Mental Health Matters 🧠 - Ask me anything!

What's up, folks? Welcome to another episode of Evan has a cough for two weeks. No mental health matters. I'm Evan, your resident mental health and addiction therapist. And, yes, I'm still under the weather. It's been two weeks. This won't let up. I don't know what to do. Anyways. I got enough in me, though, that I could. We could do this. Yeah. So, today's a Q and a episode, answering any questions you have about addiction, about mental health. So I've compiled some questions here to answer that people have been asking me, some folks from Cadre or otherwise, some topics that have come up in my practice that I thought would be cool to share with you all.

However, hopefully, we get some folks coming in, we can continue the conversation and see if we could have a little bit of fun. Right? So, any other questions? So, remember, if you're watching this, if you have any question you want me to answer about addiction, about mental health, put it in the community feed. Tag me. I will see it go on. One of my videos. I have 100 plus videos on a million topics in this. Oh, what up, Erie, Pennsylvania? How's it going, speaker wonder? Hey, JFJ. All right, we got some folks coming in.

I love it. So, yeah, community feed. Go on. Any of my videos, comment, tag me. I will see your question. We'll answer it next time. So if anyone who's coming in, if you have questions, feel free to ask. Otherwise, I brought some topics to the table. Let's see if I could avoid coughing as much as possible. Where do we begin? First little public service announcement. So, if you're on here, I want you to ask yourself, and I want to ask you. Oh, that's a good one. Holidays. Oh, yes, yes, yes. You asked me to do that.

Let's put that on there. Good one. So let's see. So it's the 19th. So by next week. So we'll have Christmas. Yeah. So we should definitely talk about that today. Maybe we could focus on that, because I won't have another live before Christmas. That's a good point. So I want you to know, anyone who's on here, anyone who's watching, I want you to ask yourself, am I doing coaching at Cadre? And if the answer is no, I want you to really think about it, because there are so many really good creators, especially look at the creators who have newer videos, there's a good chance that they will be doing coaching.

So whatever that is, whether it is mental health, addiction, whether that is financial, spiritual, any guidance that you want, we have such a diversity of different creators, and our coaching is beyond affordable. So if you're interested, go check it out. Don't wait, try it out. That's what this app is all about. It's coaching, whether it's through videos, our live streams, but also one on one is one of the best ways to do it. So any your favorite creators, you love their videos, see, check about their availability.

And if not, there's probably someone similar who could do coaching with you. So check that out. Anyway, so let's talk about holiday burnout. So there's this time of year we have here that's essentially thanksgiving through New Year's, right? So we got about like a month and a half, give or take period. That is just immensely stressful. Now, let's talk about some of the reasons why, especially from a mental health person, right? We have coordinating all of this, right? So it's like all of a sudden, maybe you're hosting and you have to decide, okay, where am I going to go for all these things?

I have family that are in different parts of the country. These family don't get along, or I got divorce parents. I got to go here, I got to go there. So even just like coordinating all this stuff on top of your busy schedule. Yeah, that's stressful. But I mean, I think sometimes in families we have a lot of baggage. And so it's a lot of the people that I work with, folks who've been through trauma, folks who have been through contentious family issues. Yeah, that is really stressful. And it could bring up a lot.

It could be very emotionally activating to be in these situations. Looks like it's snowing in Pa. No snow here. I'm looking at a barren ground. So only had a couple flurries so far. So that's another reason holidays are stressful financially for a lot of folks, too. You gotta feel compelled to get a lot of gifts and spend money on this. That could be stressful. So all this together, you know, really does add up for folks. Now, for some of the folks that are most vulnerable, you know, folks who struggle with addictions, mental health, or just anyone in general.

Right. Stress plus vulnerability equals disorder. Oh, yes, I missed that one. Yes, that is huge too. Part of those family dynamics, grief and loss. Oh, yeah, I should have thought of that too, because I've had a lot of people I've been talking to where they're like, yes, it's been hard because it's the first year that we're not at Grandpa's house. So it does bring up a ton. So thanks. I missed that. If there's anything else I miss, I'm sure there's others. Your widow. Yes. The empty chair phenomenon.

I've heard a lot about that from folks this year. Should have thought of that. I'm not operating at full capacity, but. So, yeah, so I was saying, some of the folks that can be most vulnerable, a lot of clients I work with, with addictions. Right. The relapse rates are just absurd. And every year we're dealing with this, and I'm just seeing it time and time again, and we have so many relapses and just everyone is so stressed. Right. In my industry because of all of the stress that equates to our clients being more stressed, to having more needs and having us, you know, try to provide the resources that we can.

