Optimistically Depressed
97 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 3 years ago - ★★★★★ - 3 ratingsOptimistically Depressed is a platform where mental health, hurt, life philosophies and anything in between can be discussed without shame.
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Episodes
Ruthy's Rumination - Coming back with CPTSD
February 27, 2021 22:08 - 17 minutes - 16.3 MBThank you everyone for being so patient with me as I took another needed break. I deeply appreciate all of you. I've recently been diagnosed with CPTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and in this episode, I talk about what CPTSD feels like and briefly touch on some of the memories I have recovered (not intentionally) and how they have contributed to my diagnosis. I also talk about what it feels like to remember traumatic experiences and reiterate how we are not alone in this journey. There...
Going Under The Sea with Saltwater Sean
December 03, 2020 14:48 - 31 minutes - 29 MBThe wonderful Sean McMullen returns to Optimistically Depressed to talk about his excursions as Saltwater Sean, the thrills of discovering what lies under the sea, and how the exposure to cold water benefits him physically and mentally as it requires him to listen more closely to his body and mind. Have a listen and be sure to check out his YouTube and Instagram accounts under Saltwater Sean! https://www.youtube.com/c/SaltwaterSean https://www.instagram.com/saltwater_sean/
Feeling Moodie with Pat Sebastien
November 26, 2020 22:19 - 43 minutes - 40.7 MBAre you looking for ways to improve your emotional and physical well-being? Do you struggle with some of your thoughts and feelings? Pat Sebastien, CEO of Moodie Inc, & I sat down to discuss the app Moodie, which is designed to be your personalized wellness companion. Try it out and find a place to reflect, get helpful information, encouragement, guidance, and some coping activities. Moodie enables you to change your mood through customized engagements called Actions and gives you the abil...
Emma with Self-Care, CPTSD & Emotional Regulation Therapy
November 20, 2020 21:09 - 46 minutes - 43.4 MBIt's amazing how many contributors there are to the inability to regulate our emotions. They feel like this involuntary experience that takes over our body - you know the feeling - the anger takes over and all you see is red, or the sadness is crippling. It's like the only options we have are to let the emotions take over or to resist them. Turns out those aren't the only options. We can actually have a good relationship with our feelings, who woulda thought?! Have a listen for good copin...
Emma Morris-Smith with Self-Care, CPTSD & Emotional Regulation Therapy
November 20, 2020 21:09 - 46 minutes - 43.4 MBIt's amazing how many contributors there are to the inability to regulate our emotions. They feel like this involuntary experience that takes over our body - you know the feeling - the anger takes over and all you see is red, or the sadness is crippling. It's like the only options we have are to let the emotions take over or to resist them. Turns out those aren't the only options. We can actually have a good relationship with our feelings, who woulda thought?! Have a listen for good copin...
Emotional Connection with Meaghan Smith
November 12, 2020 22:47 - 20 minutes - 18.6 MBWhat do we all share? Our emotions. While the way we experience them is unique, the feelings themselves are what connect us. With something so powerful, we need to be aware of how we use them and, while protecting ourselves, we can also use the gift of emotions to create empathy. And that, friends, is how we can help heal the world. So let's take care of our emotions and talk about them.
Optimistically Depressed: I’m Back!
November 06, 2020 00:20 - 35 minutes - 32.8 MBAfter a much needed break, I’m feeling mostly refreshed and ready to get back to all of you and share what’s been on my mind for the past six months. It isn’t a surprise that it’s been rough, but it’s brought me to some realizations that were learned through tough lessons and many tears. Thanks for waiting so lovingly for me and I am thrilled to finally continue our journey together.
Ruthy's Rumination on Dealing with Bad Thoughts, Balancing Your Mental Health with Others & Looking Forward to Post-Covid | Ep. 85
May 30, 2020 12:19 - 43 minutes - 81.2 MBIt's Rumination time! I got more topics for discussion from you beauties and used the opportunity to practice being more honest and raw with my opinions. I can't wait until all this crap with Covid is over. One of you asked what I'm looking forward to doing when that happens so I talk a bit about that. Next, I discuss my thoughts on the importance of taking responsibility for and maintaining our own mental health and not taking on the responsibility of anyone else’s. I finish off the epis...
