Marine Corps Officer experiences the Wim Hof Method

Hi my name is Brad Carson.

My background is as a marine corps officer.

I served on active duty for several years.

I had a catastrophic injury while I was in the marines.

I fell coming down a rope and I essentially jammed my left leg back up to the hip socket.

I tore the cartilage in my left hip and I dislocated my pelvis.

I crushed to bottom discs in my spine and I have two other discs in my neck that are essentially crooked.

I’ve used the Wim Hof Method as my sole method of pain medication.

I used to take a number of pain pills. You name it, I was on it.

While I was on active duty and even after I got out I was still taking Advil, Aproxin and Tylenol,

every day, multiple times a day.

One of my other responsibilities was a writer and I wrote condolence letters.

So anytime a marine was killed, it was my job to compose the letter, thus notifying the families of their loved ones passing.

For a very long time I didn’t realise how much that impacted me.

I had no idea of the mental strain that I was putting on myself

and couldn’t understand why I was going through everything that I was going through,

depression, anxiety and addiction.

I didn’t have an answer and for me the Wim Hof Method provided me with an outlet,

not only to teach myself to relax but it gave me practical usable exercises that I could do every single day.

When I started doing the ice baths and when I started doing the breathing

I started tapering myself off of medication

and now I no longer take anything for pain other than just breathing and taking daily ice baths.

By far my best takeaway from the Wim Hof Method was the cognitive or mental benefit.

The ice bath is a wonderful training tool.

It affords you the opportunity to go into that stressful situation,

you’re training your mind and rewiring your brain

to then learn how to relax, de-stress or be stronger in any other possible situation.

Once I learned how to do that, life got exponentially easier.

Wim’s been an amazing support.

and it’s funny that he says “I’m not your guru."

and I don’t look at him like that.

To me that’s the best thing about Wim, he doesn’t put himself above anyone else.

And one of the things that he preaches is that anyone can do this.

And his humbleness and his big heart took me right in and I really appreciate that, so thanks Wim.