February 6, 2025 • 49 mins
Justine Rodes shares her journey as a mental health advocate and the host of the "Mentally A Badass" podcast, emphasizing the importance of storytelling and community in healing. The conversation navigates through personal experiences, the impact of PodFest, and practical advice for anyone struggling with mental health issues or seeking deeper connections.
• Justine's background and struggles with mental health
• The importance of community and connection in healing
• Launching the "Mentally A Badass" brand with meaningful merchandise
• Impactful guest stories that resonate with listeners
• Addressing imposter syndrome among creative professionals
• Signs of depression and the need for professional help
• Recommendations for movies that explore mental health themes
• Final thoughts on the power of authenticity and vulnerability
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
excuse me, is anybody sitting here?
Speaker 2 (00:07):
sorry, this is taken sorry, welcome to a special
edition of this seat's takenwhere I'm.
Your host, rob miranda got avery bonus episode for you guys
to join me first time on thepodcast.
I made a connection with thisperson down in florida.
You might have heard me talkingabout the story, how we met on
the episode of Fernando, but Igot today, ms Business Owner,
(00:28):
host of Mentally a Badasspodcast, ms Justine Rhodes.
Thank you, ms Justine, forcoming on.
I'm excited to have you on.
Like we met.
You were one of the firstpeoples I met at PodFest and we
it was like not an instantconnection but like it.
It was connection because likeone we both can agree on, that
was a little bit older crowd,right, and what all those
younger people kind of likestuck together yeah, I'm so glad
(00:51):
that you uh noticed me beinglonely.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
You came up to me and you're like, hey, let's be
friends.
So I believe that the universeconnects people for a reason.
I'm so happy that you reachedback out to me, um, and asked me
to be on your podcast.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
I'm so excited for our conversation today and it's
gonna be a good conversation,like well, one like you it's not
like I did it that smoothlycame up to you like hey, let's
be friends now I talked aboutthe story, about on the episode.
Like I immediately went up toyou talking shit about the
teacher.
That's my opening line to you.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
Yeah, I like to make jokes you gave in.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Yeah, gave in right away Like this guy's up my alley
.
But I'm so glad to have you onthe podcast because I am a big
advent for mental health.
I love talking about it openly.
This podcast was born out ofmental health, too.
Like I, really this was born in2022.
That was around the time like Idid did I was personally going
through like a depression alittle bit.
(01:45):
Something I didn't even realizewas happening kind of crept up
on me and once I realized it, Iwas like, oh man, I gotta change
something.
So what I did?
I bought a couple books andthen I bought a listen a bunch
of podcasts about mental healthtoo.
Like I really wanted somethingto throw myself into, like to
take my mind off of other things, and I found this podcast and I
never looked back since.
My mental health since then hasgrown a lot more recently
(02:07):
within this past like a year, Iwould say I've been killing it,
um, but you're a big healthadvocate for mental health too.
You met a couple podcastersthat I saw down.
There were also in the samething too, right?
Speaker 1 (02:18):
I met a couple you mean at podfest at podfest.
Yeah, people who were kind ofin the mental health area too oh
right, yes, I mean, I didinterview um this one person
about pdsd we talked about thatand there were there was a
couple of other people that I'mactually meeting to reach back
out to so we can collaborate.
Can't remember the name off thetop of my head, but yes, there
was a couple that were in thatspace as well how did you feel
(02:41):
about the pod fest experience?
Speaker 2 (02:43):
I was unexpected to go and we made connections.
Like I said, I've kept in touchwith a handful of people from
out there and I I it was awesomeexperience.
How did you?
How was your experience outthere?
Speaker 1 (02:53):
yeah.
So I would say my experience is, I think I expected a little
bit more um.
Unfortunately, I've been tomultiple different conventions,
such as like big con andplaylist live when I used to do
YouTube, and it was a lotdifferent One.
The crowd was definitely verydifferent.
That's one thing I mean.
When I was at PodFest, I didn'texpect a younger crowd because
(03:16):
just just for like podcasts Ilisten to and people that I
interviewed is definitely anolder crowd.
But and I was excited, you know, for the panels and there were
some panels that I did learn alot, that I wrote, that, I wrote
in my notes and they'reactionable and I'm going to work
on that but then there weresome that I was sitting in and I
was like I knew all this and itkind of made me like want to,
you know, intervene and be likewait.
(03:37):
I have this little tip too, butthat's not my place.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
Well, I mean this.
Well, I mean this podcastconvention was kind of meant for
beginners, I would say a littlebit because, like you said, it
was kind of stuff.
We've been in the game for alittle bit long and you know
anybody can be a speaker.
You met my friend Fernandothere.
Like he he would like to be aspeaker the next year.
I could at least see you upthere speaking like even it's
about like mental health ingeneral too.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
Like they have panels about everything.
Yeah, I'm looking into doing it.
I gotta, I guess, check back onthe website, but I feel like if
I do go back, it probably wouldbe for that instead of like
education wise, at least youknow, really to get that.
I paid like almost 300 to go topodfest but um, I mean, like,
like you were saying, itdefinitely is great for
beginners.
I guess for me, I kind of guessI thought I was in that world
(04:26):
of beginners because I didn't.
When I became a podcaster Ikind of just jumped into it.
I didn't really go for like anyeducation or anything like that
.
I kind of learn as I go.
So but you know, that makessense.
I just didn't know that before.
But it's actually good that wetalked about this here, just in
case there's podcasters lookingto go to podfest I definitely
recommend it and, like you said,I wouldn't say exactly, I just
(04:47):
dove right into it.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
No one really.
I had someone like my friendfernando, like teach me a little
bit.
But I learned a lot of my ownby youtube and what that podcast
really did for me the most Iwould say is ensure me that I'm
I.
I always felt like I had a legbehind everybody doing
podcasting, but this really justensured me that I'm on the
right track.
You know like I'm doingeverything right.
(05:09):
Um, I went through the Londoncut corners and you know it's
kind of hard to cut corners, butit it.
It just reassured me that, okay, this podcast is what I want it
to be and I'm happy with it.
So it was great, you know, formy mind, for the mental health,
for learning a lot.
We learned more Well, I learnedmore well, I learned more
(05:29):
mostly just connecting with you,like you gave me great advice
about how to find better guests,what kind of software to use.
Um, it was definitelybeneficial.
Now, before we get into theactual your podcast, I do want
to talk to you about your otherbusiness, because you do have
like a clothing brand, stickerbrand going on too.
Can you tell me how thatstarted for you?
Speaker 1 (05:39):
yeah.
So the clothing brand is anextension of the full mentally a
badass brand overall.
So I've always wanted to dosomething in relation to like a
clothing line and fashion.
I've always been like low-keyinto that, but I didn't really
know how to do that or if itmade any sense.
So with mentally a badass Ihave a partner.
Her name is Ariel and she's anartist and on our mentally a
(06:01):
badass account she would drawlike certain what's not anime,
like God.
I can't even think she would doa lot of like certain graphics
and pictures and cartoons thatpeople would really like.
Why don't we put that in likeshirts and stickers?
Because with the clothing line,it's just another.
(06:27):
It's another vehicle formentally about us, to for our to
deliver our mission.
So our mission is to encouragevulnerability and the.
The content that is on theshirts are some things that
people may not go around tellingpeople.
So like okay, one that'sactually very popular that
(06:48):
everybody thinks is it says I'mnot lazy, I'm just surviving.
So there's always thismisconception that people who
are depressed are lazy, which islike that word lazy is super
toxic and for anyone who'sdealing with depression, like
getting out of bed is like oneof the hardest things, like
brushing teeth, and when, if youhave moments where you feel
like, oh wait, I didn't, like Inormally brush my teeth morning
(07:10):
or night and I'm only doing inthe morning, and then if you
realize, oh wait, I haven'tshowered in like two or more
days, you think to your headlike, ok, if I'm stopped doing
those basic things, then mydepression is kicking in,
because some people may not evenrealize they have depression
and some people like depressionshows differently in, like
everybody, so so, yeah, sothat's one of the things that's
(07:31):
actually really popular and Ifeel like a lot of people can
relate to.
We also have one that says I'm abig ball of anxiety.
I mean, I, everybody, I feellike struggles with anxiety.
It's just, you know, so yeah,so just a couple of things like
that.
And also one says like I may besmiling but I'm dead inside, so
these are just words, whereit's like that's a good one.
(07:53):
Kind of funny, but like it has,it has meaning behind it.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
Right.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
Yeah, exactly so yeah .
And then when it says one of itsays like nothing scares me
more than my brain.
That was kind of more for likeour Halloween edition.
And so we're thinking of like,okay, halloween is spooky, how
can we put mental health intothis?
And I'm just like thinking I'mlike the monsters are inside us,
mental health wise.
So that's like a thought thatwe had, and then we had that
(08:18):
said, this plan is not good formy mental health and it was like
an alien.
So so yeah, and we put them onstickers and the stickers are
actually we sell them inClaremont, new Jersey, in a in a
soda shop.
So we have them there and alsoa lot on our website.
But but yeah, I mean now we'reworking on to get the stickers
in more places in the Orlandoarea to spread our our message.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
That is amazing.
I like that and I'm definitely.
I checked out a couple of yourstickers they are pretty cool,
and your t-shirts really.
I mean I'll post a link in thedescription of this video, uh,
where you can find that.
And that's crazy, that causeyou're based in Orlando right
now but you know like you havestuff in out of States.
You know stickers and stufflike that.
That's amazing.
I'm proud of that.
Um, I want to go into yourhistory a little bit about the
(09:02):
subject of mental health.
I mean, obviously you're veryknowledgeable and you give great
advice on your podcast.
You talk to people, learn theirstories.
But what is this your passion?
Did you always want to be likeuh, some like oh, it's like a
therapist almost or are you justlike no, learning about the
human mind?
Speaker 1 (09:17):
Yes, a good question.
So the interest started when Iwas 17 years old.
I took a psychology class and Ifound it very intriguing and
fascinating about learning abouthuman behavior.
Growing up, I've struggled a lotwith mental health ever since I
was a child due to likebullying and family history and
just childhood trauma overall,and it was.
(09:38):
I was pretty bad in high school, like I used to do things that
like okay, trigger warning, likeself-harming and such, and I
was diagnosed with bipolar two.
So when I was diagnosed I felta sense of relief just because
my whole time I was growing up Ithought something was like
wrong with my brain and so whenI had that diagnosis I was like,
okay, I can work with this andso.
(10:00):
So basically, background wise,I have my own issues like
personal background, and soafter a senior year I was like,
okay, I need to, I'm going tocollege, like when I'm going to
study, and I was like, oh, letme go into psychology, I could
become a therapist.
But then at that time I wasstill like struggling and I was
like, okay, I don't think I'llbe that good of a therapist just
(10:23):
because I feel like I'll end upcrying with people.
So obviously, you can't do that,yeah, exactly Like obviously
you can't like cry with yourpatient and such.
So I was like, okay, I'm stillthinking about it.
And then, junior year ofcollege, I actually was accepted
into the Disney college program.
Let's complete like did notexpect that.
(10:44):
I literally just applied forlike whatever.
You know what.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
I mean.
Speaker 1 (10:49):
So, you know, I was like, okay, well, I'm not going
to turn down an opportunity towork at Disney world and move to
Florida, because I'm originallyfrom New Jersey and I've always
wanted to live in Florida.
I wasn't the biggest fan of NewJersey and so I was like this
is my opportunity to like leaveand to start, pretty much start
a new life, reinvent myself.
(11:09):
So I took it and I fell in loveworking for the company.
I liked their culture, likethey were really good for my
mental health, just because, youknow, constantly surrounded by
like kindness and people who arejust I don't know like sweet.
So, overall, like the collegeprogram pretty much brought me
into that.
And then so, um, okay, yeah.
So then I was like, okay, howcan I like use my degree Right?
(11:31):
And at first I was like, oh,maybe I can do like HR Right.
