I'm F.I.N.E.

Marijuana has come a long way in the past few years, but its history in American culture spans back over a century ago. Today, Eric and Brad get into the history of the devil's lettuce and discuss its relationship to mental health in their personal lives along with what science has shown.

Then our co-hosts are joined by Acting Executive Director of Balanced Veterans Network (BVN), Jen Baxter. Balanced Veterans Network's mission is to provide a safe space for community, education, advocacy, and empowerment of alternative therapies for veterans and their families. One of these initiatives is Operation 1620, a program that brings awareness, education, and support to veterans using cannabis and other natural methods as an alternative to pharmaceuticals.

To learn more about Operation 1620, along with the other initiatives BVN is working on, check out their website at:

https://balancedveterans.org/

And a huge THANK YOU to our sponsor of this episode, The Horton Group! The Horton Group, Leading clients to a higher level of performance. 

Please check them out at

www.thehortongroup.com

Happy Mental Health Monday everyone!

On this episode, Melanie teaches us a variety of exercises that we can use to help strengthen the vagus nerve in our bodies.

Hey there Fine Family and welcome to another episode of the I'm F.I.N.E Podcast where today Brad and Eric explore the growing world of peer support groups. 

They discuss the origins, types, pros and cons, and share their personal stories with attending peer support groups in their own lives with their friend and leader of a local veteran peer support group Lima Charlie, Mike Pinkul. 

Lima Charlie is just one of the many programs offered by veteran nonprofit organization "Operation Charlie Bravo" formerly known as "Operation Combat Bikesaver."

The boys also talk to Mike about Mike's story, the issues Mike faced when he came home, how OCB changed his life, and what to look for in a peer support group before ending with one of Eric's favorite Motivational Monday quotes. 

For more information on Lima Charlie or Operation Charlie Bravo, check out:

https://www.combatbikesaver.org/

And a huge THANK YOU to our sponsor of this episode, The Horton Group! The Horton Group, Leading clients to a higher level of performance. 

Please check them out at

www.thehortongroup.com

Welcome to the sixth installment of the I'm F.I.N.E. Mental Health Mondays video series with Licensed Professional Counselor, Melanie McCummiskey. On this video, Melanie dives into body image and body dysmorphia.

Presented by, Project Headspace & Timing. Learn more at http://projectheadspaceandtiming.com/.

Happy Monday F.I.N.E. Fam!

Eric and Brad explore toxic cultures and workplaces by discussing where the terminology came from and how it started, to tip and tricks you can use if you have left a toxic workplace or if you have to work in a toxic workplace. The boys share their personal stories in dealing with toxic behaviors in their military and professional lives, and wrap up the episode reading some stories from the F.I.N.E. Family about their own experiences with working for a toxic workplace. 

Though it originated in the 1980's, toxic masculinity has risen in popularity in the past decade and with its resurgence comes some tension.

No, not all men are terrible, and yes, there are plenty of examples of positive masculinity in the world, but toxic masculinity is something that has become more prevalent today and should be addressed as much as the latter. On today's episode, Eric and Brad peel back some of the layers of toxic masculinity with Licensed Professional Counselor and LGBTQ advocate, Matt Hedding-Hess.

Towards the end of the show, Matt, Eric, and Brad discuss an incredibly important mental health referendum in Kankakee County up for vote on April 4th that, if passed, could lead to opportunities for Kankakee County to assist and grow their mental health provider efforts and much more.

For more information on the 1/4th Cent Tax for Mental Health Referendum, please find Matt Hedding-Hess on Facebook.

It doesn't take someone perusing through the depths of the internet very long to see examples of frustration, hate, and depression strewn about social media, but where does it all come from, and why do people feel that they are able to act in such a way to complete strangers?!

On today's episode, Eric and Brad dive into some significant statistics on how social media affects mental health, the impact of filters, best practices, worst practices, and more.

On this episode of the podcast Brad and Eric discuss the relationship between mental health and racism, and how their individual racial identities have affected their own mental health.

Our hosts are then joined by Theodis Pace, President of the Kankakee Chapter of the NAACP. Theodis discusses his background, how acts of racism have affected his own mental health, and the collaborative effort of the NAACP and community members to form the Kankakee County Community Crisis Response Team. 

Happy Monday F.I.N.E. Family!

We used to think that therapy was limited to laying on a leather couch and staring at the ceiling while someone sitting out of view took notes. Luckily that is not always the case as we have learned in past episodes, and on this episode Seth Burkey from Harvard MedTech stopped by to blow our minds by explaining Vx Therapy, a comprehensive treatment program for veterans and civilians alike, where a VR headset is paired with treatment professionals in helping users with issues like fear, anxiety, depression, PTSD, and even pain!

This is a treatment recently authorized by the VA that veterans can request directly. Seth even brought a pair for us to try on the show, and we have to say, we were incredibly impressed with the information. We hope you will be too!

For more information on Harvard Medtech's VX treatment, please visit:

https://harvardmedtech.com/

Or contact Seth directly at:

[email protected]

Be well!

I'm F.I.N.E. Podcast is a division of Eric's non-profit:

http://www.projectheadspaceandtiming.org

Produced by LaMore Media L.L.C.:

https://lamoremediallc.com/

For many people out there, present company included, we tend to be our worst enemy. Regardless of how hard you have worked, the successes you have experienced, and the compliments you may have received, it is easy to still see what you could have done better, or worse, that you are unworthy of it all.

So on today's episode, Brad and Eric decide to tackle two afflictions that weigh heavily on the minds of anyone experiencing any of the above whether they know it or not: impostor syndrome and burnout phenomenon. And thankfully for us, we had some help from our friend, wearer of MANY hats, and as of recently, founder of Athena Advisory, Sarah Marion.

And stay tuned for our new end-of-episode segment "We're F.I.N.E." where we read some of our listeners' comments about impostor syndrome and being burned out!

Be well!

I'm F.I.N.E. Podcast is a division of Eric's non-profit:

http://www.projectheadspaceandtiming.org

Produced by LaMore Media L.L.C.:

https://lamoremediallc.com/

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