All right. So I think we adequately got more soft than I thought. Throat's all dry. I don't think coffee's helping. So what are some of the solutions? I mean, it's just kind of that mental health maintenance, that self care. Are you in therapy? Do you have a coach? Do you have a Cadre coach? Is anyone doing coaching? Raise your hand. Or is anybody interested in coaching, raise your hand. I'll tell you how to do that. If you're involved on this app, why not go as deep as possible? I'm doing coaching so many others.

So the mental health maintenance, if you have that professional support in any way, try to lean on that a little bit harder. You know, our support system, our friends and family, we got to stop thinking that we're a burden in any way. Remember that if you had a friend, a family member that needed your help, that you'd be there for them, they'd be there for you, too. So if you need it, cash in on that and lean a little bit harder on your friends and family, the ones who are most supportive of you.

That's huge. The daily self care, getting enough sleep, keeping that exercise routine, that's actually another stressor for a lot of people is, you know, those who struggle with weight management or struggle body image issues. A lot of us do. All the eating is on our minds, too. So your mom passed in October, and you're in grief constantly. Oh, that's so cool that they were able that they offered that service. So I'm glad you're doing that. I know we've talked about that before, so I think that's excellent that you're doing that and getting some of that professional support, that's a great example.

But coaching on Cadre, do it. So, yeah, so taking care of ourselves, being healthy, exercising, you know, being mindful of all that, you know, maintaining our health. So it's really just all the things that are good for us in general. All the things that are what get us by that give us meaning. Joy. Having something to look forward to, you know, I guess it's according to thanksgiving, but having some gratitude, we're finding it. Going out of. Out of your way to find those positive things where you can.

Can always be helpful, too. Yeah. Having that thing to look forward to. I think combining all those, what else am I missing? Tell me what helps you all, because I'm always going to be missing one or two things. So, yeah, if you could think of that, let me know as well. So I think that's my guide for, you know, getting through the holidays, taking care of yourself, your physical health, your mental health through professionals, your support system, finding some gratitude and something to look forward to.

That's what I come up with off the top of my head, I'm sure something I'm missing. And eat some good food, you know, let yourself. Give yourself a break. I think that's another one, too. Give yourself a break. Speak, wonder what do we got? What are you raising your hand? Are you doing coaching? All right, so what's another topic we could hit? So we did holiday burnout right now, for me, it's reminding myself how much my mom loved Christmas and the beauty of it. Okay. Yeah, that's a great thought to have.

And it's, I think again, we've talked about that on here. As far as grief of loss, is that balance of, you know, not just moving forward but leaning into our emotions and allowing ourselves to feel. It's part of being human and taking care of ourselves and not pushing these things away and stuffing these things down. And that's what really helps the healing process, these rituals that we have. Right. If you look at different cultures, every culture has thing hydrated. Yeah, I think I could learn take from that page right now, that's for sure.

My throat is drier than the Sahara. So, yes, if you look at, like, different cultures, like every culture has its own, like, healing process. They have their rituals when somebody passes away, you know, and it's not. And it's. And that's the purpose is to move on, to find meaning in their passing. And, you know, depending on how spiritual, religious you are, having that concept of what happens afterward and finding solace in whatever that belief is. So every culture is going to have that. And, you know, I think a lot of times we've moved away from that and that's fine.

Got too. If you're atheist or whatever, your belief is so important to practice those rituals and almost all of them, almost all of those rituals, almost all those rituals bring people together. That's the most important thing. Bringing people together, surrounding the ones who are in grief and coming together as a community. So you do coaching in a sense, weekly on the community feed with my Tuesdays food for thought post. That's awesome. I've seen that. That's great. We appreciate that. Your engagement and that's what Cadre here is about too.

It's about community, about coming together. So we got to promote that as much as possible. And one of the ways of doing that is posting in the community feed. Whether it's good, bad, need help, something to offer. So I think let's leave it there. I think we'll just leave it about the holidays and taking care of ourselves and the grief and loss process. Because I don't know how much more I got in my voice left here. Anyway, I'm gonna go drink some water. Speak wonder. I'm going to take your advice.

I'm going to go drink a whole bunch of water, maybe get a little snack, maybe sneak a workout. I haven't always had this thing of being sick. I barely worked out because I always feel worse after I do. So I think I'm starting to feel better enough that I can maybe do a little light one and get back into my routine. The routines that keep me sane. Anyways, folks, it's been real. Thanks for those who came in. Junk food junkie speak wonder for participating. If you have questions, put it in the community feed.

Tag me in one of my videos or just comment. I'll see it. You'll be doing coaching next year. O ginger tea I may have some of that lying around. I like that idea. So yes, start coaching in the new year. Let us know how that goes. Tell us about your experience too, and let's promote that for others. Hot ginger tea all right folks, love it. Love you all. Take care. Oops.