ALL THAT WONDER

!Trigger Warning!

In this week’s episode, Tamara chats with 4 lovely ladies, each who has dealt with their own mental health struggles. They each talk about their own experiences, what their illnesses looked like, what their support system or lack of support system was, and how they cope with everything that has or is happening in their lives. Some of these women have to continue to live with this for the rest of their lives, while others have found resolve. 

1. Ashley Bishop talks about being diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD) after being misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder (which is very common) at a very young age. She explains what BPD is; a severe mental illness with no real medication, but shared symptoms with anxiety and depression. Losing her mom, grandmother, and aunt, and being sexually assaulted, that led her to feel lost and alone. She talks about how she received her first diagnosis after trying to attempt suicide as well as the forms of therapy she's gone through. 
2. Queen Dee, from the Queen Mindset, talks about going through highs and lows in her mental health, dealing with trauma, and how that severely affected her mental health to the point where she needed to take extended time off from work as well as being diagnosed with depression and anxiety. They talk about how we’re so affected by mental health and how that can affect our work which in turn makes that hard to communicate with peers and our managers. Dee has gotten to a place where she understands how she reacts to her triggers and how these experiences have thought her to be resilient.
3. Audra Allen, a single mom of two kids speaks about her experience of getting diagnosed with Post Partum Anxiety after she had her daughter and her experience of manifesting signs of anger towards her daughter. She talks about taking a holistic approach at first, but then finally having to turn to medication. She was originally diagnosed with Post Partum Depression, which was later diagnosed as Post Partum Anxiety when she showed signs of anger. Audra talks about how it took her 4 years for her body and brain to really feel an emotional connection to her daughter and the double-edged sword feelings of not feeling like she could fully utilize the resources of a therapist without fear of them possibly wanting to take her kids away from her. 
4. Shannon Sarussi shares her story of living with chronic anxiety for years, an experience she never thought she would get out of. She talks about what anxiety felt like for her, how that was trauma that built up inside of her, and going through the trial and error of changing up her lifestyle to be in a better place today where she understands how things (like caffeine and sugar) can trigger her. She is finally in a place where she wouldn't consider herself as having anxiety. 

Check out the @atwonderpodcast Instagram page to see more on these incredible human beings!

!Trigger Warning!

In this week’s episode, Tamara chats with 4 lovely ladies, each who has dealt with their own mental health struggles. They each talk about their own experiences, what their illnesses looked like, what their support system or lack of support system was, and how they cope with everything that has or is happening in their lives. Some of these women have to continue to live with this for the rest of their lives, while others have found resolve. 

1. Ashley Bishop talks about being diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD) after being misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder (which is very common) at a very young age. She explains what BPD is; a severe mental illness with no real medication, but shared symptoms with anxiety and depression. Losing her mom, grandmother, and aunt, and being sexually assaulted, that led her to feel lost and alone. She talks about how she received her first diagnosis after trying to attempt suicide as well as the forms of therapy she's gone through. 
2. Queen Dee, from the Queen Mindset, talks about going through highs and lows in her mental health, dealing with trauma, and how that severely affected her mental health to the point where she needed to take extended time off from work as well as being diagnosed with depression and anxiety. They talk about how we’re so affected by mental health and how that can affect our work which in turn makes that hard to communicate with peers and our managers. Dee has gotten to a place where she understands how she reacts to her triggers and how these experiences have thought her to be resilient.
3. Audra Allen, a single mom of two kids speaks about her experience of getting diagnosed with Post Partum Anxiety after she had her daughter and her experience of manifesting signs of anger towards her daughter. She talks about taking a holistic approach at first, but then finally having to turn to medication. She was originally diagnosed with Post Partum Depression, which was later diagnosed as Post Partum Anxiety when she showed signs of anger. Audra talks about how it took her 4 years for her body and brain to really feel an emotional connection to her daughter and the double-edged sword feelings of not feeling like she could fully utilize the resources of a therapist without fear of them possibly wanting to take her kids away from her. 
4. Shannon Sarussi shares her story of living with chronic anxiety for years, an experience she never thought she would get out of. She talks about what anxiety felt like for her, how that was trauma that built up inside of her, and going through the trial and error of changing up her lifestyle to be in a better place today where she understands how things (like caffeine and sugar) can trigger her. She is finally in a place where she wouldn't consider herself as having anxiety. 

