In the Open: Recent Episodes
mentalhealthamerica
Join Mental Health America as we have open conversations about mental health. We're a group of people who want to change the way our communities talk about mental health. On this podcast, we share our lives, fight in the open, and work together to just figure things out.
This is the last episode of “In The Open” and Theresa and America cover healing. They share their perspectives in just the four years they’ve been doing the podcast and the amount of growth they’ve both experienced. They reminisce on the process of opening up and how it became extensive therapy over the years, how they’ve become better equipped to set and handle boundaries and a genuine thank you to everyone that joined the podcast on this journey.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
America and Theresa have found ways to stop themselves from being negative and they share some techniques they use when those bad feelings hit. On a scale of 1-10 they rank how positive or negative they are and where it fluctuates on that scale. They talk about accepting help, practicing awareness and stepping into the wise mind and stepping out of the irrational mind.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
Theresa and America can do hard things. There is a discussion about the difficulties of putting the hard things into action; for Theresa it’s forgiveness and for America it’s letting go of control. They talk about avoiding avoidance, practicing self-kindness and starting with thankfulness.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
Theresa and America talk about the process of setting boundaries and making sure people are respecting those boundaries. They both explain how boundaries can change over time and some examples of their firm and soft boundaries. They talk about prepping before setting boundaries, taking actions when boundaries are crossed and understanding where and why these boundaries exist for you and others.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
Theresa and America feel nervous taking on this topic of forgiveness. Theresa explains why forgiveness is complex and why it’s intertwined with expectations while America battles with getting past being a grudge-holder to forgive others. They talk about how you must forgive yourself before you can forgive others, trying not to put your expectations on other people and why forgiveness doesn’t have to be the end game.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
America and Theresa start a brand-new series which is now focused on “I Can.” Letting things go takes vulnerability and they get to the bottom of why you might be holding onto things. They talk about capacity and ability to unpack trauma, making the effort to heal and how letting go also requires celebrating success.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
Theresa and America explore what causes their stress dreams and the effects they feel from them. They both have been going through recent stress dreams and they explain what the dreams were about and the recurring dreams they have when they’re stressed. They talk about rituals before going to bed, the benefits of sleep for your brain and journaling about your dreams.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
Theresa and America continue their “I can’t…” series and this episode is focused on wanting control. America gives examples of things in her life she tries to control to make her life easier and help ease her routine. They talk about the good/bad of trying to have a contingency plan, grieving the loss of expectations and trying to accept not everything will always go your way.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
America and Theresa talk about always having to be right no matter the circumstances. America struggles with this while Theresa does not; they dig in on both of their perspectives. There is a conversation about getting to the bottom of the fear of being wrong, feelings of being misrepresented and the goal of finding a place of common understanding.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
Theresa and America have a candid conversation about the times they’ve shut people out of their lives. They talk about the difficulties of creating boundaries and the continual effort in relationships. They share about the complicated process of letting people in, accepting and giving love and the process of committing to and depending on others.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
America and Theresa discuss the times they can’t express themselves appropriately. There is a conversation about the importance of environment and letting go of shame to show up as your true self. They talk about the complexities of figuring out who you are, getting to the root of “why” and how it can be helpful to create rules and structure for yourself.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
The “I can’t stop…” series rolls on with the issue of judging yourself and others. Theresa shares the struggles with judging herself too often but why those feelings also come as strength for having empathy for others. They talk about stepping back and separating where the judgement and criticism comes from, evaluating someone’s intentions before reacting and unpacking why you’re judging yourself or others.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
Theresa and America have a conversation about doing the things that hurt ourselves – physically and emotionally. Theresa shares how anxiety and depression exaggerates bad situations and the overwhelming physical effects she feels in those situations. They talk about the pros and cons of being solution focused, feelings of myopia and how there’s no timeline on your road to recovery.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
Theresa and America continue their “I can’t stop…” series and this episode is on something they both struggle with – they can’t stop saying things that get them in trouble. While they both say things they regret at times, America and Theresa each follow different paths to get there. They talk about the practice of trying to catch yourself before you say something you don’t mean, making an effort to communicate effectively and how the body keeps score.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
America is back! Theresa and America link back up to start the new “I can’t stop…” series. This is one is about how you can't stop getting in your own way. America shares how she doesn’t always apply the positive changes to get better and Theresa struggles with not being petty during an argument. They talk about letting external factors get in the way and taking those timeouts before you fall into bad habits.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
Theresa has a conversation with Dr. Tonya Battle (Battle Clinical Services) about the effects of cyberbullying on the youth. Dr. Battle explains the expanded access to the internet and social media and how that can morph into cyberbullying. They talk about having a conversation early with your children about personal responsibility and digital safety, appropriate ages for introducing phone usage and creating social media accounts plus finding information and resources if you feel like you need help navigating the internet with your children.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
Keegan Lee returns to speak with Theresa about how social media can be depressing. Keegan shares her feelings on why social media triggered her sadness because of the fear of missing out and comparisons to others online. They talk about the digital divide, social media creating dopamine hits and figuring out an appropriate age for when kids should get a phone and join social media.
“60 Days of Disconnect - A Personal Perspective of How Social Media Affects Mental Health”
by Keegan W Lee:
https://www.amazon.com/60-Days-Disconnect-Personal-Perspective/dp/1631030876
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
Theresa brought on Keegan Lee to talk about her addiction to social media. Keegan shares how social media, at one time, contributed to a decline in her mental health but how she now has balance and uses social media in moderation. They talked about healthy ways of taking breaks from social media, setting limits when you identify you might have a problem and social media’s effect on emotional intelligence.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
Theresa speaks with Lanee Higgins about their kids and the internet. They both have concerns about their kid’s internet usage and how they manage overstimulation and their dependency on tech. Lanee shares her experiences as a teacher and her student’s relationships with their devices, they talk about solutions for screen time for kids as well as avoiding setting hard rules with your kids.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
Khendra Lucas is back with Theresa to share what it is like to discover they have ADHD later in life. Khendra shares when she got diagnosed with ADHD and some of the misdiagnoses that occurred along the way. They talk about the rush Khendra gets from getting stressed out, how for some boredom is painful and getting testing and resources for those who believe they might have ADHD.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
Theresa has a conversation with Kristen Abell about her journey discovering how she found out she has autism. Kristen shares when she first realized she might be autistic and how the label helped with validation. They talk about what it’s like being autistic in social situations, learning how to mimic other people and finding resources.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
