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Stigma E-Book

De Oppresso Liber

To Free the Oppressed

The motto of the Green Berets.

What if the one who needs to be freed is the person everyone counts on to never break?

In war zones, boardrooms, and operating rooms, high performers fight battles out of sight. A panic attack in a meeting. The sleepless night before a life or death decision. That moment alone when disappearing feels easier than being exposed.

Lives are not lost because of a lack of strength, but from the belief that asking for help will destroy everything.

This book breaks the code of silence and shatters that belief.

Written by a retired U.S. Army Green Beret and Black Hawk pilot with the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR), it shows that even the strongest can struggle. And that the struggle is not weakness.

Learn to spot hidden battles in yourself and others, recognize the warning signs early, and avoid the isolation that turns struggle into disasters.

Redefine strength and end the silence before more lives are lost.

Silence kills. Strength speaks.

For fans of Can’t Hurt Me, Extreme Ownership, and When Breath Becomes Air.

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If you are in crisis or contemplating suicide, here are numbers you can call for help and support. Remember, it may be the most courageous thing you ever do.

Veterans Crisis Line – Free, confidential support available 24/7 for veterans, service members, and their families. Dial 988 and press 1, text 838255, or chat online.
https://www.veteranscrisisline.net

Military OneSource Crisis Support – Active-duty, Guard, and Reserve members (and their families) can connect 24/7 for confidential help—whether it’s mental health, financial stress, or family issues. They’ll connect you with trained counselors right away.
https://www.militaryonesource.mil/crisis-support

National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline – Available to everyone in the U.S.—civilian, military, or first responder. Call or text 988 to connect instantly with trained crisis counselors.
https://988lifeline.org 

Crisis Text Line – For anyone who prefers texting over talking. Text HELLO to 741741 to connect with trained counselors 24/7.
Safe Call Now (First Responders) – A confidential crisis line staffed by first responders for first responders (law enforcement, firefighters, EMTs, corrections, dispatch). Available 24/7. Call 1-206-459-3020.
https://safecallnowusa.org
Check out these organizations for support before you reach a crisis point or as you’re coming back from one.

Military & Veterans

Boulder Crest Foundation – Free, immersive retreats for veterans and first responders focused on Post-Traumatic Growth.

ARK Health Foundation  – Helping veterans heal from trauma and reach their highest potential through advanced human optimization programming, while simultaneously breaking barriers to care.
https://arkhealthfoundation.com/

Semper Fi & America’s Fund – Personalized support for injured and ill service members, from adaptive equipment to integrative wellness programs.
https://thefund.org
 

Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS)  Provides peer-based support and grief resources for families grieving the death of a service member. Offers mentoring, camps for kids, and survivor retreats.
https://www.taps.org

Bob Woodruff Foundation / Got Your 6 Network – Funds and connects over 100 vetted nonprofits serving veterans. Strong resource hub if you’re looking for trustworthy local programs in mental health, housing, and reintegration.
https://bobwoodrufffoundation.org

Team Red, White & Blue (Team RWB) – Builds community and resilience through fitness, outdoor events, and local chapters.
https://www.teamrwb.org

Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) – Advocacy, adaptive sports, medical guidance, and benefits help for veterans with spinal cord injuries or illness.
 

First Responders

Code Green Campaign – Education, peer support, and mental health advocacy for first responders.
https://codegreencampaign.org

First Responder Support Network (FRSN) – Provides peer and clinical retreats to help first responders recover from traumatic stress.
https://www.frsn.org

National Fallen Firefighters Foundation – Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives – Peer and family support programs designed to help firefighters cope with loss and trauma.
https://www.firehero.org

Civilians

NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) – Nationwide nonprofit with support groups, education, and advocacy for anyone living with mental health conditions (and their families).
https://www.nami.org

Mental Health America (MHA) – Offers screening tools, education, and local affiliate connections for affordable, community-based mental health support.
https://www.mhanational.org

SAMHSA (Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration) Treatment Locator – A government tool to find affordable, local mental health or substance use treatment providers.
 
Give an Hour – A national organization strengthening mental health by empowering individuals and communities through an innovative approach that helps people actively engage in their own healing, utilizing clinical mental health support, peer support, and education and training. 

Inspiration from the Trenches

Hiding in Plain Sight: The Truth About Trauma, Service, and The Way Forward by Doug White
Objective Secure: The Battle-Tested Guide to Goal Achievement by Nick Lavery

On Trauma and Recovery

The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk
The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Toxic Culture by Gabor Maté and Daniel Maté
 

On Family and Relationships

The Secure Child by Stanley Greenspan
The Power of Attachment by Diane Poole Heller
Hold Me Tight by Sue Johnson
Attachment Theory by Thais Gibson
Fight Right: How Successful Couples Turn Conflict Into Connection by Dr. Julie Schwartz Gottman and Dr. John Gottman

retired U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer Three who served 13 years in the United States Army. He holds the rare distinction of being both a Green Beret and a Night Stalker helicopter pilot with the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. Over the course of his career, he completed multiple combat and operational deployments worldwide, often working alongside America’s most elite units.

After years of performing at an elite level, Nick faced a different kind of war. He battled depression, panic attacks, and suicidal thoughts, and those experiences revealed the destructive stigmas surrounding mental health, especially in the veteran and first responder communities. His journey from combat to collapse, and eventually to healing, became the foundation of Stigma. Through raw personal stories and a call for cultural change, he challenges the belief that struggle equals weakness and shows that real strength is found in vulnerability.

Today, Nick is committed to destroying the stigmas that keep high performers silent and suffering. He uses his story to fight for a culture where honesty and connection end isolation and shame. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Ark Health Foundation and as an ambassador for Give an Hour, two nonprofit organizations dedicated to veteran mental health and dismantling stigma.

Description

Green Beret. Pilot. Speaker. Survivor.

Nick O’Kelly is a retired U.S. Army Green Beret and Blackhawk pilot from the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, commonly known as the Night Stalkers. He spent years performing at the highest levels, flying missions in some of the world’s most demanding environments. On the outside, he looked rock solid. On the inside, he was quietly battling depression, identity loss, and suicidal thoughts.

Now, as a speaker and author, Nick shares his story to help others break the silence. He’s not here to lecture, he’s here to be real. Vulnerability saved his life. If sharing what he went through helps someone else feel seen, understood, or encouraged to speak up, then this mission is working.

Green Beret. Pilot. Speaker. Survivor.

Nick O’Kelly is a retired U.S. Army Green Beret and Blackhawk pilot from the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, commonly known as the Night Stalkers. He spent years performing at the highest levels, flying missions in some of the world’s most demanding environments. On the outside, he looked rock solid. On the inside, he was quietly battling depression, identity loss, and suicidal thoughts.

Now, as a speaker and author, Nick shares his story to help others break the silence. He’s not here to lecture, he’s here to be real. Vulnerability saved his life. If sharing what he went through helps someone else feel seen, understood, or encouraged to speak up, then this mission is working.

Additional information

Format

Audiobook, E-book, Hardcover, Hardcover – Signed, Paperback

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