This week, we take a deep dive into a topic that we both feel so passionate about: Mental Health. With the upcoming election, the ongoing pandemic, and this week’s announcement of an extended Broadway shutdown, our heads are swirling. And our hearts are with our performing arts community while our industry is almost completely closed. As we learn to navigate this new path, we could all benefit from a more open dialogue surrounding Mental Health.

Like everyone, we have good weeks and okay weeks and really hard weeks. And our road to get here has been far from easy. We had many challenges through childhood and adolescence- some internal and some external. In different ways, we numbed the pain with drugs and alcohol. Thanks to therapists, AA, and the decision every single day not to use, Bret is celebrating sixteen years sober and Stephen is celebrating fourteen years sober this week! It’s still a lifelong struggle, but we’re on a happier, healthier path now. And we’re able to help others because of where we’ve been.

As a dear friend once told us, we look at therapy like going to the gym. We go to therapy to maintain a healthy mental state. If stopped going to the gym all together, our body would decay. Same with our emotional state. Sure, therapy is helpful when there’s a crisis. But it’s the dozens of sessions you attend between the huge peaks and valleys of life that actually help make you… YOU!

This week, instead of a Spotlight on Love, we would like to remind all of our listeners that “It’s okay not to be okay.” If you’re struggling with mental health, you are certainly not alone. We highly recommend The Actors Fund for helping you find a social worker. And if you’re struggling with addiction, please take a look at AA.org. We both owe our lives (and our life together!) to AA. You do not have to take this journey alone.

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We are grateful to be a part of the Broadway Podcast Network.Thanks to David Dabbon for our theme music and to Sophie Kay Photography for our image.

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