Off The Cuff with Danny LoPriore

Childhood trauma shapes us in different ways. For some people, it’s a lifelong source of pain. But others, like comedian Mona Shaikh, seem to use it as a source of strength – not to mention laughs. 

Today, Mona joins me for a wild conversation about the funny side of life (being catfished by a fake Indian finance bro in LA who turned out to be lying about his identity for reasons you won’t believe) and the not so funny (Mona’s childhood abuse, her brothers’ battle with polio and her rocky relationship with her parents).

 

“As you get older, there's a turning point where you're like, my parents are just fucking people who did the best they could. They did the best they could with all their issues and all their traumas. And don't get me wrong. I am super grateful to my mom, to my dad for bringing us to America, for giving us good education, even all the fucked-upness they gave us. I'm grateful for it. Right? ’Cause I chose to take all that shit and turn it into gold. Turn it into something good. You have to.” – Mona

 

Mona also shares about why she incorporates her trauma into her act, the challenges of being a woman in comedy, what needs to change about the American approach to mental health and how 15 years of therapy saved her life.

 

“The greatest gift you'll ever give to yourself is to learn to be alone. It's the single greatest gift you'll ever give yourself. There is no greater gift than the power of sitting alone in your thoughts and sitting with your pain and your trauma and all the fucking mess, just sitting with it and saying, ‘I'm gonna find my way out of this. I'm gonna go to therapy. I'm gonna do self-help, I'm gonna work out whatever the fuck it takes, but I'm gonna carve my way out of this and I'm gonna make a life for myself.’” – Mona

 

In This Episode

• (02:47) How Mona got her start in comedy and whether she still gets nervous performing
• (09:42) Mona’s experience emigrating from Pakistan to the U.S. in high school
• (14:59) Self-hatred, the Kardashians, and “f*cking your way to the top” 
• (19:03) Getting catfished on dating apps by a Pakistani Jewish witch with a federal indictment against him
• (34:04) Beating up a classmate for making fun of her brothers with polio
• (42:51 ) The state of mental health and the predominance of gun violence in the U.S.
• (48:27) Mona’s complicated relationship with her mother, and owning your trauma
• (56:36) Using her childhood trauma in her act, and being a woman in comedy
• (1:15:08) How therapy saved Mona’s life

 

Our Guest

Stand-up comedian, host, and actor Mona Shaikh grew up in Pakistan and started her comedy career after moving to New York. 

Mona has headlined The Laugh Factory, where she became the first Pakistani female comedian to win the venue’s Funniest Person in the World Competition, and is a regular at major LA comedy clubs including The Comedy Story, Flappers Comedy Club, Ice House Pasadena, and more. She also made history when she became the first Pakistani female comedian to headline Hollywood Improv.

Mona can be seen regularly on The Young Turks, The Stephanie Miller Show on SiriusXM and Mo’Kelly Show on IHeartRadio. 

 

Resources & Links

Off The Cuff

• https://www.offthecuff.fm/
• https://www.youtube.com/c/OffTheCuffwithDannyLoPriore
• https://www.instagram.com/1and1otc/
• https://www.instagram.com/dannylopriore/

Mona Shaikh

• https://monashaikh.com/
• https://www.instagram.com/monascomedy/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/monashaikh
• https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKmhSCKQoNjYxb0VFrzpPzQ
• https://twitter.com/monascomedy/
• https://www.facebook.com/monashaikhcomedian

Serving in the U.S. military is a challenge for anyone – but it can be especially tough when you’re dealing with mental health conditions. 

Public speaker and mental health advocate Rudy Caseres, who was serving in the Army during his first experience with catatonic schizophrenia, understands this firsthand. 

In today’s episode, I sat down with Rudy to discuss his experience with mental health in the military, being discharged from the Army, and what he learned from his time in psych wards.

Rudy also talks about the difficulties of being formally diagnosed, and the conflicting feelings his diagnoses brought. 

“When you're going through this stuff, you have no fucking idea what's going on with you. And then you're just entrusting your life to these strangers that you never met. It takes a lot to take that leap of faith to be like, okay. And when I heard my diagnosis though, I was like, you know what, thank God. Because that at least gives me some kind of explanation of why this is happening to me. But my thing was ‘All right, diagnosis. That's great. What the fuck am I supposed to do now?’” – Rudy

Rudy also shares how his difficult journey eventually led to his “aha moment,” which helped him find his niche as a public speaker.

