Giving Voice to Depression

So many factors can contribute to and affect our mental health. Family trauma and race are certainly among them. Family norms including the belief that "what happens in the home, stays in the home" impact how mental-health challenges are recognized, diagnosed and treated. A lack of access to quality care does too. This episode looks at the intersectionality of family trauma, race and mental health. Link to video with more information: https://www.facebook.com/2016557181923354/posts/2948490168730046/?d=n MHA of WI's Next Step Clinic: http://www.mhawisconsin.org/mha-wi-counseling-clinic

So many factors can contribute to and affect our mental health. Family trauma and race are certainly among them. Family norms including the belief that "what happens in the home, stays in the home" impact how mental-health challenges are recognized, diagnosed and treated. A lack of access to quality care does too. This episode looks at the intersectionality of family trauma, race and mental health. Link to video with more information: https://www.facebook.com/2016557181923354/posts/2948490168730046/?d=n MHA of WI's Next Step Clinic: http://www.mhawisconsin.org/mha-wi-counseling-clinic

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and two messages you'll hear a lot are: "Reach out if you need support" and "If someone seems 'off,' be willing to listen to and support them." Both can sound deeply uncomfortable, if not impossible. This episode might help. It proves you don't have to be an expert to help someone who is struggling, and that "reaching out" can be less scary and energy-draining than it seems.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and two messages you'll hear a lot are: "Reach out if you need support" and "If someone seems 'off,' be willing to listen to and support them." Both can sound deeply uncomfortable, if not impossible. This episode might help. It proves you don't have to be an expert to help someone who is struggling, and that "reaching out" can be less scary and energy-draining than it seems.

The decision to explore antidepressants can be a daunting one. Is taking meds an admission that something is really wrong with you? Will drugs change your personality? What are the common side effects? If people know I'm taking them, will they see me differently? What should I expect if I make an appointment with a psychiatrist? These are some of the questions we explore this episode, with psychiatrist Dr. Jessi Gold.

The decision to explore antidepressants can be a daunting one. Is taking meds an admission that something is really wrong with you? Will drugs change your personality? What are the common side effects? If people know I'm taking them, will they see me differently? What should I expect if I make an appointment with a psychiatrist? These are some of the questions we explore this episode, with psychiatrist Dr. Jessi Gold.

When people talk about the well-established link between trauma and depression and other mental-health challenges, they tend to think of traumatic events experienced directly by the people themselves. But Generational trauma (also known as intergenerational trauma) can impact the children, grandchildren and other descendants of the directly-impacted individuals as well. Beliefs, fears, attitudes toward one’s self and others, as well as unhealthy coping mechanisms are just some of the ways inherited trauma can affect future generations. Mark Powless, Oneida Nation General Manager, talks about how the many injustices suffered by Native Americans have impacted his community and family. Resources Mark suggests: Oneida Nation website: https://oneida-nsn.gov/ Sky Woman Lives in Me by Roberta Capasso: https://www.amazon.com/Sky-Woman-Lives-Roberta-Capasso/dp/1483443469 Boarding School Seasons: American Indian Families, 1900-1940 by Brenda Child: https://www.amazon.com/Boarding-School-Seasons-American-1900-1940-dp-0803214804/dp/0803214804/ref=mt_other?_encoding=UTF8&me=&qid= Healing the Sound Wound by Eduardo Duran: https://www.amazon.com/Healing-Soul-Wound-Trauma-Informed-Multicultural/dp/0807761397/ref=pd_lpo_14_img_0/135-3617730-3257642?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0807761397&pd_rd_r=8061cd39-62bb-4bb8-af3f-6c70a5adeb39&pd_rd_w=7ZtBB&pd_rd_wg=i74Fv&pf_rd_p=a0d6e967-6561-454c-84f8-2ce2c92b79a6&pf_rd_r=HGSXE2H80P0180KW9PNY&psc=1&refRID=HGSXE2H80P0180KW9PNY

