Tag: destigmatize mental health

Listen in on an incredible conversation between Kristin and Hersch Wilson, a 30-year veteran volunteer firefighter/EMT, and author of “Firefighter Zen:  A Field Guide to Thriving in Tough Times.”  Hersch has a lot of insightful wisdom to help during stressful times. Listen to him share more about how he manages through difficulties with help by understanding that we need to always live in the moment, and try to incorporate positively serving others.  Hersch explains how some simple changes in thinking and how we live can create a far happier mindset during the difficult times we are all living in today.

Hersch Wilson is a thirty-year veteran volunteer Firefighter-EMT with the Hondo Fire Department in Santa Fe County, New Mexico. He is also a story-teller, committed to explaining how First Responding can change how we see and experience our own lives. In his “real job” he is a writer, speaker, and consultant. In the past twenty-five years, Hersch has worked extensively with leadership teams from a variety of organizations including Kodak, IBM Japan, Altria, The United States Postal Service, the CIA, Kraft Foods, and Baxter Healthcare to name a few. He has co-written three national business best sellers with Larry Wilson, including the awarding-winning, “Playing to Win!: Choosing Growth Over Fear in Work and in Life.” His latest project, based on thirty years as a volunteer firefighter, is helping individuals and organizations see the world as firefighters do and learn how to thrive through traumatic and stressful times.
Hersch attended Colorado College and graduated with a BA in English from the University of Minnesota. Prior to becoming a writer and consultant, Hersch was a dancer and actor. He performed in Canada, Switzerland, and the United States. He has also worked as a flight instructor and commercial pilot. Finally, he is obsessed with dogs. The Wilson’s currently have two large Bernese Mountain Dogs, Nellie and Tank, and one rescue terrier-chihuahua named Maisie. He writes a monthly column on dogs for The Santa Fe New Mexican. He and his wife Laurie have two daughters, Brynne and Sullivan.

http://www.herschwilson.com/

Join Kristin and Dr. Denise as they discuss her work as a child and adult psychiatrist, why she chose a profession in mental health, and the launch of her newest business venture: Ascension Media!

Dr. Denise McDermott, M.D. has been in private practice since 2001. As a medical doctor with board certifications in both Adult and Child Psychiatry, she treats children, adolescents and adults. Her goal is to empower you, your child, and your family to live the best life possible. Her approach is to encourage people to believe in wellness, not illness, and to lead a balanced healthy lifestyle.

In October of 2020, Dr. Denise launched Ascension Media which offers one-of-a-kind content that examines the world around us with the intention of raising our vibrational frequency through more mindful thoughts, feelings and actions.

http://www.drdenisemd.com/

https://www.ascensionmedia.love/

Kristin and Charles discuss his career and an upcoming project about mental health. Eight Days Mental Health is his newest collaboration. This docuseries will follow five people for eight days, shedding light on what it’s like to live with bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, and major depressive disorder—everyday.

CHARLES MATTOCKS is an Award-Winning Actor, Director, Producer, Television Host and Health Advocate whose priority for health first and saving lives does not get in his way of excelling in all areas of the business.The Nephew of the late great Bob Marley, Mattocks comes from a very high profile family lineage so it is no surprise that he is taking the Healthcare world by storm. An accomplish Actor, Charles Mattocks notably starred with a pivotal role in “ The Summer of Ben Tyler” along side legends James Woods and Elizabeth McGovern. The movie garnered six nominations during the award season and Variety Magazine declared, “In Charles Mattocks, a star is born’. As an author, producer, and director, his work has been showcased with appearances on CNN, The Today Show, Dr. Oz, Fox News, Good Morning America, The Talk, The Martha Stewart Show and numerous media outlets worldwide. Charles’ world changed the minute he was diagnosed with Type II Diabetes. As he stared death in the face, he knew he had a larger mission to make changes not only for himself but so many others! He armed himself with education and determination and began to reverse his condition. He documented his process in a provocative documentary, “The Diabetic You”, which peels back the curtain on the good, the bad, and the ugly of the diabetes epidemic. This film set his advocacy in motion, with Charles ascending to become a Blue Circle Champion for the International Diabetes Association and a published author for the American Diabetes Association.

Charles created, directed, and executive produced “Reversed”, the highly acclaimed diabetes reality docuseries, on Discovery Life Channel. The show received much recognition from both critics and medical professionals and earned a second season pick-up – this time focusing on HIV. He also produced Trial By Fire, about his mother’s rare disease, complex regional pain syndrome. The buzz worthy success of Reversed inspired FYI network to continue Charles’ healing quests, so, in January, 2020, Charles’ groundbreaking new series, Eight Days, will premiere. The series follows the raw ups and downs of five cancer patients as they wage their battle for survival and journey toward healing. Just as he did in reversed, Charles will guide his patients toward positive outcomes beyond their wildest expectations.

