Mario Gonzalez moved to the United States when he was only three years old as the son of undocumented immigrants who followed seasonal harvests up and down the West Coast. As a result, his childhood was filled with constant change, insecurity, & financial stress. 

Determined to build a life of greater stability, Mario chose to focus on school and finding a legal foothold in the US. His path has been one of bravery, heartbreak, and determination. You won’t want to miss it!

Today’s episode - in collaboration with the podcast I Know Lonely and non-profit Only 7 Seconds - explores Mario’s upbringing, how he manages clinically diagnosed anxiety and depression, and what empowers him to stay present as his legal status remains unresolved.

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Resources:

• Help with loneliness and isolation: only7seconds.com 
• I Know Lonely Podcast: only7seconds.com/podcast 
• Mental Note Podcast: www.mentalnotepodcast.com
• Pathlight Mood & Anxiety Center Website: www.pathlightbh.com 
• Free Group Support: www.pathlightbh.com/support-groups 
• Free evaluation with a trained Pathlight therapist: (877) 850-7199
• Mario’s Instagram: @mariogonzalez.co

Dave Vrablik’s lifelong habit of emotional eating never felt like a serious problem. That is, until one heartbreaking phone call five years ago…

Upon receiving news about the death of his beloved older brother, Dave’s occasional compulsive eating quickly morphed into uncontrolled binging. All of a sudden he was enveloped by Binge Eating Disorder.

Dave’s discovery and treatment of the eating disorder sent him on a five-year journey - one that highlights the importance of community as well as what we all should know about America’s most prevalent, yet under-diagnosed, eating disorder. 

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Links:

• Binge Eating Information: Click Here
• Virtual At-Home Treatment for Binge Eating Disorder: Click Here
• Mental Note Podcast: www.mentalnotepodcast.com
• Pathlight Mood & Anxiety Center: www.pathlightbh.com
• Eating Recovery Center: www.eatingrecoverycenter.com
• Free Group Support: Click Here
• Free Evaluation with a Trained Therapist:  (877) 850-7199

For more than 10 years Kaylee Kron has walked alongside the bereaved, companioning them and honoring the memory of their lost loved ones. In a culture that treats death and grief like they are contagious, she is a wise guide prompting us to reevaluate that fear.  

This compassion and insight did not come easy. It grew out of personal tragedy - the unexpected death of a partner and a tumultuous path back to peace. She now works tirelessly to showcase the rich world of grief and why we should embrace it rather than hide from the pain. 

On today’s episode, we discuss:

• Kaylee’s story
• Common misconceptions about grief
• The do’s & don’ts of talking about loss
• The life-altering power of recognizing loss with your community

__________________________________________________________________________________ Resources:

Kaylee’s Links & Grief Education

• Kaylee Kron’s Website: www.the-grief-coach.com 
• Workbook for Families in Grief: Purchase Book Here
• Instagram: @the.grief.coach
• whatsyourgrief.com
• Companioning Model: About
• Four Tasks of Mourning: About

Mental Note Podcast & Mental Health

• Mental Note Podcast: www.mentalnotepodcast.com
• Pathlight Mood & Anxiety Center: www.pathlightbh.com 
• Eating Recovery Center: www.eatingrecoverycenter.com
• Free Group Support: eatingrecoverycenter.com/support-groups
• Free Evaluation with a Trained Therapist:  (877) 850-7199

Right as therapist KC Davis gave birth to her second baby, Covid-19 began shutting down normal life. Not only that, but KC had just moved to a new city, her husband began a demanding new job, and pandemic restrictions caused their carefully planned support system to crumble.  All of a sudden it was just her - and her two babies - home alone. Everyday. 

In the chaos that ensued, KC began an unexpected new journey. From grappling with mental health barriers to becoming TikTok famous and writing a best-selling book - KC has ventured out on a quest. Her goal? To connect the dots between mental health and the daily care tasks we tend to take for granted. 

So on today’s episode, we’ll talk with KC about the last few years - focusing specifically on the ADHD diagnosis that answered so many questions about her past. Along the way, we will learn her signature workarounds for completing tasks that feel impossible.

