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The Kindness Matters Podcast
So. Much. Division. Let's talk about how to change that. Re-engage as neighbors, friends, co-workers and family. Let's set out to change the world. Strike that. Change A World. One person at a time, make someone's life a little better and then do it again tomorrow and the day after that, through kindness.
Kindness is a Super-Power that each of us has within us. It is so powerful it has the potential to change not only your life but those around you, too. Let's talk about kindness.
The Kindness Matters Podcast
Kindness That Saves Lives
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What if the smallest act of kindness could shift someone from isolation to hope? We sit down with mental health advocate, peer support specialist, and nonprofit founder Maddie Andrews to unpack what recovery really looks like for people living with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and bipolar disorder—and why stigma keeps too many from asking for help. Maddie’s candid story moves from a year of medical crisis to a mission: make mental health care equitable, accessible, and free of shame through peer-led support and community education.
Across this conversation, we explore how lived experience builds instant trust in support groups, why “I’ve been there” can open a door that clinical language can’t, and how kindness lowers the barrier to resources like therapy, medication, and crisis planning. Maddie explains the structure of JE Support Group’s free offerings: a national virtual group for schizophrenia spectrum and bipolar communities and two local, in-person groups for broader mental health needs. We dig into concrete tools members share—daily routines, sleep strategies, medication management, and communication skills—and the deep relief of being seen without judgment.
We also get practical about inclusion at work and school. From flexible policies and accommodations to trauma-informed training, small shifts create safer spaces where people can speak up early and avoid crises. Affordability remains a pressing barrier, even with insurance, so we talk navigation tips, sliding-scale options, and why grassroots organizations matter. The takeaway is clear: recovery isn’t the absence of a diagnosis; it’s the presence of support, agency, and community. If you or someone you love needs connection, JE Support’s virtual group is open nationwide.
If this conversation lifts you up, share it with a friend, leave a rating, and subscribe so you never miss a new story of kindness in action. Your one share might be the spark someone needs today.
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Welcome to the Kindness Matters podcast. Show that so that the powerful truth. The kindness can change the world. Every week I aim to china light out. People and organizations making a positive difference to their communities. Probably that. Because when it comes to kindness, the ripple effect is limitless.
SPEAKER_01:The voice of the crowd devers helped.
SPEAKER_03:Hey, hello, and welcome everybody to the show. You are listening to the Kindness Matters podcast, and I am your host, Mike Rathbun. Um, I am so thankful that you are here. Um there are a million podcasts out there, and you chose to spend 30-ish minutes of your time with mine. And I appreciate it. I appreciate you, and thank you from the bottom of my heart. If you hear anything in this podcast today that that resonates with you or makes you feel uplifted, or anything at all positive, if you hear something negative, just don't worry about it, forget you listen to it. But if you hear something positive, feel free to send to share this episode, this podcast, with your friends and family and co-workers and weird uncle Al and you know, some stranger on the street, tell him he's heard it, you want him to listen to it. Because we have a fantastic show for you today. Today's guest on the Kindness Matters podcast is Maddie Andrews. She's a mental health advocate, peer support specialist, and nonprofit founder who is turning her lived experience into hope for others. Maddie is the founder and president of JE Support Group, a grassroots organization that offers free mental health support groups, education, and advocacy with a focus on making care equitable, accessible, and affordable for everyone. When she's not leading groups or speaking, Maddie is studying for her master's in social work at UNC Chapel Hill, go tar heels, and dreaming out new ways to make sure no one has to struggle alone. Her story is honest, her heart is huge, and her message is a reminder that community care and kindness can change the mental health conversation one person at a time. Welcome to the show, Maddie.
SPEAKER_00:Thank you so much for having me. I'm so excited.
SPEAKER_03:And the crowd goes wild. No, it's it's truly awesome to have you here. And um because this episode is going out during the winter, I know that can be a particularly tough mental health time of the year, right?
SPEAKER_00:Right, definitely. Seasonal factive disorder is all too real.
SPEAKER_03:My gosh, tell me about it. Um but so I mean, now your your nonprofit J and D support group. Um that was kind of personal for you to to create, wasn't it?
SPEAKER_00:It was. Um, all these wonderful things that you said, and I so appreciate you being so kind and saying all of them. But I also happen to be someone living with mental illness myself, and it was my lifelong struggles that led me to do everything I do today.
