We expect pro athletes to deal with physical injuries. We recognize that the demands on an athlete’s body are intense. But what about when an athlete discloses mental illness? How do we — and how should we — react then?
Today’s guest, retired NFL player and TV personality Nate Burleson, explains that usually the reaction is to mock the player as weak, not strong enough to compete, or accuse them of letting down their team. 
We delve into all that and discuss whether professional athletes face additional mental health challenges due to their careers and celebrity. 
To learn more -- or read the transcript -- visit the official page here.

Guest Bio
Nate Burleson is a co-host of "CBS Mornings," an Emmy Award-winning studio analyst for the CBS Television Network's NFL pre-game show, "The NFL Today," and makes select appearances on Nickelodeon.
 Prior to joining CBS News, Burleson served as a host on "Good Morning Football" on the NFL Network for 5 years. Burleson's television career began in 2014 with the NFL Network after retiring from the NFL.
Burleson played in the NFL for 11 years as a wide receiver with the Minnesota Vikings, Seattle Seahawks, and Detroit Lions. In 2003, he was drafted in the third round by the Minnesota Vikings. Burleson is the only player in NFL history to have three punt returns of 90-or-more yards.
A native of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Burleson resides in New Jersey with his wife, Atoya, and three children, Nathaniel, Nehemiah, and Mia Pearl. See more at www.cbsnews.com/team/nate-burleson/

Inside Mental Health Podcast Host
Gabe Howard is an award-winning writer and speaker who lives with bipolar disorder. He is the author of the popular book, "Mental Illness is an Asshole and other Observations," available from Amazon; signed copies are also available directly from the author.
Gabe makes his home in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. He lives with his supportive wife, Kendall, and a Miniature Schnauzer dog that he never wanted, but now can’t imagine life without. To learn more about Gabe, please visit his website, gabehoward.com.
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Pro Athlete Mental Health with Retired NFL Player and CBS Mornings co-host Nate Burleson

Award-winning weekly podcast that approaches psychology and mental health in an accessible way. Listen as our host Gabe Howard speaks candidly with experts, celebrities, and other notables to break down complex topics into simpler terms.

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On today’s episode, sponsored by NOCD, designer and producer Sam Temple shares her experience living with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and her long journey to getting a diagnosis. Today's episode is sponsored by NOCD (learn more at treatmyocd.com).

We delve into the many misconceptions about OCD, and Sam emphasizes how different forms of the disorder, like relationship OCD, severely impacted her life. Her psychiatrist recommended NOCD’s exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy, and she shares her experience with ERP treatment and NOCD. 
Sam now advocates for treatment and community support, and she finds solace and purpose in helping others navigate their OCD journeys. Listen Now!
“I had the same misconceptions about OCD that most people had at that time. Where you think, ‘Oh, it's just, you know, being afraid of germs or being super tidy.’ I'm the messiest person there is. So, you know, it didn't make sense to me at first.” ~Sam Temple
To learn more -- or read the transcript, please visit the official episode page.

Today's guest, Sam Temple, is an artist, designer, and producer in the YouTube industry for the H3 show. She lives with obsessive compulsive disorder, and OCD advocacy has become a huge part of her life. She is here today to discuss her life with -- and her treatment for -- obsessive compulsive disorder.

Our host, Gabe Howard, is an award-winning writer and speaker who lives with bipolar disorder. He is the author of the popular book, "Mental Illness is an Asshole and other Observations," available from Amazon; signed copies are also available directly from the author.
Gabe makes his home in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. He lives with his supportive wife, Kendall, and a Miniature Schnauzer dog that he never wanted, but now can’t imagine life without.
To book Gabe for your next event or learn more about him, please visit gabehoward.com.
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Inside OCD: A Personal Journey Through Managing Obsessive Compulsive Disorder with Sam Temple

