Mindful Things: A Mental Health Podcast

Trevor is joined by Nathaniel Van Kirk, PhD, coordinator of clinical assessment at McLean’s OCD Institute. He talks about his personal journey with obsessive compulsive disorder and how he has used his own experience and recovery path to become one of the top clinicians/advocates in the United States.Dr. Van Kirk also talks about why he volunteered for the Deconstructing Stigma campaign and why he thinks it’s valuable for clinicians to be open about their own mental health challenges.EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:– Nathaniel recalls his first experience with OCD (02:00)– Nathaniel discusses how OCD can create a disconnect with reality (36:53)– Nathaniel describes “the sandwich" and how it’s an effective form of exposure therapy (47:13)RELEVANT CONTENT:– Nathaniel Van Kirk profile: mclean.link/3bu– Nathaniel’s story: mclean.link/p18– Deconstructing Stigma: Nathaniel: mclean.link/jbvRead the episode transcript: mclean.link/h18- - -The McLean Hospital podcast Mindful Things is intended to provide general information and to help listeners learn about mental health, educational opportunities and research initiatives. This podcast is not an attempt to practice medicine or to provide specific medical advice.© 2019 McLean Hospital. All Rights Reserved.

In this episode, Trevor is joined by Rick Wolthusen, MD, founder and co-director of On the Move e.V. This non-governmental organization is focused on building mental health infrastructure in communities where it often does not exist.Rick shares with us how mental health is misunderstood in Africa. Misconceptions surrounding mental health in Sub-Saharan Africa include that witchcraft is thought, more commonly than most would anticipate, to be the cause of brain-based illnesses.EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:– Rick explains how he got involved in mental health in Africa, specifically in Ghana and Kenya (17:08)– Rick talks about the effects of Western television on international audiences (33:05)– Rick discusses his motivation to study public policy and mental health at Harvard Kennedy School (41:12)RELEVANT CONTENT:– On The Move e.V.: mclean.link/f5g– Home of Brains Ghana: mclean.link/tkw– Home of Brains Kenya: mclean.link/2fk– Obuongo Edhano, a documentary about Rick’s work: mclean.link/fq2Read the episode transcript: mclean.link/95k- - -The McLean Hospital podcast Mindful Things is intended to provide general information and to help listeners learn about mental health, educational opportunities and research initiatives. This podcast is not an attempt to practice medicine or to provide specific medical advice.© 2019 McLean Hospital. All Rights Reserved.

On today’s episode, Trevor discusses his perception of self and feeling that he is useless. He is joined by Sophia Maurasse, medical director of McLean’s 3East Girls Intensive and Step Down Programs. Sophia discusses her difficult childhood experience fleeing from war-torn Liberia and how she uses her past experiences to help girls with borderline personality disorder.EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:– Sophia details her role at the 3East program (14:09)– Sophia describes the specific skills needed to tolerate emotional distress (25:46)– Sophia talks about growing up in Liberia during a civil war (47:07)RELEVANT CONTENT:– A Life of Empathy and Experience: mclean.link/2a130– Sophia Maurasse, MD: mclean.link/dge– Sophia Maurasse, MD, Wins Prestigious National Compassionate Caregiver of the Year Award: mclean.link/nx3Read the episode transcript: mclean.link/m0o- - -The McLean Hospital podcast Mindful Things is intended to provide general information and to help listeners learn about mental health, educational opportunities and research initiatives. This podcast is not an attempt to practice medicine or to provide specific medical advice.© 2019 McLean Hospital. All Rights Reserved.

In this episode, Trevor talks with internationally renowned speaker and author Olga Trujillo. Olga bravely shares her story, including the physical, sexual, and emotional abuse she endured as a child, significant events which led to the development of dissociative identity disorder.Olga explains how she retreated within her own mind each time she experienced trauma and discusses her dedication to helping others who are struggling.EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:– Olga shares the way she retreated within her own mind every time she experienced trauma (29:57)– As her book was about to be published, Olga experienced extreme panic over what people would think about her story (37:41)– It was Olga’s panic attacks that led her to see a psychiatrist (41:55)RELEVANT CONTENT:– The Sum of My Parts: mclean.link/3nb– OlgaTrujillo.com: mclean.link/rj7– A Survivor’s Story: mclean.link/yubRead the episode transcript: mclean.link/7rz- - -The McLean Hospital podcast Mindful Things is intended to provide general information and to help listeners learn about mental health, educational opportunities and research initiatives. This podcast is not an attempt to practice medicine or to provide specific medical advice.© 2019 McLean Hospital. All Rights Reserved.

