Seleana and Timbre discuss Mental Health Awareness Month

Seleana and Timbre discuss Mental Health Awareness Month and the importance of seeking care.

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:00

48 million adults live with anxiety, and 21 million with depression in the United States alone. One out of five children and adolescents ages 3 to 17 in the U.S. have been diagnosed with mental, emotional, development, or behavioral disorders in the United States alone. Welcome to Disco, diverse and inclusive stream of conscious observations. May is a mental health awareness month. So this month we're going to discuss different aspects of mental health and the importance of it. So today with me, I'm Selena. And as always, along.

SPEAKER_01 0:46

Hi everybody, I'm Timber.

SPEAKER_02 0:49

It's Timber, yes. I'm excited to talk about the topic today. As we keep going through, it's um it's it's important that we talk about what mental health means. And a lot of people, when you hear mental health, depression and anxiety are the first thing that comes to mind. Those I think are the most basic that people think of.

SPEAKER_01 1:12

And there's a lot more to it than just that.

SPEAKER_02 1:16

Yes, yes, yes. And there's additional mental health issues like bipolar, PTSD, schizophrenia, OCD, personality disorders. There's neuroconnect, neurocognitive, neurocognitive disorders. Um, those usually result from brain injuries or diseases as well. And the list goes on and on and on.

SPEAKER_01 1:41

Well, it's you're talking about uh brain health. Um, I know I've talked about this before, but I had a stroke 14 years ago, um, pretty massive right side stroke. And it took me a while. I mean, that's 14 years ago, and I'm still recovering from it. And um for the first few years, I had a lot of issues. Um, a lot of things that happen with neurological trauma like that is spontaneous emotions. Like you can either burst into tears quickly or laugh just for no reason at all, and the most inappropriate times.

SPEAKER_02 2:26

Time frames, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 2:27

Yeah. Um, so it it this is a really broad topic. It is that we're talking about it.

SPEAKER_02 2:36

Yeah, that's that's what I see. As you can hear from those statistics, every one of us either is affected directly or indirectly, and or indirectly by mental health. You know, if you look, everyone knows somebody that's suffering, um, andor living with mental health concerns, but we don't seem to talk about it.

SPEAKER_01 2:59

My family was very negatively affected by my brain trauma, um, and and my recovery process with that. So, yes, and well that we're that that's getting into physical, you know, trauma versus emotional well-being. But with my recovery, the there's a we're all emotionally strained, not just myself, my parents were, my siblings were, my friends.

SPEAKER_02 3:30

Well, that's the thing, you know, when one person is affected, that's why I said, uh, either you're affected or directly or indirectly, you know, that you know somebody, it's either yourself or it's a close family member, close friend, could be somebody you work with. Like, I promise you, there's somebody out there that has suffered from some type of mental illness. Absolutely, by no means, and we really want us to like start this conversation to stop it being such a clinical conversation and to have it be more of a relaxed conversation, like something that's easy that we just go ahead and just talk about, bring up as quick as we would bring up the NBA playoffs, you know, just as casual to be able to talk about.

SPEAKER_01 4:21

And it's good to talk about it and it's healthy to talk about it, and it's okay to talk about it. I remember growing up uh my early in my early adulthood, it was a turn a turnoff, and crit and people were critical of of of a person who was seeing a therapist. There is even jokes about him. Um and uh which is really really unfortunate. Now, at least today, it's just like it's part of part of a dating profile, is is that which is really strange to see, is like I want to see, I want to know that you're actually going to see a therapist, or have you, or have you? Yeah, and I because I do. Um and I'm like, really?

SPEAKER_02 5:18

It's a big push for a lot of people. They want to make sure, like if you have some issues, concerns, some things you came from with. I've heard from a lot of people who that is a requirement for dating on them that they do therapy because they feel as if everybody should go through therapy because it's good for everyone, they you know.

SPEAKER_01 5:41

It is, and couples therapy too.

