Guns and Mental Health by Walk the Talk America
An honest and comprehensive discussion about guns and mental health. Two highly stigmatized cultures that have long stood across from each other, refusing to collaborate whenever tragedy strikes. That trend ends now. For firearms owners, clinicians, and the curious public.
Guns and Mental Health by Walk the Talk America
Ep 152: Dwayne Edwards on Changing Veteran Mental Health
What happens after the mission ends? In this episode, we sit down with Marine Corps veteran and founder of VMHA, Dwayne Edwards, for an honest conversation about life after service, the identity crisis many veterans face, and why our system still fails to meet their mental health needs.
Dwayne shares his journey from growing up in Jamaica and navigating Brooklyn as a kid, to leading Marines in Iraq and later reinventing himself at Yale. He talks about the cultural pressure veterans face when seeking help, how “claim sharks” exploit those who’ve served, and how VMHA is disrupting the system by providing ethical, transparent, and high-quality mental health assessments.
We also dig into the overlap of firearms, identity, and mental wellness, and why removing stigma is more important than ever.
Whether you're a veteran, know someone who is, or simply care about building better systems for those who’ve served, this episode will challenge and inspire.
🎧 Listen if you’re curious about:
- Why the transition out of the military is harder than people think
- The roots of VMHA and how it's doing things differently
- Mental health stigma in the veteran community
- The tension between firearms and mental wellness
- What civilian allies and organizations can do better
🔗 Connect with Dwayne and VMHA:
Website: https://vmhaforvets.com
Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube: @vmhaforvets
