Tag: adhd

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#34 Making Rap Music As Therapy

making rap music as therapy mental health podcast

Dillon and Wesley are a rap duet who perform under the names Weslex and MySYN. Wesley and Dillon took different paths through life.  Whereas Dillon was the broody kid a little withdrawn from others, writing poetry and coming from a broken home.  Wesley was the sociable, happy kid making everybody laugh. Despite different paths, their church brought them together. Wesley’s determination to make a hip-hop record lead them to record “A Really Bad Mixtape”, an album that deals with depression, dysthymia and bipolar. There they discovered making rap music is therapy.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 44:24 — 21.6MB)

In this episode of Silent Superheroes, Wesley and Dillon share their different paths to diagnosis. They also talk about how they started making music together, and the role of music as therapy in their lives.  Finally, they reflect on what they’ve learned through this journey and offer hope to those who are suffering but not yet diagnosed.

Links

  • Mood Swings Pt. 1 (song)
  • Depression 101 (song)
  • A Really Bad Mix Tape (album)
  • Wesley on Soundcloud (profile)

About Bipolar

Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition that causes big mood swings. For example, emotional highs called mania or hypomania, and lows called depression. On the other hand, bipolar disorder used to be called manic depression.

When depressed, bipolar patients may feel sad or hopeless and lose interest in most activities. Then, when the mood shifts to mania, patients may feel happy, full of energy or unusually irritable. These mood swings can affect sleep, energy, activity, judgment, behavior and the ability to think clearly.

Episodes of mood swings may occur rarely or multiple times a year. While most patients will experience some emotional symptoms between episodes, some may not experience any. Although bipolar disorder is a lifelong condition, patients manage mood swings and other symptoms by following a treatment plan. In most cases, bipolar disorder is treated with medications and counseling.

Getting Support

Remember, the people you hear on Silent Superheroes are sharing their own views about mental health and mental illness. They are not giving advice. For that reason, please consult with your care provider before making a change to your treatment plan.

It’s important to take your mental health seriously. Consequently, if you need to speak to someone you can call 1-800-273-8255, or text crisistextline.org on 741741. Both provide 24×7 confidential counseling to people in the United States. Worldwide visit http://iasp.info/resources/Crisis_Centres/

Because you listened to the  podcast, you can help others find it by leaving us a review on iTunes. Or if you don’t use iTunes, leave a review on your favorite podcasting service.

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#24 Calming the Tornado of ADHD

tornado of ADHD mental health podcast

From time to time, I get requests through LinkedIn from people I don’t know to go for coffee.  I often decline but sometimes my curiosity kicks in and I say “Yes”. When I got Jim’s message, something piqued my interest, and I said Yes.  We arranged to meet at Miro Tea in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood. On the day of our meeting, I’d been in a depression for several days and was feeling pretty miserable.  I bought a pot of green tea with two cups and waited for Jim to arrive. Eventually he walked in and looked around, trying to find the stranger he’d never met. I remember he was wearing a knit cap.

Listen To Episode 24

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 53:53 — 31.4MB)

Show Notes

Blind business meetings are a tricky business.  Will you have anything to talk about? Fortunately it was Jim who started asking the questions.  His questions were insightful and more powerful than I’d expected from a typical “business get to know you meeting”.  After a while, Jim started to share his own story including his experience with the tornado of ADHD and his time spent in a Buddhist monastery studying under well-known Buddhist teacher Thich Nhat Hanh.  Suddenly I understood why he was asking such good questions. I understood why he was so patient and curious.

By the time our hour was over, I could feel my depression lifting.  There was something about Jim, his authenticity, his presence and his calm that helped ground me and brought me back into the real world.  I mailed him later and asked him to share his story on the show.

In this episode, Jim shares his personal journey, from leaving Vietnam on a military plane to the USA to leaving the University of Washington and moving to Hawaii to escape anxiety and depression.  Finally, ending up living for a year in a Buddhist monastery.

