I’ve been wrestling with a theory for a few years now— the more I’ve studied PTSD and Moral Injury.

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Here’s the hypothesis: the suicide epidemic is related to Moral Injury primarily— not PTSD.

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For sure, PTSD may play a role…

… but, it’s important to figure this out.

If we’re looking at the WRONG CAUSE, then we’ll create the wrong cure.

And if we create the wrong CURE, we’ll provide a solution that’s largely ineffective.

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Here’s the basis for my theory….

The majority of military suicides occur after the age of 50. Or, to say it another way, time doesn’t heal all wounds— some get more intense. Let me explain…

PTSD symptoms may lesson over time (you learn to cope with the triggers, you find tools that help you navigate life, and/or you adjust). You learn to read + recognize + respond to stressors in healthy ways.

At the same time, the guilt & shame of Moral Injury seem to GROW if not addressed.

Moreover, while they are raising their families, the responsibilities they feel for their families actually keeps many who contemplate suicide from acting upon it.

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Links referenced

See the GY6 resources, referenced here: www.GY6.online/FG

Upcoming GY6 workshops = www.GY6.online/events

Video explainer, Does PTSD really cause suicide? = https://www.gy6.online/blog/suicide

Long description of Moral Injury (compared to PTSD) = https://www.gy6.online/blog/MI

The article referenced in the intro = https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12317004/

And don’t forget about…

www.JuntoTribe.com = Mike & Jim’s ministry for men

www.HolosHP.com = Mike’s organization and coaching

Other, related

Access the Soul Wholeness video course = www.Jenkins.tv/SWV

Grab the digital bundle (eBook + audiobook) = www.Jenkins.tv/SW

Coaching

One-to-one personal coaching = https://www.jenkins.tv/PC

Two things which occur when an event “marks” you…

1️⃣ Stored

The event is stored regardless of your awareness of it in the moment.

2️⃣ Stamped

The stored data includes all of your five senses.

Note, this “stored and stamped” happens for every “elevated” and memorable event— and is why certain sounds (songs) and smells (even seasonal shifts) create instant recall of good memories.

It’s why we begin to not only feel as if we’re back in the same space, but we recall— without trying to think about it— happenings of those moments. And it’s why we begin anticipating and even behaving in similar ways.

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Now, let’s add another layer to it…

Memories aren’t just stamped & stored in your brain, they’re stamped and storied IN YOUR BODY.

Or, to say it the same way a popular book does, “The BODY keeps the score.”

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And that leads to this…

… sometimes, a “flare up” in the body isn’t just a physical issue, it’s a soul-issue. It’s your body telling you that you have unfinished business to deal with.

In the same way a check engine light tells you that something is happening in your vehicle, these “check engine lights” alert us to something in the soul.

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The problem is two-fold…

1️⃣ We often “cover” these alerts instead of addressing the deeper issues.

2️⃣ We sometimes “cause” them…

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Links referenced

See the GY6 resources, referenced here: www.GY6.online/FG

Upcoming GY6 workshops = www.GY6.online/events

And don’t forget about…

www.JuntoTribe.com = Mike & Jim’s ministry for men

www.HolosHP.com = Mike’s organization and coaching

Other, related

See The Healing Workshop, on-demand course = www.Jenkins.tv/THW

Access the Soul Wholeness video course = www.Jenkins.tv/SWV

Grab the digital bundle (eBook + audiobook) = www.Jenkins.tv/SW

Coaching

One-to-one personal coaching = https://www.jenkins.tv/PC

Sometimes, healing happens instantly. Other times, it occurs over time as people how to be well.

Or, to say it another way... sometimes, Jesus touches us and we are dramatically changed in that moment. Other times, He imparts His wisdom to us so that we can “walk out” the freedom.

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Now, think about what this really means, practically. Let’s move it from theory to real life:

👉 Jesus can heal lung cancer, but He can also teach us about the ills of smoking.

👉 He can cure diabetes. He also shows us how to eat better.

👉 He can heal sexually transmitted diseases. He also provides us with directions on how to live whole and healthy lives, as well as experience the joy of true intimacy with one person.

👉 He can heal us of the dozens of physical nuisances that we’ve grown to tolerate. Or, we can take His directions and experience what it really means to be alive!

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As far as it relates to emotional wholeness…

… and overcoming the effects of PTSD and Moral Injury

It’s possible— and even highly probable— you’ll find healing through the process of walking it out. Too many people wait to get struck by lightning, that is, for a supernatural event to occur that suddenly becomes their breakthrough.

What if that doesn’t happen?

Is all hope vanquished?

Of course not. We can still therapeuo our way there. We can claim our freedom and begin the process of sorting life and fighting for wholeness.

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When I’m teaching these concepts from a stage— or in an online forum— I often express it like this, “Healing is something God does and health is something we do. Both work together.”

For sure, this is a simplistic definition. But, it helps us get on the “same page,” so we can understand what we’re talking about.

Notice how the two work together, long-term.

💥 If the iaomai / miracle happens, we want to walk it out with therapeuo / intentionality.

❤️‍🩹 Therapeuo / intentionality can, over time, reap the same results as a miracle / iaomai.

I’ve taught this concept in several churches and used the following phrase to summarize the concept: “Miracle or no miracle, healing happens now.”

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Links referenced

Take a deeper dive at the GY6 website: www.GY6.online

Upcoming GY6 workshops = www.GY6.online/events

See the GY6 resources, referenced here: www.GY6.online/FG

Video explainer, two kinds of healing = https://www.gy6.online/blog/II

And don’t forget about…

www.JuntoTribe.com

Other, related

See The Healing Workshop, on-demand course = www.Jenkins.tv/THW

Access the Soul Wholeness video course = www.Jenkins.tv/SWV

Grab the digital bundle (eBook + audiobook) = www.Jenkins.tv/SW

One-to-one personal coaching = https://www.jenkins.tv/PC

Past episodes, related to this one:

💥 You might not need a miracle, episode 6 = https://www.jenkins.tv/podcasts/podcast-version-2-0/episodes/2149079766