Lindsay Umlah on Appreciating Your Body | Ep. 84
May 22, 2020 00:26 - 1 hour - 122 MBThe glorious Lindsay Umlah joins Optimistically Depressed for a second time! I saw a post she made on Instagram about being enough and it struck me. There are many areas we need to work through when it comes to feeling like we measure up and believe me, I've been working on them. The first one I wanted to tackle was being enough as myself, with my personality and my opinion. I've made great progress in that area and I've been dedicating a lot of focus to it. But another area that haunts me...
Ruthy's Rumination on Staying Sane, Self-Care and Astrology | Ep. 83
May 15, 2020 19:32 - 43 minutes - 82.1 MBHey friends! This week I thought I’d do another rumination. I asked for some suggestions on what to talk about and suggestions were made! I talk on some tips I’ve learned on how to stay sane during quarantine and how to take care of ourselves. Then I venture a little into the world of astrology - something I’ve learned a bit about recently and am rather intrigued by. I hope all of you are doing well and this episode can help you feel less alone. Sending my love!
Shannon Moyer-Szemenyei on C-PTSD, EMDR Therapy and Releasing Trauma | Ep. 82
May 11, 2020 23:25 - 1 hour - 115 MBAnyone else feel like a caged animal right about now? Like you need to get out but you also have so much fear around going out because you don't want catch Covid-19 and bring it home to your family? Needless to say, the past couple months have been somewhat traumatic for all of us, which is why I think it is the perfect time to hear what Shannon has to say about C-PTSD (Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) and how EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) Therapy helped her r...
Ruthy's Rumination on Losing Relationships, Looking in the Mirror and Hope | Ep. 81
April 30, 2020 22:48 - 44 minutes - 81.7 MBRumination time! I tried out Ruthy's Rumination many months ago and have recorded others since but haven't released them because I'm not ready for that level of vulnerability. And now here we are, one that made the cut! I want to thank the people who made suggestions for what I could talk about. I hope that if you listen to this you find what I had to say on your topic to be helpful or interesting. I took this podcast as an opportunity to express my thoughts on cutting out relationships,...
Alexa Goodman on Handling Our Behaviour During a Challenge | Ep. 80
April 16, 2020 21:32 - 53 minutes - 88.4 MBOk, it's been something like four weeks since we've had to stay home, right? Perhaps some of us still need more time to grieve, but others may be noticing a crossroads. What next? Shall I plunge into self-destruction? Sink into mediocrity? Honestly, I couldn't blame you for doing either. How many of us have been through such an experience? It's difficult to decide how to behave and each of our circumstances at home are different. However, there are some of you who are either knowingly or un...
Abigail Lower on Freeing Yourself from Influence | Ep. 79
April 09, 2020 23:23 - 1 hour - 137 MBFreedom. Ah, doesn't that sounds especially sweet right now? We may be feeling a little caged right now since we can't go out and visit our friends, but the most effective cage in our lives is our mind. Now, I don't expect that statement to be particularly shocking. Our culture is becoming more sensitive to mental health and the influence our minds have over our lives so we mostly have this basic understanding. That is a great start, but where to go from there? Ok, our mind is holding us ba...
Hanging Out With Sean McMullen: The Self-Isolation Issue | Ep. 78
April 03, 2020 21:12 - 33 minutes - 59.4 MBI think we’re starting to get to a point where we’re really starting to understand this pandemic isn’t going away soon. I know we “knew” that, but we didn’t really know that. That make sense? It’s like the five stages of grief. We’re starting to move through them and mourn our old lives while wondering what out new ones will look like. It’s kinda scary. Sean and I talk about how we’re feeling and manage to get some laughs in. Things feel so heavy lately it seems. It’s nice to have an honest...
