Peace in the Storm with Andelina "Storm" Grossi

Hope doesn’t always look heroic. Sometimes it’s a nine-year-old whispering a fearful prayer, a college student lying on the floor searching for sleep, or a friend deciding to make one more call before the dark closes in. We sat down with Author, Podcast Host and Psychology student Andelina Storm to trace how childhood loss led to OCD and anxiety, how depression blindsided her in college, and how faith and practical tools helped her trade control for peace. Her message is simple and hard: put a comma in your story, not a period.

Andelina shares the moment a friend’s suicide reshaped her path and why she became a Promise To Live ambassador, turning grief into a mission to interrupt the ripple of silence. We unpack the difference between everyday nerves and clinical anxiety, why stigma still lingers even as awareness grows, and how small, repeatable habits create room for breath—sleep rhythms, grounding exercises, community check-ins, sunlight, music, and even the quiet medicine of petting a dog. She explains how she channels obsessive tendencies into useful structure and why depression, more than anxiety, demanded a new playbook.

We also explore her debut book, Sanity in the Storm, and her podcast, Peace in the Storm, where she blends scripture with evidence-based coping strategies to meet Gen Z where they are. For skeptics and believers alike, Andelina treats the Bible as durable wisdom for restless minds, pairing it with psychology to build an integrated approach to mental health. You’ll hear a moving cameo from her father on the hidden cost families carry—and the fierce pride of watching a daughter choose life, again and again.

If you or someone you love is walking through heavy weather, this conversation offers both compass and company. Listen, share it forward, and help someone add a comma today. If this spoke to you, subscribe, leave a review, and tell us: what line are you carrying into your week?

The Fresh Patch Podcast - Where Good Pets Get It.

Welcome to the Fresh Patch Podcast where we talk about everything, from dog...

Listen on: Apple Podcasts  

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Welcome to The Brad Weisman Show, where we dive into the world of real estate, real life, and everything in between with your host, Brad Weisman! 🎙️ Join us for candid conversations, laughter, and a fresh take on the real world. Get ready to explore the ups and downs of life with a side of humor. From property to personality, we've got it all covered. Tune in, laugh along, and let's get real! 🏡🌟 #TheBradWeismanShow #RealEstateRealLife 

Credits - The music for my podcast was written and performed by Jeff Miller. 

Transcript

Meet Andalina Storm

SPEAKER_04 0:34

From real estate the market as a whole, which sometimes will affect the day. Right. The real life. We all learn and do. If you think about it, Wayne Dyer might not attract everybody and everything in between.

SPEAKER_05 0:48

Mission was really to help people just to reach their full potential.

SPEAKER_04 0:52

The Brad Wiseman show. And now your host, Brad Wiseman. All right. Oh man, I am super excited about this show. Hugo! Hello. We got a good one right here in the studio. That's right. It's gonna be awesome. You know, um I saw this guest, this girl who's just phenomenal, and young and phenomenal, which is amazing. And I saw her on Steven Scoggin's podcast.

SPEAKER_02 1:16

Oh, yeah, yeah. Remember Steven?

SPEAKER_04 1:18

Yeah, I saw her there, and it just hit me right away. One was how how young and how she has her stuff together. You know, and I'm sure that we're gonna find out that it wasn't always that way. All right. Uh, we're gonna go through that, and I'm excited about it. So I'm gonna I'm gonna read the the the bio that's on her website, and then we're gonna bring her in here. So Andalina Storm is a writer psychology student at Michigan State University, passionate about the intersections of mental health, theology, and resilience. Her work explores how faith becomes a transformative tool in the face of anxiety and depression. Sanity in the Storm is her debut book. An invitation to anchor your mind and spirit in truth through practical insight and spiritual encouragement. Now that is amazing. Angelina, how are you doing?

SPEAKER_00 2:06

I'm doing great. How are you?

SPEAKER_04 2:07

I'm doing great. You know, it's funny. Every once in a while I want to say Angelina.

SPEAKER_00 2:11

Yeah, I get that a lot.

SPEAKER_04 2:13

I love the name, though. It's different. You know, it's it's not it's it's different. I mean, obviously, your parents were like, we're gonna do something a little different with this name.

SPEAKER_00 2:19

Yeah, actually, mine combined her name and her sister's names together to make mine. So it was Angelique is her older sister, and then Shandel, and then Sabrina. So Angela.

SPEAKER_04 2:29

Well, look at that. There's always a reason. There's always a reason. What's really cool too is your dad is here, who is obviously very supportive, Bobby. He's got all kinds of we might have him on next at some point.

SPEAKER_00 2:39

He's the coolest guy ever, genuinely.

SPEAKER_04 2:41

I can tell so far. I mean, he's got all kinds of stories, so we'll have to dip into that at some point on another episode. But thanks for coming here all the way from Michigan.

SPEAKER_02 2:50

Yes.

Childhood Loss And OCD Rituals

SPEAKER_04 2:50

You had a show that you did in New York first, and now you are here in Reading, Pennsylvania. And by the way, it is Reading Railroad, which is from the Monopoly game. So just so you know, it's that's where it's from. So let's get into this. You know, when I saw you on Stephen's show, it was just amazing to see somebody of that's in college, that's a younger person talking about spiritual faith, God, and and obviously there's a reason that you're in that place right now. So do you mind telling us, give the audience a little bit of a background of wh why you're here? Like what is why did this message come about?

SPEAKER_00 3:28

Yes, absolutely. So genuinely, it all kind of started back when I was like really little. I've always been really close to my family, like my mom's entire side of the family and my immediate family. And I lost my like grandfather really young to an unknown skin disease that they think he got in the Vietnam War. It was like crazy, 11th person in the world to get it. But I end up watching him die in hospice. And at like nine, that was like a little rough. Like a little I know because like I didn't know what was going on.

SPEAKER_04 3:55

It's rough for everybody.