SPEAKER_02 5:45

Yeah, but then there's so many different levels of therapy too. The therapy itself, like you just dated, has developed such a stigma on its own that it seems like you must be crazy, or something's mentally wrong with you for you to be able to, or for you to go see a therapist to feel like you should, and that's a lot of the problem. You're right, it shouldn't be that bad. And you know, I'm gonna be honest, I've never seen a therapist.

SPEAKER_01 6:19

I need to, that's fine, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 6:21

You know, I do. I did, I well, no, I did see one once. We met to see if we were a good fit, and we were, but the hours weren't. And I haven't found anybody yet.

SPEAKER_01 6:35

That is tough. The cost is tough, and to find the right fit is tough. I've had good therapists and bad therapists. I I had one pretty much fall asleep with his eyes open in front of me.

unknown 6:48

Wow.

SPEAKER_01 6:48

Yeah, like, and I'm like, I I went to my big rant, like 15-minute ranch or something, and you know, and I paused, and he that's all I got. It's like hello, like and then he like snapped snaps away because like, oh, you want me to respond? I'm like Yeah, it it so it it's it's almost probably not probably not a good way to put it, is it's like going through speed dating or even going through the you know, going through somebody's profile and then talking to them and seeing if you're actually comfortable with each other and want to see each other again. I mean it's and so take your time, don't don't get discouraged. I mean I'm trying not to because there's a whole bunch of different I I was seeing like a near neurologist, even a board certified one, like to get board certified like a neuropsychologist, yeah. Neuropsychologists, in order to get board certified for that, it's you have to be pretty damn good, yeah. Um, but unfortunately he wasn't. I f I I have a really good one now, uh, but it took a lot of effort to go find her, too.

SPEAKER_02 8:02

To get through, yes. And that's another part. Like, I want people to understand that the difference between the mental health and mental illness, different things, yeah. Um there they are different, like so. We can clarify, everybody has mental health, everybody has mental health. If you've ever felt frustrated, overwhelmed, you felt like you wanted to hide for a few days and block the world off, you know, you felt like you were just quote unquote in a funk. Those are a lot of things that a lot of people understand. I've just been in a funk for the past few days, you know. This is a mental health thing, you know, even being happy and positive and laughing all the time. Mental health, like your mental health, where you're at for your mental health, you know, then we have the mental illnesses that happens that come on that are more like the the neurocognitive issues, the schizophrenia, the there is also the depression and anxiety that those are so common. Um but yet we we seem to not recognize those either or believe it.

SPEAKER_01 9:10

No, we don't.

SPEAKER_02 9:12

Yeah, I'm my mom came from the time of the get over it.

SPEAKER_01 9:18

Move on to the that's I'm on the tail end of that. That's how my my parents were, and I think you and I both grew up with that too. Get over it.

SPEAKER_02 9:28

We did, yeah, and then my mom she when my stepdad passed away, she went into she went into depression. And her doctor called it out and showed her, and then she finally understood and she was like, It is real, it is something like you know, and had to break it down. And another thing people don't understand about depression is it's a it's a chemical imbalance in our brains that is actually truly developed, right?

SPEAKER_01 9:59

And that's what the medicine helps with is to balance those chemicals, and it's crazy, like we'll we're quick to take a multivitamin to balance our you know nutrient level, like or beer people's or or beer or uh narcotics and recreational drugs and and over-the-counter drugs too. There's uh some really good videos about uh with celebrity newscasters, kind of the late-night TV hosts. Yeah, um, there's uh a really good one um that discusses the over over-the-counter unregulated supplements that uh people use to help to to help, and they become addicted to it.

SPEAKER_02 10:53

I can believe our bodies, yeah. And I'm being addicted to it a lot, you know.

SPEAKER_01 10:59

I I've been I've been there, you know, been addicted to it to them or been close to the addictions and things like that. And for my brain health, I I need in order to sort of to function and stay stay motivated, I need herbal supplements. And I'm scared sometimes, like how how how how I am off of them, you know, or or needing them so much, needing them to sleep and things like that. It's a it's a very thin line for me anyway, my my opinion about using some some some of those supplements to fall asleep at night because of my anxiety and things like that. But it's it's a very firm line when it comes to AA and NA and any other 12-step recovery program. It's a huge, huge no-no.

