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Tag: emotional abuse

Will to Live: John Trautwein on Teen Suicide and Mental Health Awareness

Our guest is John Trautwein. His book My Living Will: A Father’s Story of Loss & Hope details the October 2010 tragic loss of his oldest child, 15-year-old Will. A strong, popular and successful young man, Will was a freshman at Northview High School, and his death devastated not only the Trautwein’s but the entire community.

As a result, John and his wife Susie started a nonprofit called “The Will To Live Foundation” to work closely kids to not only help spread the message of teen suicide awareness in our community but also help these teens recognize the wonderful bonds of friendship we call “life teammate bonds” that help each other find the good in life!

John is a Graduate of Northwestern University and former baseball player, playing 7 years in the Expos and Red Sox organizations.  Since the foundation started, John has been making well over 100 speeches and presentations annually to high school students, college students, teams of all kinds, parents, coaches, teachers across America. John has turned the tragedy of the loss of his son, into a positive message that improves the lives and the Will To Live of kids everywhere. The “kids of Will To Live” have raised over $1,000,000 in an effort to raise awareness, increase education and deliver hope to each other, and their efforts have funded the acclaimed “Signs of Suicide” Program in schools all over the country. The Will to Live Foundation has been recognized on CNN, Major League Baseball, The Big Ten Network, and Fox Sports, just to name a few. In 2012, John and his wife Susie were awarded the “Presidential Point of Light” award for their work with the Will To Live Foundation.

The Genie In Your Genes with Dawson Church, PhD

Dawson Church, PhD, is an award-winning author whose best-selling book, The Genie in Your Genes, (www.YourGeniusGene.com) has been hailed by reviewers as a breakthrough in our understanding of the link between emotions and genetics. He founded the National Institute for Integrative Healthcare to study and implement promising evidence-based psychological and medical techniques. His groundbreaking research has been published in prestigious scientific journals. He is the editor of Energy Psychology: Theory, Research, & Treatment, a peer-reviewed professional journal The Energy Psychology Journal and a blogger for the Huffington Post. He shares how to apply the breakthroughs of energy psychology to health and athletic performance through EFT Universe (www.EFTUniverse.com), one of the largest alternative medicine sites on the web.

www.dawsonchurch.com

Beauty From His Ashes: Losing My Son to Heroin with Trisha Grose

Trisha Grose, author, public speaker,  and real estate agent at Spirit Bear Realty in Colorado. Ms. Grose is currently completing this book with the support and love of her family, friends, and co-workers.  Her book, Beauty From His Ashes, is about being a parent of a teen addicted to Heroin, the struggles associated with Brendan’s recovery, the holes in our system for caring for these children, and the grief of losing God’s most precious gift – a child.

Trisha joins us LIVE at the Navigating the World of Addiction conference in Littleton, Colorado. She was one of the keynote presenters for this intimate and incredible FREE conference put on by Mr. Rob Lohman.

www.beautyfromhisashes.com

Deconstructing Stigma: A Chat About Bipolar Disorder with Joe Fusaro

Joe Fusaro joins us to talk about the incredible initiative he is a part of with McLean Hospital: Deconstructing Stigma. Since elementary school, Joe has had trouble with something that comes so naturally to most people—sleep. Despite his sleep patterns, good grades always came easily to Joe. He played music and was good at sports. Yet Joe frequently felt anxious. Just days after he started college, the 9/11 attacks happened and placed a cloud over daily life. One night, Joe felt unmotivated to do schoolwork, and a friend introduced him to the drug Adderall. It was the start of a decade-long love/hate relationship with medication. The drugs would help for a year or so, then the upper and downers would impact Joe’s sleep. He’d have major depressive episodes and wind up in detox and the hospital. The cycle would repeat again and again. Making matters worse, Joe began having  psychotic episodes, talking to himself about spaceships and someone trying to kill him. Doctors prescribed more medication.

It was 2013 when Joe decided there must be another way. He found a new doctor who taught him meditation techniques and proper nutrition and referred him to an herbalist to help manage his symptoms. Joe repaired relationships with friends and family. He wanted to give back and looked to the diary entries he made over the years as a possible way to help others.