Trevor discusses bullying and abuse and how both can often be swept under the rug in families. Then we hear from Kate M. and Ralph Buonopane, PhD, program director of the McLean-Franciscan Child and Adolescent Inpatient Program.Kate details her experience raising two children with mental health issues and discusses her struggle to find the right help and fight the isolation she and her children experienced in their community.Ralph, having treated Kate’s son, offers his perspective and also shares tips for parents with children who are struggling.EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:– Kate describes the reality of having children with mental illness (14:31)– Ralph discusses the condition of most children when they arrive at an inpatient mental health program (20:18)– Kate explains that the public school system isn’t equipped to handle children with complex emotional issues (23:29)RELEVANT CONTENT:– Owen’s Struggles With Mental Health Didn’t Hold Him Back—They Propelled Him Forward: mclean.link/8s4– Staff Profile – Ralph J. Buonopane, PhD: mclean.link/j8l– McLean-Franciscan Child and Adolescent Inpatient Program: mclean.link/6rgRead the episode transcript: mclean.link/vgq- - -The McLean Hospital podcast Mindful Things is intended to provide general information and to help listeners learn about mental health, educational opportunities and research initiatives. This podcast is not an attempt to practice medicine or to provide specific medical advice.© 2019 McLean Hospital. All Rights Reserved.

Trevor discusses the negative ways in which mental illness is portrayed by the media before he is joined by Mac Dorris, founder of the Ride for Mental Health. Mac started this charity bike ride in honor of his son, Eric, who struggled with borderline personality disorder and depression. Eric passed away in 2016 and Mac raises funds to end mental health stigma and keep his son’s memory alive.EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:– Mac discusses how and when the idea for the Ride for Mental Health came to him (14:15)– Mac shares the moments when he started to suspect Eric was living with mental health issues (31:45)– Before he passed, Eric was working on a local mayoral campaign in Waltham, Massachusetts (47:04)RELEVANT CONTENT:– The Ride For Mental Health: mclean.link/xqm – Cycling for Mental Health: mclean.link/3xs– Ride for Mental Health Founder Mac Dorris Wants to Expand the Conversation Around Mental Health: mclean.link/2ddRead the episode transcript: mclean.link/n1p- - -The McLean Hospital podcast Mindful Things is intended to provide general information and to help listeners learn about mental health, educational opportunities and research initiatives. This podcast is not an attempt to practice medicine or to provide specific medical advice.© 2019 McLean Hospital. All Rights Reserved.

On today’s episode, Trevor discusses the importance of being mindful and breathing. He’s then joined by Laura Germine, PhD, technical director of the McLean Institute for Technology in Psychiatry, who talks about her non-traditional career path.A type 1 diabetes diagnosis in graduate school led Laura to change her career focus to research. She was recently awarded one of the largest grants in McLean’s history to study type 1 diabetes and mental health. She also discusses use of technology in mental health treatment and research and the website she created, Test My Brain.EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:– Laura explains the continuous glucose monitor installed in her leg that monitors her sugar levels (07:25)– Laura discusses the website she created in college, TestMyBrain.org, which has over 2.5 million users (15:41)– Laura has struggled with panic attacks since her youth (26:20)RELEVANT CONTENT:– TestMyBrain.org– Laura Germine, PhD: mclean.link/f2r– A Researcher’s Journey From Tinkerer to Innovator to Mentor: mclean.link/zyc– Can Smartphones and Digital Health Trackers Revolutionize Mental Health Care?: mclean.link/fdsRead the episode transcript: mclean.link/s3n- - -The McLean Hospital podcast Mindful Things is intended to provide general information and to help listeners learn about mental health, educational opportunities and research initiatives. This podcast is not an attempt to practice medicine or to provide specific medical advice.© 2019 McLean Hospital. All Rights Reserved.

