Redeeming Disorder

A teacher’s true impact on the world isn’t seen directly, and isn’t measured. It exists instead abstractly, as a butterfly effect projecting through the lives of students they’ve guided. In Cullen’s and my case, this guidance was in sophomore year U.S. History. Yet, it also extended beyond the classroom, in large part thanks to the unconventional culture of my high school. At the Paideia School, we had discussions (often about race, gender and charged social issues) in a Socratic method, called our teachers by their first names, and frequently grew close with them.

If we evolved to go through childhood in community, then today, teachers are the closest thing kids have to those 30 aunts and uncles that the kiddos had back in hunter-gatherer days. Beyond figuring out childcare ahead of their time, hunter-gatherer tribes also lived communally and transparently, less able to “put on a face,” or hide a health issue, than we are today. Today we often know little about the personal lives of our teachers, employers or even co-workers; we have no idea who might be silently struggling.

In this era of compartmentalization and stigma, someone willing to buck the trends and vulnerably share their story uplifts those around them more than they could know. I’m honored to bring you this interview with just such a person — my teacher and friend, Cullen Sacha.

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WaitButWhy on Procrastination (Referenced in Episode):

Why Procrastinators Procrastinate — https://waitbutwhy.com/2013/10/why-procrastinators-procrastinate.html

The Procrastination Matrix — https://waitbutwhy.com/2015/03/procrastination-matrix.html

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I met Nate Schorr right after Redeeming Disorder’s first episode; he reached out after hearing me on RHAP (Rob Has a Podcast) because, for him, it was something like two worlds colliding — he was a Survivor fan who also happened to work for one the largest grassroots mental health organization in the world: NAMI. NAMI stands for the “National Alliance on Mental Illness,” and Nate worked specifically at NAMI Wisconsin, finding himself quickly moved by stories of mental health challenges and journeys. It was through those stories that he came to better understand his own mental health, and through that work that he came to have the thoughtful and knowledgeable perspective he shares today on the podcast.

We touch on the politics of mental health — recent legislation like mental health parity, programs like crisis intervention training, contemporary discussions of gun violence and mental health — as well as the importance of open-mindedness and the ethos of the Socratic Paradox, “I know that I know nothing.”

NAMI Website: https://www.nami.org/

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Laura Bocianski was my co-host at the start of Redeeming Disorder, and in this 2018 conversation, she returns to the podcast to share her story in greater depth. Be sure to check out Laura's brand new podcast, Invisible Lions!

Invisible Lions Podcast: https://www.lauraboach.com/invisible-lions-podcast

"Monkeys Pay Per View" Research Paper: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S096098220500093X

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Olivia joins me on the podcast to combine two powerful perspectives ― that of a psychiatric nurse, and that of a young woman who's seen mental disorder around her since childhood. She speaks to the struggles of her patients, of her family and of herself, and covers a multitude of topics: Mental health in the LGBTQ community, media depictions of mental illness, self-harm, attempted suicide and, per the podcast's title, empathy.

Empathy is both Olivia's superpower and her kryptonite, allowing her to easily connect with psychiatric patients, but also saddling her with a great emotional burden when she does so. Listen to hear how Olivia strives to overcome the curse of empathy while paying the blessing of empathy forward.

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Since even before her 2016 TED talk (link below), Lauren has been on a journey of self-discovery, awareness and acceptance. She has built a resilience and introspection through struggles with self-harm as a teenager and with her mental health in general. She's gained a lot of perspective through the difficulty, and now shares her journey ― relives many of her past pains ― with the intention to help whoever needs to hear it. May this conversation serve as a reminder that you aren't alone, and things can always get better.

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Death Wish of a 12-Year-Old | Lauren Schugg | TEDxBaldwinHighSchool

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“I’m not against medication; I’m against medication being positioned as a commercial where there’s a dark cloud over you, you take a pill, and then the sunlight comes out and it’s this miracle pill. Because of those commercials, I spent two and a half years lying in a bed. I wasted two and a half years of my life in hell, chasing a new pill.” — Eric Kussin

He tried over fifty different combinations of medications. He tried electric shock therapy / ECT, which I didn’t even realize still occurred in hospitals in 2018 (when we did this interview). He tried everything, until he was explicitly told by a psychiatrist that there were no more options. Luckily, Eric eventually found an integrative psychologist, more tools and many practices that have saved his mental health. He recovered from the depths of despair, and now leads a prominent mental health advocacy movement, sharing stories (like his own!) of hope.

The #SameHere movement brings athletes, celebrities and experts together to share the inclusive message that #5in5 have mental health challenges of some sort. To learn more and find mental health resources, check out the site for Eric's organization, the #SameHere Global Mental Health Movement: "We're All A Little Crazy"

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"All disease starts in the Gut." — Hippocrates, the 'father of modern medicine.'

Whether you're curious about fasting and crazy life-on-mars experiments, or looking for an opportunity to revamp your diet and improve your health, there's something for everyone here. Steven Gundry, per his bestselling book "The Plant Paradox," is a cum laude graduate of Yale University, with special honors in human biological and social evolution. Dr. Gundry has a long career in medicine; he graduated from the Medical College of Georgia alpha omega alpha, completed residencies in general surgery and cardiothoracic surgery at the University of Michigan and served as professor and chairman of cardiothoracic surgery at Loma Linda University School of Medicine. Today, Gundry is focused on his research as well as his clinical practice — the dietary and nutriceutical reversal of most diseases (including neurological conditions and mental health conditions!) through sophisticated blood tests and blood flow measurements, maximizing his patients' health spans and longevity.

Next week, we'll return to the vulnerable conversations with another firsthand story of mental disorder. For this week, though, enjoy this informative and thought-provoking interview with Steven Gundry.

Dr. Gundry's concise YES/NO food lists

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Brice Izyah has brightened the mental health of countless people in social work, at a psychiatric hospital and on the national suicide prevention lifeline. In this conversation we discuss human connection, Brice’s people-first approach to his work and the mental health challenges of social media and Survivor. The episode begins with Brice interviewing me in 2020 on his show, the “Purple Pants Podcast,” and ends with my interview of Brice in 2018.

Links:

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Welcome to the living room! This candid, vulnerable conversation with Erika De La Cruz covers the many unique challenges Erika has faced and overcome on her journey. From childhood depression / anxiety, to coping with her mom's homelessness, to living through anxiety attacks and breakdowns, Erika has weathered severe mental health storms. She became her best self even amidst this adversity, and now shares her story of finding (and now living in!) the light at the end of the tunnel.

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