Feb 8, 2022
In the tail-end of this series, we
really acknowledge some of the bigger elephants in the room we all
face each and every day. And this week’s elephant is a big one that
likely we’ve all experienced first hand or with those we love.
Mental health disorders have been around for as long as we’ve been
walking the planet, but bringing them out of the dark has been a
fairly recent phenomenon. Even as recently as 3 or 4 decades ago,
depression and anxiety were rarely diagnosed as clinical disorders,
and in previous generations, people with more profound issues that
are now treatable were hidden away from society by their families
or locked up in institutions. And while there have been huge
strides made in the past or so regarding treatment of now
commonly diagnosed mental health issues such as anxiety and
depression, there is still reticence to recognize its impact and
shame taken on by those who deal with it. The time has come
to bring these issues out of the dark as we see the growing impact
of unchecked mental illness and where it leads for those who don’t
know where or how to get help. One of the people that’s leading the
charge toward legitimizing mental health conditions in a bigger way
is the founder of To Write Love On Her Arms, Jamie Tworkowski.
Jamie founded TWLOHA after guiding a friend through her struggles
with depression and suicidal thoughts. He saw the need for guidance
in this space and created a world-renowned organization that offers
resources and help to those who need it most. Jen and Jamie talk
about the painful process of loving our people when they are
hurting, how to give our own selves grace when we struggle, and why
mental health needs to be treated as seriously as physical
health. Content Warning:
This episode addresses hard topics
including anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation, so it may not
be suitable for young listeners or individuals on the path to
healing.
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