We don't often talk about one of the greatest threats facing our profession. This adversary is hard to name, difficult to identify, and is rarely talked about openly, yet each year it kills more and more dedicated men and women in law enforcement and the military. We all agree these professions leave a mark when you're done. For some, this mark can cost them their happiness, family, and even their life. In an effort to find the best information and tools to address this adversary, we reached out to Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, a pioneer in the field of PTSD research and treatment, a world-renowned psychiatrist, author, researcher, and educator. He’s been researching post-traumatic stress since the 1970s, its effects on the body, and how a variety of modalities can reduce those impacts. He is the author of the bestselling 'The Body Keeps the Score,' which we highly recommend that everyone read.

Dr. Bessel van der Kolk has dedicated his professional life to helping people heal from their traumas, and when we heard about and expressed interest in a brand new 4-week online course on PTSD launching October 20, 2021, Dr. van der Kolk's team graciously offered a limited-time promo code for a discounted rate to our members. CATO is receiving nothing in return for promoting this class, we are not associated with Dr. Bessel van der Kolk or this course in any way, we simply care about our community and want to pass on all resources that can help our community deal with trauma and PTSD. For more information about this 4-week course, and the promo code which expires October 20th, please go to English 4 Week | Bessel van der Kolk, MD..

Joining me as co-host for this episode is Alex West. Alex served multiple tours during his time in the Navy, and led some of the greatest folks our country has to offer through a variety of hot spots around the world. He has dedicated his post-military life to helping veterans and was CATO's keynote speaker at our last annual training conference in San Diego. He also was our guest in podcast episode #3, which we recommend you check out. Alex is truly committed to the CATO Community and joins us today to help veterans and first responders survive the effects of PTSD during and after their careers.

The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma: van der Kolk M.D., Bessel