Your Truth Revealed podcast

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Sharing his battle with depression and succeeding, Zack Rutledge, MA shares his straight forward techniques that truly help. His book is "The Official Depression Relief Playbook: Real-Life Strategies From a Guy Who Has Lived It."

Zack is in the movement counseling master's program at Rider University in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. He is a certified personal trainer, a fitness nutrition specialist, and a brain health trainer. He is a yoga instructor and has a black belt in karate.

➤RESOURCES Zack Rutledge: https://tinyurl.com/yrt8w33y Free Worksheet: https://www.YourTruthRevealed.com/listen

➤SUMMARY 1. You have a true insider’s look on depression. What is your personal story? · The perfect storm at 18 years old, best friend killed. Not just grief, but depression. · Friends were leaving for college no support system. Dropped out of college. · Karate school shut down. (Mental illness manifests in early twenties.) · Moody punk rocker. Bass player for several bands. Played at CBGBs, opened for big bands, had a record label. But was miserable. Didn't know what was happening. · Real serious. Pit in my stomach, despair. · Felt like midnight all the time. Life went from color to black and white. · At about 8 pm a lot of thought about death. Feeding the fear wolf. · Only thinking about negative things, all messed up. Tough time concentrating.

What was your turning point and what depression relief strategy was most effective for you? · Took over a decade to heal and life to slowly come back to color. · Deepest depression at 5'9' weighted 125 pounds. Teaching fitness classes and working out was a biproduct of martial arts. · Lifting weights, muscles growing, and had more control. Felt better and not getting sick all the time. · Movement and physical activity are the main coping mechanism and relief strategy.
I believe that half of the treatment for mental illness is counseling and the other half medication. What is your opinion? · Medication and therapy are the West’s gifts to the world. The East’s gifts are yoga and martial arts. · There is no single definition of depression. There can be various causes of our depression. It can be genetic, chemical, or physical issues. · It can be brought on by grief, PTSD, or troubling relationships. · Mindset requires real work toward personal development. Always sharpening the sword. · Requires: discipline, patience with self, and an open mind and positive attitude.
What are practical steps someone can take to lift them out of depression? · Writing something down is the first step of taking an idea out of your head and into the real world. · What got me through the darkest times was shifting focus to what I could control. · I would create a list of all the things I'd like to change in my life. Then cross things off once it was done. Small victories. · Split the list into two categories: Life Goals and Daily Goals.
Lastly, how do you train people to have healthier brains and how does this impact depression? · Daniel Amen's book "Change Your Brain Change Your Life." Cognitive reserve and denser brain. · Cognitive decline. Exercise and physical activity help. Less brain shrinkage. · Coordination strengthens a lobe in the brain (cerebellum). Start juggling, play pickleball. · When you get your heart rate up and do something mentally challenging, you start to see angiogenesis, the development of new blood vessels in your brain. Neurogenesis the process by which new neurons are formed in the brain.

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Suffering with PTSD from fighting in the War in Iraq, former marine Manny Marrero, OTR/L shares his story of recovery. Everyone has expereinced some form of trauma. And we may need help to adapt once we're in a safe and better place. This is the 2nd part of his interview.

Manny received his master's degree in occupational therapy from Bay Path University in Massachusetts. He's currently an MBA candidate at Boston university's Questrom school of business. He has a mental health occupational therapist at Cape Cod Healthcare and a yoga instructor.

➤RESOURCES Manny Marrero: https://www.instagram.com/manny_marrero Free Worksheet: https://www.YourTruthRevealed.com/listen

➤SUMMARY 1. What is your role and how do you help people? · Mental Health Occupational Therapist. Yoga and Meditation Teacher, Trauma Informed Care, Sensory Modulation, Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy, work for NAMI. · Vulnerability is a sign of strength and not of weakness. Lack of insight and awareness as to what is out there. Especially men, it's time to say that you need help. It's okay to be vulnerable say that you're struggling. It was me at one point.

What is your personal journey with PTSD? · Marine Corps 2001 - 2009. 4 years active duty. My first day of boot camp was just before 9/11. At 18 years old I was in the war zone at the Iraq-Kuwait border. I was in the front lines for 7 months in intense combat. · I returned to California and didn't have time to process. Went back into training. In 2007, I was deployed to Falluja in Iraq for 8 months. I lost my friend, which hit me hard. After I left the marines, I wasn't sleeping well and had anxiety all the time. · I didn't know about PTSD and there was more stigma then. The marines weren't concerned about mental health. · At 22 years old, I was on active duty and drifting as a civilian. Self-medicating with alcohol, in toxic relationships, reckless and impulsive. I struggled from 2005 - 2009. Was dating my now wife who was studying psychology. She said I had PTSD yet I was in denial. I later told the VA that I needed help. · I was in therapy for a year and stopped drinking. I gained insight and self-awareness. I had been blaming yourself and felt broken in some way, thinking I'd never get better. I did the inner work and researched. Medications helped for a small period of time. Then I did yoga, exercise, medication, and mindfulness. I went to a veteran silent retreat. This helped me cope and be more mindful, kind, and gentle to myself and then to others. People started to notice a difference. · I finished college, whereas before I failed out. I graduated top of my class. I went to graduate school for OT and graduated top of my class. Now I'm getting my MBA.

How do you define PTSD? · PTSD is a natural response to unnatural events. · Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that's triggered by a terrifying event — either experiencing it or witnessing it. · Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares, and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event. · If the symptoms get worse, last for months or even years, and interfere with your day-to-day functioning, you may have PTSD. · Most people who go through traumatic events may have temporary difficulty adjusting and coping, but with time and good self-care, they usually get better. · Getting effective treatment after PTSD symptoms develop can be critical to reduce symptoms and improve function.

What would you like men and specifically veterans to know? · We all suffer, it's the human condition. Many suffer in silence. But there are solutions to problems we face, there are resources and programs. Like occupational therapy, NAMI, counseling, medications, and yoga. · Mindfulness - once you have awareness of thinking and behaviors, use awareness to make changes. Respond verses react. People are surprised that they have inner resources and can access it.