“It kinda wakes me up to like, realize like, ‘Hey, you don't have to let the universe, like, just have its way with you. Like, you don't have to completely just be sucked into the depression and let the depression win. … You can actually turn a negative into a positive and make the most of it. You're not a freak. You're not a mutant. You're just built differently. And we need people like you and you can still contribute a lot to this world. Not just in spite of it, because of it.” – Rudy

In This Episode

• (01:43) When Rudy first noticed he might have mental health concerns

• (03:29) What drew Rudy to public speaking
• (15:56) Rudy’s first catatonic episodes during his time in the Army
• (20:23) Being considered “mentally ill” in the military
• (27:13) Coming home after being discharged from the Army and leaving the psych ward
• (30:00) Rudy’s first experiences with catatonic schizophrenia and bipolar disorder
• (38:59) The “aha moment” of finally being diagnosed
• (41:11) Harnessing bipolar energy
• (53:28) What Rudy’s manic episodes feel like, and his second time in a psych ward
• (59:41) How Rudy began his public speaking career
• (1:12:48) Rudy’s next steps

 

Our Guest

Rudy Caseres is an award-winning public speaker, live-streamer and social media influencer who has given over 100 presentations across the country sharing his story of surviving a mental breakdown while in the U.S. Army and living with bipolar disorder. 

He is the host of “No Restraints with Rudy Caseres,” which features live, candid discussions with mental health, human rights and suicide prevention activists, and hosts a monthly panel on mental health for The Mighty. 

Rudy has been featured in This is My Brave, HealthyPlace, The S Word, OC87 Recovery Diaries, Sweatpants & Coffee, Stigma Fighters, and Schizophrenic NYC, and was named one of The Mighty's Mental Health Heroes of 2017.

 

Resources & Links

Off The Cuff

• https://www.offthecuff.fm/
• https://www.youtube.com/c/OffTheCuffwithDannyLoPriore
• https://www.instagram.com/1and1otc/
• https://www.instagram.com/dannylopriore/

Rudy Caseres

• https://www.rudycaseres.com/
• http://facebook.com/rudycaseres
• http://instagram.com/rudycaseres
• http://twitter.com/rudycaseres

Mentioned

• https://www.nami.org/Home

Mental health can be a tough topic for men – and it can be even tougher when you’re part of a marginalized group.

On this week’s episode, I sat down with public speaker and author Nate Cannon to talk about his work as a mental health advocate in the trans community, which faces a disproportionate rate of mental health challenges including depression, anxiety and attempted suicide.

“We've seen numbers coming out, for example, upwards of 55% to 60% of transgender men or boys have had suicidal thoughts just within the last year. And wow … that is very alarming. And so if I can help talk with folks and express some education and awareness around how intense the mental health symptoms can be around gender dysphoria, and how important it is to honor that identity, I wanna do everything I can to do that.” – Nate (11:07)

Nate, who is a transgender man, also shared about the stigma around mental health and being trans in the LGBTQ+ community, his own experience transitioning, and the importance of supporting kids who may be questioning their identity.

“If we don't allow [gender] exploration, I worry that there's going to be an exacerbation of baseline mental health challenges, which as we've discussed is already a significant issue for the trans population, especially kids right now. So I do think that it's important that we have those conversations and be open about it.” – Nate (28:12)

As a survivor of two suicide attempts and as a person who lives with mental illness, Nate also discusses his work in mental health advocacy, and talks about the life-saving freedom of living your truth. 

“I do know that if I hadn't transitioned, I wouldn't be here. I would not be alive today. …  I am still here. I am still alive. I'm still breathing. Thankfully I'm cognitively intact and able to share my story in a way that hopefully it’ll maybe give someone pause before they consider taking their lives.” – Nate (1:08:00)

 

In This Episode

• (01:16) Nate’s story and how he got involved with mental health advocacy 
• (03:52) Stigma around mental health and being trans in the LGBTQ+ community
• (07:17) Nate’s childhood experiences figuring out his gender identity 
• (18:01) How playing hockey helped Nate realize he was trans, not lesbian
• (24:09) Nate’s advice for parents of trans kids
• (36:52) The process of transitioning, and the challenges Nate encountered accessing gender-affirming procedures as a person with mental health and neurological conditions
• (45:39) Differences in social expectations Nate’s experienced since transitioning
• (50:30) The challenges of living as a trans person in a social system not built for trans people
• (1:06:00) How Nate would’ve handled his transition differently

 

Our Guest

Acclaimed public speaker and author Nate Cannon has spoken about his experiences as a transgender man living with mental illness and disability at government agencies, univiersites and non-profits across the country. 

