The Depression Files

In this episode, Al interviews John MacPhee, CEO of The Jed Foundation (recorded 8-9-23). John describes his own mental health challenges and how they impacted him as a Division I college basketball player.

John also describes the work of The Jed Foundation that supports students and young adults around mental health, resiliency, and suicide prevention. You'll hear about the work that The Jed Foundation is doing not only in colleges and universities, but in high schools and with superintendents in supporting all students within K-12 schools.

John shares how The Jed Foundation works alongside of their partners to create a comprehensive plan to put systems, programs, and policies in place to create a culture of caring that protects student mental health, builds life skills, and makes it more likely students will seek help and struggling students will be recognized, connected to mental health care, and supported.

To learn more about John and The Jed Foundation, or to become a partner school, visit jedfoundation.org.

If you find value in the podcast, please consider buying Al a cup of coffee at buymeacoffee.com/allevin. There, you can buy Al a one-time cup (or cups) of coffee or become a member to purchase coffee for him monthly. Not only will this help to caffeinate him up, but it will also help to offset the cost of the podcast hosting site, maintain and update his equipment and support the amount of time that it takes in order to produce the show.

In addition to The Depression Files podcast, you can find Al's blog at TheDepressionFiles.com. There, you can also find out how to work with him as a coach/consultant or schedule him for a public speaking event. You will also find Al on Twitter @allevin18. Lastly, it would be greatly appreciated if you would subscribe to the show and take just a minute to leave a review and rating.

In this episode, Al interviews Dr. Mark Harper, attending anesthesiologist in the UK and Norway, researcher, and author (recorded 7-18-23). Dr. Harper describes how, although keeping patients warm during surgery was a significant part of his job, he drew a fascination towards cold-water swimming and its impact on one's mental health.

Dr. Harper describes the research that he has been a part of in the area of cold-water swimming and the future of the research. He describes the benefits, as well as the precautions, of cold-water swimming. Dr. Harper also shares with the listeners about Mental Health Swims, a mental health peer support community that hosts free, safe, and inclusive swim meet ups and Chill UK, a nonprofit that provides courses in cold-water swimming to improve mental health.

Finally, Dr. Harper describes his book: Chill: The Cold Water Swim Cure. To learn more about Dr. Harper, check out his website at drmarkharper.com. You'll can also find Dr. Harper on Twitter @WildSwimDoctor and Instagram @TheWildSwimDoctor.

If you find value in the podcast, please consider buying Al a cup of coffee at buymeacoffee.com/allevin. There, you can buy Al a one-time cup (or cups) of coffee or become a member to purchase coffee for him monthly. Not only will this help to caffeinate him up, but it will also help to offset the cost of the podcast hosting site, maintain and update his equipment and support the amount of time that it takes in order to produce the show.

In addition to The Depression Files podcast, you can find Al's blog at TheDepressionFiles.com. There, you can also find out how to work with him as a coach/consultant or schedule him for a public speaking event. You will also find Al on Twitter @allevin18. Lastly, it would be greatly appreciated if you would subscribe to the show and take just a minute to leave a review and rating.

In this episode, Al interviews Shannon Walker, founder and CEO of Northwest Battle Buddies (recorded 7-11-23). Shannon describes her passion for training dogs and how she came to train service dogs for military veterans who are living with PTSD.

Shannon explains the process; from five months of training the dogs, to receiving detailed information on the veterans seeking service dogs, to pairing the dog with a veteran, and finally an additional five weeks of training the veteran and their new service dog together.

Hear how these dogs have changed the lives of the veterans. You'll hear about how a service dog may pull a veteran out of a panic attack or even disrupt the veteran's suicidal thoughts and much more. To learn more about Shannon and Northwest Battle Buddies, please check out their website at northwestbattlebuddies.org.

If you find value in the podcast, please consider buying Al a cup of coffee at buymeacoffee.com/allevin. There, you can buy Al a one-time cup (or cups) of coffee or become a member to purchase coffee for him monthly. Not only will this help to caffeinate him up, but it will also help to offset the cost of the podcast hosting site, maintain and update his equipment and support the amount of time that it takes in order to produce the show.

In addition to The Depression Files podcast, you can find Al's blog at TheDepressionFiles.com. There, you can also find out how to work with him as a coach/consultant or schedule him for a public speaking event. You will also find Al on Twitter @allevin18. Lastly, it would be greatly appreciated if you would subscribe to the show and take just a minute to leave a review and rating.

In this episode, Al interviews Craig Stanland, former account manager of a large tech company, formerly incarcerated in federal prison, and now a Reinvention Architect (recorded 6-7-23). Craig describes how he had it all; a wonderful wife, a fantastic job, multiple homes, beautiful cars, expensive watches. Craig would spend most days shopping at extravagant stores and bouncing into fancy restaurants for meals and drinks. He was a VIP at some of the best restaurants in Greenwich and Manhattan. But this wasn't enough. He wanted more.