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Meet former marine Manny Marrero, OTR/L. Suffering with PTSD from fighting in the War in Iraq, he shares his story of recovery. Everyone has experienced some form of trauma. And we may need help to adapt once we're in a safe and better place. This is the 1st part of his interview.

Manny received his master's degree in occupational therapy from Bay Path University in Massachusetts. He's currently an MBA candidate at Boston university's Questrom school of business. He has a mental health occupational therapist at Cape Cod Healthcare and a yoga instructor.

➤RESOURCES Manny Marrero: https://www.instagram.com/manny_marrero Free Worksheet: https://www.YourTruthRevealed.com/listen Tribe book: https://tinyurl.com/yvxjyh8y

➤SUMMARY 1. What is your role and how do you help people? · Mental Health Occupational Therapist. Yoga and Meditation Teacher, Trauma Informed Care, Sensory Modulation, Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy, work for NAMI. · Vulnerability is a sign of strength and not of weakness. Lack of insight and awareness as to what is out there. Especially men, it's time to say that you need help. It's okay to be vulnerable say that you're struggling. It was me at one point.

What is your personal journey with PTSD? · Marine Corps 2001 - 2009. 4 years active duty. My first day of boot camp was just before 9/11. At 18 years old I was in the war zone at the Iraq-Kuwait border. I was in the front lines for 7 months in intense combat. · I returned to California and didn't have time to process. Went back into training. In 2007, I was deployed to Falluja in Iraq for 8 months. I lost my friend, which hit me hard. After I left the marines, I wasn't sleeping well and had anxiety all the time. · I didn't know about PTSD and there was more stigma then. The marines weren't concerned about mental health. · At 22 years old, I was on active duty and drifting as a civilian. Self-medicating with alcohol, in toxic relationships, reckless and impulsive. I struggled from 2005 - 2009. Was dating my now wife who was studying psychology. She said I had PTSD yet I was in denial. I later told the VA that I needed help. · I was in therapy for a year and stopped drinking. I gained insight and self-awareness. I had been blaming yourself and felt broken in some way, thinking I'd never get better. I did the inner work and researched. Medications helped for a small period of time. Then I did yoga, exercise, medication, and mindfulness. I went to a veteran silent retreat. This helped me cope and be more mindful, kind, and gentle to myself and then to others. People started to notice a difference. · I finished college, whereas before I failed out. I graduated top of my class. I went to graduate school for OT and graduated top of my class. Now I'm getting my MBA.

How do you define PTSD? · PTSD is a natural response to unnatural events. · Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that's triggered by a terrifying event — either experiencing it or witnessing it. · Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares, and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event. · If the symptoms get worse, last for months or even years, and interfere with your day-to-day functioning, you may have PTSD. · Most people who go through traumatic events may have temporary difficulty adjusting and coping, but with time and good self-care, they usually get better. · Getting effective treatment after PTSD symptoms develop can be critical to reduce symptoms and improve function.

What would you like men and specifically veterans to know? · We all suffer, it's the human condition. Many suffer in silence. But there are solutions to problems we face, there are resources and programs. Like occupational therapy, NAMI, counseling, medications, and yoga. · Mindfulness - once you have awareness of thinking and behaviors, use awareness to make changes. Respond verses react.

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Meet child psychiatrist Jim Tucker, MD. As seen in the Netflix series Surviving Death, he reveals children's' accounts of remembering their past lives. Children give details about a past life that verifiably match the life of someone who lived and died in the past. This is the 2nd part of his interview.

Jim received his medical degree in psychiatry from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is the Bonner-Lowry professor of psychiatry and neurobehavioral sciences at the University of Virginia and the director of the UVA Division of Perceptual Studies.

➤RESOURCES Jim Tucker's Book: https://www.jimbtucker.com/ Division of Perceptual Studies: https://med.virginia.edu/perceptual-studies/ Free Worksheet: https://www.YourTruthRevealed.com

➤SUMMARY 1. What have you discovered in your combined 50 years of research? · We and our colleagues have studied over 2,500 cases. · Many of the children have given details that have been verified to match the life of a deceased person, someone unknown to the child’s family. · Many of the children display behaviors and emotions that are consistent with their purported memories. · We now have good evidence that some young children have memories from a life in the past. · Consciousness is primary, inhabits a physical brain. Comes before and goes on after life. · The personality is one manifestation of the consciousness.

Can you please tell listeners about the past life memory of James Leininger? · We determine what happened — what the child has said and how the parents have reacted. Whether the child’s statements match the life of a particular deceased person. · James called himself the third James. · Nightmares waking up screaming, “Airplane crash on fire, little man can’t get out.” · Dad asked, “Who shot your plain down?” And James said the Japanese with the big red sun. He said the boat’s name was Natoma. His friend was Jack Larson. He pointed to a photo of Iwa Jima island, “That’s where my plain got shot down.” · Dad found the report that the ship Natoma had been at Iwa Jima. · James’ dad was in shock. How could he know this? Jack A. Larsen was the assistant artisan’s officer aboard Natoma bay. · When James was 6 years old, he described how they made Napalm bombs. · In the early 2000s, they went to a Natoma Bay reunion. Dad learned there was only one pilot killed in the battle of Iwa Jima and from a particular squadron, James Huston Jr. · Anne Huston (Baron) was James Huston’s sister and they met. She said she completely believed it. · James Leininger remembered his past life as World War II pilot James Huston.
I’ve heard that some children have birth marks related to their past life, is this correct? · Birth marks and birth defects can match fatal wounds on the previous person. · A gunshot wound where the bullet went in and out of the body. · At birth, Patrick had a slanting birthmark with the appearance of a small cut on the right side of his neck—the same location of Kevin’s central line—a nodule on his scalp above his right ear as Kevin’s biopsied tumor had been, and an opacity in his left eye, diagnosed as a corneal leukoma, that caused him, like Kevin, to have very little vision in that eye. · When he began walking, he limped, favoring his left leg.
How are parents impacted by their child’s past life memories? · Parents will try to get their kids to stop talking about it. · The child may cry to go to an old place and old family. It can be irritating to the parent.
Do past life memories in children occur mostly in the East where reincarnation is accepted? · There are young children all over the world who say they remember a past life. · All continents except for Antarctica(?). · Some Christian parents in the US have no trouble adding it to their belief system. · 25% of Christians believe in eternal life.
Why does your research focus on children rather than adults?