Hey, everybody, this is Gabe Howard, host of the Inside Mental Health podcast. And for the last nine years, we have released an episode every single week, including over the holidays, over the summer. I have never taken a break. Well, that schedule just got a bit cumbersome. So, instead of releasing weekly episodes, we are going to switch to bi-weekly episodes.
It's going to be the same great podcast, with the same great guests and the same cool things happening. But, instead of happening weekly, it will happen bi-weekly.
So tune in next week for the next episode of the Inside Mental Health podcast!
Gabe Howard (Healthline Media)
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Switching to Bi-Weekly Episodes

on adoptees' perspectives, highlighting the often overlooked side of adoption narratives. Our conversation delves into how the adoption industry, driven by a multibillion-dollar market, prioritizes the narratives of adoptive parents, sidelining the voices and experiences of adoptees. We discuss the societal expectations placed on adoptees to feel grateful despite the complexities of their experiences, including feelings of loss, identity issues, and the challenges of connecting with their biological roots. Furthermore, the dialogue touches on systemic issues in adoption practices, such as the lack of access to original birth records for adoptees. Through their stories and insights, Sara and Louise stress the need for greater understanding, reform in adoption practices, and more inclusive conversations that give adoptees a platform to share their experiences and identities.
“I think you can do both. You can love your family. And you can also want to know your other family and your roots and who you are. It's like an inherent right, I think, to know who you are because we strive for it. Like we may not know we're searching, but we are always, because you have like this, this hole that's missing. And you're taken from your mother. It's a strange scenario if you think about it, and you put somewhere else. No one talks to you about it, and you try to navigate the world. And so all these little subtle things growing up affect a lot of people.” ~Louise Browne

To learn more -- or read the transcript -- please visit the official episode page. 
 
Sarah Reinhardt is a co-host of “Adoption: The Making of Me,” a podcast by and for adoptees. She is a writer, empty-nester, OCD dog parent, and works in Public Media in Kansas City, MO. Sarah hopes her voice will help resonate with other adoptees facing similar issues. Currently, she is working on a book of humorous essays that follow the theme of searching for identity.

Louise Browne is a co-host of “Adoption: The Making of Me,” a podcast by and for adoptees. Louise works for the executive leadership team in digital banking. She is working on a YA novel and has written two children’s books along and several poems. Louise lives along the Central Coast of California with her husband, Bill, and their dog, Gracie. She has a grown son who lives in Los Angeles. She is trying to change the narrative of adoption to include the voices of adoptees and to help change the way adoption is run as a business.

Our host, Gabe Howard, is an award-winning writer and speaker who lives with bipolar disorder. He is the author of the popular book, "Mental Illness is an Asshole and other Observations," available from Amazon; signed copies are also available directly from the author.
Gabe makes his home in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. He lives with his supportive wife, Kendall, and a Miniature Schnauzer dog that he never wanted, but now can’t imagine life without.
To book Gabe for your next event or learn more about him, please visit gabehoward.com.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Adoptees' Untold Stories: Voices from the Adoptee Perspective

“The Holocaust was real” should not be a controversial statement, but sadly it has become one. Today, we feature Dr. David Hazony, an expert on Jewish philosophy, who dives into the troubling rise of Holocaust denial and its roots in conspiracy theory and antisemitism.
Hazony describes Holocaust denial as not only an offshoot of historical antisemitism but also a mechanism for individuals to express disenchantment with societal authorities, attributing personal or societal failures to fabricated Jewish conspiracies. He emphasizes the grave consequences of dismissing the Holocaust, warning that such denial undermines the lessons learned from one of history's darkest chapters, potentially making society vulnerable to repeating past atrocities.
“When you don't want to believe something, you find ways of not believing it. When there's a market for disbelief and denial, you'll find people prepared to fulfill the needs of that market through false scholarship, through false books, through false documentaries and films, and all of the false information. The question is not so much what are they thinking as why are they thinking it. What need does it fulfill? What role in society does it fulfill? Why does it make them feel good? And how do we get to the bottom of what's driving people who want to believe that they’re forces geared up against them to take away that which is rightfully theirs? That's the real question that we need to ask.” ~Dr. David Hazony

To learn more -- or read the transcript -- visit the official episode page.