SPEAKER_02:Really? Yeah. Okay.
SPEAKER_03:So talk to me about there is, in fact, a stigma around mental health, right? Why is it so important to fight that stigma and to create open judgment-free conversations about mental health? Why do we need to talk about it? Back in my day, you know, I'm a boomer. We just kind of swept it under the rug and we didn't talk about it at all. Why is it important to do that now?
SPEAKER_00:I think it's so important because everybody has mental health, right? Everybody's got some form of it. It's just what scale of mental health do you have? And we hear these um big words like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. And we have these misconceptions of what people living with those diagnoses are like. But let's just say something transparent here. I have schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. And if you met me on the street, you would have no idea. And I'm able to do all of these wonderful things. But if you just hear those words without meeting me, you may have a misconception about me. And that's the stigma related to mental health.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, for sure. Uh yeah, you say, oh, they're schizophrenic. And it's like it's it comes out almost scary, doesn't it?
SPEAKER_00:It does. People tend to think they're violent or they're crazy, or we need to lock them up, or these extremist views about mental illness. But at the end of the day, they're human beings trying to fight for their rights, trying to fight for an equitable life, trying to heal is what they want to be treated just like everybody else. They just have to have different resources to do so.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah. It's like nobody nobody gets through life without help, right? Right. And some people just need more or different help than you or I might need.
SPEAKER_00:Exactly. Like I need extra supports, and that's okay. I had to learn that when I was an undergrad. I needed to go to the Office of Disabilities, and it was nothing wrong with that, but I got to take my tests separate. I got to have help with my notes and all these resources. And it's just because I was really struggling with my mental illness. And it's, I got my degree and I'm successful. I just needed help along the way.
SPEAKER_03:And now you're going for your master's.
SPEAKER_00:I am, you know, and I was kind of wanted my master's, but in 2023, I was actually fighting for my life. I had um lithium toxicity, serotonin syndrome, and a brain injury. I was forced to relearn walking, talking, swallowing, breathing, everything. And I had these like four concrete questions along my healing journey. Why is it I'm driving an hour for services? Why is it my care is so expensive? Why is it so limited? Why have I been coached to be silent? And why have I never met a person who I can say is like me? And it really drove me to make more change. And that's why I'm in grad school is to solve the answer to these questions, to advocate for change. And that's why I started J E.
SPEAKER_03:Wow. Yeah, for sure. I I we must have talked about that. Um how do you think kindness can help break down barriers for people who are struggling and make it easier for them to reach out for help?
SPEAKER_00:I will I always say kindness is free. It may be a passing moment for you to give a smile or a nice word or a gesture. But let me tell you personally, there was plenty of times in my life where I was choosing life and death. I lived with a lot of deep-seated um feelings about that. And people in the community were kind to me. Maybe it was just a, hey, how you doing? Maybe it was a smile, maybe it was a random act of kindness, but it eliminated me, it enabled me to choose life in that moment. So we never know what someone is going through and what your kindness can give to them.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, that's for sure. And you know, you see that phrase on t-shirts, for example.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah.
SPEAKER_03:Don't know what somebody else is going through, be kind. Um, because yeah, there are people walking around today and you see them every single day who may be struggling with the most horrific things, things that you might drive you and I, you know, into pulling over the covers over our head and and not going out anymore. And they're they're out there and they're living their lives, and they're um and a simple hello or a how are you or a listening ear could could make the difference, right? Between well, I'm not I don't even want to say that. But yeah. I was gonna say life and death.
SPEAKER_02:It could for somebody. It could.
SPEAKER_03:It could. Um, so talk to me a little bit more. Now do you you guys do a lot of work in support groups, right?
SPEAKER_00:We do. So we offer 100% free support groups. It's all about building communities of like-minded people who can learn and grow together. I felt very alone most of my life on my journey, and I didn't want that for anybody else. So we have three support groups in growing, and it's to give people a sense of community, to learn new skills, just to not feel alone and have hope.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, because I think that's probably one of the biggest things, right? With with uh a mental health issue, is you feel like you're the only one, nobody else understands what you're going through. Um, and it can be very isolating.