Marc Boudreau on Coping with Self-Isolation | Ep. 77
March 26, 2020 20:32 - 25 minutes - 40.8 MBI hope all of you are doing well. If you are struggling, my heart goes out to you. If you have lost someone to this horrible virus, from the bottom of my heart, I am sorry. I have been thinking about those who are hurting from this. I can't imagine the pain. The best thing I know to do about that right now is staying home and creating what I can from here and then sending it out to you. We changed things up a little this time and Marc interviewed me! We talked about what I've been up to and...
Candyce Sellars on Mental Health in Community | Ep. 76
March 20, 2020 14:23 - 1 hour - 159 MBIt's so great to have a friend that you can talk to about anything, including the stuff that we generally hate talking about, ie: confrontational stuff. Candyce is one of those people that can look at a problem and not only find a solution, but break it down in a way that is non-threatening and provides a solution before there is even a problem. Talk about the perfect recipe for a happy community. Candyce and I discuss the ways to build happy, healthy and proactive relationships and how to ...
Christy Ann Conlin on Turning Life Into Your Own Story | Ep. 75
March 12, 2020 19:32 - 1 hour - 143 MBWe all have a part of our pasts that we can feel the victim of, and the truth is that when we’re children, we are the victim. But what about when we become adults? Do we carry the victim status along with ourselves or do we grab the pen which has been writing our life story so far and take over? Christy Ann has quite literally grabbed that pen and started writing through her own struggles and thought patterns with fictional stories. Her witty and thoughtful tales show a reflection of hersel...
Lee Fraser on Successful Mindsets and Retaliation | Ep. 74
March 06, 2020 00:19 - 54 minutes - 105 MBWe’ve heard from this guy before, but I had to interview him again. Lee Fraser is one of those minds that many try to mimic, and why? Because when he sets his mind on something, he gets it done. This past weekend, I got to participate in a weekend Lee is well known for hosting: the Creatives Weekend. Over the span of either three or four days, creatives participate in workshops, socializing, creative feats and outdoor exploration. There’s something for everyone. I got to speak at this even...
Wren Kelly on Owning Borderline Personality Disorder | Ep. 73
February 27, 2020 23:24 - 48 minutes - 90.3 MBOne of the mental disorders that has a lot of confusion around it is Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). Many people get a little freaked out at the idea, but they don't need to be. Wren Kelly openly discusses her symptoms with BPD and what they feel like. She describes what she does to counteract her symptoms and the mental discipline needed to do so. Get ready for an open and honest discussion about the illness that Hollywood loves to take advantage of and why it doesn't necessarily n...
Verity Vale on Climbing Mountains and Managing Anxiety | Ep. 72
February 20, 2020 20:16 - 45 minutes - 86.3 MBInspiration graces us in many forms and in this case, it comes in the form of my friend Verity. I am thrilled to have her back on Optimistically Depressed. As a professional hypnotherapist, she has shared with me several helpful insights for managing my thoughts. This time Verity returns to talk about anxiety, being properly aware of danger and the mindset needed to climb mountains. Among her many talents, Verity is quite the mountaineer and will be climbing to the Everest base camp this M...
Meaghan Smith on Understanding Emotion and Rebuilding Yourself | Ep. 71
February 14, 2020 15:45 - 46 minutes - 88.1 MBI’ve been privileged to know Meaghan Smith for about six years now. She has taught me many valuable lessons involving how to interpret, understand and manage my emotions. Her unique perspective on life is what every storybook dreams of. Each conversation we share leaves me feeling brighter and more optimistic about the future. I’m honoured to be able to share with you one of those conversations. Meaghan Smith is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, and visual artist. In 2011 she won the ...
Veronica Gutierrez on Culture and Mental Health | Ep. 70
February 06, 2020 19:32 - 50 minutes - 96.9 MBYou know how they say you need to surround yourself with people who will tell you the truth? Veronica Gutierrez is one of those people, and that is probably how she attracts the same kinds of people as friends. This strong and fiery woman joined me last week for an open conversation about culture, honesty, and mental health.