Check out the @atwonderpodcast Instagram page to see more on these incredible human beings!

In this episode, I'm catching up with my bestie Harvey. I remember when I first met Harvey. It was at work in New York. We instantly became friends. I thought everything was good. Nothing about him seemed off. He seemed happy. Then one day, I couldn't get in touch with Harvey.... we'll talk about this

Trigger warning! A conversation we're both no stranger to talking about with each other
The audio is a bit off but, the message is clear

This episode was recorded back in January 2021

What we discuss in this episode: 

• Both of us having anxiety and panic attack from the news and all the things happening in the world and how these things consume you 
• The importance of taking mental breaks as far as what is happening in the world
• We talk about our friendship and a specific instance when Harvey went missing for a few days 
• Harvey discusses his learning process of his own mental illness and how he manages it 
• How his depression went from situational to clinical. Not treating it made it get worse
• What his symptoms looked like 
• How his depression led to suicidality and him taking his own life (he was dead for minutes)
• We discuss the different stages of suicide and being shamed by others for feeling suicidal 
• Harvey's experience of giving into suicide, what gave him the will to finally live and the journey after
• Going through therapy to relive his trauma and coming to the realization that he's had more traumatic experiences than his mind allowed him to remember
• Harvey recounts his experience of what it felt like when he died and whether he believes in life after death

Let's normalize

• Checking in with people, even those who seem so strong
• Crying as therapy 
• Talking about mental illness and our own mental health 

Get in touch with Harvey @harveychampagne

In this episode, I'm catching up with my bestie Harvey. I remember when I first met Harvey. It was at work in New York. We instantly became friends. I thought everything was good. Nothing about him seemed off. He seemed happy. Then one day, I couldn't get in touch with Harvey.... we'll talk about this

Trigger warning! A conversation we're both no stranger to talking about with each other
The audio is a bit off but, the message is clear

This episode was recorded back in January 2021

What we discuss in this episode: 

• Both of us having anxiety and panic attack from the news and all the things happening in the world and how these things consume you 
• The importance of taking mental breaks as far as what is happening in the world
• We talk about our friendship and a specific instance when Harvey went missing for a few days 
• Harvey discusses his learning process of his own mental illness and how he manages it 
• How his depression went from situational to clinical. Not treating it made it get worse
• What his symptoms looked like 
• How his depression led to suicidality and him taking his own life (he was dead for minutes)
• We discuss the different stages of suicide and being shamed by others for feeling suicidal 
• Harvey's experience of giving into suicide, what gave him the will to finally live and the journey after
• Going through therapy to relive his trauma and coming to the realization that he's had more traumatic experiences than his mind allowed him to remember
• Harvey recounts his experience of what it felt like when he died and whether he believes in life after death

Let's normalize

• Checking in with people, even those who seem so strong
• Crying as therapy 
• Talking about mental illness and our own mental health 

Get in touch with Harvey @harveychampagne

This week Tamara chats with Shaun Coffey, co-author of the book Boys Do Cry,  a Case Manager and long-time trauma, addiction, and recovery addict about mental health and picking yourself back up once you've hit bottom. 

What to expect from this episode

• Shaun was once deemed chronically homeless and heavily involved in drugs from a young age 
• He was raised by his dad, who had schizoaffective disorder, bipolar and manic depression, which created a rough childhood and living environment for him where he was abused 
• He, himself, had undiagnosed ADHD until he was 38 years old 
• Dad didn't believe in him showing weakness or emotion as a child, which left him feeling locked inside of his own body 
• As an adult, it was difficult to deal with his emotions
• He grew up without his mother and spent a majority of his life hating her due to manipulation from his father
• Joined the military as a means to make his father happy, but was later removed due to his mental health 
• After his father passed away, he finally felt he could heal
• With the life insurance money, he got heavily involved in drugs and got messed up with the wrong crowd 
• He talks about his struggle with imposter syndrome and how the feedback from his book changed his outlook
• He talks about his journey of going into therapy and a program that has helped him discover and love himself 
• What does success mean to Shaun and if he could go back and change one thing what would it be
• We discuss the power and the impact of letting men feel their emotions 