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I had every intention of releasing Season Three. But in August I got a debilitating headache and fatigue that is still persistent, and my immune system isn’t functioning right. It basically feels like I have the flu all the time.

I’m sharing this with you so you know I didn’t forget about you and that I haven’t just disappeared. I’m busy seeing medical and functional doctors to find out what the root cause is. And even though I radically changed my diet to help reduce inflammation, it’s only mildly helped with these symptoms.

This has been a really challenging time for me. Especially in being patient and persistent and sitting with the unknown. I am really eager to have an answer so that I can start healing.

So you know, I have amazing interviews already recorded. Yet the persistent headaches have prevented me from sitting in front of the computer to edit them. Please be patient with me as I heal through this process. And meanwhile, feel free to listen to previous episodes. You will continue to hear for me. Let’s hang in there together.

~Erika Marcoux, MA

Your Truth Revealed podcast

I interview helping professionals to explore your hidden truth and potential.

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Meet child psychiatrist Jim Tucker, MD in the 1st part of his interview. As seen in the Netflix series Surviving Death, he reveals children's' accounts of remembering their past lives. Children give details about a past life that verifiably match the life of someone who lived and died in the past.

Jim received his medical degree in psychiatry from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is the Bonner-Lowry professor of psychiatry and neurobehavioral sciences at the University of Virginia and the director of the UVA Division of Perceptual Studies.

➤RESOURCES Jim Tucker's Book: https://www.jimbtucker.com/ Division of Perceptual Studies: https://med.virginia.edu/perceptual-studies/ Free Worksheet: https://www.YourTruthRevealed.com

➤SUMMARY 1. What have you discovered in your combined 50 years of research? · We and our colleagues have studied over 2,500 cases. · Many of the children have given details that have been verified to match the life of a deceased person, someone unknown to the child’s family. · Many of the children display behaviors and emotions that are consistent with their purported memories. · We now have good evidence that some young children have memories from a life in the past. · Consciousness is primary, inhabits a physical brain. Comes before and goes on after life. · The personality is one manifestation of the consciousness.

Can you please tell listeners about the past life memory of James Leininger? · We determine what happened — what the child has said and how the parents have reacted. Whether the child’s statements match the life of a particular deceased person. · James called himself the third James. · Nightmares waking up screaming, “Airplane crash on fire, little man can’t get out.” · Dad asked, “Who shot your plain down?” And James said the Japanese with the big red sun. He said the boat’s name was Natoma. His friend was Jack Larson. He pointed to a photo of Iwa Jima island, “That’s where my plain got shot down.” · Dad found the report that the ship Natoma had been at Iwa Jima. · James’ dad was in shock. How could he know this? Jack A. Larsen was the assistant artisan’s officer aboard Natoma bay. · When James was 6 years old, he described how they made Napalm bombs. · In the early 2000s, they went to a Natoma Bay reunion. Dad learned there was only one pilot killed in the battle of Iwa Jima and from a particular squadron, James Huston Jr. · Anne Huston (Baron) was James Huston’s sister and they met. She said she completely believed it. · James Leininger remembered his past life as World War II pilot James Huston.
I’ve heard that some children have birth marks related to their past life, is this correct? · Birth marks and birth defects can match fatal wounds on the previous person. · A gunshot wound where the bullet went in and out of the body. · At birth, Patrick had a slanting birthmark with the appearance of a small cut on the right side of his neck—the same location of Kevin’s central line—a nodule on his scalp above his right ear as Kevin’s biopsied tumor had been, and an opacity in his left eye, diagnosed as a corneal leukoma, that caused him, like Kevin, to have very little vision in that eye. · When he began walking, he limped, favoring his left leg.
How are parents impacted by their child’s past life memories? · Parents will try to get their kids to stop talking about it. · The child may cry to go to an old place and old family. It can be irritating to the parent.

Do past life memories in children occur mostly in the East where reincarnation is accepted? · There are young children all over the world who say they remember a past life. · All continents except for Antarctica(?). · Some Christian parents in the US have no trouble adding it to their belief system. · 25% of Christians believe in eternal life.

Why does your research focus on children rather than adults? · Children stop talking about past lives around 6 - ...

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Meet your podcast host Erika Marcoux, MA in the 2nd part of her interview. Specializing in psychology and yoga, she explains the importance of being mindful of yourself. And how developing self-awareness can help you discover your full potential.

Erika has a master's degree in counseling psychology from JFK University and has been in private practice for almost 20 years. She is the host and producer of Your Truth Revealed podcast, a yoga instructor, and author.

➤RESOURCES Your Truth Revealed: http://www.YourTruthRevealed.com Free Worksheet: https://www.YourTruthRevealed.com/Listen

➤SUMMARY What is your educational background? * Bachelors in Mayan archeology and cultural anthropology. * Looking at cultures from an objective standpoint and recognizing the psychology of the individual. * Registered polarity therapy training founded by Dr. Randolph Stone.

How do you work with clients and students? * Holistic healing * Helping people heal and notice how they get stuck. * It’s our brain and nervous system, our whole body that has life experiences. * We hold emotions and memories. * We have four primary parts to being human: body, emotions, behavior, and mind.

How can people learn how to be more conscious? * Recognize your soul as being essential and primary. * The soul is the fundamental self, the true Self. * Its characteristics are being conscious and compassionate. * Notice when you are simply being, perhaps while doing a slow and simple task. * Notice your breathing. Slow down and let go of distractions.

How is this a shift in perspective for most Westerners? * Yoga psychology teaches about the true Self and the ego. * The ego is not bad—it’s how we function in the world. * The key is not being completely identified with it. * You are a soul having a human experience.

What is some advice for people who are new to mindfulness? * When being self-aware, be with any fear that comes up. * If you notice something that you don’t like about yourself, accept it with compassion. * Then work on practical ways to personally develop. * You may notice deep negative thoughts tied to self-limiting beliefs. * Self-limiting thoughts are solidified by the time we’re 6 years old. * Re-evaluate them as an adult and shift to a self-enhancing belief. * Last, be willing to ask for help if you need it.

