Giving Voice to Depression: Real Stories & Expert Support for Depression and Mental Health

When mental health care itself causes harm, it leaves lasting scars. Dr. Warren Braden, a licensed marriage and family therapist in training, joins Giving Voice to Depression to explain treatment trauma—when people seeking help encounter bias, stigma, or a lack of cultural understanding in the system meant to support them.

From the challenges of finding therapists who truly understand racial and cultural contexts, to the risks when law enforcement becomes involved in mental health crises, Dr. Braden sheds light on why Black and Brown communities often hesitate to seek care. He also shares hopeful changes: younger generations breaking stigma, crisis intervention training for police, and a growing demand for culturally competent therapists.

This candid and eye-opening episode explores how racism, systemic inequities, and stigma intersect with depression and trauma—and how individuals and families can find hope, healing, and better care.

Primary Topics Covered:

• What “treatment trauma” means in mental health care
• How cultural stigma prevents people from seeking help
• The risks of therapy that ignores cultural and systemic context
• Why representation matters in counseling and treatment
• The role of law enforcement in mental health crises—and the risks involved
• Examples of how depression can’t be treated without addressing environment and trauma
• Hopeful generational shifts in openness about mental health
• The rise of culturally competent care and peer support
• Moving beyond a broken system to find trusted support

Timestamps:

00:00 – Introduction to treatment trauma and racial disparities in care
 02:07 – Defining “treatment trauma” and why it matters
 03:08 – Stigma in Black and Brown communities around depression
 04:02 – How younger generations are breaking the silence
 05:14 – Why many therapists fail to account for culture and trauma
 06:01 – Example: a teen facing abuse, bullying, and depression
 07:18 – Representation gaps in therapy and why shared experience matters
 08:38 – Depression as “normalized” stress in many communities
 10:16 – The risks of police involvement in mental health crises
 11:08 – Crisis intervention teams and improving law enforcement training
 12:02 – The influence of athletes and public figures in reducing stigma
 12:49 – Seeing depression as a public health issue, not a family secret
 13:09 – Tools for resilience, healing, and moving forward
 14:48 – Finding the right therapist despite systemic challenges
 15:31 – Closing reflections and resources

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Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/GivingVoiceToDepression/
Terry's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/givingvoicetodepression/

Suicide is devastating, complex, and deeply misunderstood. In this powerful conversation, Patty Kajawa shares the heartbreaking story of losing her 18-year-old son, Jack, to suicide—and the ways she continues to honor his memory.

Patty’s story reminds us that depression doesn’t always look like the stereotypes. Jack was funny, outgoing, and deeply loved. Yet behind the mask, he was struggling with an illness that ultimately took his life. Patty shares what she wishes more parents, teens, and communities understood about depression, suicide warning signs, and the importance of telling the truth in therapy.

This episode is raw and difficult, but also filled with love, resilience, and hope. Patty’s message is one of remembrance, kindness, and courage—urging us to support one another, ask the hard questions, and build a world where people feel they truly belong.

Primary Topics Covered:

• Why “awareness” alone is not enough for suicide prevention
• The role of kindness and community in supporting mental health
• A mother’s experience of losing her teenage son to suicide
• The reality of masking depression and hiding suicidal thoughts
• Honest conversations parents can have with teens: “Are you safe?”
• The importance of telling the truth in therapy and psychiatry
• Breaking stereotypes about who struggles with depression
• Where hope still lives, even after devastating loss

Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction and context for Suicide Prevention Awareness Month
 01:15 - Jess Stoneman-Raney’s post on radical belonging and prevention
 02:54 - Patty Kajawa introduces her kindness challenge for her son Jack’s birthday
 04:02 - The importance of small acts of kindness in a hurting world
 05:27 - Revisiting Patty’s 2018 interview after her son’s death
 06:38 - Dr. Barbara Moser on the complexity of suicide prevention
 09:28 - Patty shares her son Jack’s story and the family’s struggle
 11:24 - Jack’s humor, kindness, and hidden depression
 12:31 - The difficulty of getting honest answers in therapy
 13:55 - Why depression doesn’t always match media stereotypes
 15:09 - How Patty and Jack used the phrase “Are you safe?”
 16:05 - Creating mental health days and giving kids tools to cope
 17:12 - Grappling with “what ifs” and the limits of parental control
 18:26 - Patty’s faith and ongoing commitment to sharing Jack’s story
 19:08 - Updated language guidelines for talking about suicide
 19:31 - Closing reflections and encouragement

