Breaking the Silence on Mental Health with Karena Dawn

Growing up with a mom struggling with severe mental illness, Karena Dawn learned early what it meant to carry heavy things in silence. That experience shaped so much of her life—including the dark years she rarely talked about. In this episode, she shares her journey from that painful silence to healing, forgiveness, and ultimately, purpose. We talk about how fitness became her lifeline and how she found her voice by telling the truth in her powerful memoir, The Big Silence.

You may know Karena as the co-founder of Tone It Up, a wellness community that’s inspired millions of women—but behind the fitness empire is a woman who's walked through deep grief, trauma, and recovery. She shares what it was like to care for her mom after a stroke, how she’s working to break the stigma around mental illness, and why mental wellness is now at the heart of everything she does—including her work with The Big Silence Foundation and the board of NAMI. She opens up about how trauma can sneak into our health—especially during perimenopause—and the things that actually helped her feel like herself again. You’ll also hear how she’s now using her story to help others speak up and get the support they need. Her honesty is refreshing, and her heart for mental wellness is contagious.

This one will move you, especially if you’ve ever carried pain quietly or felt like healing was out of reach. Karena’s story reminds us that there’s always a way forward—and it doesn’t have to be perfect to be powerful. And before you go, I’ve got a new favorite to share: Mighty Maca Mango just dropped, and it’s the zingy summer pick-me-up I’ve been loving lately. Throw it in sparkling water or popsicle molds… it’s a delicious way to feel good from the inside out—check it out at dranna.com.

 

Key Timestamps:

[00:00:00] Welcome to The Girlfriend Doctor.

[00:02:05] The Big Silence.

[00:03:14] Living with a parent with mental illness.

[00:06:40] Fitness becoming a therapy.

[00:08:59] Micro challenges build self-confidence.

[00:12:42] Mental health and perimenopause.

[00:15:36] Oxytocin and mental health.

[00:21:36] Food is medicine.

[00:24:18] Grieving a lost mother.

[00:28:25] Motherhood's diverse definitions.

[00:32:34] Preventing and healing from mental illness.

[00:35:06] Maiden, Mother, Magi and empowerment.

 

Memorable Quotes:

"I even have changed the story of being a victim of my mom's illness... I said, Mom, don't regret it because I love the woman I've become. And I became that woman because of what you had to go through. " [00:29:47] – Karena Dawn

"I believe our society is getting better at recognizing the different types of mothers... motherhood is such a bigger term now, and I think that's such an important thing to get out there is you can be a mother in so many ways. And to recognize Mother's Day is not a happy day for everyone." [00:39:06] – Karena Dawn

 

Links Mentioned:

Mighty Maca Mango: https://drannacabeca.com/products/mighty-maca

Listen to The Big Silence Podcast: http://www.thebigsilence.com/listen

Buy the memoir, The Big Silence: https://thebigsilence.com/pages/memoir

 

Connect with Karena Dawn:

Website: http://www.karenadawn.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karenadawn/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KarenaDawn/

The Big Silence Foundation: https://thebigsilence.com/

Tone It Up: https://my.toneitup.com/

 

Connect with Dr. Anna Cabeca:

Website: https://drannacabeca.com/pages/show

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thegirlfrienddoctor/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thegirlfrienddoctor

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dranna