In the Open
240 episodes - English - Latest episode: 7 months ago - ★★★★★ - 41 ratingsJoin Mental Health America as we have open conversations about mental health. We're a group of people who want to change the way our communities talk about mental health. On this podcast, we share our lives, fight in the open, and work together to just figure things out.
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Episodes
Stopping Stupid Thoughts
January 19, 2022 18:02 - 34 minutes - 79.1 MBFor the month of January we are playing some of our favorite episodes of the podcast. Theresa is joined once again by Kelly Davis to chat about cognitive distortions as known as stopping stupid thoughts. They both share their personal familiarity with thoughts that are personally damaging and ways in which they’ve tried to improve on their process when those feelings occur. Recognizing the patterns is important but it’s not easy, it’s definitely a process.
I Think About Killing Myself But I Don’t Want To Die featuring Kelly Davis
January 12, 2022 17:28 - 37 minutes - 86.9 MBFor the month of January we are playing some of our favorite episodes of the podcast. Kelly Davis joins America to talk about her experiences with thoughts of killing herself but not necessarily wanting to die. This topic may be both difficult for the person having these thoughts and also for the people listening to these thoughts from people who care about them, but the conversation is important to have and Kelly helps explore how she changed her relationship with those thoughts. Kelly shar...
Am I Sad or Depressed?
January 05, 2022 18:33 - 20 minutes - 47.2 MBFor the month of January we are playing some of our favorite episodes of the podcast. What is the difference between being sad and being depressed? America and Theresa discuss the warning signs when your sadness crosses over to depression. They also give some advice on what you could do if you are in these sad states, how they deal with their personal bouts of sadness and how you could attempt to turn it around.
Common Intrusive Thoughts: Can You Stop Negative Thinking?
December 29, 2021 18:42 - 28 minutes - 52.9 MBTo wrap up the common intrusive thoughts series America and Theresa explore how you can try to stop negative thinking. They talk about all the things they’ve experienced while walking through all these intrusive thoughts and reflect on what they’ve learned about themselves. They discuss being emotionally reactive, trying to control your thoughts opposed to letting your thoughts control you and stopping to ask yourself: what happened, what do you feel and what do you need? To take a mental h...
I Will Go Crazy If I Don‘t Control My Racing Thoughts featuring Sydney Daniello
December 22, 2021 20:00 - 25 minutes - 46.4 MBSydney Daniello joins Theresa to explore the idea of controlling your racing thoughts. Sydney describes how she experiences her racing thoughts and Theresa shares how she gets stuck in her head as well. They talk about panic attacks and trying to talk yourself down and staying in tune with your body and mind. To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, c...
Common Intrusive Thoughts: I Need It To Be This Way
December 15, 2021 17:50 - 36 minutes - 66.5 MBAmerica and Theresa explore the intrusive thoughts surrounding control and needing it be one way. America struggles with this particular intrusive thought and Theresa offers an opposite perspective in her relationship. They search for the root of where this thought comes from for America, the need to always be moving forward and what feelings she has if she doesn’t get everything done.
Common Intrusive Thoughts: I‘m Scared Something Bad Will Happen To The People I Love featuring Jennifer Molina
December 08, 2021 18:04 - 36 minutes - 67 MBTheresa is joined by Jennifer Molina to talk about the intrusive thought that something bad might happen to the people I love. Jennifer shares where she believes her anxiousness came from and some of the bad things that have happen during important events in her life. They talk about how Jennifer tries to overcome her fears and learning how to accept the things you can not control. To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org To...
Common Intrusive Thoughts: I‘ll Never Be Able To Do Anything featuring Drue Grit
December 01, 2021 18:05 - 34 minutes - 79.2 MBAmerica and Theresa continue their common intrusive thought series and they are joined by writer and director Drue Grit. Drue tells his story and they discuss the feeling that you'll never be able to do anything. They talk about fight or flight, positive affirmations, shifting a mindset, gaining self-confidence and knowing that if you genuinely are scared of something it means you care. To learn more about Drue Grit’s new book series and his film work go to https://www.theincredibleexistenc...
Common Intrusive Thoughts: I Am Worthless
November 24, 2021 18:11 - 24 minutes - 45.1 MBAmerica and Theresa continue their series on overcoming negative thoughts and this is about feeling worthless. America discusses how she had feeling of being worthless after her divorce and her struggles with having relationships following the split. They explain why feeling worthy is tied up in your value and identity, trying to just live in your power and your truth and how they both have come out the other side of these feelings of being worthless. To take a mental health screen, or to f...
