Big Daddy Tazz. Respected comedian and for the last 20 years a tireless advocate for mental health. Tazz continues to spread the word onstage, in schools and on the street. I loved our conversation and you will too!

Yup, it's finally time for my episode. The reasons this podcast exists are explained in this episode. I hope you'll find it illuminating. Adoption, alcoholic father, bullying, serious weight issues, deep dark depression cycles, anxiety, it's all there. Thanks to Kev Young for helping me through it!

Study after study tells us there is a massive link between addiction and mental health issues.

Gruff had an alcohol addiction that he was able to conceal for many years. He drank any time he had the chance and it ruined many things in his life until one day when he finally came clean.

Since then he's been an advocate for mental wellness but it's been a helluva tough road to get where he is now. Check it out!

In early 2019 Lindsey was diagnosed with "borderline personality disorder." After the initial shock subsided she decided to take action by learning as much as she could about it. In this episode Lindsey tells the story of how and why she got to that point in the first place and what she's done to address it. 

This dude is simply electric. Richard is an "activational speaker" and a father of two but it wasn't always like that. A childhood learning disability, growing up without a Dad, becoming homeless, desperate and depressed. Then being saved only to fall back into depression, until one day.....

For Dan, childhood trauma led to a 20 yr cocaine addiction. Finally after a life altering moment he broke free and changed his life. Then this past year, a vehicular accident left him close to death. In the months following, the depression/anxiety of his down years came flooding back. A powerful story.

"When one child in a family is struggling with emotional or behavioral issues, if affects the whole family. For parents taking care of the child in distress can become all consuming and it can become difficult to make sure siblings are getting what they need too.

The non special needs child, who seems to be doing fine, or may be acting as though they are, may be struggling too." -Alyson Krueger (childmind.org)

This is Shelby's story. 

Katherine's story seems like one major trauma after another. Having a child at 18, having another child 4 years later born with down syndrome, leaving home at a very early age BUT, it all started when something awful happened to her at age 14. 

Paul's life was going along just fine. He was doing well in his chosen career, he was happily married but, on the morning of 9-11-2001 things changed forever. He began showing the very first signs of a mental disorder that's affected him ever since. Listen.