Theresa brought on Suzi Craig so she can share her personal experience with menopause and mental health. Suzi explains how menopause symptoms can be confusing for women and how she handled them. They compare the difference and similarities to puberty and menopause, exploring hormone replacement therapy and starting the menopause conversation early so you can have the tools for when it comes.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
Allissa Torres is back to talk with Kojo Sarfo about how BIPOC folks can find community online. They discuss Kojo’s platform and his goal of bringing people together and promoting mental health awareness. They discuss the importance of finding community for BIPOC folks, being a champion for equity and ways of finding groups of people with shared interests and experiences online.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
Theresa is joined by Khendra Lucas to discuss how to create safety in your community. Khendra has experience helping create safe spaces in her community in Memphis, Tennessee and the focus of reframing the “dangerous” label Memphis has been given. They talk about helping others in your community with resources, making connections online with people in your area and defining what safety means to you.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
Allissa Torres opens up a conversation with Megan Bryant about reconnecting with your culture. They each share ways they connect with their culture and feel a sense of community with the people around them. They talk about how culture impacts mental health, how going to community events is an easy way to connect with your culture, next steps on how to navigate the mental health system and how providers can create more culturally responsive environments.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
Theresa and America are back to start a new series surrounding community. They each share their particular connection with their community and some feelings of not belonging. They talk about ways of finding community, their draw to their culture’s music and food and looking for the positives where community and culture intersect.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
America got to have a meaningful conversation with Em Skehill and Luis Cornejo about gender identity and culture. Em and Luis share how their queerness opened up new possibilities for them and how it exists outside of the binary system. They talk about how they each navigated their gender identity in their respective cultures and how we’re seeing more visibility and representation but yet it’s still not safe for everyone.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
America and Em are joined by Phii Regis to have a conversation about what it means to be Nonbinary. Phii takes us through their journey about when they started expressing their gender and when Phii started really focusing on their queer identity. They talk about why Phii identifies as Nonbinary Transfem and what that means, Phii’s ongoing safety concerns about being nonbinary out in the world and being your authentic self.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
Em Skehill takes over this week with Schroeder Stribling to talk about being confused about the concept of gender. They were both assigned female at birth and they have both spent a lot of time thinking about the concept of gender expression and identity. They talk about reclaiming the word “queer”, Schroeder shares experiences growing up around gay culture and the spectrum of sexuality, sexual orientation, gender expression and gender identity.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
Theresa speaks with Cate Desjardins, who provides LGBTQ+ Competent Therapy, to help us better understand gender. Cate explains how she helps explore people’s curiosity and why she wants to help deepen people’s understanding of gender among other things. They talk about Cate’s research project, choosing what gender best fits you and attempting to be wide open to the experiences of the people you love.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
Theresa is joined by Debbie Plotnick (Executive Vice President for State and Federal Advocacy at Mental Health America) to touch on the importance of connecting through nature. Debbie is a nature person at heart and she explains how it stemmed from her childhood growing up in Philadelphia. They connect mental health and nature and how nature can help you become more present.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
America brings on Brenda Mitchell (a survivor of gun violence) to talk about her and her family’s experience with gun violence. Brenda talks about her work with Everytown Survivor Network and why she specialized in trauma. There is a conversation about the impacts of gun violence on the families who lose their loved ones, the power of finding people with shared experience and the importance of self-care.
Text READY to 64433 to get connected to Everytown Survivor Network.
To learn more about the organization visit https://www.everytown.org/
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
America brought on Dr. Joe Dzierzewski, the Vice President of Research and Scientific Affairs at the National Sleep Foundation, and they discuss ways to improve your sleep. Dr. Dzierzewski shares how his current sleep schedule is with two young children and the impact of the pandemic on people’s sleep. They talk about creating a comfortable sleep space, technology use before bed and the role of naps in your sleep routine.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
For more information on the National Sleep Foundation visit: https://www.thensf.org/
America helps guide Theresa through a personally difficult topic about not feeling safe at home. Theresa shares her experience of feeling paralyzed at home and how she was sent to live with another family in an environment that was not safe for her. They talk about claiming your power and protecting yourself, creating safe places and using the resources that are available to you.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
Theresa enlists the help of Em Skehill to kick off a new series about the effects of a person’s environment. The general discussion is about physical environment and how it impacts their personal wellbeing. They zoom out on personal environment and go global to discuss their fears of the global environment and touch on the importance of creating pieces of home within yourself.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
Theresa and America bring on Alora as a part of the addiction series and they discuss stress induced drinking. When you ask the question: “do I have a problem?” it is usually a sign that there might be an issue. They talk about recognizing healthy coping methods, how depression can play into triggering unhealthy habits and finding the thing that best suits you to stop bad habits.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
Theresa and America speak with Joshua about how the people around him ruined their relationships because of excessive drinking and using drugs. Joshua’s family members struggled with addiction and he shares how he learned young about their problematic relationships with drugs and alcohol. They talk about recognizing the warning signs, generational trauma and remaining hopeful.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
America and Theresa bring on Vicente to explore how to deal with cravings. Vincente shares his journey growing up in a low-income party town and how those experiences fueled his addictions. They talk about the moment when Vicente decided to stop drinking, why he had to become the man of the family and how he found a sense of community in his local teen center.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
America and Theresa bring on Bill to talk about his lived experience with an addiction. Bill is a certified peer specialist who shares his recovery journey and what that means to him. They talk about the burden of shame that comes with addiction and how other people in recovery can be a real asset in your recovery.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
Theresa brings Rachel on the show to talk about her lived experience with an addiction. Rachel shares how her addiction affected her everyday life and her road to recovery. They talk about removing yourself from your toxic environment and how Rachel’s son saved her life.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
Theresa and America explore the art of making habits stick. There is a discussion about being in tune with your body and building routines. They talk about the importance of rituals and boundaries, how to turn a habit into a routine and trying to replace your bad habits with good habits.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
Dr. Stew Shankman, a Professor and Clinical Psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry at Northwestern, joins the podcast to discuss therapy and the brain. Dr. Shankman explains what happens with the brain when it’s at rest and when it’s doing tasks and he also shares information on the affect therapy has on the brain. They talk about the time it takes to heal the brain, the benefits of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and how the real work is done outside the therapist’s office.
