Former Army Ranger medic Marshall Bahr sheds light on recovery from addiction as the special guest on this week’s American Legion Tango Alpha Lima podcast.
Marshall Bahr, a former Army Ranger medic, is the special guest on this week’s episode of The American Legion Tango Alpha Lima podcast, co-hosted by Ashley Gutermuth and Stacy Pearsall.
Bahr, a physician, is the founder of Lead The Way Recovery, an Ohio-based addiction treatment program for veterans. He knows the struggle of addiction, as he worked through demons following his combat tours. Part of the issue, he said, was veterans who would not admit vulnerability or ask for help.
“I wanted to be willing to be a face for that, to be willing to expose myself, my past, to be a champion and an advocate for others,” he said. “The reality is that a lot of the stuff can be preventable if we identify it early on. A patient-centered practice for veterans that is run by veterans is going to help identify the problem and see it treated faster than we have seen previously.”
Part of the problem is the military culture, says Bahr, who deployed five times to Iraq and Afghanistan. He went on more than 500 combat missions.
“You work hard, you party hard,” he said. “You go on deployment and come back and let loose. You go binge drinking on weekends. And it was accepted, very masculine to do.”
There are chemical addictions and behavioral ones. Some veterans also cope with their PTSD by throwing themselves into other pursuits like work or working out, for example. That’s called sublimation — a positive defense mechanism in which someone chooses to channel strong emotions and feelings into an appropriate activity. But that is also a risky behavior.
“The problem is when it comes to excess, and you get to workaholism or workout addiction, dieting addiction, body image addiction,” he said. “These are all things we sometimes see more prevalent in the veteran community.”
That’s where his Lead The Way Recovery comes into play. The organization’s mission is deeply rooted in his experiences. It’s dedicated to helping those who are battling substance abuse and mental health issues. The approach is tailored to address the specific needs of patients, integrating evidence-based treatment methods.
“We want to be at the forefront of addiction recovery, we want to lead the change for evidence-based practices, innovative treatments and a deep sense of empathy for all patients suffering from addiction,” he explained.
Additionally, Gutermuth and Pearsall also:
• Shoot down another mistruth in “Troll Patrol.” Foreign-born veterans who served in the U.S. military are eligible for membership in The American Legion.
• Discuss why the government is storing more than 1.5 billion pounds of cheese in Missouri.
• Talk about “Psychic Warrior,” a new book about the CIA’s secret Stargate program.
• Ask what movie tech the Pentagon should invest in.
Check out this week’s episode, which is among more than 220 Tango Alpha Lima podcasts available in both audio and video formats here. You can also download episodes on Apple Podcasts, Google Play or other major podcast-hosting sites. The video version is available at the Legion’s YouTube channel.
- Tango Alpha Lima