To Know We Are Not Alone

Don Karp comes from the counter-culture generation, but early in his adult life he found himself institutionalized over and over again for paranoid schizophrenia. Eventually, he said "enough!" and sought help and healing through alternative treatments - even ones as simple as finding human connection and empathy, journaling, and replacing bad thinking habits with better ones. Don's story is not one of radical resistance so much as one of looking for a deeper connection with himself and others as a way of finding mental and emotional healing. Don is the author of a memoir called The Bumpy Road and is a contributor to sites such as LifeHack.org, Qu'ora.com, and Medium.com.

2019 Survivor contestant, Missy Byrd, is more than just a survivor on TV. She's survived a brain tumor while playing college basketball at the Air Force Academy; the sudden loss of her father, something she barely remembers due to the tumor; PTSD from all the events surrounding her long-undiscovered ailment; and yes, even the TV show, Survivor. Tune in for a frank discussion about the place of marijuana in treating mental and emotional health issues. Or just tune in for Missy's story. You won't be sorry! Check out Missy here: https://www.cbs.com/shows/survivor/cast/216261/

Tune in for a Mindful Minute with Tim where he discusses the most important topic in mental (and general) health: loving and caring for oneself. We'll talk about Dennis Rodman, self-affirmations, belief systems, meditation, and much more. Tune in! Learn more at sisunetwork.com

In this episode, Lindsey and I cover the gamut: ocd leading to addiction, childhood abuse, self harm...but Lindsey is here to let you know you can find a way through to a place of hope, of wanting to share your story with others, of wanting others to know they are not alone. Lindsey is fierce and tenacious and tender and kind all at once, just like so many who fight every day against the demons of mental and emotional trauma. You will be encouraged by her story! Find Lindsey on IG @tierneylindseytaylor

Learning to love myself has been the hardest but most important journey of my life. At 43, I am only beginning to understand its importance and power. I hope this podcast will help you grow in your own journey toward loving yourself.

Jeff Bell is a prominent radio journalist in the Bay area of California. In the darkest days of his battle with OCD, he couldn't even get to the hospital to be with his possibly dying daughter because he was so worried he had hit a person when he had only hit a pothole. But Jeff has found hope and a way forward. Tune in to hear more from him. About Jeff: Jeff Bell spends much of his time running the nonprofit Adversity 2 Advocacy Alliance, promoting the power of turning personal challenges into service to others with similar challenges.  His A2A Spotlight features air weekly on KCBS and are distributed nationally by CBS News Radio.  A2A’s weekly “From Adversity to Advocacy” podcast can be heard online at Radio.com. Jeff is the author of two books, “Rewind, Replay, Repeat” and “When in Doubt, Make Belief.” His writing has appeared in numerous publications, including The New York Times.

In this new short-form format, Tim share about his own medication (ongoing) journey in an effort to encourage people to stay the course in the overwhelming battle to find the right doctor, meds, etc.

Join me and Tosha Maaks for a frank discussion of what it's like to live with Bi-Polar (type 1) disorder: She shares about getting arrested (twice) for medication-related DUI's, dealing with the common symptom of hyper-sexuality, and she offers plenty of encouragement and real-life advice.

Join me and my high school friend, Carrie Neal, for a conversation about alcoholism, acceptance of our reality for what it is, ESH (experience, strength, hope), and self-love/self-care. Our focus is on solutions and hope, not whining and war stories.

In the first half, Tim reflects on a few months of therapy (EMDR) and its surprising benefits. In the second part of the episode, Tim talks about allowing himself to grieve through emotional sobriety and mindfulness.

Tim and Matt discuss their mutual background of wrestling through devout religious faith while suffering from OCD, resulting in something referred to as scrupulosity - essentially the religious version of OCD. Though we have both walked away from our religious faith, there is no religion bashing here...just two people trying to live healthier lives discussing some of the unique pitfalls of faith when mixed with mental illness. We also talk a lot about how Mindfulness has helped us navigate our struggles. Visit toknowwearenotalone.org.

In this episode, Bill and I discuss the following: Alcoholism and addiction AA Suicide attempts Relationships Emotional trauma Mindfulness Community Hope Please reach out to Tim at toknowwearenotalone@gmail.com or visit https://www.toknowwearenotalone.com or https://www.facebook.com/toknowwearenotalone. Please consider making a contribution to To Know We are Not Alone here.

In this episode, Bill and I discuss the following: Alcoholism and addiction AA Suicide attempts Relationships Emotional trauma Mindfulness Community Hope Please reach out to Tim at toknowwearenotalone@gmail.com or visit https://www.toknowwearenotalone.com or https://www.facebook.com/toknowwearenotalone. Please consider making a contribution to To Know We are Not Alone here.

Joe and I discuss his experience raising a child (actually children but we focus on just one) with a mental illness…As a teenager, Joe’s son began to self-harm and self-medicate. Once Joe and his wife Continue reading

In this episode, Terri and I discuss depression related to pregnancy/post-partum, as well as the overwhelming isolation that comes with suffering from a mental illness in far too many cases. Listen anywhere by following this Continue reading

Highlights from our discussion: Dialectical behavioral therapy. Katie and I have both gotten a lot from this type of therapy, which is highly behavioral. Behavior is either effective or ineffective, and the goal of DBT is to change ineffective behaviors into effective ones. Eating disorders: how to know if you have a problem. Borderline Personality Disorder Work: talking to people at work about your illness. Dating: talking to people you're dating about your mental illness.    

I had intended to put copious show notes here, but I got a bit overwhelmed, so I'm just putting this one out there sans notes. Next time!

In this podcast, Tim discusses a mantra that he often references: "Do What Works." The truth is that, for those who are mentally ill, it can be very hard to know what's working since it often feels like nothing works. Tim attempts to offer some new ways to look at life that redefine what is or is not effective. In the podcast, Tim references Dialectical Behavior Therapy, a therapeutic model based around the mantra, "do what works." More information on DBT can be found at one of these links: http://psychcentral.com/lib/an-overview-of-dialectical-behavior-therapy/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dialectical_behavior_therapy   Tim's Site: http://toknowwearenotalone.com/

In this episode, the final episode of a three part series on religion and mental illness, two of Tim's friends, Alison and Matt, share their own journeys with mental illness and religion. While Alison comes to similar conclusions as Tim, Matt's journey has ended differently. Please enjoy, and please know that I promise to be done with this topic for awhile! Music Credit: Lady Antebellum, "Compass"