When it comes to mental health, there are certain thought biases that depressed people are more likely to engage in than others. 

In this episode, I cover different types of thought biases and strategies to fight back against them to avoid unnecessary suffering.

Labeling - When you assign traits to yourself or others without considering the evidence. 

Strategy: Stop and ask yourself whether or not the evidence actually supports that conclusion. Remember our lives can never be reduced to a singular moment or label.

Mind Reading - When someone assumes that they know what another person is thinking, even when there's no evidence to support that assumption.

Strategy: Try and remind yourself that it’s impossible ever to know what another person is thinking unless we ask them. Find a trusted loved one. Tell them you’re down, and ask them about what they’re thinking instead of assuming. 

Overgeneralization - When someone takes one experience and applies it to all other situations. If something didn't work out once, then you might assume that nothing will ever work out. 

Strategy: Notice if you’re using words like always or never or thinking in broad strokes, assuming nothing will change or work out. Remember that nothing in life ever repeats itself exactly and tomorrow will be different than today. 

Emotional Reasoning - When we assume everything that we feel is true and an accurate reflection of what is happening in our life. 

Strategy: Remember thoughts and emotions are not facts. Avoid assuming everything you think or feel is true.

In this episode, you’ll also hear:

• Understanding thought biases and the halo effect 
• How depression exacerbates thought biases 
• Recognizing thoughts and emotions are simply information

Must-listen moments: 

[00:04:57] Labels are good for boxes. You are not a box. You're an endlessly complicated human being that deserves an endlessly complicated and beautiful description.

[00:08:20] Tomorrow might be really hard, yes, but it will not be exactly like today, because that's just not how the universe works. Allow the mystery to provide you hope. 

[00:10:41] Emotions are important, no doubt about it, so are our thoughts. But when we allow our emotions and our thoughts to be the only factors that influence our mood, we set ourselves up for unnecessary suffering.

Thank you for listening! 

Depression, Anxiety, and Other Things We Don’t Want to Talk About - https://www.amazon.com/Depression-Anxiety-Other-Things-About/dp/1400221323

Ryan Casey Waller

Website - https://www.ryancaseywaller.com/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ryancaseywaller

Twitter - https://twitter.com/ryancaseywaller

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ryancaseywaller/

When it comes to suicide, everybody wants to help prevent it from happening but nobody wants to ask the wrong question or make things worse by inadvertently planting the idea of suicide in a person’s mind who wasn’t already considering it. 

It’s important to understand asking about suicide will not cause someone to commit suicide. 

In this episode, I explain why you never have to go beyond your expertise to address suicide, supportive phrases to use if someone is struggling, and why it’s crucial to check in on loved ones often and repeatedly. 

If you’re not quite sure how to help a friend or loved one you think may be suicidal, remember to be guided by ALP:

A: Ask - Be blunt and ask if they are considering suicide.

L: Listen - Listen for as long as it takes and listen without judgment.  

P: Point - Point them in the direction of a mental health professional.

You may not be a professional but you can help them find professional help. 

In this episode, you’ll also hear:

• How being blunt and asking questions is better than saying nothing
• Listening with non-judgment and resources for professional help  
• Helpful phrases and a reminder to check in on your loved ones  

Must-listen moments: 

[00:04:07]  You will never regret asking someone about suicide. What you will regret undoubtedly is not asking. When in doubt, just ask.

[00:06:15] Allow yourself that freedom of not knowing. You don't need to solve the problem. You don't need to rescue your friend. All you need to do is be enough of a friend to ask the question, listen, and then point them in the direction they ought to go.

[00:08:53] Just because someone wasn't suicidal yesterday doesn't mean they're not today. If you believe a person is suicidal, you should check on that person repeatedly. 

Thank you for listening! 

