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Veteran Nate McCafferty and his passion to help others...and himself

screenshot of Nate McCafferty's interview

Nate spent his life helping others but the Boulder Crest program helped him realize that he also needed to help himself.

Veteran Nate McCafferty on finding empathy from others

screenshot of Nat McCafferty's interview

Opening up was difficult at first for Nate McCafferty, but once he did he found empathy from other veterans who understood his struggles.

Veteran Nate McCafferty had trouble coping after his brain injury

veteran Nate McCafferty screen shot from his interview

Retired Marine master sargeant Nate McCafferty talks about trying to cope "when the war got quiet and the world got loud."

Veteran Nate McCafferty: "The past informs the present."

The tough expectations of Nate's family when he was a child had a huge impact on his view of work, his ability to read others, and his success as an EOD technician.

Veteran Nate McCafferty on the traumatic impact of your past

Boulder Crest has veterans examine their family history and explore the traumas, and gifts, each person in their past gave them.

Veteran Nate McCafferty on his injury and the fallout

Retired Marine master sergeant Nate McCafferty shares the story of his first brain injury, and the immediate impact it had on his ability to function.

At Boulder Crest, the veteran leaders share their stories first

Leaders like veteran Nate McCafferty share their stories and create a safe space full of empathy, not shame.

Veteran Nate McCafferty on the dangers of EOD and TBI

Veteran Nate McCafferty discusses the dangerous intersection of explosive ordinance disposal and traumatic brain injury.

Veteran Nate McCafferty and his addiction

Veteran Nate McCafferty talks about how alcohol was a way for him to escape the war.

Veteran Nate McCafferty's suicide scare

veteran Nate McCaffery in his Boulder Crest shirt

Veteran Nate McCafferty's post-service job mean a loss of his support system — and thoughts of suicide started

Veteran Nate McCafferty: "Boulder Crest saved my life."

Boulder Crest helped Nate McCafferty and many other veterans find a "new lease on life."

PTSD diagnosis through bacteria in saliva

A gloved hand inserts a swab into a woman's open mouth

Hurting Physically from Emotional Pain

Illustration of a woman with a pained expression rubs her neck

The more I start to recognize what I am feeling — both physically and emotionally — the more I can speak up for myself, and advocate for what I need. It is not easy, and not something that everyone wants to hear, but I need to care for myself, too.

Low Serotonin Levels May Not Cause Depression

Charcoal drawing of a figure standing alone in darkness

The serotonin hypothesis of depression is still influential. Our comprehensive review of the major strands of research on serotonin shows there is no convincing evidence that depression is associated with, or caused by, lower serotonin concentrations or activity.

Rediscovering Passions After Brain Injury

David Grant in a wet suit and snorkel holding a crab at the beach

None of us has a crystal ball. The fact that the future is veiled is a gift. What I can do is live my best possible life with what I’ve got. If I look at my life right here, right now, it’s hard not to be grateful.

The Healing Power of Gaming and Streaming for Veterans with PTSD and/or MST

“Open therapeutic discussion works. It’s like you’re in the woods, it’s pitch-black, there are noises and shadows … and it’s just you, alone, with your one beam of flashlight light bouncing around as you turn this way and that, fight or flight. It’s terrifying. It’s a lot less scary if you’ve got 20 buddies at your side, 20 flashlights that can easily illuminate the forest for what it is, yes, noises and shadows, but once revealed, not so frightening at all. So, all this listening, talking, and sharing made possible by gaming and streaming worked for me and there are a lot of people out there struggling in similar ways who can similarly heal."

Building Your Caregiving XP: The Importance of Recharging Your Batteries

A woman sleeping with cord connecting her head to a battery icon with lights indicating charging

“You cannot serve from an empty vessel.”

What Makes Complex PTSD Different from “Typical” PTSD and How to Begin the Healing Process

Unhappy young woman sits outside with a confusing array of reflections and lights over her

Typical PTSD, a formal diagnosis in The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5-TR), is defined as a mental health condition that’s triggered by a terrifying event — either experienced or witnessed — such as a car crash, an earthquake, or a sexual assault. Complex PTSD, on the other hand, includes all the facets of a primary diagnosis of PTSD but is related to a series of traumatic events over time or one prolonged event. CPTSD is not yet a formal diagnosis in the DSM-5-TR.

Ashton Kroner, Marine Veteran: Discovering Alternative Therapies for TBI and PTSD

USAF MSgt demonstrating vrikshasana, also known as the tree pose in yoga

A Marine Veteran herself, she was resistant to try mindfulness, meditation, and yoga; these practices seemed ridiculous to her. But with time and patience, she began to feel great benefits of them.

Ask the Expert - Ashton Kroner, Marine Veteran: What She Learned from Her Own TBIs

Two Marines engaged in a mixed martial arts throw

A Field Operator in the Marines, Ashton Kroner downplayed her symptoms after sustaining traumatic brain injuries, which may have exacerbated them in the long term.

Bumping into Joy

David and his wife smiling in a bright green garden

I know today — 12 years post-injury that time is indeed a healer of pain, a giver of perspective, and a bringer of joy.

If music soothes the savage breast, then why is it always heavy metal for those living with PTSD?

Russ wearing an electric guitar, holding up rock-n-roll horns, backstage at a Linkin Park rock conce

It’s not always heavy metal or even hard rock, but it is usually very loud, with a driving beat. Why? What is it about that thumping bass that veterans, at least in our circle of friends, seem to love blasting at top volume? Is it their battle cry?

Using the Simple Power of the Breath to Heal from Symptoms and Triggers of PTSD

Bright light at the end of a dark tunnel with text: The only way out is through

I think what’s crucial to understand is that we are not our emotions. I read somewhere that if you visualize yourself standing behind a waterfall, you can watch your emotions, one by one, fall with the water. They come, they go, they wash over you, but they are not you.

What Is Neurofatigue and How Does It Relate to Brain Injury and PTSD?

Greyscale image - A woman in a suit cradles her head, with a pained look on her face, obscured by pa

Anyone can experience “brain fog,” but it can be exacerbated by TBI and/or PTSD ...

The Dying Will Do What The Living Will Not: Applying Mindfulness and Meditation to PTSD

David wearing a blue t-shirt and his wife in a red shirt smiling outside in the sun

Being mindfully aware in the present moment meant that the past no longer owned me and that there really was no such thing as the future — there is just the here and now.