Anxiety Sucks!

On this new episode of It's Okay to Feel, we are meeting the new hosts Craig Nemeth and Steve Pitman. They talk about how they got involved with NAMI Orange County and what is to come for the new season!

Disclaimers:
It’s Okay To Feel is for informational/educational and/or entertainment purposes only and is not a substitute for medical or psychiatric advice, diagnosis, or treatment. 

On this episode of of NAMI-OC's Declassified Anxiety Survival Guide, our hosts Amanda, Philip, and Breann have a conversation about remembering first day jitters. Now that summer is officially over, this relatable episode discusses what it's like to go back to school during the  COVID-19 pandemic and the anxieties that the first day of school can bring. They bring their advice of how to help relieve some of the anxieties the new school year brings.

In this episode our hosts talk about: 

• Back to school memories 
• Making friends 
• Being at a new school 
• Looking the part 
• College, being away from home for the first time 
• School during COVID-19 
• Anxiety busting tips! 

Resources: 

• NAMI Orange County
• NAMI-OC's Instagram
• NAMI-OC's Teens and Young Adult's 
• NAMI-OC's Media Masterclass
• NAMI-OC's Peer Connector Program
• Crisis line, OC WarmLine, and crisis groups

Disclaimer:
NAMI OC's Declassified Anxiety Survival Guide is for informational/educational and/or entertainment purposes only and is not a substitute for medical or psychiatric advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

NAMI OC's Declassified Anxiety Survival  Guide is funded by Orange County Healthy Care Agency (OCHCA), Behavioral Health Services, Prevention & Intervention, Mental Health Services ACT/Prop. 63. 

Hey everyone! Welcome to NAMI-OC's Declassified Anxiety Survival Guide introduction episode! On each episode we will discuss trending topics and end off with our anxiety busting tips.  We are really excited to start this journey, talking about mental wellness and having fun along the way. 

This podcast is a part of NAMI Orange County programming for teens and young adults. We encourage and empower teens and young adults to explore their mental health and wellness. You can check out all our available events, resources and more on our website NAMIOC.org/teens and young adults.
We hope you enjoy this new show!

Resources:

• NAMI Orange County
• NAMI-OC's Instagram
• NAMI-OC's Teens and Young Adult's 
• NAMI-OC's Media Masterclass
• NAMI-OC's Peer Connector Program
• Crisis line, OC WarmLine, and crisis groups

Disclaimer:
NAMI OC's Declassified Anxiety Survival Guide is for informational/educational and/or entertainment purposes only and is not a substitute for medical or psychiatric advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

NAMI OC's Declassified Anxiety Survival  Guide is funded by Orange County Healthy Care Agency (OCHCA), Behavioral Health Services, Prevention & Intervention, Mental Health Services ACT/Prop. 63.
 

On this episode of It's Okay to Feel, Girl Scout Troop 2898, with Sonal, Urja, Roma, and Pia, talk about the basic knowledge of mental health and mental illnesses. This episode is part of their Silver Award, the second highest award any Girl Scout can receive. They chose to record an episode about this topic because of their passion for educating and bringing awareness to the middle school/high school groups. They have worked over 50 hours on their project, much of which came from working on their Instagram account, @positivity.mental.health, where they post quotes and important information about common mental illnesses. 

In this episode Sonal, Urja, Roma, and Pia talk about:

• what mental health is
• what mental illness is
• people with generalized anxiety and their experiences
• people with social anxiety and their experiences
• people with depression and their experiences
• how to help someone struggling with mental health
• nutrition and body image
• positivity and confidence

Resources:

National Alliance on Mental Illness OC Warmline: 714-991-6412

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-TALK (8255)

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH): 1-866-615-6464

Welcome to NAMI OC Presents: It’s Okay to Feel!

On this episode of It’s Okay to Feel, besties Manny and Jerika have a candid conversation on their connection to the 90's era. Being born in 1998 they feel a true bond with the music, fashion, and the romance of their favorite era. Reminiscing on childhood memories listening to SWV, LL Cool J, TLC, New Edition, Janet Jackson, and more they dive deep into their love for that time period.