On today’s episode, Trevor talks about his struggle to go with the flow.Then Mariel Paz y Mino, PhD, (04:24), head of the Psychology Department at the Universidad de San Francisco Quito (USFQ) in Ecuador joins us. Mariel shares how she discovered her passion for mental health, public education, and improving mental health resources in Ecuador, as well as the challenges that come with this.She touches on the lack of mental health resources and efforts to destigmatize mental health among the Ecuadorian community. Mariel also talks about the success of USFQ’s collaboration with McLean and gives a sneak peak of what’s to come in that partnership.EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:– The Ecuadorian government approved mental illness coverage under health insurance a few years ago, but have yet to start enforcing it (11:00)– Mariel talks about learning organizational skills during her training here at McLean (24:17)– There are only 1.7 psychologists per 100,000 people in Ecuador (48:44)RELEVANT CONTENT:– Baseline determination in social, health, and genetic areas in communities affected by glyphosate aerial spraying on the northeastern Ecuadorian border: mclean.link/a5x– McLean Hospital and Universidad San Francisco de Quito Collaboration: mclean.link/ivbRead the episode transcript: mclean.link/7pf- - -The McLean Hospital podcast Mindful Things is intended to provide general information and to help listeners learn about mental health, educational opportunities and research initiatives. This podcast is not an attempt to practice medicine or to provide specific medical advice.© 2019 McLean Hospital. All Rights Reserved.

On today’s episode, Trevor shares the new way that he incorporates exercise into his daily routine.Then Dr. Brent Forester, chief of McLean’s Division of Geriatric Psychiatry (15:24), joins us to discuss the need to get people talking about the Alzheimer’s epidemic. He also talks about addressing behavioral complications in older adults. Brent shares a bit about his groundbreaking research project on the effects of ECT on people with dementia.EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:– McLean Hospital is the leader in Alzheimer’s and dementia resources and research (22:26)– How music helps with memory retention (32:54)– McLean is using synthetic marijuana as one avenue of battling dementia (01:01:37)RELEVANT CONTENT:– McLean Researchers Lead ECT Study for Alzheimer’s Patients With Aggression: mclean.link/4o1– Study Examines How Sensitivity to Emotions Changes Across the Life Span: mclean.link/i6u– A Landmark Law Hopes to Improve Alzheimer’s Care in Mass.: mclean.link/0ajRead the episode transcript: mclean.link/5hm- - -The McLean Hospital podcast Mindful Things is intended to provide general information and to help listeners learn about mental health, educational opportunities, and research initiatives. This podcast is not an attempt to practice medicine or to provide specific medical advice.© 2019 McLean Hospital. All Rights Reserved.

Today, Trevor is joined by Alan E. Fruzzetti, PhD, director of McLean’s 3East Boys Intensive Program, to discuss gender as it relates to borderline personality disorder (BPD).Alan talks about the differences in how BPD presents itself in men vs. women. He also notes that there is work to do in the clinical community to guide thinking about the occurrence of BPD in young men.EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:– Trevor and Alan discuss the creation of the boys dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) program (05:37)– Alan shares that 20% of male inmates in Swedish prisons have BPD (18:58)– The two delve into Dr. John Gunderson’s impact on DBT and examine how males who seek treatment for BPD actually exemplify less aggressive behaviors (40:18)RELEVANT CONTENT:– Mental Health, BPD, and Boys: What Everyone Needs to Know: mclean.link/liv– John Gunderson: Borderline Personality Disorder Trailblazer: mclean.link/ft9– Borderline Personality Disorder: Separating Fact from Fiction: mclean.link/ee8Read the episode transcript: mclean.link/bxk- - -The McLean Hospital podcast Mindful Things is intended to provide general information and to help listeners learn about mental health, educational opportunities, and research initiatives. This podcast is not an attempt to practice medicine or to provide specific medical advice.© 2019 McLean Hospital. All Rights Reserved.

On today’s episode, Trevor recalls a particularly difficult time when outside circumstances forced a good friend to come out to her parents.Then Lauren Wadsworth, PhD, (12:15), a post-doctoral fellow at McLean, talks with Trevor about nonbinary gender pronouns and why they matter. Lauren urges folks to become more flexible when thinking about gender and to be OK with making mistakes when trying to use these pronouns properly. She also discusses the importance of incorporating these pronouns into everyday use.Learn more about Dr. Wadsworth: mclean.link/f6i Read the episode transcript: mclean.link/hu7- - -The McLean Hospital podcast Mindful Things is intended to provide general information and to help listeners learn about mental health, educational opportunities, and research initiatives. This podcast is not an attempt to practice medicine or to provide specific medical advice.© 2019 McLean Hospital. All Rights Reserved.