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Meet your podcast host Erika Marcoux, MA in the 1st part of her interview. Specializing in psychology and yoga, she explains the importance of being mindful of yourself. And how developing self-awareness can help you discover your full potential.

Erika has a master's degree in counseling psychology from JFK University and has been in private practice for almost 20 years. She is the host and producer of Your Truth Revealed podcast, a yoga instructor, and author.

➤RESOURCES Your Truth Revealed: http://www.YourTruthRevealed.com Free Worksheet: https://www.YourTruthRevealed.com/Listen

➤SUMMARY What is your educational background? * Bachelors in Mayan archeology and cultural anthropology. * Looking at cultures from an objective standpoint and recognizing the psychology of the individual. * Registered polarity therapy training founded by Dr. Randolph Stone.

How do you work with clients and students? * Holistic healing * Helping people heal and notice how they get stuck. * It’s our brain and nervous system, our whole body that has life experiences. * We hold emotions and memories. * We have four primary parts to being human: body, emotions, behavior, and mind.

How can people learn how to be more conscious? * Recognize your soul as being essential and primary. * The soul is the fundamental self, the true Self. * Its characteristics are being conscious and compassionate. * Notice when you are simply being, perhaps while doing a slow and simple task. * Notice your breathing. Slow down and let go of distractions.

How is this a shift in perspective for most Westerners? * Yoga psychology teaches about the true Self and the ego. * The ego is not bad—it’s how we function in the world. * The key is not being completely identified with it. * You are a soul having a human experience.

What is some advice for people who are new to mindfulness? * When being self-aware, be with any fear that comes up. * If you notice something that you don’t like about yourself, accept it with compassion. * Then work on practical ways to personally develop. * You may notice deep negative thoughts tied to self-limiting beliefs. * Self-limiting thoughts are solidified by the time we’re 6 years old. * Re-evaluate them as an adult and shift to a self-enhancing belief. * Last, be willing to ask for help if you need it.

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Meet neurologist Diego Tovar-Quiroga, MD in the 2nd part of his interview. Specializing in seizures and epilepsy, he explains that often people are bewildered by the symptoms that can affect mental health. He provides ways to successfully recognize and treat this brain disorder.

Diego completed medical school in Bogotá, Colombia and his fellowship at the Mayo Clinic. He is a certified neurologist at Austin Epilepsy Care Center and is dedicated to treating and diagnosing people with seizures and epilepsy.

➤RESOURCES Austin Epilepsy Care Center: http://www.austinepilepsy.com Epilepsy Foundation: 1-800-332-1000 National Association of Epilepsy Centers: https://www.naec-epilepsy.org Free Worksheet: https://www.YourTruthRevealed.com

➤SUMMARY What happens neurologically in the brain during a seizure? * A seizure is a sudden, uncontrolled electrical disturbance in the brain. It can cause changes in your behavior, movements, feelings, and levels of consciousness. * Seizures can be provoked by many different factors. They're classified as either epileptic or non-epileptic seizures. * Epileptic seizures - dysfunction of the electrical networks in the brain. * Non-epileptic seizures - enhanced neural networks in the brain. * Because these two different types of events can look alike, sometimes people get the wrong diagnosis and are treated wrongly for decades.

How do you discovery the correct diagnosis? * The diagnosis is confirmed by capturing the events with electroencephalogram (EEG), ideally with simultaneous video recording. This test allows us to determine if there is abnormal electrical activity in the brain at the time of the event, which is the hallmark of epileptic seizures. * When patients have non epileptic seizures, the majority of the times there is a pain syndrome that is not well controlled. * Part of my role is to guide the patient to see the correlation and explore the treatment options.

How might someone who has seizures experience an impact on their mental health? * Epileptic seizures are a brain malfunction, and so are major depression, anxiety disorders, and psychoses. Although epilepsy is not a psychiatric disorder, its psychiatric dimension is important for treatment and research. * The symptoms of focal seizures, especially, can be mistaken — by the patient or the doctor — for psychiatric symptoms, especially panic attacks, flashback memories, or dissociative experiences (involving, for example, altered consciousness or a feeling of unreality). * About a third of people with focal seizures also suffer from anxiety disorders, especially agoraphobia. But the psychiatric disorder most notoriously associated with epilepsy is depression. As many as a third of people with epilepsy suffer from periodic depression, and depression is 4–7 times more frequent than average among them. * Seizures themselves can cause lasting changes in mood and thinking. * A condition called interictal dysphoric disorder occurs in some patients with epilepsy. The definition includes eight symptoms, of which the patient must have at least three: depression, lack of energy, pain, irritability, anxiety, fear, and, oddly, euphoria.

How does culture impact how seizures are treated? * All cultures have health beliefs to explain what the cause of a disease is, how it should be treated or cured, and who should be involved in this process. * I did part of my medical education in Colombia, where still, in many parts of the country (especially rural areas) there is a strong belief and use of non “traditional” western medicine, based on herbal treatments, massages etc. * Working there I got to see cases of people who became very ill or died because they did not received proper treatment (eg abdominal pain “treated” treated by a local “healer” with massage and herbal remedies, which turned out to be a ruptured appendicitis). * Another observation is that patients trust healthcare providers (traditional and nontra...

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Meet neurologist Diego Tovar-Quiroga, MD in the 1st part of his interview. Specializing in seizures and epilepsy, he explains that often people are bewildered by the symptoms that can affect mental health. He provides ways to successfully recognize and treat this brain disorder.

Diego completed medical school in Bogotá, Colombia and his fellowship at the Mayo Clinic. He is a certified neurologist at Austin Epilepsy Care Center and is dedicated to treating and diagnosing people with seizures and epilepsy.