SPEAKER_02 11:53

Yeah, yeah, there's any.

SPEAKER_01 11:55

So somebody people we need to understand that fact as well about are you know going through getting getting mentally healthy with the proper support people, um, either professionals or in support groups, and being careful not to fall in into traps of other easy fixes.

SPEAKER_02 12:21

Yeah, yeah. Just recognize this the signs too is important, and signs of, yeah, because they're very clear.

SPEAKER_01 12:31

Yeah, it with what they're very clear. Um it's um, you know, I remember just seeing the I'm sure we've seen them in high school, even at modern modern day high school, uh, about signs of depression and what it what your best friend might be going through, but not telling you.

SPEAKER_02 12:56

I didn't grow up knowing much about it.

SPEAKER_01 12:58

Oh, it's it's I didn't know that. A good a good two two big common signs is is like, have you ever thought about it? Yeah that that's that's usually a reference to suicide, or all of a sudden out of nowhere, giving away all their prized possessions. Just just freely, hey, you want the you want my comic book collection? Do you want my camera? Do you want you know, yeah, do you want my you know, this thing that you you've known that your your friend always always treasured this, but all of a sudden they're giving it to you for no reason at all. It's a huge sign to hey, why don't you stop and talk to them and make sure that they are getting the help that they need?

SPEAKER_02 13:41

Yeah, those are I think and I think those signs are well, at least the giving away ones are pretty obvious. And but it's one that others recognize of you, not necessarily you recognizing it on yourself. That you know, hey, I might have something going on, and there's some something I'm I might need to talk to somebody or need some help. And some people don't understand and exactly what happens. And I think a lot of times the physical uh reactions that we get are what actually cause us to stop to think, not necessarily like our process of our minds or how we're working with everything else, but more of the physical stuff like headaches, fatigue, you know, stomach aches, especially for kids. Stomach aches are very common part of our symptom of depression, sure, and anxiety.

SPEAKER_01 14:38

Absolutely. Um I have a huge amount of stomach issues, and a lot of it has to do with my mental health too.

SPEAKER_02 14:46

My diet, yeah, and a lot of people don't associate that, but it is it can have a big you know, in chronic pain when you're always in pain, disruption in your sleep, sure, as you were just talking about sleep issues.

SPEAKER_01 14:59

Yeah, it's sleeping on the head a certain way too will affect your neck and your back because you're having the anxiety. Now, this is all this is not just you know the only way it can be or would be, but yeah, yeah. Um now you not eating properly too will affect your stomach.

SPEAKER_02 15:16

Oh, yes, it will well it'll still affect your stomach and your moods. Food can also affect your moods, you know. Like you hear about the junk food, the sugar high, it sends you way high, you're happy you're going then boom, you crash.

SPEAKER_01 15:32

You crash, yeah. I yeah, you know, I have people close to me that they they they they know me well enough right now that they know if I'm getting a little hypoglycemic or a little moody. It's like Timber, let's get you something to eat.

SPEAKER_02 15:50

You need snickers, yeah, something like that.

SPEAKER_01 15:52

Yeah, anything, anything even, like the shows, other because other otherwise I I get really, really off.

SPEAKER_02 16:00

Yeah, yeah. Um that's the thing, the mental health. When you have friends that are by and standing by that can speak up, that's fantastic, as long as you're willing to also listen. Sure, you know, and you also have to listen to our bodies because you know it all has a ripple like effect, so you know it it'll affect our friends, the relationships, it affects work, it starts to affect, you know, it just keeps going into our lives deeper and deeper if we don't do much to change it.