SPEAKER_00 3:56

Oh, absolutely.

SPEAKER_04 3:57

Isn't it funny though? We always say that, but it's not like we have it together. Oh, absolutely not. Like it is. No, but nine, that's that's rough.

SPEAKER_00 4:03

Yeah, and it like it hit the whole family, like all ages. It was hard. It was a really hard time. And I ended up developing uh developing really bad OCD from that experience in anxiety. And I would stay up all night really worried that if I went to bed and everyone wasn't home, someone was gonna die. And that was like how my brain would process it because watching someone die at such a young age, I was then like, oh, it's in my control whether or not someone dies. Like, that's just what my brain would kind of tell me. And I was very neurotic about certain things, like you know, the whole like numbers, like can't step like on a crack, you'll break your mom's back, like all that.

SPEAKER_04 4:37

Oh my god.

SPEAKER_00 4:38

Like super like neurotic about the things I'd like walk up like up and down stairs like seven times. Like I came up with a saying And this is at nine? And nine. I came up with a saying which you can tell I'm nine because the English is so bad. It's like be safe, healthy, happy, always, and careful. And if that wasn't the last thing I said to someone before they left, I thought they were going to die. Like genuinely.

SPEAKER_04 4:58

So man.

SPEAKER_00 4:59

Yeah, it was a little bit.

SPEAKER_04 5:00

Well, obviously, dad's here shaking his head.

SPEAKER_00 5:02

Yeah, he knows.

SPEAKER_04 5:03

Yeah, I mean, he lived this. I mean, and and you know what to me, and what but it's interesting with parents. I love that he's here because I'm a father, I have a you know, 10-year-old, well, but I better say this right, or they'll correct me when I get home. Uh 10-year-old and a 13-year-old. As in a father, I'd be worried. I'd be really worried. I'd be concerned of like, where where's this gonna go? What's next? You know, and and you had to be, you had to be frightened. So, so go on. So you're nine, you're you're doing all these these rituals is what I call them, like the ritual that you have to go through.

SPEAKER_00 5:30

It wasn't like the Q like O C P D where it's like, I have to be really organized. It was like the obsessions and the compulsions.

SPEAKER_04 5:36

Any ticks?

SPEAKER_00 5:37

No.

SPEAKER_04 5:37

Yeah, because a lot of times that is another thing that will happen. There'll be a tick involved or something like that that that then will will you know lead to even more things that you worry about and get anxiety about. So keep going on this, sorry.

SPEAKER_00 5:47

Yeah, so happy ending here. When I needed hope, and there was no hope in this world because like the world is broken and bad things happen to good people, and bad things happen altogether, and emotions don't last forever. So it's not like I could be figure out how to be happy and then I'd stay happy forever. So I needed something bigger than myself. And my dad was always a religious person. He grew up like Italian Catholic. I was just gonna say he's gotta be Catholic.

SPEAKER_04 6:14

Has to be.

SPEAKER_00 6:14

He's like a little bit more like on the Christian side of things now, but he definitely grew up Italian Catholic. So I knew who like that like faith was, like I knew who Jesus was, like through my dad, and I was like, I need something bigger than myself because if I don't have hope, I have nothing. Yeah, like if I don't have hope that like something can make this better, like I'm gonna like continue to spiral, and I'm like nine. Like I'm like, my I got a life ahead of me. I gotta figure this out. So I started praying to God in fear. Like it was like dear God, but that's okay. Yes, it was like almost like it was another like OCD ritual. If I didn't pray to God, someone was going to die. And then obviously, as I grew up, I kind of realized that's like not really how God works.

SPEAKER_02 6:51

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 6:52

And I was able to like develop like an actual genuine relationship with Him as I got older. But obviously, looking like back, I I wouldn't change a thing because if that's what it took for me to find God, then everything was so worth it.

SPEAKER_04 7:05

Yeah, absolutely. And and do you obviously the whether and some people that could be watching the show, whether you call God Buddha, whatever it is, etc. Whatever it is that higher gives you hope, whatever it is that gives you hope. Also to realize that your ego is not really anything.

SPEAKER_02 7:19

Yes.

Fearful Prayers And Finding Faith

SPEAKER_04 7:19

That that that can put your ego in place. And that's why there's one of the things that we talked about recently with another guest was you know, gratitude. The reason I love when when we talk about gratitude, and Hugo brought up a good point, is if somebody says that they're not religious and then they say, I give gratitude, who are you giving it to?

unknown 7:35

Yes.

SPEAKER_04 7:36

If you're at night thanking your life for your if I'm thanking if I'm thanking or giving gratitude for my wife, my children, all those things, or who are you thanking? Yes. So it's kind of it in you know, Hugo brought that up. I think it was you, one one of the one of the guests was here, and it just blew my mind. So, you know, it it's to find that there's somebody bigger than you that you're not in control. Because if we think we're in control, that's where the anxiety comes from.

SPEAKER_00 7:59

Yes, a hundred percent. And the older I got, the more I realized that if I didn't have something bigger than myself to rely on, it would be really hard for me to still be standing here today. And as like morbid as that kind of sounds, like if like whatever it is that gives you hope, if you don't have hope, like you genuinely have nothing. Because if in the darkest parts of your depression you don't think there's anything better than that moment, like that is when so much isolation like creeps in. Because if you don't think there's anything better, then there's like no hope. And I think everyone needs to have hope in something.

SPEAKER_04 8:30

Absolutely. And I went through my own mental health, and I think we talked about that a little bit before we we went live here. And you know, i in when I was 31, I went through my first bout of major panic attacks. I was in the emergency room 11 times in two weeks and um in ambulances and state police showing up. I'm in the bathroom in a fetal position because I couldn't couldn't cope with anything. And that happened to be at 31. And it was so it was really hard for me to deal with. But I think when you realize one of the best healing things for me was faith was one also. Music was a big thing. Michael Boobley, whether he knows it or not, pulled me out of that when he first started doing stuff. He pulled me out of it because I just listened to him. But you know, faith and then also knowing talking to somebody else that experienced it.