Resources Mentioned: 

National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Dial 988

Depression, Anxiety, and Other Things We Don’t Want to Talk About - https://www.amazon.com/Depression-Anxiety-Other-Things-About/dp/1400221323

Ryan Casey Waller

Website - https://www.ryancaseywaller.com/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ryancaseywaller

Twitter - https://twitter.com/ryancaseywaller

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ryancaseywaller/

A common misconception is that resilience is reserved only for those who defy the odds.

However, anyone can practice resilience because everyone faces difficult situations that push our limits and force us to choose whether we will keep moving forward or not.   

In this episode, I address how humans may be resilient by nature. Still, our ability to access this power largely depends on the state of our mental health, which then impacts how we adapt to difficulty. 

When we face trauma or difficult situations, we tend to respond in three ways: 

• Get stuck in the past, ruminate psychologically, and paralyze ourselves 
• Numbing out, seeking safety at all costs even if the perceived safety is harmful
• Choosing to grow, viewing our suffering as an opportunity to learn

In this episode, you’ll also hear:

• Understanding the relationship between mental health and resilience
• 3 responses to trauma: Getting stuck, numbing out, choosing to grow
• Tragic optimism and the ability to search for meaning 

Must-listen moments: 

[00:03:45] Our capacity for resilience is not reserved for superstars. It's for you and for me. 

[00:05:30] We are all naturally resilient, but if a person's mental health is suffering, however, their ability to display resilience will be compromised when facing a tragedy. 

[00:12:33] Resilience is all about the mindset we take toward the struggle. If everything, no matter how awful, is an opportunity to grow, that means I can literally face anything.

Thank you for listening! 

Depression, Anxiety, and Other Things We Don’t Want to Talk About - https://www.amazon.com/Depression-Anxiety-Other-Things-About/dp/1400221323

Ryan Casey Waller

Website - https://www.ryancaseywaller.com/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ryancaseywaller

Twitter - https://twitter.com/ryancaseywaller

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ryancaseywaller/

Alcohol is without question the most popular and socially accepted drug in the United States, despite the fact that alcohol-related deaths have increased year after year.

Sadly, the vast majority of people who struggle with alcohol never receive any kind of help or treatment. Instead, it’s more common to be pressured to drink instead of encouraged to limit your alcohol intake.  

In this episode, I offer an experiment to measure your relationship with alcohol and some helpful resources for anyone wanting to change that relationship.

The most popular and accessible resource focused on recovery from alcohol is Alcoholics Anonymous, which centers on meetings for members to share their struggles without judgment. 

There are also several helpful books written with the intention of educating others about the impact of alcohol:

• This Naked Mind: Control Alcohol by: Annie Grace  
• The Abstinence Myth by: Adi Jaffe PhD
• In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts by: Gabor Mate MD

In this episode, you’ll also hear:  

• Recognizing the relationship between alcohol and death
• Aligning actions with intentions and discovering your limits
• Different approaches to alcohol treatment and recovery 

Must-listen moments: 

[00:05:05] The truth is that nobody really has a drinking problem. It's really just a stopping problem. It's not the drink that gets you into trouble, it's the inability to stop drinking that causes havoc. 

[00:13:11] It's only when I get underneath the pain and I look at what's causing the pain, am I able to see how pointless it is to dump alcohol on my problems.

[00:13:45] If you set about building a life that you find meaningful, you are going to be far less likely to sacrifice the goodness and the joy of that life for any amount of booze.

Thank you for listening!

Depression, Anxiety, and Other Things We Don’t Want to Talk About - https://www.amazon.com/Depression-Anxiety-Other-Things-About/dp/1400221323

Ryan Casey Waller

Website - https://www.ryancaseywaller.com/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ryancaseywaller

Twitter - https://twitter.com/ryancaseywaller

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ryancaseywaller/

Burnout may not be a classifiable medical condition, but it certainly has the potential to make you feel terrible and isn’t too far off from depression. 

To easily identify the symptoms of burnout, ask yourself if you feel like you’ve been put on ICE:

I: Ineffective - What was once routine now feels overly complex. You’re filled with doubt and insecurity and wonder if others notice your confidence rapidly diminishing. 