Craig saw his financial numbers falling as he was paying less attention to his large clients than his flashy, materialistic lifestyle. He had to make a choice and he saw only one option: commit fraud against one of the largest technology companies in the world. Hear how this path led to fifteen FBI agents at his front door, a sentence of twenty-four months of federal prison, three years of supervised release, and $834,307 in restitution.

Craig shares the struggles of losing absolutely everything and spending time in federal prison. He describes a vision of suicide that he couldn't shake for months and wasn't able to share. Hear how he then realizes what's most important and how he completely changed his life for the better.

As an author, a public speaker, and a coach (a Reinvention Architect), he now supports others in making positive changes in their lives! You can find out more about Craig and connect with him on his website at craigstanland.com. You can find his memoir, Blank Canvas: How I Reinvented My Life After Prison on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. In addition, you can find Craig on LinkedIn and Instagram.

If you find value in the podcast, please consider buying Al a cup of coffee at buymeacoffee.com/allevin. There, you can buy Al a one-time cup (or cups) of coffee or become a member to purchase coffee for him monthly. Not only will this help to caffeinate him up, but it will also help to offset the cost of the podcast hosting site, maintain and update his equipment and support the amount of time that it takes in order to produce the show.

In addition to The Depression Files podcast, you can find Al's blog at TheDepressionFiles.com. There, you can also find out how to work with him as a coach/consultant or schedule him for a public speaking event. You will also find Al on Twitter @allevin18. Lastly, it would be greatly appreciated if you would subscribe to the show and take just a minute to leave a review and rating.

In this episode, Al interviews Hal Hughes, former police officer, former MMA fighter, and current psychotherapist (recorded 4-16-23). Hal shares his story of two separate work-related traumatic brain injuries (TBI) that led him into a deep, dark depression, an opioid addiction, and a diagnosis of both post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and bipolar disorder.

At one point, Hal was on eight psychiatric medications and underwent electric shock therapy (ECT). He was also desperate enough to do whatever he needed to in order to get his hands on opioids. It wasn't until he heard his young child say, "I want my old daddy back" that Hal got serious about his recovery.

Hear how he changed the trajectory of his recovery and then jumped on an unconventional path to become a psychotherapist. Hal is incredibly knowledgeable, down-to-earth, and inspirational. Check out HalHughes.com to find out more about Hal, the services he provides, or even to reach out to him. Don't miss this episode!

If you find value in the podcast, please consider buying Al a cup of coffee at buymeacoffee.com/allevin. There, you can buy Al a one-time cup (or cups) of coffee or become a member to purchase coffee for him monthly. Not only will this help to caffeinate him up, but it will also help to offset the cost of the podcast hosting site, maintain and update his equipment and support the amount of time that it takes in order to produce the show.

In addition to The Depression Files podcast, you can find Al's blog at TheDepressionFiles.com. There, you can also find out how to work with him as a coach/consultant or schedule him for a public speaking event. You will also find Al on Twitter @allevin18. Lastly, it would be greatly appreciated if you would subscribe to the show and take just a minute to leave a review and rating.

In this episode, Al interviews Dr. Mark Horowitz, a doctor in the neurobiology of depression and the pharmacology of antidepressants at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience at King's College London, a research fellow in the National Health Service in England and a co-founder of Outro on the topic of weaning antidepressants (recorded 2-12-23).

Dr. Horowitz describes, in detail, how antidepressants impact every system of our body, rather than simply the brain. He describes his own personal challenges of weaning off of antidepressants and explains how, and why, online support groups were more beneficial to him than any doctor or any of his academic studies.

Dr. Horowitz also describes how Outro, soon to be launched in the US, is supporting people in the process of weaning off of their antidepressants.

This episode is a must for anybody who is on an antidepressant, considering an antidepressant, or contemplating weaning off of an antidepressant.

To find out more about Dr. Horowitz, check out his website at markhorowitz.org. There, you'll find his academic papers, videos, a blog, and much more. Find out more about Outro at outro.com.

In this episode, Al interviews Peggy Van de Plassche, former banker and venture capitalist on the topic of microdosing psychedelics (recorded 11-13-22). Peggy grew up in low-income housing in an industrial area of the North of France raised by a struggling, single, narcissistic mother. During part of her childhood, she was also living with a stepfather who was not only majorly depressed, but was very mean towards Peggy. Peggy's only sibling passed away in an accident when Peggy was only seventeen years old.

These situations gave Peggy a long history of anxiety and phobias that began in her childhood. Once Peggy was able to start working, she moved up the corporate ladder quickly. However, this only brought on more anxiety and self-sabotaging behaviors.

A long and slow path of healing brought Peggy to the concept of microdosing psilocybin. Peggy spent a great deal of time researching the topic before she started on her own journey. Hear Peggy describe her microdosing, as well as two guided macrodosing trips that led to incredible self-exploration and learning.

