#263 Steve Bunting – Inside the World of MARSOC Medics and Real-World Combat Medicine

Steve Bunting's recollections of his childhood reveal a life marked by severe abuse, neglect, and instability that have left indelible scars on his psyche and personal relationships.

Steve Bunting Endured Severe Abuse, Neglect, and Instability, Including Sexual Abuse as a Child

Steve's Tumultuous Childhood: Moves, Poverty, Trauma

Steve describes his upbringing in Alabama as rough and volatile, marked by frequent moves, poverty, and trauma. On arrival in Alabama, Steve and his family stayed with his aunt in an unstable situation, ending up in government housing. He recalls significant trauma living in an apartment complex where his mother, lacking higher education and skills, worked graveyard shifts at Denny's after her plans to become an airline stewardess fell through.

Steve was sexually abused by his mother's boyfriend, who was possibly using drugs. Both he and his brother were victims when Steve was around three or four years old. His blurred memories suggest dissociation and amnesia due to trauma. One harrowing night led to hospitalization for injuries sustained from the abuse, including burns from cigarettes on their genitalia. The abuser was arrested, but Steve and his brother entered foster care after hospitalization, where Steve had to be restrained on a spine board because he wouldn't allow doctors to touch his injuries.

Traumatic Childhood Left Steve With Lasting Scars on Relationships, Self-View, and Trust

Later in childhood, Steve and his family's instability continued, characterized by a lack of stable employment, living check to check, and shrouded in poverty. From kindergarten to fourth grade, they jumped from place to place. Steve's mother brought different men into their lives, including one husband who was abusive, making a paddle from a pallet to beat them for any wrongdoing. Steve felt shame for occasionally being abusive to his brother during these years but also deeply wanted to protect him from harm.

The violence and instability of Steve's early environment, particularly in inner-city Birmingham, left a profound effect on him. His childhood lacked peace and was drenched in severe neglect and disorder. This environment impacted his later life. While the transcript does not explicitly detail the effects on his relationships, self-view, and trust, the implications of his traumatic past are clear.

His brother, a Marine Corps veteran, suffered a traumatic brain injury and died by suicide in 2017, which Steve partly attributes to their abusive upbringing. Steve also witnessed the slow death of an abusive partner of his mother's from brain cancer, a time he spent enduring chaos and beatings. He and his brother managed to cope through a dark sense of humor, making light of difficult circumstances with jokes.

In discussing his father, Bunting expresses a desire for reconciliation and understanding, despit ...

Steve Bunting, a former Navy corpsman, shares his journey through his military career, detailing the challenges he faced from rigorous training, combat experience, to the toll it took on his personal life.

Steve Joined the Navy As a Corpsman With Plans to Serve In Marine Special Operations

Steve harbored an interest in military special operations, initially eyeing the SEALs and becoming informed about Force Recon. His military path began with an intention to join the Marine Corps alongside his brother, but due to a scheduling conflict with a Marine recruiter, he ended up enlisting in the Navy. Steve took the route of a Navy corpsman, venturing into the role that would see him serving closely with the Marine Corps.

His entry into the Navy commenced with a clear trajectory set before him. With high demand for green side corpsmen in 2006, Steve knew that his role would not be confined to ship duties but also engaging with the Marines in operations. Should he fail in any aspect of the special operations training, he was to be relegated to service with the infantry ("the grunts").

Steve's formative military period involved strenuous indoctrination and training, likened to that of the Marine Corps. His ambition led him through a series of specialized courses, preparing him for his eventual role in Marine Special Operations. Steve's dedication saw him surpassing a naval special warfare screener, after which he was awarded a contract for recon training and eventually assigned to a reconnaissance unit.

Steve's Afghanistan Deployment: Combat and Caring For Wounded Troops

In January 2007, Steve checked into the first reconnaissance, marking the start of his journey in a special operations unit and paving the way to his deployment in Afghanistan. There, he performed Village Stability Operations, fighting long hours to secure areas, and building local police forces to maintain gained territories. Steve recalls his high anxiety during operations due to the volatile situation, which was compounded by strict rules of engagement and partnership with indigenous forces that sometimes proved unreliable.

His missions were marked with intense on-the-ground clashes with Taliban forces, witnessing firsthand the unpredictable nature of his Afghan counterparts. Furthermore, Steve experienced profound emotional challenges, such as a touching moment involving the treatment of a young Afghan boy.

Steve's Military Service Caused Ptsd, Substance Abuse, and Family Strain

After deployments that included intense combat and medical emergencies, Steve grappled with post-deployment challenges like PTSD and substance abuse. His symptoms manifested as severe insomnia and "warrior dreams," leading him to cope by increasing his alcohol intake.

Steve’s difficulties after returning home extended to his family life. He reported feeling disconnected from his family, engaging in uncharacteristic and unstable behavior, exacerbating financial strain. This, combined with his military experiences culmin ...