SPEAKER_00:Is that what we're it is? I would agree with that. You know, when there's something to be said about having somebody else on this planet who says, I can I get it, I'm here for you. It's a special feeling, and sometimes mental illness is kept hush hush, and these people may not meet other people like themselves. And that's what we're trying to kind of eliminate here is a safe, confidential place where you can disclose that kind of thing and connect with other people on a different kind of level.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, yeah. Just providing that. So talk to me about the role that peer support groups play in helping people. Well, um, we kind of touched on that for a sec, but helping people feel seen, heard, and valued as they recover.
SPEAKER_02:So go ahead.
SPEAKER_03:I I'm sorry. Do you have like is it one group for what? Example.
SPEAKER_00:So we have three groups right now. One is a virtual group. It was our first group. It's for anyone living with or affected by schizofactive disorder, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder. Um and it's all peer-based, which means everybody in the group has lived experience with that. And it's, you know, something to be said to go to a therapist and a doctor, that's great. I encourage it. But when you meet somebody who's walked the path and can say, this is what I went through, this is how I got through it, people are a little more receptive to that.
unknown:Yes.
SPEAKER_00:And then when they're all successful, we open two other groups, they're in person, and then just any kind of mental health need or mental health concern. Um, and we're looking to expand. So, you know, it's great.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, and that I think that's kind of where my question was going is like there are dozens of recognized mental health conditions, right?
SPEAKER_02:Yes.
SPEAKER_03:You can't possibly have one group for every every issue. But okay, so you you've got one that meets virtually for the schizophrenia and bipolar, and then the other two meet um they are in person, yeah. Um for just general general mental health issues.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. Okay.
SPEAKER_03:That's no judgment, man. Okay, now I'm gonna ask you to if you can share a story where acts of kindness or empathy in your support groups that happened in the groups encouraged someone on their path to healing.
SPEAKER_02:Definitely.
SPEAKER_00:Um, yeah, I think the biggest part, I'll talk about my virtual group because that's a little bit more specialized. And a lot of these people may be going through, like, not to say it's more significant, but it's just different, different types of needs. And it's scary to disclose some of the things you go through when you live with serious mental illness. You worry about feeling judged or persecuted or shamed. And in the support groups, it's not that at all. People are showing empathy and kindness and grace and compassion and these wonderful feelings. And and not only that, they're saying, hey, I was there too, or hey, I'm going through that. And it's creating the kindness piece, but it's also creating the camaraderie, and it's a beautiful thing to experience. And it's not just her group members, they do it for me too. It's it's beautiful.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah. I mean, just hearing the words that I have been where you are. Yeah. That has got to be so empowering, so powerful.
SPEAKER_02:It is, you it is.
SPEAKER_03:Go ahead. Yeah, I was I was re-watching um The West Wing. Have you ever seen it?
SPEAKER_02:No.
SPEAKER_03:Okay. There's a couple of characters. There's a character named Leo McGarry, uh, played by an amazing actor named John Spencer. He's passed away and another character's name is Josh Lyman, and he's played by Bradley Whitford, whom you might know from other shows. I think he was Commander Lawrence in The Handmaid's Tale.
SPEAKER_00:Oh, I can't watch that show.
SPEAKER_03:Oh, yeah. I would he that could be triggering, I would imagine.
SPEAKER_00:It is. Okay.
SPEAKER_03:Sorry. Um, I I think he was also on um the new season of I can't remember, The Diplomat on Netflix. Okay. Anyway, neither here nor there. In the series, Josh goes through um PTSD. Um, he was shot during an assassination attempt on the president, and uh he's seeing a psychiatrist, and at one point Leo takes him aside and he tells him the story about a guy who falls in a hole, and uh uh a doctor comes by and he says, Hey doc, can you help me out? I'm down this hole, I'm stuck in this hole. Doctor writes a prescription, tossed it down the hole, walks off. Next thing up is a priest. Uh the guy in the hole says, Hey father, can you help me out? I'm in this hole, I can't get out. The priest writes down a prayer, tosses it in the hole, walks off. Next thing he says, he sees a friend and he says, Hey Joe, I'm down in this hole, can you help me out? And the friend jumps in the hole with him, and the guy in the hole says, What are you doing? Now we're both in this hole. And the guy that jumped in says, Yeah, but I've been down here before and I know the way out.