He also provides organizational training in areas including diversity and inclusion, crisis intervention, disability justice and other LGBTQ+ issues.

He is the author of two memoirs, “Running On A Mind Rewired,” and “Dying to Hang with The Boys.”

 

Resources & Links

Off The Cuff

• https://www.offthecuff.fm/
• https://www.youtube.com/c/OffTheCuffwithDannyLoPriore
• https://www.instagram.com/1and1otc/
• https://www.instagram.com/dannylopriore/

Nate Cannon

• https://www.runningrewired.com/
• http://www.facebook.com/runningrewired

In this interview, Reeder explores how her past experience in the finance industry helped her re-evaluate her goals, take stock of her mental health and eventually set her on the path towards becoming a clinical psychologist.

“I think that I started to realize that there was a lot more to life than making money. I kept having this sort of vague but persistent feeling that there was just something more.” – Annie Kate

Now a doctoral student in clinical psychology, Reeder examines why therapy works, how to find the right therapist and what we can do to take charge of our own mental health.

“Therapy helped me so much. And I just thought, if I can do that for another person, that would just be the coolest job ever.” – Annie Kate  

Our Guest Annie Kate Reeder is a Clinical Psychology PhD student. Prior to pursuing her doctorate, Reeder spent six years working in finance.

Reeder shares these tips for those considering therapy:

• Find someone you feel comfortable with 
• Recognize that it’s normal to meet with multiple therapists to find the best fit 
• The process can feel overwhelming, but remember that it’s worth it
• Online directory Alma can help connect you with local providers

 

In This Episode 

• What success means, and defining it on your own terms (03:32)
• Overcoming the fear of facing mental health (13:38)
• What Wall Street and clinical psychology have in common (17:31) 
• Impostor syndrome (20:40)
• How seeking therapy inspired her to pursue clinical psychology (22:28)
• What to look for in a therapist, and how to find the right one (23:50)
• The breakthroughs good therapists can help their clients achieve (27:50)
• Resources to begin your own mental health journey (33:34)

Resources & Links

Off The Cuff

• On YouTube
• On Apple Podcasts
• On Spotify

Annie Kate Reeder

• LinkedIn

More On Mental Health

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
• National Helpline Database
• Alma
• What Are Panic Attacks?
• What Is Therapy?
• How To Find A Therapist

How does a person go from lifelong substance abuse to getting clean and starting an addiction recovery nonprofit (not to mention starring on “The Bachelorette”), all in just ten years? 

I sat down with Zac Clark to find out. 

 

“I know today the truth about my existence, which is whatever I've been through is my most important and greatest asset. And it gives me, I believe, an advantage against the world. It's just good to be here.”

 

In this episode, Zac shares his story – including a brain tumor, convincing a doctor to remove his gallbladder for access to pain pills, why he still remembers a bank teller named Rhonda Jackson, and how his recovery allowed him to be there for his family during a crisis.

 

“I was the first one on the plane to Florida. … And the only reason I got to do that was because of my recovery, you know? Like I'm here and I'm present. When someone needs help, I know how to show up. No drug or drink or whatever was gonna give me the moxie to show up the way I showed up over that.”

 

Zac also discusses dating during recovery, “The Bachelorette,” starting his companies – Release Recovery, an addiction services organization, and Release Recovery Foundation, a nonprofit to help those struggling with addiction – and shares how you can get help if you’re in need.

 

“The first step is always asking for help. Once someone is at that place of asking for help, that's the hardest thing to do. And if you are listening to this, please, please, please, don't be shy. You can always reach out.”

 

In This Episode

• Zac’s first time drinking as a child, and the dangerous lesson he learned (02:37)
• How Zac’s relationship with alcohol and drugs evolved through college (07:34)
• When Zac knew he had a problem (11:12)
• The importance of family in the recovery process (12:29)
• Zac’s first time in rehab (15:04)
• Rock bottom or rebirth? (24:27)
• Zac’s advice for people experiencing addiction alone (32:20)
• Starting Release Recovery Foundation (41:19)
• Zac’s experience on “The Bachelorette” and staying strong in his recovery (44:05)

 

Our Guest

Zac Clark is the founder of Release Recovery, an addiction services organization that helps people reclaim their lives from addiction. 