C: Cynical - You might feel disengaged from your work and the less you engage, the less you care. Not caring can lead to negativity that consumes and destroys any optimism or joy you still have.

E: Exhausted - According to Monique Valor with the Harvard Business Review, “Exhaustion is the central symptom of burnout, consisting of profound physical, cognitive, and emotional fatigue that undermines people's ability to work effectively and feel positive about what they're doing.”

In this episode, I cover the red flags of burnout and why it’s so important to check in with yourself and determine what action you can take to avoid sliding into depression.

If you’re experiencing burnout, remember to get in the CAR and go to a new destination:

C: Competency - We need some semblance of control in our life. Focus on a simple action like keeping your bedroom organized, checking the mail regularly, or paying the bills on time. 

A: Autonomy - We also need self-direction and independence. While we value the opinion of others, we ultimately appreciate the final say in what we do. 

R: Relatedness - We need to love and be loved. We must find ways to connect with others, even in the darkest of times.    

Addressing these needs may not solve every problem you face, but it will make you feel at least a little better.

In this episode, you’ll also hear:

• Understanding the relationship between depression and burnout 
• Taking action to prevent crossing the bridge to depression
• Self-determination theory and addressing three needs: CAR

Must-listen moments: 

[00:05:50] It's pretty damn hard ever fully to unplug, take a load off and actually recharge. So are you burned out? Take a survey of your life and ask to what degree you feel ineffective, cynical, and exhausted.

[00:08:35] In life, there will always be times when we must do things we don't want to do, but for the most part, we function better if we feel like we are choosing the life we're living.

[00:10:51] Tending to these three needs won't solve every difficulty in your life, but it's hard to imagine not feeling at least a little bit better when you can confidently say you experience competency, autonomy, and meaningful relationships.

Thank you for listening! 

Depression, Anxiety, and Other Things We Don’t Want to Talk About - https://www.amazon.com/Depression-Anxiety-Other-Things-About/dp/1400221323

Ryan Casey Waller

Website - https://www.ryancaseywaller.com/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ryancaseywaller

Twitter - https://twitter.com/ryancaseywaller

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ryancaseywaller/

I, too, have struggled with mental health and know how challenging depression and anxiety can be.    

While I can’t provide psychotherapy treatment through this podcast, I can inform, entertain, and provide insights for anyone who wants to tend to their mind, improve their relationships, or support loved ones who might struggle with anxiety, depression, or other things they don’t (often) want to talk about.    

Mental health is the foundation of our overall health, and it deserves our attention as we wade through the emotions we feel and the reactions we have to the way the world works around us. My only aim in creating this show is to help you become the happiest, healthiest, and safest version of yourself. 

In this episode, you’ll also hear: 

• Evidence that your dreams can come true and guidance for what to do afterward 
• Why depression deserves more attention and recognition as a deadly disease 
• A candid, realistic look into improving your mental health over time 

Must-listen moments:  

[00:01:29] If one dream could come true, others could also. And if that were true, then it must also be true that hope and optimism are virtues worth pursuing, a truth that would become enormously helpful to me later in life. 

[00:02:03] One of the gnarliest aspects of struggling with mental health is that our brain lies to us by saying how we feel today is how we will feel forever.  

[00:02:43] We can treat mental illness and, in many cases, treat it very, very well. Not only that, we can improve the mental health of just about anyone on the planet if they're willing to devote the time and energy to doing so. 

  Thank you for listening!     

Depression, Anxiety, and Other Things We Don’t Want to Talk About - https://www.amazon.com/Depression-Anxiety-Other-Things-About/dp/1400221323 

Ryan Casey Waller 

Website - https://www.ryancaseywaller.com/ 

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ryancaseywaller 

Twitter - https://twitter.com/ryancaseywaller 

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ryancaseywaller/