SPEAKER_00 9:23

Yes, a hundred percent.

SPEAKER_04 9:24

That was the most relieving. You know, they always say misery loves company, and not that I want to say it that way, but it it there's a reason, there's a saying for that. Is that if you know that you're not the only one, you're not alone in this. Uh so you're not alone because there's somebody up there, but you're also not alone because there's other people experiencing the same thing.

SPEAKER_00 9:40

Exactly.

SPEAKER_04 9:41

And that's where we talk about the stigma.

SPEAKER_00 9:43

Mm-hmm. Yes, the stigma.

SPEAKER_04 9:44

So, do you think we're making better strides with the stigma part?

SPEAKER_00 9:48

I think it's I think it's a very interesting like concept because I think yes and no, I think yes, mental health is something that's talked about more. I think yes, mental health is something that people like have a little bit better community with and will like talk to other people with. There's like a lot of really big organizations like trying to do things, but then I also think there's like a whole new thing of stigma than like necessarily when like you were a kid with like social media and society. So, yes, do I think people dealing with mental health is getting out there more? A hundred percent. But I also think there's still a lot of stigma because when I talk to someone that necessarily hasn't gone through something I've gone through or like hasn't really like has like a perfect nervous system, like they really have no such thing. Literally, but they literally are like, Oh, like, yeah, like I have really bad anxiety too. And I'm like, oh, like what do you mean? They're like, I get anxious before an exam, and I'm like, that's like not the same thing.

SPEAKER_04 10:41

Well, anxiety is a normal thing.

SPEAKER_00 10:43

Yes, anxiety. It's supposed to happen. Everyone gets anxious.

SPEAKER_04 10:46

We don't want to eliminate it, we just want to put it in its place and let it know when it's allowed to be here. Yes, you know, and it's not allowed to be here 24 hours a day. That's unacceptable. Yes. But if you get anxious of be I you know when I get anxious watching stuff where the guys change the light bulb at the top of a building and I'm watching on TV, my palms sweat. I act like my whole body like gets like, and I'm like, it's not even me, it's somebody else. That's anxiety. That's anxious. That's your brain doing what it's supposed to do at that moment.

SPEAKER_01 11:11

Yes, 100%.

SPEAKER_04 11:12

But but having it go 24 hours a day, it's like that's not absolute hell. And I went, I went, it's hell. And and it got to a point where my dad had had basically my parents kind of saved my life, I think, too, because he asked if there was a gun in the house. And uh, this is something I don't think I've ever shared publicly, actually. Asked if there's a gun in the house, and I said, Yes, there there is. And uh he said, You mind if I take it? And I said, and I started crying, and I said, No, please do. So you know, you know, at that moment he asked the right question at the right time and w whether I would have done anything or no, but I was in a dark place. It's in a dark place. So you know, I I get it, you know. So were you did you get to that rock bottom moment?

Stigma, Anxiety Vs. Clinical Struggle

SPEAKER_00 11:54

100%. Yeah. I the reason actually the book and the podcast and everything started was because I've always grown up with anxiety and OCD, and it was something that I learned how to control because I had it at such a young age that it was like almost like wearing like a weighted vest. It was like, okay, put the weighted vest on in the morning, like let's go through our day. But then I got depression in college, and that was something I had no idea how to handle at all. And there was so many nights where I'd be like laying on like the floor in my room, like looking up at my roommate and being like, I don't know how much longer I can do this. Like gosh, this doesn't even like nothing feels like. And then not sleep. No sleep in this. Yeah, no sleep.

SPEAKER_04 12:30

That adds to the mental health right there. You gotta sleep.

SPEAKER_00 12:33

No sleep. And then there was like so many like times and like important moments in my life that my like I would just self-sabotage. Like my own birthday party, I'd be laying in the bathroom with like two of my best friends and my younger sister. And I'm like, I need dad to come pick me up. Like, I can't be here anymore. Like, I can't do this. And they're like, This is like your birthday party. Like, what are you doing? So I've definitely been there and I still get there sometimes. Like, there's definitely times when like I'm like, oh man, life is heavy. Like, this is like there's so much going on all the time. Like, there's so much like sadness for like no reason sometimes, but like that's when like the coping mechanisms, and that's when having faith in something bigger is so important because if you struggle with something, the odds of you waking up one day and it going away forever are like very low.

SPEAKER_02 13:19

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 13:19

There will be like moments in time when it gets better. Like, I mean, for like Midwest people, like sometimes like moving to Florida gets rid of that like seasonal depression. Like, I don't know.

SPEAKER_04 13:28

I can I can understand it because I'll tell you around here, I I'm not a winter guy anymore. And Michigan, obviously, you guys are much worse than us.

SPEAKER_00 13:35

Yeah, we have brutal winters, but like cold. Oh, oh yeah, like it's like seven degrees, and I'm like walking to class.

SPEAKER_04 13:41

Oh my gosh, yeah, no way. Unbelievable. So, yeah, so and those are the things that you can't so in those positions, you can't even cope with weather at that point. I mean, no, exactly. Like, it's crazy.

SPEAKER_00 13:51

You have to like really like focus on the fact that like things do get better. Like, that's like the mindset you have to have because obviously, like for me, like anxiety and like OCD have like never really gone away. I've just kind of found ways to make them like a little more productive, if that makes sense. Like, I'll use my OCD to be like, okay, like make sure you're like super like neurotic about like your planner and your calendar instead of like whether you're gonna be able to do it in the right places, exactly. Put it in the right places, you know, just kind of like maneuver it, but like with depression, it is like like really having to like sit back and be like, okay. Yeah, yeah, like you can cope with this right now, and I promise you in like a week or two, you're gonna feel so much better. Yeah, and then like it is a little bit of a roller coaster, but like that's when having hope matters because it's like you have to have hope that like and you also have to like put into perspective that there's so many people that like love you and need you here, and I don't care who you are. Yeah, like there is so many people that love you and need you here. There's so many people you matter to. I'm a brain ambassador for Promise to Live. It's like a suicide prevention organization. Oh, good for you. Suicide awards.