On the way, Jim shares why he played truant for 45 days and what happened when he was caught. He reflects on a series of geographic and work changes that fed the tornado of ADHD and how that made his Anxiety and Depression worse.  He explains how a near death experience led him to pursue peace at a monastery. Finally, after calming the tornado of ADHD, Jim shares why he left the monastery and what career he discovered that could use what he had learned.

Links

  • Peace Is Every Step – Thich Nhat Hanh (book)
  • Being Peace – Thich Nhat Hanh (book)
  • When Things Fall Apart – Pema Chodron (book)
  • The Wisdom Of No Escape – Pema Chodron (book)

About ADHD

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a chronic condition that affects millions of children and often continues into adulthood. ADHD includes a combination of persistent problems, such as difficulty sustaining attention, hyperactivity and impulsive behavior.

Children with ADHD may also struggle with low self-esteem, troubled relationships and poor performance in school. Symptoms sometimes lessen with age. However, some people never completely outgrow their symptoms and experience ADHD at work. But they can learn strategies to be successful.

While treatment won’t cure ADHD, it can help a great deal with symptoms. Treatment typically involves medications and behavioral interventions. Early diagnosis and treatment can make a big difference in outcome.

Getting Support

Remember, the people you hear on Silent Superheroes are sharing their opinions about mental health and mental illness. They are not giving advice. For that reason, please consult with your care provider before making a change to your treatment approach.

It’s important to take your mental health seriously. Consequently, if you need to speak to someone you can call 1-800-273-8255, or text crisistextline.org on 741741. Both provide 24×7 confidential counseling to people in the United States. Worldwide visit http://iasp.info/resources/Crisis_Centres/

Because you listened to the  podcast, you can help others find it by leaving us a review on iTunes. Or if you don’t use iTunes, leave a review on your favorite podcasting service.

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#9 Accepting Yourself and Accommodating Employees – ADHD

accommodating employees with adhd

“I don’t want to be anybody else, I want to be me.” – Scott

Scott is part of an active ADHD community on Twitter, focusing on ADHD advocacy in the UK.  It was while working as an online bingo presenter a colleague suggested he might be on the autistic spectrum, and that suggestion put Scott on his path to his ADHD diagnosis.  Now, Scott is no longer content with “fitting in” and isn’t going to apologize for his ADHD. Because of this, Scott advocates on behalf of the ADHD community for greater acceptance of the condition and the people who live with it.

Listen To Episode 9

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 49:58 — 24.4MB)

Show Notes

In this episode, Scott walks us through his journey from disruptive kid, through cruise host, online bingo caller and customer service in a call center. We also talk about the US and UK mental health care systems, concluding that they’re different and neither is good.  Scott tells us about his movie “Misunderstood”, currently in development, about a character with ADHD. Finally, Scott and I discuss his communities answer to the question “How could employers do a better job of accommodating employees with ADHD?”

Links

About ADHD

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a chronic condition that affects millions of children and often continues into adulthood. ADHD includes a combination of persistent problems, such as difficulty sustaining attention, hyperactivity and impulsive behavior.

Children with ADHD may also struggle with low self-esteem, troubled relationships and poor performance in school. Symptoms sometimes lessen with age. However, some people never completely outgrow their symptoms and experience ADHD at work. But they can learn strategies to be successful.

While treatment won’t cure ADHD, it can help a great deal with symptoms. Treatment typically involves medications and behavioral interventions. Early diagnosis and treatment can make a big difference in outcome.

Getting Support

Remember, the people you hear on Silent Superheroes are sharing their opinions about mental health and mental illness. They are not giving advice. For that reason, please consult with your care provider before making a change to your treatment approach.

