Dispatched & Dysfunctional

Burnout Isn’t Your Fault — Kristen Donnelly on Culture, Curiosity, and Crashing Through the Wall

⚠️ CONTENT WARNINGThe following episode includes emotional discussion on burnout, exhaustion, and mental health that may not be suitable for all listeners. Discretion advised.
Dr. Kristen Donnelly is a sociologist, four-time TED Speaker, and co-author of The Culture of Burnout. She’s made it her life’s work to expose one hard truth: burnout isn’t weakness — it’s culture.
In this conversation:
The Puritan work ethic and how it still fuels American burnout
Why “suck it up” culture keeps responders sick
The body’s breaking point — when rest stops being optional
Curiosity as the antidote to guilt
The four pillars of recovery: Rest, Rejuvenation, Realignment, and Reconnection
Why joy isn’t indulgence — it’s survival
What leaders can do to stop rewarding exhaustion
Kristen’s message is simple: you’re not broken — you’re burned out.And it’s fixable.
🔗 Links🌐 Dr. Kristen Donnelly → https://drkristenspeaks.com📘 Book: The Culture of Burnout (by Dr. Kristen Donnelly & Erin Harlow)
🎧 Listen on your favorite platform:Apple → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dispatched-dysfunctional/id1823016738Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/5Qg5QirllVlFHLzRrnpucyAmazon Music → https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/c28a5312-d5de-47c3-b692-ed3932106989iHeartRadio → https://iheart.com/podcast/282880332Player FM → https://player.fm/series/3673933Podchaser → https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/dispatched-dysfunctional-6139714Boomplay → https://www.boomplaymusic.com/podcasts/134254YouTube → https://youtube.com/@critical-run
Want to be a guest on Dispatched & Dysfunctional? Send Christopher Stockton a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/17582897467624004aff9dc93
🧠 Need support right now? Call or text 988 or visit 988lifeline.org. You’re not alone — not in this job, not in this fight.📱 Follow us on Facebook: Dispatched and Dysfunctional  🌐 Visit: www.critical-run.com to connect, share your story, or just vent  🎤 Got a call that changed you? Submit your story — we’ll carry it with care (and maybe a little dark humor).⚠️ Disclaimer: This podcast contains graphic content, emotional storytelling, and dark humor based on real-life EMS and first responder experiences. Listener discretion is advised.  Any medical discussion is personal opinion, not medical advice. Always follow your local protocols, medical direction, and training guidelines.This podcast isn’t about fairy tales. It’s about real calls, real chaos, and the medics who survive both.  Dispatched & Dysfunctional — because sometimes the worst calls… make the best stories.

We Can Recover — Robert Greer on Brotherhood, Addiction, and the Fight to Come Home

Title: We Can Recover — Robert Greer on Brotherhood, Addiction, and the Fight to Come HomeTagline: Because sometimes the hardest rescue is your own.
After seventeen years in law enforcement — from Corrections and Crimes Against Children to the FBI Task Force — Robert Greer hit rock bottom. Trauma, addiction, and silence nearly took everything.
Now, as an Admissions Advocate at Warriors Heart, he’s helping other first responders and veterans climb out of that same darkness.
In this raw, unfiltered conversation, Robert and host Chris Stockton dive into the realities behind the badge — the burnout, the bottle, and the breaking point — and the power of recovery that followed.
Hear how one night almost ended his story… and how choosing the phone instead of the gun changed everything.
Highlights:
The hidden toll of Crimes Against Children investigations
Isolation, burnout, and the myth of “brotherhood”
Finding Warriors Heart and the road to recovery
The first week of sobriety and learning to laugh again
What hope sounds like on the other end of the line
If you’ve ever felt alone in this work — this episode is proof that you’re not.You can recover.
Hear how one night almost ended his story… and how choosing the phone instead of the gun changed everything.
If you or someone you love is struggling, visit warriorsheart.com/connect — you’ll reach another warrior who’s been there and can help.
🧠 Need support right now?Text or call 988 or visit 988lifeline.org.You’re not alone — not in this job, not in this fight.
🎧 Listen now on Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, and more.
🧠 Need support right now? Call or text 988 or visit 988lifeline.org. You’re not alone — not in this job, not in this fight.📱 Follow us on Facebook: Dispatched and Dysfunctional  🌐 Visit: www.critical-run.com to connect, share your story, or just vent  🎤 Got a call that changed you? Submit your story — we’ll carry it with care (and maybe a little dark humor).⚠️ Disclaimer: This podcast contains graphic content, emotional storytelling, and dark humor based on real-life EMS and first responder experiences. Listener discretion is advised.  Any medical discussion is personal opinion, not medical advice. Always follow your local protocols, medical direction, and training guidelines.This podcast isn’t about fairy tales. It’s about real calls, real chaos, and the medics who survive both.  Dispatched & Dysfunctional — because sometimes the worst calls… make the best stories.