SPEAKER_04 14:51

Your support group type thing, or just talk just to talk?

SPEAKER_00 14:54

So it's like a little bit of everything. They have so many great resources. Brandi Vega is like the founder of it. She's actually friends with Steven Scott.

SPEAKER_04 15:02

Oh, there we go. Steven's getting a lot of plugs. We're got the charger for this episode. I'll tell you what.

SPEAKER_00 15:07

Steven connected us, and she like has this like they're called pocket hugs, and she hands out these like little tiny like hugs to people and like basically like makes them make a promise to live. And in your if you're in a good mental state, you're like 60% like more likely to think of the promise you made when you're in a state of being super low.

SPEAKER_04 15:28

Um because you promised it to somebody else.

SPEAKER_00 15:30

You promised it to somebody else. Yes, like you promised someone else that you wouldn't make that decision. And being a part of that like organization has like really shown me that like everyone like gets affected if one person makes a decision. I lost a friend to suicide last year.

SPEAKER_04 15:46

I have that, I had that down here.

SPEAKER_00 15:47

Yeah, I lost a friend to suicide last year, and he like I went to a really small like high school, he went to Michigan, I went to Michigan State, like you know, like rivals.

SPEAKER_04 15:57

Yeah, definitely.

SPEAKER_00 15:57

And Brandy told me a stat that around like 170 something people are affected if one person makes that decision. And I was like, ooh, that really makes sense. Because if you would have seen the community that showed up for this kid when like he passed, and he would have had no idea. Like he would have had no idea that all those kids in his graduating class senior year would have been so torn up by the decision they made.

SPEAKER_04 16:23

You just wish they would you wish they could see that it was a die and be here. This thing that Wayne Dyer talks about. You know, if you could just die and be here at the same time, you would it would it would open you up to a lot of different things. You would see who cares, you would see you know who shows up at that moment, you know. Yeah, that's and so this kid obviously or your friend just got to a place where it just wasn't there was no end.

SPEAKER_00 16:45

Yeah, so like that's the problem too, is like he hit it so well no one had any idea. Like no one knows why. Like we don't like there was no no closure afterwards. Like we have no idea why he made the decision he did. Like we have no idea what happened, and like that to me shifted something in my head because I was like, if this is how I feel every day, but I know that's not an option for me because I'm like a little too self-aware about how like my family and friends would think because like there's like that guilt part of it. Sure. I was like, then I need to be the reason that everyone else in this entire world knows that that's not an option, yeah, it's not, and that it does get better, and that people do love and care about them, and that it is so important to just be here. And like, you know how brave it is. Like, I want to like say this too like it is so brave to live when the only thing you want to do is die. Like, that is so like brave and like hard for people, but at the same time, like it's necessary. Like you like, you need to be here.

SPEAKER_04 17:43

I agree with you 100%. And you know, I I lost a friend to suicide also, and and it's it's the thing that I think about your dad that's here, and is the parents. I mean, having children now. I think that's the biggest the biggest part would be would be what your parents would go through. You know, and not that you you know that's but it's a big part. It's a big part. To this day, I have a friend that committed suicide. Um, he was definitely very ill. He got became schizophrenic and all kinds of stuff and in his in his going through college, actually. And yeah, I didn't know he was as sick as he was till this day when his when I see his parents, the face, the look on their face when they see me because we were best friends and I hung out at their house all the time, is is is hard. Like I almost wish I didn't see them because what I do is I bring it back and I don't do it because I want to do it, and I don't do it, but you know, it just it just it sucks. It really sucks, you know. It's so it's it's it's tough on everybody, but you're right. You the people they they just think that this is it, that that nobody else cares. No, 100%.

SPEAKER_00 18:45

And there's been a lot of work I've done where I try to like have a social media presence and like obviously the book and the podcast, and people will reach out to me and they'll be like, oh man, I wish I mattered. And like that breaks my heart because it's like, okay, well, you know what, you matter to me, and I'm a stranger. Like, genuinely, like you matter to me. Like everyone like here that struggles, like you matter to me. And like, if I'm a stranger and you matter to me, there's someone else in your life that like you like truly matter to, and that you making that decision would be like Yeah, that's amazing.

SPEAKER_04 19:15

It's amazing. So tell let's go into it. So obviously, the the podcast was more recent, but the book the book was out for how long?

SPEAKER_00 19:23

Actually, January.

SPEAKER_04 19:24

Oh, so the so it is it's around the same time. They're both super new. Let's let which one you want to talk about first? You want to talk about the book?

SPEAKER_00 19:30

Um yeah, book came first.

SPEAKER_04 19:31

It was uh Which came first, the chicken or the egg, right?

SPEAKER_00 19:33

Yeah, literally. The book came first because same time that like my friend made that decision, and I knew I couldn't make that.

SPEAKER_04 19:40

So this that did that spur that all for the book?

SPEAKER_00 19:42

This is the whole like motivation for everything was my friend made the decision. I knew I couldn't make that decision because this is something I actually don't think I've shared. This is because it's like kind of gut-wrenching to me, is I've had the same best friend since I was nine.

SPEAKER_04 19:57

I'm gonna grab your book while you're talking.

SPEAKER_00 19:58

Okay, perfect. I had the I've had the same best friend since I was nine. She's like the closest thing to heaven I've ever had on earth. She's perfect.

SPEAKER_02 20:05

Awesome.