And so I did a couple ofinternships my senior year and
realized it wasn't for me.
I hated it, I was miserable.
So I literally came moving toFlorida in 2017, still not
knowing what I want to do withmy life.
I was working for Disney, but Iwas working like in the parks,
like those aren't positionswhere it's like your career like
(11:53):
long term.
I was literally just likeworking there just for paying
bills and just like being a castmember.
And then I was doing I had aYouTube channel.
I started that in 2016.
And I was doing like comedy,had a YouTube channel.
I started that in 2016 and Iwas doing like comedy, sketches
and lifestyle.
And the reason I started thatis because I was watching other
YouTubers do that and I'm likethey were so funny and they
always made me laugh and I waslike I'm funny, I can do that.
(12:15):
I was like, well, why not?
So it gave me the confidence tostart a YouTube channel.
And then so that's where I kindof I get some background and
ready like content creationthere, right, and then, um, over
time, you know it's fun doingthe comedy and the lifestyle,
but I wanted to be more nicheddown and and use my platform for
(12:35):
something that's reallyimportant and I'm like, okay,
mental health is very importantto me.
So then I was, you know,creating mental health content.
It didn't do as well, like whenit came to views, like my views
kind of like went down a lotsince I switched.
But I was like, okay, maybe myaudience isn't here, but then
podcasting started to get morepopular and I was like, oh,
(12:55):
maybe I can switch to podcasting, so maybe people would like
listen to me in the car, listento me, I don't know cooking.
And I'm like, okay, like thatmakes sense.
So I started the podcastmentally a badass, in 2021.
And I was thinking in my headI'm like, okay, like I didn't go
the traditional route of youknow mental health, career and
(13:16):
stuff, but at the end of the day, I'm in the mental health world
helping people.
I would course, I would nevercall myself like uh, um, I would
never accept those credentialsand I would never tell I would
always tell people to always goto see a professional for like,
like I would never claim thatI'm in the position to be like
(13:37):
treating people or anything likethat.
So I'm just gonna put that onthere and I always say that.
But, based off of likeconversations and me learning
from experts, it's, it's superpowerful, um for people to
listen to podcasts.
Speaker 2 (13:49):
So well, on top of that, I would say like, yeah,
you're not a professional, butyou're getting the conversation
started and that's what you know, what some people just need.
Like yeah, you mentioned likelistening to cars, like I listen
a couple mental health in thecar, like because I cannot sit
in silence, you know, like mymind just all too much, but, um,
just getting the conversationstarted, this half the battle
right there.
Then, once you give advice, andthen this is the biggest thing
(14:10):
for me that I realized, like,like almost a moment of
realization, like, once youstart talking about that or
learning the conversation, it'salmost a sense of relief, like I
, I, you know, other people feellike this too.
You know like it's not just me,like I, I'm not alone in the
world and because of that, youknow people, other people feel
like this too.
You know like it's not just me,like I'm not alone in the world
, and because of that, you know,people can get together and
share advice.
You know like, oh, I go walks onthis.
(14:30):
You know it's just conversation.
That's exactly what yourpodcast is about.
You know you're gettingpeople's stories and how they
get through it.
Granted, it's not all about andI'm, you know I'm glad you do.
You know people like you who dothis podcast.
It's, it's amazing work.
Like I said, no one's claimingto be professionals.
All we're doing is have an openconversation and that's what
(14:51):
people, all people, need reallyto get it going yeah, absolutely
.
Speaker 1 (14:55):
I just say that for legal purposes yeah, yeah, um.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
Now, obviously depression is a big part of my
background.
A little bit um.
But what other topics have youtouched on your podcast so
people can get keep an eye outfor?
Speaker 1 (15:07):
Oh, so many.
I feel like I've talked aboutPTSD.
I've seen PTSD.
I actually interviewed atherapist for that one.
Childhood trauma is a big oneRape, drugs, addiction, like I
can, like grief.
I've honestly have hit so manydifferent topics.
(15:28):
Super grateful for that.
I'm trying to, I'm trying toget more topics with a nervous
system regulation, cause that'sreally like on the rise right
now.
Um, cause we're all puttingeveryone's like in fight or
flight with just the world.
But honestly, like I feel likethere's an episode for for
everybody.
I'm going to see if I can startlike categorizing everything,
but but yeah, I mean the main,the main thing that for mentally
(15:51):
bad is every person that doescome on, they're required to
have a story.
So whatever you're listening to, they've experienced it
themselves, so it makes them youknow they're more relatable and
more credible.
So any advice that they giveyou, it comes from one, their
expertise and also just theirpersonal experience.
Speaker 2 (16:07):
That is incredible.
I mean, it is a lot for you tohear all those stories and, like
, like you said, like I, thereason we're not therapists.
I get too emotionally attached.
I'll be bawling my eyes out,but what is something that
inspires you to keep going, tokeep the conversations going?
You know what is something thatdrives you to do this?
Speaker 1 (16:26):
You know, that's a really good question, because I
actually did interview somebodythat it was really hard because
her story was so, so tragic andI literally almost cried and I
almost like I felt like reallyuncomfortable because of how
dark the story was and I had amoment where I'm just like we're
like nine minutes in and I'mjust like, oh my god, I still
(16:48):
have another 50 minutes and I'malready about to cry.
But you know, I have to likekeep it together.
You know, as a podcast host, Imean this person took their time
to come on and get tell herstory.
She had a lot, she was anamazing guest and and so,
besides that time, I feel like Ido pretty well, especially
lately since I've been doing ita lot more often.
(17:08):
Um, just like I I think, if Ithink, if anything, it depends
what the topic is like, becausesome of them are more like light
heart and some are just like sodark where, like this one lady
I was speaking to, I had to toput like a million.
I obviously made sure I hadtrigger warning on it but then I
also put trigger warnings onsocial media, just in case.
(17:30):
So, like I, I put like could Ishare a piece from the episode
to Instagram?
But I make sure there's certainwords that weren't in there
because, just in case I had toput a lot of lighthearted
teasers in there, I couldn't putlike the part, like the biggest
part in it, because people whoare scrolling they can get
triggered, you know.
But but yeah, so that was hardfor me and I was like man, how
(17:52):
is this so hard?
Like I am a pro at having theseconversations, like I thought
that nothing can make meuncomfortable, that we can talk
about the darkest thing.
But this one was super, superdifficult.
But what I did is you've got topush through.
You know, at the end of the day, this is for people who are
listening and I kind of have tojust put my emotions to the side
(18:13):
for that time frame that I'mtalking for 60 minutes and just
think about my audience and howimportant this topic is.
So, yeah, that's great.
Speaker 2 (18:24):
That's some powerful stuff.
That's that's amazing.
Um, I don't know what.
I don't know.
I'm not really about one forplugging other people's podcasts
that aren't guests, but um,there's this one that's very
popular called um, something waswrong.
I don't know if you ever heardof that one.
It's a.
It's a pretty popular one.
It's what I like most about it.
You know, you hear these storiesa lot of people like like crime
(18:44):
stuff.
People are reading stories,stuff like that.
It's more like the victimthemselves telling the story.
They're coming back and you cansee they get emotional, like
some of those are domestic abuse.
Oh, actually, most of them aredomestic abuse and stuff like
that how they got away, or somekind of trauma.
I mean it is triggering, likeyou said.
But just because it's trickydoesn't mean it's worth having a
conversation about it and it'slike, yeah, if you don't want it
(19:04):
, don't listen to it.
But there's something who mightbe going through the same thing
that can make it relatable.
And just hearing somebody'sstory, you might reach out to
one of your guests like, hey,I'm actually going through
something similar.
What advice would you have forthat coming up?
I'm going to tell you one of mypersonal heroes.
Part of the reason I'm stillhere is my sister.
(19:25):
She has every reason to bedepressed all the time.
She works as a suicide hotlineoperator, so she's hearing
stories all the time.
People want it ended.
So she's incredible for doing.
She's been doing it for likehalf a year or so.
She does tell us some storiesabout some of the cause, but I
know there's a lot of stories.
She doesn't tell us somestories about the.
You know the some of the calls,but I know there's a lot of
(19:46):
stories she doesn't tell us.
And I for her to not carry thatweight on her shoulders the
entire time.
She is a two year old todistract her, I should say.
But it's, it's incredible tosomething who is at mental
stability that they can keep ongoing, not letting that affect
them.
People like you know you youdidn't mention, like you have
one that, but like out of like500 conversations you might've
had, but, um, she is incredible,she is my hero and I'm so proud
(20:09):
of her for doing it.
She's still going to school,she's still learning about
psychology, she's keep going,keeping that going for people
just to have someone to listento, you know, and then, um, you
know, we can talk about thesubject.
It might be.
This might be a little bittriggering about.
It's a tough conversationbecause you know, like you want
(20:33):
to say, like that's a selfishthing to do, um, but people
don't realize.
Like, to get to that point you,you really got to think low of
yourself.
You got to think like thisworld will be better off without
me.
That's never true, you know,but that's what these people are
mindset and it's hard for likepeople to like shame it almost
like why would you do that tosomebody?
You know it's, and I thinkthat's where she comes in and
(20:57):
she does a great job abouthelping them make them feel a
little bit better.
She's had people who calledback just to like leave a review
.
You know like she saved my life.
She's incredible she's.
She accidentally met one of hervictims not victims her callers
she did a um, um, I think it waslike a suicide awareness walk
(21:17):
or something like that, andpeople who called in went there
to like support the cause.
And she was.
She overheard somebody.
She overheard somebody.
Somebody talked to her aboutlike this is this woman who
really helped me.
So she got to get that feedbackfirsthand.
Like did she save someone life?
You know, and with that job itsucks because you know, not all
of them are going to be saved,but she does incredible.
(21:39):
I'm so proud of her.
She's great.
She would be a good guest onyour podcast to listen to about
that, yeah, and I'm sure youhear about that too.
Like people's depression, howclose they get to that point in
their lives and there are somegreat motivational speakers
about that too.
Like they flip it around, theyhave a new look on life.
They're, they're engaging.
We met I don't know if youremember right Well, while I
(21:59):
green there, like we met at thepod fest the guy we played ping
pong with.
Speaker 1 (22:04):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (22:04):
He had a great story that he turned around in that,
but he'd become a pro athlete umso what do you think people
will get out of your podcastlistening to it?
Speaker 1 (22:16):
yeah, so it really depends, of course, what they're
going through and like whatthey're choosing to listen to.
So let's go back to the episodethat I.
That was like really difficultfor me to record.
Um, before I talk about it, Ijust make sure it's okay with
you okay, um so basically thiswoman.
(22:39):
She was raped by her unclemultiple times.
The first time she was rapedshe was four years old, so she
talked in detail about that.
So that's really hard justthinking about a grown man
raping a four-year-old rightlike it's tragedy, right?
so she actually this uncle,never got like locked up and she
(23:01):
talks about how people, likeher family didn't basically was
telling her to like hush, hushor like didn't believe it and
such.
So I feel like that story is soimportant because there's a,
there's a lot of, I'm sure a lotof women or or even guys I'm
not gonna like obviously guyscan get you know assaulted too
so I like to bring them up toothat are staying silent.
(23:23):
So I feel bad, just like learn.
I mean I'm trying to go backwith the episode.
I mean, obviously it can sounda little discouraging if she did
try to get him locked up and hedidn't, but he almost did and
then he died.
But I think the-.
Speaker 2 (23:40):
What a twist of events.
Speaker 1 (23:43):
Yeah, in my head I was like, man, you're really
brave and coming on here If he'slike out on, like out and about
, you know.
but yeah, he died, but the pointactually the point of her story
was more focused on healing herchildhood trauma so I was
talking about the effect it hadon her and how she was always in
fight or flight and how, likeshe told me, because what she
(24:04):
actually did to heal from hertrauma was psychedelics, which
is another topic that can becontroversial or people don't
have much understanding of it,which is fine, because when
people hear psychedelics theythink it's like lsd and they're
partying, whatever, but thereare like medical treatments for
psychedelics.