Shift Change: Healing Trauma One Tap at a Time (with Kara Kalin)

⚠️ CONTENT WARNINGThe following episode includes emotional and trauma-related discussion that may not be suitable for all listeners. Discretion advised.
Kara Kalin is a Registered Clinical Counsellor, Certified EMDR Therapist, and Founder of Shift Change, an online platform providing on-demand, EMDR-based mental-health support for workplaces and frontline professionals.
In this conversation:
The hidden cost of workplace trauma — and how to fix it
Why the right brain stores the charge and the left brain runs logic
The 90-day window to prevent PTSD from taking root
What “suppression culture is dead” really means
How EMDR works — and why you can’t heal what you won’t feel
A one-minute reset: breath, tap, and remind yourself “I’m safe right now.”
Kara’s mission is simple: make recovery accessible before burnout becomes identity.Because healing isn’t weakness — it’s wisdom.
👉 Learn more or book a session at www.shiftchange.lifeFollow Kara on Instagram & LinkedIn @karakalinhealing
🧠 Need support right now? Call or text 988 or visit 988lifeline.org. You’re not alone — not in this job, not in this fight.📱 Follow us on Facebook: Dispatched and Dysfunctional  🌐 Visit: www.critical-run.com to connect, share your story, or just vent  🎤 Got a call that changed you? Submit your story — we’ll carry it with care (and maybe a little dark humor).⚠️ Disclaimer: This podcast contains graphic content, emotional storytelling, and dark humor based on real-life EMS and first responder experiences. Listener discretion is advised.  Any medical discussion is personal opinion, not medical advice. Always follow your local protocols, medical direction, and training guidelines.This podcast isn’t about fairy tales. It’s about real calls, real chaos, and the medics who survive both.  Dispatched & Dysfunctional — because sometimes the worst calls… make the best stories.

The Warrior’s Profession — Resilience When the Uniform Feels Heavy Guest: Johnnie L. Gilpen Jr.

From battlefield to bedside — Navy Corpsman, Paramedic, and Pediatric Emergency PA-C Johnnie L. Gilpen Jr. has seen what survival really costs.
He’s answered the call of “Corpsman up!”, treated Marines in the chaos that follows, held dying children in a trauma bay, and fought his own way back from burnout.
Now, through The Art of Medicine: A Warrior’s Profession, he’s helping responders, clinicians, and veterans hold the line — and remember they still belong.
In this episode, Johnnie joins host Chris Stockton for a raw, peer-to-peer conversation about moral injury, faith, resilience, and the tools that keep us standing when the job tries to take everything.From his “Foxhole Principle” to the “Cookie Jar,” Johnnie proves that warriors don’t need to break to be brave — they just need to stay human.
Episode Themes:• Resilience after loss• Building your “Foxhole Team”• Tools for burnout and moral injury• Why belonging is medicine• Faith, family, and surviving the weight of the job
⚠️ Listener Advisory:This episode contains graphic and emotional content, along with dark humor.Discretion is advised.
🧠 SUPPORT OUTRO:Need support right now? Text or call 988 or visit 988lifeline.org.You’re not alone — not in this job, not in this fight.
Want to share your story or connect?Visit critical-run.com or message the Facebook page Dispatched & Dysfunctional.
We’re building this — for you, for them, for all of us.
🔗 Guest Credits & Links
Johnnie L. Gilpen Jr.🌐 johnniegilpen.com📘 Tales From the Green Side – A Barstool Anthology (Amazon)📄 LinkedIn📘 Facebook Profile
🧠 Need support right now? Call or text 988 or visit 988lifeline.org. You’re not alone — not in this job, not in this fight.📱 Follow us on Facebook: Dispatched and Dysfunctional  🌐 Visit: www.critical-run.com to connect, share your story, or just vent  🎤 Got a call that changed you? Submit your story — we’ll carry it with care (and maybe a little dark humor).⚠️ Disclaimer: This podcast contains graphic content, emotional storytelling, and dark humor based on real-life EMS and first responder experiences. Listener discretion is advised.  Any medical discussion is personal opinion, not medical advice. Always follow your local protocols, medical direction, and training guidelines.This podcast isn’t about fairy tales. It’s about real calls, real chaos, and the medics who survive both.  Dispatched & Dysfunctional — because sometimes the worst calls… make the best stories.