SPEAKER_01 16:35

So be sure too that when when people reach out somebody reaches out to you to be open to listening to them, don't judge them, listen, you know, listen to under. I think we talked about this before. Listen to understand rather rather than to respond. Make sure that you're you're really getting a good idea of what what they're going through. Because sometimes they just need an ear. Because one of the reasons why I was hesitant about reaching out to therapists or even talking to my family is because I'm used to that from my past, being judged based on and and being pretty much taught my feelings weren't legitimate. Right. Yeah, which is really, really, really tough. So then now I don't trust anybody, now I know how to bottle things up, and then that that becomes a domino effect. So if some somebody wants to open up to you that your feelings are and their feelings are okay. I mean, in in the sense they're okay to feel them, so then we can work them out. Being told that they're not okay, or you're not okay, or you're wrong, especially you're wrong for feeling your feelings. That could be horribly destructive to somebody. So be sure to listen to your friend and or loved one and be there for them and then help them work out the situation.

SPEAKER_02 18:08

Yes, and not everybody's looking for you to fix it.

SPEAKER_01 18:14

True, sometimes just listen. That's right. That's a good that's a good point.

SPEAKER_02 18:18

You know, um, so because I think sometimes when people are venting about their emotions, they're they're feeling down, they're feeling this. The quickest thing for somebody always to say, and I'm guilty of this a lot of times too, is what you need to do. What you what somebody thinks you should do or you need to do or what should change and happen. And sometimes they just need to listen, just need you to listen and and respect like and understand if you can. Yeah, that's very beneficial, you know. The history of mental health are for humanities, which I think is a huge contributor to the combative to people hiding it and not talking about it. I mean, if we have to remember long, long ago, any type of quote unquote mental illness that they see, they would send people to asylums.

SPEAKER_00 19:22

True.

SPEAKER_02 19:22

They, you know, banish them or sacrifice them. I mean, depending on how far back you go into history. Uh, they they thought it was witchcraft, they thought it was bad, they just needed to be like any difference. I don't know what's wrong with us as humans back then. Like, you see any difference, and all of a sudden you gotta be banished or killed. We were horrible about that, right?

SPEAKER_01 19:46

About embracing differences, or have horrible man horrible uh surgeries.

SPEAKER_02 19:53

Yes, where they would literally put holes in people's skull because they thought it was uh spirits or demons, not spirits, demons that were possessing them, so they put holes in their head to release the demons, right? No, you weren't, you were being the demon at that time, but that's what they were doing with the they did, and then they moved to the asylums because they wanted to have be locked away from society, not to be seen, you know. We're so gotta be perfect, can't have any flaws. Well, but did you know? Have you ever heard of the National Mental Health Act of 1946?

SPEAKER_01 20:35

No, no, I haven't been either.

SPEAKER_02 20:37

I just learned about this too, I which was great. So prior to 1946, they were doing the lockup throw away the key type of thing for patients with mental illnesses. But it changed in 1946. What was the biggest change? Was the soldiers that came back from World War II and their mental instability, the PTSD that they started with, and then the therapists became it, and then the families that also were dealing with the soldiers, you know, in needing help because it was affecting their mental health as well. That's what also made the government be like, hey, okay, we need to look at this differently.

SPEAKER_01 21:21

Was this the first recognized cases of PTSD and soldiers?

SPEAKER_02 21:26

I don't know if it was the first recognized cases, but it was the first, I mean, they actually were listening. Okay, this was World War II, you know, so but they were listening and and did see that war did affect people's mentalities and that PTSD and things were real. So they started funding into research and treatment and therapy for people to help more people, and that's where they kind of started it became more open. To society to have a mental illness and to be get treatments for it, you know. And in the 50s, it was in the 50s is when the meds came. Pharmaceutical industry started coming up. And you know, the most thing I think I know is lithium. Yeah, I was just gonna for like mania that was used, which is not a good med. Um, and then also they use chlorophyll chloropromazine.

unknown 22:26

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 22:28

Um medical chloropromosine, um, which was an antipsychotic med. Those were like their most common meds that they used at that time. But that's when it started to develop. And I think you know, from the funding of the National Mental Health Act in 1946, we're able to start to review and to look into meds, and that's how they have developed some. And then in it was after that, like in the 60s, 70s, so they started, they wanted to get rid of asylum. That's when we moved away from them, and they wanted to go more to uh community-based mental health centers and outpatient care to help people.

SPEAKER_01 23:12

Well, it's very humanitarian of them.