Common Intrusive Thoughts: No One Care About Me
November 17, 2021 18:38 - 25 minutes - 58.3 MBAmerica and Theresa continue their series on overcoming negative thoughts and this is about the feeling that no one cares about you. Theresa shares why her trauma plays a major role on why this intrusive thought really hits home. They talk about isolation and identity, why Theresa doesn’t like birthday parties and the trap of comparing yourself to others. To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org To submit questions, comments...
Common Intrusive Thoughts: No One Cares About Me
November 17, 2021 18:38 - 25 minutes - 58.3 MBAmerica and Theresa continue their series on overcoming negative thoughts and this is about the feeling that no one cares about you. Theresa shares why her trauma plays a major role on why this intrusive thought really hits home. They talk about isolation and identity, why Theresa doesn’t like birthday parties and the trap of comparing yourself to others. To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org To submit questions, comments...
Common Intrusive Thoughts: I’m A Failure
November 10, 2021 18:30 - 25 minutes - 47.1 MBAmerica and Theresa start a new series about some of the most intrusive thoughts and this one is centered around thoughts of being a failure. They both start by remembering how they discovered that they had intrusive thoughts and what that looks like for them. There is a discussion about what their intrusive thoughts look like when they are at their best and at their worst, the feelings of imposter syndrome and checking assumptions. Overcoming Thoughts: https://screening.mhanational.org/act...
How To Keep It Together When Everything Is Falling Apart
November 03, 2021 16:38 - 22 minutes - 40.4 MBAmerica is trying to keep it together while everything else around her is falling apart so they have a discussion about how she's feeling at the moment. They give examples of why anxiety, expectations and obligations can exaggerate your negative feelings. They talk about the table metaphor, trying to let go of control and prioritizing healthy habits that help better your mood. To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org To subm...
Depression: Can I Trust My Happiness? featuring Emily Skehill
October 27, 2021 15:40 - 21 minutes - 40 MBEmily Skehill joins Theresa again and this time Emily talks about how she can’t trust her happiness. Emily’s period of happiness made her wonder if she had hypomania and she asked friends for an outside perspective. They talk about how their depression creates animosity for people who are always happy, learning radical acceptance and how life is a dance. To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org To submit questions, comments ...
I‘m Emotionally Exhausted
October 20, 2021 17:43 - 27 minutes - 62.7 MBAmerica and Theresa are emotionally exhausted, and they explore their current emotional headspace. They rate their exhaustion and try to figure out how they are going to push through it. They talk about what activities they take part in when they’re exhausted, finding out what you need from others and asking for help when you need it. To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org To submit questions, comments or ideas about futur...
How Do I Know To Keep Going Or Stop?
October 13, 2021 16:44 - 27 minutes - 49.9 MBAmerica and Theresa talk about how they've decided on if they should keep going or if they should just stop things like: relationships, work or school. America shares how she weighs the value of each outcome to help her come to a decision and Theresa talks about how her confidence plays a major role. They discuss how insecurities can get in the way, how life experiences gives you the knowledge to make future decisions and remembering when you’re at a crossroads it’s important to remember the...
How Do I Support Someone Who Was Abused?
October 06, 2021 16:14 - 24 minutes - 45.5 MBAmerica and Theresa try to figure out the most effective ways to support someone who has been abused. They both come from different perspectives when it comes to abuse but they both agree truly listening is key. There is a discussion around taking a breath before being quick to respond, finding out the other person’s needs and trying to ask the important questions. To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org To submit question...
I Don’t Feel Safe featuring Kelly Davis
September 29, 2021 18:10 - 27 minutes - 50.9 MBTheresa brings on Kelly Davis again to dive into the feelings of not being safe. They discuss how they've created personal barriers in an attempt to keep themselves safe. They talk about disclosing trauma to people you feel comfortable with, how their body and mind would respond when they weren’t safe and finding your support system so you're not alone. To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org To submit questions, comments o...
I Hate Things About My Family
September 22, 2021 16:35 - 25 minutes - 46.8 MBAmerica and Theresa explore what happens when you hate certain aspects of your family members. America gives recent examples of when she’s clashed with some family members and how she responded to those situations. They talk about the different coping mechanisms when dealing with negativity, sharing the things that hurt your feelings with your loved ones and how expressing anger requires a degree of safety. To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, ...