For more information on Dr. Stew Shankman’s work visit: https://sites.northwestern.edu/nearlab/
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
America and Theresa talk about a topic they struggle with…asking for help. They share the scale of asking for little and big types of help and when they first remember asking for help. They talk about why people struggle even asking for any kind of assistance, finding the right people to ask for help and some available resources if you are seeking help.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
America and Theresa identify what matters and how that ties into personal values. There is a discussion about how in middle school their value systems started to begin to take form and how their culture shaped what mattered to them. They talk about why America values family and why Theresa values honesty plus they speak on why exposure and introspection matters.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
America and Theresa dive into the topic of finding your purpose. When googling this topic one of the main search results was creating a vision board so they share the process of putting a vison board together. They talk about what they believe their purpose is, finding meaningful roles and why it’s more important to accept who you are.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
Theresa and America talk through what it’s like giving love to others. They ask each other if they feel like they are good at loving others and they describe their individual love language. They talk about the signs of a healthy relationship, loving through touch and how to give and receive love genuinely takes vulnerability and humility.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
America and Theresa go through the feelings of being happy. They both share their relationships with happiness and how it’s evolved over time. They describe their versions of happiness, trying to be present in the moment and finding validation and feeling grateful.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
America and Theresa explore how to be mentally strong. They feel some anxiety when talking about strength, so they explain how society has played such a big part on how the world views strength. They talk about control and power, the differences between strength and confidence and building better mental habits.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
Theresa and America talk through how they learned how to calm down when tensions are high. America starts off by sharing why she’s triggered by the phrase “calm down” in the moment and where that comes from. They talk about using productive and non-productive energy, their personal definition of “being calm” and learning how not to be reactive even when you don’t feel calm.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
America and Theresa add onto their conversation last week and discuss building confidence. They talk about what confidence looks like and believing in your confidence. They link confidence and competence, having friends to help build you up and they talk about building confidence around an illness.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
America and Theresa are back from their holiday break to bring you a show on the topic on trusting yourself. There is a discussion about personal responsibility and whether or not they each trust themselves. They talk about the importance of healing with others, gaining self-confidence and being vulnerable and trusting yourself with a mental illness.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
Emily Skehill and David Riley are back to explore getting the most out of your medication treatment. They talk about discussing expectations with your doctor about what you want from your medication and the first steps to take after you fill your prescription. Emily and David share when they started taking medication and the process of where they are now in their medication treatments, being consistent taking your medication to know if it’s helping and trying to tell the difference between medications that work and those that aren’t working.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
How To Stay Positive
It’s raining at America’s house so she and Theresa try to bring some light on a dark day by discussing how they try to stay positive. The perception of positivity is different for everybody and these two go to completely different places to distract themselves and try to stay upbeat. They talk about the impact of having a positive people around you, what they do to pull themselves out of a negative place and how sometimes being positive is just trying to hurt a little less.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
Theresa and America are talking about the benefits of owning pets and the effects on your mental health. One is a pet owner and the other done is not so they both dive into their current situation and all the pets they’ve owned throughout their lives. Pets can be a real companion in life but finding the pet that matches your needs is key.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
This is the conclusion of the trauma series with learning to connect with others. Theresa and America share their progress through this series and how it’s helped them connect with other people better. They talk about the steps leading to being vulnerable with a group of people, being a part of support groups and finding your community.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
America and Theresa explore the feeling of being stuck. This topic was inspired by a listener question about moving to the action of getting un-stuck. They talk about the ties to trauma and being stuck, how telling people can help push you to do the thing you need to do, turning off your anxious brain and the biggest thing to change behaviors is to change the behaviors themselves.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
Theresa and America give insight on building healthy relationships after trauma. They recall how their relationships were before acknowledging their trauma and how conflict was the real test in a relationship. They take a question about repairing relationships and offer some important keys to conflict resolution.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
Theresa and America explore learning how to love yourself in spite of your trauma. They go through their process of discovering how their traumatic experiences affected their personalities. They talk about how they’ve progressed in their self-love, the benefits of positive affirmations and if self-love is tough; try to get to the bottom of why that is and what is preventing you from doing so.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
America and Theresa dive into dealing with strong emotions surrounding trauma. There is a conversation about fight or flight and also trying to get a grip on control when strong emotions pop up. They talk about how stress becomes a major contributor to your reactions, some differences in men and women with trauma and finding people who will help you navigate through your strong emotions.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
Theresa and America are continuing the topic of trauma, but they transition to healing. They explore the concept of changing the thoughts you tell yourself which is also known as cognitive restructuring. They share recent moments where things bothered them more than expected and they dive into why they think it affected them plus they narrow it down to two choices: you can avoid you issues or do the hard work.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
America and Theresa explore the healing that comes after trauma. They both give a timeline of their trauma in their lives and how they are healing from their trauma. They talk about doing the hard work to unpack moments of failure, the healing journey and the moments when they knew there was hope.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
The trauma series continues with how trauma affects your values. They try to differentiate values and beliefs and they identify which values are really important to both of them. They make the connection between worth and ability and having the willingness to receive support.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
How does trauma affect our actions? Theresa and America explore how trauma has affected how they react in certain situations and some their triggers that have made them lash out. There is a discussion of some of the subtle and more serious circumstances that they have identified as issues they are sensitive to. They talk about trauma in all relationships, how our insecurities affect our actions and exploring the process of how your trauma affects your everyday life.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
Theresa and America remain on the topic of trauma and this time they explore how trauma affects people’s beliefs. They share how trauma can affect your core beliefs and shape the way you see the world. They talk about how the ability to evaluate and change your thoughts and beliefs are critical to getting better and Theresa comes to a realization about some of her coping mechanisms.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
America and Theresa bring on Alyson Zalta (Clinical Psychologist/Associate Professor at UC Irvine) to speak about how trauma affects the brain. They share some important factors on how trauma affects the brain like intrusive memories and environmental triggers. They talk about the emotional processing theory, emotional numbing and the benefits of the full body approach when treating trauma.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
To learn about Alyson Zalta’s work visit https://cnlm.uci.edu/alyson-zalta/
As part of their trauma series, Theresa and America explore how trauma affects our sleep. They share what it takes for them to get some good rest and the things that throw them off when it’s time to sleep. They talk about recognizing the signs of how your trauma affects your sleep, the military method for falling asleep and how good sleep centers around finding safety.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
The trauma series continues and the focus on this episode is on whether or not you can trust your memories. There is a discussion about how your brain tries to protect you and ways in which you can try to get confirmation that your memories happened. They talk about flashbulb memories, journaling so you can keep records of your personal experiences and the importance of validation.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
America and Theresa record their next installment in their trauma series and it’s about how trauma can show up later in life. They talk about feeling stuck or being held back by their trauma and how they move past it. America shares situations where her trauma pops up and how it ties to her worth.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
America and Theresa kick off a new series and this episode covers having a traumatic childhood. There is a discussion around trauma and how they are unpacking it 30 years later. They talk about how they’ve both dealt with trauma differently, neglect as a form trauma and they ask whether or not they would ever change anything about their past to avoid their traumatic childhood.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
This is the final episode in the grief series, turning suffering into action. Once you’ve gone through these different stages of grief, what then? They talk about seeking out meaning and validation, coming to terms with the impact of your grief and how your recovery in grief is best done with others.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
America and Theresa move along in their grief series and pivot to acceptance. Theresa explains a working theory of acceptance and denial becoming hope. They both explore what acceptance looks like for them, how acceptance shouldn’t be the destination and the feeling of being covered in the blanket of grief and seeking light and hope.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
In this next installment of their grief series, Theresa and America move onto the question what do I do? They explore the idea of how to deal with grief when you have no control. They talk about rooting yourself in what you can control, implementing grounding techniques and some cultural customs tied to grief.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
The series on grief continues and on this episode they explore the stage of depression and feeling numb. They both share how they experience feeling numb and the disconnect that comes with it. They talk about how some people pull away during this stage, differences between depression and introversion and how all these stages do eventually get better.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
This episode of “In The Open” contains explicit language
Theresa and America continue their series on grief and in this episode they focus in on anger. There is a discussion on when they both get to the attitude of just “f**k it” and when they respond to anger. They talk about how they process anger individually, how they attempt to move past it and all the experiences across the anger spectrum.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
Last time they talked about the stage of denial and in this episode Theresa and America go over the bargaining space. They talk about two sides of bargaining: wishing you were somewhere else and processing through it to alleviate the guilt. There is a discussion about acceptance and why bargaining isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
America and Theresa start a new series on grief and on this episode it is about the stage of denial. There is a focus on the trap of thinking things aren’t ever going to get better when experiencing grief. They talk about the grieving process and control, when avoidance can be helpful and hurtful and how it’s hard to move past denial when you haven’t allowed yourself to be sad and grieve.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
Theresa and America talk about managing how to live with a mental health condition and how you can deal with it in the workplace. How do you disclose that you’re struggling with your mental health because it could possibly affect your work? They get into the specifics. Focus on your work environment, find a co-worker you can talk with honestly and familiarize yourself with your company’s policy on mental health.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
Am I Broken? Theresa and America have asked themselves this question and it’s something they’ve had to work through, so they navigate through these intrusive thoughts. They talk about how these thoughts make you feel like an outsider and even wonder if they’ll ever be “normal.” There is a conversation about self-worth, how being broken doesn’t mean you have to stay broken and how Theresa helped heal through the metaphor of the “broken vase.”
