In this episode Theresa and America are joined by Catherine Reynolds who “thrives with” Bipolar Disorder. She talks about what it’s like living with Bipolar and how she has succeeded in spite of it. Catherine shares her mental health journey including how she first revealed it to her family, how she got connected with a therapist, weighing her treatment options and ways in which she tries to identify her triggers.
Theresa and America tackle a topic they are passionate about because they personally struggle with stress eating. They explore the cultural significance and emotional relationship around food and also the rituals people have around eating. America gives her tips on how she tries to curb the stress eating, the importance of portion control and why it’s key to identify what your triggers are and build in protective factors against them.
America and Theresa take on the topic of differentiating between a person who is bipolar or just being moody. They discuss two important factors which is mania and euphoria and they break down what each mood might look or feel like. If you think you may have a problem you should talk to a professional to figure out what your next steps might be and seek help as early as possible.
What is the difference between being sad and being depressed? America and Theresa discuss the warning signs when your sadness crosses over to depression. They also give some advice on what you could do if you are in these unhappy states, how they deal with their personal bouts of sadness and how you could attempt to turn it around.
On this episode we talk about the internal question many struggle with about their mental illness: why me? Negative thoughts can be destructive because mental illnesses happen for countless reasons so sometimes it’s hard to pinpoint an answer. You have to come to terms with it, understand and accept it and allow yourself to feel it so seek help and get support.
It’s a scary topic for a lot of people but it’s a necessary conversation to have for Theresa and America. There is a difference between thoughts of death and contemplating suicide; it’s vital to find that line that separates the two. Theresa finds comfort in being open about her thoughts on death and why they suggest checking in with someone is important.
Theresa is joined once again by Kelly Davis to chat about cognitive distortions or as they put it: "stopping stupid thoughts." They both share their personal familiarity with thoughts that are personally damaging and ways in which they’ve tried to improve on their process when those feelings occur. Recognizing the patterns is important but it’s not easy, it’s definitely a process.
This show topic is for those who are seeking help and how you might want to take that next step. Theresa and America discuss what that journey might look like and how every case is unique. They lay out a few different approaches to getting help on your own like self-care pieces, monitoring diet/exercise and how they affect your mood and ways to work through your emotional and environmental triggers.
America returns with Theresa to have a conversation about what people might mean when they say something like “I destroy everything.” The “destroying” action could be about coping skills or the act of lashing out but there are other ways of getting that release. They discuss their personal experiences with self-destruction and ways to attempt to curb that “rage monster.”
On this episode Theresa is joined by Kelly Davis, a member of the Peer Support & Peer Advocacy Department, to discuss the popular comment – “I Hate Myself.” They talk about where that comment stems from, the shame that follows those thoughts and their personal experiences with that feeling of hating themselves. They both give examples of how they’ve worked to get better by differentiating which voice is which, getting to know the pathways of the brain plus why trying to change is a brave action.
