The Janet Ray Podcast: Recent Episodes
Janet Ray
The U.S. invasion of Afghanistan occurred after the September 11th attacks in 2001. The goal was to remove the Taliban from power, and our troops were successful in their mission. Twenty years later, U.S. troops are finally withdrawn from Afghanistan. Taliban forces enter the capital city nearly overnight, meeting limited resistance, regaining power, and raising their flag. Twenty years of blood, sweat, and tears undone overnight. These events have left many military men and women wondering if their sacrifices meant nothing and if the lives of those lost meant nothing. The week after the fall of Afghanistan, calls to the Veteran Crisis Line are up. Those who served in Afghanistan are dealing with flashbacks, anxiety attacks, and depressive shutdowns. Sal is a Veteran who helped train Afghan soldiers. He knows what other service members are feeling—reminding all who served that it's normal to feel distressed and question the sacrifice but remember that they were successful in their mission. If you feel distressed from these events, please reach out to the Veterans Crisis Line at www.veteranscrisisline.net, call 1-800-273-8255, or text 838255. There is power in sharing your story.
On April 19, 1995, Timothy McVeigh parked a Ryder truck stuffed with explosives in front of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City. At 9:02 am, the bomb exploded, killing 168 people and injuring more than 680 others. The blast destroyed one-third of the federal building and destroyed or damaged 324 other structures. The day after the OKC bombing, a photo made headlines in newspapers across the world that captured the tragedy of that day. The photo was OKC Firefighter Chris Fields carrying, 1-year old Baylee Almon, who was killed in the blast.
I originally wanted to air this podcast with Chris during the 25th Anniversary of the bombing. I chose to hold off because this podcast is more than a story from that fateful day that we will never forget. Chris Fields' story is an emotional look at the harsh reality of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD is real, and it ruins lives every single day. The good news is, there is help for those who ask for it. If you have PTSD, I hope his story lets you see that you are not alone. If you know someone who struggles with PTSD, I hope you won’t give up on them.
Signs you may be struggling with PTSD after directly experiencing, witnessing, or learning of a traumatic event that occurred to a loved one.
-Recurrent, involuntary, and intrusive memories or dreams.
-Flashbacks of the traumatic event.
-Avoidance of distressing memories, thoughts, or feelings about the event.
-Avoidance of external reminders, such as people, places, conversations, or situations.
- Negative alterations in cognitions and mood associated with the traumatic events
-Inability to remember important aspects of the traumatic event.
-Negative beliefs or expectations about oneself and a persistent negative emotional state.
-Persistent inability to experience positive emotions.
-Reckless self-destructive behavior, hypervigilance, exaggerated startle response, and sleep disturbances.
(Information retrieved from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.)
On April 19, 1995, Timothy McVeigh parked a Ryder truck stuffed with explosives in front of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City. At 9:02 am, the bomb exploded, killing 168 people and injuring more than 680 others. The blast destroyed one-third of the federal building and destroyed or damaged 324 other structures. Ninety minutes after the explosion, McVeigh was stopped for driving without a license plate and arrested for illegal weapons possession. McVeigh was executed by lethal injection on June 11, 2001.
The day after the OKC bombing, a photo made headlines in newspapers across the world that captured the tragedy of that day. The photo was OKC Firefighter Chris Fields carrying, 1-year old Baylee Almon, who had been killed in the blast.
25 years later, Aren Almon, Baylee’s mom, takes you inside the day that she’ll never forget. What’s it really like to lose a child in the OKC Bombing?
To achieve great things, you have to have more than just a simple goal. On January 1, 2020, I reached a goal that I have been working on for the last eight years and four months. I have officially run one organized race every month for the last 100 months! I've learned a lot about achieving your goals along this journey, I call it the "6 Step to Achieving Your Goals." If you're ready to give it all you got, take a listen now!
What's it really like to lose a sibling? Kristy Sinsara has been there and she's ready to take you inside that moment. How do you grow from heartbreak? Find out here as you step inside her life to learn from her loss.