Peggy has since quit her corporate work in order to focus full-time on her writing, sharing her story of personal transformation. Learn more about Peggy by checking out her website at peggyvandeplassche.com.

If you have listened and feel that you have received some value from the podcast, please consider supporting the show by becoming a Patron at patreon.com/thedepressionfiles. You can begin to support the show with as little as $1.00/month!

In addition to The Depression Files podcast, you can find Al's blog at TheDepressionFiles.com. There, you can also find out how to work with Al as a coach or schedule him for a public speaking event. You will also find Al on Twitter @allevin18. Lastly, it would be greatly appreciated if you would subscribe to the show and take just a minute to leave a review and rating.

In this episode, Al interviews Kody Green, motivational speaker and content creator with over one million followers on TikTok, where he is known as The Schizophrenic Hippie (recorded 12-2-22). Kody shares the challenges of being raised by a single mother who was living with schizoaffective disorder. He shares that, even knowing the symptoms of serious mental illness, he didn't seek out for help immediately when he was struggling with symptoms similar to his mother.

In order to shut down the auditory and visual hallucinations, Kody took to any drugs he could get his hands on. Fearful of sleep, he would take uppers and stay awake for days at a time. Finally, after being incarcerated for nearly a year due to injuring a driver in another vehicle after he had fallen asleep at the wheel, Kody knew he needed to reach out for help.

Kody decided to start documenting his own story through videos for his own learning. Little did he know, those videos would lead him to become a TikTok sensation with over one million followers. You'll find Kody on TikTok @SchizophrenicHippie, where he educates people on the topic of schizophrenia. Sometimes using incredibly funny humor, Kody shares his lived experience and wealth of knowledge to support those living with schizophrenia and their family members and friends. Kody is incredibly intelligent and down-to-earth and many people are clearly benefiting from his very vulnerable approach to advocacy.

Kody is in the process of writing a book titled, Mentally Ill Influencer, where he helps others better understand how to use TikTok, YouTube, and other social media platforms to advocate for mental illness.  If you'd like to learn more about Kody, check out his website at KodyGreen.com.

If you have listened and feel that you have received some value from the podcast, please consider supporting the show by becoming a Patron at patreon.com/thedepressionfiles. You can begin to support the show with as little as $1.00/month!

In addition to The Depression Files podcast, you can find Al's blog at TheDepressionFiles.com. There, you can also find out how to work with Al as a coach or schedule him for a public speaking event. You will also find Al on Twitter @allevin18. Lastly, it would be greatly appreciated if you would subscribe to the show and take just a minute to leave a review and rating.

In this episode, Al interviews Kaitlynne Yancy, a navy veteran and the Associate Director of Governmental Affairs of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) (recorded 10-26-22). Kaitlynne shares her own story of trauma that she has experienced in her personal life. She also shares what the IAVA is doing to address and eliminate active military and veteran suicides.

You can find out more about Kaitlynne here and the IAVA by going to their website. You can also find the IAVA on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. 

If you have listened and feel that you have received some value from the podcast, please consider supporting the show by becoming a Patron at patreon.com/thedepressionfiles. You can begin to support the show with as little as $1.00/month!

In addition to The Depression Files podcast, you can find Al's blog at TheDepressionFiles.com. There, you can also find out how to work with Al as a coach or schedule him for a public speaking event. You will also find Al on Twitter @allevin18. Lastly, it would be greatly appreciated if you would subscribe to the show and take just a minute to leave a review and rating.

In this episode, Al interviews CeCe Cheng, founder of ShareWell, a mental health company that provides virtual peer support services (recorded 10-24-22). From the fall of 2019 through October 2020, CeCe found herself in an emotionally abusive relationship that included daily gaslighting, pathological lying, and severe manipulation.

While CeCe had a strong support network of friends, family, and medical professionals, she had a sense that what she really needed was a support group of other women who had been through a similar experience. Struggling to find such a support group, CeCe created her own. From there, she founded ShareWell that allows people to find various support groups related to a multitude of topics from domestic abuse to trauma, to depression, and so much more. If one is unable to find a group that fits their need, they are able to create their own support group for that particular topic.

CeCe shares her story of living through a severely emotionally abusive relationship and how she founded ShareWell. Find out more about CeCe and ShareWell by going to sharewellnow.com.

If you have listened and feel that you have received some value from the podcast, please consider supporting the show by becoming a Patron at patreon.com/thedepressionfiles. You can begin to support the show with as little as $1.00/month!

In addition to The Depression Files podcast, you can find Al's blog at TheDepressionFiles.com. There, you can also find out how to work with Al as a coach or schedule him for a public speaking event. You will also find Al on Twitter @allevin18. Lastly, it would be greatly appreciated if you would subscribe to the show and take just a minute to leave a review and rating.