He serves on the board of Release Recovery Foundation, a nonprofit that helps those struggling with addiction to access professional treatment including inpatient/outpatient treatment centers, interventionists, recovery coaches, therapists, and psychiatrists. 

Zac was also a contestant on season 16 of “The Bachelorette.”

 

Resources & Links

Off The Cuff

• https://www.offthecuff.fm/
• https://www.youtube.com/c/OffTheCuffwithDannyLoPriore
• https://www.instagram.com/1and1otc/
• https://www.instagram.com/dannylopriore/

Zac Clark

• https://twitter.com/zacwclark
• https://www.instagram.com/zwclark/

Addiction Services & Resources

• https://www.releaserecoveryfoundation.org/
• https://releaserecovery.com/
• https://twitter.com/releaserecovery
• https://www.instagram.com/releaserecovery/

“Crazy,” “heart attack kid,” “nuts.” 

This week’s Off The Cuff guest, Dr. Justin Puder, heard it all as a kid who grew up struggling with mental health in small-town Ohio. That struggle, as well as the early loss of his father and brother from cancer and drug addiction respectively, introduced young Dr. J to therapy for the first time. 

 

“[The therapist] didn't call it meditation. She didn't call it mindfulness. She's literally like, ‘We're just gonna do something together here.’ And she had me lay down and essentially she did a guided meditation. … I remember within minutes, like just two minutes into it, like I had opened my eyes because I was so excited. It was the first time I experienced peace in months.”

 

The experience inspired him to become a licensed psychologist himself. Now, Dr. J primarily works with teens at his Florida practice, where he specializes in mindfulness-based approaches to anxiety and stress reduction. 

In this episode, Dr. J discusses growing up around mental health stigma at home and at school, the life-saving importance of destigmatizing therapy, the dangers of self-diagnosis, and how social media can both help and harm mental health. 

 

“We've gone from like, again, never talking about mental health to sort of swinging. I feel like the pendulum swung far the other way, where it's just like, everybody wants to have the sticker label of some diagnosis. [But] clinging to a label isn't actually going to help you, in the long run, understand how to get better.”

 

If you’re unsure whether therapy is right for you, Dr. J shares some tips: 

• Work through a mental health workbook written by a licensed expert. You’ll learn more about the psychological principles that make therapy work, and gain a better understanding of yourself in the process.
• Journal. You’ll become more comfortable putting your thoughts, fears and struggles into words, which can help you when you decide to talk to a therapist.
• Remember that your well-being and mental health are worth the effort.

 

“For so many people out there, like if you're going through something mental health-wise and you're in that state [of panic and despair], I hope you can hear me and Danny that it can and does get better.”

In This Episode

• The real-life childhood trauma that inspired Dr. J to become a therapist (04:30)
• Dr. J’s first panic attack and the stigma of mental health in the Midwest (08:18)
• The “breaking point” that led to Dr. J’s first therapy session (13:25)
• Overcoming the stigma of therapy for teens (15:24)
• The cultural and regional differences that contribute to stigmatization (18:48)
• Social media and its impact on mental health (23:32)
• The future of neuroscience in mental health treatment (26:35)
• “Dr. Google” and the dangers of self-diagnosis (33:25)
• Starting the therapy process (39:19)
• The relationship between therapy and psychotropic medication (58:39)
• The progress of mental health destigmatization in schools (01:09:33)

 

Our Guest

Dr. Justin Puder is a Florida-based licensed psychologist who earned degrees in psychology from Kent State University, Florida Atlantic University and Auburn University. He specializes in anxiety and stress reduction using mindfulness-based approaches. 

Dr. Puder especially enjoys working with teens. As a mental health influencer, he uses social media (@amodertherapist on Instagram) to crush mental health stigma, and has worked with outlets including Vice, The DailyDot and LA Mag. 

