We are thrilled to welcome Charles Edward Payne to today’s episode where we dive into the topic of race to explore how we move forward in supporting the Black Lives Matter movement to create real, long-term, lasting change.

Hello! It’s the middle of 2020 which means we’re all a bit anxious. Well actually, we’re exhausted and feeling like a rung out dishcloth… but hey ho. Anyone else is getting those physical manifestations of their anxiety, depression and other mental health companions right now. We’ve had a whole range of them over here so today we’re giving you 21 ways to give your body some love and relief in trying times. We hope it helps!

Who else got a new puppy? Seemed like such a great idea at the time, didn't it. The statistics on how many people got new dogs found a home during lock down have been amazing!! But when it comes down to it, regardless of how well behaved they are, there's always an adjustment period where getting a puppy can be really stressful. In an attempt to keep as many pups as possible from being returned to the shelters, we wanted to share our tried and tested strategies that we have found helpful when bringing a new puppy into our home.

In this episode of The Oh Sh*t Kit, Leora and Maddie catch up on how they’ve been coping with COVID-19 isolation. We’ve got a variety of topics for you, it’s really more of a stream of consciousness, so if you like that sort of thing buckle up for a good time. We’re talking about what we’re cooking, relationship tips for the partner with a really good sense of humor, self-care schedules and how much is too much when it comes to managing your Google calendar, and pet updates!

COVID-19 has been on all of our minds, with the anxiety of the unknown feeling a little overwhelming for many of us. Here’s where we are at and a framework we have found helps us as we navigate through the crisis. We wanted to take some time this week to share some of the most beneficial coping skills we’ve used in our practices, in the hope that they bring you some humor, support and comfort in knowing you are NOT ALONE.

COVID-19 has been on all of our minds, with the anxiety of the unknown feeling a little overwhelming for many of us. Here’s where we are at and a framework we have found helps us as we navigate through the crisis. We wanted to take some time this week to share some of the most beneficial coping skills we’ve used in our practices, in the hope that they bring you some humor, support and comfort in knowing you are NOT ALONE.

In today’s episode we are talking about mental health medications, ending medication stigma, and how to get the right medication treatment for your mental health! We aren’t here to tell you that you need mental health meds in order to care for your mental health, but we are here to tell you that medication stigma is total bullsh*t!

In today’s episode we are talking about the Oh Shit Kit...and we mean the physical Oh Shit Kit. That box you go to when you are having a tough time. It’s no secret that we are all going through a hard time right now. The world is hurting, and our mental health warriors are struggling more than they ever have. So we thought it would be a really good time to talk about the creation of the physical tool that could provide you some comfort and light on dark days.

Many people hear the term “Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder” and think of veterans scarred by the horror of combat. While many veterans do suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), trauma is a far more common experience than many realize. Often, people are experiencing the after-effects of trauma and don’t even realize where these symptoms stem from. So, just how common is it to experience trauma?

Over the last few years we’ve been hit with a wave of suicides from celebrities. People such as Robin Williams in 2014, Chester Bennington from Linkin Park in 2017, Anthony Bordain in 2018 and most recently, TV presenter Caroline Flack from the UK in February this year. Each one has taken us by surprise, each one with new lessons and new calls to talk openly about our emotions in order to prevent suicide. So what do you need to know? What can we do if we’re feeling this way, or if we know someone else who might be feeling this way? That’s what we’re talking about today.

When I think about mental health stigma, few diagnoses drip with stigma more than psychosis. Many of the the hurtful and loaded words associated with psychosis…crazy, psycho, insane…are so intertwined in our culture, yet they are used to describe a very real and very life altering condition that has a huge impact on real peoples’ lives. So what exactly is psychosis?

So you got laid off. Well you’re aren’t alone my friend. In 2018, US businesses laid off 21.9 million workers nationwide. So what the heck to do you do now? Well in 2018, I was there. I got laid off from my job and it was HARD, but I got through it. So in today’s episode, we talk through my top 4 triage tips and my 3 major takeaways.

It’s a heartbreaking sentence to hear as a therapist (and a member of the LGBTQ community), yet I’ve heard it from clients before: “Is there something wrong with me because I’m gay?” I talk a lot about stigma as it relates to mental health, but stigma can affect any group that is discriminated against in any way. The LGBTQ community is no exception. The reason we wanted to do this episode was to shed some light on why the LGBTQIA+ community experiences a higher rate of mental health issues than those outside the community.