SPEAKER_00 20:06

But she was closer to our friend Vincent than I was. Like they were always like very, very, very close. And I was kind of close with him because I was best friends with Sydney. And she came to me right after like he made the decision he did, and she looked at me and she goes, I can't sleep because I can't stop thinking about the fact that it could have been you.

SPEAKER_02 20:26

Oh, wow.

SPEAKER_00 20:27

And I like genuinely was like, Wow, oh, like there's wow.

SPEAKER_04 20:33

You don't know how people think about it.

SPEAKER_00 20:35

Right. I was like, like, wow. And she was like, and I don't mean that in a bad way, like, I know you're struggling. She's like, but now I'm so scared you're gonna make the same decision he did. And she goes, and I can't sleep.

SPEAKER_04 20:44

Wow.

SPEAKER_00 20:45

And I genuinely was like That's a good friend. Yeah, yes, great friend. She's amazing. But I was like kind of like really caught off guard because I was like, ooh, like I didn't, like, I mean, like, yeah, I'd been very transparent with her about how I was feeling, but I didn't realize like the burden she was now carrying because she was like so worried about me. So I was like, okay, like if she's feeling like this, and then all of our like our entire friend group, like all of our mental health like plummeted after you made this decision, which is like another like statistic. I don't know the exact numbers, but if one person in like a family or friend group makes the decision, like the odds of someone else doing it like goes up like tremendously. Well, because yeah, it's it's feeding to exactly what and like now you think that's like an option, you think that's like the choice that like the only choice you can make to feel better. So I was like, all right, like man, like I have to do something because if I feel like this and I know I can't let like Sydney or like my parents or my siblings down by like making this decision, like I can't do that to them. Like I just wouldn't let that happen. Like, I need to like make sure no one else thinks this decision is an option. So my dad came to me and he was like, Lena, and I was like, Yeah, and he goes, You should write a book. And I was like, about what? And he's like about I think you have a lot of material. Right. I'm like, about what? And he's like, about everything that you've been going through with your friend and everything you've struggled with. And I was like, ooh, like this is like pretty recent. Like, can I like grieve? Like this is Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 22:13

A book already?

SPEAKER_00 22:14

I was like, man, like it's been like a month.

SPEAKER_04 22:17

Way to put a load on me, Dad.

SPEAKER_00 22:18

Literally, I'm like, man, like, okay. And I'm like, all right, well, I have like chemistry exams, so I'm not gonna do that. Right. I have school.

SPEAKER_04 22:27

The excuses come out. Right.

SPEAKER_00 22:28

I'm like, I have chemistry tomorrow, so I'm actually not gonna do that.

SPEAKER_04 22:30

So I can't do the book tomorrow.

SPEAKER_00 22:31

Right. But then actually, like two months later, I just gotten like back from like Christmas break, and I had a chemistry exam the next day, and something was really weighing heavy on my heart to just sit down. And start writing.

SPEAKER_04 22:43

Get out of here.

SPEAKER_00 22:44

Right. So then I ended up calling my dad, and he happened to be at my younger sister's parent teacher conferences, sitting across from my English teacher in high school.

SPEAKER_02 22:51

Oh, cool.

SPEAKER_00 22:52

So, who also had like my friend that passed in her class. Like she had both of us. So I was like, Miss Sevens, like you'll never guess what I'm doing right now. And she was like, I'm so proud of you. You need to continue. And I was like, This is the only sign I needed.

SPEAKER_01 23:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 23:05

So then I ended up writing the book in like three months. And the since then it's just kind of been in like the publishing process.

SPEAKER_04 23:13

Three months. Three months. You just got to take a look at this the book here. Sounding in the story. Whoever did the front cover, too, did a really good job. It's a very, very cool cover. I like the uh the waves and stuff in there. It's really neat. And I'm excited. I am gonna read it. I'm gonna make a make a make sure I do it, you know, because it's not on audio, but you said maybe at some point you put it on audio. Yeah, maybe I'm really cool.

SPEAKER_00 23:32

It honestly, like like January 27th was like the day. It was like officially out on Amazon. Like obviously it was like kind of like out before that, but it was like a soft launch. Um, but the hard launch was January 27th.

SPEAKER_04 23:43

So awesome. That's amazing. I'm excited, very excited. So now going through this, now now you have the podcast. That is really cool. I like the podcast, I like the setup of it. It's a very relaxed, you know, uh setting. And and you're just kind of laid back and you're reading scripture, which, you know, you're a I don't even know how old you are. I'm just gonna say 20. I was gonna say 20 because you're in college. A 20-year-old kid now, adult, reading scripture is is just amazing. I mean, we you know, that wasn't happening, you know, 10 years ago. And I'm starting one of the things I put in my notes is are you noticing that younger people are starting to grab onto some type of faith or some type of belief that's a higher than they are?

Suicide Loss And A Promise To Live

SPEAKER_00 24:28

Yes, absolutely. Yeah, I think it has been so much more like prevident lately. And I think people like there's like creators out there, like, have you ever heard of Bryce Crawford?

SPEAKER_04 24:37

I have you have all these names. I gotta get a list of these names. Your dad gave me names. I mean, you know what it is. There's so many people doing great stuff.

SPEAKER_02 24:43

Yes.

SPEAKER_04 24:43

And it and it's and it's almost like you the which I love in this what we do with podcasts. You can't get enough, you know, and then you want to hit them all, and you you just can't. There's only so much time a day. But I want to get definitely get a list of names from you guys. But but no, go ahead, tell me the story.