What you can learn from this episode

• The rug phenomenon - when someone always promises you something and then pull a rug from under you over and over 
• How to better understand your trauma responses
• Not every therapist is for you and you need to take the time to find the right one for you
• The importance of learning  your own lessons in life 
• Not to be afraid of confrontation and face that fear head-on because you never know what you can learn from that moment 
• How you can be part of the solution of mental health stigma and just being kinder to those around you 

To learn more about Shaun, check out his website

This week Tamara chats with Shaun Coffey, co-author of the book Boys Do Cry,  a Case Manager and long-time trauma, addiction, and recovery addict about mental health and picking yourself back up once you've hit bottom. 

What to expect from this episode

• Shaun was once deemed chronically homeless and heavily involved in drugs from a young age 
• He was raised by his dad, who had schizoaffective disorder, bipolar and manic depression, which created a rough childhood and living environment for him where he was abused 
• He, himself, had undiagnosed ADHD until he was 38 years old 
• Dad didn't believe in him showing weakness or emotion as a child, which left him feeling locked inside of his own body 
• As an adult, it was difficult to deal with his emotions
• He grew up without his mother and spent a majority of his life hating her due to manipulation from his father
• Joined the military as a means to make his father happy, but was later removed due to his mental health 
• After his father passed away, he finally felt he could heal
• With the life insurance money, he got heavily involved in drugs and got messed up with the wrong crowd 
• He talks about his struggle with imposter syndrome and how the feedback from his book changed his outlook
• He talks about his journey of going into therapy and a program that has helped him discover and love himself 
• What does success mean to Shaun and if he could go back and change one thing what would it be
• We discuss the power and the impact of letting men feel their emotions 

What you can learn from this episode

• The rug phenomenon - when someone always promises you something and then pull a rug from under you over and over 
• How to better understand your trauma responses
• Not every therapist is for you and you need to take the time to find the right one for you
• The importance of learning  your own lessons in life 
• Not to be afraid of confrontation and face that fear head-on because you never know what you can learn from that moment 
• How you can be part of the solution of mental health stigma and just being kinder to those around you 

To learn more about Shaun, check out his website

In this week's episode, Tamara chats with Chatiela Underwood; Author, Life Coach, and Motivational Speaker. They discuss dealing with and living with someone with mental illness, specifically focused on PTSD. 

What to expect in this episode:

• Chatiela talks about her memoir and her experience of falling in love with someone who completely changed after his time in Iraq, developing PTSD
• Reminds people that regardless of their hardships, you are not alone, but the best option is always to seek counseling
• Tamara & Chatiela dive deeper into PTSD, its impact on those in the military, and the lack of resources to help the magnitude and masses of people suffering from it
• PTSD is not just widespread in the military, but also for civilians and can go undiagnosed or underdiagnosed 
• The signs and symptoms to look for in case you think you have PTSD
• Chatiela discusses the impact of being with someone who has a mental illness and how that can sometimes rub off on their partner 
• Regardless of how strong you feel or think you are, seek help because if you don't get assistance, it could manifest in other areas of your life 
• After her partner committed suicide, she was left as a single mother but had to remain strong and stay mindful for herself and her kids, while becoming self-aware
• Her experience of getting into a relationship with a new partner that also suffers from PTSD and what that experience was like for her, while having previous experience that made her more equipped this time around 
• The impact her partner's suicide had on her son
• Mental Illness is real, sometimes people are afraid to be labeled, but by accepting their illness they can work towards healing 
• The effects of the pandemic on mental health, especially on kids 

Important Message for Everyone

• Check-in on people because you never know what people are going through
• If you or someone you know, feel like they may be suffering from a mental illness, please seek help

To learn more about Chatiela, check out her website, and please support by checking out her book Eyes Wide Shut

In this week's episode, Tamara chats with Chatiela Underwood; Author, Life Coach, and Motivational Speaker. They discuss dealing with and living with someone with mental illness, specifically focused on PTSD. 