Today, Trevor talks about being self-aware and the need to constantly remind himself that he is a work in progress.Then we chat with Lindsay Kalter (06:20), a former reporter who bravely shared her experience with mental illness on the cover of The Boston Herald. Lindsay talks about the difficulty of being a writer with OCD and her struggles with depression.She also discusses relationships, family, and her decision to write about her depression and her treatment and the internal battle she faced about the story’s release.RELEVANT CONTENT:– Kalter - Reporter shares her depression struggle: mclean.link/9k2– Kalter - Reporter hit bottom, then found strength to search for a way out: mclean.link/j45Read the episode transcript: https://mclean.link/5iu- - - The McLean Hospital podcast Mindful Things is intended to provide general information and to help listeners learn about mental health, educational opportunities, and research initiatives. This podcast is not an attempt to practice medicine or to provide specific medical advice.© 2019 McLean Hospital. All Rights Reserved.

Today Trevor talks about his fear of confrontation and how being consumed by unnecessary anger can prevent us from enjoying things and being in the present moment. Then we are joined by Dr. Blaise Aguirre (10:53), medical director of the 3East adolescent DBT programs at McLean.Blaise and Trevor discuss the Netflix series “13 Reasons Why” and its impact on adolescents. From the constant distractions of the world we live in to problems identifying one’s sense of self, Blaise and Trevor discuss possible reasons why some teens may be activated by watching the show while others may not.Blaise and Trevor also get into the topic of DBT and offer tips for teens watching shows that could potentially be triggering.RELEVANT CONTENT:– High-Profile Suicides Could Influence Students, Teens: mclean.link/j0l – Staff profile - Blaise Aguirre: mclean.link/7fv– Why Do Teens Cut and What Can Parents Do to Help: mclean.link/oh6– Why We Should Be Talking About Teen Suicide: mclean.link/uxzRead the episode transcript: mclean.link/p4q- - -The McLean Hospital podcast Mindful Things is intended to provide general information and to help listeners learn about mental health, educational opportunities, and research initiatives. This podcast is not an attempt to practice medicine or to provide specific medical advice.© 2019 McLean Hospital. All Rights Reserved.

Today Trevor shares an update on his progress over the last few weeks and talks about the discomfort of being open and vulnerable. Then we talk to Amy (13:02), one of the first participants in our Deconstructing Stigma public awareness campaign.Amy explains how her job as a librarian gave her a sense of control at work when things felt so out of control at home. Amy then talks candidly and emotionally about being married to a man with treatment-resistant depression and the toll that her role as his caregiver took on her and their family.She also recalls the guilt she felt for worrying about her own well-being while it was her husband who was struggling with mental illness. Although now divorced, Amy and her ex-husband successfully co-parent their teenage son who is also well versed in caring for someone with mental illness.Read more about Amy’s story: mclean.link/hvsRead the episode transcript: mclean.link/bax- - -The McLean Hospital podcast Mindful Things is intended to provide general information and to help listeners learn about mental health, educational opportunities, and research initiatives. This podcast is not an attempt to practice medicine or to provide specific medical advice.© 2019 McLean Hospital. All Rights Reserved.

In this week’s episode, Trevor talks openly about how his problems staying mindful and present have led to some significant changes in his medication regimen and recalls a particularly difficult time in his life when a certain med he was taking led to some serious physical issues and an embarrassing emergency room visit.Then we talk to Jeff Szymanski, executive director of the International OCD Foundation (12:48) as he takes a deep dive into OCD, hoarding, and the underlying anxieties that can lead to these conditions. Jeff also discusses exposure and response prevention therapy and his own struggles with particular anxieties and fears.RELEVANT CONTENT:– International OCD Foundation: iocdf.org/– Hoarding resources: mclean.link/hu1– “The Perfectionists Handbook” by Jeff Szymanski: mclean.link/7qaRead the episode transcript: mclean.link/xko- - -The McLean Hospital podcast Mindful Things is intended to provide general information and to help listeners learn about mental health, educational opportunities, and research initiatives. This podcast is not an attempt to practice medicine or to provide specific medical advice.© 2019 McLean Hospital. All Rights Reserved.