/d/9GnaoDV🌐 Visit my website for more: www.authormheneghan.com Author Matthew Heneghan🎙️ Host of the podcast Unwritten Chapters – Life After Trauma (for veterans, first responders, survivors of addiction and anyone rewriting the next chapter). Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/5hmuMofDnEkc8Ec9MqGHmC?si=N66NaCV_RGWcOrJz9HR-nALINKS & RESOURCES– Buy my books: authormheneghan.com/buy-the-book Author Matthew Heneghan– Follow on IG / Twitter / Facebook – @matthewhenehgan_author– Drop a comment, hit Subscribe, ring the 🔔 — let’s build a community of truth-telllers, healers and story-keepers.WHAT YOU’LL FIND ON THIS CHANNEL– Talking-head reflections on trauma, mental-health work, addiction recovery– Behind-the-scenes of EMS & veteran life — what they don’t teach you in training– Practical tips to cope, heal and build resilience from the rawest possible vantage– Author & podcast updates, plus live discussions about writing your next chapterThanks for being here.

There is no “tomorrow.”You never wake up there. You only ever wake up here.In this solo episode of Unwritten Chapters, I talk honestly about what it means to live in the now when you’ve got a brain full of flashbacks, burnout, and worst-case scenarios. As a former army medic and paramedic turned author in recovery, I’m not preaching “good vibes only.” I’m talking about trying to stay present when your nervous system is cooked and you’re still waiting for the other shoe to drop.If you’re a nurse, medic, frontline worker, partner of a veteran, or someone in or around recovery who is exhausted, trauma-literate, and allergic to bullshit, this is for you.In this episode, we get into:Why “tomorrow” is the lie your brain keeps selling youHow trauma, anxiety, and addiction keep us anywhere but hereThe quiet grief of feeling like life is always on holdPractical, imperfect ways to come back to right nowGiving yourself permission to want more than just survivingThis isn’t self-help sparkle. It’s one guy who’s been to rock bottom, still trying to make sense of life after trauma, addiction, and hitting the wall at high speed.If you connect with dark humour, honest storytelling, and real talk about PTSD, mental health, and recovery, pull up a chair. You’re not the only one trying to figure out how to actually live the one day you’ve got.🎧 New to the channel?Subscribe for more solo episodes on trauma, addiction recovery, first responder mental health, and life after rock bottom.#trauma #mentalhealth #addictionrecovery #veteran #paramedic #firstresponders #livinginthenow #ptsdWelcome — I’m Matthew Heneghan: Canadian veteran, former paramedic, addiction survivor and storyteller. After 17 years on the front lines — in the Forces and EMS — I now write, podcast and share stories of trauma, recovery and what comes after the worst of it.📚 My BooksA Medic’s Mind – Memoir of military medic → paramedic, trauma, loss and reinvention. Amazon: https://a.co/d/fbYbp7xTrauma and Tea: Essays on Trauma, Recovery and Growing Up the Hard Way – A collection of raw essays about hitting rock bottom, healing and telling the truth. Amazon: https://a.co/d/9GnaoDV🌐 Visit my website for more: www.authormheneghan.com Author Matthew Heneghan🎙️ Host of the podcast Unwritten Chapters – Life After Trauma (for veterans, first responders, survivors of addiction and anyone rewriting the next chapter). Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/5hmuMofDnEkc8Ec9MqGHmC?si=N66NaCV_RGWcOrJz9HR-nALINKS & RESOURCES– Buy my books: authormheneghan.com/buy-the-book Author Matthew Heneghan– Follow on IG / Twitter / Facebook – @matthewhenehgan_author– Drop a comment, hit Subscribe, ring the 🔔 — let’s build a community of truth-telllers, healers and story-keepers.WHAT YOU’LL FIND ON THIS CHANNEL– Talking-head reflections on trauma, mental-health work, addiction recovery– Behind-the-scenes of EMS & veteran life — what they don’t teach you in training– Practical tips to cope, heal and build resilience from the rawest possible vantage– Author & podcast updates, plus live discussions about writing your next chapterThanks for being here. Whether you’ve worn a uniform, watched someone struggle, or are simply trying to make peace with your past — you’re not alone. Let’s walk it out together.