 

Resources & Links

Off The Cuff

• On YouTube
• On Apple Podcasts
• On Spotify

Dr. Justin Puder

• On TikTok
• On Instagram
• On YouTube
• Dr. Puder’s DriveThru Courses
• Dr. Puder’s Podcast, “Drop In with Dr. J”

 

More On Mental Health

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
• National Helpline Database
• Top 8 Free Mental Health Apps To Support You in 2022
• How to Help Someone Having a Panic Attack
• The Ultimate Guide to College Stress & Academic Burnout

What does mental health look like in one of the most cutthroat industries in the world? 

Can a late-in-life ADHD diagnosis ever be a good thing?

And must the show always go on? 

In this week’s episode, actress Nikka Graff Lanzarone talks mental stamina, why certain mental health conditions go underdiagnosed in women and the “epiphany” of being diagnosed with ADHD at 37.

“There's also like a certain amount of grieving that comes with [being diagnosed], that you're like, ‘Oh, so it didn't have to be like this my whole life. Cool.’”

Nikka also explores how her battle with depression and anxiety shaped her as a performer, and the natural therapy of dance.

“When you're dancing, you don't have to deal with any of that. All you have to do is say whatever it is you're trying to say and you don't have to talk. … I get a break from having to be myself and dealing with my s*** for two and a half hours. I get a break from me.”

For Nikka, an important facet of her acting career is something that goes hand in hand with mental health – the work she does as a labor advocate. 

“We are desperately trying to change that [‘show must go on’] culture. I'm an elected official in my union also and part of like a grassroots progressive organization that [asks], but why  … why? It doesn't have to be this way. Who said it had to be this way?”

In This Episode

• Nikka’s showbiz family and how she got her start (02:31)
• The journey to Nikka’s recent ADHD diagnosis “epiphany” (10:10)
• How ADHD affects men and women differently, and why it goes undiagnosed in many women (12:29)
• Connecting with family members who don’t have mental health conditions, and the “relief” of starting medication (14:35)
• The role of mental stamina in an emotionally and physically taxing industry (20:45)
• Nikka’s labor advocacy and the myth of “the show must go on” (28:57)
• Performance as therapy (33:11)
• The impact of COVID-19 on Broadway and Nikka’s mental health (36:03)
• Dealing with anxiety as a performer (43:39)

 

Our Guest

Actress Nikka Graff Lanzarone is a showbiz veteran with credits ranging from Velma Kelly in Broadway’s “Chicago” to hit TV shows like “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” and “Inventing Anna.” 

As a labor advocate, Nikka serves as a councilor of Actors’ Equity Association and is a delegate to the New York City Central Labor Council. She is also on the board of the Actors’ Equity Foundation and is a core member of #FairWageOnstage.

 

Resources & Links

Off The Cuff

• On YouTube
• On Apple Podcasts
• On Spotify
• On Instagram
• Danny LoPriore on Instagram

 

Nikka Graff Lanzarone

• On Twitter
• On Instagram
• On IMDb
• #FairWageOnstage

 

More On Mental Health

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
• National Helpline Database
• Why ADHD in Women is Routinely Dismissed

Every year, millions of people attempt suicide – and thousands take their own lives. This week’s guest, Kevin Hines, understands better than most. 

 

“Twenty-four hours before I went to leap off the Golden Gate Bridge … I was in such a devastating place of complete despair. It was worse than depression. It was a darkness and it was a place where I came to believe that all of my family, all of my friends hated me and wanted me gone. Of course, none of that was true, but I believed it. My brain told me that.”

 

In 2000, then 19-year-old Kevin attempted suicide by jumping from the Golden Gate Bridge. Miraculously, he lived, making him one of only 36 people ever to survive the 746-foot drop.

 

In this episode, Kevin shares his lifelong struggle with mental health and discusses how suicide creates a ripple effect of grief and pain that affects not just parents and friends, but every single person in our lives.

 

“When you love someone unconditionally and they pass away, that grief is with you forever. In America, we love to sit there and go, “Oh, snap out of it, get over it. Move on.” … When someone dies by suicide that we love, it is a kind of pain that you can never shake off.”

 

Kevin also explores the “instantaneous regret” he felt after jumping, the life-saving act of asking “Are you okay?” and the 85-year battle to raise a net rail around the Golden Gate Bridge, which will be completed in 2023.

 

“I'm asking you to have faith in yourself, faith in the human condition, faith in your ability to fight, to be well and to survive any pain that comes your way. You can do one of two things with pain. You can let it defeat you or you can let it build you break by break from the ground up until you're stronger than ever. That's a choice.”