__________________________________________________________________________________ Resources:

KC Davis

• KC Davis’ Website: www.strugglecare.com 
• Struggle Care Podcast: Listen
• How to Keep House While Drowning: Purchase Book Here
• TikTok: @domesticblisters   
• Instagram: @strugglecare

Mental Note Podcast & Mental Health

• Mental Note Podcast: www.mentalnotepodcast.com
• Pathlight Mood & Anxiety Center: www.pathlightbh.com 
• Eating Recovery Center: www.eatingrecoverycenter.com
• Free Group Support: eatingrecoverycenter.com/support-groups
• Free Evaluation with a Trained Therapist:  (877) 850-7199

American culture praises weight loss. A quick scroll of social media, magazine racks, or even the news will yield numerous “transformation” stories documenting how a fat person turned their life around by shedding pounds. 

But at what cost?

Today, we’re exploring an eating disorder so camouflaged, you probably didn’t even know it exists - Atypical Anorexia. Or, more accurately, anorexia in people with larger bodies.

With our guide - recovery advocate Joanna Nolen - we will unpack how fatphobia impacts the medical system, insurance, and even treatment centers. Plus, Joanna will share her most practical wisdom about navigating this weight-loss-obsessed world as a person in recovery living in a larger body. 

____________________________________________________________________________________ Resources:

• Mental Note Podcast: www.mentalnotepodcast.com
• Pathlight Mood & Anxiety Center: www.pathlightbh.com 
• Eating Recovery Center: www.eatingrecoverycenter.com
• Free Group Support: eatingrecoverycenter.com/support-groups
• Free Evaluation with a Trained Therapist:  (877) 850-7199
• "Don't Weigh Me Cards" https://ggle.io/5X7x 

Beyond the rush and noise of the Holiday Season, hides an amazing treasure - the passing of stories and wisdom from our elders. And we're not just talking about tales of the good ol' days from grandparents! Because an elder is simply someone who’s gone before you, no matter their age.

So, to celebrate this special time of year, we are featuring short stories from some of you - the elders in our community who have already walked the road of recovery. We wanted to know how you have integrated recovery into your homes and living spaces.

Each featured response is brief. Our hope is that they spark your imagination to consider ways that home might become a partner instead of an opponent to mental health.

Many thanks to Kara Richardson Whitley, Ashton Grooms, Jen Ponton, Jane Zeltser, Patrick Devenny, Tony Wilson, Niki Dubois, Chris Henry, Ivy Watts, Katie Kittredge, & Jayne Mattingly for sharing.

Resources:

• Mental Note Podcast: www.mentalnotepodcast.com
• Pathlight Mood & Anxiety Center: www.pathlightbh.com 
• Eating Recovery Center: www.eatingrecoverycenter.com
• Free Group Support: www.pathlightbh.com/support-groups 
• Free Evaluation with a Trained Pathlight Therapist:  (877) 850-7199

As a teenager, Kea Yamamoto’s behaviors transformed from being respectful, creative, and empathetic to ones that alienated the people she cared most about. Not only did she lash out, but she also stopped sleeping, began hallucinating, and felt immune to consequences. 

Kea’s eventual diagnosis of Bipolar I Disorder proved to be both a relief and a frightening look into the unknown. Would she be able to enjoy the relationships and experiences that make life worthwhile? Or would she move deeper into isolation and pain?

Today’s episode - in collaboration with the podcast I Know Lonely and the non-profit Only 7 Seconds - explore’s Kea’s 10-year journey towards a fulfilling life. We cover how she mended relationships, what dating with a Bipolar diagnosis was like, and why she decided to become a mother despite the hereditary nature of her disorder. 

Resources:

• Help with Loneliness and Isolation: only7seconds.com 
• I Know Lonely Podcast: only7seconds.com/podcast 
• Mental Note Podcast: www.mentalnotepodcast.com
• Pathlight Mood & Anxiety Center Website: https://www.pathlightbh.com/ 
• Free Group Support: https://www.pathlightbh.com/support-groups 
• Free Evaluation with a Trained Pathlight Therapist:  (877) 850-7199

Discover how your personality can be both your biggest asset and greatest stumbling block on today’s fascinating episode. 

When Dr. Laura Hill first encountered research showing that a person’s temperament - the baked-in personality traits dictated by their genes - dramatically influences the type and expression of their eating disorder, she was thrilled. For decades, she had felt that eating disorder treatment only focused on external behaviors, while ignoring root causes. But through brain-based research, she was finally able to see how and why disorders begin growing in the first place.

This excitement compelled Dr. Hill to devote the next ten years of her career to working alongside colleagues and patients in developing the first-ever eating disorder treatment focused on genetic traits. The result? Temperament Based Treatment with Supports - TBT-S for short. Influenced by Dr. Hill’s playful and inquisitive spirit, this approach promises thrilling possibilities for long-term recovery. 