Self-Care Isn’t Selfish — Surviving the Job Without Losing Yourself Guest Jenny Lytle

Today’s guest knows a thing or two about carrying weight — not just in uniform, but after it comes off.
She’s a nurse with more than thirty years in healthcare, most of that in hospice and end-of-life care. She’s an author, a coach, and the creator of The Becoming Method® — a practical framework that helps caregivers stop burning themselves alive for the job.
Jenny Lytle has spent decades sitting beside the edge of life, where exhaustion meets grace, and she’s learned one hard truth we all forget: you can’t save anyone if you’ve already bled yourself dry.
We talk about:– Why burnout hides behind “I’m fine.”– The cost of caring and what recovery really looks like.– How to build five-minute self-care resets that actually work.– Faith, balance, and how to stop confusing self-sacrifice with strength.
This one isn’t soft — it’s survival.Because self-care isn’t selfish. It’s the only reason you’ll last long enough to live life after the pager.
Jenny Lytle’s book Self-Care Isn’t Selfish is available on Amazon in Kindle, Audible, paperback, hardcover, and large print — or grab a free digital copy at selfcareisntselfish.com.
This is Dispatched & Dysfunctional.Because sometimes the worst calls… make the best stories.And sometimes the best stories… remind us to survive long enough to tell them.
🧠 Need support right now? Call or text 988 or visit 988lifeline.org. You’re not alone — not in this job, not in this fight.📱 Follow us on Facebook: Dispatched and Dysfunctional  🌐 Visit: www.critical-run.com to connect, share your story, or just vent  🎤 Got a call that changed you? Submit your story — we’ll carry it with care (and maybe a little dark humor).⚠️ Disclaimer: This podcast contains graphic content, emotional storytelling, and dark humor based on real-life EMS and first responder experiences. Listener discretion is advised.  Any medical discussion is personal opinion, not medical advice. Always follow your local protocols, medical direction, and training guidelines.This podcast isn’t about fairy tales. It’s about real calls, real chaos, and the medics who survive both.  Dispatched & Dysfunctional — because sometimes the worst calls… make the best stories.

Resilience Isn’t Optional — Jeff Robertson on Strength, Failure, and the Fight Back

⚠️ PODCAST DISCLAIMERThe following content is graphic, emotional, and includes dark humor that may not be suitable for all listeners. Discretion is advised. Explicit content included. Calls are real, providers are real. Names and details changed to protect privacy. Any medical discussion is personal experience — not protocol. Use your damn brain. Follow your guidelines. When in doubt, call med control. Need help now? Text or call 988 or visit 988lifeline.org.
Episode: “Resilience Isn’t a Poster — It’s a Process (with Jeff Robertson)”From sirens and shift work to a DUI that blew up his identity, Jeff Robertson lays it out without polish: how your job can swallow your name, how “a few beers after shift” turns into a lifestyle, and how to claw back purpose when the uniform comes off. We get into survival mode, ego, leadership that actually lifts people, and the messy, unglamorous path of rebuilding — from being uninsurable to owning a fitness gym, from hiding in chaos to learning to forgive the younger version of yourself. If you’ve ever thought, “Am I more than this patch?” — this one’s for you.
What you’ll hear: identity after the job • alcohol as a coping trap • finding real mentors (and friends outside the bay) • Ho‘oponopono as a practical forgiveness tool • peer support over perfection • fitness as a lifeline • why leadership should hold the ladder for the next person • and the hard truth that life goes on — with or without you, so choose how you show up.
🧠 Need support right now? 988 | 988lifeline.org
🧠 Need support right now? Call or text 988 or visit 988lifeline.org. You’re not alone — not in this job, not in this fight.📱 Follow us on Facebook: Dispatched and Dysfunctional  🌐 Visit: www.critical-run.com to connect, share your story, or just vent  🎤 Got a call that changed you? Submit your story — we’ll carry it with care (and maybe a little dark humor).⚠️ Disclaimer: This podcast contains graphic content, emotional storytelling, and dark humor based on real-life EMS and first responder experiences. Listener discretion is advised.  Any medical discussion is personal opinion, not medical advice. Always follow your local protocols, medical direction, and training guidelines.This podcast isn’t about fairy tales. It’s about real calls, real chaos, and the medics who survive both.  Dispatched & Dysfunctional — because sometimes the worst calls… make the best stories.