In This Episode

 

• The 24 hours leading up to Kevin’s jump (05:40)

 

• Why the current conversation on mental health is “the wrong conversation” (08:29)

 

• Grief and the unforgettable pain of losing a loved one to suicide (11:32)
• The importance of “speaking your pain” by talking openly and honestly about suicide (12:27)

 

• Kevin’s first experience losing a loved one to suicide, and how it contributed to his own attempt (15:27)

 

• Suicide rates among adopted, LGBTQIA+ and minority children (22:44)

 

• “All I wanted to do was live, as soon as I let go of that rail.” (35:20)

 

• Kevin’s efforts to help prevent future Golden Gate suicides (42:15)

 

• Faith and mental health (49:42)

 

• The role diet and exercise play in mental wellness (51:56)

Our Guest

 

Kevin Hines’ Golden Gate Bridge suicide attempt at age 19 left him with shattered vertebrae and nearly severed his spinal cord. It also set him on a journey to find hope and healing – which he now travels the world to spread to others as a mental health advocate and motivational speaker.

 

Kevin is also a best-selling author and award-winning documentarian whose feature-length documentary, “Suicide: The Ripple Effect,” tells Kevin’s story and illustrates the ripple effect suicide has on those left behind. 

 

Resources & Links

Off The Cuff

 

• On YouTube

 

• On Apple Podcasts

 

• On Spotify

 

Kevin Hines

• On Twitter

 

• On Instagram

 

• On Facebook

 

• On LinkedIn

 

• On YouTube

 

• Hinesights Podcast with Kevin Hines

 

Danny Lopriore

• On Instagram

 

More On Mental Health

 

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

 

• National Helpline Database

 

• Resources for Parents

 

• Watch the first 20 minutes of “Suicide: The Ripple Effect” for free

 

• Watch “Suicide: The Ripple Effect”

 

This week on Off The Cuff, we’re joined by Dr. Charles Corprew, developmental psychologist, founder of What’s Your Revolution Consulting, and host of the radio show, “What’s Your Revolution?” 

 

During his tenure at Loyola University New Orleans and while getting his PhD, Dr. Corprew delved deep into researching the development of masculinity. He combines this expertise with his personal experiences, consulting and radio-show hosting to help men find the best possible versions of themselves. In other words, he helps them find their revolution. 

 

Let’s be real, toxic masculinity is prevalent in every culture.  But unfortunately the terms “toxic masculinity” and “hypermasculinity” seem to be most heavily associated with BIPOC communities, which is problematic, to say the least.

 

Because of this Dr. Corprew helps men, specifically men in BIPOC communities, move through the space of their masculinity development.  This isn’t to say toxic masculinity isn’t present in BIPOC communities, it certainly is, but it shows up differently in every culture.  

 

Today, we break down what masculinity means to us and how to rebuild healthy masculinity, especially around existing stigmas in POC communities. 

 

So listen up, and let’s talk, Off The Cuff….

 

What we discuss: 

 

• [1:25] - What inspired Dr. Corprew to start What’s Your Revolution?

 

• [2:54] - How to define toxic masculinity in different spaces.

 

• [4:39] - Whether or not toxic masculinity is more nature or nurture.

 

• [7:40] - Where Danny sees toxic masculinity in his daily life.

 

• [8:28] - Why conservative masculinity exists in BIPOC space.

 

• [10:43] - Are “old-school” values just unhealthy masculinity?

 

• [14:59] - The “I Just Wanna Be Treated Like a Man” Argument

 

• [16:13] - Defining conservative masculinity.

 

• [18:05] - Rewiring the conservative masculinity mindset. 

 

• [23:10] - How cancel culture is harmful.

 

• [24:48] - How Dr. Corprew is redirecting the conversation to what healthy masculinity should look like in the black community. 

 

• [27:39] - Anger and trauma in the black community.

 

• [28:16] - rebuilding masculinity in the black communities.

 

• [31:56] - The stigma around mental healthcare in POC communities and how Dr. Corprew overcame it. 

 

• [35:31] - Danny’s valuable experiences with group therapy. 

 

• [37:05] - Coming back from “the brink."

 

• [40:43] - Dr. Corprew’s first experiences with therapy post heartbreak.

 

• [46:10] - How we can lower the depression rate in the country by building community and shedding comfort zones (sometimes, with pickleball). 