In this episode Manny and Jerika talk about:

• Love and romance in the 90's
• Favorite 90's artists and groups 
• Seeing 90's fashion on today's trends and styles
• 2016 Beyoncé 
• The music industry as a business 
• Breaking the bounds as an artist while maintaining mental health
• Creating boundaries - interviews, magazines, social media, publicity, etc.
• Social media consumption 
• Current music sampling 90's music
• Using music as a source of self-care

Resources: 

• NAMI Orange County
• NAMI-OC's Instagram
• NAMI-OC's Teens and Young Adult's 
• NAMI-OC's Media Masterclass
• NAMI-OC's Peer Connector Program
• Crisis line, OC WarmLine, and crisis groups

Disclaimers:
It’s Okay To Feel is for informational/educational and/or entertainment purposes only and is not a substitute for medical or psychiatric advice, diagnosis, or treatment. 

It’s Okay to Feel is Funded by the Orange County Health Care Agency (OCHCA), Behavioral Health Services, Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. 

Welcome to NAMI OC Presents: It’s Okay to Feel!

On this episode of It’s Okay to Feel, Hailey and Mikaela sit down to talk about how realistic mental health is portrayed in teen movies like It's Kind Of A Funny Story and Perks Of Being A Wallflower.  On the flipside, they explore how reality tv shows like Survivor push contestants to breaking points. Spoiler Alert! The plots for both movies are talked about in depth. 

In this episode Hailey and Mikaela talk about:

• It's Kind Of A Funny Story
• How realistic is the portrayal of hospitalization
• Perks of Being a Wallflower
• Examine how characters in the movie handle different traumas
• Reality TV and how they glorify break downs 

Resources: 

• NAMI Orange County
• NAMI-OC's Instagram
• NAMI-OC's Teens and Young Adult's 
• NAMI-OC's Media Masterclass
• NAMI-OC's Peer Connector Program
• Crisis line, OC WarmLine, and crisis groups

Disclaimers:

It’s Okay To Feel is for informational/educational and/or entertainment purposes only and is not a substitute for medical or psychiatric advice, diagnosis, or treatment. 

It’s Okay to Feel is Funded by the Orange County Health Care Agency (OCHCA), Behavioral Health Services, Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. 

Welcome to NAMI OC Presents: It’s Okay to Feel!

On this episode of It’s Okay to Feel, Jerika sits down with Amanda to dive into why she is listening to podcasts, especially true crime. Amanda has always had an interest in true crime and the creepy, loving early on crime procedural shows on tv and a good scary movie. Amanda walks us through how she discovered listening to podcasts and the reasons she has become obsessed with true crime content in particular. 

In this episode Amanda and Jerika talk about:

• Why do people gravitate toward podcasts
• True Crime and why Amanda finds it appealing 
• Getting involved in the podcast community
• Being mindful of the content we are consuming
• How to take care of yourself when listening to crime content
• Keep an open mind to discover new types of shows and content

Resources: 

• NAMI Orange County
• NAMI-OC's Instagram
• NAMI-OC's Teens and Young Adult's 
• NAMI-OC's Media Masterclass
• NAMI-OC's Peer Connector Program
• Crisis line, OC WarmLine, and crisis groups

Disclaimers:

It’s Okay To Feel is for informational/educational and/or entertainment purposes only and is not a substitute for medical or psychiatric advice, diagnosis, or treatment. 

It’s Okay to Feel is Funded by the Orange County Health Care Agency (OCHCA), Behavioral Health Services, Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. 

On this Takeover Episode of It’s Okay to Feel, Aisha Khan interviews Liz Hawkins, a long time volunteer at Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC). She is one of the few volunteers in the country in a pediatric mental health inpatient unit. In addition to volunteering in the Cherese Mari Laulhere Mental Health Impatient Center at CHOC, she also volunteers as a NICU cuddler and as a mental health advocate in the community. 

For Mental Health Awareness Month in May, CHOC is challenging the community to “check in” with themselves and each other. Each week in May, CHOC will be highlighting a different community group and will present thoughtful ways to check in with purpose on our social media pages and on our blog. We will have tips, stories and more from our experts. You can learn more at choc.org/checkin. 

What We Will Discuss

• Liz will describe what “checking in” means
• Highlight the importance of “checking in” with yourself and others
• Describe how “checking in” looks 
• Share the purpose of May’s Check In Challenge.

Check-In Challenge:

•  Week 1: Caregiver (May 3 – 9) - Those who are always looking after others often put themselves last. Make them first on your list to check in with this week. 
• Week 2: Strong Friends (May 10 – 16)- Those in your life who you look up to for strength are often pillars for many others. Who is checking on them? Make it a point to check-in on your “strong friends” this week.   
•  Week 3: Yourself (May 17 – 23) - Who me? Yes, you. How are you really doing? What does it look like to check in with yourself? What are you doing to take care of yourself this week?
• Week 4: Neighbor (May 24 – 30) - Maybe it’s time to do more than look away or wave when you see your neighbor. Introduce yourself and ask how they have been getting along during this time. 
• Week 5: Essential Workers (May 31 – June 6) - These are the people in our lives who are sometimes under-appreciated, who keep our world going. Think to check in on the grocery store clerk, your waiter, mail carrier and delivery person. Make them feel seen by asking how they are doing.  

