Author: State of Mind

Navigating Bipolar Disorder in College

Episode 47: To honor Mental Health Awareness Month, we’re turning our attention to bipolar disorder, a serious mental health condition that causes extreme mood swings. If not treated and managed, bipolar disorder can be dangerous and cause great disruption in a young adult’s life. Guest Allyson Makuch shares her experience of living with and managing bipolar disorder throughout her college and graduate school years. University of California, Santa Cruz Director of Psychiatry, Dr. David Lo also joins us to inform us about bipolar disorder and ways to manage it while in college.
More information and resources here: https://ksqd.org/navigating-bipolar-disorder-in-college/

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Traumatic Brain Injuries and Mental Health

Episode 46: An inside look at traumatic brain injury, or “TBI,” and how these injuries influence mental health. People of all ages get them in a variety of ways—from sports injuries to car accidents to domestic falls and many of these individuals develop mental health symptoms that can last for months or even years. Our guest and author JoAnne Jones talks about recovering from a severe traumatic brain injury that occurred when she was assaulted and robbed. Also with us is rehabilitation and physical medicine specialist Dr. Jennifer Yu who shares information about the mental health symptoms, treatment approaches, and recovery strategies associated with mild to severe traumatic brain injuries.

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Weathering Climate Change

Episode 45: People all over the world are experiencing mental health issues in response to climate change, including trauma, anxiety, and grief. In this episode, we’re joined by Gen Zer Chloe Rosen who talks about growing up with climate change awareness and its impact on their mental health. Also with us is Paula Wild, a Millennial Yoga Therapist and Outdoor Educator who shares some healing practices that can help us individually and in community be better prepared to address the growing global mental health crisis caused by climate change.

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Mental Health Effects of Lyme Disease (Remix)

Episode 44: Psychotherapist Debra Sloss is joined by Judith Ain and Family Medicine Physician Assistant and Integrative Medicine Specialist Dr. Cynthia Quattro to discuss tick-borne Lyme Disease and the mental health effects associated with it. Judith shares her personal story of trying to figure out what was happening as her health deteriorated and how she got diagnosed, sought treatment and learned to live with long-term symptoms. Dr. Quattro offers information about the cause of Lyme Disease and how and where to get accurately diagnosed. She also shares information about integrative treatment approaches.

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Building Resilience: What’s Your Soul Food? – Part 2

Episode 43: Join us this month as we take a deeper dive into the question “What’s Your Soul Food?“ We continue to explore the many ways our listeners take care of their bodies and minds. We’ll learn more about how these self-care practices help us work through traumas and find resilience when facing life’s many challenges. Joining your host Debra Sloss is psychotherapist and trauma specialist Kara Bowman. Together they discuss how self-care supports mental and physical health. Be sure to check out Episode 42, Part 1 in the Building Resilience series to hear more on this topic!

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Building Resilience: What’s Your Soul Food? – Part 1

Episode 42: To honor Mental Health Awareness Month, we ask the question, “What’s Your Soul Food?“ We hear from listeners about the many ways they take care of their bodies and minds in order to support their mental health. Joining your host Debra Sloss is psychotherapist and trauma specialist Kara Bowman to discuss how these self-care choices can build resilience and support mental and physical health. Be sure to join us again next month for Part 2 in this series to hear more!

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Understanding How Co-Dependence Differs from Interdependence

Episode 41: In this episode we’ll explore the complicated and often misunderstood topic of Codependency vs. Interdependency. Joining us for this conversation are Co-Dependents Anonymous (CoDA) member Jill and psychotherapist and recovery specialist Kat Zwick, LMFT. This conversation is not just for those who view themselves as having codependent tendencies, but for anyone who struggles, in any relationships with knowing what is and is not in their control. Join us to talk about how to find greater personal well-being, even in those more challenging relationships.

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Trauma in the Central Nervous System

Episode 40: The majority of adults in the U.S. have experienced some type of traumatic event. Research shows that trauma survivors have a high incidence of physical and mental health illnesses. The good news is that the human nervous system has the capacity to recover. Joining us is yoga teacher Abbey Asher, who describes how she learned to attend to her own mental health and nervous system while caring for her husband through his 4-year illness and eventual death from brain cancer. Psychotherapist and trauma specialist Karen Ouse, LMFT joins us to share her understanding of nervous system physiology and trauma recovery.

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Healing Body and Mind with Yoga Therapy

Episode 39: Yoga Therapy offers personalized yoga practices to improve mental health and help alleviate physical ailments. Yoga Therapy can also help people who can’t move at all, as we will learn from our guest Melaney Seacat whose use of yoga therapy helped her recover from a near-death accident that left her unsure whether she’d walk again. Also with us is integrative mental health practitioner, meditation teacher, and certified yoga therapist Dr. Juko Holiday who will help us understand what Yoga Therapy is, how it works, and who could benefit from it.

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The Power of Forgiveness (Remix)

Episode 38: In this episode, we’re joined by Gitta Ryle, a Holocaust survivor who experienced terrible trauma while fleeing from the Nazis. By the time Gitta reached adulthood, she found herself sick with physical and mental health symptoms. Gitta then learned that forgiving herself and others played an essential role in her journey to wellness. Also with us to discuss the power of forgiveness is mental health researcher, author, and forgiveness expert Frederic Luskin PhD.

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