About this episode

Matthew Addison-Black discusses the psychological challenges veterans face, including PTSD and moral injury, and the importance of identity in their transition to civilian life.

CONTENT The guest today is Matthew Addison-Black, a former officer in the Royal Gurkha Rifles, discussing his military career and current psychological research. He explains the history and rigorous selection process of the Gurkhas, highlighting the immense socioeconomic transformation these soldiers experience. The conversation explores military mental health, specifically distinguishing between the fear-based symptoms of PTSD and the value-based wounds of moral injury. Matthew introduces the concept of identity fusion, where a soldier’s sense of self becomes inseparable from their unit, making the transition to civilian life exceptionally difficult. He advocates for deeper self-reflection and specialized support to help veterans navigate the loss of purpose and identity following their service. Matthew's book choice on Desert Islands Dits is "The Far Pavilions" by MM Kaye. My choice is "On The Psychology Of Military Incompetence" by Norman Dixon. His company web site is here About Matthew Addison-Black | Veritas High Performance WHERE TO GET OUR DESERT ISLAND DITS BOOK CHOICES Most of our book recommendations can be bought via the Unconventional Soldier Bookshop . 10% of…

People in this episode

Guest: Matthew Addison-Black

Topics covered

• military mental health
• PTSD
• moral injury
• identity fusion
• veteran support
• socioeconomic transformation

Keywords

• veterans
• mental health
• PTSD
• moral injury
• identity fusion
• military
• support
• socioeconomic transformation

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Royal Gurkha Rifles, Veritas High Performance, Unconventional Soldier Bookshop

Books & works: The Far Pavilions, On The Psychology Of Military Incompetence

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