SPEAKER_02 23:15

I mean, they very humanitarian.

SPEAKER_01 23:16

I think they realized it's a very good thing. Those asylums, yeah, they were scary.

SPEAKER_02 23:22

I remember my aunt had schizophrenia, and she was put in um to one of those mental health places, and it was horrible. It was a horrible place. Like she and she was raped there a couple times, she was abused, like this. There's other abuse happening to cause even further mental illness in these facilities.

SPEAKER_01 23:47

I was a security guard at a mental health facility, it was very very brutal, yeah. Um to witness it, and I mean I imagine let's just say you're just I'm just feeling down today, or even you had a a person had attempted suicide, but they're really just something bad happened, they're just depressed for a little while. They're gonna get thrown into that situation, and then uh I mean it but that's gonna be psychologically stressful on them when they probably don't need to be exposed to that. And then because they're they're there for a 72-hour hold, you know. So after three days, they they're just thrown back on the street. Um and I'm sure I'm sure that there's treatment programs that they've arranged and things like that, medications that they've been prescribed, but the the the hold facilities are very difficult to put it mildly.

SPEAKER_02 24:48

They're horrible. I went to go see my aunt this was like as a kid when she was there.

SPEAKER_01 24:53

This is like 15, 20 years ago. It was yeah.

SPEAKER_02 24:57

Well, this for my aunt was about had to be like 30 to 40 years ago. Yeah, um, probably closer to 40. Yeah, yeah, 40 years ago. Um it was so scary in there, and it's just like a dungeon, like a prison. It was horrible. It was just horrible. The place that she was at is closed down now. Thank goodness, because that was a long time ago. Um, but I remember my mom and my grandma they fought with the governor to get my aunt out. Luckily, like the governor at that time used to be their dentist or something. So like he knew the family.

SPEAKER_01 25:39

Sure.

SPEAKER_02 25:40

And once he got word of it, he got her out. But it was hard to get her out because these these doctors and writers and people were locking them up saying they had to be there. That was their treatment. Basically, it was just to get get you get you gone and and not care about what else happened because the things that would happen there would cause even further mental health, which what would that do when when they come out? It would cause people who actually had those issues not want to say anything because they don't want to go through that.

SPEAKER_01 26:12

I was just gonna say, don't, don't let this dissuade. Don't let this, I don't want this to dissuade anybody from seeking help if they need help.

SPEAKER_02 26:24

Thank god, this was 40 years ago. This is not like this now.

SPEAKER_01 26:28

No, it's not.

SPEAKER_02 26:29

Which we have we've gotten a better grasp, like you said, on humanitarian on caring for each other and treating each other in those ways. So, yes, thank goodness that we moved out from that and things did change. There's you know, treatments out there now. There's treatments out there that do help, the therapies that do help. I take an antidepressant medication and it helps me.

SPEAKER_01 26:58

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 26:59

Um, when I don't, I notice, and it's not one of those, because you know, there are some of them that you have to wean on and wean off.

SPEAKER_01 27:09

Okay, yeah, there are because I've been on them before and I wasn't I wasn't getting the proper care that I needed while on it, but they also sent me they were so sent me so far the other way, and it it made it made things worse for me, and then I slipped into uh using other things as well just to feel normal and scares people then I spiraled.

SPEAKER_02 27:35

Yeah, I think that's what scares people from wanting to go get help and getting meds, is they fear that it's gonna send them too much to the other side.

SPEAKER_01 27:44

Well, there's no quick fix. This is this is a long-term care thing, and don't let that scare you either.