So she did that and shebasically she talked about the
(24:27):
experience from start to finishand it was just so mind-blowing
to me and in my head I'm justlike, should I do this?
Like so, basically, after uh,she did that, she said that she
was able to go out when it waslike dark, out and get gas and
get pizza and not feel panicky.
(24:47):
Okay, that's great for the firsttime in her life and then she
was actually like when her andher, uh husband would make love,
actually feel like it, like shefelt close because, with all
that trauma like that disruptsyour, your sex life, that
disrupts your like feeling ofbeing safe, and so all of all of
those parts like was a hugelike change.
(25:12):
And and when she talks about hertrauma, too, it's she doesn't
cry during it, which is alsomeans that you've done the work
there.
Um, the only time that she didcry a little bit was when after
her psychedelic experience,because she felt so relieved and
how much it changed her life.
So, if anything, I feel likeshe's a great example because
(25:33):
someone can be going throughthat or just any very severe
childhood trauma, and it's likeshe talked so much detail about
psychedelics and it can helpbreak that like stigma of like
what it is and, who knows, maybesomeone can listen to it and be
like maybe this is analternative for me and can save
a life.
So, uh, I I bring people fromall different backgrounds and I
(25:53):
actually will like to bring upsomething later that I
discovered that helps with mymental health a lot, and you
know what it is if you'rewatching my instagram story is
it making tiktoks?
Speaker 2 (26:05):
no, oh okay wow, you watch my stories, but you don't
watch my stories yeah, yeah,yeah, uh, but I like it like
you're, you're very engagingwith you, like like asking
questions and stuff like thattoo.
That um make it fun.
Um, let's talk about likesomething else more specific to
podcasters.
Like it was, this is a bigtopic I heard down there in
(26:26):
podfest but, um, it's somethingcalled imposter syndrome that
some podcasters feel it.
Um, I'm not 100 sure on thesubject, so I'm gonna let you
explain what that could mean tosome people yeah, so imposter
syndrome just pretty much thinksthat you're a fraud.
Speaker 1 (26:42):
So growing up we didn't have, I mean there's,
there was podcasting, but it waslike radio, like tapes and
stuff, like it wasn't like howwe have platforms today and we
didn't really know about it.
So we knew the radio.
We knew the radio.
We knew that people on likeJimmy Fallon, like all these big
celebrities, and it's like andyou think of Spotify and Apple
(27:04):
as like these big giants andwe're so used to thinking like,
okay, if you're on Spotify andApple, like you're legit, right.
And so when I at least for me,when I figured out that I'm like
, oh wait, I can make a podcastas a nobody and I can be on
these platforms, I was likethat's really cool.
So I think, with us growing uplike just anybody, with this
(27:24):
whole idea that you have to be asomebody to put media on, the
internet for people to see, oreven like getting paid by huge
corporations.
It's like it's.
It's different in like ourhuman experience.
It's not like how it was whenwe grew up.
Um, so it's so much easier tobecome somebody because of the
(27:46):
internet.
So because of that experienceand because we're doing what
we're doing, we may feel like afraud, like wait, I'm a nobody,
like if, and it's like I'm justgonna do this wrong or I'm just
a fraud and I, I can't do this.
And it's like it's also withbeing a business owner, like I
can go into that.
Like for me, I became abusiness owner and I had like a
(28:09):
bit the biggest imp syndrome,like I can go all like all day,
like even being a social mediamanager.
I'm like, oh wow, I'm actuallymanaging company social media.
Like am I?
I feel like an imposter if Ican like do this.
And it's pretty much, at theend of the day, it's about
believing in yourself and I feellike we lack that a lot in
(28:30):
society and it's sometimes likewe have a hard time believing in
ourselves and it's like havinglimited beliefs.
But you know, the more that youdo things like for me, with
this podcast, I'm way pastimposter syndrome.
It's OK, I you know, like Ithink, but I guess, like the
best thing I can say is justthat you kind of have to keep
(28:51):
doing it and then, just like themore repetitive that you are
with it, eventually you breakfree of that.
But I'll say that it'scompletely normal, based off
everything I just told you about, like the radio and such like,
feeling like you're an imposter,it's like you're not alone,
like you know it's.
It's a different world, it's adifferent world and the human
(29:11):
brain is like what's going on,you know.
So we of course like putnegativity on us and and let me
go to step back a little bit,cause I can talk about like
negativity, like default tonegative, and how our brain
actually operates.
Our brain is supposed toprotect us.
You know what I mean.
Like if a bear is coming out,it's like our brain is literally
(29:32):
wired for that.
So if it does anything that'slike like, like different, or
like you're stepping out of yourcomfort zone, it does.
It says like oh, you're notgood enough, you're imposter
syndrome, because it takes youaway from that ain't pretty much
(29:55):
you're like bullying you, butit's also protecting you.
So that's like the hardestthing is like, at the end of the
day, imposterism is connectedto comfort leaving your comfort
zone so it's all interconnected.
I hope everything I just saidmade sense no, no, no, it's
great.
Speaker 2 (30:04):
It's great, yeah, I mean, when you describe it like
that, you know I do like youknow, everyone wants to know why
I do this podcast.
I've been doing this for likeover three years now, like, um,
you know, you do feel like thepodcast is like why am I doing
this?
Like if you met me in highschool, justine, like we would
have never met because, like, Idid not talk at all, I was the
shyest guy you ever met in mylife really you didn't get that
like at podfest right, like thispodcast has really.
(30:26):
I mean, this podcast has reallyopened me up a lot and um, and
sometimes, like, I think aboutmy high school self and I'm like
, where am I now?
It's like, who is this person?
You know, like I don't think Ishould be where I'm at right now
.
So I definitely understand whatyou're talking about that.
But part of the reason whathelped me, like you know, last
year I started going to therapy.
That really started changing mylife.
You know, I have a greattherapist.
She's very cool To the pointnow where I go there and I'm
(30:51):
telling like, like, for example,when I went back, I I from pod
fest you know I was talkingabout my great trip and stuff
like that she looks at me like,are you even having any more of
these dark thoughts?
I was like, oh, like I guess I'mnot.
You know she's like, why areyou here?
But uh, I, I like going more asan outlet.
Like you know, like if peoplethink you have to go to therapy
because of trauma or because ofdepression, something like that,
(31:13):
that you know, like it is goodto go for those things, but you
don't have to just go for that.
I like to go to have somebodytalk to you and she definitely
makes me feel heard becauseshe'll remember details like
about my friend's name that Itold her about like three weeks
ago or something like that.
Like, I praise her for that andI do suggest, like everyone,
just give it a try A to try.
(31:34):
A lot of people don't even wantto give that try one because,
like they feel like they canmanage their own emotions.
They can feel like they couldbeat it on their own, which some
people can.
You know.
I'm happy for those who theycan.
You know they throw themselvesinto the gym or something like
that.
They find it outlet.
Or two, like it's hard for themto financially afford it.
Um, especially here in the us,you know we I'm blessed where my
insurance covers the wholething, you know, but there are
(31:55):
people who are out there whohave to pay it up high and there
are systems out there too thatwould help pay something like
that, and people areunderstanding too.
But I wouldn't suggest that andthis is like not mean, it's not
mean at all but like I wouldn'ttell my best friends like my
emotions, like stuff like that,not because I don't want them to
know how I'm feeling is because, like they're, it's it's hard
(32:16):
for them your close friends totell you the truth and, like you
know, give you good advicebecause they're not
professionals, if you know whatI mean.
If that makes any sense.
Yeah, I'm not saying likebottle up all your emotions,
don't tell them anything.
But you know, like, don'texpect, like for relying on your
friends to solve all yourproblems for you oh yeah,
absolutely.
Speaker 1 (32:35):
I mean your friends aren't therapists and it also
really depends like yourrelationship.
Like I have.
I have like a lot of friendsand I wouldn't go to all of them
for advice.
I have like only a selectamount of people that I feel
comfortable with, like goingwith like my actual like deep,
dark secrets and struggles, andliterally I think that's
(32:57):
probably maybe like three orfour people in my life, in my
inner circle.
So it's just about like feelingcomfortable, but like I know
you think too is, um, whenyou're saying like your friends
are therapists, I mean it isdefinitely something good to
think of, because just beingmindful of the other person and
also, I think, just having anopen conversation, and I feel
(33:19):
like if they're like yourfriends, they are more likely to
feel comfortable of beingtransparent.
Yeah, so I know it's, I knowit's very complex, I know.
I can't speak for everyone, um,but I mean everyone's life's
different, like that's you justshared your experience and like
mine's different.
I'm sure whoever's listeningprobably has like different,
(33:39):
like groups of people andfriends.
But I'll just say, just likethe principle of it is, just
whoever you feel comfortable,you will learn that as you go,
like when you build thatfriendship.
Speaker 2 (33:50):
Now for advice.
What are some signs?
Because not even like myself,like I had a moment of
realization I was hittingthrough depression.
What would you say are?
Speaker 1 (34:05):
some signs that you are hitting depression that
people might look forward and ifthey do see it, they could try
to reach out for help.
No-transcript.
(34:31):
The biggest thing and this islike more like it's clinical
depression is like feeling aheavy weight on your, in your
brain, like that heavy weight.
But, um, another thing too islike depression.
There's all like differenttypes of depression as well.
Right, yes, there's likedepression, like clinical
depression, which is morescience, like medical,
scientific, and then there'slike, uh, situational depression
(34:55):
.
So, um, I would say like, ifyou feel those signs and you
stop taking care of yourself andyou're more angry, like that's
concerning and that's where youhave to think like, okay, maybe
I need to talk to somebody.
But another thing too is and Iactually put in a real one time
for mentally a badass.
It's like if you have thoughtsof wanting to drive your car off
(35:17):
a bridge, you're depressed.
Speaker 2 (35:20):
Yeah, that's, that was okay.
I was.
I don't.
I don't think I've shared thison the podcast before, but that
was one of my waking up signs,like you know.
Like you, that was one of mywaking up signs, like you know,
like you mentioned, oh yeah,that's when it gets really bad.
It's heavier, like you know.
I felt like I was walkingaround with like a wet blanket
on me the entire time and then Iremember driving home one day
like I just felt numb, like socompletely numb.
Like I didn't feel any emotions, like I just almost like I wish
(35:41):
I got punched in the face.
So I felt something.
Oh shit, I don't think I shouldbe thinking that.
Speaker 1 (35:47):
It happened to me too , actually, yeah.
Speaker 2 (35:49):
And then also, if you're friends with somebody,
like you notice their hygiene,they're sleeping more like don't
be afraid, Like hey, you stink.
Like you need to know.
Speaker 1 (35:58):
Well, another thing, too, is that this friend, is
their behavior changing, as inlike responding to text messages
, for example, like if you're soused to this person being so
like on top of things andresponding, and all of a sudden
they're like being like notresponding as much, you should
be like, hey, like are you doing?
Okay, you know?
So I think that's veryimportant.
Speaker 2 (36:16):
Okay, the last piece of advice you can give somebody.
What advice would you havesomebody who is looking for,
like for professional help, likewould you recommend, like,
doing a little bit of researchon your own first, or you make
him going straight into therapyor, you know, maybe exercising a
little bit?
Speaker 1 (36:32):
yeah, I mean, the first thing ever in like your
journey of like healing and suchis to first realize you have a
problem, like you need to workon yourself.
Um, second, you know there's somany different things you can
do.
There's therapy, there's meds,there's lifestyle choices,
there's like holistic things aswell.
(36:53):
So it's really up to the person.
I feel like people are morelikely go to lifestyles, so like
doing like the gym or, like youknow, eating healthy, and even
though that is really good foryour mental health, for people
who struggle with clinicaldepression, it's not good enough
it's it's, it's not, and youknow people there's.
(37:14):
there's a lot of conversationbetween like oh, is depression
really genetic?
And blah, blah, blah, and it'slike it definitely influences,
like it's you're definitely morelikely to but cause like okay,
I'm talking from experience here.