How Many Mental Illnesses Can One Person Have? featuring Kevin Rushton
September 15, 2021 17:10 - 25 minutes - 46 MBTheresa brings back Kevin to explore the question: how many mental illnesses can one person have? They talk about how a diagnosis can be empowering but also the stigma that comes with labeling yourself with certain diagnoses. They discuss how one diagnosis can be a symptom of another and why a diagnosis should help serve you in your recovery and growth. To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org To submit questions, comments o...
Am I Toxic?
September 08, 2021 17:35 - 27 minutes - 63 MBAmerica and Theresa dive into the topic of toxic people and they ask whether they think they can be toxic. They give some examples of toxic behaviors and trying to recognize some of the red flags. They talk about the spectrum of being toxic and trying to find out where toxic behavior originates from. To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact p...
Can People Change?
September 01, 2021 17:40 - 25 minutes - 47.5 MBTheresa and America discuss whether they think people can change and they turn it on themselves and ask each other if they think they can change. They talk about how we judge people and how we set expectations of the people around us. They have a conversation about appreciating small changes, giving people some credit for trying to change and why context is so important. To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org To submit que...
I Don't Want To Deal With People
August 25, 2021 18:05 - 30 minutes - 55.6 MBAmerica is dealing with some personal issues and it’s caused her to not want to deal with people today. America shares with Theresa her current situation and how a negative person has popped back up in her life. They talk about processing emotions, how your emotional energy affects your personal relationships and America comes to the realization that the way she feels really comes from a place of protection. To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources,...
What Mental Illness Do I Have? featuring Kevin Rushton
August 18, 2021 17:31 - 30 minutes - 55.8 MBTheresa and Kevin share their experiences with their mental illnesses and when and how they were diagnosed. Kevin remembers the first time he recognized he had a mental health problem and it wasn’t until he took a psychology class when he was ready to put a label to how he felt. They talk about why labeling your mental illness can help, they have conversations around PTSD and insomnia and also the value of continuing to evaluate your metal illness. To take a mental health screen, or to find...
How Do I Call My Friends Out?
August 11, 2021 17:10 - 25 minutes - 59.3 MBTheresa and America explore how they each call their friends out. America is direct and Theresa is a conflict-avoider so they talk about how they confront their friends from different perspectives. They discuss the timing of when to have a serious conversation with your friends, how to bring up how you feel and also finding the friends that you feel comfortable with calling you out as well. To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreenin...
Making Friends As An Adult
August 04, 2021 16:59 - 25 minutes - 45.9 MBTheresa and America talk about the difficulties of making friends as an adult. Theresa shares her insecurities she developed when she was younger trying to make friends and how that plays out now as an adult. They discuss why the quality of a friend becomes more important when you're an adult, recognizing what you are trying to get out of a friend at this stage in your life and how you must know yourself to know what you’re seeking in a friend. To take a mental health screen, or to find men...
What Makes A Good Friend?
July 28, 2021 18:22 - 35 minutes - 65.8 MBAmerica and Theresa explore the traits that make good friends. They both ask each other whether they feel they are a good friends and why. They discuss examples of behaviors that make bad friends, like being selfish and monopolizing conversations, and why it's about the quality vs. quantity of friends. To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact...
I Hold Grudges
July 21, 2021 18:05 - 32 minutes - 59.6 MBAmerica and Theresa talk about the positives and negatives of holding grudges. America recognizes she holds grudges and she explains how she sees it as a strength but also how it could be a problem. They talk about how holding grudges can be a form of control, why intentions matter and why Theresa feels she needs to protect herself more. To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org To submit questions, comments or ideas about fu...
I Feel Awkward
July 14, 2021 18:40 - 34 minutes - 63.3 MBTheresa and America talk about feeling awkward. They share instances when they’ve been awkward around people and they try to get to the bottom of why they can be awkward. They discuss social anxiety, moments that exacerbate awkwardness and just accepting who you are. To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org To submit questions, comments or ideas about future topics on the podcast, contact [email protected]
I'm Not Ready To Go Back To Normal
July 07, 2021 18:25 - 25 minutes - 46.3 MBA lot of the world is starting to open back up after the pandemic and America and Theresa explore the mindset of people who don’t want to go back to normal quite yet. America shares how she went to a work conference and had to remember how to communicate with people in-person again. They talk about how everyone feels overwhelmed, feelings of social anxiety and they liken social interaction to getting into a swimming pool. To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information ...