SPEAKER_02 27:52

No, because there's a good balance and there's a way to find it. It's the same as I was reading an analogy, they said um it's kind of like a broken arm analogy they used. You know, we see the the broken arm. Um, we put a cast on it, and it goes through. It's not something you break your arm, it's not something you can get up and say get over it and move on. No, it's broke, right? You know, we do something then, we cast it, we we hear it. No, you don't move it, you cater to it, you know. And people um with like the broken arms and the cast, when they've talked about it, when they have it out in the org, we have figured out a way to make it socially acceptable, to make it a positive thing by having people sign the cast. You know, it's no longer a scary, isolating thing, it's now showing positive support in all of those, and plus it becomes a key state later for you know, which is the same as a a mental health note that you could send to somebody just saying you're enough. They could keep that state, you know, in the same way, but it's I say this broken arm aspect, meaning you don't just get up and it's over. It takes time, it takes time to heal. You have to have the right treatment, the right care, along with it, and it's okay to expose yourself and let people know I'm going through it, and I it, but I'm getting it's gonna get fixed, it's gonna I'm gonna be fine, and it's not necessarily fixed, like I don't want people to think that you're broken. True, because that's not it. No, no, it's not you know, it's just a condition, it's just that we have to, you know, work through, and there are ways and tools out here now for people to be able to, which is what we really want to push, you know, well, especially now.

SPEAKER_01 29:53

I mean I've always felt like I'd uh like the last few years I had a pretty good head on my shoulders. I started to figure th figure things out. I know why I feel the way I feel, and I know I've I have proper health, healthy ways to manage my stress and my negative emotions and things like that. But lately things are getting a lot tougher, just for me personally, in my own personal life, but also in the world. Um the world is becoming even more and more confusing. Yeah, it is, and it's stressing me out, and it's making me depressed. And hence, so let's talk to this part about things that we can do to help ourselves to get better, sure, express throughout the days, you know what I mean, right?

SPEAKER_02 30:51

The little bit of uh self-care or the check that you have to do for yourself and recognizing that or taking a moment to do something that gives you that good feeling, you know, whether it is playing your favorite song, reading a book, taking a second, going for a walk.

SPEAKER_01 31:10

I don't do that a lot of time. Um, is listening to music. I music completely changes my mood for the better. Music is powerful, it really, really is.

SPEAKER_02 31:24

Yes, that's my go-to as well. Is music is I like to put something on to help change my mood and to get me feel better, you know. Uh so yeah, and music I think is like one of the most powerful things, but yeah, put in. I say listen to your favorite genre, start with your favorite song, and then go from there. Or, you know, look up some positive music, positive notes. Like that's another thing we need to be careful of what we listen to and what we say also does affect true.

SPEAKER_01 32:00

That's uh us. I know it's it's it's sort of generic, but the there are there are books about it, um, but about how we actually physically speak and what we say manifests comes to fruition, come into fruition. And um, just because you say something positive doesn't mean it's gonna fix everything, but it does set a better premise to to develop a more positive mindset and move.

SPEAKER_02 32:35

Yeah, it helps you. I think um when you're dealing with a situation, it helps you to be able to respond versus react. Exactly, and there's a difference there to be able to respond versus react. Reactions typically aren't the best outcome that you get.

SPEAKER_01 32:56

No, you need to take a moment and be like that's something I'm trying to work on, are my reactions to things, but bottling things up so you don't react can be uh unhealthy as well. Learn how to you know still express yourself too, even if it's you know, say, look, I need to take a minute here, get my thoughts in order, and then come out and talk about it.

SPEAKER_02 33:22

Yes, and it's and it's okay to do that, like and know that it everything doesn't have to be answered in the moment. No, no, you can step back and give give yourself a moment. A lot of times the results will be better, you know. Not to say that every moment and avoid everything, like, wait, like what are you doing in the next five minutes? Give me a minute, let me let me think about it. No, like there's certain things, but every everything. Um give yourself a moment sometimes. It's okay to do, it's okay to do that. Go for a walk to think about things, put like I said, music on nature does some great things too, in my opinion. For people, just to move, like give yourself some mental health checks, some to to take care of yourself, and it's not necessarily like a mental health check to think of it that way, but more of a self-check to keep yourself in. Okay, you know, there's things that we can we can do, and and just try those, you know. And one of the worst things though, which I find myself doing a lot, is being on these things.

SPEAKER_01 34:44

Oh, terrible. Like, uh I'm trying to you know promote this podcast on social media, and I'm trying to get our followers and things like that, but all of a sudden I'm like, I'm I'm having to see all this other toxic stuff on it and fake stuff on it as well. And I'm like, why is this happening on here?