SPEAKER_00 24:56

So Bryce Crawford, he is like probably the the biggest podcaster in like my generation, like about faith. Like he almost like took his own life and he sat in his car and he was like after going to like the waffle house and was like, okay, God, like if you like want me to stay, take my anxiety away. And then God took his anxiety away. And then ever since then, he dedicated his entire life to like talking about like God and like a lot about mental health. Cause like obviously, like he really struggled because he was like at that point and stuff. And I think he had like a huge movement in my generation. Like he has brought so many people to God, it's been like very cool. But yeah, like I also like I go to Michigan State and I'm a part of like a Christian organization there, and there's like a lot of kids, like, there's a lot of people my age like turning to faith and like hope in something because well, turning point has a a a big part of that.

SPEAKER_04 25:48

Turning point, Charlie Kirk. I mean, God rest his soul.

SPEAKER_00 25:50

But you know, you whether you like him or not, he had a big portion of bringing kids to Christ.

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(Cont.) Suicide Loss And A Promise To Live

SPEAKER_04 25:56

And and he and he and he talked about it, and he and he was he broke it down. He broke it down that it was easier to understand, easier to believe, you know, in in what what we're going through in the world and stuff. So, you know, I I just see this movement, and it's just it wasn't in my I mean, I'm like I said, I'm 55, and we it the religion has kind of taken a back seat for a very long time. And it's isn't it un isn't it funny how during that period is when we seem to be the most craziness, you know, I think because of the ego, because of social media, and nothing bad about social media because I use it, you use it, you're very good at it, but there's a place for it. So, yeah, so so go back into the podcast. So you started that now and you're doing that. You have several episodes under your bell that I've watched. How's that going?

SPEAKER_00 27:02

Yeah, so I like love it. I think it's like super fun, and I really like like talking about certain things. Like I could talk all day every day. Like I'm Italian, I'm like a bit of a yapper.

SPEAKER_04 27:13

You're not using your hands a lot, though.

SPEAKER_00 27:15

I'm like trying, I'm like being very conscious. I like staying right here.

SPEAKER_04 27:17

You'll hit your coffee or the water microphone.

SPEAKER_00 27:19

The mic's kind of in my way. But yeah, so like I like really like talking, and I figured out from like the book that a lot of people would come to me and they're like, oh man, like love your story, but I'm not really into reading. And I'm like, okay, so like what's another approach we can do that I could get the same message out, but people don't necessarily have to read Sanity in the Storm. Yeah. So then the podcast, which is Peace in the Storm, you know, playing on that middle name a lot. Yeah. Storm.

SPEAKER_04 27:48

Storms, I it it's it's great marketing. It really is. It caught my eye. I'm telling you, that's one of the things when I saw you in Steven Scoggy show. Once again, we mentioned him. But uh I remember seeing that thinking, what is this? Like, I love this whole storm thing. I mean, you know, it's just it it's it just makes sense because we all have these storms in life. We all we all go through storms in life. Yeah, but just like a storm, what happens the next day or like two hours later?

SPEAKER_02 28:10

Water's calm.

SPEAKER_04 28:11

Water's calm, especially the ocean. They say the the ocean can can get completely crazy in 10, 15 minutes. My parents were boaters and we were out in the ocean a lot. It can get crazy. It's like Lake Michigan, I'm sure, right? It's like an ocean. And and it can get crazy in like an hour, but then it completely goes flat.

SPEAKER_00 28:26

Yep.

SPEAKER_04 28:27

That's life.

SPEAKER_00 28:28

Yes, a hundred percent that is life, you know. And that was the motivation for the podcast was okay, if people aren't gonna read this, I'm gonna like take some of the good nuggets in there, spin it up, make it into something else, find a Bible verse that aligns with it, and then talk about that and like use kind of like the same message to then reach a new audience of people, which is like what I'm like really into is like how many different avenues do I need to go down to make sure everyone gets the same message? Because necessarily, like, yeah, like I'm Christian, but I know a lot of people aren't. Yeah, and I still want people that don't like have that hope in something bigger than them to know like coping mechanisms to like figure out how to like get through life and to feel better. So that's like kind of like the next project. Like, obviously, these two are very faith like centered.

Writing Sanity In The Storm

SPEAKER_04 29:16

Yeah, I love your quotes too. You do a lot of quotes on the on the the Instagram, there's quotes and stuff, and I wrote a couple of them down. That I just just just was one of the quotes, and then just because we're kind of in there, the storm didn't break me, it built me. And I wrote down I love I said I love that because it's such these are great quotes, and I think that's actually a really good part of your your Instagram page. Is if somebody wants to just get something quick for the day, that's a great place to go. Because they get they get that thought, they get that positive reinforcement, and and it's it's something that they can now think throughout the day and go, okay, this is what I'm gonna, I'm gonna I'm gonna live by this today, or I'm gonna think about this today. And the other one that I liked was uh even in the storm, there is peace when you know who's in control. Love that. Yeah, very, very cool. And that's because we're not in control. Yeah, you know, and and I think that's a great piece there. So going back into the podcast, I I think to tell if you want to tell the audience where that is, how we can find your podcast, because I think we need more and more people to listen to that podcast. I think that you're you're getting a word across. I think coming from somebody younger, the younger audience will listen to it. If it came from me, if I started reading scripture or whatever, and sometimes when I say people, when I when they talk about scripture, I talk about the Bible. If you want to just say, okay, I don't, let's just say you don't believe in God or a higher being, it's a really good book. I mean, if you just follow what's in there, if you listen to what's in there, whether you believe in whatever, it's a really good book. Because if you just follow the saying, the teachings, you can't go wrong. It's all good stuff, and it's been around for thousands of years. And all we do as humans today, Wayne Dyer, Ed Milette, you know, Jim Rohn, all the different people that we listen to, all we do is we put a spin on it so that maybe your audience, your younger audience, understands it because it's coming from you. It comes from your perception, it comes from your look on life, and that's what I think it is. So the 55-year-old is going to tell that story different than the 20-year-old.

SPEAKER_00 31:11

Yes, 100%.

SPEAKER_04 31:12

And you know your audience.

SPEAKER_00 31:13

Yes.