My like, my whole, like mom'sside has like depression, like
that whole line, and sonaturally I have it and I do a
(37:36):
lot of like working out and yes,I feel great at the time.
It's a great like naturalantidepressant.
But when I'm like laying atlike in bed and all of a sudden
I'm getting stuff like should Idie today, like you know what I
mean.
Speaker 2 (37:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (37:50):
You know.
So I just feel like I it's verycomplex and to mix and I'm
going to tell you exactly likewhat I do treatment wise.
So I mentioned before that Ihave bipolar two, and bipolar
two is, um, can be verydangerous.
Like my depression gets to thepoint where I will like commit
suicide and mania can prettymuch self-sabotage my life and
(38:14):
destroy relationships, and andthat's because I have like an
imbalance of like my moodregulation and such.
So I'm on medication.
I have, I'm on two pills I'm onone for antidepressants and
then I want for my mania, andthey work great together and so
I do that just to that's.
The main thing for medication isthat it keeps me from dropping
(38:34):
off a bridge.
I know how crazy that soundsand bear with me with my
personality.
I use humor as a copingmechanism when I talk about
these things.
But that's what I, that's how Ithink about it.
Like my psychiatrist be like oh, so, how are you doing?
Like what's your mess?
I'm like great, I don't want todie.
She's like okay, good, thatmeans they're working.
So.
So I would say medication canbe a lifesaver If you are in
(38:58):
danger.
You know what I mean Like yourbrain is telling you to die,
your brain is telling you tojump off the balcony, like the
it's because, like the wholeneurotransmitters, like it's so,
so low where these dots arelike coming to your head and you
just feel like you're dead.
So I use medication as like away to keep me afloat while I
work on myself, right?
(39:19):
So then after that keeps meafloat, then you know a
childhood trauma.
I mean, honestly, what helps mea lot is the guests that I
speak to.
I feel like I learned so much,you know, with them, I think, go
to therapy.
I was in and out of therapy alot since I was 15, but, like,
my most recent therapist waslike she was okay, but she was
very surface level, and soanother thing with therapy is
(39:42):
that you have to find, like, theright one.
You know, one thing I want tomention is that when you start
seeing a therapist and they'renot really understanding, you
move on to the next one Becauseand they say, like therapy is
like dating you have to find theright one, and I've had this at
multiple therapists andmajority of them weren't like my
vibe, like I like to get reallydeep into you know, like why I
(40:04):
behave the way I behave, likewhy does this keep, you know,
coming from my subconscious andruining my life.
Like I'm very big on that and alot of these therapists they
are like no, we've got to focuson.
Like just focus right now andjust meditate on this.
I'm like, okay, it's importantto focus on your present, but
when I'm in these sessions withyou, I want to focus on the past
(40:24):
, to work on my, on my, on mypresent, right.
But so, anyways, I I stoppedwith that recent therapist.
But I think, just for advice onthe on the therapy part is like
, don't get discouraged if thefirst, one, second, one, third
one or whatever is not workingwith you.
Like it's just, every therapisthas their own way of helping
(40:45):
their you know their patients,so don't let that discourage you
.
Their own way of helping their.
You know their patients, sodon't let that discourage you.
Next thing is just also justlike lifestyle.
You know, like I mean it can behard for some people,
especially if they work like alike a job where it makes it
hard if they're like a parent,they have to take care of kids,
like it's definitely can bechallenging.
It's just trying like littlethings you know, here and there
for like self care and to helpyourself and then just being
(41:08):
more mindful of like food.
I mean it's been proven that ifyou eat like fast food, like
McDonald's, like you're morelikely to be depressed and
that's 100% time.
That's proof.
So I would say like first thingwhen it comes to like health is
staying away from fast food.
Of course, it's okay here andthere, like I mean I've had
moments where I didn't want tocook and I go to Taco Bell.
Like I mean I've had momentswhere I didn't want to cook and
(41:29):
I go to Taco Bell.
We've all been there, but yeah,so that was that.
And then reading I like reading.
Speaker 2 (41:34):
I just started that again, yeah.
Speaker 1 (41:36):
Yeah, Reading.
I actually just finished a book.
It's called Remembering and ittalks about like memory and the
like scientific, like scientificneurology.
It was so interesting.
But reading has been sopowerful and I think it's
because it opens, it gives meknowledge, opens up my brain
versus like like reading socialmedia about like negative things
(41:59):
.
I try my best to stay away fromthat as much as possible.
You liked one of my reels whenI was talking about cats, Like I
was like you kind of have to.
And one more thing I know I'mlike my whole treatment is kind
of like this is a recent one,actually, and it's, um, certain
frequency beats like listeningto.
(42:20):
So my favorite artist, hername's nissa bear.
She came out with a song calledthis god cry and she kept
saying that it's going to behealing.
And in my head I'm just likeokay, like how is this song
gonna be healing?
Because, you know, sometimesyou listen to music and you're
like, okay, I relate, you know,but I'm like how is this like
gonna be healing me?
And she was talking about howit's like a 555 frequency, like.
(42:45):
So I was like okay, so Ilistened to it yeah, I was
listening to it.
Oh my god, I literally felt arush to my head, my body was
doing.
Yes, my body was doing thingslike by itself.
It was so crazy I was, I know,I'm like I'm literally laying
there.
I'm like I feel so much goingon in my body right now and I'm
(43:08):
like first, at first I thought Iwas having a seizure.
I was, it blew my mind so I waslike okay, like I.
First thing, I felt like mybrain kind of like scrunching a
little bit, but then I Googledit it's just blood flow.
My brain wasn't actually whoknows, but yeah, no, it helps me
, it regulates your nervoussystem and it takes you out of
(43:30):
fight or flight and I feel likedoing it in the morning, doing
it at night, like listening tothat song.
It's just, it puts me in astate of mind where I can think
clearly, where I just feelbetter, like I was.
Even like the first time Iheard it I felt like I had a cry
, which is a good thing too,because there could be some
stuff that is like in yoursubconscious that's trying to
get out.
That's the healing part.
(43:51):
And today I went to the gym andI looked at myself and usually
women we have like a celiac,like in the in the back of your
legs, for like aging, and suchit was gone like I don't have it
.
I mean, I don't have any likescientific, like proven, that it
was the song.
(44:12):
But I was trying to think likewhat changed in my lifestyle?
And I was thinking I was like,okay, well, my food it's still
kind of in the same level, likeI could be better.
And then like exercise, like Iwas slacking with exercising and
then stress, like I'm alwaysstressed.
But then I was like, oh wait,these last like three days I've
been listening to that song sooften that's really cool and I
(44:36):
was like online like googlingstuff and it's like, yeah, I can
, like it can increase likeblood flow and like stress
levels go down, and I'm justlike, oh my god, like she is not
lying, she said healing.
That is incredible.
Speaker 2 (44:49):
I'm so curious now I would love I'm gonna like.
Oh my god, like she is notlying.
She said healing.
That is incredible.
I'm so curious.
Now I would love I'm gonna try.
Let me look at something likethat.
Speaker 1 (44:54):
That sounds curious go listen to the song.
Speaker 2 (44:56):
It's a good song yeah , do you remember what it's
called?
Speaker 1 (44:59):
does god cry?
Speaker 2 (45:00):
does this god?
Speaker 1 (45:02):
does god cry?
Speaker 2 (45:03):
oh, does god cry yeah , her voice is so beautiful, I'm
telling you you just feel likeso beautiful, just a great
experience yeah um, mr steve, Idon't want to give too much more
into this conversation becauseI want people to go over to your
podcast to listen to it.
Your podcast, everyone can seeyou and learn more about it.
On your podcast called mentallya badass, you have a ton of
(45:23):
guests on there, so there'salways something to learn, even
if, like I said, it's notdepression.
There's so much going on outthere.
Um, before we, you know, wrapthis up, there are a couple.
Because this is a movie reviewpodcast, I have to bring movies
in at some point.
Um, I do have a list of likefour recommendations of movies
that have to do with mentalhealth.
You might have heard this.
You might have not heard ofthese movies.
Um, and this audience too, whoI found relief in these movies
(45:48):
and has found it veryinteresting, and, um, hopefully
someone is too.
The first one I got on the listis silver linings playbook with
bradley cooper and jenniferlawrence I've heard of it, about
I've seen it probably my top 10movies of all time.
You have to check it out.
It's about bradley cooper, whowalks in on his wife cheating on
him and he kind of like hebreaks, that's his mental break
(46:10):
and then he meets this otherperson going through mental
illness I believe her husbandpassed away, jennifer lawrence
and then they kind of meet eachother and they're kind of like
leaning on each other forsupport.
They're also learning to dealwith their own coping mechanism.
It's so interesting.
Robert denier's in there too umthe rain.
It's called rain over me, butrain r-e-i-g-n rain over me,
(46:32):
starring adam sandler and doncheeto.
A lot of people praise adamsandler's acting, for like um
yeah uncut gems, but this onehad me bawling janiece, bawling
my eyes out.
Adam sandler plays this guy whowas a father who lost his
family I believe it was in the9-11 terrorist attack and
because that you know like a lotof people set up walls to
(46:54):
prevent like memories coming in.
He definitely does that.
And don cheeto plays his highschool friend who not high
school, a college friend whoruns into him on the street and
he notices, like this guy's, heneeds help, he needs help
someone.
And it's about dealing,confronting your emotions like
it's such a powerful movie.
I cry every time I see thatmovie.
This one's a little bit newermovie King of Staten Island with
(47:14):
Pete Davidson.
It's about his real life.
Speaker 1 (47:17):
I heard of it and I've been wanting to see it.
Actually, I haven't yet.
Speaker 2 (47:21):
It's so funny that you talk about coping with humor
.
He definitely does that in thismovie.
Speaker 1 (47:25):
I know he does.
Speaker 2 (47:30):
He also in this movie .
I know he does, he also has bpdlike me, it's a great movie I
love pete davidson.
He thinks he's the coolest guyever.
Yeah, uh, the little last one Igot for you.
I hope a lot of people likethis one little miss sunshine.
Uh, steve carell's in that one.
That's the only one I canremember all the time ahead.
But that was like a road tripmovie but like there's a lot of
mental health problems withinthe family traveling in this van
, one of them is mute because hejust refuses to talk because it
was like I don't know if it'sdepression or anxiety or a
(47:52):
mixture of both, but uh, it'sdefinitely worth a watch.
It's a funny movie, that's,that has a happy ending you
should send me a list.
Speaker 1 (48:00):
Can you like text me the list after, because?
Speaker 2 (48:02):
I'm definitely going to yeah, please yeah, I need to
watch more movies and I don'tthink this is going to be the
last time you'll be on thepodcast.
We talked about having you backon for about like, not so much
of the same conversation we have, but like more of you helping
me review some mental health,but it might be those movies,
honestly, but that would be somuch fun yeah, yeah, where can
people find your podcast?
Speaker 1 (48:22):
mentally badass yeah, so it's on apple, spotify and
pretty much everywhere that youcan listen to your podcast.
It's also on YouTube as well,you post twice a week correct.
I do, yes, yes.
But also, if you just type inGoogle Mentally, a Badass, it's
going to come right up.
Speaker 2 (48:41):
Yeah, definitely follow your what's your
Instagram page so people canfollow you there too.
Speaker 1 (48:45):
So Mentally a Badass is at Mentally a Badass badass,
if they want to follow, like mypersonal one, it's at mentally
justine yeah, like I said,you're always interactive on
social media.
Speaker 2 (48:55):
You know people can look forward to like.
You know you like try to makethings light and funny, so
definitely keep an eye out forthat.
Miss justine, thank you so muchfor coming on this podcast.
It was great meeting you atpodfest.
I like to keep the connectiongoing with you.
Like I said, we're going to behaving you back on pretty soon.
I love your podcast, what itstands for and what you're doing
out there.
You and your business partnerare doing a great job out there
(49:15):
and you know, just one last time.