Being Queer and Latino featuring Cyn Gómez
June 30, 2021 17:15 - 35 minutes - 65.7 MBTheresa is joined by Cyn Gómez to talk about being queer and Latino. Cyn identifies as non-binary and bisexual so they share their personal journey and how they came to terms with who they are. They speak on topics of mental health, coming out to family and friends, religion and traditionalism and exploring what a welcoming environment looks like. To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org To submit questions, comments or idea...
Depression in Fathers
June 23, 2021 17:26 - 44 minutes - 81.7 MBAmerica and Theresa are joined by Kevin Seldon to discuss depression in fathers. Kevin shares his feelings of depression and how it became harder when him and his wife struggled to get pregnant. Kevin talks about creating a safe space for men to express their feelings, trying to lead with vulnerability when attempting to connect with new friends and how acknowledgement is powerful. To listen to the DILF Podcast visit dadidliketofriend.com To take a mental health screen, or to find menta...
I’m Not Doing Anything In My Life
June 16, 2021 17:56 - 28 minutes - 64.6 MBTheresa and America share times in which they questioned what they were doing with their lives. They talk about the feelings that come after big changes, big transitions and big losses. America explains how she felt a little lost in the last year, Theresa used meet-up groups to help her not feel so alone when she had these feelings and they discuss trying to find some direction, meaning and purpose. To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mh...
How To Deal With Being Ghosted
June 09, 2021 20:00 - 29 minutes - 53.8 MBMelanie submitted a topic to the podcast about how to deal with being ghosted. America has dealt with a lot of ambiguous loss and this topic brings up some emotions about rejection for Theresa. They share their personal experiences with being ghosted, trying to understand why someone would ghost you and eventually trying to find a way to get to acceptance. To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org To submit questions, comm...
Should I Stop Drinking? featuring Emily Pope
June 02, 2021 17:47 - 45 minutes - 104 MBEmily Pope, the Director of Marketing at Tempest, joins America and Theresa to talk about when alcohol negatively impacts your life. Emily became sober at 23 and she shares her story about her family history with drinking and when she decided to stop. They talk about the red flags when drinking can become unhealthy and why it's important to personally reflect on your relationship with alcohol. To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascree...
Breaking Up With A Toxic Person
May 26, 2021 16:16 - 35 minutes - 82.3 MBTheresa and America remember the times where they broke up with toxic people. There is a discussion about all the different types of relationships that can be toxic and some examples of traits that can make a person toxic. They talk about the big and small break-ups, how they’ve felt a sense of losing themselves in toxic relationships and how to plan a safe exit. To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
Controlling Anger
May 19, 2021 17:28 - 31 minutes - 57.9 MBTheresa and America discuss how they try to control their anger. They have a conversation about times they’ve tried to justify their anger and some places where they picked up some of their bad habits around anger. They talk about recognizing their cues before they lash out in anger, attempting to have empathy for the other person and learning when to just walk away during a heated argument. To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreeni...
How To Deal With Trauma
May 12, 2021 16:13 - 26 minutes - 48 MBTheresa and America recall how they’ve dealt with the trauma in their lives. There is a discussion about how everyone experiences trauma differently and how some go straight to avoidance. They talk about the aftermath of trauma, common thinking traps around trauma and Theresa's traumatic association with George Floyd. To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
What Is Radical Acceptance?
May 05, 2021 18:07 - 35 minutes - 65.4 MBTheresa and America were reluctant about the concept of radical acceptance at first, but they give the definition of what it means and how they feel about it now. There is a conversation about how to grieve the things that should not have happened. They talk about where they need to practice radical acceptance in their lives, letting go of control and how much of it is about personal responsibility. To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mh...
Is It Normal or Not Normal?
April 28, 2021 18:09 - 22 minutes - 42 MBWhat makes something normal? America and Theresa talk about their personal relationships with the meaning of “normal.” They talk about some of the people they trust in their lives to bounce their “normal/not normal” ideas off of to gauge how they feel. They discuss the societal pressures of fitting in and some of their personal behaviors some might categorize as “not normal.” To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
Why Do People Say Hurtful Things?
