After The Tones Drop

The Rockstar of Mental Health: Mark DiBona’s Story of Survival

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, I sit down with retired law enforcement officer and Protecting The Guardian founder Mark DiBona for a conversation about what really pushes first responders to the edge.We talk about accumulated trauma, bullying, alcohol, isolation, and the dangerous myth that suicide is always about one bad call. Mark shares his story with the kind of honesty that makes you stop and listen. Not because it’s polished, but because it’s real.This episode is about survival, speaking up, and the hard truth that sometimes what breaks people is not the incident everyone can point to. It’s everything that came before it.Listen now: https://www.afterthetonesdrop.co/mark-dibonaDISCLAIMER: After the Tones Drop has been presented and sponsored by Whole House Counseling.  After the Tones Drop is for informational purposes only and does not constitute for medical or psychological advice. It is not a substitute for professional health care advice diagnosis or treatment. Please contact a local mental health professional in your area if you are in need of assistance. You can also visit our shows resources page for an abundance of helpful information. ATTD Music Credits (Music from #Uppbeat): https://uppbeat.io/t/vens-adams/adventure-is-calling License code: ANJCYVHRMULSNKQRhttps://uppbeat.io/t/vens-adams/rise-of-the-hero License code: H4WTAGJZIXZCM8DMhttps://uppbeat.io/t/yeti-music/homewardLicense code: KO7FZAIJBAEAJLKEhttps://uppbeat.io/t/sonda/the-heart-grows License code: KAID0ITO96GJZAPShttps://uppbeat.io/t/philip-anderson/achievement License code: XZ4PMCKHW94GUR74https://uppbeat.io/t/tobias-voigt/nexusLicense code: MVMDRGHKHTJRABVRhttps://uppbeat.io/t/paul-yudin/breakthroughLicense code: FYPM3OJF0NQ4OGTE

What Saves First Responders: Dena Ali on Peer Support, Belonging, and the Culture That Keeps People Alive

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, I sit down with Dena Ali for a conversation that goes way beyond “one bad call.”We talk about firefighter suicide, peer support, belonging, bullying, leadership, and the culture inside first responder organizations that either helps people heal or quietly pushes them further into shame and isolation. Dena shares how her own difficult season led her into this work, why peer support became such a critical part of the solution, and why she now believes the real goal is bigger than training a few designated people.This episode is about what actually keeps first responders alive. Not just after the hard calls, but in the everyday culture of the job.Listen now: https://www.afterthetonesdrop.co/dena-aliYou can get Dena Ali's book Hope Out of Darkness: A Guide to First Responder Mental Wellness Here: https://a.co/d/00cKPzX4Another book Dena recommends for Team Culture is The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups by Daniel Coyle Here is the link to buy it: https://a.co/d/02eW1zwsDISCLAIMER: After the Tones Drop has been presented and sponsored by Whole House Counseling.  After the Tones Drop is for informational purposes only and does not constitute for medical or psychological advice. It is not a substitute for professional health care advice diagnosis or treatment. Please contact a local mental health professional in your area if you are in need of assistance. You can also visit our shows resources page for an abundance of helpful information. ATTD Music Credits (Music from #Uppbeat): https://uppbeat.io/t/vens-adams/adventure-is-calling License code: ANJCYVHRMULSNKQRhttps://uppbeat.io/t/vens-adams/rise-of-the-hero License code: H4WTAGJZIXZCM8DMhttps://uppbeat.io/t/yeti-music/homewardLicense code: KO7FZAIJBAEAJLKEhttps://uppbeat.io/t/sonda/the-heart-grows License code: KAID0ITO96GJZAPShttps://uppbeat.io/t/philip-anderson/achievement License code: XZ4PMCKHW94GUR74https://uppbeat.io/t/tobias-voigt/nexusLicense code: MVMDRGHKHTJRABVRhttps://uppbeat.io/t/paul-yudin/breakthroughLicense code: FYPM3OJF0NQ4OGTE

How Healthy Firefighters Become the Standard with Ryan Provencher

Send us Fan MailFirefighters know how to maintain equipment. The question Ryan Provencher raises in this episode is simple and uncomfortable. Why don’t we apply that same mindset to the people wearing the gear?In this conversation, Ryan and I talk about firefighter wellness as an operational issue, not a side project. We get into health, fitness, sleep, recovery, mental health, and why departments that want strong crews need to start thinking beyond rigs, tools, and turnout gear. Because when the firefighter behind the gear is running on empty, the whole system pays for it.This episode is about readiness, sustainability, and the reality that healthy firefighters are not a luxury. They are the standard we should have been building all along.Listen now:https://www.afterthetonesdrop.co/ryan-provencherDISCLAIMER: After the Tones Drop has been presented and sponsored by Whole House Counseling.  After the Tones Drop is for informational purposes only and does not constitute for medical or psychological advice. It is not a substitute for professional health care advice diagnosis or treatment. Please contact a local mental health professional in your area if you are in need of assistance. You can also visit our shows resources page for an abundance of helpful information. ATTD Music Credits (Music from #Uppbeat): https://uppbeat.io/t/vens-adams/adventure-is-calling License code: ANJCYVHRMULSNKQRhttps://uppbeat.io/t/vens-adams/rise-of-the-hero License code: H4WTAGJZIXZCM8DMhttps://uppbeat.io/t/yeti-music/homewardLicense code: KO7FZAIJBAEAJLKEhttps://uppbeat.io/t/sonda/the-heart-grows License code: KAID0ITO96GJZAPShttps://uppbeat.io/t/philip-anderson/achievement License code: XZ4PMCKHW94GUR74https://uppbeat.io/t/tobias-voigt/nexusLicense code: MVMDRGHKHTJRABVRhttps://uppbeat.io/t/paul-yudin/breakthroughLicense code: FYPM3OJF0NQ4OGTE

