Andrew was bullied as a boy for being gay. As an adult, he suffered from severe depression. Andrew realized that to survive and thrive he must create meaning of his experience, recreate his narrative, and build his identity to incorporate his experience and grow from them. In this episode, Andrew shares his insight on this process of creating meaning, as well as his research into communities that openly support depressed members of the community and how other communities are neglected in getting clinical help. the tension between acceptance and curing, and the ultimate power of compassion.
Read MoreJed’s father had a mental breakdown when Jed was only four. Jed visited him every Sunday at a psychiatric hospital where he witnessed his deterioration until, eventually his father could no longer recognize him. This daunting experience propelled Jed on a path to become a psychotherapist and a life spent focusing on men’s health and wellbeing. In this episode, Jed talks about the impact of a father’s absence on a child’s development and what it takes to have a truly fulfilling marriage. (hint: after the honeymoon, don’t bail, face and heal your childhood wounds so you can move to the next stage of intimacy and love).
Read MoreSebern, at age four was abducted and abused. Her parents never believed her and by the time she was a young adult, she ended up in lengthy psychiatric hospitalization. She somehow pulled together and became a thriving psychotherapist and director of a residency program for severely disturbed youth. Despite Sebern and her team’s efforts, the success rate for this youth was abysmal. But in her 50s she discovered neurofeedback and felt, for the first time in her life, the quieting of the fear in her brain. It shifted completely her understanding of what was preventing the kids in her care to progress and led her to study neurofeedback and become one of the leading practitioner and teacher of neurofeedback for healing developmental trauma. In this episode, Sebern explores the impact of trauma on the brain and what that means for the future of understanding and healing mental illness.
Read MoreDonna developed a serious auto-immune disease when she was a new mom. A simple viral infection left her hospitalized and paralyzed as her body turned against her very own nerve cells. With proper medical care and over time, she was able to walk again. But some symptoms lingered and when she would describe to doctors the neurological symptoms she also faced: depression, memory loss, brain fog, the answer was “well, of course, you’re dealing with so much pain and stress!” But Donna had a hunch that her symptoms were more than the results of the stress caused by her severe illness, and over years of research, she found out that she was indeed right. Very recent scientific discoveries are completely changing our understanding of the brain. And her reporting provides a radical new way of thinking about the brain and its interaction with the rest of the body. Donna provides essential and paradigm-shifting information for anyone who has suffered from depression, Alzheimer’s, or auto-immune diseases.
Read MoreJoyelle was sexually abused at 11 by a high-school boy, which became the grounds for bullying and isolation. As an adult, she thrived and became a talented vocalist and teacher. Joyelle felt like she had done the work of dealing with her past traumas: she had gone to therapy, practiced yoga and meditation. And then she had kids and her trauma came barging in. Postpartum depression hit hard and she felt so isolated and shameful. She knew she could not be alone, struggling to parent with PTSD, and so she created an online community and published a book. And she became a coach, to help others parents with trauma learn how to heal and break the cycle.
Read MoreElizabeth tried everything— meds, therapy, alternative approaches— to manage her depression and suffering, but nothing gave her lasting results. She didn't give up, and, over the years, came up with her own method, Mindfulness for a Messy Life. To help her overcome difficult times, Elizabeth reminds herself that “I can’t let the bad stuff win.” Through memories of herself as a hyper sensitive child who was cruelly bullied to her adulthood of high achievements despite agonizing self-loathing and mental anguish, Elizabeth shares her strategies for healing and thriving.
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