Brett Hartlin on Using Nature to Ease Anxiety | Ep. 69
January 30, 2020 18:30 - 1 hour - 115 MBWe all know that getting outside helps with mental health, so why don’t we do it more? Perhaps we need some inspiration! Brett Hartlin joins Optimistically Depressed to talk about the benefits of getting outside and helps reignite the desire to be a part of nature.
Sean McMullen on Exercise, Saying No and Being Meaningful | Ep. 68
January 23, 2020 13:14 - 34 minutes - 64.7 MBSean comes back to Optimistically Depressed to talk about making big changes in his exercise habits and saying no more often. We also discuss the frustrations associated with trying to be meaningful in a world full of noise and facing the fear of being meaningless.
Tom Taggart on Hardship, Trauma, War Heroes and Not Diminishing Your Own Struggle | Ep. 67
January 17, 2020 20:46 - 55 minutes - 105 MBTom Taggart returns to the show to talk about not diminishing your own struggle and the importance of hardships in order to learn and grow. We also touch on Star Wars, Elon Musk and the myths of success.
Katie MacLeod on Borderline Personality Disorder and Childhood Cancer | Ep. 66
January 10, 2020 01:03 - 58 minutes - 110 MBUp for quite the story? Katie talks about her passions and what it feels like to live with borderline personality disorder. She also shares her experience with being born with cancer. Buckle up and have a listen.
Lindsay Umlah on Being Born With a Congenital Heart Defect & Mental Health | Ep. 65
January 02, 2020 19:42 - 1 hour - 129 MBLindsay Umlah, co-host of the popular podcast Momgasm, joins Optimistically Depressed for a juicy episode on her rebellious attitude coupled with her experience being born with a congenital heart defect and her mental health. She is a firm believer that we are all meant to shine and have the beautiful lives that we long for. Only good comes from recognizing that we aren’t meant to fit in, but we are in fact born to stand out.
Todd Veinotte on Swearing, Getting Offended & Respectfulness | Ep. 64
December 27, 2019 15:49 - 59 minutes - 106 MBBeing in any kind of spotlight brings along more responsibility than you could imagine. There is a constant balancing act between different opinions and how you represent yourself. Corrections and criticisms pour in while you try to stay true to who you are while making thoughtful adjustments and grow. You thicken your skin while trying to remain soft. Welcome to the thoughtfulness of Todd Veinotte, radio show host of The Todd Veinotte Show on News 95.7 and an experienced podcaster. Todd s...
Joel Muise on Anxiety & Tranquility Online | Ep. 63
December 20, 2019 20:41 - 57 minutes - 109 MBIt's no secret that I have anxiety, so I would love for you to meet my wonderful coach & friend Joel Muise. You've heard from him before on this show, but this time we dove deeper into what Tranquility Online does, the company he co-founded. Prepare for the inside scoop on how some of his and my conversations go!
Tom Taggart on Resilience | Ep. 62
December 15, 2019 18:18 - 51 minutes - 91.1 MBYou know that good ol' saying "life is what you make it?" Tom is living proof of that. This guy is such a kind human being whose nature involves creating safety. Tom and I sit down for the second time and discuss many aspects of life, and part of it involves resilience. I am becoming more and more fascinated with what that word means so it was great to hear what it means to Tom and how he practiced it in his own life.
Marc Boudreau on Holidays, Work and Hating My Birthday | Ep. 61
November 28, 2019 17:00 - 1 hour - 121 MBMarc Boudreau joins Optimistically Depressed to discuss the holidays and work. I spill my guts on being worn out by trying to keep a certain image and why I generally hate my birthday. Plus I have some exciting news about the future of the show. I hope you listen in!
Kristin Vokes and Working with Life | Ep. 60
November 21, 2019 17:55 - 1 hour - 120 MBAlright, tough times are inevitable, so how are you going to deal with it? Because even if you try to avoid it, that’s the way you choose to deal with it. Kristin Vokes comes back to talk about dealing with your life. Are you going to allow yourself to feel it and work with it or are you going to try to run screaming? We discuss some of our philosophy behind the back and forth of difficult days and how there are always different and still effective ways of working with your life.
