The Big Silence

Dr. Neeta Bhushan is a well-known speaker, entrepreneur, and podcaster (check out episode 79 of The Brave Table). She’s also the author of That Sucked. Now What?, hitting bookstores in January. But before she was the evolved and expanded version of Neeta that she is today, she faced a truth that would change everything, forever. 

We talk about that day, and the painful years that preceded it – a complicated journey and family dynamic that sounds a whole lot like my own. We go deep on her experience moving down a dark road of loss and grief as a young person after the tragic deaths of her mother, younger brother, and father in a three-year span.

She coped with the trauma by overachieving, overworking, overcompensating, and overgiving. She became a performer for anyone who would watch, a caregiver to her other brother – roles and responsibilities that would tie her into knots about who she was, and could become.

Her path to spiritual healing (featuring a vivid Ayahuasca experience), and escape from an abusive relationship, provide ample inspiration that anyone can better themselves, that anyone can better their environment, if they commit to the work – and to making a few tough decisions along the way.

Neeta leaves us with actionable tips from her book on processing stress and anxiety. We’re embracing the suck, anchoring our emotion, dancing like dinosaurs, and releasing it all back into the world as positive energy. I can’t wait for you to hear this one.

• Video: Dinosaur Dance by: Boots + Cats
• Pre-order: That Sucked. Now What? by Neeta Bhushan
• Podcast: The Brave Table with Neeta Bhushan
• Read: Neeta Bhushan on Amazon
• Follow Neeta Bhushan on Instagram: @neetabhushan
• Follow Neeta Bhushan on Facebook: Neeta Bhushan
• Subscribe: Neeta Bhushan's YouTube Channel
• Read: The Big Silence: A Daughter's Memoir of Mental Illness and Healing 
• Follow Karena Dawn on Instagram: @karenadawn
• Follow The Big Silence on Instagram: @The.Big.Silence
• Subscribe: The Big Silence YouTube Channel

• Not Alone Challenge: Bid on experiences with me and singer/songwriter, Jewel, in support of The Big Silence and the Inspiring Children Foundation, from now until January.
• Spiritual Reset: Sign up for The Big Silence newsletter to learn how you can experience this intimate workshop on Karena’s property, January 6th, 2023. 

Donate to The Big Silence thebigsilence.com/donate to be a part of the movement to break the silence and make noise with us!



“The Big Silence” theme song written and performed by James Nicholas Kinney.

Executive Handyman, Bobby Goldstein.

The Big Silence is produced by Crate Media.

Today’s episode features Dr. Jaime Zuckerman, aka Dr. Z. She's a national expert in narcissistic abuse and a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in the treatment of adults with anxiety and mood disorders. She's also a relationship coach and she has her own podcast.

We break down narcissistic personality disorder, harmful Disney messaging, golden child syndrome manipulation, and how to have a healthy relationship with a narcissist who could be a family member, a parent, a sibling. 

This is a commonly requested topic, and a complicated one to try and understand through the lens of logic. In this world, empathy is transactional, confidence is a performance, and there is always a motive.

If you've ever thought you may have been in a narcissistic romantic relationship, or if, in the workplace, you possibly have a narcissist and you don't know how to manage that and be able to do your job – this is the episode for you. Remember, if you love it or you think there's someone out there, a loved one or a friend, that needs to hear this – please share it!

• Podcast: It’s Me, Dr. Z 
• Website: drjaimezuckerman.com
• Instagram: @dr.z_psychologist
• Facebook: Dr. Jaime Spinell Zuckerman
• YouTube: Dr. Jaime Zuckerman
• Twitter: @drzpsychologist
• Read: The Big Silence: A Daughter's Memoir of Mental Illness and Healing 
• Follow Karena Dawn on Instagram: @karenadawn
• Follow The Big Silence on Instagram: @The.Big.Silence
• Subscribe: The Big Silence YouTube Channel

Donate to The Big Silence thebigsilence.com/donate to be a part of the movement to break the silence and make noise with us!

“The Big Silence” theme song written and performed by James Nicholas Kinney.

Executive Handyman, Bobby Goldstein.

The Big Silence is produced by Crate Media.

This one is all about reframing the negative, avoidant, and prescription-driven social programming around mental health, and more importantly, mental illness. Our guest today, Dr. Daniel Amen, asks a question that illustrates a fascinating contrast… What if brain health was mental health?

We parse vocabulary throughout the conversation, how words can mean so much when it comes between a person feeling hopeless in their symptoms and understanding that they are still in control of their health, no matter their diagnosis. 

He sheds light on a range of interesting subjects, from categorizing anxiety and depression into seven categories and a deep dive on reading brain scans, to the bombardment of subconscious illness messaging we face in our day-to-day lives and squishing the ANTs in our mind (automatic negative thoughts). 

