In support of mental health awareness month, it was only appropriate to shine a light on the topic. In today’s episode, Lindsay Pinchuk is joined in conversation with Karena Dawn, Founder of The Big Silence for an eye-opening discussion about the importance of opening up about our mental health struggles.

Many of us would recognize Karena as one of the Co-Founders of the popular fitness brand Tone It Up. While Karena is passionate about fitness, her reason behind it is less known. Growing up, Karena experienced firsthand the impact of mental health challenges. After her mother was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, Karena spent the remainder of her childhood repressing emotions of guilt and shame that ultimately led to a suicide attempt. It wasn’t until Karena found fitness, that she was able to begin healing from the trauma onset by her childhood. From her own experience, Karena knows that suffering in silence only reinforces the stigma and strengthens the barriers that prevent true healing. As a way to erase the stigma, and promote acceptance, Karena founded The Big Silence Foundation where she is dedicated to inspiring others to open up about their struggles.

Tune into this episode of Dear FoundHer… for an important conversation about mental health. Learn more about the importance of breaking the stigma, finding a support system, and how Karena is continuing her mother’s legacy through her nonprofit organization.

Quotes

• “Eating healthy, meditation, moving my body, and getting in nature is the therapy that literally saved me.” (09:59-10:08)

• “With mental illness, it's not just about those who have it, but the family members as well. They also need help because you can have situational depression, or suicidal tendencies because of what you're going through.” (16:46-16:17:00)

• “I think our generation, and generations to come, are going to openly talk about mental health without feeling uncomfortable.” (18:39-18:45)

• “While running a non-profit, it is important that you have a good executive director who's very experienced. Because when you have a mission, you have to do it right.” (32:35-32:45)

Connect with Karena Dawn:

Website: http://www.thebigsilence.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.big.silence/

Karena’s Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/karenadawn

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