➤RESOURCES Austin Epilepsy Care Center: http://www.austinepilepsy.com Epilepsy Foundation: 1-800-332-1000 National Association of Epilepsy Centers: https://www.naec-epilepsy.org Free Worksheet: https://www.YourTruthRevealed.com

➤SUMMARY What happens neurologically in the brain during a seizure? * A seizure is a sudden, uncontrolled electrical disturbance in the brain. It can cause changes in your behavior, movements, feelings, and levels of consciousness. * Seizures can be provoked by many different factors. They're classified as either epileptic or non-epileptic seizures. * Epileptic seizures - dysfunction of the electrical networks in the brain. * Non-epileptic seizures - enhanced neural networks in the brain. * Because these two different types of events can look alike, sometimes people get the wrong diagnosis and are treated wrongly for decades.

How do you discovery the correct diagnosis? * The diagnosis is confirmed by capturing the events with electroencephalogram (EEG), ideally with simultaneous video recording. This test allows us to determine if there is abnormal electrical activity in the brain at the time of the event, which is the hallmark of epileptic seizures. * When patients have non epileptic seizures, the majority of the times there is a pain syndrome that is not well controlled. * Part of my role is to guide the patient to see the correlation and explore the treatment options.

How might someone who has seizures experience an impact on their mental health? * Epileptic seizures are a brain malfunction, and so are major depression, anxiety disorders, and psychoses. Although epilepsy is not a psychiatric disorder, its psychiatric dimension is important for treatment and research. * The symptoms of focal seizures, especially, can be mistaken — by the patient or the doctor — for psychiatric symptoms, especially panic attacks, flashback memories, or dissociative experiences (involving, for example, altered consciousness or a feeling of unreality). * About a third of people with focal seizures also suffer from anxiety disorders, especially agoraphobia. But the psychiatric disorder most notoriously associated with epilepsy is depression. As many as a third of people with epilepsy suffer from periodic depression, and depression is 4–7 times more frequent than average among them. * Seizures themselves can cause lasting changes in mood and thinking. * A condition called interictal dysphoric disorder occurs in some patients with epilepsy. The definition includes eight symptoms, of which the patient must have at least three: depression, lack of energy, pain, irritability, anxiety, fear, and, oddly, euphoria.

How does culture impact how seizures are treated? * All cultures have health beliefs to explain what the cause of a disease is, how it should be treated or cured, and who should be involved in this process. * I did part of my medical education in Colombia, where still, in many parts of the country (especially rural areas) there is a strong belief and use of non “traditional” western medicine, based on herbal treatments, massages etc. * Working there I got to see cases of people who became very ill or died because they did not received proper treatment (eg abdominal pain “treated” treated by a local “healer” with massage and herbal remedies, which turned out to be a ruptured appendicitis). * Another observation is that patients trust healthcare providers (traditional and nontr...

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Meet financial planner Jessica Blood, CFP in the 2nd part of her interview. She explains that financial well-being is not necessarily about wealth. Financial well-being is more about feeling like you have control of your finances as opposed to your finances having control of you.

Jessica is a cum laude graduate of the Boston University Questrom School of Business. She is a founding partner at PlanWise Financial Group. Her expertise is helping people make educated decisions about all aspects of their financial life and avoid pitfalls.

➤RESOURCES PlanWise Financial Group: https://www.planwisefin.com Free Worksheet: https://www.YourTruthRevealed.com

➤SUMMARY

How do you define financial wellbeing and the impact on mental health?

Financial wellness is tied in with financial security. It’s focusing on what works for you instead of the masses.
Human beings don’t like change and often experience financial paralysis.
Financial security—that feeling of having enough to cover your financial needs—is unique to each person.
It’s about how you grow and save your money to meet your changing life circumstances.
Wealth is different from financial security. Wealth has to do with measuring net worth or the accumulation of money possessions.
Money is one of the primary issues married couples argue about according to a 2017 study by Ramsey Solutions.

What is helpful to decrease financial stress in marriage?

Finances is one of the top 3 reasons couples get divorced.
Best gift to an engaged couple is to talk with an advisor. Be on the same team.
It's a mindset and goal setting. Do we have common goals? Inheritance? How do you make it fair?

Do you believe shame is the primary emotion that keeps people from experiencing financial wellbeing?

Yes, there needs to be less shame and fear.
It’s okay. More people have gone through it than not. You’re not alone. Can give that person the motivation to be comfortable in their own skin.
Education is key.
It’s common for men to talk about money with each other. Encourage women to do the same with each other.
People feel intimidated about working with a financial advisor. They have expectations that aren’t real life. Let’s talk about them in a safe way.

What are 5 pieces of practical behavioral advice you give to people?

Regardless of their income level, everyone faces decisions regarding financial planning. Become aware of your financial behavior.
Take inventory
Make a budget plan and stick to it. This allows you to be free and feel better.
Pay off all your debt
Practice gratitude and avoid comparisons
Allow motivation to help you continue to reach and surpass some of your goals.

What do you with everyone knew about finances and strategizing?

Get educated. Dave Ramsey’s class does a good job of educating.
Understand the difference between good verses bad debt. Pay of the bad debt first.
- Put money is a 401(k)-retirement plan and 529 plan for college. Have emergency savings and retirement.
Be accountable to someone.
People want a plan! Maybe it’s retirement, buying a house, or a dream property. Have the plan and act toward it.

In psychology, self-awareness is important in overcoming problems. Do you see clients with a lack of financial awareness?

I feel like a financial therapist. I ask clients about their childhood and relationship with money.
How did you grow up?
How did you think about money?
What is your passion?
What do you wish you understood better?
What are some of the smartest decisions you ever made?
If you can change one thing about your current financial situation, what would it be?
There’s often a lack of knowledge.
Talk to kids about financial awareness, including money earned and money spent.
Understand who and what and why behind the answers. Educate people and understand who they are.

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Meet financial planner Jessica Blood, CFP in the 1st part of her interview. She explains that financial well-being is not necessarily about wealth. Financial well-being is more about feeling like you have control of your finances as opposed to your finances having control of you.

Jessica is a cum laude graduate of the Boston University Questrom School of Business. She is a founding partner at PlanWise Financial Group. Her expertise is helping people make educated decisions about all aspects of their financial life and avoid pitfalls.

➤RESOURCES PlanWise Financial Group: https://www.planwisefin.com Free Worksheet: https://www.YourTruthRevealed.com

➤SUMMARY

How do you define financial wellbeing and the impact on mental health?

