Combat to Calm: How a Veteran Dad Rebuilt His Life & Teaches Dads to Lead Softly

Trigger warning: This episode discusses suicide and mental health struggles. 

At just 33, Craig has lived more life than most. Through deep pain, confusion, and two suicide attempts, he rebuilt himself into a better human, father, and husband. By speaking openly about his struggles, Craig offers a hopeful road map for others: it’s possible to come through, do the hard inner work, and use that experience to serve others. Craig’s journey is uncommon in its candor and all too common in its pain—yet from that struggle he’s found contentment, joy, and a fierce commitment to “Be The Best.”

In this deeply personal and inspiring conversation, Kathy sits down with Craig Maddern, a proud father, Army veteran, and certified stress relief coach. After 15 years in the military and two tours in Afghanistan, Craig faced trauma, a heart pacemaker, a bipolar diagnosis, and two suicide attempts. Now, he’s on a mission to help hardworking dads break free from chronic stress, redefine masculinity, and build joyful, connected family lives.

Craig shares raw truths about military culture, mental health struggles, fatherhood’s hormonal and neurological shifts, and why vulnerability is a strength—not a weakness. This is an unflinching look at the challenges and transformations men face when stepping into fatherhood and life after service.

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Guest Bio

Craig Maddern is an Army veteran, award-winning author, and ICF- and NLP-accredited stress coach who helps hardworking dads break free from chronic stress and rebuild joyful, stable family lives. After 15 years of service — including two tours in Afghanistan — Craig survived a health crisis (a pacemaker), a bipolar diagnosis, and two suicide attempts, experiences that shaped his honest, practical approach to men’s mental health.  As a public speaker and men’s mental-health advocate, he coaches with no-nonsense compassion—practical tools, zero judgment—helping men move from survival to strength, and from isolation to connection.

Topics Discussed

• Military Life & Masculinity: Growing up with a strict father, lessons in discipline, and what not to repeat; joining the military at 17; unspoken rules of masculinity in the forces.
• Mental Health & Transition: The crash after leaving service—depression, alcohol abuse, identity loss, feeling like an outsider; surviving two suicide attempts and finding a reason to keep going.
• Fatherhood & the Brain: How becoming a dad lowers testosterone and raises bonding hormones, making fathers more patient; reframing this change as a parenting advantage; the impact of chronic stress on father-child connection.
• Healthy Masculinity & Raising Boys: Defining masculinity as compassion, leadership, emotional depth, and security without dominance; preparing boys to question online “truths” in a social media world; reminding them that real life happens offline.
• Legacy & Life Lessons: What Craig hopes to pass on through his books and example; his core message—family is everything, and children are forever.

Links

Website: https://www.craigmadderncoaching.com/

• https://www.facebook.com/craig.maddern/
• Happy Man Happy Home - YouTube
• How I Went from Stress and Hospital Beds, to Enjoying My Life https://www.amazon.co.uk/went-Stress-Hospital-Beds-enjoying-ebook/dp/B0DP1PSJF5
• "Calm down man Plan" going live at the end of September 

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And reach out for more support at Sonhood Coaching.

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What Makes Season 3 Different?

Too many boys today feel lost, alone, and misunderstood. And far too often, the same is true for their parents.

Behind the troubling statistics is a generation of boys quietly longing to be seen, heard, and valued — yet the conversation around boys’ emotional lives remains far too quiet.

Season 3 of Unlocking the Parenting Code is here to change that.

In this new season, you’ll hear:

🔹 Real conversations with young men who are ready to share their truth.

🔹 Powerful insights from experts in boys’ mental and emotional health.

🔹 And raw, real wisdom from dads who are walking this road every day

🔹 Solo episodes where I reflect on what I’ve witnessed, wrestled with, and learned

At the heart of this season — and at the heart of Sonhood Coaching — is a mission:

To understand the inner emotional world of boys, to recognize the very real challenges they face, and to name the damaging myths and societal expectations that continue to shape how we see, treat, and raise our sons.

This is not about fixing boys.

It’s about truly seeing them — and learning how to show up differently, with compassion, courage, and connection.

Together, we’re building a world where boys feel safe to be their authentic selves.

Because when we get it right for our boys, we begin to heal something much bigger.

Discover more at Sonhood Coaching.