Breaking the Trauma Inheritance | Dave Freeman on Suicide, Childhood Trauma, and Choosing a Different Ending

Send us Fan MailWhat happens when the trauma you carry didn’t start with you?In this episode of After the Tones Drop, Cinnamon sits down with Dave Freeman for a conversation that moves through childhood violence, emotional survival strategies, suicide ideation, and the moment that changed everything.Dave grew up in a home where fear was constant. A violent alcoholic father. A mother whose behavior could shift from loving to explosive without warning. As a child, he learned early how to survive by shutting everything down emotionally. He built what he calls “the vault” in his mind where every feeling, every memory, and every piece of pain was locked away.That strategy worked for decades. Until it didn’t.Like many first responders, Dave became extremely skilled at masking his internal struggle. No one at work knew what was happening beneath the surface. But behind closed doors, anger, isolation, and hopelessness took over.At one point Dave had already developed a detailed plan to end his life. It felt logical. Organized. Almost clinical.Then one conversation changed the trajectory of his life.In this episode Dave shares how programs like Save A Warrior helped him understand something many first responders never realize: trauma responses are learned, not permanent personality traits.When those trauma responses begin to heal, people often look like entirely different individuals.But the truth is they are finally becoming themselves.This episode is about childhood trauma, generational patterns, anger as emotional armor, and the ripple effect that happens when even one person chooses to heal.Because helping one person is never just helping one person.🎧 Listen to the full episode https://www.afterthetonesdrop.co/dave-freemanDISCLAIMER: After the Tones Drop has been presented and sponsored by Whole House Counseling.  After the Tones Drop is for informational purposes only and does not constitute for medical or psychological advice. It is not a substitute for professional health care advice diagnosis or treatment. Please contact a local mental health professional in your area if you are in need of assistance. You can also visit our shows resources page for an abundance of helpful information. ATTD Music Credits (Music from #Uppbeat): https://uppbeat.io/t/vens-adams/adventure-is-calling License code: ANJCYVHRMULSNKQRhttps://uppbeat.io/t/vens-adams/rise-of-the-hero License code: H4WTAGJZIXZCM8DMhttps://uppbeat.io/t/yeti-music/homewardLicense code: KO7FZAIJBAEAJLKEhttps://uppbeat.io/t/sonda/the-heart-grows License code: KAID0ITO96GJZAPShttps://uppbeat.io/t/philip-anderson/achievement License code: XZ4PMCKHW94GUR74https://uppbeat.io/t/tobias-voigt/nexusLicense code: MVMDRGHKHTJRABVRhttps://uppbeat.io/t/paul-yudin/breakthroughLicense code: FYPM3OJF0NQ4OGTE

Biohacking Sleep: What the FBI’s Sleep Expert Wants First Responders to Know

Send us Fan MailSleep is not a luxury, and for first responders, poor sleep is not just inconvenient. It can impact mood, decision-making, trauma recovery, physical health, and even long-term brain function. In this conversation, Cinnamon sits down with Dr. Leah Kaylor, licensed clinical and prescribing psychologist and the FBI’s sleep expert, to unpack what happens when responders run on empty and why sleep has to be part of the resilience conversation.From sleep deprivation and sleep apnea to nightmares, alcohol, shift work, and sleep medications, this episode is packed with practical truth and hard-hitting science. If you have ever said, “I’ll sleep when I’m dead,” this one may change your mind.🎧 Listen now: https://www.afterthetonesdrop.co/biohacking-sleepDISCLAIMER: After the Tones Drop has been presented and sponsored by Whole House Counseling.  After the Tones Drop is for informational purposes only and does not constitute for medical or psychological advice. It is not a substitute for professional health care advice diagnosis or treatment. Please contact a local mental health professional in your area if you are in need of assistance. You can also visit our shows resources page for an abundance of helpful information. ATTD Music Credits (Music from #Uppbeat): https://uppbeat.io/t/vens-adams/adventure-is-calling License code: ANJCYVHRMULSNKQRhttps://uppbeat.io/t/vens-adams/rise-of-the-hero License code: H4WTAGJZIXZCM8DMhttps://uppbeat.io/t/yeti-music/homewardLicense code: KO7FZAIJBAEAJLKEhttps://uppbeat.io/t/sonda/the-heart-grows License code: KAID0ITO96GJZAPShttps://uppbeat.io/t/philip-anderson/achievement License code: XZ4PMCKHW94GUR74https://uppbeat.io/t/tobias-voigt/nexusLicense code: MVMDRGHKHTJRABVRhttps://uppbeat.io/t/paul-yudin/breakthroughLicense code: FYPM3OJF0NQ4OGTE