Mental Note

Secrets are one of the heaviest burdens we will ever carry. And while their release can feel euphoric, it's hard not to worry about the fallout from sharing what's inside. Along our mental health journeys, secrets often play a sinister role in keeping us locked into shame. That's why today's storyteller, Frank Warren, launched the global sensation PostSecret.

PostSecret offers an anonymous and artful platform to share the deepest hidden knowledge we all keep inside. It's popularity is unrivaled and exists as the internet's most visited advertisement-free blog. We can't wait to share this conversation with you! Who knows? Maybe it will inspire you to share something you've been holding inside for far too long.

mentalnotepodcast.com postsecret.com

Growing up gay, Christian, and the son of a church pastor in The South, author and podcast creator BT Harman knew how to suppress his own voice in order to fit in. Yet, at what costs? Anxiety, depression, and deep loneliness seemed to follow him at every turn.

We travel with BT as he mines the secret journals of his early life in order to share with the world the liberty of authenticity. His story is relevant to anyone from any background looking to declare freedom from shame and make this the year that they own their truth.

Mental Note Podcast is sponsored by Eating Recovery Center and Insight Behavioral Health Centers. You can reach a trained therapist to see if treatment is right for you by calling 877-411-9578.

Learn more about our storytellers, the music we use, and who we are at mentalnotepodcast.com. We'd also love it if you left us a review on iTunes!

Follow BT and discover his amazing stories:

• btharman.com - Get to know more about B.T.'s life as a speaker, storyteller, and consultant.
• Catlick.com - B.T.'s latest podcast is a historical true crime saga set in Atlanta in the early 1900s.
• bluebabiespink.com - B.T.'s original blog/podcast which has been called "the Netflix of blogs" for it's addictive nature.
• the54321.com - B.T.'s semi-weekly newsletter designed for kickass millennials.

Social Media:

• IG & Twitter - @bt_harman
• FB - facebook.com/bt.harman.writes
• Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/bt-harman/

*Please note: When this podcast was recorded, Shay was referenced as a straight male. Since this recording, Shay courageously came out as a transwoman and uses she/her pronouns.*

Treatment for mental health issues rarely receives the same level of community support that a more visible struggle, like major surgery, does. But our friend, Shay, is out to change that.

A straight male who received treatment for anorexia, Shay experienced push back from some of his closest friends when he made the choice to seek professional help. Yet, his friends were eager to lend sympathy when he fractured an ankle... What gives!?

We are all about shifting this conversation along with Shay and cannot wait for you to hear more of his story.

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Learn more about our storytellers and past episodes at mentalnotepodcast.com

To speak with a trained therapist about what you're going through, please call 877-411-9578.

Mental Note is brought to you by Eating Recovery Center and Insight Behavioral Health Centers. It is Directed by Sam Pike, Edited by Josh Wright, and produced and hosted by Ellie Pike.

Today's episode features the trailblazing expert on difficult to treat cases of eating and mood disorders, Dr. Delia Aldridge.

We'll discuss your questions for her about why diets don't work, how self-harm and eating disorders are connected, what treatment looks like, and the long term complications of restrictive eating - so please pass this along to anyone you know who will benefit from her knowledge!

Learn more at mentalnotepodcast.com

To speak with a trained therapist about what you're going through, please call 877-411-9578.

Mental Note is brought to you by the Eating Recovery Center and Insight Behavioral Health Centers. It is produced by Sam Pike, Edited by Josh Wright and Sam Pike, and hosted by Ellie Pike.

Nicole had big plans from an early age – excel at school, take the Ivy League world by storm, and never stop exploring. But when an eating disorder prompted her to drop out of high school, she was left wondering if she'd ever dream again.

Join Mental Note for our inaugural episode as we follow Nicole on a 10 year journey discovering recovery, entrepreneurship, travel, and healed relationships.

Hosted by Ellie Herman, Produced by Sam Pike, Sponsored by Eating Recovery Center and Insight Behavioral Health.

Check out Nicole's work at nicolegriswold.com

Music by Melodium, Podington Bear, and Jean-Luc Hefferman

Lindsey Hall feels like a giant, eight-year-long black hole devoured her late teens and 20's. Years that should have been spent figuring out who she was and what she cared about were erased by something called "Drunkorexia" - a nonmedical term for the fusion of alcoholism and anorexia.

An accomplished writer and authentic voice for recovery, Lindsey brings us along on her journey of discovering how precious life truly is.

You can find Lindsey's work at ihaventshavedinsixweeks.com or on Instagram @lindseyhallwrites.

Our show is sponsored by Eating Recovery Center and Insight Behavioral Health Centers. For a free consultation, please reach out at 877-411-9578.

Back in 2011, Jennifer Pharr Davis set the record for fastest thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail for both men and women. Afterward, she backpacked over 14,000 miles on 6 different continents, wrote 8 books, and started Blue Ridge Hiking Company in Asheville, NC. Needless to say, she knows the trail well and is a leader in the outdoor industry.

After all this hiking, she's come to know herself in a unique way. Those days and nights spent outside taught her that it's not about distance covered, but about self-awareness, mindfulness, connection, healing, positive body image and persevering joy.

We also speak with Sommerville Johnston, a licensed therapist and wilderness guide, to figure out what role nature has in mental health and recovery from life's busy-ness.

To learn more about Jennifer and Sommerville, visit our website www.mentalnotepodcast.com

Most people assume athletics and healthy bodies are synonymous. But the truth is much more complicated. For researcher Traci Carson, sports were her world - from elementary school through college she excelled at soccer, track, football, and women's rowing. But a dark side of competition prompted her to get off the field and into a doctoral program for epidemiology to study the link between female athletes and eating disorders. Her story of recovery and research are the focus of today's episode — giving you the information needed to find balance in athletics.

For a male perspective on the connection between sports and body image, check out episodes 8 & 19 with former Seattle Seahawk Patrick Devenny, and former Seattle Mariners catcher Mike Marjama.

Discover more about Traci at mentalnotepodcast.com

Mental Note is sponsored by Eating Recovery Center and Insight Behavioral Health Centers

Author Alisa Kennedy Jones woke up to a seemingly normal day, oblivious to the fact that it was the last day of her "normal" life...

No stranger to tough jobs, Alisa had worked hard to build a thriving career as a copywriter and brand strategist for the likes of Tommy Hilfiger, General Electric, Coca-Cola, Disney, and Marvel. Yet, as she headed out the door, her vision swirled and she lost all ability to control her face.

Diagnosis? Epilepsy. And courage.

We sit down to hear how she's championing a new approach to how we see ourselves and the world around us – through Neurodiversity.

Learn more about Alisa: mentalnotepodcast.com

Alisa's book: Gotham Girl Interrupted

Mental Note is sponsored by Eating Recovery Center and Insight Behavioral Health Centers

23 - You!

Every year in honor of Eating Recovery Day, we flip the script and devote our whole show to the recovery letters of those who listen. Today you'll hear from people in recovery, family members, service providers, and other loved ones. You finding your voice on the road to recovery is why we make this show — it's an absolute honor to give you a platform!

email: [email protected] Website: http://mentalnotepodcast.com