Special Episode: Trauma, PTSD, and You
In this powerful premiere episode of Armed with Ambition, host Siobhan Cunningham, LCSW, delves into the intricate relationship between trauma and PTSD, particularly as it affects women veterans. Through her experiences and the resilience of pioneers like Senator Tammy Duckworth, Siobhan examines the invisible wounds of military service and the strategies that foster healing and hope. You’ll learn the distinction between trauma and PTSD, how avoidance and unhelpful beliefs can keep you trapped, and explore three essential coping strategies—problem-focused, emotion-focused, and meaning-focused—that can help you progress. Whether you're on your own healing journey or supporting others, this episode is a must-listen for military-connected women and leaders who embrace the concept of post-traumatic growth. Watch the episode or listen to the podcast version right here on the site.
Trauma, PTSD, and You: Healing Begins With Truth
Welcome to Armed with Ambition
In the premiere episode of Armed with Ambition, I explore a topic that is all too familiar—and often left unspoken—in the lives of women who serve: trauma.
As a veteran, therapist, and woman who has experienced visible and invisible wounds, I recognized that this series needed to begin with the truth. Not just clinical definitions, but real-life experiences. In Episode 1, we delve into trauma, PTSD, and how military women can embark on the journey of healing with honesty, compassion, and strength. If you've served or supported someone who has, this episode is for you.
Why This Episode Matters
Military women often carry trauma in silence, sometimes without even realizing how deeply it affects them. Whether it stems from combat, sexual harassment, loss, betrayal, or the constant pressure to prove yourself in uniform, trauma has a way of reshaping our identities, choices, and leadership.
This episode unpacks:
The difference between trauma and PTSD, and why understanding both is critical to healing.
The role of avoidance and internalized beliefs in prolonging suffering.
How trauma shows up in the everyday life of a military-connected woman—at home, at work, and in leadership.
The empowering strategies of problem-focused, emotion-focused, and meaning-focused coping.
A Turning Point: Senator Tammy Duckworth
My curiosity about trauma in leadership led me down an unexpected rabbit hole—a Twitter clapback from Senator Tammy Duckworth.
I was intrigued when a former spouse complained about the military spending money on maternity flight suits. After reading Senator Duckworth’s unapologetic defense of women in service, especially pregnant women, I had to learn more.
Tammy Duckworth is not only a veteran and double amputee, but also the first sitting senator to give birth in office. Her story became a powerful reminder that healing and leadership are not mutually exclusive but deeply intertwined.
Her voice reminded me that you can be both wounded and worthy, struggling and still strong. That’s the core of this episode.
Episode Highlights
Here are a few key moments to listen for:
[5:00] Trauma vs. PTSD
Learn how trauma differs from PTSD, why self-diagnosis falls short, and how clinical support matters.[12:15] Avoidance & Unfinished Business
A simple metaphor—don’t think about the pink elephant—shows how trauma gets trapped in our brains and bodies.[17:45] Coping That Works
I share three types of coping that can help you move from stuck to strong:
💪 Problem-Focused
💗 Emotion-Focused
🌱 Meaning-Focused[23:00] “You Are Still Here”
It is a reminder that survival doesn’t erase pain but proves your resilience.
Why I Chose This Topic First
I’ve worked with veterans for years. I’ve heard their stories, and I’ve lived my own. Too often, our trauma gets minimized by systems, by others, and by ourselves.
But healing begins with truth.
This episode isn’t about diagnosing yourself. It’s about recognizing the signs, challenging the silence, and reclaiming your story. You don’t have to do it alone—and you don’t have to have it all figured out to begin.
Watch or Listen Now
Catch the full episode of Armed with Ambition on the site (or on your favorite podcast platform). Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss the next episode, in which we tackle another major topic for women veterans: depression and how to fight for your voice when it feels like everything’s gone numb.
Final Thoughts
You’re not broken. You’re becoming. And I’m so honored to walk this journey with you.
Until next time,
Be kind to others—and even kinder to yourself.
Siobhan Cunningham, LCSW
Host of Armed with Ambition
Resources
This season is sponsored in part by Military Veterans in Journalism: Supporting Community. Supporting Career Growth. Advocating for Vets. Check them out at https://www.mvj.network/
Senator Tammy Duckworth
Link: https://www.duckworth.senate.gov/
Trauma Warning Signs and Risk Factors
Link: https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/disaster-distress-helpline/warning-signs-risk-factors
Wounded Warrior Project
The Wounded Warrior Project offers PTSD treatment and support resources for veterans, including outpatient and intensive outpatient programs, support groups, and educational resources. You can find out more information about the Warrior Care Network, a program that provides mental health treatment to Post-9/11 veterans.
The VA’s National Center for PTSD
The National Center for PTSD website provides information about peer support groups for veterans with PTSD. It explains that peer support groups are a type of mental health treatment that involves connecting with other veterans who have experienced similar challenges.
Link: https://www.ptsd.va.gov/gethelp/peer_support.asp
WoVeN: Women Veterans Network
WoVeN (Women Veterans Network), is a national organization that provides a social network of women veterans to foster connections and build relationships in local communities and across the nation. WoVeN's mission is to provide a sisterhood of women veterans, and emphasizes the importance of creating a supportive community for women veterans that can help them navigate the challenges of transitioning out of military service.
Link: https://www.wovenwomenvets.org/
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