The Warrior, Servant & Leader Mindset — Pat Welsh on Faith, Service, and Leading Through Chaos

After more than 40 years in law enforcement — from the courtroom to the streets — Pat Welsh has seen what happens when leadership fails… and when it saves lives.
In this episode of Dispatched & Dysfunctional, we talk about what it really means to lead with courage, serve with humility, and stay human when the job hardens everyone else.
From being abandoned in a Dublin orphanage to commanding the Dayton, Ohio Police Department, Pat’s story is one of grit, faith, and purpose.He’s lived every side of service — prosecutor, cop, commander, husband, and father — and built his Warrior, Servant, Leader mindset through experience most of us can’t imagine.
This one’s a masterclass in real leadership, humility, and what happens when you stop pretending to be bulletproof.
🔥 KEY TOPICS
The difference between empathy and compassion
Leading through faith after personal loss
What “culture” really means inside a department or team
Why ego kills teams faster than failure
How to serve without burning out
The power of humility in command
🎧 GUEST LINKS
🌐 Website: https://www.thewarriorservantleaderpodcast.com
📬 Substack: https://substack.com/@patwelshjd
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pat-welsh-jd-82b79490/
💬 QUOTE FROM PAT
“Real strength has nothing to do with pretending you’re bulletproof. Leadership is about doing the right thing, the right way, at the right time, for the right reasons.”
🧠 ABOUT THE SHOW
Dispatched & Dysfunctional is where chaos has a pulse, leadership gets tested, and dark humor meets real survival.These are the stories from inside the headset, the rig, and the fight to stay human when the job takes everything out of you.
Calls are real. Providers are real.Names and details have been changed to protect privacy.Listener discretion is advised.
🧠 SUPPORT OUTRO
Need support right now?Text or call 988 or visit 988lifeline.org.You’re not alone — not in this job, not in this fight.
Want to share your story or connect?Visit critical-run.com or message the Facebook page Dispatched & Dysfunctional.
We’re building this — for you, for them, for all of us.
🧠 Need support right now? Call or text 988 or visit 988lifeline.org. You’re not alone — not in this job, not in this fight.📱 Follow us on Facebook: Dispatched and Dysfunctional  🌐 Visit: www.critical-run.com to connect, share your story, or just vent  🎤 Got a call that changed you? Submit your story — we’ll carry it with care (and maybe a little dark humor).⚠️ Disclaimer: This podcast contains graphic content, emotional storytelling, and dark humor based on real-life EMS and first responder experiences. Listener discretion is advised.  Any medical discussion is personal opinion, not medical advice. Always follow your local protocols, medical direction, and training guidelines.This podcast isn’t about fairy tales. It’s about real calls, real chaos, and the medics who survive both.  Dispatched & Dysfunctional — because sometimes the worst calls… make the best stories.

A Firefighter’s Life – When the Flames Go Out, the Battle Begins

After 31 years of service in Western Australia, firefighter Anthony Ajduk had seen it all — until one horrific crash changed everything.In this powerful conversation, Anthony opens up about the night that ended his career, the years that followed, and the war he’s still fighting inside his own mind.
This episode dives deep into the reality of PTSD, the importance of involving family in recovery, and how dark humor keeps first responders alive long after the sirens stop.
Anthony’s honesty cuts through the noise, reminding us that PTSD isn’t weakness — it’s an injury. And injuries can be treated.
🧯 Guest: Anthony Ajduk – Retired Firefighter, Author of “A Firefighter’s Life”📚 Available now on Amazon
🗓️ Episode drops October 23, 2025 – 3:00 a.m. CST
⚠️ Listener Advisory:This episode contains graphic and emotional content, along with dark humor. Discretion is advised.
If you’re struggling, don’t do it alone.Text or call 988 or visit 988lifeline.org
🧠 Need support right now? Call or text 988 or visit 988lifeline.org. You’re not alone — not in this job, not in this fight.📱 Follow us on Facebook: Dispatched and Dysfunctional  🌐 Visit: www.critical-run.com to connect, share your story, or just vent  🎤 Got a call that changed you? Submit your story — we’ll carry it with care (and maybe a little dark humor).⚠️ Disclaimer: This podcast contains graphic content, emotional storytelling, and dark humor based on real-life EMS and first responder experiences. Listener discretion is advised.  Any medical discussion is personal opinion, not medical advice. Always follow your local protocols, medical direction, and training guidelines.This podcast isn’t about fairy tales. It’s about real calls, real chaos, and the medics who survive both.  Dispatched & Dysfunctional — because sometimes the worst calls… make the best stories.