SPEAKER_04 31:13

But I enjoyed watching your podcast.

SPEAKER_00 31:15

Thank you.

SPEAKER_04 31:16

Yeah, it's very, it's very, very calming. You should do those. I could see you doing those, the things to make kids sleep at night. Like we use that for Carson. He he loves them. And now you want to think about your day. And yeah, I could see you doing that. I can totally see you doing that. So, yeah, so love the podcast. Let's get, is there anything else you wanted to cover? I know that you had some notes here, and I want to make sure we're at 30 minutes, and this show is gonna be phenomenal. I I just love where this went. I love the show. Let's go, let's go into some of the stuff you talk about. What I want to, one of the things I want to ask, what do you find is the most biggest challenge? The OCD, depression, or the anxiety?

SPEAKER_00 31:50

So for me personally, it's gotta be depression. Just because I don't know, like necessarily, like, I mean, like I do now. Like, I mean, if you read the book, I found a lot of coping mechanisms to help me out a little bit.

SPEAKER_02 32:01

Good.

SPEAKER_00 32:01

But I didn't for the longest time know how to deal with the fact that everything felt so meaningless. I was like, how do you like deal with this? Because at least with like my anxiety and my OCD, it's like, okay, but like let's still go hang out with friends or like let's go to the when I don't want to do anything. I'm kind of like, ooh, like so.

SPEAKER_04 32:17

There's nothing to make you feel better.

SPEAKER_00 32:19

Right. I'm like, how do I like cope with this? Like there's nothing that necessarily like helps in the moment. So for me, it was definitely depression, or probably like going on depression. I get like super, like, like I'm a really big crybaby. Like, I get like really hysterical. Like, gently. And that's okay. That's a good that's a good emotion. Like crying is good. I love crying, I cry every day.

SPEAKER_04 32:40

Good for you. That's good.

SPEAKER_00 32:42

But but it was like when I get in like those like seasons where like that's really like a struggle for me. Like, I like like if I start crying, like there's no getting me to stop. Like, I like can't stop crying.

SPEAKER_04 32:52

And I'm like, drink a lot of water because you're gonna run out of tears or something.

SPEAKER_00 32:56

Right. I'm like, oh, like how do you kind of like deal with this? So I think depression was like definitely the hardest for me to like find coping mechanisms that like actually worked.

SPEAKER_04 33:04

Yeah, amazing. It's so cool. Yeah, I and I find it it's the thing you have to do. You know, you want to other things that I used to do, and and they always say there's a there's a I don't know how you are with animals or pets or whatever. I'm a big dog person.

SPEAKER_02 33:16

I love dogs.

SPEAKER_04 33:16

So, you know, my dad always said, Isn't it funny that dog is God spelled backwards, which is interesting. You know, so if you look, isn't that funny? Most people don't realize you don't even think about that, right? So, and he brings it up because we're very big dog family. And one of the things that got me through, besides Michael Boulake, besides amazing friends and family, and my parents were amazing through when I went through that whole bow for about two months or more, you know, it was the dog. I would lay we had a golden retriever at the time, and when she would be laying on the floor, I would just go up and actually get around her and just pet her. That I could actually feel, because when you have anxiety, you're very uptight, you know, if you remember you how that feels, it's a very uptight. Oh yeah, like those shoulders always like lock. Everything's just locked, and you're just like this inside, and it's and it's constant. And I could just feel the easing going over my body. So I would do a lot of petting the dog. The dog thought this was great. The dog's like, hope he gets anxiety again. You know what I mean? But no, and it would work. And I think one of the things they they say about that is you're taking the attention off of you and you're putting it on something else. So what happens is you're you're relieving the all the ideas, the things you have in your head, and I would pet her and and and and just would and it would just make me feel so much better. So there's there's something with pets too. I think you know, if you if you're somebody that's going through that, I would suggest, you know, well, that's why we have therapy dogs and the and all that kind of stuff today. So you're a dog person?

SPEAKER_00 34:34

Yes, I am.

SPEAKER_04 34:35

You have a dog?

SPEAKER_00 34:35

We yeah, we have a dog. I'm like obsessed with him.

SPEAKER_04 34:37

What kind of dog?

SPEAKER_00 34:38

It's called a mini hippo. I like don't recommend the breed to anyone because they're gonna be a good one.

SPEAKER_04 34:42

Mini hippo. Yes. In my mind, what I just got was a hippopotamus. Uh that's really small. Did you get it? Hippocristmas. Did you get that's a good one, Hugo? That's a good one. I want a hippopotamus. Yeah, I got it.

SPEAKER_00 34:55

Um it's a cart like a Sharp A and a cocker spaniel mixed together. And he is the cutest dog in the entire world, but he has so many health issues. Like, I don't recommend to anyone to ever give a.

SPEAKER_04 35:06

A lot of the mixed dogs have health issues.

SPEAKER_00 35:08

But he's perfect. He is like actually the best dog in the entire world.

SPEAKER_04 35:11

And what's his name?

SPEAKER_00 35:12

Desmond. My brother got my brother got to name him after Des Bryant. Like, we don't really talk about it.

SPEAKER_04 35:17

Desmond is a very human name. You know what I mean? It's very human. Hey Desmond, how are you? You know, it's like that's interesting. Very interesting. So, is there anything else you want to talk about before? Like, any messages to the audience that you because I know you said on here a couple things that about people feeling alone. I want you to be able to talk to the audience and and just say what you you would want to say to everybody listening.

SPEAKER_00 35:37

Two things. One, going back to the stigma thing, yeah. I want everyone to imagine a pond and you're skipping stones. The ripple effect of you skipping stones on that pond can either be positive or negative, and you get to decide that. The stigma of mental health and like depression, anxiety, whatever it is, if you're skipping that stone and the stigma's rippling, like that is not good. But if like people genuinely speak out and talk about the importance of being educated on mental health and the importance of helping people that are struggling, we can create a positive ripple effect and lower the numbers of suicide.

