Veteran identity. Service shaming. The toxic culture of comparison.

In this episode of Unwritten Chapters, host Matthew Heneghan, a former Canadian Armed Forces medic and long-time paramedic, breaks down the ugly truth behind a viral moment in the Canadian Veterans Marketplace — a story where a fellow veteran was mocked for only serving one year.

💥 From service shaming to fragile ego warfare, we dig into:

• The toxic comparison culture in veteran communities

• Why every year of military service counts — no matter the length

• The hypocrisy of valor gatekeeping

• Why compassion should outweigh credentials

• The emotional fallout of intra-community bullying

🎧 Whether you're a veteran, a first responder, or someone navigating identity, trauma, or mental health in high-stress professions — this episode is for you.

Nine paramedics lost to suicide in British Columbia in just seven months.
This is not just a mental health crisis — this is a system failure.

In this raw and unfiltered episode of Unwritten Chapters, former Canadian Armed Forces medic and civilian paramedic Matthew Heneghan pulls back the curtain on the hidden mental health emergency affecting first responders. With over 17 years of service, Matthew has seen — and lived — the toll this job takes: the PTSD, burnout, addiction, and silent suffering behind the sirens.

What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

• The reality of paramedic suicides and why the numbers are climbing

• First-hand stories from over a decade in emergency services

• How PTSD and addiction develop in first responders

• Why political platitudes and policy memos don’t save lives

• A call to truly listen to — and act for — the people behind the uniform

Keywords: Paramedic mental health, paramedic suicide rates, PTSD in first responders, first responder burnout, Canadian paramedic crisis, mental health in emergency services, trauma and addiction recovery, suicide prevention for first responders, Unwritten Chapters Podcast, Matthew Heneghan

🚨 If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, help is available:

• Canada: Talk Suicide Canada — 1-833-456-4566

• U.S.: 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — Call or Text 988

🟢 Subscribe to Unwritten Chapters for real stories and uncomfortable truths about trauma, healing, and the human cost of service.
📤 Share this episode to help break the silence around first responder mental health.

#ParamedicMentalHealth #FirstResponderSuicide #PTSD #TraumaRecovery #UnwrittenChapters #MatthewHeneghan #SuicidePrevention #CanadianParamedics #FirstResponderLife #MentalHealthMatters

On July 24th, Terry Bollea — better known as Hulk Hogan — passed away at the age of 71. I wrote a post reflecting on what that meant to me, and the backlash was swift.

In this video, I unpack that post, the controversy that followed, and the deeper meaning behind my words. This isn’t about celebrating a flawed man — it’s about nostalgia, grief, growing up, and losing the icons of our childhood.

➡️ This isn’t a tribute to Terry Bollea the person.
➡️ This is about Hulk Hogan the character — and what he meant to a generation of kids.
➡️ It’s about memory, innocence, and the power of holding on to moments that made us feel safe.

I confront cancel culture, toxic projection, and the nuance of separating flawed public figures from the personal memories they helped create.

Whether you're a wrestling fan, a child of the '80s/'90s, or someone grappling with how we mourn complicated figures — this is for you.

🧠 Keywords & Topics:
#HulkHogan #TerryBollea #Nostalgia #CancelCulture #WrestlingIcons #ChildhoodMemories #UnwrittenChapters #Grief #GrowingUp #FlawedHeroes #SocialMediaBacklash #WWEHistory #SaturdayMorningCartoons #WrestlingLegends #PopCultureIcons #EmotionalReflection

📖 Read the original blog post here:
👉 https://authormheneghan.com

🎧 Listen to the full episode on Spotify / Apple Podcasts:
Unwritten Chapters Podcast – Available on all platforms.

🫱 If this story resonates with you, please like, comment, and share your own childhood icons below.
⭐️ Don’t forget to leave a 5-star review on Apple/Spotify if you enjoy this kind of content.

Why does the justice system show compassion for some trauma — but not for others? In this episode of Unwritten Chapters, I explore the unequal application of empathy in Canadian courts. From PTSD and veteran struggles to the racial lens of the Gladue ruling, this is a raw breakdown of how pain is politicized — and why true justice must include all stories.

We’ll cover:

• The real impact of Gladue Reports and racial bias in sentencing

• Why veterans with PTSD, first responders, and white addicts are often criminalized — not contextualized

• What the media got wrong about the Kamloops 215 mass grave narrative

• How trauma is not race-bound — and why selective empathy isn’t justice

👉 Whether you’ve felt ignored, misjudged, or erased — this episode is for you.

🔔 Subscribe to Unwritten Chapters for more real talk on trauma, accountability, and recovery.
📤 Share this episode if you’ve ever felt unheard in your own pain.
📝 Leave a comment with your story — we see you.

#PTSD #Gladue #JusticeSystem #TraumaRecovery #CanadianVeterans #FirstResponders #IndigenousJustice #Kamloops215 #SelectiveEmpathy #MentalHealthMatters #UnwrittenChapters

We are transitioning to a bi-weekly format to enhance content quality and allow for better focus on mental health, personal growth, and life reflections. We also have a new podcast, Haunted B.C., featuring spooky stories from British Columbia. Thank you for your support!

#MentalHealthPodcast #PersonalGrowth #PodcastUpdate #UnwrittenChapters #HauntedBC #PodcastNews #BiWeeklyPodcast #MentalWellbeing #SelfImprovement #PodcastCommunity

What’s really going on with Ketel Marte?
In this episode of Unwritten Chapters, I unpack the situation surrounding Arizona Diamondbacks star Ketel Marte, the swirling controversy, and what it says about professional sports culture, pressure, and public perception.

If you’re an MLB fan trying to make sense of the headlines — or just someone interested in how media, fandom, and athlete mental health intersect — this episode is for you.

🔥 Topics Covered:
– The facts around the Ketel Marte incident
– How fans and media react to MLB player behavior
– The growing discussion of mental health in sports
– My personal reflection as a former medic on how public pressure mirrors first responder burnout
– Why accountability and empathy must coexist in modern sports

📢 Drop a comment with your thoughts, and don’t forget to like and subscribe for more real-talk episodes that bridge sports, culture, and humanity.

#KetelMarte #MLBNews #BaseballControversy #MentalHealthInSports #ArizonaDiamondbacks #MLBFanTalk #AthletePressure #UnwrittenChaptersPodcast

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