Thank you so much for coming on.
Speaker 1 (49:18):
Thank you so much for inviting me.
I had a good time.
Speaker 2 (49:20):
Yeah, yeah.
Thank you for listening to thisbonus episode.
I should be back on Monday witha regular scheduled program
with the next movie review andthank you for listening.
Stay tuned next week, ready 70seat.
excuse me, is anybody sitting here?
Speaker 2 (00:07):
sorry, this is taken sorry, welcome to a special
edition of this seat's takenwhere I'm.
Your host, rob miranda got avery bonus episode for you guys
to join me first time on thepodcast.
I made a connection with thisperson down in florida.
You might have heard me talkingabout the story, how we met on
the episode of Fernando, but Igot today, ms Business Owner,
(00:28):
host of Mentally a Badasspodcast, ms Justine Rhodes.
Thank you, ms Justine, forcoming on.
I'm excited to have you on.
Like we met.
You were one of the firstpeoples I met at PodFest and we
it was like not an instantconnection but like it.
It was connection because likeone we both can agree on, that
was a little bit older crowd,right, and what all those
younger people kind of likestuck together yeah, I'm so glad
(00:51):
that you uh noticed me beinglonely.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
You came up to me and you're like, hey, let's be
friends.
So I believe that the universeconnects people for a reason.
I'm so happy that you reachedback out to me, um, and asked me
to be on your podcast.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
I'm so excited for our conversation today and it's
gonna be a good conversation,like well, one like you it's not
like I did it that smoothlycame up to you like hey, let's
be friends now I talked aboutthe story, about on the episode.
Like I immediately went up toyou talking shit about the
teacher.
That's my opening line to you.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
Yeah, I like to make jokes you gave in.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Yeah, gave in right away Like this guy's up my alley
.
But I'm so glad to have you onthe podcast because I am a big
advent for mental health.
I love talking about it openly.
This podcast was born out ofmental health, too.
Like I, really this was born in2022.
That was around the time like Idid did I was personally going
through like a depression alittle bit.
(01:45):
Something I didn't even realizewas happening kind of crept up
on me and once I realized it, Iwas like, oh man, I gotta change
something.
So what I did?
I bought a couple books andthen I bought a listen a bunch
of podcasts about mental healthtoo.
Like I really wanted somethingto throw myself into, like to
take my mind off of other things, and I found this podcast and I
never looked back since.
My mental health since then hasgrown a lot more recently
(02:07):
within this past like a year, Iwould say I've been killing it,
um, but you're a big healthadvocate for mental health too.
You met a couple podcastersthat I saw down.
There were also in the samething too, right?
Speaker 1 (02:18):
I met a couple you mean at podfest at podfest.
Yeah, people who were kind ofin the mental health area too oh
right, yes, I mean, I didinterview um this one person
about pdsd we talked about thatand there were there was a
couple of other people that I'mactually meeting to reach back
out to so we can collaborate.
Can't remember the name off thetop of my head, but yes, there
was a couple that were in thatspace as well how did you feel
(02:41):
about the pod fest experience?
Speaker 2 (02:43):
I was unexpected to go and we made connections.
Like I said, I've kept in touchwith a handful of people from
out there and I I it was awesomeexperience.
How did you?
How was your experience outthere?
Speaker 1 (02:53):
yeah.
So I would say my experience is, I think I expected a little
bit more um.
Unfortunately, I've been tomultiple different conventions,
such as like big con andplaylist live when I used to do
YouTube, and it was a lotdifferent One.
The crowd was definitely verydifferent.
That's one thing I mean.
When I was at PodFest, I didn'texpect a younger crowd because
(03:16):
just just for like podcasts Ilisten to and people that I
interviewed is definitely anolder crowd.
But and I was excited, you know, for the panels and there were
some panels that I did learn alot, that I wrote, that, I wrote
in my notes and they'reactionable and I'm going to work
on that but then there weresome that I was sitting in and I
was like I knew all this and itkind of made me like want to,
you know, intervene and be likewait.
(03:37):
I have this little tip too, butthat's not my place.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
Well, I mean this.
Well, I mean this podcastconvention was kind of meant for
beginners, I would say a littlebit because, like you said, it
was kind of stuff.
We've been in the game for alittle bit long and you know
anybody can be a speaker.
You met my friend Fernandothere.
Like he he would like to be aspeaker the next year.
I could at least see you upthere speaking like even it's
about like mental health ingeneral too.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
Like they have panels about everything.
Yeah, I'm looking into doing it.
I gotta, I guess, check back onthe website, but I feel like if
I do go back, it probably wouldbe for that instead of like
education wise, at least youknow, really to get that.
I paid like almost 300 to go topodfest but um, I mean, like,
like you were saying, itdefinitely is great for
beginners.
I guess for me, I kind of guessI thought I was in that world
(04:26):
of beginners because I didn't.
When I became a podcaster Ikind of just jumped into it.
I didn't really go for like anyeducation or anything like that
.
I kind of learn as I go.
So but you know, that makessense.
I just didn't know that before.
But it's actually good that wetalked about this here, just in
case there's podcasters lookingto go to podfest I definitely
recommend it and, like you said,I wouldn't say exactly, I just
(04:47):
dove right into it.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
No one really.
I had someone like my friendfernando, like teach me a little
bit.
But I learned a lot of my ownby youtube and what that podcast
really did for me the most Iwould say is ensure me that I'm
I.
I always felt like I had a legbehind everybody doing
podcasting, but this really justensured me that I'm on the
right track.
You know like I'm doingeverything right.
(05:09):
Um, I went through the Londoncut corners and you know it's
kind of hard to cut corners, butit it.
It just reassured me that, okay, this podcast is what I want it
to be and I'm happy with it.
So it was great, you know, formy mind, for the mental health,
for learning a lot.
We learned more Well, I learnedmore well, I learned more
(05:29):
mostly just connecting with you,like you gave me great advice
about how to find better guests,what kind of software to use.
Um, it was definitelybeneficial.
Now, before we get into theactual your podcast, I do want
to talk to you about your otherbusiness, because you do have
like a clothing brand, stickerbrand going on too.
Can you tell me how thatstarted for you?
Speaker 1 (05:39):
yeah.
So the clothing brand is anextension of the full mentally a
badass brand overall.
So I've always wanted to dosomething in relation to like a
clothing line and fashion.
I've always been like low-keyinto that, but I didn't really
know how to do that or if itmade any sense.
So with mentally a badass Ihave a partner.
Her name is Ariel and she's anartist and on our mentally a
(06:01):
badass account she would drawlike certain what's not anime,
like God.
I can't even think she would doa lot of like certain graphics
and pictures and cartoons thatpeople would really like.
Why don't we put that in likeshirts and stickers?
Because with the clothing line,it's just another.
(06:27):
It's another vehicle formentally about us, to for our to
deliver our mission.
So our mission is to encouragevulnerability and the.
The content that is on theshirts are some things that
people may not go around tellingpeople.
So like okay, one that'sactually very popular that
(06:48):
everybody thinks is it says I'mnot lazy, I'm just surviving.
So there's always thismisconception that people who
are depressed are lazy, which islike that word lazy is super
toxic and for anyone who'sdealing with depression, like
getting out of bed is like oneof the hardest things, like
brushing teeth, and when, if youhave moments where you feel
like, oh wait, I didn't, like Inormally brush my teeth morning
(07:10):
or night and I'm only doing inthe morning, and then if you
realize, oh wait, I haven'tshowered in like two or more
days, you think to your headlike, ok, if I'm stopped doing
those basic things, then mydepression is kicking in,
because some people may not evenrealize they have depression
and some people like depressionshows differently in, like
everybody, so so, yeah, sothat's one of the things that's
(07:31):
actually really popular and Ifeel like a lot of people can
relate to.
We also have one that says I'm abig ball of anxiety.
I mean, I, everybody, I feellike struggles with anxiety.
It's just, you know, so yeah,so just a couple of things like
that.
And also one says like I may besmiling but I'm dead inside, so
these are just words, whereit's like that's a good one.
(07:53):
Kind of funny, but like it has,it has meaning behind it.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
Right.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
Yeah, exactly so yeah .
And then when it says one of itsays like nothing scares me
more than my brain.
That was kind of more for likeour Halloween edition.
And so we're thinking of like,okay, halloween is spooky, how
can we put mental health intothis?
And I'm just like thinking I'mlike the monsters are inside us,
mental health wise.
So that's like a thought thatwe had, and then we had that
(08:18):
said, this plan is not good formy mental health and it was like
an alien.
So so yeah, and we put them onstickers and the stickers are
actually we sell them inClaremont, new Jersey, in a in a
soda shop.
So we have them there and alsoa lot on our website.
But but yeah, I mean now we'reworking on to get the stickers
in more places in the Orlandoarea to spread our our message.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
That is amazing.
I like that and I'm definitely.
I checked out a couple of yourstickers they are pretty cool,
and your t-shirts really.
I mean I'll post a link in thedescription of this video, uh,
where you can find that.
And that's crazy, that causeyou're based in Orlando right
now but you know like you havestuff in out of States.
You know stickers and stufflike that.
That's amazing.
I'm proud of that.
Um, I want to go into yourhistory a little bit about the
(09:02):
subject of mental health.
I mean, obviously you're veryknowledgeable and you give great
advice on your podcast.
You talk to people, learn theirstories.
But what is this your passion?
Did you always want to be likeuh, some like oh, it's like a
therapist almost or are you justlike no, learning about the
human mind?
Speaker 1 (09:17):
Yes, a good question.
So the interest started when Iwas 17 years old.
I took a psychology class and Ifound it very intriguing and
fascinating about learning abouthuman behavior.
Growing up, I've struggled a lotwith mental health ever since I
was a child due to likebullying and family history and
just childhood trauma overall,and it was.
(09:38):
I was pretty bad in high school, like I used to do things that
like okay, trigger warning, likeself-harming and such, and I
was diagnosed with bipolar two.
So when I was diagnosed I felta sense of relief just because
my whole time I was growing up Ithought something was like
wrong with my brain and so whenI had that diagnosis I was like,
okay, I can work with this andso.
(10:00):
So basically, background wise,I have my own issues like
personal background, and soafter a senior year I was like,
okay, I need to, I'm going tocollege, like when I'm going to
study, and I was like, oh, letme go into psychology, I could
become a therapist.
But then at that time I wasstill like struggling and I was
like, okay, I don't think I'llbe that good of a therapist just
(10:23):
because I feel like I'll end upcrying with people.
So obviously, you can't do that,yeah, exactly Like obviously
you can't like cry with yourpatient and such.
So I was like, okay, I'm stillthinking about it.
And then, junior year ofcollege, I actually was accepted
into the Disney college program.
Let's complete like did notexpect that.
(10:44):
I literally just applied forlike whatever.
You know what.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
I mean.
Speaker 1 (10:49):
So, you know, I was like, okay, well, I'm not going
to turn down an opportunity towork at Disney world and move to
Florida, because I'm originallyfrom New Jersey and I've always
wanted to live in Florida.
I wasn't the biggest fan of NewJersey and so I was like this
is my opportunity to like leaveand to start, pretty much start
a new life, reinvent myself.
(11:09):
So I took it and I fell in loveworking for the company.
I liked their culture, likethey were really good for my
mental health, just because, youknow, constantly surrounded by
like kindness and people who arejust I don't know like sweet.
So, overall, like the collegeprogram pretty much brought me
into that.
And then so, um, okay, yeah.
So then I was like, okay, howcan I like use my degree Right?
(11:31):
And at first I was like, oh,maybe I can do like HR Right.
And so I did a couple ofinternships my senior year and
realized it wasn't for me.
I hated it, I was miserable.
So I literally came moving toFlorida in 2017, still not
knowing what I want to do withmy life.
I was working for Disney, but Iwas working like in the parks,
like those aren't positionswhere it's like your career like
(11:53):
long term.
I was literally just likeworking there just for paying
bills and just like being a castmember.