About Optimistically Depressed
November 20, 2019 21:24 - 32 seconds - 1.05 MBOptimistically Depressed is a platform where mental health, hurt, life philosophies and anything in between can be discussed without shame.
Optimistically Depressed (Trailer)
November 20, 2019 21:24 - 32 seconds - 518 KB--- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/optimisticallydepressed/support
Optimistically Depressed LIVE at The Carleton! | Ep. 59
November 15, 2019 18:08 - 28 minutes - 50.2 MBOk everyone, so I did a live show. It was awesome. I don’t know if everyone in the room enjoyed it as much as I did, but I’m going to assume that’s the case. This is the most open I have gotten about my life on the podcast so far. In the past, I have usually glazed over what I share in this episode because I’ve been afraid, but this is a part of my story so it’s time I claim it. I’m slowly working on accepting more of my life and being who I am. Which brings me to the next piece I want to s...
Lee Fraser on How He Gets Sh*t Done | Ep. 58
November 15, 2019 16:53 - 1 hour - 151 MBEver see a person with lots on the go and wonder how their mind works? Look no further! Lee Fraser gives us an inside peak at how he gets sh*t done. Frankly, while it highly motivated me, it also intimidated me to the point of paralyzed awe. This guy just keeps cranking it out. Lee is the founder of Live Life InTents, a unique adventure tourism company aimed at providing a turn-key adventure experience completely tailored to what you want to do - when you want to do it. Have a listen to th...
Kristin Vokes on Cultivating the Witness | Ep. 57
November 01, 2019 01:24 - 1 hour - 120 MBEver feel like you’re on the edge of realizing something or figuring something out but you just don’t have all the pieces yet? Then you have that one conversation that just fits it so nicely together and you walk away with this resonating “aha!” feeling. Everything makes a little more sense. It makes enough sense, anyway, that you can rest easy for a bit and gain the strength needed to make the next push into trying to further sort out how you want to function in the world. Welcome to this ...
Holly Carr on Taking Risks & Resilience | Ep. 56
October 24, 2019 23:56 - 1 hour - 121 MBArtist Holly Carr sat down with Optimistically Depressed to discuss what it really means to put yourself out there and how she developed resilience in the risks she took. Holly has gained national acclaim for her unique style of silk painting. She has participated in numerous group and solo shows and continues to exhibit nationally. She has designed for theatre productions and large scale public installations. Her most ambitious installation to date is a larger than life environment creat...
Kevin Breen on Wrestling and Kidney Disease | Ep. 55
October 17, 2019 23:33 - 59 minutes - 113 MBAny wrestling fans out there? Kevin Breen used to be a wrestler (and will be starting his own wrestling podcast soon) but recently began dealing with the physical effects of kidney disease. Kevin shares his coping techniques and new lifestyle to help him stay away from kidney dialysis longer.
Amanda Marie on Big Changes & Ending Relationships | Ep. 54
October 17, 2019 23:16 - 1 hour - 120 MBEver wonder what it's like to be scared and keep going? Amanda Marie spoke with Optimistically Depressed to discuss developments in her life over the past year including moving to a new province and ending a long-term relationship.
Sarah MacLellan on Life and Mental Health as a Podcaster | Ep. 53
October 11, 2019 20:24 - 1 hour - 190 MBPodcasting is fun. Life is fun. But neither are fun all the time. And neither are easy all the time. And a lot of the time it is not easy to talk about it, so of course, we talked about it because being open about difficult times are what both of our podcasts are about! Sarah MacLellan is the host of InTalksicated Podcast, a weekly uncensored drinking comedy podcast, variety talk show and therapy session showcasing unfiltered conversations with friends and local comedians. The guests choos...
Julya Lynass on What Anxiety and Depression Feels Like | Ep. 52
October 03, 2019 20:02 - 1 hour - 122 MBSo you hear someone has anxiety or depression. What pops into your head? Someone who's down a lot or really tense? Those may be some of the symptoms, but it is way more complex than that. Since each of us are unique individuals, we feel depression and anxiety in unique ways. That's why it's important to talk about what it actually feels like; it can help each of us empathize with what is actually happening and it can help others of us identify similarities in ourselves and maybe discover tha...
