Kristen Domke: Military Mental Health is Broken | The Hopeaholics Podcast
In this deeply emotional and brutally honest episode of the Hopeaholics Podcast, we sit down with Kristen Domke—an Air Force veteran, personal trainer, and survivor—whose life story is nothing short of extraordinary. Kristen opens up about the emotional toll of serving in the military, including multiple deployments, witnessing unimaginable trauma, surviving military sexual assault, and battling intense mental health struggles that led to multiple suicide attempts. Her story is one of heartbreak, resilience, and redemption. After years of numbing pain through alcohol, losing her identity as a military police officer, and feeling completely alone, Kristen finally reached a breaking point—and then, miraculously, a breakthrough. Through intensive treatment, therapy, a renewed connection with faith, and the support of a recovery community, Kristen found the strength to rebuild her life and start healing from the inside out. She talks candidly about how hard it was to ask for help, what recovery really means beyond just sobriety, and how fitness, faith, and setting boundaries helped her find purpose again.
#thehopeaholics #redemption #recovery #AlcoholAddiction #AddictionRecovery #wedorecover #SobrietyJourney #MyStory #RecoveryIsPossible #Hope #wedorecover
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Timestamps:
00:02:59 - Joining the Air Force at 19 After College Struggles
00:04:09 - Serving as Security for President Obama in Africa
00:07:57 - Advocating for Herself in Mental Health Treatment
00:09:34 - Facing Family Loss and Addiction Challenges in Ohio
00:18:36 - Retraining as a Physical Therapy Assistant
00:24:38 - Achieving Sobriety at Behavioral Health Facility
00:27:30 - Embracing Recovery and Advocacy Through Faith
00:28:44 - Finding Strength in a Supportive Faith Community
00:32:08 - Working with a Direct Sponsor for Accountability
00:35:58 - Processing Trauma Through EMDR Therapy
00:50:43 - Turning Pain into Purpose to Help Others
00:58:03 - Rediscovering the Will to Live in Recovery
01:06:33 - Celebrating Four Months Sober on March 20, 2025
01:10:59 - Planning a New Business Venture Post-Military
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