Financial wellness is tied in with financial security. It’s focusing on what works for you instead of the masses.
Human beings don’t like change and often experience financial paralysis.
Financial security—that feeling of having enough to cover your financial needs—is unique to each person.
It’s about how you grow and save your money to meet your changing life circumstances.
Wealth is different from financial security. Wealth has to do with measuring net worth or the accumulation of money possessions.
Money is one of the primary issues married couples argue about according to a 2017 study by Ramsey Solutions.

What is helpful to decrease financial stress in marriage?

Finances is one of the top 3 reasons couples get divorced.
Best gift to an engaged couple is to talk with an advisor. Be on the same team.
It's a mindset and goal setting. Do we have common goals? Inheritance? How do you make it fair?

Do you believe shame is the primary emotion that keeps people from experiencing financial wellbeing?

Yes, there needs to be less shame and fear.
It’s okay. More people have gone through it than not. You’re not alone. Can give that person the motivation to be comfortable in their own skin.
Education is key.
It’s common for men to talk about money with each other. Encourage women to do the same with each other.
People feel intimidated about working with a financial advisor. They have expectations that aren’t real life. Let’s talk about them in a safe way.

What are 5 pieces of practical behavioral advice you give to people?

Regardless of their income level, everyone faces decisions regarding financial planning. Become aware of your financial behavior.
Take inventory
Make a budget plan and stick to it. This allows you to be free and feel better.
Pay off all your debt
Practice gratitude and avoid comparisons
Allow motivation to help you continue to reach and surpass some of your goals.

What do you with everyone knew about finances and strategizing?

Get educated. Dave Ramsey’s class does a good job of educating.
Understand the difference between good verses bad debt. Pay of the bad debt first.
- Put money is a 401(k)-retirement plan and 529 plan for college. Have emergency savings and retirement.
Be accountable to someone.
People want a plan! Maybe it’s retirement, buying a house, or a dream property. Have the plan and act toward it.

In psychology, self-awareness is important in overcoming problems. Do you see clients with a lack of financial awareness?

I feel like a financial therapist. I ask clients about their childhood and relationship with money.
How did you grow up?
How did you think about money?
What is your passion?
What do you wish you understood better?
What are some of the smartest decisions you ever made?
If you can change one thing about your current financial situation, what would it be?
There’s often a lack of knowledge.
Talk to kids about financial awareness, including money earned and money spent.
Understand who and what and why behind the answers. Educate people and understand who they are.

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Meet yoga therapist Jess Goulding, C-IAYT in the 2nd part of her interview. We talk about ways to integrate the yoga teachings in everyday life. This includes having self-awareness and agency, which is your power to make choices to influence your wellness.

Jess has more than 15 years as a yoga teacher. She earned her bachelor of fine arts in dance at the University of Texas at Austin and danced professionally in New York City. There she became a certified yoga teacher at the Yoga Mandalee studio.

➤RESOURCES Jess Goulding - Online Yoga Teacher: https://www.JessGoulding.com Free Worksheet: https://www.YourTruthRevealed.com

➤SUMMARY

You say that people have agency as it relates to their wellness. What does this mean to you?

Agency is the capacity of individuals to act independently and to make their own free choices.
People have agency in their wellness state physically, mentally, and emotionally. Don't have to outsource. There's a lot you can do on your own. More wisdom within than someone on the outside.
There's a 5 step self-check in: body, mind, emotions, personality, and energy. The monkey mind agitates your system. The breath serves as a mirror. Develop your inner wisdom.
Kaivalyam is Sanskrit for freedom. The freedom to have space between stimulus and response. We have agency to practice this. Mindful breathing. Control of the breath. There's something within you that's thinking about the breath. There is something that's thinking about thinking. Observing. FREEDOM - Ego identity.

Psychologist Rick Hanson says the mind is like Velcro for negative experiences and Teflon for positive ones. Can you share more about that?

There's a negativity bias—an evolutionary throwback that means our brains are hardwired to remember negative experiences and quickly forget positive experiences. While this once kept us alive, in modern times it is more often just a source of anxiety, irritability, and sadness.
If you look at something beautiful, wait for 15 seconds. Then you will feel more present, at peace, and calm. Linking - what you take in through all your senses matters. Everything you see, hear, absorb has an affect on you. Are you linking to beauty or violence? That will be your perspective.

How does someone choose the right style of yoga for them?

Yoga has SO many styles and lineages, there is a yoga for everyone. Flexibility is not required. Yoga is the ability to keep your attention in one direction.
Believing in god or deity is not required. All the spiritual teachings have the same underbelly. Loving compassion, care for others, recommendations for self-care. All the laws are about self-care. Life is easier if you believe in something bigger.

Yoga is at least 5,000 years old. How is neuroscience and western psychology catching up with ancient observations of mental health?

Teachings are ancient, rich, applicable, relevant. And being shown as true through modern science and psychology.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) helps you become aware of inaccurate or negative thinking so you can view challenging situations more clearly and respond to them in a more effective way. Learning to recognize one's distortions in thinking that are creating problems, and then to reevaluate them in light of reality. CBT in the sutras.
Pratipaksha bhavanam is quite simply the practice of cultivating the opposite, the contrary, when it comes to unnecessary harm. By cultivating the opposite, a positive thought, in the thick of turbulence, emotional, mental, or otherwise, we are paving a new way toward self-healing. With a negative thought, apply the opposite thought pattern.

There is much more to yoga than the postures, or asanas. What more more does yoga offer?

Postures are not the end. They can be a means to an end. They can help you feel better if your knee is hurt. The purpose is to feel better, not touch your toes.

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Meet yoga therapist Jess Goulding, C-IAYT in the 1st part of her interview. We talk about ways to integrate the yoga teachings in everyday life. This includes having self-awareness and agency, which is your power to make choices to influence your wellness.

Jess has more than 15 years as a yoga teacher. She earned her bachelor of fine arts in dance at the University of Texas at Austin and danced professionally in New York City. There she became a certified yoga teacher at the Yoga Mandalee studio.