April 21, 2021 17:05 - 38 minutes - 89.2 MBWhy is it that we lash out and say hurtful things? Theresa and America revisit some hurtful things they’ve said in the past and they dive into how they feel when they are on the receiving end of some hurtful comments. They unpack their past experiences that influence the way in which they communicate today, the difference between being reactive vs. responsive and why they lay out some soft and hard boundaries when communicating. To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health infor...
Am I Bipolar or Depressed? featuring Kat McIntosh
April 14, 2021 15:57 - 34 minutes - 31.2 MBKat McIntosh joins Theresa to share her mental health journey. Kat started to recognize some signs of a disconnect with her feelings of emotion so she sought out professional help and she recalls all the obstacles she had to overcome to finally get a diagnosis. She talks about how she started hearing voices, how Kat’s family and friends reacted to the conversation about her experiences and the importance of being your own advocate. To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health in...
Why Is It Hard To Be Proud?
April 07, 2021 17:18 - 24 minutes - 45.3 MBTheresa and America focus on how it's hard to celebrate your accomplishments when you’re going through a mental health challenge. They discuss how they personally honor their small accomplishments. They talk about taking pride in your achievements, sharing your accomplishments with loved ones and how you should evaluate why you feel that you can’t be proud. To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
I Don’t Know Who I Am
March 31, 2021 16:11 - 28 minutes - 51.5 MBAmerica and Theresa talked out about being broken and now they search through the topic of not knowing who they are. They summarize their own identity and how that has evolved over their lives. There is a discussion about roles, the labels we put on ourselves and how things can become more enjoyable once you identify your own true identity. To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
Will I Ever Be Happy Again?
March 17, 2021 15:57 - 34 minutes - 79.2 MBEpisode #100! On this special podcast America and Theresa consider the question “will I ever be happy again?” They both have asked themselves this question during their lives and they share what they’ve done to try and shift their framework around the idea of “happiness.” There is a discussion about the effects of the pandemic on people’s happiness, America breaks down her idea of “dwellers” and they talk about what truly makes them happy. To take a mental health screen, or to find mental h...
What Is Trauma?
March 10, 2021 17:42 - 32 minutes - 59 MBTheresa and America pinpoint what trauma is and each give their personal definitions. Theresa identifies as a trauma survivor and America highlights collective trauma. They discuss experiences that have negatively impacted their lives and how they identified the quality of those experiences, when to reach out for help and how they categorize the big “T” and little “t” forms of trauma. To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreening.org
Is Depression A Choice?
March 03, 2021 17:16 - 29 minutes - 54.3 MBSpoiler: It’s not. Theresa and America wrestle with a rather insulting question about whether depression is a choice. They recall when they’ve been asked this question in the past and how it made them feel. They explain why depression (or any other mental illness) is not a choice, the value of a support system and how you have a responsibility to yourself about your own wellness, nobody else. To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resources, visit mhascreen...
I Think About Killing Myself But I Don't Want To Die featuring Kelly Davis
February 24, 2021 20:02 - 37 minutes - 69.1 MBKelly Davis is back and is joining America to talk about her experiences with thoughts of killing herself but not necessarily wanting to die. This topic may be both difficult for some but the conversation is important to have and Kelly helps explore how she personally changed her relationship with those thoughts. Kelly shares an enlightening piece of advice from a therapist regarding thoughts of suicide, they talk about the importance of finding a sense of purpose and how everyone’s story is...
How Do I Love Myself?
February 17, 2021 16:26 - 30 minutes - 56.3 MBTheresa struggles with self-love, so America leads her through the process of how she can try to be better at loving herself. They talk about the progress they’ve made in loving themselves and how small changes to their outside appearance has helped. They discuss the similarities to self-love and confidence, they give two examples of what they love about themselves and how we should all practice self-gratitude. To take a mental health screen, or to find mental health information and resourc...
My Brain Doesn't Work Anymore
February 10, 2021 19:18 - 27 minutes - 49.8 MBAmerica and Theresa are completely spent, and they are at the point where they have the inability to process information while recording this podcast. They try to determine how they got to this point and the events that lead to the feeling of their brains not working. They talk about what things drain them the most, the importance of rest for both your body and your brain and they explore solutions for when they need to reset themselves. To take a mental health screen, or to find mental hea...