Joe has published three books of insight and poetry about his illness, with part of the proceeds going to mental health organizations. He still sees a psychiatrist regularly. Someday, he wants to work with kids with learning disabilities or mental health issues.

www.unreadletters.com

Navigating the World of Addiction: Recovery Unplugged with Grant Hanson

Grant Hanson joins our host Kristin Walker LIVE at the Navigating the World of Addicition conference in Colorado. 

Grant first began to seek recovery while still a teenager. After experiencing all the things that he thought would never happen to him, like eventually living on the street, using needles, and a couple of prison stints, he found a desperation unlike any he had ever known. There was not a thing he wouldn’t do if it meant staying sober. He is passionate about recovery and driven by a sense of purpose and dedication to helping families as well as individuals that are struggling with substance use disorders.  He came to Recovery Unplugged with a few years experience in the treatment industry, which started out with a job washing dishes. Thanks to some amazing people along the way any and his willingness to follow suggestion, he is now an Outreach Manager at their Texas location.

Recovery Unplugged uses the power of music to help our patients heal from drug and alcohol addiction. Their staff is made up of experienced and qualified addiction care professionals and acclaimed songwriters and musicians. These professionals have come together to lend their expertise to a truly unique and effective recovery program. If you or a loved one is battling addiction or substance abuse, Recovery Unplugged is ready to help you heal through music-based treatment and recovery.

granth@recoveryunplugged.com

www.recoveryunplugged.com

www.rutexas.com

Navigating the World of Addiction: Fire Mountain Programs Aaron Huey

Join hosts Johnnie Calloway and Kristin Sunanta Walker LIVE at the 2017 Navigating the World of Addiction conference as they interview Co-founder and President Aaron Huey of Fire Mountain Programs. Aaron was a presenter at this  year’s event.  He was as fired up in our interview as he was on stage! So much empowerment and wisdom to share. 

Aaron has been working with children, teens and parents for over 18 years. After ten years directing camps and empowerment programs around the world, Aaron opened Fire Mountain because he wanted to work with kids and families on a deeper level. Over the first few years of running programs like Teen Rites of Passage The Warrior Phoenix Challenge, and numerous cries for help from parents, Aaron realized the need to turn his efforts towards teens struggling with drugs, alcohol and the behaviors and issues related to addiction. An addict in recovery since 2000, he felt a calling to put together an expert team and open Fire Mountain. His mission is to awaken confidence and leadership. “It‘s not about being better, it‘s about giving up the struggle to be different from who you are.”

Aaron’s formal educational background is in acting. He graduated from the top acting school in the US, The American Academy of Dramatic Arts in 1990. His skills in comedy and drama make him an  influential speaker and presenter, and a favorite among the kids. His confidence, compassion and humor set the tone for deep healing, and fun.

Aaron is also trained as an EMT, a Wilderness Survival Instructor and Martial Arts teacher, all of which he weaves into the Fire Mountain RTC curriculum.

www.firemountainprograms.com

The Power of Words in Mental Health: Deputy Director Nanette Larson, DHS

Nanette V. Larson, BA, CRSS, serves as the Deputy Director/Ambassador for Wellness & Recovery for the Illinois Department of Human Services/Division of Mental Health. Since 1999, Ms. Larson has worked with the Illinois Department of Human Services/Division of Mental Health, providing leadership and consultation to further the development of recovery-oriented services within the mental health system. In her more than 15 years as a state employee, Ms. Larson has served in a variety of positions within the Division. In her role as Ambassador, Ms. Larson will continue to forward many of DMH’s successful recovery initiatives, such as Wellness Recovery Action Planning (WRAP®), Certified Recovery Support Specialist (CRSS) training and development & monthly Recovery & Empowerment Statewide Calls. Additionally, she and her team will develop and expand proactive, outcome-focused wellness strategies organized around the eight dimensions of wellness identified by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Ms. Larson is a nationally recognized leader in the mental health recovery movement and has provided numerous presentations to diverse audiences on recovery, spirituality, and related topics. Her passion for this work comes from her personal experience of recovery from mental illness, and her message is one of hope for all whose lives are affected by these conditions.

For more information about Nanette please visit www.illinois.gov. 

www.thenationalcouncil.org

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