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
Emily Skehill and David Riley are back to explore getting the most out of your medication treatment. They talk about discussing expectations with your doctor about what you want from your medication and the first steps to take after you fill your prescription. Emily and David share when they started taking medication and the process of where they are now in their medication treatments, being consistent with taking your medication to know if it’s helping and trying to tell the difference between medications that work and those that aren’t working.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
While Theresa and America are taking a break, friends of the podcast Emily Skehill and David Riley take over to talk about deciding when you should start medication. They both discuss their personal circumstances when deciding to start medication and how it varies person-to-person. They talk about some signs of when you should explore medication, trying to balance improving symptoms while also trying to curb side effects and how you should be your biggest advocate.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
America and Theresa talk about the process of therapy and how it’s been a love/hate relationship. They compare therapy to exercise and how it’s hard work but also how it can be really beneficial. There are discussions about why people hate therapy, setting the goals you want out of your sessions and how healing practices are diverse.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
Theresa and America explore the topic of therapy for those that are debating on whether they should go or not. They both have gone to therapy and they describe what events unfolded to make them see a therapist for the first time. They recall trying to talk their support system before seeing a therapist, targeting when you need to see a therapist and some reasons why a therapist can be helpful.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
Theresa and America are joined by Raquel Kelley (writer, television producer, and host of the MOMGUL Podcast) to talk about how they tell people about their mental health. Raquel shares details on why her mental health is a “we” problem, not just a “me” problem. They talk about experiences with Postpartum depression, the story behind Raquel’s book and the relief of telling some else about your mental health.
From more information about Raquel Kelley and her new lift-the-flap book for moms Where'd I Go? visit: https://www.raquelkelley.com/
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
America and Theresa talk about the feelings they get when they feel like they can’t hold it all together. While exploring metaphors America relates to spinning plates and Theresa resonates with having her sack of flour being too full. They think about why these metaphors resonate with them and how they both differ, signs of when they are close to their breaking point and trying to set boundaries.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
America is joined by David Riley, a person with lived experience, to explore the fear that your mental illness will come back. David shares his mental health experiences and the energy he spends trying to suppress those thoughts of his mental illness returning. They talk about keeping track of your sleep schedule and eating habits, wrestling with the idea of permanency and the significance of feeling worthy of support.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
Theresa and America dive into how exercise and eating well can impact your mental health. Theresa needs accountability to motivate her to exercise and America shares some science supporting the benefits of eating right. They talk about ways they both try to maintain healthy eating habits and the emotional rewards that come with both eating bad foods but also the positive feelings you get after you exercise.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
It is Mental Health Awareness Month and America and Theresa cover the unsettling feeling of losing your mind. They share warning signs of when they think they are the brink of losing their mind and how it affects the people around them. They talk about how the little things add up and the difficulties of asking for help when you feel out of control.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
Theresa and America ask: what’s wrong with me? There is a discussion about being content and also building insight. They talk about how to try to take personal accounting, recognizing the things you need to work on and adding a label to help you get better.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
America and Theresa finish the last topic in this series centered around accepting yourself for who you are. Theresa has immediate thoughts of running away from this topic so they explore why she felt that way and how it’s tied to her self-worth. They talk about loving your imperfections and ways in which they try to get to self-acceptance.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
America brought on Koreen King and they try to get to the center of what type of person they both think they are. They talk about introversion and extroversion and why other people’s energy plays a big part. Koreen is navigating a new space of living alone and she describes her transition to this stage of her life and how her college experience was a turning point in her life.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
Theresa and America are joined by Catherine Reynolds who shares what it’s like to be an extrovert and have bipolar. Catherine identifies what makes her an extrovert and how she feeds off the energy of other people. They discuss the differences of being an extrovert and mania, exploring your full personality and looking for the warning signs on what may be mania and what may be just being an extrovert.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
Theresa and America are joined by Kevin Rushton to discuss the differences between being shy, introverted and depressed. There is a discussion about coming to terms with why you might be avoiding people and get togethers and the situations they feel comfortable in. They talk about the importance of hobbies, having social anxiety and recognizing the signs of when you are feeling depressed.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
They begin the podcast speaking about how to find people like them and then it evolves into a discussion about being a good conversationalist. America and Theresa look for different things in a conversation and they explain how that’s progressed over time. They talk about conversation equity, the process of trying to make friends and steps they take to become better conversationalists.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
America and Theresa explore a question a lot people struggle with which is: will people like the real me? They talk about when they first started to ask themselves this question when they were younger and the fear of not fitting in. There is a discussion about building friendships with people you feel comfortable with, having to cater your personality to different social environments and how it’s alright to be protective of yourself.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
We got a topic suggestion from a listener for the podcast today which was: how to be myself. America and Theresa share what they think their authentic self looks like and how they are still trying to figure out who they really are. They talk about code-switching, instances when they’ve felt left out and how their past experiences have had an impact on who they are today.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
Theresa and America talk about some bad habits and how they’ve tried to quit them. They build insight on what bad habits are and they share personal examples of their bad habits. They talk about taking care of your emotional needs, the shame of hiding your bad habits and building the motivation to quit.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
America and Theresa explore how to communicate - what they want and what they need. They differentiate the difference between an immediate need and a long-term need and how they have approached each need differently. They talk about the benefits of writing down your feelings, examples of SMART goals and truly getting to the core of what you want and what you need.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
Theresa is having a really hard time and she is here to talk it through with America and they try to figure out how to take care of themselves. There is a discussion about holding yourself accountable and ways they are able to acknowledge their red flags. They unpack all the feelings Theresa is feeling, sharing ways in which they try to take care of themselves and finding the difference between self-care vs. self-destruction.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
America and Theresa explore the common experience of trying to slow your mind down. America is having a hard time slowing down her thoughts and shares what it looks like when she’s normally in a good headspace. They talk about how anxiety contributes to fast moving thoughts but also makes Theresa hyper efficient, the ties to radical acceptance and ways in which both of them try to slow things down.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
Theresa and America share how to take those first steps when you don’t feel like you have the capacity to do anything. Theresa compares how these last few years have felt to how she’s experienced mental health episodes and America shares how she is still trying to take on a positive stance. They talk about where they are now, some next steps on how to start and how you have to have hope to start.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
For the month of January we are playing some of our favorite episodes of the podcast. Theresa speaks with Princess Asia and Mario to talk about their personal experiences with pressure and expectations. As former athletes, these two best friends found commonalities in their sports backgrounds and consistently connect their struggles and experiences to their playing past. They talk about mental health in sports and everyday life plus they give insight on how they developed the confidence to overcome the pressure and expectations.
For the month of January we are playing some of our favorite episodes of the podcast. Theresa is joined once again by Kelly Davis to chat about cognitive distortions as known as stopping stupid thoughts. They both share their personal familiarity with thoughts that are personally damaging and ways in which they’ve tried to improve on their process when those feelings occur. Recognizing the patterns is important but it’s not easy, it’s definitely a process.
