People First Radio – June 13, 2024People First Radio – June 13, 2024
People First Radio
Former medic and paramedic Matthew Hennigan shares his experience of PTSD, alcohol addiction, detox, and six years of sobriety, alongside the ongoing role of writing in his recovery. The episode also features Nanaimo Women Helping Women and the 100-plus Fine Gentlemen of Oceanside, highlighting practical community responses to abuse, homelessness, and local charity needs.
0:00•14 Jun 2024
From Battlefield Detox to Community Care: Stories of Sobriety and Support
Episode Overview
- Paramedics, firefighters, police, and nurses retain their humanity; training and uniforms do not shield them from trauma or grief.
- Admitting “I’m an alcoholic” can be a pivotal moment that opens the door to treatment and long-term recovery.
- Detox from alcohol can be intensely physical and frightening, yet it is a short but crucial stage on a much longer healing journey.
- Creative outlets like daily writing and podcasting can help give structure and meaning to traumatic experiences, offering a sense of control.
- Grassroots efforts and pooled donations – such as Nanaimo Women Helping Women and the 100-plus Fine Gentlemen – show how small, practical acts can provide hope and stability for people in crisis.
“Saying yes out loud is probably the loudest thing I’ve ever said in my entire life.”
How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety? This edition of People First Radio brings together raw stories of recovery, community care, and creative ways to give back. The first half centres on writer and podcaster Matthew Hennigan, a former combat medic and civilian paramedic who speaks candidly about PTSD, alcoholism, and treatment.
He describes the emotional toll of frontline work and pushes back on the idea that paramedics are “just ambulance drivers”, stressing that “at no time do we ever sign away our humanity.” His drink‑fuelled spiral includes a DUI and the death of his mother by suicide, leading to the moment in therapy where he finally said out loud, “Yes, I’m an alcoholic” – a turning point he calls the loudest thing he’s ever said.
Matthew walks you through detox, which he likens to a battlefield: shakes, pain “in your joints, in all your muscles, in behind your eyes,” and the fear he might die.
Yet six years on, he talks about laughter returning, building a family life with his partner Sheena and her daughters, and using daily writing and podcasting to give his trauma “a beginning, a middle, and an end.” For anyone in recovery, his honesty about ongoing nightmares and grief – alongside deep gratitude – might feel very familiar.
The episode then shifts to Nanaimo Women Helping Women, as founder Keri Isham explains how the grassroots group supports women and children facing abuse, homelessness, or crisis. From hotel stays after sexual assault to emergency packs for women living in vehicles, she highlights how “simple things” like gift cards, phones, or paying an affidavit fee can offer real hope.
Rounding things out, Kim Burden shares how the 100‑plus Fine Gentlemen of Oceanside pool small donations into sizeable quarterly gifts for local charities, creating both social connection and tangible support. If you’ve ever wondered how personal recovery, grassroots mutual aid, and community fundraising can intersect, this conversation might give you a few ideas – where do you see yourself in these stories?
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