Resources

• CHOC Check In Challenge
• Children's Hospital of Orange County (CHOC)
• NAMI Orange County
• NAMI-OC Warmline Call or text: (714) 991-6412
• Crisis Line, Warmline, and Crisis Groups
• NAMI-OC's Instagram

Disclaimers:  It’s Okay To Feel is for informational/educational and/or entertainment purposes only and is not a substitute for medical or psychiatric advice, diagnosis, or treatment.  

It’s Okay to Feel is Funded by the Orange County Health Care Agency (OCHCA), Behavioral Health Services, Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. 

Welcome to the fourteenth Takeover Episode of It's Okay to Feel!

In this takeover episode of It’s Okay to Feel, Siena Bella shares about how it’s okay to have imperfections with what we create and with ourselves. Siena explores how we try to fit into the image of perfection without realizing we’re already perfect in so many ways. She also talks about how to overcome being a perfectionist and learning how to embrace and love ourselves.

Imperfections

• The rights and the wrongs 
• Focusing too much on mistakes 
• Overthinking
• Losing creativity 

Learning To Take Breaks

•    Don’t stress on your mistakes 
•    Learn from it
•    Recharge, take a break
•    Keep things at a balance

 Loving Who You Are

• Accepting your imperfections
• Keep swimming
• You are one of a kind

Resources: 

• Siena Bella Instagram
• NAMI Orange County
• NAMI-OC's Instagram
• NAMI-OC's Teens and Young Adult's 
• NAMI-OC's Media Masterclass
• NAMI-OC's Peer Connector Program
• Crisis Line, Warmline, and Crisis Groups

This unique takeover episode is a feature of the NAMI-OC Media Masterclass which teaches teens and young adults the basics of podcasting and growing their social media presence.  Takeover episodes feature Media Masterclass students who want to start their own podcast.

Disclaimers:  It’s Okay To Feel is for informational/educational and/or entertainment purposes only and is not a substitute for medical or psychiatric advice, diagnosis, or treatment.  

It’s Okay to Feel is Funded by the Orange County Health Care Agency (OCHCA), Behavioral Health Services, Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. 

Welcome to the thirteenth Takeover Episode of It's Okay to Feel!

*Content Warning - this episode contains descriptions of trichotillomania. Please take care of yourself, and don’t be afraid to reach out and ask for help. You can find resources below in the show notes.*

Join Evelyn and Emily in this episode of It’s Okay to Feel, as they chat about trichotillomania and their mental health journey. They explore the practice of talking back to your intrusive thoughts, building mental strength and resilience, and learning to develop self care and compassion. They also dive into how we can use negative feelings and emotional burdens to become stronger and more complex humans to discover new feelings and emotions that we didn’t know we could feel. 

In this episode we talk about:

• Our trichotillomania recovery journey
• Habits vs. Disorders
• Facing insecurities due to our mental illness 
• Unhealthy coping mechanisms 
• The difference between distraction and self care
• How being mentally strong isn’t always the same as being mentally healthy
• Being mentally free
• Mental illness is not a weakness
• Understanding and organizing internal stresses makes managing external stresses easier
• Taking care of yourself for the people you love
• How COVID forced us to do what scared us to make us stronger

Resources: 

• The TLC Foundation for Body Focused Repetitive Behaviors
• [email protected] (Evelyn and Emily’s Podcast Email)
• Instagram: @theopenmindedpodcast (Posts coming soon!)
• NAMI Orange County
• NAMI-OC's Instagram
• NAMI-OC's Teens and Young Adult's 
• NAMI-OC's Media Masterclass
• NAMI-OC's Peer Connector Program
• Crisis Line, Warmline, and Crisis Groups

This unique takeover episode is a feature of the NAMI-OC Media Masterclass which teaches teens and young adults the basics of podcasting and growing their social media presence.  Takeover episodes feature Media Masterclass students who want to start their own podcast.

Disclaimers:  It’s Okay To Feel is for informational/educational and/or entertainment purposes only and is not a substitute for medical or psychiatric advice, diagnosis, or treatment.  

It’s Okay to Feel is Funded by the Orange County Health Care Agency (OCHCA), Behavioral Health Services, Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.