In the Open

America and Theresa talk about the process of therapy and how it’s been a love/hate relationship. They compare therapy to exercise and how it’s hard work but also how it can be really beneficial. There are discussions about why people hate therapy, setting the goals you want out of your sessions and how healing practices are diverse. To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact  podcast@mhanational.org

Theresa and America explore the topic of therapy for those that are debating on whether they should go or not. They both have gone to therapy and they describe what events unfolded to make them see a therapist for the first time. They recall trying to talk their support system before seeing a therapist, targeting when you need to see a therapist and some reasons why a therapist can be helpful. To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact  podcast@mhanational.org

Theresa and America are joined by Raquel Kelley (writer, television producer, and host of the MOMGUL Podcast) to talk about how they tell people about their mental health. Raquel shares details on why her mental health is a “we” problem, not just a “me” problem. They talk about experiences with Postpartum depression, the story behind Raquel’s book and the relief of telling some else about your mental health. From more information about Raquel Kelley and her new lift-the-flap book for moms Where'd I Go? visit: https://www.raquelkelley.com/ To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact  podcast@mhanational.org

America and Theresa talk about the feelings they get when they feel like they can’t hold it all together. While exploring metaphors America relates to spinning plates and Theresa resonates with having her sack of flour being too full. They think about why these metaphors resonate with them and how they both differ, signs of when they are close to their breaking point and trying to set boundaries. To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact  podcast@mhanational.org

America is joined by David Riley, a person with lived experience, to explore the fear that your mental illness will come back. David shares his mental health experiences and the energy he spends trying to suppress those thoughts of his mental illness returning. They talk about keeping track of your sleep schedule and eating habits, wrestling with the idea of permanency and the significance of feeling worthy of support. To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact  podcast@mhanational.org

Theresa and America dive into how exercise and eating well can impact your mental health. Theresa needs accountability to motivate her to exercise and America shares some science supporting the benefits of eating right. They talk about ways they both try to maintain healthy eating habits and the emotional rewards that come with both eating bad foods but also the positive feelings you get after you exercise. To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact  podcast@mhanational.org

It is Mental Health Awareness Month and America and Theresa cover the unsettling feeling of losing your mind. They share warning signs of when they think they are the brink of losing their mind and how it affects the people around them. They talk about how the little things add up and the difficulties of asking for help when you feel out of control. To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact  podcast@mhanational.org

Theresa and America ask: what’s wrong with me? There is a discussion about being content and also building insight. They talk about how to try to take personal accounting, recognizing the things you need to work on and adding a label to help you get better. To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact  podcast@mhanational.org

America and Theresa finish the last topic in this series centered around accepting yourself for who you are. Theresa has immediate thoughts of running away from this topic so they explore why she felt that way and how it’s tied to her self-worth. They talk about loving your imperfections and ways in which they try to get to self-acceptance. To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact  podcast@mhanational.org

America brought on Koreen King and they try to get to the center of what type of person they both think they are. They talk about introversion and extroversion and why other people’s energy plays a big part. Koreen is navigating a new space of living alone and she describes her transition to this stage of her life and how her college experience was a turning point in her life. To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact  podcast@mhanational.org

Theresa and America are joined by Catherine Reynolds who shares what it’s like to be an extrovert and have bipolar. Catherine identifies what makes her an extrovert and how she feeds off the energy of other people. They discuss the differences of being an extrovert and mania, exploring your full personality and looking for the warning signs on what may be mania and what may be just being an extrovert. To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact  podcast@mhanational.org

Theresa and America are joined by Kevin Rushton to discuss the differences between being shy, introverted and depressed. There is a discussion about coming to terms with why you might be avoiding people and get togethers and the situations they feel comfortable in. They talk about the importance of hobbies, having social anxiety and recognizing the signs of when you are feeling depressed. To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact  podcast@mhanational.org

They begin the podcast speaking about how to find people like them and then it evolves into a discussion about being a good conversationalist. America and Theresa look for different things in a conversation and they explain how that’s progressed over time. They talk about conversation equity, the process of trying to make friends and steps they take to become better conversationalists. To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact  podcast@mhanational.org

America and Theresa explore a question a lot people struggle with which is: will people like the real me? They talk about when they first started to ask themselves this question when they were younger and the fear of not fitting in. There is a discussion about building friendships with people you feel comfortable with, having to cater your personality to different social environments and how it’s alright to be protective of yourself. To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact  podcast@mhanational.org

We got a topic suggestion from a listener for the podcast today which was: how to be myself. America and Theresa share what they think their authentic self looks like and how they are still trying to figure out who they really are. They talk about code-switching, instances when they’ve felt left out and how their past experiences have had an impact on who they are today. To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact  podcast@mhanational.org

Theresa and America talk about some bad habits and how they’ve tried to quit them. They build insight on what bad habits are and they share personal examples of their bad habits. They talk about taking care of your emotional needs, the shame of hiding your bad habits and building the motivation to quit. To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact  podcast@mhanational.org

America and Theresa explore how to communicate - what they want and what they need. They differentiate the difference between an immediate need and a long-term need and how they have approached each need differently. They talk about the benefits of writing down your feelings, examples of SMART goals and truly getting to the core of what you want and what you need. To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact  podcast@mhanational.org

Theresa is having a really hard time and she is here to talk it through with America and they try to figure out how to take care of themselves. There is a discussion about holding yourself accountable and ways they are able to acknowledge their red flags. They unpack all the feelings Theresa is feeling, sharing ways in which they try to take care of themselves and finding the difference between self-care vs. self-destruction. To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact  podcast@mhanational.org

America and Theresa explore the common experience of trying to slow your mind down. America is having a hard time slowing down her thoughts and shares what it looks like when she’s normally in a good headspace. They talk about how anxiety contributes to fast moving thoughts but also makes Theresa hyper efficient, the ties to radical acceptance and ways in which both of them try to slow things down. To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact  podcast@mhanational.org

Theresa and America share how to take those first steps when you don’t feel like you have the capacity to do anything. Theresa compares how these last few years have felt to how she’s experienced mental health episodes and America shares how she is still trying to take on a positive stance. They talk about where they are now, some next steps on how to start and how you have to have hope to start. To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact  podcast@mhanational.org