Verity Vale on the Misconceptions of Hypnotherapy | Ep. 51
September 26, 2019 22:52 - 1 hour - 125 MBHypnotherapy? I don't believe in hypnotherapy! *bark* *bark* *bark* Just kidding! But seriously, how many of us raise an eyebrow when we hear of someone going to a session of hypnotherapy? We automatically think back to that time in high school when the hypnotist visited and made people cluck when they heard a bell ring. But that actually isn't what hypnotherapy is about, and Verity is going to tell you why. So sit back, relax and watch the pocket watch swing back and forth while we bust so...
Micaela Greener on Experiencing Emotions | Ep. 50
September 20, 2019 01:27 - 1 hour - 136 MBEpisode 50! Micaela joins Optimistically Depressed to talk about some of her darker thoughts and express how it's ok to talk about them and experience your emotions. Listen: Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2Yi8bhw iTunes: https://apple.co/2J3WFhN Connect with Optimistically Depressed Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/optimisticallydepressed Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/optimisticallydepressed Twitter: https://twitter.com/optmlydepressed About Ruth: Ruth McMullen is the creator...
Chelsea Rose in Telling Your Parents You Have Depression | Ep. 49
September 12, 2019 22:45 - 1 hour - 122 MBChelsea Rose joins Optimistically Depressed again to give us an update on how she’s doing and tells us about how it went when she told her parents she’s depressed and pansexual. Listen: Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2Yi8bhw iTunes: https://apple.co/2J3WFhN Connect with Optimistically Depressed Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/optimisticallydepressed Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/optimisticallydepressed Twitter: https://twitter.com/optmlydepressed About Ruth: Ruth McMullen is...
Amy Lai on Healthy Anxiety and Taking Responsibility | Ep. 48
September 07, 2019 00:18 - 57 minutes - 104 MBAmy Lai joins Optimistically Depressed to discuss her encounter with anxiety, the difference between good anxiety and bad anxiety, and taking responsibility for the life you want to have. Listen: Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2Yi8bhw iTunes: https://apple.co/2J3WFhN Connect with Optimistically Depressed Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/optimisticallydepressed Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/optimisticallydepressed Twitter: https://twitter.com/optmlydepressed About Ruth: Ruth M...
Mike Mousseau on the Mental Toll of working as a Correctional Officer | Ep. 47
August 30, 2019 01:42 - 1 hour - 114 MBMike returns to Optimistically Depressed to talk about the mental toll that working in a stressful field takes on you as well as the little known facts of what a correctional officer faces in day to day life on the job. Listen: Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2Yi8bhw iTunes: https://apple.co/2J3WFhN Connect with Optimistically Depressed Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/optimisticallydepressed Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/optimisticallydepressed Twitter: https://twitter.com/...
Harry De Rose On Losing an Estranged Father and Sensory Overload | Ep. 46
August 27, 2019 23:54 - 1 hour - 120 MBHarry joins Optimistically Depressed to discuss his journey with emotions. We peer into his experience with letting them in after a lifetime of shutting them out due to sensory overload and the need to take care of his family. Listen: Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2Yi8bhw iTunes: https://apple.co/2J3WFhN Connect with Optimistically Depressed: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/optimisticallydepressed Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/optimisticallydepressed Twitter: https://twitter...
Kirsten Aitken on the Effects of PTSD from Unhealthy Relationships | Ep. 45
August 23, 2019 22:14 - 1 hour - 125 MBKirsten joins Optimistically Depressed again to discuss her progress over the months since her last episode as well as the link between physical and mental health and the effects of PTSD from unhealthy relationships. Listen: Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2Yi8bhw iTunes: https://apple.co/2J3WFhN Connect with Optimistically Depressed: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/optimisticallydepressed Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/optimisticallydepressed Twitter: https://twitter.com/optml...