And then I was doing I had aYouTube channel.
I started that in 2016.
And I was doing like comedy,had a YouTube channel.
I started that in 2016 and Iwas doing like comedy, sketches
and lifestyle.
And the reason I started thatis because I was watching other
YouTubers do that and I'm likethey were so funny and they
always made me laugh and I waslike I'm funny, I can do that.
(12:15):
I was like, well, why not?
So it gave me the confidence tostart a YouTube channel.
And then so that's where I kindof I get some background and
ready like content creationthere, right, and then, um, over
time, you know it's fun doingthe comedy and the lifestyle,
but I wanted to be more nicheddown and and use my platform for
(12:35):
something that's reallyimportant and I'm like, okay,
mental health is very importantto me.
So then I was, you know,creating mental health content.
It didn't do as well, like whenit came to views, like my views
kind of like went down a lotsince I switched.
But I was like, okay, maybe myaudience isn't here, but then
podcasting started to get morepopular and I was like, oh,
(12:55):
maybe I can switch to podcasting, so maybe people would like
listen to me in the car, listento me, I don't know cooking.
And I'm like, okay, like thatmakes sense.
So I started the podcastmentally a badass, in 2021.
And I was thinking in my headI'm like, okay, like I didn't go
the traditional route of youknow mental health, career and
(13:16):
stuff, but at the end of the day, I'm in the mental health world
helping people.
I would course, I would nevercall myself like uh, um, I would
never accept those credentialsand I would never tell I would
always tell people to always goto see a professional for like,
like I would never claim thatI'm in the position to be like
(13:37):
treating people or anything likethat.
So I'm just gonna put that onthere and I always say that.
But, based off of likeconversations and me learning
from experts, it's, it's superpowerful, um for people to
listen to podcasts.
Speaker 2 (13:49):
So well, on top of that, I would say like, yeah,
you're not a professional, butyou're getting the conversation
started and that's what you know, what some people just need.
Like yeah, you mentioned likelistening to cars, like I listen
a couple mental health in thecar, like because I cannot sit
in silence, you know, like mymind just all too much, but, um,
just getting the conversationstarted, this half the battle
right there.
Then, once you give advice, andthen this is the biggest thing
(14:10):
for me that I realized, like,like almost a moment of
realization, like, once youstart talking about that or
learning the conversation, it'salmost a sense of relief, like I
, I, you know, other people feellike this too.
You know like it's not just me,like I, I'm not alone in the
world and because of that, youknow people, other people feel
like this too.
You know like it's not just me,like I'm not alone in the world
, and because of that, you know,people can get together and
share advice.
You know like, oh, I go walks onthis.
(14:30):
You know it's just conversation.
That's exactly what yourpodcast is about.
You know you're gettingpeople's stories and how they
get through it.
Granted, it's not all about andI'm, you know I'm glad you do.
You know people like you who dothis podcast.
It's, it's amazing work.
Like I said, no one's claimingto be professionals.
All we're doing is have an openconversation and that's what
(14:51):
people, all people, need reallyto get it going yeah, absolutely
.
Speaker 1 (14:55):
I just say that for legal purposes yeah, yeah, um.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
Now, obviously depression is a big part of my
background.
A little bit um.
But what other topics have youtouched on your podcast so
people can get keep an eye outfor?
Speaker 1 (15:07):
Oh, so many.
I feel like I've talked aboutPTSD.
I've seen PTSD.
I actually interviewed atherapist for that one.
Childhood trauma is a big oneRape, drugs, addiction, like I
can, like grief.
I've honestly have hit so manydifferent topics.
(15:28):
Super grateful for that.
I'm trying to, I'm trying toget more topics with a nervous
system regulation, cause that'sreally like on the rise right
now.
Um, cause we're all puttingeveryone's like in fight or
flight with just the world.
But honestly, like I feel likethere's an episode for for
everybody.
I'm going to see if I can startlike categorizing everything,
but but yeah, I mean the main,the main thing that for mentally
(15:51):
bad is every person that doescome on, they're required to
have a story.
So whatever you're listening to, they've experienced it
themselves, so it makes them youknow they're more relatable and
more credible.
So any advice that they giveyou, it comes from one, their
expertise and also just theirpersonal experience.
Speaker 2 (16:07):
That is incredible.
I mean, it is a lot for you tohear all those stories and, like
, like you said, like I, thereason we're not therapists.
I get too emotionally attached.
I'll be bawling my eyes out,but what is something that
inspires you to keep going, tokeep the conversations going?
You know what is something thatdrives you to do this?
Speaker 1 (16:26):
You know, that's a really good question, because I
actually did interview somebodythat it was really hard because
her story was so, so tragic andI literally almost cried and I
almost like I felt like reallyuncomfortable because of how
dark the story was and I had amoment where I'm just like we're
like nine minutes in and I'mjust like, oh my god, I still
(16:48):
have another 50 minutes and I'malready about to cry.
But you know, I have to likekeep it together.
You know, as a podcast host, Imean this person took their time
to come on and get tell herstory.
She had a lot, she was anamazing guest and and so,
besides that time, I feel like Ido pretty well, especially
lately since I've been doing ita lot more often.
(17:08):
Um, just like I I think, if Ithink, if anything, it depends
what the topic is like, becausesome of them are more like light
heart and some are just like sodark where, like this one lady
I was speaking to, I had to toput like a million.
I obviously made sure I hadtrigger warning on it but then I
also put trigger warnings onsocial media, just in case.
(17:30):
So, like I, I put like could Ishare a piece from the episode
to Instagram?
But I make sure there's certainwords that weren't in there
because, just in case I had toput a lot of lighthearted
teasers in there, I couldn't putlike the part, like the biggest
part in it, because people whoare scrolling they can get
triggered, you know.
But but yeah, so that was hardfor me and I was like man, how
(17:52):
is this so hard?
Like I am a pro at having theseconversations, like I thought
that nothing can make meuncomfortable, that we can talk
about the darkest thing.
But this one was super, superdifficult.
But what I did is you've got topush through.
You know, at the end of the day, this is for people who are
listening and I kind of have tojust put my emotions to the side
(18:13):
for that time frame that I'mtalking for 60 minutes and just
think about my audience and howimportant this topic is.
So, yeah, that's great.
Speaker 2 (18:24):
That's some powerful stuff.
That's that's amazing.
Um, I don't know what.
I don't know.
I'm not really about one forplugging other people's podcasts
that aren't guests, but um,there's this one that's very
popular called um, something waswrong.
I don't know if you ever heardof that one.
It's a.
It's a pretty popular one.
It's what I like most about it.
You know, you hear these storiesa lot of people like like crime
(18:44):
stuff.
People are reading stories,stuff like that.
It's more like the victimthemselves telling the story.
They're coming back and you cansee they get emotional, like
some of those are domestic abuse.
Oh, actually, most of them aredomestic abuse and stuff like
that how they got away, or somekind of trauma.
I mean it is triggering, likeyou said.
But just because it's trickydoesn't mean it's worth having a
conversation about it and it'slike, yeah, if you don't want it
(19:04):
, don't listen to it.
But there's something who mightbe going through the same thing
that can make it relatable.
And just hearing somebody'sstory, you might reach out to
one of your guests like, hey,I'm actually going through
something similar.
What advice would you have forthat coming up?
I'm going to tell you one of mypersonal heroes.
Part of the reason I'm stillhere is my sister.
(19:25):
She has every reason to bedepressed all the time.
She works as a suicide hotlineoperator, so she's hearing
stories all the time.
People want it ended.
So she's incredible for doing.
She's been doing it for likehalf a year or so.
She does tell us some storiesabout some of the cause, but I
know there's a lot of stories.
She doesn't tell us somestories about the.
You know the some of the calls,but I know there's a lot of
(19:46):
stories she doesn't tell us.
And I for her to not carry thatweight on her shoulders the
entire time.
She is a two year old todistract her, I should say.
But it's, it's incredible tosomething who is at mental
stability that they can keep ongoing, not letting that affect
them.
People like you know you youdidn't mention, like you have
one that, but like out of like500 conversations you might've
had, but, um, she is incredible,she is my hero and I'm so proud
(20:09):
of her for doing it.
She's still going to school,she's still learning about
psychology, she's keep going,keeping that going for people
just to have someone to listento, you know, and then, um, you
know, we can talk about thesubject.
It might be.
This might be a little bittriggering about.
It's a tough conversationbecause you know, like you want
(20:33):
to say, like that's a selfishthing to do, um, but people
don't realize.
Like, to get to that point you,you really got to think low of
yourself.
You got to think like thisworld will be better off without
me.
That's never true, you know,but that's what these people are
mindset and it's hard for likepeople to like shame it almost
like why would you do that tosomebody?
You know it's, and I thinkthat's where she comes in and
(20:57):
she does a great job abouthelping them make them feel a
little bit better.
She's had people who calledback just to like leave a review
.
You know like she saved my life.
She's incredible she's.
She accidentally met one of hervictims not victims her callers
she did a um, um, I think it waslike a suicide awareness walk
(21:17):
or something like that, andpeople who called in went there
to like support the cause.
And she was.
She overheard somebody.
She overheard somebody.
Somebody talked to her aboutlike this is this woman who
really helped me.
So she got to get that feedbackfirsthand.
Like did she save someone life?
You know, and with that job itsucks because you know, not all
of them are going to be saved,but she does incredible.
(21:39):
I'm so proud of her.
She's great.
She would be a good guest onyour podcast to listen to about
that, yeah, and I'm sure youhear about that too.
Like people's depression, howclose they get to that point in
their lives and there are somegreat motivational speakers
about that too.
Like they flip it around, theyhave a new look on life.
They're, they're engaging.
We met I don't know if youremember right Well, while I
(21:59):
green there, like we met at thepod fest the guy we played ping
pong with.
Speaker 1 (22:04):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (22:04):
He had a great story that he turned around in that,
but he'd become a pro athlete umso what do you think people
will get out of your podcastlistening to it?
Speaker 1 (22:16):
yeah, so it really depends, of course, what they're
going through and like whatthey're choosing to listen to.
So let's go back to the episodethat I.
That was like really difficultfor me to record.
Um, before I talk about it, Ijust make sure it's okay with
you okay, um so basically thiswoman.
(22:39):
She was raped by her unclemultiple times.
The first time she was rapedshe was four years old, so she
talked in detail about that.
So that's really hard justthinking about a grown man
raping a four-year-old rightlike it's tragedy, right?
so she actually this uncle,never got like locked up and she
(23:01):
talks about how people, likeher family didn't basically was
telling her to like hush, hushor like didn't believe it and
such.
So I feel like that story is soimportant because there's a,
there's a lot of, I'm sure a lotof women or or even guys I'm
not gonna like obviously guyscan get you know assaulted too
so I like to bring them up toothat are staying silent.
(23:23):
So I feel bad, just like learn.
I mean I'm trying to go backwith the episode.
I mean, obviously it can sounda little discouraging if she did
try to get him locked up and hedidn't, but he almost did and
then he died.
But I think the-.
Speaker 2 (23:40):
What a twist of events.
Speaker 1 (23:43):
Yeah, in my head I was like, man, you're really
brave and coming on here If he'slike out on, like out and about
, you know.
but yeah, he died, but the pointactually the point of her story
was more focused on healing herchildhood trauma so I was
talking about the effect it hadon her and how she was always in
fight or flight and how, likeshe told me, because what she
(24:04):
actually did to heal from hertrauma was psychedelics, which
is another topic that can becontroversial or people don't
have much understanding of it,which is fine, because when
people hear psychedelics theythink it's like lsd and they're
partying, whatever, but thereare like medical treatments for
psychedelics.
So she did that and shebasically she talked about the
(24:27):
experience from start to finishand it was just so mind-blowing
to me and in my head I'm justlike, should I do this?
Like so, basically, after uh,she did that, she said that she
was able to go out when it waslike dark, out and get gas and
get pizza and not feel panicky.