Explore mental health and addiction treatment options at recovery.com
Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/GivingVoiceToDepression/
Terry's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/givingvoicetodepression/

When someone dies by suicide, the grief is unlike any other. It’s filled with questions, guilt, love, and a desperate wish to understand. In this episode of Giving Voice to Depression, we share the story of Patty Kijawa, a grieving mother who lost her teenage son Jack to suicide.

Through her pain, Patty has chosen to speak openly to help others. She talks about the importance of listening for subtle warning signs, breaking down stigma, and reminding teens and families that help is always available.

Her heartbreaking yet powerful message underscores this truth: suicide can happen even when families do everything right. But it also shows how one voice, even in grief, can inspire others to reach out, speak up, and get help.

If you or someone you love is struggling with suicidal thoughts, please call or text 988 in the U.S. to connect with the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

🎙️ Primary Topics Covered

• A mother’s story of losing her son to suicide
• Why grief after suicide is unique and complicated
• The importance of listening for subtle warning signs
• What teens often share with friends instead of adults
• Why speaking up could save a life
• How Patty’s message spread to other teens and families
• The role of faith and finding purpose in loss
• Suicide prevention hotlines and resources

⏱️ Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction to episode and suicide awareness
 01:41 – Why acknowledging suicide loss matters
 02:13 – Patty shares her son Jack’s story
 03:18 – Their last family conversation
 04:37 – A mother’s painful goodbye
 04:56 – Speaking at Jack’s memorial mass
 06:23 – Teens honoring Jack’s memory
 07:39 – Jack’s words of support to others
 08:12 – His private struggles revealed in his diary
 09:08 – Why warning signs can be missed or masked
 09:53 – Friends noticing changes before adults do
 10:39 – Red flags teens and families should look for
 10:58 – Patty brings her message to schools
 11:31 – Finding faith and purpose in loss
 12:23 – Suicide prevention resources (988 & crisis text line)

Explore mental health and addiction treatment options at recovery.com
Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/GivingVoiceToDepression/
Terry's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/givingvoicetodepression/

In this episode of Giving Voice to Depression, John shares his deeply personal journey of living with undiagnosed, lifelong depression—and how the pandemic brought him to his darkest place. Struggling with suicidal thoughts during quarantine, John finally sought help through therapy, medication, and connection with others.

He describes the powerful shift that came from hearing people speak openly about depression—not as weakness, but as illness. By listening to the real stories of peers, John discovered self-acceptance, community, and the courage to share his own truth.

John’s story is a moving reminder that depression thrives in silence but weakens when voices unite. If you’re struggling, you are not broken, you are not alone, and help is available.

Primary Topics Covered:

• The impact of childhood trauma and self-esteem on lifelong depression
• How the pandemic triggered John’s darkest depressive episode
• Suicidal ideation and the turning point that led him to seek help
• The difference between intellectual knowledge and emotional understanding of depression
• Why hearing peer stories is powerful for breaking stigma and finding hope
• The challenges—and relief—of telling friends and family about depression
• Daily routines, therapy, and medication as tools for recovery
• Strategies for interrupting negative thought loops

Timestamps:

00:05 – Introduction to the episode and quotes on healing through words
 01:29 – John’s background and lifelong struggle with depression
 04:22 – The pandemic and John’s deepest depressive episode
 05:32 – Suicidal ideation during quarantine and seeking medical help
 07:00 – Discovering that depression is illness, not weakness
 08:14 – Why hearing lived experiences is more powerful than clinical definitions
 09:27 – John’s message to his past self and to listeners: you are not broken
 11:26 – The struggle of reaching out—and the surprising relief of sharing with a friend
 13:15 – Realizing many people carry the same secret about depression
 15:34 – How life changed after treatment, therapy, and daily routines
 17:29 – Self-worth, self-care, and the importance of consistency
 18:16 – Strategies for interrupting negative thought loops and shifting state
 21:16 – Closing reflections on the power of sharing stories

Explore mental health and addiction treatment options at recovery.com
Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/GivingVoiceToDepression/
Terry's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/givingvoicetodepression/

What happens when you finally put a name to the pain you’ve been carrying for years? For John, acknowledging that what he was experiencing was depression was the turning point in his journey from silence and stigma toward hope and healing.