For the month of January we are playing some of our favorite episodes of the podcast. Kelly Davis joins America to talk about her experiences with thoughts of killing herself but not necessarily wanting to die. This topic may be both difficult for the person having these thoughts and also for the people listening to these thoughts from people who care about them, but the conversation is important to have and Kelly helps explore how she changed her relationship with those thoughts. Kelly shares an importance piece of advice from a therapist regarding thoughts of suicide, they talk about the importance of finding a sense of purpose and how everyone’s story is worth listening to.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
For the month of January we are playing some of our favorite episodes of the podcast. What is the difference between being sad and being depressed? America and Theresa discuss the warning signs when your sadness crosses over to depression. They also give some advice on what you could do if you are in these sad states, how they deal with their personal bouts of sadness and how you could attempt to turn it around.
To wrap up the common intrusive thoughts series America and Theresa explore how you can try to stop negative thinking. They talk about all the things they’ve experienced while walking through all these intrusive thoughts and reflect on what they’ve learned about themselves. They discuss being emotionally reactive, trying to control your thoughts opposed to letting your thoughts control you and stopping to ask yourself: what happened, what do you feel and what do you need?
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
Sydney Daniello joins Theresa to explore the idea of controlling your racing thoughts. Sydney describes how she experiences her racing thoughts and Theresa shares how she gets stuck in her head as well. They talk about panic attacks and trying to talk yourself down and staying in tune with your body and mind.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
America and Theresa explore the intrusive thoughts surrounding control and needing it be one way. America struggles with this particular intrusive thought and Theresa offers an opposite perspective in her relationship. They search for the root of where this thought comes from for America, the need to always be moving forward and what feelings she has if she doesn’t get everything done.
Theresa is joined by Jennifer Molina to talk about the intrusive thought that something bad might happen to the people I love. Jennifer shares where she believes her anxiousness came from and some of the bad things that have happen during important events in her life. They talk about how Jennifer tries to overcome her fears and learning how to accept the things you can not control.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
America and Theresa continue their common intrusive thought series and they are joined by writer and director Drue Grit. Drue tells his story and they discuss the feeling that you'll never be able to do anything. They talk about fight or flight, positive affirmations, shifting a mindset, gaining self-confidence and knowing that if you genuinely are scared of something it means you care.
To learn more about Drue Grit’s new book series and his film work go to https://www.theincredibleexistenceofyou.com/
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
America and Theresa continue their series on overcoming negative thoughts and this is about feeling worthless. America discusses how she had feeling of being worthless after her divorce and her struggles with having relationships following the split. They explain why feeling worthy is tied up in your value and identity, trying to just live in your power and your truth and how they both have come out the other side of these feelings of being worthless.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
America and Theresa continue their series on overcoming negative thoughts and this is about the feeling that no one cares about you. Theresa shares why her trauma plays a major role on why this intrusive thought really hits home. They talk about isolation and identity, why Theresa doesn’t like birthday parties and the trap of comparing yourself to others.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
America and Theresa start a new series about some of the most intrusive thoughts and this one is centered around thoughts of being a failure. They both start by remembering how they discovered that they had intrusive thoughts and what that looks like for them. There is a discussion about what their intrusive thoughts look like when they are at their best and at their worst, the feelings of imposter syndrome and checking assumptions.
Overcoming Thoughts: https://screening.mhanational.org/activity/overcoming-thoughts/
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
America is trying to keep it together while everything else around her is falling apart so they have a discussion about how she's feeling at the moment. They give examples of why anxiety, expectations and obligations can exaggerate your negative feelings. They talk about the table metaphor, trying to let go of control and prioritizing healthy habits that help better your mood.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
Emily Skehill joins Theresa again and this time Emily talks about how she can’t trust her happiness. Emily’s period of happiness made her wonder if she had hypomania and she asked friends for an outside perspective. They talk about how their depression creates animosity for people who are always happy, learning radical acceptance and how life is a dance.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
America and Theresa are emotionally exhausted, and they explore their current emotional headspace. They rate their exhaustion and try to figure out how they are going to push through it. They talk about what activities they take part in when they’re exhausted, finding out what you need from others and asking for help when you need it.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
America and Theresa talk about how they've decided on if they should keep going or if they should just stop things like: relationships, work or school. America shares how she weighs the value of each outcome to help her come to a decision and Theresa talks about how her confidence plays a major role. They discuss how insecurities can get in the way, how life experiences gives you the knowledge to make future decisions and remembering when you’re at a crossroads it’s important to remember the decision is only hard to make because you care.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
America and Theresa try to figure out the most effective ways to support someone who has been abused. They both come from different perspectives when it comes to abuse but they both agree truly listening is key. There is a discussion around taking a breath before being quick to respond, finding out the other person’s needs and trying to ask the important questions.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
Theresa brings on Kelly Davis again to dive into the feelings of not being safe. They discuss how they've created personal barriers in an attempt to keep themselves safe. They talk about disclosing trauma to people you feel comfortable with, how their body and mind would respond when they weren’t safe and finding your support system so you're not alone.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
America and Theresa explore what happens when you hate certain aspects of your family members. America gives recent examples of when she’s clashed with some family members and how she responded to those situations. They talk about the different coping mechanisms when dealing with negativity, sharing the things that hurt your feelings with your loved ones and how expressing anger requires a degree of safety.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
Theresa brings back Kevin to explore the question: how many mental illnesses can one person have? They talk about how a diagnosis can be empowering but also the stigma that comes with labeling yourself with certain diagnoses. They discuss how one diagnosis can be a symptom of another and why a diagnosis should help serve you in your recovery and growth.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
America and Theresa dive into the topic of toxic people and they ask whether they think they can be toxic. They give some examples of toxic behaviors and trying to recognize some of the red flags. They talk about the spectrum of being toxic and trying to find out where toxic behavior originates from.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
Theresa and America discuss whether they think people can change and they turn it on themselves and ask each other if they think they can change. They talk about how we judge people and how we set expectations of the people around us. They have a conversation about appreciating small changes, giving people some credit for trying to change and why context is so important.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
America is dealing with some personal issues and it’s caused her to not want to deal with people today. America shares with Theresa her current situation and how a negative person has popped back up in her life. They talk about processing emotions, how your emotional energy affects your personal relationships and America comes to the realization that the way she feels really comes from a place of protection.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
Theresa and Kevin share their experiences with their mental illnesses and when and how they were diagnosed. Kevin remembers the first time he recognized he had a mental health problem and it wasn’t until he took a psychology class when he was ready to put a label to how he felt. They talk about why labeling your mental illness can help, they have conversations around PTSD and insomnia and also the value of continuing to evaluate your metal illness.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
Theresa and America explore how they each call their friends out. America is direct and Theresa is a conflict-avoider so they talk about how they confront their friends from different perspectives. They discuss the timing of when to have a serious conversation with your friends, how to bring up how you feel and also finding the friends that you feel comfortable with calling you out as well.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
Theresa and America talk about the difficulties of making friends as an adult. Theresa shares her insecurities she developed when she was younger trying to make friends and how that plays out now as an adult. They discuss why the quality of a friend becomes more important when you're an adult, recognizing what you are trying to get out of a friend at this stage in your life and how you must know yourself to know what you’re seeking in a friend.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
America and Theresa explore the traits that make good friends. They both ask each other whether they feel they are a good friends and why. They discuss examples of behaviors that make bad friends, like being selfish and monopolizing conversations, and why it's about the quality vs. quantity of friends.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
America and Theresa talk about the positives and negatives of holding grudges. America recognizes she holds grudges and she explains how she sees it as a strength but also how it could be a problem. They talk about how holding grudges can be a form of control, why intentions matter and why Theresa feels she needs to protect herself more.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
Theresa and America talk about feeling awkward. They share instances when they’ve been awkward around people and they try to get to the bottom of why they can be awkward. They discuss social anxiety, moments that exacerbate awkwardness and just accepting who you are.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
A lot of the world is starting to open back up after the pandemic and America and Theresa explore the mindset of people who don’t want to go back to normal quite yet. America shares how she went to a work conference and had to remember how to communicate with people in-person again. They talk about how everyone feels overwhelmed, feelings of social anxiety and they liken social interaction to getting into a swimming pool.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
Theresa is joined by Cyn Gómez to talk about being queer and Latino. Cyn identifies as non-binary and bisexual so they share their personal journey and how they came to terms with who they are. They speak on topics of mental health, coming out to family and friends, religion and traditionalism and exploring what a welcoming environment looks like.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
America and Theresa are joined by Kevin Seldon to discuss depression in fathers. Kevin shares his feelings of depression and how it became harder when him and his wife struggled to get pregnant. Kevin talks about creating a safe space for men to express their feelings, trying to lead with vulnerability when attempting to connect with new friends and how acknowledgement is powerful.
