Burt* Willingham sat in his easy chair in Quapaw, Oklahoma, staring at the newspaper headline about Putin's planned visit to North Korea. It triggered memories of his time serving in the Korean War back in the 1950s. The trauma of that conflict had led him to struggle with alcoholism for decades after returning home.

As he read the details about the expected agreements and military cooperation between Russia and North Korea, Burt felt a knot forming in his stomach. He worried that increased tensions could lead to another devastating war that would destroy more lives, just as his had been derailed all those years ago.

That's when Burt decided he needed to take action to process his PTSD in a healthier way. He came across the Stepping Into Action program online which provided tools for managing anxiety, trauma, and substance abuse issues. Burt's wife Martha* was skeptical at first, but after attending a few sessions with him, she saw how it was helping Burt find more peace.

'I can't change the past or control what world leaders do,' Burt said to Martha one night. 'But I can change how I respond to those triggers and demons.'

Some experts felt the Putin-Kim meeting was just pageantry and nothing substantial would come from it in terms of a new formal alliance. However, others warned that any increased collaboration between the two nations could seriously destabilize the region and reignite conflicts.

Regardless of how the geopolitics played out, Burt and Martha knew they had made the right choice by prioritizing Burt's mental health and working through his trauma. It wasn't easy as there were no in-person programs near their small town, but committing to an online course had truly been life-changing.

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