What to expect in this episode:

• Chatiela talks about her memoir and her experience of falling in love with someone who completely changed after his time in Iraq, developing PTSD
• Reminds people that regardless of their hardships, you are not alone, but the best option is always to seek counseling
• Tamara & Chatiela dive deeper into PTSD, its impact on those in the military, and the lack of resources to help the magnitude and masses of people suffering from it
• PTSD is not just widespread in the military, but also for civilians and can go undiagnosed or underdiagnosed 
• The signs and symptoms to look for in case you think you have PTSD
• Chatiela discusses the impact of being with someone who has a mental illness and how that can sometimes rub off on their partner 
• Regardless of how strong you feel or think you are, seek help because if you don't get assistance, it could manifest in other areas of your life 
• After her partner committed suicide, she was left as a single mother but had to remain strong and stay mindful for herself and her kids, while becoming self-aware
• Her experience of getting into a relationship with a new partner that also suffers from PTSD and what that experience was like for her, while having previous experience that made her more equipped this time around 
• The impact her partner's suicide had on her son
• Mental Illness is real, sometimes people are afraid to be labeled, but by accepting their illness they can work towards healing 
• The effects of the pandemic on mental health, especially on kids 

Important Message for Everyone

• Check-in on people because you never know what people are going through
• If you or someone you know, feel like they may be suffering from a mental illness, please seek help

To learn more about Chatiela, check out her website, and please support by checking out her book Eyes Wide Shut

In this episode, Tamara chats with Courtney Stark, CEO & Founder of Courtney's Corner, LLC, which focuses on impacting lives and giving businesses and entrepreneurs the platforms to allow their stories to be heard. 

What to expect in this episode:

• Courtney discusses his experience as being known as the sick kid in high school
• He developed pseudotumors, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure as a teenager, but because he was young he didn't really register the gravity of his situation and instead normalized his sickness
• Tamara & Courtney discuss the implications of not being educated enough about your health, and the lack of information from medical professionals in the Black community
• Courtney talks about his experience after high school when his kidneys shut down, but still not understanding the severity of his situation until he needed to get dialysis and was denied a transplant because he could die
• He goes through his experience of playing the blame game and going through a depression
• Then finally getting to a place where he needed to take responsibility and accountability for his own sickness
• By finally taking accountability and shifting his mindset, he was finally able to get a kidney transplant
• He discusses how this brought him to start his company to empower people to be better and more educated about their health & lifestyle

What can you learn from this episode:

• The importance of educating yourself about your body, its functions, the things that make you sick, keep you sick, and the impact of big corporations on your health and well being 

To learn more about Courtney and his company, visit his website or Instagram page

In this episode, Tamara chats with Courtney Stark, CEO & Founder of Courtney's Corner, LLC, which focuses on impacting lives and giving businesses and entrepreneurs the platforms to allow their stories to be heard. 

What to expect in this episode:

• Courtney discusses his experience as being known as the sick kid in high school
• He developed pseudotumors, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure as a teenager, but because he was young he didn't really register the gravity of his situation and instead normalized his sickness
• Tamara & Courtney discuss the implications of not being educated enough about your health, and the lack of information from medical professionals in the Black community
• Courtney talks about his experience after high school when his kidneys shut down, but still not understanding the severity of his situation until he needed to get dialysis and was denied a transplant because he could die
• He goes through his experience of playing the blame game and going through a depression
• Then finally getting to a place where he needed to take responsibility and accountability for his own sickness
• By finally taking accountability and shifting his mindset, he was finally able to get a kidney transplant
• He discusses how this brought him to start his company to empower people to be better and more educated about their health & lifestyle

What can you learn from this episode:

• The importance of educating yourself about your body, its functions, the things that make you sick, keep you sick, and the impact of big corporations on your health and well being 

To learn more about Courtney and his company, visit his website or Instagram page