It’s important to take your mental health seriously. Consequently, if you need to speak to someone you can call 1-800-273-8255, or text crisistextline.org on 741741. Both provide 24×7 confidential counseling to people in the United States. Worldwide visit http://iasp.info/resources/Crisis_Centres/

Because you listened to the  podcast, you can help others find it by leaving us a review on iTunes. Or if you don’t use iTunes, leave a review on your favorite podcasting service.

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#5 Getting OK With Being Good Enough – ADD & Depression

add at work mental health podcast

Richard is a Program Manager living with ADD and depression.  In this episode, Richard walks us through half a lifetime with undiagnosed ADD at work.  His journey to diagnosis starts out as the smart kid who could finish his homework in five minutes and ends as an adult taking on too much responsibility to get the rush of feeling valued.  As a result of “acing” the lab test for ADD, Richard is on a different journey. The journey to getting OK with being good enough.

Listen To Episode 5

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 53:12 — 36.1MB)

Links

About ADD

Attention-deficit disorder (ADD) is a chronic condition that affects millions of children and often continues into adulthood. ADD includes a combination of persistent problems, such as difficulty sustaining attention, hyperactivity and impulsive behavior.

Children with ADD may also struggle with low self-esteem, troubled relationships and poor performance in school. Symptoms sometimes lessen with age. However, some people never completely outgrow their symptoms and experience ADD at work. But they can learn strategies to be successful.

While treatment won’t cure ADD, it can help a great deal with symptoms. Treatment typically involves medications and behavioral interventions. Early diagnosis and treatment can make a big difference in outcome.

Getting Support

Remember, the people you hear on Silent Superheroes are sharing their opinions about mental health and mental illness. They are not giving advice. For that reason, please consult with your care provider before making a change to your treatment approach.

It’s important to take your mental health seriously. Consequently, if you need to speak to someone you can call 1-800-273-8255, or text crisistextline.org on 741741. Both provide 24×7 confidential counseling to people in the United States. Worldwide visit http://iasp.info/resources/Crisis_Centres/

Because you listened to the  podcast, you can help others find it by leaving us a review on iTunes. Or if you don’t use iTunes, leave a review on your favorite podcasting service.

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#4 Feeling Sad Or Feeling Nothing – Depression & ADHD At Work

adhd at work mental health podcast

Jared is a Systems Engineer working in the technology sector. In this episode of Silent Superheroes, we learn that depression distorts Jared’s visual perception of the world and how ADHD is a problem of time management not attention. Jared’s long inventory of medication leads to a discussion of side effects and the complexity of self-monitoring. We discuss how Jared’s interrupt-driven job dictates his priorities and helps him manage ADHD at work, and how keeping busy distracts him from depression. But with systems engineering comes night shifts, and being disconnected from people let his darker thoughts and depression creep in.

Listen To Episode 4

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 56:53 — 32.4MB)

About ADHD

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a chronic condition that affects millions of children and often continues into adulthood. ADHD includes a combination of persistent problems, such as difficulty sustaining attention, hyperactivity and impulsive behavior.

Children with ADHD may also struggle with low self-esteem, troubled relationships and poor performance in school. Symptoms sometimes lessen with age. However, some people never completely outgrow their symptoms and experience ADHD at work. But they can learn strategies to be successful.

While treatment won’t cure ADHD, it can help a great deal with symptoms. Treatment typically involves medications and behavioral interventions. Early diagnosis and treatment can make a big difference in outcome.

Getting Help

Remember, the people you hear on Silent Superheroes are sharing their opinions about mental health and mental illness. They are not giving advice. For that reason, please consult with your care provider before making a change to your treatment approach.

It’s important to take your mental health seriously. Consequently, if you need to speak to someone you can call 1-800-273-8255, or text crisistextline.org on 741741. Both provide 24×7 confidential counseling to people in the United States. Worldwide visit http://iasp.info/resources/Crisis_Centres/

Because you listened to the  podcast, you can help others find it by leaving us a review on iTunes. Or if you don’t use iTunes, leave a review on your favorite podcasting service.