To listen to the DILF Podcast visit dadidliketofriend.com
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
Theresa and America share times in which they questioned what they were doing with their lives. They talk about the feelings that come after big changes, big transitions and big losses. America explains how she felt a little lost in the last year, Theresa used meet-up groups to help her not feel so alone when she had these feelings and they discuss trying to find some direction, meaning and purpose.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
Melanie submitted a topic to the podcast about how to deal with being ghosted. America has dealt with a lot of ambiguous loss and this topic brings up some emotions about rejection for Theresa. They share their personal experiences with being ghosted, trying to understand why someone would ghost you and eventually trying to find a way to get to acceptance.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact podcast@mhanational.org
Emily Pope, the Director of Marketing at Tempest, joins America and Theresa to talk about when alcohol negatively impacts your life. Emily became sober at 23 and she shares her story about her family history with drinking and when she decided to stop. They talk about the red flags when drinking can become unhealthy and why it's important to personally reflect on your relationship with alcohol.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
Theresa and America remember the times where they broke up with toxic people. There is a discussion about all the different types of relationships that can be toxic and some examples of traits that can make a person toxic. They talk about the big and small break-ups, how they’ve felt a sense of losing themselves in toxic relationships and how to plan a safe exit.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
Theresa and America discuss how they try to control their anger. They have a conversation about times they’ve tried to justify their anger and some places where they picked up some of their bad habits around anger. They talk about recognizing their cues before they lash out in anger, attempting to have empathy for the other person and learning when to just walk away during a heated argument.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
Theresa and America recall how they’ve dealt with the trauma in their lives. There is a discussion about how everyone experiences trauma differently and how some go straight to avoidance. They talk about the aftermath of trauma, common thinking traps around trauma and Theresa's traumatic association with George Floyd.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
Theresa and America were reluctant about the concept of radical acceptance at first, but they give the definition of what it means and how they feel about it now. There is a conversation about how to grieve the things that should not have happened. They talk about where they need to practice radical acceptance in their lives, letting go of control and how much of it is about personal responsibility.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
What makes something normal? America and Theresa talk about their personal relationships with the meaning of “normal.” They talk about some of the people they trust in their lives to bounce their “normal/not normal” ideas off of to gauge how they feel. They discuss the societal pressures of fitting in and some of their personal behaviors some might categorize as “not normal.”
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
Why is it that we lash out and say hurtful things? Theresa and America revisit some hurtful things they’ve said in the past and they dive into how they feel when they are on the receiving end of some hurtful comments. They unpack their past experiences that influence the way in which they communicate today, the difference between being reactive vs. responsive and why they lay out some soft and hard boundaries when communicating.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
Kat McIntosh joins Theresa to share her mental health journey. Kat started to recognize some signs of a disconnect with her feelings of emotion so she sought out professional help and she recalls all the obstacles she had to overcome to finally get a diagnosis. She talks about how she started hearing voices, how Kat’s family and friends reacted to the conversation about her experiences and the importance of being your own advocate.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
Theresa and America focus on how it's hard to celebrate your accomplishments when you’re going through a mental health challenge. They discuss how they personally honor their small accomplishments. They talk about taking pride in your achievements, sharing your accomplishments with loved ones and how you should evaluate why you feel that you can’t be proud.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
America and Theresa talked out about being broken and now they search through the topic of not knowing who they are. They summarize their own identity and how that has evolved over their lives. There is a discussion about roles, the labels we put on ourselves and how things can become more enjoyable once you identify your own true identity.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
Am I Broken? Theresa and America have asked themselves this question and it’s something they’ve had to work through, so they navigate through these intrusive thoughts. They talk about how these thoughts make you feel like an outsider and even make you wonder if you’ll ever be “normal.” There is a conversation about self-worth, how being broken doesn’t mean you have to stay broken and how Theresa helped heal through the metaphor of the “broken vase.”