Steve Bunting has navigated a long path of personal struggle and transformation, involving PTSD and addiction following his military service, and found solace in psychedelic therapy.

Steve's Post-Military Mental Health and Substance Abuse Worsen, Seeks Psychedelic Therapy

Steve Bunting talks candidly about his journey through PTSD and substance abuse, which led him to seek alternative therapies. He was deeply affected by his brother's worsening mental health after their military service, which led to his brother's substance abuse, loss of his house and car, and eventually a fatal overdose after being prescribed narcotics. Steve himself turned to heavy alcohol consumption and [restricted term] to manage his pain but found that these substances only exacerbated his issues.

Ibogaine, 5-Meo-dmt Transformed Steve, Healing Childhood and Military Trauma

Despite his initial reservations, Steve was influenced by others who had ventured into the world of plant medicine for healing. With little knowledge but much desperation, he began his own exploration into psychedelic therapy. His therapy took place in a group setting with high-level military operators, sharing similar backgrounds and stories.

Steve underwent treatment with two pills of ibogaine derived from the Iboga tabernanthe plant, which led him to confront his childhood trauma. He had a vision where 'compassion' transformed into 'compass,' highlighting the significance of self-compassion as his guide. In an intimate session, he revisited memories of being molested, came to terms with the pain, and found the strength to forgive. This deep introspection allowed him to acknowledge the profound impact trauma had on his life, including his ability to show intimacy and compassion, and recognize his insecurities.

His experiences with ibogaine and 5-MeO-DMT surfaced issues he wasn't aware were affecting his life, including his childhood molestation. The therapy brought everything to light and helped him understand how his past traumas affected his entire life.

Steve's Psychedelic Therapy Sparked Self-Compassion, Spirituality, and Relationship Healing

Psychedelic therapy sparked a journey of self-compassion and spirituality for Steve. Following his return from therapy, he had a moment of profound regret and apology to his wife for the pain his struggles caused in their marriage. He speaks of reconnecting with God through the psychedelic process, emphasizing the spiritual aspect of his experiences. His work in therapy and integration coaching, alongside his educational pursuits, helped validate and integrate his experiences into his daily life.

Steve Opens Up About Childhood Trauma, Leading To Healing Through Psychedelic Experiences

Steve also discussed the importance of spiritual health and acknowledged his role in helping others on similar paths. He started to work as an integration coach with Heroic Hear ...

Steve Bunting brings his unique experience to Sharp Performance, a company aimed at supporting first responders and military personnel through mental health support and coaching.

Sharp Performance: Ex-green Beret's Mental Health Support for First Responders and Military

Founded by Andrew Sackmar and Ben Curley, Sharp Performance offers specialised support, focusing on the unique challenges faced by high-stress professionals. With Andrew being a former Green Beret who pivoted to business school after injuries stopped him from deploying, he and Ben saw the need to address mental, physical, and emotional challenges tailored for first responders and military personnel.

Sharp Performance Employs Coaches With Firsthand Experience in High-Stress Professions to Uniquely Support Clients

Sharp Performance employs coaches like Steve Bunting, who have firsthand experience in high-stress professions. This approach allows for self-disclosure and a non-diagnostic method of support, which differs from traditional therapy. Coaches are not licensed to diagnose or assess clients, but rather, they provide support as coaches by trade. This includes helping with basic aspects of life such as sleep, diet, and movement that traditional therapy might overlook.

The company understands the rapid mental transition required of first responders — transitioning from traumatic work events to family life can involve what Andrew describes as "insane mental gymnastics." Recognizing this, Sharp Performance offers an app with exercises and access to coaches, operating in 10 different states and over 75 different departments or military units.

Steve Bunting Joins Sharp Performance As Coaching Head, Leveraging Experience to Aid Trauma-Exposed Professions

Steve Bunting, now the head of coaching, joined the team to expand and enhance the coaching aspect of Sharp Performance. With a nationwide team and a focus on coaching rather than therapy, Steve's role involves finding the right people to serve as coaches.

Bunting’s own experiences, including his military career and issues with traditional therapy, have fueled his commitment to developing support systems for trauma-exposed professions. Steve's experiences with therapists who didn't understand him and wanted to just give him pills contrasts with Sharp Performance's model, which he emphasizes does not diagnose or assess for fitness for duty.

Steve highlighted "cultural competency," noting that therapists at Sharp Performance understand the unique coping skills and dark humor of their clients. Coaches include those with intimate affiliations with first responder or military life, such as spouses of individuals in those roles. Steve describes his role as being part of engaging with departments and forming real relationships, rather than simply being another resource.

Sharp Performance's Model Offers Confidential, Non-diagnostic Support To First Responders, Military Personnel, and Other High-Risk Professionals, Addressing Their Mental, Physical, and Emotional Challenges

Sharp Performance distinguishes itself by ensuring the confidentiality and non-diagnostic support offered to ...