In this video, you get to watch self growth in real time.I hit play on old episodes of my podcast, Unwritten Chapters, and react to past-me talking about mental health, addiction, trauma, recovery, and life. As a veteran, former addict, and solo podcaster, I break down what’s changed — in my storytelling, my headspace, and my healing.We dig into:How I used to talk about trauma, PTSD, and pain vs. nowThe messy truth of addiction recovery and staying sober long-termSubtle signs of personal growth you only see when you look backWhat I’d tell that earlier version of myself todayHow the podcast evolved from chaotic rambling to honest, grounded conversationsIf you’re somewhere on your own mental health or healing journey — stuck between who you were and who you’re trying to become — I hope this helps you see that growth is allowed to be awkward, imperfect, and in-progress.🎧 LISTEN TO THE PODCAST – UNWRITTEN CHAPTERSSolo episodes on mental health, addiction, recovery, and writing through the hard stuff.👍 If this resonates:Hit Like to help more people find thisSubscribe for more “podcaster reacts,” recovery stories, and real talkComment below: What’s one way you’ve grown that old-you wouldn’t believe?Welcome — I’m Matthew Heneghan: Canadian veteran, former paramedic, addiction survivor and storyteller. After 17 years on the front lines — in the Forces and EMS — I now write, podcast and share stories of trauma, recovery and what comes after the worst of it.📚 My BooksA Medic’s Mind – Memoir of military medic → paramedic, trauma, loss and reinvention. Amazon: https://a.co/d/fbYbp7xTrauma and Tea: Essays on Trauma, Recovery and Growing Up the Hard Way – A collection of raw essays about hitting rock bottom, healing and telling the truth. Amazon: https://a.co/d/9GnaoDV🌐 Visit my website for more: www.authormheneghan.com Author Matthew Heneghan🎙️ Host of the podcast Unwritten Chapters – Life After Trauma (for veterans, first responders, survivors of addiction and anyone rewriting the next chapter). Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/5hmuMofDnEkc8Ec9MqGHmC?si=N66NaCV_RGWcOrJz9HR-nALINKS & RESOURCES– Buy my books: authormheneghan.com/buy-the-book Author Matthew Heneghan– Follow on IG / Twitter / Facebook – @matthewhenehgan_author– Drop a comment, hit Subscribe, ring the 🔔 — let’s build a community of truth-telllers, healers and story-keepers.WHAT YOU’LL FIND ON THIS CHANNEL– Talking-head reflections on trauma, mental-health work, addiction recovery– Behind-the-scenes of EMS & veteran life — what they don’t teach you in training– Practical tips to cope, heal and build resilience from the rawest possible vantage– Author & podcast updates, plus live discussions about writing your next chapterThanks for being here. Whether you’ve worn a uniform, watched someone struggle, or are simply trying to make peace with your past — you’re not alone. Let’s walk it out together.

In this episode of Unwritten Chapters, I talk openly about my experience as an alcoholic and why I no longer see rock bottom as a single, dramatic crash — but as a checkpoint on the way down. I share parts of my own story with alcohol addiction, the moments I thought were “the bottom,” and how life kept showing me there was always a deeper low if I didn’t change.

We explore questions like:

• What does rock bottom really look like in alcoholism?

• Why is rock bottom different for everyone struggling with addiction?

• How do you know when it’s time to ask for help?

• Can you start recovery before you completely lose everything?

If you’re wondering, “Have I hit rock bottom?” or you’re scared of where your drinking is heading, this episode is for you. I talk about shame, relapse, denial, trauma, sobriety, and the small decisions that slowly move you back toward level ground. Rock bottom doesn’t have to be the end of your story — it can be the place you decide to fight for a different one.

Whether you’re in early recovery, still in active addiction, love someone who’s struggling, or are just trying to understand mental health and substance use, I hope this conversation helps you feel a little less alone.

🔔 Subscribe for more real talks on trauma, addiction, recovery, and rebuilding life after the fall.
👍 If this episode resonates, please like, share, or leave a comment about your own journey with rock bottom or alcoholism.

#Alcoholism #RockBottom #AddictionRecovery #Sobriety #MentalHealth #Trauma #RecoveryJourney #UnwrittenChapters

In this episode of Unwritten Chapters – Life After Trauma, I sit down at the mic as a Canadian veteran and VAC client to talk about something a lot of us are feeling in our gut right now: the Liberal government’s plan to strip $4.23 billion in “savings” from Veterans Affairs Canada over the next four years—and the way Minister of Veterans Affairs Jill McKnight insists that somehow doesn’t count as a “cut.”

We’ll unpack what Budget 2025 actually says, including the plan to “adjust” medical cannabis benefits by dropping the VAC reimbursement cap from $8.50 to $6.00 a gram, a change Ottawa says will save about $4.4 billion over four years by “aligning with market prices.” On paper, VAC’s overall budget line might still show an increase, but for real people trying to manage PTSD, chronic pain, and day-to-day functioning, these “efficiencies” land as very real reductions in support.

I talk candidly about:

• Watching the Minister play word games about “reinvesting” and “modernizing benefits” on Remembrance Day, while veterans stand on parade being told they’re “never forgotten.”

• What these changes look like from the other side of the counter: phone calls, forms, delays, appeals, and the slow grind of trying to hang on to your VAC benefits when you’re already exhausted.

• My own experience navigating Veterans Affairs Canada with PTSD, injuries, and disability claims—and how policy decisions made in Ottawa actually show up in a veteran’s kitchen when the mail arrives.

• The emotional whiplash of being publicly honoured on one hand, while quietly being told your care is where they’ll “find savings” on the other.

This isn’t a legal breakdown or financial advice—it’s a lived-experience reaction from inside the system. If you’re a Canadian veteran, family member, or ally trying to make sense of what these so-called “savings” mean in real life, this episode is for you.

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In this Remembrance Day special, Matthew takes a candid, thoughtful dive into the evolving debate surrounding the poppy in Canada — from Don Cherry’s “you people” controversy to today’s renewed discussion around Indigenous poppies in Canadian Armed Forces uniforms.

As a veteran and former paramedic, Matthew reflects on the meaning of remembrance, the sacrifices made by Canadian soldiers across generations, and why fragmenting the poppy into identity-based variations may risk dividing a symbol meant to unite us. This solo narration blends raw honesty, personal reflection, and respectful commentary on Canadian military tradition, Indigenous representation, and national remembrance culture.

Whether you’re a Canadian veteran, military family member, history-minded listener, or someone wrestling with modern identity politics and tradition, this episode of Unwritten Chapters invites you to pause, think, and remember what the poppy truly represents.

PRE-ORDER the new book: https://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/trauma-and-tea-essays-on-trauma-recovery-and-growing-up-the-hard-way/9781777649210.html