Mequell and Adam share the presentation Mequell was invited to give to a group of teens ... but unfortunately bad weather caused her to miss the plane (so so sorry!) ... nevertheless vital information for ourselves or our teens to help have a successful school year, manage their mental health and act preventatively to prevent unnecessary crashes. (Hint -- it's about pacing yourself)

Mequell and Adam review a study about teens and their willingness to open up about depression and other mental health related topics. Surprisingly (or not) they ARE willing to talk to us IF we will listen. Tune in (for the first "try" video episode) to learn how to avoid stepping in it and also tips on how to keep your face quiet.

https://mentalillnesswarrior.com/

Mequell and Adam have a much needed discussion about the top signs of good mental health for men and the reasons why it's sometimes an extra challenge for them to get what they need. Adam is the star of the show sharing times when he's struggled and things that helped him since he's a man and Mequell isn't. There's also some pretty great information about why you should never bum-rush a bear. And even though we're a few weeks late and Men's Mental Health Awareness month is over, Adam assures us this information is applicable all year round.

Mental Illness Warrior Website

Mequell and Adam have a discussion that's a hot topic and that can be slightly triggering in the mental illness world. Everyone loves to discuss mental wellness but there is a misunderstanding that many have where they believe mental wellness and mental illness are on the opposite of the same continuum. They are not. You can have high mental wellness while living with severe mental illness, they are not mutually exclusive, just like you can have poor mental wellness even without a diagnosed mental illness. They discuss a 2010 study published in the Journal of Adult Development that articulates the differences and makes Mequell feel a little bit like "So there!" to all those naysayers who have considered it binary. But she's pretty sassy like that.

Journal of Adult Development

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10804-009-9082-y

Meme of the Week:

https://www.instagram.com/guccithemod/tagged/

Mental Illness Warrior

https://mentalillnesswarrior.com/

Mequell and Adam are joined by Laurel Kelsey: Functional Nutrition Counselor and Exercise Physiologist for a fascinating and very educational discussion on the relationship between gut health and brain health. Laurel has years of both professional research and personal experience on this topic. Did you know that 90% of serotonin in our bodies is made in the gut? Yeah, we didn't either. Laurel not only has a coaching practice to share her brilliance but she is also a super cool chic. She has graciously offered both a free ebook and a free consultation to all of our listeners. See what I mean by a super cool chic?! You're not gonna want to miss this one. (links below)

Laurels ebook: Top 10 To-Do's to Decrease Stress and Improve Mental Health

Free Consult

Laurel Kelsey Coaching

Meme of the Week:

@TheAndrewNadeau

Ms Health and Fitness voting link

Mequell and Adam respond (slightly aggressively on Mequell's part) to a repeat question posed many times over the years of "Wow! How do you even stay married?!" This is a very legitimate question if your warrior isn't stable because the weight on a relationship is huge. However your warrior is the same wonderful person you chose to marry even if they're not feeling it at the moment. The very best thing you can do as a partner is really be in it and understand that along with medication and treatment, there will also need to be changes on your part to help your relationship thrive.

Mequell went waaaaay outside of her comfort zone and entered the Ms Health and Fitness Competition as a Mental Illness Warrior and Suicide Survivor. She made it through to the online voting rounds and now explains the reason why she entered and how you can help spread even more awareness and education around the topic of mental illness.

Give it a listen and vote here! Much love warriors xoxo Mequell

https://mshealthandfitness.com/2023/mequell-bu

Mequell and Adam are joined by Officer Tyler Service to discuss his take on the mental illness crisis. Tyler has specific insights as he has responded to crisis calls and worked as a resource officer with teens. He also shares the impact traumas have on officers and his own experience dealing with trauma and getting help himself.

Mequell and Adam are joined by author and educator Dawn Day as they discuss her own experience parenting her three girls through periods of suicidality. She is very open and real about the challenges and hardships experienced and the differences between her professional training in the psychology world and having it in her own family. No one likes to eat humble pie. Along with her own experience they discuss Dawn's book "Helpless Night; Hopeful Dawn" and how to maintain hope during a challenging time. The best part is Dawn's twelve pieces of advice for other parents experiencing this heartache.

Get Dawn's book here

Follow Dawn's Instagram here

Check out Dawn's website here

Mequell and Adam discuss hearing from two beloved listeners.

Big takeaways:

https://mentalillnesswarrior.com/

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