In this episode of Giving Voice to Depression, John shares openly about growing up in a household marked by trauma and alcoholism, the heavy self-stigma men often face, and the years he spent trying to “tough it out.” Through therapy, medication, and finally naming his depression for what it was, John discovered that healing begins with self-compassion and connection.

If you’ve ever wondered “What’s wrong with me?” or struggled to accept your mental health challenges as real, this episode offers reassurance that naming and owning your depression is not weakness—it’s the first step toward freedom.

Links to ACEs test: https://developingchild.harvard.edu/media-coverage/take-the-ace-quiz-and-learn-what-it-does-and-doesnt-mean

https://www.naadac.org/assets/2416/michael_bricker_acesassessment_ac16_ho.pdf

Primary Topics Covered:

• How stigma and masculinity silence men’s depression
• The “pit of snakes” metaphor for self-critical thinking
• Growing up with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)
• The lasting impact of low self-esteem and verbal abuse
• Recognizing depression as a medical condition, not a weakness
• How COVID-19 and personal crises intensified depression
• Accessing therapy, medication, and Employee Assistance Programs (EAP)
• Why naming depression opens the door to hope and recovery
• The role of compassion—for others and for ourselves—in healing

Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction and listener story
 02:45 - John’s first acknowledgment of depression
 03:57 - Stigma, masculinity, and self-stigma in men
 05:17 - Concealing depression and unhealthy coping
 06:15 - The “pit of snakes” of negative self-talk
 07:04 - Childhood trauma, ACEs, and low self-esteem
 08:41 - How abuse shaped John’s depression
 09:56 - The childhood memory of being asked, “What’s wrong with you?”
 11:38 - Owning the name of depression and feeling hope again
 13:00 - What recovery really looks like—ups and downs
 14:50 - Therapy, antidepressants, and situational vs. chronic depression
 16:14 - How COVID deepened John’s depression
 16:50 - Using EAP and counseling for help
 17:56 - The importance of grabbing a lifeline
 18:28 - Revisiting ACEs and understanding adult struggles
 20:06 - Closing reflections and takeaways

Explore mental health and addiction treatment options at recovery.com
Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/GivingVoiceToDepression/
Terry's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/givingvoicetodepression/

When depression starts to pull you under, the hardest step is often realizing it’s happening. In this powerful conversation, guest Matt Zinman shares the practical strategies he’s used to manage depression and stop it from spiraling out of control.

Matt introduces the 3-Day Rule, a simple framework for knowing when it’s time to act. He also discusses the role of mood scales, exercise, hydration, nutrition, coping skills menus, and self-kindness in building a sustainable foundation for mental health.

Terry and Dr. Anita reflect on Matt’s story and highlight why early action is so important. This episode is full of practical tools—and hopeful reminders—that managing depression is possible with awareness and support.

Link to Matt's website: https://mattzinman.com/

Primary Topics Covered:

• How grief triggered Matt’s most severe depression
• The 3-Day Rule: why day three is critical
• Setting boundaries with depression
• Using mood scales to track mental health
• Coping skills for breaking a depression cycle
• The power of endorphins and movement
• Why “messy” coping strategies still help
• Building resilience through earned confidence
• Making self-kindness a daily practice

Timestamps:

00:00 – Opening reflections on depression recovery tools  
01:34 – Matt Zinman’s story and motivation for sharing  
03:06 – Depression, grief, and the turning point  
05:02 – The 3-Day Rule explained: why day three matters most  
06:07 – How physical activity supports mental health  
06:59 – Joyful and messy coping skills: both can work  
09:21 – Shifting state: small steps to break thought loops  
10:27 – Earned confidence: building on past resilience  
12:41 – Practicing daily self-kindness  
14:42 – Terry and Bridget reflect on Matt’s challenge to self-kindness  
17:22 – Discussion on coping skills that work for different people  
19:16 – How to recognize depression early and act quickly  
20:33 – Resources, links, and closing thoughts  

Explore mental health and addiction treatment options at recovery.com
Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/GivingVoiceToDepression/
Terry's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/givingvoicetodepression/

What happens when mental illness runs in a family? In this deeply moving conversation, Matt Zinman shares his lived experience of growing up with a bipolar father and a mother who survived a suicide attempt. Matt later faced his own battles with depression and suicidal ideation—experiences that shaped his understanding of both the pain and resilience that mental illness brings to families.