 

• [49:40] - Dr. Corprew’s revolution: the upliftment of boys and men of color.

 

• [53:34] - Why women aren’t responsible for the actions of men.

 

Notable Quotes:

 

[24:55] “I want to get away from toxic masculinity and black culture and the Latin culture… and begin to move this conversation around. These are images of what healthy masculinity looks like in our communities. And we need more symbols of that.”

 

[50:33] “As we say on the show, it's the most thought provoking question of one's life, right? How do they wanna transform? Revolution is a cataclysmic shift in who you are. If we think about revolutions, they have shifted, right? The trajectory of cities and countries and legions. How are you doing the same thing about yourself?”

 

Useful Resources: 

 

What’s Your Revolution Instagram: https://instagram.com/whatsyourrevolution?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

 

What’s Your Revolution Facebook: 

https://www.facebook.com/WhatsYourRevolution/?view_public_for=1667577726833191

 

Listen to the What’s Your Revolution Show on…

 

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-whats-your-revolution-show-with-dr-charles-corprew/id1438461235

 

Off The Cuff Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/1and1otc/

 

1and1Life Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/1and1life/

 

Danny Lopriore Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/dannylopriore/

To the world Joe Barksdale is a Superbowl Winner and a national champion, but what most people don’t know is that Joe never wanted to be a football player, he wanted to be an engineer.  That in fact, his football days are some of the most painful of his life.   

On this week’s episode of Off The Cuff, we speak with a man who breaks stigmas in every way possible.  A man that not only has struggled with mental illness all of his life but was also diagnosed with autism at the age of thirty. A man that left an extremely lucrative career in the NFL  to take care of his mental health and pursue his real dreams of being a musician and stand-up comedian.  Everyone, meet Joe Barksdale.

 

 

This episode is one of the most honest and enlightening ones you will ever hear. 

 

 

So listen up, and let’s talk, Off The Cuff….

 

 

What We Discuss:

 

 

• [2:22] How Joe never felt like he earned his superbowl ring. He feels that it’s something that happened,  rather than something he achieved.
• [3:18] The reason that Joe got into football was only because he got kicked out of engineering camp and wanted to get in shape.

 

• [4:29] Joe’s fears of having a boy, given what he has dealt with as a black man.

 

• [5:48} Joe’s past with suicide attemepts and how he feels about it all today.

 

• [7:07] How Joe found out about his mental illness before his autism.

 

• [8:09] What it was like to get diagnosed with autism when Joe was 30 and how half of him was happy about the diagnosis and the other half was worried about the stigma.

 

• [10:04} How Joe’s life changed after being diagnosed with Autism.

 

• [17:38] Joe’s dislike for being around groups of people.

 

• [20:18] Richard Pryor being an inspiration to Joe when he started doing stand-up comedy.

 

• [20:54] Joe burying his football dreams in order to follow other dreams.

 

• [22:46] Joe feeling extremely comfortable on stage and how he would rather be there than most other places.

 

• [24:12] When Joe had a falling out with a teammate (who was also the Godfather of one of his daughters) because Joe asked to be released from his team for mental health issues.

 

• [27:14] Joe’s passion for engineering and how it has turned into a passion for music engineering.

 

• [28:14] Breakthrough moments in therapy.

 

• [30:00] Joe’s current relationship with football.

 

• [30:41] What a stem kid is and how Joe got kicked out of engineering camp.

 

• [39:37] Joe’s friendship with Kobe Bryant and how he was a mentor to him.

 

• [42:55] Joe’s relationship with his wife, going to marriage counseling and breaking that stigma. 

 

• [45:34] Breaking the stigma around taking medication for mental health issues.

 

• [52:51] Joe’s love of Star Wars and his upcoming trip to Disneyworld.

 

• [1:01:01] Joe’s new music.

 

Notable Quotes:

 

• [25:57] “The pain, it sucks, but sometimes that pain is necessary to see who’s really with you and what’s really important to you.” 

 

• [40:29] “People are interested in who you are, not who you think they want you to be.” 

 

Useful Resources:

 

Joe Barksdale Website:  https://www.josephbarksdale.com

 

Joe Barksdale Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/jbdale72/

 

1AND1LIFE Website:  https://www.1and1life.com

 

Off The Cuff Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/1and1otc/

 

Danny LoPriore Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/dannylopriore/

 

Suicide Prevention Lifeline:  https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org