SPEAKER_02 36:14

I agree.

Starting Peace In The Storm Podcast

SPEAKER_00 36:14

And the second thing is anyone that's listening that is struggling or knows someone that's struggling, I want to remind you that you can put a comma in your story instead of a period. Put a comma and try finding new ways to cope. Don't give up. Like there's like a comma, you can even put a semicolon and figure out a bunch of new things that work for you. Just don't put a period in your story.

SPEAKER_04 36:36

Wow, that's good. You're 20?

SPEAKER_00 36:38

I am 20.

SPEAKER_04 36:39

Dad. Proud?

SPEAKER_00 36:41

You know what?

SPEAKER_04 36:41

Real quick, we don't normally do this. Let him grab the mic real quick because I just want to I just want to I just want to talk to him. So we've never done this before. Uh, because Hugo typically gets very upset when somebody grabs his mic.

SPEAKER_00 36:51

Oh, don't worry, he's not scared of the microphone. Yeah, I that's so we start singing.

SPEAKER_04 36:54

Bobby, seriously, like I mean, and I hope you don't mind that I'm bringing him on. I don't think you would. Absolutely. What an incredible young lady. I mean, you have to be so proud what she's doing.

SPEAKER_03 37:05

I mean, I you you're you they can't see me, but I'm tearing up as we're speaking. Yeah. I love all my kids. Of course. But for her to have the courage and the strength at such a young age to go tackle such a huge giant and want to make the greatest impact in the world, you know, you know, as a father and and you know, your wife at home, when your kids whatever your kids accomplish or whenever they get hurt, you feel it a thousand times more than they even feel it. Absolutely. And the joy, the the the joy I have to see her shine, and actually the the pain I go through when she goes through those dark times, I don't think she realizes how truly special and how amazing she is and how proud my ma my wife and I are of her. Yeah. And what a what a blessing uh all my kids are. But right now we're talking about Andalina, but what a blessing she is in our life, and I just can't wait to see how great when she soars. I'm I'm the pusher. I'm the guy that says, hey, go do it. So you're the coach. I'm the coach, I'm the dadager. I'm the dadager. Uh with that said, and not only do we get to do this together, which is amazing, but I just I love any kid that wants to push himself or any any human being that wants to push himself to greatness, but I just get to see it watching in front of my child. So it's amazing.

SPEAKER_04 38:22

Man, it's awesome. Yeah, you well, you've done an amazing job, you and your wife have done an incredible job. She's a special young lady, and I'm I'm so glad you were here. It's just so much better than doing it through streaming. And I want to thank you for making the trip. I know Michigan's weather is awesome all year round, so but no, I want to thank you for making the trip. And I know it's a lot, and dad, it's a lot of support from your father and things like that. I have a question. Oh, go ahead. Hugo's got a question.

SPEAKER_05 38:44

I have a question. So as you are a psychologist student, I'm sure whether you're doing casually or professionally in the future, you'll find um concepts to to or an approach to dealing with a mental health that that you whether you approach it from the perspective of faith or the academics that you have learned in school, are there any I don't want to say conflicts among two approaches and how how do you think have you dealt with it so far, or how do you think you will approach it?

SPEAKER_00 39:14

That's actually like a phenomenal question. That's a great question. That's a great question. I've like never been asked something like that before. So far, so good. I as a psychology like major, I've like learned a lot about like the brain and like the struggles and like how to cope with that. And so far, for me, faith hasn't conflicted within it at all because it's just given another sense of hope or encouragement to keep going. If I do stumble across like a conflict in that, I feel like I would definitely just have to do like a lot of research, like you know, like opening like the DSM and the the Bible and like see what I kind of agree with, like more or less. But so far, all the coping mechanisms, like again, like I talk about it a bit on my podcast. They're the book is literally just all coping skills.

SPEAKER_02 39:59

Awesome.

SPEAKER_00 40:00

They go together really, really well. Like so far, faith is only just giving the extra encouragement. I think some people need to like have hope in something bigger than themselves. But there's also like a lot of really good like resources and articles and websites LinkedIn and coping mechanisms like overall in the book as well.

SPEAKER_04 40:18

That's awesome. Did I answer that? Great question.

SPEAKER_00 40:20

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 40:21

Okay, great question. Because yeah, because you're a psychology major, right? So there's gonna be times where I mean we all know this in the academics, they they don't want to honor the higher being a lot.

SPEAKER_00 40:29

Yes, and I have like come across like that, but it hasn't conflicted with like coping skills and like my objective. Gotcha.

SPEAKER_04 40:36

Gotcha. If that like makes sense. No, I I totally get it. Yeah. Well, your coping skills, as far as I'm concerned, are are real. Yes. They're and they're time, they're time, they're gonna be time tested. They work for you. Most likely they will work for many, many, many, many other people. And that's what you're trying to do is get it that somebody doesn't make the decision that your best friend did or your friend did. Yes. And puts the period instead of the comma. Yes. I love that. I'm gonna be using that one a lot. That's a good that's a good one. All right, we are gonna, we're gonna be, we're gonna go.

SPEAKER_00 41:02

All right.

SPEAKER_04 41:03

Are you good?

SPEAKER_00 41:04

Yes, I'm great.

SPEAKER_04 41:04

You were phenomenal, unbelievable. So there we go. All right. Wow, what a show. Hugo. That's righty. My gosh, it's probably one of the best ones we've had in many, many, many, many months. Uh I mean, all of our guests are amazing, but I gotta tell you, this was incredible. Please share this episode with anybody, actually, everybody, because a lot of times people don't even know who's suffering from some kind of mental uh health issues at all. So uh thanks for listening to the show. Thanks for coming back every Thursday at 7 p.m., and we'll see you again next week. All right, that's it.