This episode also explores the devastating loss of Matt’s brother to opioid misuse and depression, the complexities of medication struggles, and the importance of supportive networks. By telling his story, Matt helps break stigma and shows how honesty, anger, grief, and love can all coexist in mental health recovery.

If you or a loved one are living with depression, bipolar disorder, or family trauma, this conversation offers validation, tools, and hope.

Matt Zinman's website: https://mattzinman.com/

Primary Topics Covered:

• The role of genetics and environment in depression and bipolar disorder
• Growing up in a family deeply impacted by mental illness
• Childhood confusion and anger around a parent’s suicide attempt
• Processing grief and mixed emotions after losing a sibling to suicide and addiction
• The dangers of medication side effects, including suicidal ideation
• Hospitalization, inpatient vs. outpatient treatment, and gaps in care
• How stigma and silence compound family trauma
• Building a support system of people who “lift you up”
• The coexistence of love, grief, and anger in mental health struggles
• Practical takeaways for coping with depression in families

Timestamps:

00:00 - Intro
 01:09 - Genetics, family history, and risk of depression
 02:11 - Matt’s childhood with a bipolar father and depressed mother
 03:34 - Growing up around silence and stigma about mental health
 04:07 - Mother’s suicide attempt and early confusion as a child
 06:13 - First experiences of depression in adolescence
 07:15 - Losing his brother to depression and opioid misuse
 08:31 - Mixed emotions: anger and grief after suicide loss
 10:15 - Rebuilding connection with his mother after her attempt
 11:05 - Hospitalization for depression and medication struggles
 12:22 - Gaps in the mental health care system
 13:13 - The importance of support systems and people who lift you up
 14:38 - Acknowledging complexity: anger, love, and forgiveness
 16:55 - Closing thoughts and preview of Part Two

Explore mental health and addiction treatment options at recovery.com
Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/GivingVoiceToDepression/
Terry's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/givingvoicetodepression/

What happens when mental health care—meant to heal—actually causes harm? That harm has a name: treatment trauma.

In this episode, Dr. Warren Braden, a licensed marriage and family therapist in training, unpacks how racism, stigma, and systemic inequities shape the mental health experiences of Black and Brown communities. He explains why cultural silence often discourages seeking help, how representation gaps in therapy create mistrust, and why traditional models of care often ignore the realities of trauma and discrimination.

Dr. Braden also discusses hopeful changes: younger generations are speaking more openly about depression, athletes and public figures are breaking stigma, and more therapists are being trained in culturally competent care.

This conversation is both challenging and hopeful—reminding us that mental health cannot be separated from culture, environment, and justice.

Primary Topics Covered:

• What “treatment trauma” means in mental health care
• How stigma in Black and Brown communities prevents people from seeking help
• Why many therapists fail to consider racial and cultural context
• The dangers of ignoring trauma in treatment
• The role of law enforcement in mental health crises
• Crisis intervention teams as a step toward safety
• The importance of representation in therapy and recovery
• Generational shifts in openness about depression and care
• Moving toward culturally competent and community-centered support

Timestamps:

00:00 – Introduction to treatment trauma and racism in mental health
 02:07 – Defining treatment trauma and why it matters
 03:08 – Stigma in Black and Brown communities around depression
 04:02 – Younger generations breaking silence about mental health
 05:14 – Why many therapists lack cultural awareness in treatment
 06:01 – Example of a teen facing trauma, bullying, and depression
 07:18 – The importance of representation in therapy and care
 08:38 – Normalized depression and untreated pain in communities
 10:16 – The risks of police involvement in mental health crises
 11:08 – Crisis intervention teams and safer responses
 12:02 – Athletes and public figures breaking stigma
 12:49 – Depression as a public health issue, not a private failure
 13:09 – Tools for resilience, healing, and support
 14:48 – Finding the right therapist despite systemic barriers
 15:31 – Closing reflections and resources

Explore mental health and addiction treatment options at recovery.com
Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/GivingVoiceToDepression/
Terry's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/givingvoicetodepression/

What does it really feel like to live with depression — and how do you fight back against its lies?