➤RESOURCES Jess Goulding - Online Yoga Teacher: https://www.JessGoulding.com Free Worksheet: https://www.YourTruthRevealed.com

➤SUMMARY

You say that people have agency as it relates to their wellness. What does this mean to you?

Agency is the capacity of individuals to act independently and to make their own free choices.
People have agency in their wellness state physically, mentally, and emotionally. Don't have to outsource. There's a lot you can do on your own. More wisdom within than someone on the outside.
There's a 5 step self-check in: body, mind, emotions, personality, and energy. The monkey mind agitates your system. The breath serves as a mirror. Develop your inner wisdom.
Kaivalyam is Sanskrit for freedom. The freedom to have space between stimulus and response. We have agency to practice this. Mindful breathing. Control of the breath. There's something within you that's thinking about the breath. There is something that's thinking about thinking. Observing. FREEDOM - Ego identity.

Psychologist Rick Hanson says the mind is like Velcro for negative experiences and Teflon for positive ones. Can you share more about that?

There's a negativity bias—an evolutionary throwback that means our brains are hardwired to remember negative experiences and quickly forget positive experiences. While this once kept us alive, in modern times it is more often just a source of anxiety, irritability, and sadness.
If you look at something beautiful, wait for 15 seconds. Then you will feel more present, at peace, and calm. Linking - what you take in through all your senses matters. Everything you see, hear, absorb has an affect on you. Are you linking to beauty or violence? That will be your perspective.

How does someone choose the right style of yoga for them?

Yoga has SO many styles and lineages, there is a yoga for everyone. Flexibility is not required. Yoga is the ability to keep your attention in one direction.
Believing in god or deity is not required. All the spiritual teachings have the same underbelly. Loving compassion, care for others, recommendations for self-care. All the laws are about self-care. Life is easier if you believe in something bigger.

Yoga is at least 5,000 years old. How is neuroscience and western psychology catching up with ancient observations of mental health?

Teachings are ancient, rich, applicable, relevant. And being shown as true through modern science and psychology.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) helps you become aware of inaccurate or negative thinking so you can view challenging situations more clearly and respond to them in a more effective way. Learning to recognize one's distortions in thinking that are creating problems, and then to reevaluate them in light of reality. CBT in the sutras.
Pratipaksha bhavanam is quite simply the practice of cultivating the opposite, the contrary, when it comes to unnecessary harm. By cultivating the opposite, a positive thought, in the thick of turbulence, emotional, mental, or otherwise, we are paving a new way toward self-healing. With a negative thought, apply the opposite thought pattern.

There is much more to yoga than the postures, or asanas. What more more does yoga offer?

Postures are not the end. They can be a means to an end. They can help you feel better if your knee is hurt. The purpose is to feel better, not touch your toes.

View Details

Meet pharmacist Dong Kim, PharmD in the 2nd part of his interview. We talk about the COVID-19 vaccine, biochemistry, and psychotropic medications to help you make better decisions about your overall healthcare.

Dong is a patient-focused pharmacist with more than 15 years of experience. He has a doctor of pharmacy degree from the University of the Pacific. He also has a bachelor of science in biochemistry and cell biology from the University of California at San Diego.

➤RESOURCES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/ Free Worksheet: https://www.YourTruthRevealed.com

➤SUMMARY How can we put the COVID-19 vaccine in historical context? * We can compare it to the polio vaccine. * Polio is highly contagious with flu like symptoms, paralysis, and even death. It once seemed impossible to stop. * However, polio was eliminated in the U.S. in 1994 because people received the polio vaccine. * This is hopeful news for the possible elimination of COVID-19.

What is biochemistry and how does it contribute to health? * Biochemistry, sometimes called biological chemistry, is the study of chemical processes within and relating to living organisms. * A sub-discipline of both biology and chemistry, biochemistry can be divided in three fields . . . * Molecular genetics, protein science, and metabolism * Over the last decades, biochemistry has become successful at explaining living processes. * Proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, and lipids(fat) provide the structure of cells and perform many of the functions associated with life.

What is a concern that you have about some customers you see every day? * A big concern is apathy. Apathy is defined as the lack of motivation or concern. * It comes from the Greek word “pathos,” which means passion or emotion. * Apathy is a lack of those feelings and could be a factor in having an unhealthy lifestyle. * Some tips are: Get plenty of sleep each night and try to exercise every day. Spend time with friends, do things you love, break big tasks into smaller ones so that you feel accomplished, and reward yourself whenever you finish an activity.

Psychotropic drugs are any drug capable of affecting the mind, emotions, and behavior. Can you please explain how psychotropic medications work? * People need to know that these medications can open the door to change your life! * There are 5 main groups of psychotropic medications: antidepressants (SSRIs and SNRIs), antipsychotics, antianxiety, mood stabilizers, and stimulants. * SSRIs - selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors * SNRI - serotonin/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors * The downregulation and upregulation of receptors. All living cells have the ability to receive and process signals that originate outside their membranes, which they do by means of proteins called receptors. * Signals interact with a receptor and direct the cell to allow substances to enter or exit the cell. Receptors can be increased (or upregulated) when the signal is weak, or decreased (downregulated) when it is strong. * Serotonin and norepinephrine are released, then stimulate the receptors, and then reuptake occurs. * SSRIs inhibit reuptake of serotonin. This results in increased levels of serotonin in the synapse. * SNRis inhibit reuptake of serotonin and norepinephrine. This results in increased levels of serotonin and norepinephrine in the synapse. * Information from one neuron flows to another neuron across a synapse. The synapse contains a small gap separating neurons.

What is the most dangerous combination of drugs that some doctors prescribe? * The most dangerous is a 3-drug cocktail for pain. This cocktail includes an opioid, with a benzodiazepine, plus a muscle relaxer. * Some states have made it a schedule 2. Substances in this schedule have a high potential for abuse which may lead to severe psychological or physical dependence.

View Details

Meet pharmacist Dong Kim, PharmD in the 1st part of his interview. We talk about the COVID-19 vaccine, biochemistry, and psychotropic medications to help you make better decisions about your overall healthcare.