Our topic of the week this week is....EMDR! This is a form of trauma therapy that we have chosen to focus on because I just started it myself and wanted to share the knowledge with you all. I’ve had a lot of trauma throughout my life and has been working to clear it away as it has been manifesting in my body as a lot of pain. So what is it?

I’m gonna be honest, folks. They didn’t teach us about this one in grad school. This is something I have wondered about, particularly in recent months, when I have noticed a significant change in myself around my period. My anxiety becomes worse, I cry for seemingly minimal-to-no reason, and I even note the signs and symptoms of depression, which are usually not present for me.

What is a mental health trigger? How can you manage them? How do WE manage them? This week’s episode is all about mental health triggers.

The other day, Maddie and I watched the movie Joker (2019). I wanted Maddie to see the movie because I had recently had a discussion with a friend who also struggles with mental illness about it. My friend expressed concern after watching the movie. She said: “I’m worried that people will think this is what I’m like, that people with mental illness are violent and dangerous”. I totally saw her point. The impact on her was clear. The movie left her feeling afraid, stigmatized, and hurt.

Chances are, if you struggle with your mental health, you will have felt like a burden at some point in your life. I have been incredibly lucky to have been loved by 3 people throughout my experience with mental health who were my number one supports throughout my years of being a mental health warrior. But everything changed for me when I came out of my marriage earlier this year. Today we are asking what we can do when our mental health makes us feel like a burden.

10 years ago this week, I had a mental health breakdown and my life completely changed. Suddenly I was seeing the world through a whole new lens and I didn’t know how I was going to survive it. But here I am, 10 years later, living a life I am so grateful for. So what’s new? What’s changed? How did I turn my breakdown into a breakthrough?

Today we are talking all about mental health related to pregnancy and birth with our friend and yours, Ann Jamison, LMFT. Ann is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, and specializes in working with individuals who are experiencing mental health issues around pregnancy, birth, termination, new parenthood, and adoption. While many people have heard of postpartum depression, there is less awareness about other mood disorders related to pregnancy and birth. We are here to smash the stigma associated with mental health issues that occur for so many during this time in their lives.

Our topic today is mental health during the holidays. If you feel less than totally excited about the prospect of the holiday season, you are not alone. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), 64% percent of people with mental illnesses report that the holidays worsen their symptoms. So what do you do when the holidays make you feel like shit?

Susie talks about her personal mental health struggles, and how she always thought of herself as a “nervous person”. It wasn’t until college that she realized that she was facing real issues with anxiety. When we weren’t laughing, we were talking about the particular challenges facing freelancers when it comes to mental health, including financial stress and isolation.⁠ Susie opened up about her own struggles with anxiety over the last 10 years, as well as the things she’s found that help her deal with it.⁠

Today’s topic is how to get the news while protecting your mental health. The news is so constant and divisive lately, it can have a really negative impact on your mental health if you’re not careful. As usual, we’ve got the stats to prove it! For example, fifty-six percent of people who watch the news say it causes them stress and seventy-two percent say they think the media blows things out of proportion.

According to the World Health Organization, depression is one of the leading causes of disability. Depression and anxiety cost the global economy 1 trillion U.S. dollars each year in lost productivity. So what processes, laws, options do you have as an employee at work? In today’s episode we dive into our own experiences with mental health in the workplace and give you insight into what you need to know as an employee.

Today we are talking all about sleep and how it relates to mental health. Turns out that sleep tends to affect those of us with mental health diagnoses more than the general population. According to the Harvard Medical School website, fifty to eighty percent of people who visit a psychiatric practice report sleep problems, compared to ten to eighteen percent of the general U.S. population.

Today we are talking all about sleep and how it relates to mental health. Turns out that sleep tends to affect those of us with mental health diagnoses more than the general population. According to the Harvard Medical School website, fifty to eighty percent of people who visit a psychiatric practice report sleep problems, compared to ten to eighteen percent of the general U.S. population.

Today is mostly about Maddie and Leora’s recent experience in the emergency room. AKA the whole episode is one big shit show. As you all know, Maddie has been struggling with her health for a few weeks now. This episode is about Maddie’s most recent visit to the emergency room., stigma, the hospital staff’s reaction and how we worked through it together.

Our topic today is Maddie’s story! If you know Maddie, you will know that she has been a mental health advocate since the age of 18, when she first started to heal from her mental health struggles. But most of you won’t know much about her actual story because she hasn’t felt ready to tell it. She’s finally feeling ready to dive a little deeper into some of the struggles she’s had over the years. It all goes back to when she was 16 years old.