Tweaking our mindset, changing our diets, moving our body – the smallest things can make the biggest difference in our brain health, and as a result, in our quality of life; sometimes it is that simple. Visit brainhealthassessment.com to take a brain assessment for yourself and learn more about your body’s most critical organ.

• Read: You, Happier by Dr. Daniel Amen
• Take a Brain Assessment: brainhealthassessment.com
• Follow Dr. Daniel Amen on Instagram: @doc_amen
• Follow Dr. Daniel Amen on Facebook: @drdanielamen
• Follow Dr. Daniel Amen on TikTok: @docamen
• Read: The Big Silence: A Daughter's Memoir of Mental Illness and Healing 
• Follow Karena Dawn on Instagram: @karenadawn
• Follow The Big Silence on Instagram: @The.Big.Silence
• Subscribe: The Big Silence YouTube Channel

Donate to The Big Silence thebigsilence.com/donate to be a part of the movement to break the silence and make noise with us!

“The Big Silence” theme song written and performed by James Nicholas Kinney.

Executive Handyman, Bobby Goldstein.

The Big Silence is produced by Crate Media.

Our guest today is Gwen Dittmar, an incredibly gifted coach and spiritual psychologist. In fact, she’s my own personal coach, and her work has had a huge positive impact on my life since we first met in 2017 – helping me to align with my purpose and find balance within myself.

She works with entrepreneurs (like me) who struggle to identify that one important thing that’s missing from their lives, and big brands with the foresight to know that they need to see the big picture. She’s also a breathwork practitioner, the guiding voice that led our dear Bobby in such a visceral and heart-opening experience during his very first session.

As is usually the case when we work together, Gwen includes me and my own layers in many of the threads we discuss, including the nuances of inner child work, reparenting, and building one’s confidence as a means to bring volume and clarity to their soul’s true voice.

We learn that she’s always had mystic gifts, and that repressing them during her youth, as she understands it now, was a key influence to her later struggles with identity, alcoholism, and an addiction to success. Yes! We can totally be addicted to success in a negative way – even when it comes to fitness goals and sports achievements – and it’s a topic we spend some time unpacking through the lenses of both our lives.

We also do a deep dive on human design, break down differences in coaching vs. therapy and how they apply to her practice, and touch on the expanding world of psychedelic ceremony as a treatment method – Iowaska, MDMA, ketamine, and the like. Are they ethical with respect to sobriety? Safe or effective for everyone?

This and so much more in today’s fascinating episode of The Big Silence. Thanks for listening. 

Resources:

• Explore Gwen’s practice: gwendittmar.com
• Connect with Gwen Dittmar on Linkedin: Gwen Dittmar
• Follow Gwen Dittmar on Instagram: @gwendittmar
• Follow Gwen Dittmar on Twitter: @gwencoach
• Read: The Big Silence: A Daughter's Memoir of Mental Illness and Healing 
• Follow Karena Dawn on Instagram: @karenadawn
• Follow The Big Silence on Instagram: @The.Big.Silence
• Subscribe: The Big Silence YouTube Channel

Donate to The Big Silence thebigsilence.com/donate to be a part of the movement to break the silence and make noise with us!

“The Big Silence” theme song written and performed by James Nicholas Kinney.

Executive Handyman, Bobby Goldstein.

The Big Silence is produced by Crate Media.

The Queen of Dharma, Sahara Rose, joins us in studio, for today’s heart-filled episode of The Big Silence. She is co-founder of the Dharma Coaching Institute and Rose Gold Goddesses, guiding women in their spiritual evolutions with an openness and authenticity that makes her such a treat to be around.

We talk about her family’s roots in survival and how that influence has served as a guide in her work as a Dharmic healer. Devoting her life to her mission of saving the world, she describes the hard lessons and failures she encountered along the way, and that – before healing the world, she needed to recognize and respect the never-ending process of healing herself.

We also spend some time differentiating between the three doshas – Vata (air) , Pitta (fire), and Kapha (earth) – and how understanding our archetype mix can help us identify balancing energies, people, places, and things around us.

Sahara’s an old soul, a quality many of us find in ourselves. It’s allowed her to keep the big picture in mind on her way to touching thousands of lives across the globe. Enjoy.