Dong is a patient-focused pharmacist with more than 15 years of experience. He has a doctor of pharmacy degree from the University of the Pacific. He also has a bachelor of science in biochemistry and cell biology from the University of California at San Diego.

➤RESOURCES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/ Free Worksheet: https://www.YourTruthRevealed.com

➤SUMMARY How can we put the COVID-19 vaccine in historical context? * We can compare it to the polio vaccine. * Polio is highly contagious with flu like symptoms, paralysis, and even death. It once seemed impossible to stop. * However, polio was eliminated in the U.S. in 1994 because people received the polio vaccine. * This is hopeful news for the possible elimination of COVID-19.

What is biochemistry and how does it contribute to health? * Biochemistry, sometimes called biological chemistry, is the study of chemical processes within and relating to living organisms. * A sub-discipline of both biology and chemistry, biochemistry can be divided in three fields . . . * Molecular genetics, protein science, and metabolism * Over the last decades, biochemistry has become successful at explaining living processes. * Proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, and lipids(fat) provide the structure of cells and perform many of the functions associated with life.

What is a concern that you have about some customers you see every day? * A big concern is apathy. Apathy is defined as the lack of motivation or concern. * It comes from the Greek word “pathos,” which means passion or emotion. * Apathy is a lack of those feelings and could be a factor in having an unhealthy lifestyle. * Some tips are: Get plenty of sleep each night and try to exercise every day. Spend time with friends, do things you love, break big tasks into smaller ones so that you feel accomplished, and reward yourself whenever you finish an activity.

Psychotropic drugs are any drug capable of affecting the mind, emotions, and behavior. Can you please explain how psychotropic medications work? * People need to know that these medications can open the door to change your life! * There are 5 main groups of psychotropic medications: antidepressants (SSRIs and SNRIs), antipsychotics, antianxiety, mood stabilizers, and stimulants. * SSRIs - selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors * SNRI - serotonin/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors * The downregulation and upregulation of receptors. All living cells have the ability to receive and process signals that originate outside their membranes, which they do by means of proteins called receptors. * Signals interact with a receptor and direct the cell to allow substances to enter or exit the cell. Receptors can be increased (or upregulated) when the signal is weak, or decreased (downregulated) when it is strong. * Serotonin and norepinephrine are released, then stimulate the receptors, and then reuptake occurs. * SSRIs inhibit reuptake of serotonin. This results in increased levels of serotonin in the synapse. * SNRis inhibit reuptake of serotonin and norepinephrine. This results in increased levels of serotonin and norepinephrine in the synapse. * Information from one neuron flows to another neuron across a synapse. The synapse contains a small gap separating neurons.

What is the most dangerous combination of drugs that some doctors prescribe? * The most dangerous is a 3-drug cocktail for pain. This cocktail includes an opioid, with a benzodiazepine, plus a muscle relaxer. * Some states have made it a schedule 2. Substances in this schedule have a high potential for abuse which may lead to severe psychological or physical dependence.

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Meet counselor Keri Cooper, MA in the 2nd part of her interview. Systemic chronic trauma affects the development of a child's brain. Although trauma is common, its effects don't have to be.

Keri received her master's degree in counseling from Webster University in St. Louis, Missouri and has been licensed for 25 years.

➤RESOURCES Spirit Reins: https://www.spiritreins.org/ Free Worksheet: https://www.YourTruthRevealed.com

➤SUMMARY How does trauma affect the development of a child’s brain? * Knowledge of psychoeducation and brain development has grown a lot in the last in the last years. * The brain of a 3-year old is 80% formed; they aren't blank slates. * With trauma, the worst experiences are usually very brief. No matter what, there's an opportunity for things to be better. * A lot of behavior has a biological link. Having more compassion, it's not just a behavioral choice. The basics are they are hungry, tired, and safe. * In a lot of orphanages, the babies weren’t held. * There was a study conducted by psychologist Harry Harlow with rhesus monkeys in 1950s and 60s. Infants were taken away from their mothers and raised in isolation. There's evidence for the importance of maternal touch in infant development.

You’ve done a lot of work with adoption. What are some key things you’ve encountered? * People deciding if they want to adopt a foster child, or private adoption. * Suggest attending the adoption collaborative of Texas (ACT). There's a coalition of Child Protective Services and nonprofit child placing agencies whose mission is to find families for children in the foster care system. * For parents, be blatantly honest. Sometimes that's where families go awry. Do they want to adopt through foster care for financial reasons? These child populations are different. * Private adoption, parents change minds, babies are born with health issues. May not be an easy path. Even biological siblings can be night and day from each other.

You’ve also done a lot of work with teens. Is this the primary demographic you see at Spirit Reins? * Working with teens with trauma and who are at risk for suicide. * There’s a difference between an okay coping skill verses what isn’t, like if a teen is self-harming. * Private practice - the amount of stress for teens is across the board at school, they can't win. * Most kids are not at the developmental level to determine their life path in high school, there’s an expectation to choose the college path.

What are specific methods you use to help children and adolescents impacted by trauma? * Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and perception bias. Looking through everything that happened to a child, looking through the lens of trauma. * How we think is powerful. It can make a difference with our connection with others. * The way we think about our situation, our job, our families, friendships, is through a lens. Sometimes the lens works wonderfully and sometimes not so well. Making sure that we have the best perception about how things are. * If I spilled coffee, I'm so clumsy. Then the rest of the day I tripped over a step, I really am clumsy. I'm assuming the worst. The same exact behavior without the same perception. * Looking for ways to confirm, bias perception. We tuned into negative perceptions. When we tune into positive perceptions, the circumstances are better. * Relook at the same circumstance. Is this really true? Reality checking.

How important are relationships and connections in healing from trauma? * Pair kids up with equine specialist and licensed therapist. * Loving connections is essential that includes the parent's relationship with their child. It goes beyond the treatment center. * It's important to have all the healthcare specialists on the same team.

Nearly half of our nation's children are impacted by adverse childhood experiences (ACE), and 64% of adults acknowledge experiencing at least one in their lifet...

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Meet counselor Keri Cooper, MA in the 1st part of her interview. Systemic chronic trauma affects the development of a child's brain. Although trauma is common, its effects don't have to be.