Resources:

• Our Website:  www.mentalnotepodcast.com
• Free mental health assessment: (877) 850-7199
• Her Book - https://amz.run/61EQ 
• Dr. Hill’s TED Talk: Eating Disorders From the Inside Out: https://ytube.io/3WsY 
• Video of Wire/Re-Wire Activity: https://ytube.io/3WsZ 
• Three levels of TBT-S training from tbtstraining.com
• Level 1 Training - https://bityl.co/F0f7
• Level 2 Training - https://bit.ly/3STzrMe
• Level 3 Training - https://bit.ly/3CmHfPz
• Eating Recovery Center Website: www.eatingrecoverycenter.com
• Free Group Support: eatingrecoverycenter.com/support-groups

Suicide is one of those words that stops us in our tracks. Often, we treat it tenderly — acting like saying it too loudly will inspire someone to do something awful. But the truth is that not talking about suicide is what actually increases the chance a person with suicidal thoughts will act on them. 

So how do you have such a loaded conversation? Well, it helps to get advice from people who’ve been there before.

September is Suicide Prevention Month and in recognition of that goal, we reached out to the experts on dialoguing about difficult mental health topics - an organization called Hope for the Day.

Hope for the Day is a non-profit movement empowering conversations on proactive suicide prevention and mental health education. While based in Chicago, their resources are global. Their whole approach focuses on peer-to-peer led conversations that are guided by clinical oversight. It’s incredibly effective. So today, I’ll speak with five members of their team about tools, programs, and mindsets that can help prevent suicide in the communities we love.  

Also, be sure to check out our resources list below for an abundance of ways to get the help you or a loved one may need. 

Resources:

• Hope for the Day’s Website: www.hftd.org
• A searchable, international list of resources for suicide prevention and mental health help:  www.hftd.org/find-help
• The Things We Don’t Say Program: www.hftd.org/get-educated/learn-more
• Project R.E.D. Team: www.hftd.org/red-team
• Identity & Orientation Resources: www.hftd.org/lgbtq
• Proactive Workplaces Program: www.hftd.org/proactive-workplaces
• Free Live Educations via Zoom or In-Person: www.hftd.org/events
• E-Learning On-Demand Education: www.hftd.org/e-learning/requestform

Emergency Resources:

• National Suicide Prevention Hotline: Dial 988
• Mental Health Emergencies: Dial 911 and say, "I need an ambulance, at this address, for a mental health crisis."

Our Show’s Resources:

• Our Website:  www.mentalnotepodcast.com
• Free mental health assessment: (877) 850-7199
• National Suicide Prevention Hotline: Dial 988

Researching anxiety and mood disorders can be daunting - and deciding who is credible and what research holds up under scrutiny is even harder.

That’s why we made today’s episode!

Welcome to our little one-stop-shop-overview of the basics for anxiety and mood disorders. We’ll spend this episode asking an expert in the field the most common questions about anxiety disorders, mood disorders, the treatment experience, and treatment methods. Sound good? Dr. Howard Weeks will be our gracious question answerer. He is the Chief Medical Officer at Pathlight Mood & Anxiety Center. Most importantly, he has a special way of communicating complex information that brings clarity rather than getting lost in the weeds. Since this episode is a little longer than our typical show, we’ve included time stamps for different subjects below.

Subjects Timestamps

Anxiety 2:20 -15:00

Types - 6:00 

• • Generalized Anxiety Disorder
  • Phobias
  • OCD
  • PTSD
  • Panic Attacks

Getting help - 10:30 

• • Treatment Options
  • Is Recovery Possible?

Mood Disorders 15:00 - 29:30

Overview - 15:15 

• • Depression
  • Mania
  • Genetics

Getting help - 22:35 

• • When to Get help
  • Hotlines
  • Support Groups
  • Is Recovery Possible?

Treatment 29:30 - 42:00

Overview - 29:30 

• • Acute
  • Residential
  • Partial Hospitalization
  • Intensive Outpatient
  • Virtual Intensive Outpatient
  • Traditional Outpatient

Pathlight - 34:30 

• • What Sets it Apart?
  • What Treatment Looks Like
  • Age Categories
  • Insurance

Resources:

• Our Website:  www.mentalnotepodcast.com
• Free mental health assessment: (877) 850-7199
• National Suicide Prevention Hotline: Dial 988
• Pathlight Behavioral Health Center Website: www.pathlightbh.com
• Free Group Support: www.pathlightbh.com/support-groups
• Family Involvement Link: Family Resources