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
Episode #100! On this special podcast America and Theresa consider the question “will I ever be happy again?” They both have asked themselves this question during their lives and they share what they’ve done to try and shift their framework around the idea of “happiness.” There is a discussion about the effects of the pandemic on people’s happiness, America breaks down her idea of “dwellers” and they talk about what truly makes them happy.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
Theresa and America pinpoint what trauma is and each give their personal definitions. Theresa identifies as a trauma survivor and America highlights collective trauma. They discuss experiences that have negatively impacted their lives and how they identified the quality of those experiences, when to reach out for help and how they categorize the big “T” and little “t” forms of trauma.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
Spoiler: It’s not. Theresa and America wrestle with a rather insulting question about whether depression is a choice. They recall when they’ve been asked this question in the past and how it made them feel. They explain why depression (or any other mental illness) is not a choice, the value of a support system and how you have a responsibility to yourself about your own wellness, nobody else.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
Kelly Davis is back and is joining America to talk about her experiences with thoughts of killing herself but not necessarily wanting to die. This topic may be both difficult for some but the conversation is important to have and Kelly helps explore how she personally changed her relationship with those thoughts. Kelly shares an enlightening piece of advice from a therapist regarding thoughts of suicide, they talk about the importance of finding a sense of purpose and how everyone’s story is worth listening to.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
Theresa struggles with self-love, so America leads her through the process of how she can try to be better at loving herself. They talk about the progress they’ve made in loving themselves and how small changes to their outside appearance has helped. They discuss the similarities to self-love and confidence, they give two examples of what they love about themselves and how we should all practice self-gratitude.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
America and Theresa are completely spent, and they are at the point where they have the inability to process information while recording this podcast. They try to determine how they got to this point and the events that lead to the feeling of their brains not working. They talk about what things drain them the most, the importance of rest for both your body and your brain and they explore solutions for when they need to reset themselves.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
America is joined by Ben Ballman, who is a high school student who founded a mental health coalition, and they discuss being in a toxic relationship. They talk about their experiences with toxic relationships from each of their perspectives. They share some signs of how to identify if a relationship is toxic, setting boundaries and the importance of remembering that prioritizing your own mental health over someone else’s does not make you a bad person.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
America and Theresa are a pair of overthinkers. They share how they each process their decisions and when they first discovered they overanalyzed things. There is a discussion about identifying the true cause of your over processing, how they try to manage their thoughts when they become too much and how overthinking everything isn’t always a bad thing.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
Anxiety can form some bad habits in different people and for America and Theresa it makes them pick at their skin. Theresa and America have tried to keep each other accountable about not picking at their skin and they describe those feelings of nervous energy. They discuss environments where their bad habits get exaggerated and how they have worked to channel that nervous energy to other activities.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
This a topic that really makes Theresa uncomfortable and they explore why she cares about what other people think. Theresa shares where her anxiety comes from and the affects of being raised in a high anxiety household. They both explain how they try to process criticism, how their environments shaped how they receive affection and the positives of Post-It Note Therapy.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
It’s a new year and it’s time to turn the page so America and Theresa discuss how to start over. They both share their experiences with starting new relationships and how they had to take a look at what they created first before going in a new direction. They recall the moment when they felt ready to start over in their life, setting boundaries for yourself, how they processed through the grief of the past and how they eventually got to a place of acceptance.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
America and Theresa wrap up 2020 by letting go of all the bad things from the past year. They talk about the everyday practice of not holding a grudge and how it boils down to protecting yourself. America shares a breakthrough she had in therapy, Theresa talks about the hardest things for her to let go of and they both list things they are leaving behind in 2020.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
America and Theresa share the things they have to set boundaries for in their lives. America gives her definition of personal boundaries and they both give examples of where they set their limits. They discuss how they differentiate hard and soft boundaries, identifying the behaviors that you find acceptable and how you can set restrictions not only on people but also on actions.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
America is joined again by Whitney Ball and in this session they discuss the trap we sometimes fall into of feeling like you haven't accomplished anything. The end of the year always brings on reflection and they stress how small accomplishments are just as important as your big life goals. America and Whitney share how we should all “give ourselves a pass”, how they measure goals and accomplishments and how you should talk to yourself the same as you talk to your friends.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
America and Theresa struggle with self-control during the holidays and this year is no different. America separates her definitions of control and management and Theresa explains how she tries to balance self-compassion during the holidays. They talk about the theory of an “emotional reservoir,” the significance of self-validation and learning how to just walk away.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
Andrew Cannizzaro joins Theresa and America to talk about intrusive thoughts. Andrew shares his experiences with OCD and how Cognitive Behavioral Therapy has helped him in the process of slowing down intrusive thoughts. They delve into the complexity of intrusive thoughts, how speaking about your thoughts helps you feel less alone and how we shouldn’t treat our brain like our enemy.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
Theresa and America vent about what they hate about the holidays. They talk about the expectations during the holiday season and how things have shifted this year. They discuss how getting together with family can be complicated, how your holidays don’t have to look like others and they also share some things they like about the holidays.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
Theresa and America go through the range of emotions you experience when you share something you feel is important and you don’t feel heard. They begin with how it is important to show empathy for the person on the receiving end when having a significant conversation. Theresa shares how she prepped before an incredibly personal confrontation, finding perspective by talking to someone who can provide an outside point of view and explaining how they feel when they are truly being heard.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
America and Theresa continue their conversation about getting mad and how to tell someone you’re not happy about something. They both approach conflict differently but discuss how they are continuing to try to improve their communication with the important people in their lives. There is a discussion on how they go about voicing their wants and needs, trying to not have an important conversation while you're angry and trying to get to the root of why you're really mad.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
Theresa and America can get mad at little things. They both give examples of what small issues get on their nerves and how they deal with them in their daily lives. They talk about why the little things sometimes add up, how it comes down to wanting to be heard and being validated plus there's an attempt to get to the bottom of why these little things bother them.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
Shyanne Hoff joins America to discuss the necessary steps when planning for a crisis. Shyanne shares her personal mental health journey and they each share their definition of “crisis.” They talk about their experiences with crisis, the importance of trying to recognize your crisis symptoms and they give detailed information about the Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP Plan) when preparing for crisis.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
Emily and Whitney join America to explain their experiences with a quarter life crisis. They discuss the pressure they felt after graduating college, especially with their relationships and in their careers. There is a conversation about feeling lost, navigating sexual identity plus a reminder to not let others define your happiness.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
America and Theresa give the key differentials between the feelings of being burned out or being depressed. They both explore their current mindset and how they personally identify the warning signs. They talk about the things they do to take care of themselves, how friends can help and giving themselves the space to figure out what they need.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
Theresa and America piggyback off their conversation last episode about dealing with change and they now dive into when you just don’t want to change. They talk about how the hardest part is the preparation for big life shifts and the emotional component that comes with change. They discuss the toughest things they have tried to change about themselves, how music helps them and how they attack both small and big changes.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
America and Theresa talk about everything that comes with having to deal with change. They discuss the expectations that come with change and the stages of grief when a life shift occurs. They talk about how they prepare for change, how the word carries a negative connotation and society’s obsession with it.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
Theresa and America try to figure out together whether they are going through a midlife crisis. They discuss what the term means to each of them and how expectations play a big part in a person’s identity and self-confidence in any stage of life. They navigate through the existential questions that come with a midlife crisis, the role of culture on this topic and explore the series of events that got them to this place.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
America and Theresa have a conversation about what happens physically and emotionally before, during and after they have their period. They discuss mood swings, feeling irritable, the warning signs of when their period is coming and how they both can differentiate their emotions because of their period vs. their normal everyday emotions. They also talk about hormonal shifts, the pros and cons of birth control, when they had their first conversation about periods and the importance of having that ongoing dialogue.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
Theresa and America explore what it looks like when therapy isn’t working and they recall situations when they knew that therapy wasn’t helping. They give examples of what kinds of characteristics they look for in a therapist and how it’s different for everyone. They discuss the idea of breaking up with your therapist, how timing is important and also some different therapy options.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
America is back for an emotional discussion with Theresa as they both unload their feelings about how their past trauma is still coming up and affecting their current relationships. America shares how a recent argument escalated because of her past experiences plus Theresa divulges her past trauma and how it has caused her to put up walls in her relationships. They’ve both found that when they lash out it is out of fear to protect themselves, but they are trying to navigate through the painful process of working through their past trauma to improve themselves and their relationships.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
Theresa chats with Kevin Rushton about his personal experiences with anxiety and where he thinks his anxiety stems from. Kevin describes his upbringing in a strict religious household in Seattle and how it made it hard on him to show his emotions in school. They discuss the stereotypes of men and emotions, Kevin shares his firsthand experiences as a man with anxiety and while the feelings of anxiety may never pass Kevin has found a way to change his relationship with it.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
Theresa talks to Caren about her journey of grieving. Caren lost her mother when she was 9 years old but she's realizing now that she never grieved her loss when she was younger and those feelings are finally coming out. Caren shares how her family deals with their emotions, how she cried over her mom’s death but never grieved the loss and how we must show ourselves compassion with grief.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
Theresa teams up with Erin Wallace to discuss the feelings of frustration when you can’t control things. They talk about the impact of the pandemic, processing through anxiety and anger and how the feelings of anger turn into projection. They have a dialog about how they process their anger, the risks of trying to change people and how it’s important to identify, recognize and acknowledge your feelings.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
Caren returns to the podcast to talk with America and Theresa about the feelings of being disconnected from your community. They all share ways in which they are trying to navigate their friendships through the pandemic. They have a discussion about when they feel they need to disconnect, how technology has changed how we communicate and the energy it takes to reach out to friends and family.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
Theresa and America touch on some undiscovered feelings while discussing “Imposter Syndrome.” They talk about what Imposter Syndrome means to them and whether men or women suffer more from this psychological pattern. America recalls her experiences in school and also being followed out in public plus Theresa shares how growing up in an Asian household influenced her school experience as well as her everyday life.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
Whitney is back again to join Theresa and America on a discussion of how we can be better allies not only to others during their mental health journey but also to members of the BIPOC community. They explore what an ally means to each of them and a respose to those who don't know where their place is in this discussion. It is important to do the work and it starts by looking inward on how you might have contributed to the problem.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org.