(24:47):
Okay, that's great for the firsttime in her life and then she
was actually like when her andher, uh husband would make love,
actually feel like it, like shefelt close because, with all
that trauma like that disruptsyour, your sex life, that
disrupts your like feeling ofbeing safe, and so all of all of
those parts like was a hugelike change.
(25:12):
And and when she talks about hertrauma, too, it's she doesn't
cry during it, which is alsomeans that you've done the work
there.
Um, the only time that she didcry a little bit was when after
her psychedelic experience,because she felt so relieved and
how much it changed her life.
So, if anything, I feel likeshe's a great example because
(25:33):
someone can be going throughthat or just any very severe
childhood trauma, and it's likeshe talked so much detail about
psychedelics and it can helpbreak that like stigma of like
what it is and, who knows, maybesomeone can listen to it and be
like maybe this is analternative for me and can save
a life.
So, uh, I I bring people fromall different backgrounds and I
(25:53):
actually will like to bring upsomething later that I
discovered that helps with mymental health a lot, and you
know what it is if you'rewatching my instagram story is
it making tiktoks?
Speaker 2 (26:05):
no, oh okay wow, you watch my stories, but you don't
watch my stories yeah, yeah,yeah, uh, but I like it like
you're, you're very engagingwith you, like like asking
questions and stuff like thattoo.
That um make it fun.
Um, let's talk about likesomething else more specific to
podcasters.
Like it was, this is a bigtopic I heard down there in
(26:26):
podfest but, um, it's somethingcalled imposter syndrome that
some podcasters feel it.
Um, I'm not 100 sure on thesubject, so I'm gonna let you
explain what that could mean tosome people yeah, so imposter
syndrome just pretty much thinksthat you're a fraud.
Speaker 1 (26:42):
So growing up we didn't have, I mean there's,
there was podcasting, but it waslike radio, like tapes and
stuff, like it wasn't like howwe have platforms today and we
didn't really know about it.
So we knew the radio.
We knew the radio.
We knew that people on likeJimmy Fallon, like all these big
celebrities, and it's like andyou think of Spotify and Apple
(27:04):
as like these big giants andwe're so used to thinking like,
okay, if you're on Spotify andApple, like you're legit, right.
And so when I at least for me,when I figured out that I'm like
, oh wait, I can make a podcastas a nobody and I can be on
these platforms, I was likethat's really cool.
So I think, with us growing uplike just anybody, with this
(27:24):
whole idea that you have to be asomebody to put media on, the
internet for people to see, oreven like getting paid by huge
corporations.
It's like it's.
It's different in like ourhuman experience.
It's not like how it was whenwe grew up.
Um, so it's so much easier tobecome somebody because of the
(27:46):
internet.
So because of that experienceand because we're doing what
we're doing, we may feel like afraud, like wait, I'm a nobody,
like if, and it's like I'm justgonna do this wrong or I'm just
a fraud and I, I can't do this.
And it's like it's also withbeing a business owner, like I
can go into that.
Like for me, I became abusiness owner and I had like a
(28:09):
bit the biggest imp syndrome,like I can go all like all day,
like even being a social mediamanager.
I'm like, oh wow, I'm actuallymanaging company social media.
Like am I?
I feel like an imposter if Ican like do this.
And it's pretty much, at theend of the day, it's about
believing in yourself and I feellike we lack that a lot in
(28:30):
society and it's sometimes likewe have a hard time believing in
ourselves and it's like havinglimited beliefs.
But you know, the more that youdo things like for me, with
this podcast, I'm way pastimposter syndrome.
It's OK, I you know, like Ithink, but I guess, like the
best thing I can say is justthat you kind of have to keep
(28:51):
doing it and then, just like themore repetitive that you are
with it, eventually you breakfree of that.
But I'll say that it'scompletely normal, based off
everything I just told you about, like the radio and such like,
feeling like you're an imposter,it's like you're not alone,
like you know it's.
It's a different world, it's adifferent world and the human
(29:11):
brain is like what's going on,you know.
So we of course like putnegativity on us and and let me
go to step back a little bit,cause I can talk about like
negativity, like default tonegative, and how our brain
actually operates.
Our brain is supposed toprotect us.
You know what I mean.
Like if a bear is coming out,it's like our brain is literally
(29:32):
wired for that.
So if it does anything that'slike like, like different, or
like you're stepping out of yourcomfort zone, it does.
It says like oh, you're notgood enough, you're imposter
syndrome, because it takes youaway from that ain't pretty much
(29:55):
you're like bullying you, butit's also protecting you.
So that's like the hardestthing is like, at the end of the
day, imposterism is connectedto comfort leaving your comfort
zone so it's all interconnected.
I hope everything I just saidmade sense no, no, no, it's
great.
Speaker 2 (30:04):
It's great, yeah, I mean, when you describe it like
that, you know I do like youknow, everyone wants to know why
I do this podcast.
I've been doing this for likeover three years now, like, um,
you know, you do feel like thepodcast is like why am I doing
this?
Like if you met me in highschool, justine, like we would
have never met because, like, Idid not talk at all, I was the
shyest guy you ever met in mylife really you didn't get that
like at podfest right, like thispodcast has really.
(30:26):
I mean, this podcast has reallyopened me up a lot and um, and
sometimes, like, I think aboutmy high school self and I'm like
, where am I now?
It's like, who is this person?
You know, like I don't think Ishould be where I'm at right now
.
So I definitely understand whatyou're talking about that.
But part of the reason whathelped me, like you know, last
year I started going to therapy.
That really started changing mylife.
You know, I have a greattherapist.
She's very cool To the pointnow where I go there and I'm
(30:51):
telling like, like, for example,when I went back, I I from pod
fest you know I was talkingabout my great trip and stuff
like that she looks at me like,are you even having any more of
these dark thoughts?
I was like, oh, like I guess I'mnot.
You know she's like, why areyou here?
But uh, I, I like going more asan outlet.
Like you know, like if peoplethink you have to go to therapy
because of trauma or because ofdepression, something like that,
(31:13):
that you know, like it is goodto go for those things, but you
don't have to just go for that.
I like to go to have somebodytalk to you and she definitely
makes me feel heard becauseshe'll remember details like
about my friend's name that Itold her about like three weeks
ago or something like that.
Like, I praise her for that andI do suggest, like everyone,
just give it a try A to try.
(31:34):
A lot of people don't even wantto give that try one because,
like they feel like they canmanage their own emotions.
They can feel like they couldbeat it on their own, which some
people can.
You know.
I'm happy for those who theycan.
You know they throw themselvesinto the gym or something like
that.
They find it outlet.
Or two, like it's hard for themto financially afford it.
Um, especially here in the us,you know we I'm blessed where my
insurance covers the wholething, you know, but there are
(31:55):
people who are out there whohave to pay it up high and there
are systems out there too thatwould help pay something like
that, and people areunderstanding too.
But I wouldn't suggest that andthis is like not mean, it's not
mean at all but like I wouldn'ttell my best friends like my
emotions, like stuff like that,not because I don't want them to
know how I'm feeling is because, like they're, it's it's hard
(32:16):
for them your close friends totell you the truth and, like you
know, give you good advicebecause they're not
professionals, if you know whatI mean.
If that makes any sense.
Yeah, I'm not saying likebottle up all your emotions,
don't tell them anything.
But you know, like, don'texpect, like for relying on your
friends to solve all yourproblems for you oh yeah,
absolutely.
Speaker 1 (32:35):
I mean your friends aren't therapists and it also
really depends like yourrelationship.
Like I have.
I have like a lot of friendsand I wouldn't go to all of them
for advice.
I have like only a selectamount of people that I feel
comfortable with, like goingwith like my actual like deep,
dark secrets and struggles, andliterally I think that's
(32:57):
probably maybe like three orfour people in my life, in my
inner circle.
So it's just about like feelingcomfortable, but like I know
you think too is, um, whenyou're saying like your friends
are therapists, I mean it isdefinitely something good to
think of, because just beingmindful of the other person and
also, I think, just having anopen conversation, and I feel
(33:19):
like if they're like yourfriends, they are more likely to
feel comfortable of beingtransparent.
Yeah, so I know it's, I knowit's very complex, I know.
I can't speak for everyone, um,but I mean everyone's life's
different, like that's you justshared your experience and like
mine's different.
I'm sure whoever's listeningprobably has like different,
(33:39):
like groups of people andfriends.
But I'll just say, just likethe principle of it is, just
whoever you feel comfortable,you will learn that as you go,
like when you build thatfriendship.
Speaker 2 (33:50):
Now for advice.
What are some signs?
Because not even like myself,like I had a moment of
realization I was hittingthrough depression.
What would you say are?
Speaker 1 (34:05):
some signs that you are hitting depression that
people might look forward and ifthey do see it, they could try
to reach out for help.
No-transcript.
(34:31):
The biggest thing and this islike more like it's clinical
depression is like feeling aheavy weight on your, in your
brain, like that heavy weight.
But, um, another thing too islike depression.
There's all like differenttypes of depression as well.
Right, yes, there's likedepression, like clinical
depression, which is morescience, like medical,
scientific, and then there'slike, uh, situational depression
(34:55):
.
So, um, I would say like, ifyou feel those signs and you
stop taking care of yourself andyou're more angry, like that's
concerning and that's where youhave to think like, okay, maybe
I need to talk to somebody.
But another thing too is and Iactually put in a real one time
for mentally a badass.
It's like if you have thoughtsof wanting to drive your car off
(35:17):
a bridge, you're depressed.
Speaker 2 (35:20):
Yeah, that's, that was okay.
I was.
I don't.
I don't think I've shared thison the podcast before, but that
was one of my waking up signs,like you know.
Like you, that was one of mywaking up signs, like you know,
like you mentioned, oh yeah,that's when it gets really bad.
It's heavier, like you know.
I felt like I was walkingaround with like a wet blanket
on me the entire time and then Iremember driving home one day
like I just felt numb, like socompletely numb.
Like I didn't feel any emotions, like I just almost like I wish
(35:41):
I got punched in the face.
So I felt something.
Oh shit, I don't think I shouldbe thinking that.
Speaker 1 (35:47):
It happened to me too , actually, yeah.
Speaker 2 (35:49):
And then also, if you're friends with somebody,
like you notice their hygiene,they're sleeping more like don't
be afraid, Like hey, you stink.
Like you need to know.
Speaker 1 (35:58):
Well, another thing, too, is that this friend, is
their behavior changing, as inlike responding to text messages
, for example, like if you're soused to this person being so
like on top of things andresponding, and all of a sudden
they're like being like notresponding as much, you should
be like, hey, like are you doing?
Okay, you know?
So I think that's veryimportant.
Speaker 2 (36:16):
Okay, the last piece of advice you can give somebody.
What advice would you havesomebody who is looking for,
like for professional help, likewould you recommend, like,
doing a little bit of researchon your own first, or you make
him going straight into therapyor, you know, maybe exercising a
little bit?
Speaker 1 (36:32):
yeah, I mean, the first thing ever in like your
journey of like healing and suchis to first realize you have a
problem, like you need to workon yourself.
Um, second, you know there's somany different things you can
do.
There's therapy, there's meds,there's lifestyle choices,
there's like holistic things aswell.
(36:53):
So it's really up to the person.
I feel like people are morelikely go to lifestyles, so like
doing like the gym or, like youknow, eating healthy, and even
though that is really good foryour mental health, for people
who struggle with clinicaldepression, it's not good enough
it's it's, it's not, and youknow people there's.
(37:14):
there's a lot of conversationbetween like oh, is depression
really genetic?
And blah, blah, blah, and it'slike it definitely influences,
like it's you're definitely morelikely to but cause like okay,
I'm talking from experience here.
My like, my whole, like mom'sside has like depression, like
that whole line, and sonaturally I have it and I do a
(37:36):
lot of like working out and yes,I feel great at the time.
It's a great like naturalantidepressant.
But when I'm like laying atlike in bed and all of a sudden
I'm getting stuff like should Idie today, like you know what I
mean.