SPEAKER_02 35:08

I I hate these algorithms that they have set, they're actually more damaging than they're helping. They try to say, Oh, well, record find what you would like to see and what you want.

SPEAKER_01 35:19

No, you're actually trying to change a narrative and change for me, right, and then change changing how I see things as well.

SPEAKER_02 35:30

Yeah, and and then how I view the world and how I view others, and it can be a horrible spiral going down, so just we just have to be you know mindful, right? Mindful. One thing though, I do want to get out in this podcast for people. At least we can wrap it up if you'd like from here, but I want to make sure for anybody out there who is suffering from mental illness or know somebody that there is, and they have a moment, there's resources out there for it.

SPEAKER_01 36:06

There are a lot of resources and a lot of even free resources as well.

SPEAKER_02 36:11

Yes, yes, and the nationwide one is I think you can dial 988 um on your phone or text it.

SPEAKER_01 36:22

988.

SPEAKER_02 36:24

Yep, 988. If you text 988, text to 988, you know, right. Um, or you can dial 988. It's a suicide and crisis lifeline.

SPEAKER_01 36:35

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 36:36

In your local area, you could try 211 or 311. I can also provide you resources um for any assistance or help. There's the NAMI mental health as well.

SPEAKER_01 36:50

Um, and can you spell that? Because I'll I'll put it in in the in the uh NAMI.

SPEAKER_02 36:56

Uh it's N-A-M-I, which stands for National Alliance of Mental Health. And their phone number, they have an 800, 1-800-950-6264.

SPEAKER_01 37:12

That's good enough.

SPEAKER_02 37:14

People can reach out, and there's also, I want to make this one, it's called the Trevor Project. And the Trevor Project is more geared towards LGBTQ youth that are struggling, and you can text start to 678-678.

SPEAKER_00 37:32

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 37:33

And to get some help. And if you're finding yourself struggling, you can text and they'll they'll assist as well. There's also for the veterans, you can text to 838255.

SPEAKER_01 37:49

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 37:51

So if they also need some assistance on that level and you're looking for things, these are great resources for you guys to go ahead and and please reach out to somebody is there, and somebody does care.

SPEAKER_01 38:07

Yes, somebody does care. And we all do too. You know, there are people out there, you are not alone.

SPEAKER_02 38:14

No, you're not by far. And trust me, somebody does cares. You they you might not see it, you might not feel it. There's someone out there that does, right? Um, and you are valued, you are loved, and needed.

SPEAKER_01 38:32

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 38:34

So I wanted to make sure to get those things out there in case there is anybody out there struggling with any mental health.

SPEAKER_01 38:44

It's really important because I mean, I I I these last two weeks for me haven't been very well for, and I have resources, but I I need to do better. I need to do better about communicating, I need to do better about reaching out for help as well, and taking better care of myself. I need to eat better.

SPEAKER_02 39:07

Um listen to some music more, it sounds like.

SPEAKER_01 39:10

Yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 39:12

Just you know, you know, just some of your own little personal therapies.

SPEAKER_01 39:16

Uh personally speaking, I need to uh consume less caffeine. Um because that's part of the problem with my stroke. Sometimes my tension deficits it gets out there. I need to wake up, I need to focus, but that that too much caffeine really drives up my own anxiety.

SPEAKER_02 39:33

I was gonna say then it messes with the anxiety. Yeah, yeah, I can see that being the struggle.

SPEAKER_01 39:39

And it affects my own physical health too. Because that I and that then that that makes me sad, and that me gives me anxiety there. The others, it spirals. So it's really important that I need to start seeing somebody and talking about these things and getting help, and even eliminating. I need there's certain things I need to eliminate out of my life that are causing me stress, even though I don't want that's so hard for a lot of us, including myself.

SPEAKER_02 40:11

Yeah, I will admit there too. There are things in my life that I should probably let go of.

SPEAKER_01 40:18

Yeah, and there's people I need to let go of too.