SPEAKER_00:That's wonderful.
SPEAKER_03:And I think that's a great I don't know what allegory for what you were just describing. The the the power of of having somebody say, you know, I know where you're at, I know where you've been, and I understand.
SPEAKER_00:I think that's a great analogy. You know, when I met somebody who gave that to me, it pushed me to want to listen, it pushed me to want to do better in my life because I I had that little bit of hope because they did it too. And that's what we try to do with all of our group members, with all and that's the beauty of peer support in general. It's you have to have lived experience to be peer support. That's the whole basis of it all.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah. Hence the word peer.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah.
SPEAKER_03:Right. Um, okay, so and and a lot of times we talk about a lot of my questions have had the word healing. Yeah. Does anybody heal from mental illness?
SPEAKER_00:I think that's a really good thing. It is not curable. I will have my mental illness for the rest of my life, but I can heal at the same time because I can be in recovery. So there's when you're in crisis or when you're unwell, and then there's living with mental illness successfully in recovery. So while I I will always have a diagnosis, I can live a beautiful, fantastic, wonderful life doing absolutely anything I want to do.
SPEAKER_03:And uh yeah, as a as evidenced by your current path, right? I could never go get my master's.
SPEAKER_02:You could.
SPEAKER_03:Trust me, I couldn't. Okay. So how do you encourage hope for recovery, even when somebody feels overwhelmed or isolated by their mental health struggles?
SPEAKER_00:I think, you know, that's the beauty of peer support, right? Like because when you go to a therapist, they can't say, hey, I've been there too. But when you can talk to somebody on that personal level, and there's a difference between just saying, this happened to me, versus, hey, do you mind if I share this thing we have in common? And giving them that relatability in a positive, respectful way without oversharing. And once they see that they're not alone, you can share resources and let them know that there's light at the end of the tunnel and provide that community. Part of peer support is connecting people with resources. So even if you're not the best fit or it's not the best group or whatever, you can show them the way to other people they might connect with.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah. Oh, that's perfect. I love that. Um so along those same lines, because we're talking about community, what has helped build resilience and confidence in your community for those who are navigating depression or anxiety or any other mental health challenges?
SPEAKER_00:You know, that's a that's a big question. I live in, and I think it's just a person-by-person situation. Some people like it when they can connect to people. Some people have to be given hard, concrete skills that they can use in the moment. I think it's just understanding, getting to know a person and seeing what they need. Because everybody's an individual and not, well, what I say works for me or the next isn't going to work for you necessarily. So that's part of building that rapport and building those relationships. But I think a lot of times with my group members, seeing success stories helps and showing concrete skills that those people used during those successes helps a lot.
SPEAKER_03:For sure. I can I can only imagine it. Possibly can absolutely can. Um I love the aspect that you're trying to make mental health services more accessible and equitable and cost effective or if not you know affordable. Um because there does seem to be, I mean there seems to be a real especially affordability gap, right? I think go ahead. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Even with insurance, you know, people with mental illness didn't ask for this. And there's this like you got co-pays, you got medication, they all cost money, therapy costs money, and you're just trying to better your life and live with what you were born with. So that's why I don't charge for any of my services, whether it be advocacy, support groups, any of that, because I believe mental health care should be affordable, accessible, and equitable. And my initial idea with grad school was to be a therapist doing that. What I learned along the way was the system is broken at a much larger level, and that's where I'm being called to. But I wanted to give free therapy because people need it. It's a vital skill. It's just some people can't afford it.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, absolutely. I I don't know how I don't know how anybody I I couldn't afford it when I needed it. I mean, I I was self-insured, and I had like a ten thousand dollar deductible that I had to meet before insurance covered anything. And I think after that, they paid like 50%. And I'm like, I can't afford that. And I, you know, I slow doing this podcast was quite possibly the thing that saved my mental health. Just talking to people like yourself and other people who are just making a positive difference in the world really, really helps my mental health. You're finding your own community.
SPEAKER_00:You're finding your own community. Oh, I love that.
SPEAKER_03:Yes, you're absolutely right, I am. So let's talk about mental health in general. Are there practical ways that schools or families or workplaces can offer kindness and inclusion for those living with mental health concerns? Do the do schools or workplaces even do that currently?
