Honestly Mental, the podcast

Honestly Mental, the podcast

Lessons on life, leadership, resilience and mental health. Erika Diaz is a wife, mama, and women in leadership. She also has depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder. Erika and guests will tackle several issues surrounding mental health and wellness through honest and vulnerable conversations. We’ll put it all out there on the table, dispelling myths on mental health and vulnerability, both personally and professionally. Together, we will challenge the status quo and begin to embrace who we are and what we need at home and at work. We aim to destimatize mental health by continuing the conversation, raising awareness, providing hope with an ultimate goal of saving lives!

Episodes

Episode #15: Balancing Empathy & Leadership - Engaging in Emotional Conversations

September 30, 2024 • 54 mins

🎧 Episode #15: Balancing Empathy & Leadership: Engaging in Emotional Conversations 🎧


In this episode, host Erika Diaz welcomes back guest Ashley Andersen, who has launched a new company called Ezra Sage Co. Ashley’s business focuses on helping leaders develop skills to foster motivation and retention without compromising well-being.


The conversation builds on a previous episode about emotional literacy in the workplace, ta...

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Episode #14: NPE: Not Parent Expected - Bio Dad & PHP Updates

July 29, 2024 • 40 mins
🎧 Episode #14: NPE: Not Parent Expected - Bio Dad & PHP Updates 🎧 Erika Diaz delves into her experience as an NPE (Not Parent Expected) from a recent direct-to-consumer DNA test. She was initially searching for information on her medical outlook when she discovered the unexpected surprise, turning her world upside-down. Erika shares how she navigated this revelation, which led her to participate in a Partial Hospitalization Pro...
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Episode #13: Turning Someday into Today - No Burnout Required: Self-Care & Support Systems

July 15, 2024 • 61 mins
🎧 Episode #13: Turning Someday into Today - No Burnout Required: Self-Care & Support Systems 🎧 Erika Diaz and Amanda Riffee’s conversation centers around the crucial topics of self-care, burnout identification, and the pivotal role of seeking support. Amanda Riffee shares personal insights into her own experiences with burnout, detailing how she effectively manages it through a network of therapies, coaching sessions, and health...
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Episode #12: Rage to Relief - Recognizing Atypical Depression in Men

July 1, 2024 • 49 mins
🎧 Episode #12: Rage to Relief - Recognizing Atypical Depression in Men 🎧 Erika Diaz and Collin Williams address the critical issue of mental health and suicide prevention. Their conversation underscores the importance of openly discussing mental health to reduce stigma and improve statistics. Erika mentions that suicide is the seventh leading cause of death among men and suggests that this figure may have increased since the dat...
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Episode #11: Sweat & Self-Esteem - Conquering Self-Doubt

June 17, 2024 • 45 mins
🎧 Episode #11: Sweat & Self-Esteem - Conquering Self-Doubt 🎧 Erika Diaz and Christie Heintz take a deep dive into their personal journeys with therapy and the profound impact it has had on their lives. Christie shares her experience with marriage counseling during her divorce process some time ago. She reflects on how therapy provided her with invaluable tools to navigate the complexities of ending a marriage while maintaining ...
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Episode #10: Work Became My Identity - Then It Broke Me

June 3, 2024 • 30 mins
🎧 Episode #10: Work Became My Identity - Then It Broke Me 🎧 Erika recently had the esteemed honor of speaking at the American Staffing Association’s THRIVE Virtual event in May. She delivered a compelling speed talk titled “How Work Became My Identity - Then It Broke Me.” This week’s podcast episode features her speech, allowing everyone to hear her cautionary tale. In this episode, Erika shares her journey of how her identity ...
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Episode #9 - The Impact of Mental Health on Marriage & Family

May 20, 2024 • 53 mins
🎧 Episode #9: The Impact of Mental Health on Marriage & Family 🎧 Erika and her husband, Sergio, host this special episode to offer an honest look into their marriage and how mental health has shaped their lives and family. They delve into how Erika’s suicidal thoughts and ideation have affected Sergio as a husband and father to their two boys, Jude, 11, and Oliver, 3. Erika and Sergio emphasize the importance of having open, a...
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Episode #8: Betting On Yourself?

