Dr. Chris Frueh is a clinical psychologist and researcher who has worked with veterans for more than 35 years. He worked as a frontline clinician in a VA PTSD clinic, treating combat veterans while simultaneously conducting clinical research. He later held academic and leadership roles at the Medical University of South Carolina, the University of Hawai'i at Hilo, Baylor College of Medicine, and the Menninger Clinic, where he directed research programs focused on trauma, military mental health, and long-term recovery outcomes.

Through his work with hundreds of Special Operations veterans, private defense contractors, and high-risk professionals, Dr. Frueh identified a recurring pattern of brain injury exposure, hormonal suppression, sleep disruption, chronic pain, and cognitive decline that did not fit the traditional PTSD model. In 2020, he published a peer-reviewed medical paper (later released as a book) that introduced the term “Operator Syndrome,” challenging prevailing assumptions in military mental health.

In this episode, Max and Dr. Frueh examine why PTSD became the default diagnosis for a generation of GWOT veterans, where modern medicine has fallen short, and why a physiology-first, peer-led coaching model may represent the next paradigm shift in healing for high-risk professionals.*

This episode is educational and does not constitute medical advice.

Chapters:

00:03 Introducing Dr. Chris Frueh

04:41 Growing Up Around Veterans & Choosing Clinical Psychology

07:36 Inside the VA PTSD Clinic

11:20 Why He Left the VA System

11:42 Meeting Special Operators Who Didn’t Fit the PTSD Model

15:44 Brain Scans, Hormones & Aging 40 Years Too Fast

17:47 What PTSD Used to Mean vs. What It Means Now

25:45 Defining Operator Syndrome 28:32 Allostatic Load & The Cost of 20+ Years of High Tempo

33:04 Institutional Betrayal, Afghanistan & First Responders

36:28 Why He Joined Sharp Performance 42:19 Firefighters Recognizing Themselves in the Framework

49:16 Cultural Competence & Why Therapists Miss the Mark 1:01:25 The Problem with “Normal” Lab Ranges

1:06:12 Healing, Recovery & The Virtuous Cycle

1:15:11 The Stanford Study Rejection & Medical Gatekeepers

1:22:24 The Future of Coaching & A Paradigm Shift

[spotify:https://open.spotify.com/episode/33jeQtAbMoS0sKZHLVSMt9?si=pJT7gr5AT6iHdlmhKZS1mw]

[apple:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-clinical-psychologist-challenging-ptsd-dr-chris-frueh/id1832731879?i=1000751995949]

[youtube:https://youtu.be/ViGRR7omd18?si=NVOT-EeWXigwMMFT]

Steve Milgazo spent nearly 30 years in two branches of the U.S. military. He began as an Air Force Pararescueman (PJ) and later became a Navy SEAL. He chased purpose, leadership, and combat across two elite communities, but the cumulative toll eventually followed him home.

In this episode, Steven Bunting traces that journey with him: why he left one special operations pipeline to start over in another, how 9/11 reshaped his trajectory, and what it was like to seek conflict. Milgazo also talks openly about the years after service, including burnout, divorce, identity collapse, and the moment he nearly took his life.

He explains how he approached recovery like a mission, rebuilding his mental and physical health from the ground up, and how that work led him to coaching. Now at Sharp Performance, he serves high-risk professionals who are still in the arena, helping them extend their impact beyond the uniform.

01:10 Going from the Air Force to the Navy 05:03 Steve’s Early Life Inspiration

08:40 Choosing the Air Force

11:33 From Cocoa Beach to BUD/S 14:28 Starting Over at 27

17:38 Going to SEAL Team 2 22:01 Waiting for War in the Wake of 9/11

24:55 Learning to Manage Expectations 27:04 Burning Out and Thinking About Retirement

31:28 Retiring and Going Through Divorce at the Same Time

35:37 Going Back to School

37:11 Hitting Rock Bottom 39:02 Going All-in on Healing

41:03 Becoming a Sharp Performance Coach

44:16 Healing is for Everyone

45:28 It’s Never the Wrong Time to Try Coaching

[spotify:https://open.spotify.com/episode/2nY27e3Bkv9D9L4QGoPz0D?si=8e36d7ec3bde45ec]

[apple:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/from-pararescueman-to-navy-seal-steve-milgazos-mission/id1832731879?i=1000731875041]

[youtube:https://youtu.be/IkvMlE_pyzs?si=GJp7D_Cq6e7auMRC]

Justin Crocker spent two decades in the U.S. Army, starting in the infantry as a paratrooper before commissioning as an officer and completing Special Forces selection. He deployed to Iraq during the surge as a platoon leader and later commanded a Special Forces detachment in Afghanistan.

In this episode, he walks through the lessons learned across Iraq, Afghanistan, and Africa. He explains what combat really teaches about leadership, trust, and the cost of constant performance. He also breaks down why the best units run on decentralized decision-making and why paying attention to your people is more important than tactics.

Justin also opens up about the invisible toll of service. He talks about the strain on marriages, the disconnect of coming home, and the loss of purpose that hits when the mission ends. He lays out parallels between the military transition experience and the burnout spiral he sees in both law enforcement and the fire service.

Now serving as Head of Talent at Sharp Performance, Justin is fighting a new battle. His focus is on ensuring first responders and high-stress professionals do not wait until a crisis to get support. His message is direct: purpose must be protected, and no one earns longevity by grinding themselves into the ground.

00:00 Introduction

03:04 Where Justin Was on 9/11

06:37 Military Service as a Family Inheritance

08:59 Early Lessons as a Paratrooper

13:31 Leading Through the Baghdad Surge

20:20 Risking It All to Join Special Forces

27:38 Earning the Green Beret

32:16 Loss, Family Strain, and the Cost of Service

36:51 How First Responders Struggle to Switch Off at Home

42:15 Why So Many Retire and Decline Quickly

47:19 Choosing Purpose Again at Sharp

52:45 Overtime, Burnout, and the Loss of Mission

[spotify:https://open.spotify.com/episode/2H0NXRlRo2jWwOMEdNEF8O?si=ec37537e2fbb4a21]

[apple:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/from-green-beret-to-tech-recruiter-justin-crocker-on/id1832731879?i=1000729382494]

[youtube:https://youtu.be/JzhSdVldLIE?si=xO2Pwsbc2QOUrvfg]