• Dharma Archetype Quiz — Which Dharma archetype are you?
• Discover Your Dharma — A vedic guide to finding your purpose
• The Idiots Guide to Ayurveda — Sahara’s first book
• Dharma Coaching Institute — Opening in Spring of 2023!
• Rose Gold Goddesses — A divine feminine mystery school
• The Brave Table with Dr. Neeta Bhushan — Subscribe to the podcast
• The Highest Self Podcast with Sahara Rose — Subscribe to the podcast
• Slate Theory Winery — Fill your head

• Follow Sahara Rose on Instagram: @iamsahararose
• Read: The Big Silence: A Daughter's Memoir of Mental Illness and Healing 
• Follow Karena Dawn on Instagram: @karenadawn
• Follow The Big Silence on Instagram: @The.Big.Silence
• Subscribe: The Big Silence YouTube Channel

Donate to The Big Silence thebigsilence.com/donate to be a part of the movement to break the silence and make noise with us!

“The Big Silence” theme song written and performed by James Nicholas Kinney.

Executive Handyman, Bobby Goldstein.

The Big Silence is produced by Crate Media.

Joining The Big Silence, today, is Dr. Julia Britz, a licensed naturopathic doctor practicing in Las Vegas, NV, who specializes in integrative mental health. Her areas of focus include OCD, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and psychiatric medication tapering.

Her story to personal health and natural healing starts early in her childhood, as we’ve heard is so often the experience for people who’ve overcome mental health challenges. Julia describes a visceral battle with OCD, the repeated compulsions and illogical thinking that clouded her life with dread, anxiety, and panic.

She describes anxiety as stress and fear combined, as we unpack its root causes, the downstream mental and physical toll that its baseline symptoms (like dysregulated eating patterns and poor sleep) can cause, and the difference between good stress and bad stress.

Dr. Britz also shares steps to dampening the impact of anxiety on your life from honesty with self and self-love, micronutrient therapies, structured therapy practices, journaling, visualization, and so much more.

Don’t forget, you can celebrate World Mental Health Day with The Big Silence at Slate Theory Winery for mental health talks, meditation, music, and wine! www.TheBigSilence.com/Events

Resources:

• Website: drjuliabritz.com
• Linkedin: Julia Britz
• Read: Get Your Mind Into Life by Steven Hayes
• Read: The Big Silence: A Daughter's Memoir of Mental Illness and Healing 
• Follow Karena Dawn on Instagram: @karenadawn
• Follow The Big Silence on Instagram: @The.Big.Silence
• Subscribe: The Big Silence YouTube Channel

Donate to The Big Silence thebigsilence.com/donate to be a part of the movement to break the silence and make noise with us!

“The Big Silence” theme song written and performed by James Nicholas Kinney.

Executive Handyman, Bobby Goldstein.

The Big Silence is produced by Crate Media.

Today's guest on The Big Silence is Koshin Paley Ellison. He has devoted his life to the study and application of psychotherapy and Buddhism. He's an author, a practicing monk, and the co-founder, alongside his husband, of the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care.

Connecting on our Ukrainian roots, and shared resulting generational trauma (like we heard about last week with Minaa B.), Koshin highlights the other, more positive side of the same coin – epigenetic courage. It’s a great way to flip the narrative, that we may experience pain, at times in part, at the hands of, or alongside, someone we love – but that the strength within that same person, which was passed onto us, has a hand in our ability to overcome it all.

Putting a poetic spin on the thought-feeling-action matrix, Koshin explains that the brain’s main job is to interpret – that if you’re in a negative headspace, you will end up interpreting things in the same way you have been interpreting them thus far. He offers an easy question-asking practice to help us move into positive spirals and avoid the false promises of negative thinking.

We also chat about his new book, coming out in November, called Untangled, how his grandma inspired his healing center and what’s practiced there, and welcome in some familiar conversational themes – trauma and death, to get a monk’s point of view on these complex realities. Similarly, and as you might expect, his meditation advice hits a little different toward the end of our conversation. 

Celebrate World Mental Health Day with The Big Silence at Slate Theory Winery for mental health talks, meditation, music, and wine! www.TheBigSilence.com/Events

Resources:

• Zencare Website: zencare.org/sensei-koshin-paley-ellison
• Read: Untangled: Walking the Eightfold Path to Clarity, Courage, and Compassion
• Learn at Zencare: Contemplative Medicine Fellowship
• Follow Koshin on Instagram: @koshinpaleyellison
• Read: The Big Silence: A Daughter's Memoir of Mental Illness and Healing 
• Follow Karena Dawn on Instagram: @karenadawn
• Follow The Big Silence on Instagram: @The.Big.Silence
• Subscribe: The Big Silence YouTube Channel

Donate to The Big Silence thebigsilence.com/donate to be a part of the movement to break the silence and make noise with us!

“The Big Silence” theme song written and performed by James Nicholas Kinney.

Executive Handyman, Bobby Goldstein.

The Big Silence is produced by Crate Media.