In this deeply personal episode, Terri, co-host of Giving Voice to Depression, shares her own battle with mornings, dark thoughts, and the exhaustion of living with depression in silence. She opens up about the moment she realized her thinking had turned dangerously unhealthy, the decision to return to medication, and how that choice saved her life.

Her journey from despair to founding this podcast is a testament that recovery is possible. If you’ve ever wondered how to deal with depression or doubted your worth because of it, Terri’s story is a powerful reminder: depression lies, and you are not alone.

Primary Topics Covered:

• Terry’s struggle with depression’s toxic “morning mantra”
• What depression really feels like day after day
• Recognizing unhealthy thinking and a near crisis point
• Choosing to seek medical help and return to antidepressants
• How medication and therapy can be lifesaving tools
• Founding Giving Voice to Depression as an act of recovery
• Why sharing stories reduces stigma and isolation
• The truth: depression is an illness, not a personal failing
• Building resilience through community and hope

Timestamps:

00:00 Terry explains pausing new episodes to prioritize rest
 01:14 Revisiting one of the podcast’s very first episodes
 02:03 Terry introduces her personal story of living with depression
 03:11 Depression’s toxic “morning mantra” and daily struggles
 05:10 How depression convinces us we’re not enough
 07:03 Terry’s near crisis moment with physical health and dark thoughts
 09:15 Calling her doctor and choosing to return to antidepressants
 10:34 Founding Giving Voice to Depression as a way to make meaning
12:00 Why sharing stories breaks stigma and builds connection
13:35 The importance of medication and self-care in recovery
15:04 The truth about depression: it lies — you have worth
16:22 Bridget and Terry reflect on the courage of telling our stories
18:05 Closing message: speak up, listen up, you are not alone

Explore mental health and addiction treatment options at recovery.com
Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/GivingVoiceToDepression/
Terry's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/givingvoicetodepression/

What if depression, as soul-crushing as it can be, also offered unexpected lessons that shape who we become?

In this powerful episode of Giving Voice to Depression, Tom Wavre shares eight lessons he’s learned from his own battle with depression. From confronting stigma and discovering inner strength, to learning empathy and helping others, Tom reframes depression not just as an illness, but as an experience that can bring unexpected growth and perspective.

Listeners will walk away with validation, hope, and practical insights into how depression can change—not define—us.

Primary Topics Covered:

• How depression leads to deeper self-awareness
• The real source of stigma and how to challenge it
• Why opening up can be a turning point in recovery
• Discovering unexpected inner strength in daily survival
• The power of empathy and helping others
• Recognizing you are not alone in the struggle
• Reframing depression as part of your story, not your identity

Timestamps:

00:40 – Introducing the conversation on lessons from depression
 01:30 – Tom Wavre and his article Eight Ways I’m Grateful for My Depression
02:48 – Accepting depression and going on the journey with it
03:17 – Lesson 1: Knowing yourself better through self-awareness
04:00 – Lesson 2: Understanding the true nature of stigma
05:27 – Lesson 3: The power of opening up about depression
06:39 – Lesson 4: Discovering inner strength you didn’t know you had
08:13 – The mountain-climbing metaphor for living with depression
08:20 – Lesson 5: Realizing you’re not alone in your struggles
09:18 – Lesson 6: Building empathy through depression
09:36 – Lesson 7: Helping others and the reward of giving back
10:34 – Lesson 8: Becoming a person you never thought you could be
12:17 – Moving from survival to progress in recovery
13:07 – Depression as just one part of your story
14:29 – Tools and resources for tracking mental health progress
15:05 – Closing reflections and invitation to share your lessons

Explore mental health and addiction treatment options at recovery.com
Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/GivingVoiceToDepression/
Terry's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/givingvoicetodepression/