David Hazony is an award-winning editor, translator, and author. He is the former editor-in-chief of the journal Azure and was the founding editor of TheTower.org. His book “The Ten Commandments” (Scribner, 2010) was a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award. His translation of Uri Bar-Joseph’s “The Angel” (HarperCollins, 2016) won the National Jewish Book Award. He has edited two previous anthologies: “Essential Essays on Judaism” by Eliezer Berkovits (Shalem, 2002) and, with Yoram Hazony and Michael B. Oren, “New Essays on Zionism” (Shalem, 2007). He has a PhD in Jewish Philosophy from the Hebrew University and lives in Jerusalem.

Our host, Gabe Howard, is an award-winning writer and speaker who lives with bipolar disorder. He is the author of the popular book, "Mental Illness is an Asshole and other Observations," available from Amazon; signed copies are also available directly from the author.
Gabe makes his home in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. He lives with his supportive wife, Kendall, and a Miniature Schnauzer dog that he never wanted, but now can’t imagine life without.
To book Gabe for your next event or learn more about him, please visit gabehoward.com.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Psychology of Holocaust Denial Unveiled

Dr. Asima Ahmad discusses the significant role doulas can play in pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum care, highlighting the importance of clear roles and communication between healthcare professionals, doulas, and birthing individuals for optimal outcomes. Dr. Asima’s personal experience with a doula demonstrates the benefits of having tailored support for physical and emotional well-being, underscoring the potential for doulas to alleviate stress and anxiety, and contribute to a more positive birthing experience. The conversation also addresses controversies surrounding doula services, emphasizing the necessity of teamwork and understanding in medical settings to prevent miscommunication and ensure the safety and health of both the mother and baby, with research supporting the positive impact of doulas on reducing medical interventions and improving mental health outcomes.
To learn more -- or read the transcript -- visit the official episode page.
“So I think there's a lot of different roles that doulas can play. I don't think it's just like a copy and paste for all. Personally, I've had five pregnancies, I have four children, and I'm lucky that I've always had a good support system in place. But for this last delivery, I did have a postpartum doula, and even though I had gone through it three times before, I found her insight and support to be valuable to not only myself but also to my family and friends.” ~Asima Ahmad, MD, MPH

Our guest, Asima Ahmad, MD, MPH, is a co-founder and the chief medical officer (CMO) of Carrot Fertility, the leading global fertility care platform. As Carrot’s CMO, Ahmad leads clinical strategy, overseeing the company’s expansive network and telehealth program, which offers access to more than 10,000 reproductive endocrinologists, urologists, adoption experts, mental health experts, OB/GYNs, doulas, and midwives.  
In addition to her role at Carrot, Ahmad is a practicing reproductive endocrinologist and infertility specialist. She is double board certified in reproductive endocrinology and infertility and obstetrics and gynecology. Ahmad earned a combined medical and public health degree from the University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Medicine and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston. She completed her residency in OB/GYN at Yale-New Haven Hospital in Connecticut and her fellowship training in reproductive endocrinology and infertility at the University of California, San Francisco. She has worked alongside and received mentorship from former ASRM presidents Dr. Hugh Taylor and Dr. Marcelle Cedars. Ahmad’s work has been published extensively in academic literature and internationally on various topics related to infertility, reproductive and hormonal health, gynecologic malignancies, and patient safety. 
Ahmad has been recognized by Entrepreneur magazine and Fierce Healthcare on their Women of Influence lists and named to Business Insider’s 30 under 40 in Healthcare list. She has also spoken at The World Economic Forum and has been featured in The New York Times, the “Today” show, “Good Morning America,” NPR, CNN, USA Today, Women’s Health, and more.

Our host, Gabe Howard, is an award-winning writer and speaker who lives with bipolar disorder. He is the author of the popular book, "Mental Illness is an Asshole and other Observations," available from Amazon; signed copies are also available directly from the author.
Gabe makes his home in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. He lives with his supportive wife, Kendall, and a Miniature Schnauzer dog that he never wanted, but now can’t imagine life without.
To book Gabe for your next event or learn more about him, please visit gabehoward.com.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pro Athlete Mental Health with Retired NFL Player and CBS Mornings co-host Nate Burleson

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