When Leadership Forgets Where They Came From

When Leadership Forgets Where They Come From
 
When leadership forgets what it feels like to be in the trenches, everyone under them feels it first.This episode dives into the burnout that starts at the top — where checklists replace empathy and policy replaces presence.
Because real leadership isn’t about titles.It’s about remembering the weight of the gear, the smell of diesel, and the people still carrying the calls you once ran.
If you’ve ever worked under someone who forgot where they came from — or fear you’re becoming that person — this one’s for you.
Need support right now?Text or call 9 8 8 or visit 9 8 8 lifeline dot org.You’re not alone — not in this job, not in this fight.
🧠 Need support right now? Call or text 988 or visit 988lifeline.org. You’re not alone — not in this job, not in this fight.📱 Follow us on Facebook: Dispatched and Dysfunctional  🌐 Visit: www.critical-run.com to connect, share your story, or just vent  🎤 Got a call that changed you? Submit your story — we’ll carry it with care (and maybe a little dark humor).⚠️ Disclaimer: This podcast contains graphic content, emotional storytelling, and dark humor based on real-life EMS and first responder experiences. Listener discretion is advised.  Any medical discussion is personal opinion, not medical advice. Always follow your local protocols, medical direction, and training guidelines.This podcast isn’t about fairy tales. It’s about real calls, real chaos, and the medics who survive both.  Dispatched & Dysfunctional — because sometimes the worst calls… make the best stories.

Three Uniforms, One Stroke: Part 3 (Final)

 
Guest Episode – 
Three Uniforms, One Stroke: Part 3 (Final)
 
 
Dispatched & Dysfunctional – Because sometimes the worst calls make the best stories.
 
This is the final part of our raw, outdoor recording at Susan Crowder’s home — with Susan, her daughter Maizee, her granddaughter Jo, my wife Jordan, and my daughter Sophie. Real conversations, real noise, real life.
 
🚑 In Part 3, Susan talks about life after the stroke: recovery, family, and the brutal reality of having to walk away from the uniforms that defined her. We get into the chaos of juggling kids, work, broken leadership, and what it really means to keep going when your career and body won’t let you do what you love anymore.
 
⚠️ CONTENT WARNING: Explicit language, dark humor, trauma, family struggles, and raw EMS/police/fire talk. This is unpolished, unfiltered, and heavy. Listener discretion advised.
 
Why It Matters:
Because every responder has a moment where they wonder who they are without the uniform. Susan’s story reminds us that survival isn’t just about beating the job — it’s about finding purpose after it tries to take everything from you.
 
🧠 Need support?
Text or call 988 or visit 988lifeline.org
 
💬 “If you think it’s too heavy to say, say it anyway. It beats a eulogy.”
 
📬 Want to share your story?
Visit critical-run.com or message us on Facebook: Dispatched & Dysfunctional
🧠 Need support right now? Call or text 988 or visit 988lifeline.org. You’re not alone — not in this job, not in this fight.📱 Follow us on Facebook: Dispatched and Dysfunctional  🌐 Visit: www.critical-run.com to connect, share your story, or just vent  🎤 Got a call that changed you? Submit your story — we’ll carry it with care (and maybe a little dark humor).⚠️ Disclaimer: This podcast contains graphic content, emotional storytelling, and dark humor based on real-life EMS and first responder experiences. Listener discretion is advised.  Any medical discussion is personal opinion, not medical advice. Always follow your local protocols, medical direction, and training guidelines.This podcast isn’t about fairy tales. It’s about real calls, real chaos, and the medics who survive both.  Dispatched & Dysfunctional — because sometimes the worst calls… make the best stories.