SPEAKER_00:I think it depends on your school system and your workplace. When I was a teacher, absolutely not. I was expected to be this perfect in the box employee who doesn't have personal struggles. Now that I'm in the world I am today, you know, most of us have our own mental health concerns. And it's expected that you're able to discuss these things and have accommodations and talk about what's going on. And then some schools have therapy in school, some schools don't. I think mental health care and talking about mental health and normalizing the conversation has come a long way from when I was younger, but it's not where it needs to be. It's not safe everywhere. And, you know, if you have a great employee who just needs a little bit of extra support here and there, why wouldn't you give it to them? Or if you have a kid in a school who needs a little bit of extra support and there's too many barriers to get it outside of school, why wouldn't you provide that?
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, absolutely. That's a great question. I would love to hear the answer. From any if you own a business or or work in a the leadership of a school, what's your policy? You know, how do you guys handle it? I would love to hear that. I'd love to hear from my listeners. Okay. Last question. What message would you most want listeners to hear about the possibility of recovery and the role kindness plays in that journey?
SPEAKER_00:For anybody living with mental illness of any sort, please know that it's it's not a death sentence. We do recover, hope is alive. I'm a living proof of that. There's a light at the end of the tunnel, and we can live any way we want to. And if you have someone in your life who is living with mental illness, be kind and compassionate and show grace. I can guarantee you there's enough negativity going on in their own head without hearing it from the outside world. So just shower them with love. That's the best thing you can do.
SPEAKER_03:That's a great that's a great statement or a great message. Um okay, so now it is your Okay. I was gonna say, uh do your are your services available for anyone, but right now it's at least the in-person groups are are limited to the Chapel Hill area.
SPEAKER_00:Our our online group is available across the country. Anybody living with or affected by schizophrenia, schizopolf, or bipolar disorder is welcome to join. And we have both pool, people who live with it and people who just have family members or friends who want to ask questions. And then with the peer support and advocacy aspect, people from across the country email me and ask questions or ask for support or connecting to resources. So we might be in North Carolina, but we support anyone who reaches out.
SPEAKER_03:That's fantastic. So it's JES JE Support.
SPEAKER_00:JESupport.org. Yeah. My email is on there.
SPEAKER_03:Yep. And it's MaddieAndrews at JESupport.org. And we will have that link available in the show notes. You guys are a nonprofit, right?
SPEAKER_00:We are.
SPEAKER_03:How can we support you?
SPEAKER_00:Well, in many ways, you know, just in many ways. We love hearing stories of recovery. We love celebrating stories of recovery. If you want to share that, we would love it. And if you want to donate, we run on donations from fundraisers. So um that's great too. But even if it's just a good job, guys, keep going, that's what really drives us. So any kind of positive reinforcement, we're here for it.
SPEAKER_03:Well, I am here to say good job, guys. You guys are fantastic and um you're making a positive impact in the world. And I appreciate it. And I know there's a lot of other people out there that appreciate it.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. Well, I appreciate you doing this in this podcast because that's a big part of advocacy, right? Is lifting voices. And without platforms like this, we wouldn't be heard. So I appreciate you and all the podcasters and all the listeners and everybody who's taking a minute out of their day to hear this.
SPEAKER_03:Fantastic. Thank you so much for being on today, Maddie. I uh I appreciate you. I appreciate JES, JE Support. I don't know why I do that.
SPEAKER_02:It's the second time I do that.
SPEAKER_03:J E J N D E Support Group or dot org. Um keep doing what you're doing, and we will talk again soon. I want to thank you so much for listening to this episode of the Kindness Matters podcast with my guest, Maddie Andrews from JD Support Group. I hope that she gave you some information to things out. I hope that this episode feelings feel a little easier, a little more hopeful, about the state of the world we all care. If you enjoyed this episode, please feel free to tell your friends, family, and co-workers about it. Also, uh for more uplifting content. You can find us on Facebook Instagram TikTok and YouTube at TikTok and TikTok. Also, also, don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter for more uplifting content. It's free and there's a link to sign up in the show notes. You have the list of the Times Matters podcast. I am your grateful host, Mike Grasp, and we will be back again next week with a brand new episode, and we would be honest if you would join us again. Do that, remember, Timus Matters, and Toby YouTube.
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