Shaping Identity

In this episode of Shaping Identity I explain the current situation my family and I find ourselves in. Tackling hard issues while sober is quite difficult. I talk about my wish to numb all the feelings associated with the current predicament I find myself in. It's hard to know what the future holds, but my family's well-being... well... it erodes. 

In this episode of Shaping Identity, I share a bit about my mom's history. This episode is dedicated to trying to give voice and understanding to some of the hardest experiences my mom has faced and how it has contributed to shaping her identity. I share stories from her past that she has shared with me, and I try to come from a place of understanding when explaining some of the defining moments of her journey. 

In this episode of Shaping Identity - I share many, many strategies I use when feeling anxious or depressed. I'm sharing this very long, but not entirely exhaustive list in hopes that it helps others determine some strategies that may work for them. Maybe it will spark an idea or aid in recognizing some of the things you're doing as strategies. This episode is a long one, but I hope it helps someone!

This episode of Shaping Identity is pretty scattered. It's primarily about experiences with my mom. I share about the conflicting feelings I have in my relationship with my mother. I also discuss the difficulties of having parents battling mental illness or addictions. I was feeling a little rough and out of it- so the episode is reflective of that! 

In this episode of Shaping Identity I recount a specific time that I had a really hard time taking care of myself. I offer my experience and tips for what got me through some of those times. This is an extra vulnerable episode!

I also make a shout out to my favourite mental health Instagram account - @memesformentalhealth 

I apologize in advance because when I edited this episode- I somehow made it so I'm talking super fast.  

In this episode of Shaping Identity, I interview a guest! The guest is someone who is a personal and professional helper in their community. They were integral to my personal recovery journey but many others as well. I take this opportunity to pick their brain and ask what others can do to best support their loved ones with mental illness, addictions, or recovery! 

In this episode of Shaping Identity I talk about the difficulties of the holiday season, grieving the loss of someone whose lost themselves, and core beliefs. This episode does speak briefly about suicide and offers a contact number for Canadian residents who may need help. 

In this episode of Shaping Identity, I talked about how I pushed my best friend out of my life with my aggression and inability to express myself. Over 20 years of friendship was lost and my hope with this episode is that it will help someone else not make my mistakes. 

In this episode of Shaping Identity, I share the steps I took to admitting I had a problem and what helped in those first couple of days. I will highlight what worked for me and how getting sober was the only option I had in order to start feeling better. 

In this shorter episode of Shaping Identity- I dive into some low moments in my addictions journey. I share a lot of shame, a lot of vulnerability. I also give some information on suicide ideation in the form of "passively suicidal". The stories of my mental illness and addictions journey continue on my road to recovery.