May 6, 2024 • 59 mins
🎧 Episode #8: Betting On Yourself? 🎧 Therese Gopaul-Robinson and Erika Diaz engage in a profound exploration of personal and professional growth, touching on various themes such as vulnerability, imposter syndrome, self-belief, resilience, and authenticity. Therese shares her insights and experiences from her entrepreneurial journey, offering valuable lessons learned along the way. They explore the significance of vulnerability...
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Episode #7: Challenging the Status Quo - Men’s Mental Health

April 22, 2024 • 48 mins
🎧 Episode# 7: Challenging the Status Quo: Mens Mental Health 🎧 I loved this conversation with Mickey Pelletier! It was rich and diverse, covering various aspects of emotions, resilience, and mental health. We shared personal anecdotes, including experiences of job loss and its emotional impact, highlighting the importance of acknowledging and processing such events. We delved into the complexities of mental health, particularl...
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Episode# 6: Mental Wellness & the Importance of Body Movement

April 8, 2024 • 70 mins
🎧 Episode# 6: Mental Wellness & the Importance of Body Movement 🎧   Tuning into internal cues and being present with oneself is crucial, especially in a world bombarded with external stimuli and societal pressures. Movement, whether it’s dance, yoga, or any form of exercise, can provide an opportunity to reconnect with our internal experiences and listen to what our bodies truly need. It’s about shifting focus from external e...
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Episode 5: Grief is More Than Loss of Life

March 25, 2024 • 60 mins
🎧 Episode# 5: Grief is More Than Loss of Life 🎧 “Grief is like the ocean, it comes in waves ebbing and flowing sometimes the water is calm and sometimes it is overwhelming all we can do is learn to swim.” - Vicki Harrison Erika delves into the theme of navigating grief with her guest, Megan McCann. Megan McCann, a distinguished leader in IT recruitment and technology services, is renowned for her expertise in building and guiding...
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Episode 4: Workplace Emotional Literacy & Pitfalls of Not Letting in Emotions

March 11, 2024 • 63 mins
🎧 Episode# 4: Workplace Emotion Literacy and Pitfalls of Not Letting in Emotions 🎧 Antonio Damasio hits the nail on the head, “We are not thinking machines that feel, we are feeling machines that think.” We are “feeling machines” not just in our personal lives, but at work as well. We can’t just “turn off” our emotions and feelings because we are at work. So how do we best approach it is the workplace? Ashley Andersen, SVP ClearE...
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Episode #3: Thriving Through Postpartum Depression and Generalized Anxiety Disorder

February 26, 2024 • 45 mins
🎧 Episode# 3: Thriving following diagnoses of PPD & GAD  🎧 Introducing Rocki Howard, a bold, beautiful, badass pioneer! “My husband often says if more women were represented in healthcare, we would get more answers to women specific issues.” She’s a DEIB influencer, on Staffing Industry Analysts - Global Power 150 list, and hosts Grown Woman Wednesday. Rocki also has a wonderful tool kit to help her mental health. She will sh...
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Episode #2: Your Past Doesn’t Define You

February 12, 2024 • 35 mins
🎧 Episode# 2: Your Past Does Not Define Who You Are 🎧 Y’all, can we get real?  I’d like to tell you a bit of my story. I’m Erika Diaz, the host of Honestly Mental, the podcast. My goal with this podcast is to have more honest discussions about mental health. Not just mine, but others as well. On the next episode, you’ll hear Rocki Howard’s story. Today, you’ll hear the purpose behind this podcast. Where I am at today, what I stru...
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Episode #1: Flipping the Script,Your Host Interviewed

January 29, 2024 • 68 mins
“Whatever your walk of life is, I think you have to be real about it.”  Honestly Mental, the podcast, matches what Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder says there. Hi, I’m Erika Diaz. Like millions of others, my walk of life includes struggles with mental health. On Honestly Mental, my guests and I are real about it.  My mental health struggles include suicidal ideation, postpartum depression, and an Outpatient Partial Hospitalization Program ...
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