While it feels like the world is burning around them America and Theresa try to find ways in which to feel better. They speak on the dread that comes with overwhelming thoughts, the feelings of paralysis when everything seems like it's too much to handle and the power of validation. Theresa talks about finding her community so she doesn’t feel so isolated and America seeks ways in which to educate herself on how to properly help herself and others.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
Jenny Cheang (Director of Digital Marketing) joins America and Theresa to talk through the struggle of identifying who they are. They all share their personal ties to their cultural heritage, the time in their lives when they started to explore their race and how their families played a major role in their identities. They have each struggled at times to fit in with their cultural heritage but have found a sense of pride because of it.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
This month is the start of BIPOC (Blacks, Indigenous People, and People of Color) Mental Health Month so America and Theresa talk about what led to the name change and why the new designation better honors these groups. They then have a dialogue about the connection between racism and trauma. They discuss why empathy is key, how we shape the world through our experiences and why we all want to feel human and feel that we matter.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
America and Theresa have teamed up with the postpartum warrior Sasha Nicole from Partum Evolution to talk about the intrusive thoughts they’ve had about their children. Theresa and Sasha Nicole share their experiences with postpartum depression and the shame that came with their invasive thoughts. Sasha Nicole found a supportive husband while Theresa valued the open conversations with co-workers to help them get through tough times. They share how vital it was to allow themselves to acknowledge that their feelings were valid and also include some helpful resources for anyone going through postpartum depression.
To take a postpartum screen visit https://screening.mhanational.org/screening-tools/postpartum-depression
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
With everything going on during these current protests, Theresa and America have an open conversation about how hard it is to continuously explain trauma. They talk about the significance of validating someone else’s feelings, the commonality between race and mental health and why we're all just looking for love and support. Let’s all reflect on how we can do better.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
Irritability seems to be amplified while everyone is in quarantine and America and Theresa explain why that is. They talk about why space is important and why voicing your needs is key. There is a discussion on irritation in relationships, how to try to slow down the feelings of agitation and ways in which you can shift your focus when your beginning to feel irritated.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
America and Theresa teamed up with Rwenshaun Miller to discuss what it’s like to be in a relationship with someone who has a mental illness. Rwenshaun shares his personal bouts with his own mental health issues and how he approaches his relationships in his personal life. All three of them open up about how they are working on themselves to try to improve their relationships, how their mental health is like a third person in their relationship and they highlight why communication is crucial to relaying your specific needs.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
Theresa and America are joined once again by Whitney Ball (the Marketing and Outreach Manager at Mental Health America) and they talk about what it’s like to not be able to focus. Theresa and Whitney speak about the guilt that comes with struggling to focus and how their thoughts become overwhelming when they can’t get things done, making them even more unproductive. They have suggestions of their personal coping skills that help them be more productive, tempering expectations and trying to pinpoint who is setting the expectations for you.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
Theresa and America explain what the title of the podcast means and how they both embrace it. They give a brief history of Clifford W. Beers and how his contributions sparked the mental health reform movement by trying get more people to “fight in the open.” They both share how their families handle the conversations around mental health, how open they choose to be about their mental health on social media and how your story can be empowering to others.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
America is joined by Matt Gleason (Mental Health Association Oklahoma) and they talk about how we can try to offer support for others. Matt lost his brother and sister in the last few years and he shares why one call from his boss helped open the door to openly talking about his grief. They discuss the first steps in offering support, trying to find the people that can help, attempting to navigate through what kind of support a person needs and the importance of reaching out for help.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
It’s raining at America’s house so she and Theresa try to bring in some light on a dark day by discussing how they try to stay positive. The perception of positivity is different for everybody and these two go to completely different places to distract themselves and try to stay upbeat. They talk about the impact of having positive people around you, what they do to pull themselves out of a negative place and how sometimes being positive is just trying to hurt a little less.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
It’s officially been a year since we launched the podcast! If you’re new to the show or want to learn a little bit more about your hosts Theresa and America; they answer five questions so that you can get to know them a little bit better. Those questions are: What are you most proud of? What’s your favorite thing to do to relax? What’s one word your friends would use to describe you? What’s one word you’d use to describe yourself? What’s your favorite condiment? We appreciate everyone who has listened and joined us on this journey together.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
Theresa and America are talking about the benefits of owning pets and the effects on your mental health. One is a pet owner and the other one is not so they both dive into their current situations and all the pets they’ve owned throughout their lives. Pets can be a real companion in life but finding the pet that matches your needs is key.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
Theresa and America talk about the correlation between body pain and mental health. They explore how their pain comes on, how it’s progressed with age and what the causes may be including stress, lack of sleep or gaining weight. You can’t get rid of your physical pain if you don’t work through your emotional pain; we can only help others until we help ourselves.
Theresa and America are joined by Caren Howard who is the Advocacy Manager for Mental Health America and the three of them discuss how to push through a crisis. Caren shares how she felt stuck and how she eventually got motivated to do her work. They talk about adjusting to this new reality, honoring the grieving process during a crisis and the importance of vocalizing your feelings.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
Nothing works anymore. Most of us are having a hard time coping during this time and America and Theresa are no different. They discuss how their brains are handling this stressful environment and how they are trying to adjust, how it’s critical to try to be aware of what your limit is and the benefits of setting up a schedule or routine. Every coping skill you’ve learned along the way is now put aside while you try to just manage but you are not alone.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
A lot has changed since America and Theresa last recorded and they talk about how they are dealing during this pandemic. There is a discussion about ways in which people feel trapped in this and in other times of crisis and how people's self-care routines have shifted. They both share how they are coping during this time, the stress of feeling isolated and Theresa’s concept for her “bag of flour.”
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
Theresa and America share the ways in which they are critical of themselves and how others can pick up on those feelings. They talk about how that attitude affects the ones around us, how criticism looks from their perspective as women and how the self-criticism can become a habit. Theresa talks about what she beats herself up about the most, America gives examples of what her critical voice sounds like and how they try to silence that nagging voice in their head.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
America and Theresa discuss the struggles that come with dealing with grief. They get into the different stages of grief and how you can grieve more than just death. Theresa recalls the first time she dealt with grief, America talks about the experience of loss that came with her divorce and the difference between healthy and unhealthy grieving.
To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org