"From War Zones to the Psych Ward: A Veteran’s Journey of Recovery & Purpose"

From the Battlefield to Recovery | A Veteran's Story of Resilience and Purpose

At just 17, my mate joined the Army Reserves. Before long, he was deployed to Afghanistan and another overseas location — seeing things most of us couldn't imagine. After returning home, he built a business… but beneath the surface, trauma was brewing.

This episode is an honest look into what happened next: a mental breakdown, time in a psych ward, and the long road to healing. Today, he’s rewriting his story. He’s part of SMART Recovery, volunteers at a suicide prevention center, and is turning his pain into purpose.

In this episode, we talk about:

Enlisting young & the reality of deployment

Coming home and crashing: the silent cost of trauma

Owning a business while breaking down

Life inside a mental health ward

SMART Recovery & suicide prevention work

Hope, healing, and being of service

If you’re struggling, or know someone who is — this story could save a life.

🔔 Subscribe for more real conversations on healing and purpose
📢 Share this with a vet, a mate, or someone going through it.
🎧 Inspired by Real Stories
This episode of The Long Way Round Show is inspired by powerful content creators like:

Blood on the Razor Wire TV,
Soft White Underbelly,
I Am Second,
The Diary of a CEO,
and other channels that share raw, unfiltered stories of struggle, healing, and redemption.

If you're into real conversations, honest journeys, and people who’ve taken the long way round to find purpose — you’re in the right place. Hit subscribe and join the journey.

#resiliencestories #addictionrecovery #aussiepodcast #realpeople #longwayroundshow
https://www.lakemacsafespace.com.au/
https://smartrecoveryaustralia.com.au/