Charles’ passion and personality are contagious and have skyrocketed him to unparalleled success with whatever he tackles. Saving lives of people suffering with chronic illness and inspiring them with his life- changing message, he has become the premiere media expert on health and wellness. Charles entertains, educates, inspires, and heals millions with his ahead-of-the-curve creativity and dedication to excellence in television hosting, content creation, and dynamic advocacy.

https://www.bphope.com/blog/eight-days-docuseries-mental-health-condition/

www.charlesmattocks.com

Join Kristin and her friend and guest today, Dr. Lisa Day, as they discuss how to be self-aware and manage our bad behaviors during difficult times. During stressful times, Dr. Day points out that we tend to regress to our bad behaviors. Listen in as they discuss the 7 Deadly Sins and how we can try to be our better selves during these trying times and how they often boil down to the 7 Deadly Sins:

Lust
Gluttony
Greed
Sloth
Wrath
Envy
…and Pride

Dr. Lisa Day is a registered nurse and clinical psychologist. She has been working with Meier Clinics for over 25 years.

www.meierclinics.com

Listen as Kristin speaks with Aubrey & Barry Toone, a father/daughter combo, who speak some of the hard truths of how his addiction issues have impacted her throughout the many phases of life.  Aubrey, who is the gifted singer/songwriter who wrote and performed this show’s new introductory song, shares her memories and how she felt growing up in a family fighting addiction.  These two speak honestly about how Barry’s addiction affected the family and their own relationship, in addition to their path out of that darkness. 

Mr. Toone is an entrepreneur, businessman, speaker, and attorney. He is co-founder, CEO, and, General Counsel of Stepstone Connect, a telebehavioral company headquartered in Woods Cross, Utah. Stepstone Connect has a network of trauma-trained clinicians throughout the United States providing a wide range of mental, emotional, and behavioral health services using secure, on-line, HIPAA-compliant technology. Stepstone Connect proudly works with America’s First Responders and Veterans through its growing professional network and contractual relationships with police, fire, and other first-responder agencies across the U.S. at the federal, state, and local level. Mr. Toone co-hosts a weekly podcast (First Responder Mental Health Network) with Kristin Walker, CEO of the Mental Health News Radio.
Prior to founding Stepstone, Mr. Toone was a trial lawyer and litigator. He was the Managing Partner of Bowman and Brooke in Phoenix, Arizona, the largest product liability defense firm in the U.S. He has represented many of the world’s largest corporations, including Ford, Toyota, Honda, Yamaha, Mazda, GM, and Polaris. He has taken depositions in 46 of the 50 states and handled jury, bench, and appellate matters across the United States. Mr. Toone is licensed and in good standing with the State Bars of Utah, Arizona, Texas, and Missouri. Learn more at https://stepstoneconnect.com/

To hear all of Aubrey’s music she is available on all music platforms and please check out her website at https://www.aubreytoone.com/

Join Kristin as she speaks with Frank King and Peter Dudley, both of who are authors and speakers within the mental health community, each in their own right. They discuss their own voyages as men who help others, men especially, within the mental health community as well as their parts in the second of an anthology series, “Guts, Grit & The Grind: A MENtal Mechanics MANual: Advanced Mechanics in Preventative Maintenance” by Sally Spencer-Thomas, Sarah Gaer, and Frank King.

Frank is a standup comedian and storyteller who was born into a family with the gift of humor and the curse of generational depression and suicide. His maternal grandmother took her own
life after realizing her mental state was deteriorating and felt that “doctors have done all they could.” Frank’s mother found her. His grandmother’s sister, his great aunt, took her life after being diagnosed with glaucoma and deciding that she didn’t want to be a burden on anyone. Frank was four years old when he and his mother found her. According to Frank’s mother, he “screamed for days.” She said that she offered a deal to God, that she would give up 10 years of her life if God would make it so Frank didn’t remember any of this. He didn’t until 2014 when, in an instant, whatever had walled that off in Frank’s brain collapsed and the traumatic memory all came flooding back. It was a blessing and a curse. A curse, in that, up until that moment, he’d been blissfully unaware of his aunt’s final moments and of his family history of generational depression and suicide. A blessing, in that it explained the source of his major depressive disorder and chronic
suicidality. For as long as he could remember, suicide was always an option on his menu—for problems both large and small. He remembers one time when his car broke down and he had three thoughts—one, he could get it fixed; two, he could buy a new one; or three, he could just kill
himself. That’s chronic suicidality. Shortly thereafter, he went from being a ‘funny speaker,’ to being a speaker who is funny. He now had a story to tell, with not just ha-ha’s, but also with lifesaving ah-ha’s. He began doing something he’d been dreaming of since he took the stage as a comedian—making a living and making a di?erence. He took those painful memories and presented an 18-minute TED Talk-style event in Vancouver, BC. Today, he shares his lived experience and mental health insights speaking on depression and suicide prevention for associations, corporations, and colleges everywhere. He’s doing what comedians since the time of the court jester were born to do—speak truth to power on behalf of the powerless. He speaks truth to the power of mental illness on behalf of people often powerless in its grip. He’s combined his familial gift of humor and curse of mental illness to bring hope to the often hopeless. You can find more about him on his website: www.TheMentalHealthComedian.com

Peter Dudley is a fundraising executive and author with extensive expertise in corporate social responsibility, marketing, and software development. Prior to joining the Cancer Support Community as Chief Development Officer in 2018, he ran Wells Fargo’s Global Employee Giving and Volunteerism for over 15 years. Peter is a member of the Community Health Charities National Board of Directors and has served as a scout leader, a youth soccer coach, and a school crossing guard. A 30-year resident of the Oakland area, Peter is the proud father of two grown children and a fierce advocate for equality. You can find more about him on his website: www.peterdudley.com