Mental Note

This episode explores how body image issues and eating disorder issues unfolded for our guest and why it took years to receive a diagnosis and find treatment. We also discuss helpful steps to getting a diagnosis if a medical provider is not clued in so that you can access recovery.

It takes an incredible amount of will, talent, and work to become a major league baseball player. So why did the former catcher for the Seattle Mariners, Mike Marjama, give it all up to share his story? This special Q&A with Mike and his mom takes a look at how we can better equip each other to live full lives, accomplish great things, and rethink traditional masculinity. 

Before starting your New Year’s diet, you’ll want to check out this episode and hear from our guest. After a long history of dieting to get others’ approval while also falling into an eating disorder, she is fighting back against assumptions about "health" that hurt people far more than they help them. We also speak with nutritionist Dr. Ralph Carson about what really happens to your body when you diet (and why they never seem to work…)

What happens when your child is diagnosed with an eating disorder? Where do you go for help? How does it affect your community? When Beth Ayn's daughter received a diagnosis of anorexia, she set out on a journey that led her to unexpected places. Eventually, she took those lessons and turned them into Stay Strong Virginia - a non-profit that helps other parents in similar circumstances. 

Binge Eating Disorder is grossly underdiagnosed and can leave dramatical devastation in its wake. So how do you find your way in a culture that makes it so difficult for us to rise above diets, shame-based choices, and self-hatred?  We sit down with Andy McLoughlin and talk about his lifelong journey to shed the darkness of his disorder and embrace a fulfilling life. 

Sunnie never knew she had OCD. Rather, this mom of six simply soldiered on – doing her best to ignore the disturbing voices in her head. That is until a diagnosis finally opened her eyes to a whole new world where she could be free from her mental prison.  Join us as we journey with her through the process of dividing her own identity from that of the disorder. Along the way, we'll discover just how good life can be. 

There once was a 14-year-old girl named McCall who didn’t know how to fit into her own body. Her resulting sadness launched a 15-year long journey through the pitfalls of dieting pills, along the cliff edge of weight loss to the point of an eating disorder diagnosis, down the narrow path of making a choice to recover, and into the breakthrough of discovering an antidote to shame. Along the way, we'll chat with Dr. Ovidio Bermudez about the dangers of diet pills, Adderall, and laxatives. 

We often deal with firsthand stories about when a person decides to tackle a seemingly insurmountable mental health illness. But what about those who walk alongside such a person in struggle? Where’s their story?   Today we are taking the opportunity to celebrate Father’s Day by talking with David Bachman whose son which began battling Anorexia Nervosa at age 12.    His story illuminates the role a father can play in recovery, the importance of self, marriage, and family care.  

Have you ever felt out of place in your skin? Whether or not you relate with being transgender, check out this illuminating episode! We chat with Ryan Sallans - an author and speaker who shares about life as a trans-man. His story highlights that destructive coping with eating disorders, anxiety and depression is not a long-term solution, that cultivating awareness offers a practical way forward without minimizing emotions, and the uniqueness of eating disorders in the trans community.

On this special episode, we listen to you in celebration of Eating Recovery Day on May 1st! The responses we got from your gratitude letters were simply too good not to share and we wanted to present them back to you, allowing their power to speak for themselves. You are truly incredible and we love being part of the recovery community.  Also, if you would still like to join in the #myrecoveryletter project, it's not too late! simply go to myrecoveryletter.com and follow the prompts."

On today’s episode, we are sitting down with Shannon Kopp. She made it through a family divided by alcoholism, personal struggles with bulimia, and into a future where she is thriving – all with the help of some friends who barely understood a word she said, yet generously gave the love they had with wet noses and furry kisses.  Please visit our website for a free values sort! mentalnotepodcast.com Check out Shannon's book (It's phenomenal!) shannonkopp.com

We all see the dramatic photos of celebrities looking toned and thin following the birth of their child... Is that really what we should strive for? Join us as we talk frankly with Lauren Hill about her experiences with body image and pregnancy. What's the best way to navigate this unique time with love? We also get the perspective of Kate Daigle, a licensed professional counselor who is currently writing a book on fertility and eating disorders.   

Professional athletes gain or lose potentially millions of dollars based on the way their bodies look and perform. But what happens when the pursuit of perfection shipwrecks your life? Patrick Devenny walks us through how he suddenly found himself facing a diagnosis of bulimia… and how he was able to dig his way out. Along the way we talk with Rebecca McConville, a registered dietician, board-certified sports specialist, eating disorder clinician and co-host of the podcast Phit for a Queen.

Ana Agarrat fills up the room. She’s bubbly & gregarious—the type of person that, upon meeting her, you assume she’s one of those people who has it all together. Yet, perceptions are misleading. Discover the upending world of Bipolar and learn how Ana has found a new sense of equilibrium and purpose in her life through a strong support system, letting go of perfection, and cultivating valuable skills to navigate uncertainty. 

The holidays are not always Hallmark-card-perfect. Sometimes they are just as much a reminder of who we have lost in our lives as those we are grateful to have. Join us as we talk with Laura and her Mom, Mary Ellen, about how to honor loss and make space for hope in our holiday celebrations.