Speaker 2 (37:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (37:50):
You know.
So I just feel like I it's verycomplex and to mix and I'm
going to tell you exactly likewhat I do treatment wise.
So I mentioned before that Ihave bipolar two, and bipolar
two is, um, can be verydangerous.
Like my depression gets to thepoint where I will like commit
suicide and mania can prettymuch self-sabotage my life and
(38:14):
destroy relationships, and andthat's because I have like an
imbalance of like my moodregulation and such.
So I'm on medication.
I have, I'm on two pills I'm onone for antidepressants and
then I want for my mania, andthey work great together and so
I do that just to that's.
The main thing for medication isthat it keeps me from dropping
(38:34):
off a bridge.
I know how crazy that soundsand bear with me with my
personality.
I use humor as a copingmechanism when I talk about
these things.
But that's what I, that's how Ithink about it.
Like my psychiatrist be like oh, so, how are you doing?
Like what's your mess?
I'm like great, I don't want todie.
She's like okay, good, thatmeans they're working.
So.
So I would say medication canbe a lifesaver If you are in
(38:58):
danger.
You know what I mean Like yourbrain is telling you to die,
your brain is telling you tojump off the balcony, like the
it's because, like the wholeneurotransmitters, like it's so,
so low where these dots arelike coming to your head and you
just feel like you're dead.
So I use medication as like away to keep me afloat while I
work on myself, right?
(39:19):
So then after that keeps meafloat, then you know a
childhood trauma.
I mean, honestly, what helps mea lot is the guests that I
speak to.
I feel like I learned so much,you know, with them, I think, go
to therapy.
I was in and out of therapy alot since I was 15, but, like,
my most recent therapist waslike she was okay, but she was
very surface level, and soanother thing with therapy is
(39:42):
that you have to find, like, theright one.
You know, one thing I want tomention is that when you start
seeing a therapist and they'renot really understanding, you
move on to the next one Becauseand they say, like therapy is
like dating you have to find theright one, and I've had this at
multiple therapists andmajority of them weren't like my
vibe, like I like to get reallydeep into you know, like why I
(40:04):
behave the way I behave, likewhy does this keep, you know,
coming from my subconscious andruining my life.
Like I'm very big on that and alot of these therapists they
are like no, we've got to focuson.
Like just focus right now andjust meditate on this.
I'm like, okay, it's importantto focus on your present, but
when I'm in these sessions withyou, I want to focus on the past
(40:24):
, to work on my, on my, on mypresent, right.
But so, anyways, I I stoppedwith that recent therapist.
But I think, just for advice onthe on the therapy part is like
, don't get discouraged if thefirst, one, second, one, third
one or whatever is not workingwith you.
Like it's just, every therapisthas their own way of helping
(40:45):
their you know their patients,so don't let that discourage you
.
Their own way of helping their.
You know their patients, sodon't let that discourage you.
Next thing is just also justlike lifestyle.
You know, like I mean it can behard for some people,
especially if they work like alike a job where it makes it
hard if they're like a parent,they have to take care of kids,
like it's definitely can bechallenging.
It's just trying like littlethings you know, here and there
for like self care and to helpyourself and then just being
(41:08):
more mindful of like food.
I mean it's been proven that ifyou eat like fast food, like
McDonald's, like you're morelikely to be depressed and
that's 100% time.
That's proof.
So I would say like first thingwhen it comes to like health is
staying away from fast food.
Of course, it's okay here andthere, like I mean I've had
moments where I didn't want tocook and I go to Taco Bell.
Like I mean I've had momentswhere I didn't want to cook and
(41:29):
I go to Taco Bell.
We've all been there, but yeah,so that was that.
And then reading I like reading.
Speaker 2 (41:34):
I just started that again, yeah.
Speaker 1 (41:36):
Yeah, Reading.
I actually just finished a book.
It's called Remembering and ittalks about like memory and the
like scientific, like scientificneurology.
It was so interesting.
But reading has been sopowerful and I think it's
because it opens, it gives meknowledge, opens up my brain
versus like like reading socialmedia about like negative things
(41:59):
.
I try my best to stay away fromthat as much as possible.
You liked one of my reels whenI was talking about cats, Like I
was like you kind of have to.
And one more thing I know I'mlike my whole treatment is kind
of like this is a recent one,actually, and it's, um, certain
frequency beats like listeningto.
(42:20):
So my favorite artist, hername's nissa bear.
She came out with a song calledthis god cry and she kept
saying that it's going to behealing.
And in my head I'm just likeokay, like how is this song
gonna be healing?
Because, you know, sometimesyou listen to music and you're
like, okay, I relate, you know,but I'm like how is this like
gonna be healing me?
And she was talking about howit's like a 555 frequency, like.
(42:45):
So I was like okay, so Ilistened to it yeah, I was
listening to it.
Oh my god, I literally felt arush to my head, my body was
doing.
Yes, my body was doing thingslike by itself.
It was so crazy I was, I know,I'm like I'm literally laying
there.
I'm like I feel so much goingon in my body right now and I'm
(43:08):
like first, at first I thought Iwas having a seizure.
I was, it blew my mind so I waslike okay, like I.
First thing, I felt like mybrain kind of like scrunching a
little bit, but then I Googledit it's just blood flow.
My brain wasn't actually whoknows, but yeah, no, it helps me
, it regulates your nervoussystem and it takes you out of
(43:30):
fight or flight and I feel likedoing it in the morning, doing
it at night, like listening tothat song.
It's just, it puts me in astate of mind where I can think
clearly, where I just feelbetter, like I was.
Even like the first time Iheard it I felt like I had a cry
, which is a good thing too,because there could be some
stuff that is like in yoursubconscious that's trying to
get out.
That's the healing part.
(43:51):
And today I went to the gym andI looked at myself and usually
women we have like a celiac,like in the in the back of your
legs, for like aging, and suchit was gone like I don't have it
.
I mean, I don't have any likescientific, like proven, that it
was the song.
(44:12):
But I was trying to think likewhat changed in my lifestyle?
And I was thinking I was like,okay, well, my food it's still
kind of in the same level, likeI could be better.
And then like exercise, like Iwas slacking with exercising and
then stress, like I'm alwaysstressed.
But then I was like, oh wait,these last like three days I've
been listening to that song sooften that's really cool and I
(44:36):
was like online like googlingstuff and it's like, yeah, I can
, like it can increase likeblood flow and like stress
levels go down, and I'm justlike, oh my god, like she is not
lying, she said healing.
That is incredible.
Speaker 2 (44:49):
I'm so curious now I would love I'm gonna like.
Oh my god, like she is notlying.
She said healing.
That is incredible.
I'm so curious.
Now I would love I'm gonna try.
Let me look at something likethat.
Speaker 1 (44:54):
That sounds curious go listen to the song.
Speaker 2 (44:56):
It's a good song yeah , do you remember what it's
called?
Speaker 1 (44:59):
does god cry?
Speaker 2 (45:00):
does this god?
Speaker 1 (45:02):
does god cry?
Speaker 2 (45:03):
oh, does god cry yeah , her voice is so beautiful, I'm
telling you you just feel likeso beautiful, just a great
experience yeah um, mr steve, Idon't want to give too much more
into this conversation becauseI want people to go over to your
podcast to listen to it.
Your podcast, everyone can seeyou and learn more about it.
On your podcast called mentallya badass, you have a ton of
(45:23):
guests on there, so there'salways something to learn, even
if, like I said, it's notdepression.
There's so much going on outthere.
Um, before we, you know, wrapthis up, there are a couple.
Because this is a movie reviewpodcast, I have to bring movies
in at some point.
Um, I do have a list of likefour recommendations of movies
that have to do with mentalhealth.
You might have heard this.
You might have not heard ofthese movies.
Um, and this audience too, whoI found relief in these movies
(45:48):
and has found it veryinteresting, and, um, hopefully
someone is too.
The first one I got on the listis silver linings playbook with
bradley cooper and jenniferlawrence I've heard of it, about
I've seen it probably my top 10movies of all time.
You have to check it out.
It's about bradley cooper, whowalks in on his wife cheating on
him and he kind of like hebreaks, that's his mental break
(46:10):
and then he meets this otherperson going through mental
illness I believe her husbandpassed away, jennifer lawrence
and then they kind of meet eachother and they're kind of like
leaning on each other forsupport.
They're also learning to dealwith their own coping mechanism.
It's so interesting.
Robert denier's in there too umthe rain.
It's called rain over me, butrain r-e-i-g-n rain over me,
(46:32):
starring adam sandler and doncheeto.
A lot of people praise adamsandler's acting, for like um
yeah uncut gems, but this onehad me bawling janiece, bawling
my eyes out.
Adam sandler plays this guy whowas a father who lost his
family I believe it was in the9-11 terrorist attack and
because that you know like a lotof people set up walls to
(46:54):
prevent like memories coming in.
He definitely does that.
And don cheeto plays his highschool friend who not high
school, a college friend whoruns into him on the street and
he notices, like this guy's, heneeds help, he needs help
someone.
And it's about dealing,confronting your emotions like
it's such a powerful movie.
I cry every time I see thatmovie.
This one's a little bit newermovie King of Staten Island with
(47:14):
Pete Davidson.
It's about his real life.
Speaker 1 (47:17):
I heard of it and I've been wanting to see it.
Actually, I haven't yet.
Speaker 2 (47:21):
It's so funny that you talk about coping with humor
.
He definitely does that in thismovie.
Speaker 1 (47:25):
I know he does.
Speaker 2 (47:30):
He also in this movie .
I know he does, he also has bpdlike me, it's a great movie I
love pete davidson.
He thinks he's the coolest guyever.
Yeah, uh, the little last one Igot for you.
I hope a lot of people likethis one little miss sunshine.
Uh, steve carell's in that one.
That's the only one I canremember all the time ahead.
But that was like a road tripmovie but like there's a lot of
mental health problems withinthe family traveling in this van
, one of them is mute because hejust refuses to talk because it
was like I don't know if it'sdepression or anxiety or a
(47:52):
mixture of both, but uh, it'sdefinitely worth a watch.
It's a funny movie, that's,that has a happy ending you
should send me a list.
Speaker 1 (48:00):
Can you like text me the list after, because?
Speaker 2 (48:02):
I'm definitely going to yeah, please yeah, I need to
watch more movies and I don'tthink this is going to be the
last time you'll be on thepodcast.
We talked about having you backon for about like, not so much
of the same conversation we have, but like more of you helping
me review some mental health,but it might be those movies,
honestly, but that would be somuch fun yeah, yeah, where can
people find your podcast?
Speaker 1 (48:22):
mentally badass yeah, so it's on apple, spotify and
pretty much everywhere that youcan listen to your podcast.
It's also on YouTube as well,you post twice a week correct.
I do, yes, yes.
But also, if you just type inGoogle Mentally, a Badass, it's
going to come right up.
Speaker 2 (48:41):
Yeah, definitely follow your what's your
Instagram page so people canfollow you there too.
Speaker 1 (48:45):
So Mentally a Badass is at Mentally a Badass badass,
if they want to follow, like mypersonal one, it's at mentally
justine yeah, like I said,you're always interactive on
social media.
Speaker 2 (48:55):
You know people can look forward to like.
You know you like try to makethings light and funny, so
definitely keep an eye out forthat.
Miss justine, thank you so muchfor coming on this podcast.
It was great meeting you atpodfest.
I like to keep the connectiongoing with you.
Like I said, we're going to behaving you back on pretty soon.
I love your podcast, what itstands for and what you're doing
out there.
You and your business partnerare doing a great job out there
(49:15):
and you know, just one last time.
Thank you so much for coming on.
Speaker 1 (49:18):
Thank you so much for inviting me.
I had a good time.
Speaker 2 (49:20):
Yeah, yeah.
Thank you for listening to thisbonus episode.
I should be back on Monday witha regular scheduled program
with the next movie review andthank you for listening.
Stay tuned next week, ready 70seat.
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