In this week’s new episode of The Big Silence, the inspiring and informed Minaa B joins us from the last semblance of summer in New York City to talk about her therapy journey, grieving a loved one, her advanced perspective on trauma, and burnout.

She specializes in anxiety and depression, an understanding that’s informed by her own experience with self-harm as a teen. We talk about the harsh environment she faced as a young person, challenged by cultural differences as her family gained footing in America after emigrating from Panama. We swap mother/daughter dynamics to illustrate shared experiences, and more importantly, a shared resolve to help others avoid our suffering.

Zooming out from the past, we also spend some time in the present. Even as the panic of the pandemic has cooled, the psychological impact of the work-from-home model remains a serious one. Minaa points out how the extended isolation impacts our brains, and how lacking something as simple as a morning routine can uproot a person’s sense of order. 

Resources:

• Website: minaab.com
• Writing: wellandgood.com/author/minaab
• Follow Minaa on Instagram: @minaa_b
• Follow Minaa on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jessminaarchbold
• Follow Minaa on LinkedIn: @MinaaBe
• Read: The Big Silence: A Daughter's Memoir of Mental Illness and Healing 
• Follow Karena Dawn on Instagram: @karenadawn
• Follow The Big Silence on Instagram: @The.Big.Silence
• Subscribe: The Big Silence YouTube Channel

Donate to The Big Silence thebigsilence.com/donate to be a part of the movement to break the silence and make noise with us!

“The Big Silence” theme song written and performed by James Nicholas Kinney.

Executive Handyman, Bobby Goldstein.

The Big Silence is produced by Crate Media.

Kayla Stoecklein had it all – then, it was gone in an instant. She joins The Big Silence today to share her tragic experience with suicide and how she’s rededicated her life to exploring grief and understanding the signs that might lead a person to take their own life.

Her husband Andrew, processing the recent passing of his father and facing enormous pressure at their ministry to fill his shoes, began experiencing severe panic attacks in 2017. Kayla shares each step they took along the way – medication, counseling, rest, time away from work – before he committed suicide the following year.

Through renewed hope and a deeper understanding of herself and the world around her, she explains how surprising it was, even amid his struggles, to wake up one day and be alone with her three young sons. Now, she’s rebuilding her beautiful life – and has released a book with the same title. Her perspective is inspiring and empowering, even, and especially, considering the heartbreaking circumstances which have led her to this moment.

If you are experiencing suicidal ideation or need someone to talk to, text “HERO” to 741-741 to reach The Big Silence Crisis Line. You are not alone in your suffering; please reach out to kickstart the positive momentum that could change your life forever.

Resources:

• Read: Rebuilding Beautiful by Kayla Stoecklein
• Find Community: Never Alone Widows
• Get Help: Text “HERO” to 741-741 to reach The Big Silence Crisis Line
• Read: The Big Silence: A Daughter's Memoir of Mental Illness and Healing 
• Follow Karena Dawn on Instagram: @karenadawn
• Follow The Big Silence on Instagram: @The.Big.Silence
• Subscribe: The Big Silence YouTube Channel

Donate to The Big Silence thebigsilence.com/donate to be a part of the movement to break the silence and make noise with us!

“The Big Silence” theme song written and performed by James Nicholas Kinney.

Executive Handyman, Bobby Goldstein.

The Big Silence is produced by Crate Media.

My talented and beloved sister, Rachel Sahaidachny, runs the show here at The Big Silence and takes time to sit with us today for a deep dive sharing her perspective on the events and dynamics detailed in my memoir. In fact, we delve into a handful of great questions posed to me at a recent book club event (shout out to the TIU Books & Babes!).

We kick things off with a chat about her background in non-profit work and why it was so important, on both a tactical level and an emotional one, for us to join forces in this effort. Rachel shares what art means to her, and has meant, through her childhood. And, of course, we hold nothing back when it comes to reminiscing on our family life.

The questions posed are no softballs, to be sure. We get painfully honest in this one, about what we remember about our lives back then and what the events mean to us now. As much as my own perspective has been discussed, both on the show and in the book, what was it like to be the big sister during the hard times?

Resources:

• Rachel Sahaidachny: RachelSahaidachny.com
• Questions submitted by: @tiubooksandbabes
• Read: The Big Silence: A Daughter's Memoir of Mental Illness and Healing 
• Follow Karena Dawn on Instagram: @karenadawn
• Follow The Big Silence on Instagram: @The.Big.Silence
• Subscribe: The Big Silence YouTube Channel

Donate to The Big Silence thebigsilence.com/donate to be a part of the movement to break the silence and make noise with us!



“The Big Silence” theme song written and performed by James Nicholas Kinney.

Executive Handyman, Bobby Goldstein.

The Big Silence is produced by Crate Media.