SPEAKER_02 40:21

People, yes, yeah, and those are a lot of times the hardest challenge is is to let those people.

SPEAKER_01 40:30

Well, especially if if it involves um, you know, ending another habit that's causing a problem as well, I think, with uh through going through recovery and AA. Um losing friends, um that through the social network that usually revolves around going out after work and having a drink or partying on the weekends or anything like that, having to let go of those friends is tough. It becomes very, very uh isolating and lonely.

SPEAKER_02 41:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 41:06

You know, um I can see and those friends aren't necessarily bad. Um, or terrible, you know, but we have to make our choices. Now there's some toxic people in my life that are that I've realized are dragging me down.

SPEAKER_02 41:27

And you've got to recognize that I had one of my friends who actually was dragging me down every time I talked to her, it was something something negative, something bad, needed something from me, you know, all of the above. Like it was always just so much and not anything positive. I had to step back because I would felt myself getting sucked into that, and I'm like, no, I'm not gonna get sucked into this. I'm not gonna start creating my life to be like this, trying to help get her out because that's what was ended up happening.

SPEAKER_01 42:10

But is this person asking for help or are they trying to drag you down with them?

SPEAKER_02 42:15

They were they weren't neither, okay. They weren't trying to drag me down, they weren't trying to get help. Okay, they were just trying to maintain the same relationship. But what were they doing was dragging me down? It wasn't an it wasn't something they were trying. We were just friends, and they wanted, you know, someone to talk to to hang out to do, and but but if they were an alcoholic, it was spiraling constantly, everything was negative. There was bad things like you know, I lost my place, I don't have furniture, I don't have car, like, and then you help get stuff, and then they go right back to the same thing, and it's like yeah, you have to help people help themselves, right?

SPEAKER_01 43:01

You know, if you're right, and at some point you have to step away, and especially if it if it if you become an an enabler, and that's a tongue to an enabler.

SPEAKER_02 43:15

That was one of the hardest things I had to do was to step away from her. Um, and but I know that it was something that I needed to do. You know, just for me to help me. Because like I said, I could feel myself getting sucked in and spiraling.

SPEAKER_01 43:39

So for everyone, yeah. Go ahead, go ahead.

SPEAKER_02 43:42

Yeah. Oh, I'm sorry. Yes, for everyone, please like be aware of mental health, be aware of your friends, of yourself, of what is going through. It is real, it's not something that you can just shut up and get up and move on with. Uh, so don't expect that.

SPEAKER_00 44:00

Right.

SPEAKER_02 44:01

For yourself or anybody else. And be kind.

SPEAKER_01 44:07

It starts a lot with just being kind. And being generous and compassionate. That matters a lot too. That can matter change your own mood for the positive as well. You know reaching out with that with your hand to help somebody. Help somebody up that's fallen. That that little effort goes a long, long way. It does.

SPEAKER_02 44:37

It does. So continue and reach out and help anyone in the end.

SPEAKER_01 44:45

Absolutely. Absolutely. And love one other one one another. Love is love, is like how I like to say it. Um you know, there's love is a powerful thing.

SPEAKER_02 44:58

It is.

SPEAKER_01 44:59

Not to quote Huey Lewis, but that song's been in my head like the last couple of days.

SPEAKER_02 45:08

Oh, one last other resource that I just remembered. Psychology to date. It's some it's a place you can go online.

SPEAKER_01 45:16

Yep.

SPEAKER_02 45:17

We can help you find a therapist.

SPEAKER_01 45:19

Oh wow. I did not know that. It's a really good publication, but there's a lot of online resources as well. So that that's really good. And I'll put I'll I'll be doing my best to put all these in in the in our in the descriptions for the podcast and along with the video as well.

SPEAKER_02 45:38

And attached, yes.

SPEAKER_01 45:41

Well, thank you, Selena. Thanks for taking the reins on this one today.

SPEAKER_02 45:51

Learned something from it, and um we'll come back again and listen next week as we start to go and dive into health care and mental health.

SPEAKER_01 46:03

Absolutely. Yep. Yeah, everybody have a good night.