When people talk about the well-established link between trauma and depression and other mental-health challenges, they tend to think of traumatic events experienced directly by the people themselves. But Generational trauma (also known as intergenerational trauma) can impact the children, grandchildren and other descendants of the directly-impacted individuals as well. Beliefs, fears, attitudes toward one’s self and others, as well as unhealthy coping mechanisms are just some of the ways inherited trauma can affect future generations. Mark Powless, Oneida Nation General Manager, talks about how the many injustices suffered by Native Americans have impacted his community and family. Resources Mark suggests: Oneida Nation website: https://oneida-nsn.gov/ Sky Woman Lives in Me by Roberta Capasso: https://www.amazon.com/Sky-Woman-Lives-Roberta-Capasso/dp/1483443469 Boarding School Seasons: American Indian Families, 1900-1940 by Brenda Child: https://www.amazon.com/Boarding-School-Seasons-American-1900-1940-dp-0803214804/dp/0803214804/ref=mt_other?_encoding=UTF8&me=&qid= Healing the Sound Wound by Eduardo Duran: https://www.amazon.com/Healing-Soul-Wound-Trauma-Informed-Multicultural/dp/0807761397/ref=pd_lpo_14_img_0/135-3617730-3257642?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0807761397&pd_rd_r=8061cd39-62bb-4bb8-af3f-6c70a5adeb39&pd_rd_w=7ZtBB&pd_rd_wg=i74Fv&pf_rd_p=a0d6e967-6561-454c-84f8-2ce2c92b79a6&pf_rd_r=HGSXE2H80P0180KW9PNY&psc=1&refRID=HGSXE2H80P0180KW9PNY

As parents, we have a responsibility to prepare our children for life. And there's a strong possibility that future will include mental-health struggles. Speaking openly about mental illness reduces fear, misinformation and stigma. In today's episode, TJ talks about a recent conversation he had with his 9-year-old son. Now is the perfect time to start.

As parents, we have a responsibility to prepare our children for life. And there's a strong possibility that future will include mental-health struggles. Speaking openly about mental illness reduces fear, misinformation and stigma. In today's episode, TJ talks about a recent conversation he had with his 9-year-old son. Now is the perfect time to start.

Depression can make us want to give up. Trauma can add anger, shame, guilt and other strong emotions to the mix. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to healing and recovery. And the fact something(s) doesn't work is very different than believing nothing ever will. Renee's inspiring story is about never giving up on yourself or your recovery. When meds didn't work for her, she tried something else. Then something else. And something else. Until she eventually found therapies that allow her to feel "like a new person." You deserve the help you need, even when it's hard to find.

Depression can make us want to give up. Trauma can add anger, shame, guilt and other strong emotions to the mix. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to healing and recovery. And the fact something(s) doesn't work is very different than believing nothing ever will. Renee's inspiring story is about never giving up on yourself or your recovery. When meds didn't work for her, she tried something else. Then something else. And something else. Until she eventually found therapies that allow her to feel "like a new person." You deserve the help you need, even when it's hard to find.

If you wrote a song, in the depths of depression, about your depression, what would it sound like? Singer/songwriter Demetra Prochaska shares her song (i'm not okay) and some of the details of her mental-health struggles and journey. This 24-minute episode offers many mental-health tools for your self-care kit. Demetra's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCijatOUHQY9g-hjS4_mBzqQ

If you wrote a song, in the depths of depression, about your depression, what would it sound like? Singer/songwriter Demetra Prochaska shares her song (i'm not okay) and some of the details of her mental-health struggles and journey. This 24-minute episode offers many mental-health tools for your self-care kit. Demetra's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCijatOUHQY9g-hjS4_mBzqQ

People with heart problems do not wait for a heart attack to address them. People with diabetes do not rely solely on an epipen to control their illness. And people with mental health challenges cannot wait until suicidal thoughts necessitate emergency actions. Self-care and depression-management involve tuning in with your changing thoughts/moods, establishing and using a safety plan and personalized tools that work for you. No illness is easier to treat when it's an emergency https://qz.com/1381952/suicide-hotlines-really-do-save-lives-i-know-because-one-saved-mine/