Season 2 - Episode 3 - "Butterfly Tears" Ditch the Mask Audio Only podcast

Welcome Katherine from Butterfly Tears and Kisses blog in her debut video as our third guest to “Ditch the Mask.” Please find her video on our YouTube Channel, where you can also watch all of our Ditch the Mask Campaign videos.

Katherine sheds light on why she’s worn masks, as well as identifying why she felt they were put there in the first place. Stigma about mental illness has been a real conversation grabber in both our podcasts and throughout the first few “Ditch the Mask” videos we’ve done. Our hope, along with Katherine, is to rid the world of stigma through dialogue, showing our faces and having candid conversations about the reality of struggles with mental health.

Feel free to reach out the Katherine on her blog at: https://butterflytearsandkisses.com/

She’s also active on Twitter: BTearsandKisses

Podcast link

Video link

Season 1: Episode 54 - Retired Incident Commander of Valley Fire, Linda Green tells her story of PTSD

Linda worked on the frontlines and as an Incident Commander, where she put 30 years of her life on the line. Her podcast and book tell the story of her life, her struggles and what it’s like to live before, during and after as a California fire-fighter. She lives with PTSD and struggles with the stigma of mental health in the department, amongst friends and tells us her story.

You can find her at https://www.encouragegreen.com/ where she offers support and encouragement to others, after a career in fire-fighting or other service where PTSD could be present.

First responders struggles are real and her book outlines her 30 year career and offers hope, based on her real life experience. Find her book https://www.encouragegreen.com/book-launch

“I was blindsided. That’s probably the best way to describe how it felt, as a perfect storm of forces was brewing, never before experienced by any of us, and descended it’s wrath that day…and changed everything.” - Linda Green

Linda Green was the Incident Commander on the devastating Valley Fire, which destroyed almost 2000 structures as it burned across 76,000 acres in the CAL FIRE Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit, and the heartbreak of lives lost. But in the months that followed this life-altering traumatic event she refers to as “her fire”, she knew something was very wrong, even though life seemed to be marching on as always...until it wasn’t. The nuances were there immediately but were masterfully disguised by her well-worn habits of performance and responsibility. She didn’t yet realize her free fall had begun into her own personal “hellfire”. Linda was diagnosed with a Post-Traumatic Stress Injury just months before her retirement in 2016.

Podcast link

Season 1: Episode 53 - Tracey Maxfield Discusses her battle with depression, how she fell into "The Rabbit Hole," and her platform and advocacy.

Tracey Maxfield is doing all the things I dream about, she wrote a book about coming out of the Rabbit Hole of depression and is a speaker in schools across the globe. Her philosophy meshes with mine, help teach kids how to cope with the stresses of life, manage anxiety, emotions and how to breathe properly. Our school children are stressed out and you can gain a deeper understanding of her thoughts, listen to the podcast.

Podcast link

Tracey Maxfield RN., BSN., CDP., GNC©., DDS

Speaker, Educator, Consultant, Advocate, Peer Specialist

Author: Escaping the Rabbit Hole: my journey through depression

NAASCA Ambassador for B.C. Canada

Purple Angel Ambassador

Cell: 250-826-3535

imfirmier@outlook.com

www.traceymaxfield.com

https://www.instagram.com/imfirmier/?hl=en

https://twitter.com/TraceyMaxfield

https://www.facebook.com/escapingtherabbithole/?ref=bookmarks

https://www.pinterest.ca/imfirmier/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFfywD2Ql-4gghgzQ7hNrOQ

Season 1 Episode 52 - Dawnette Brenner - A Mindful Classroom means a more mindful world

It's me, Dawnette Brenner and I share my experience as a teacher using mindfulness in the classroom. We must make a change in this world, especially where our kids are concerned. #Mindfulness is part of my daily Mental Health check-ins and I'm supported and helped so many kids. Teachers, this is a call to action. Parents inform your teachers. We must get our legislation changed, mental health education/curriculum must be part of our teachers daily lessons. We must make room for it.

Be on the look out for a curriculum book soon to be released on TeachersPayTeachers and also through various publishers. I'll be offering training and a class to inform teachers how to incorporate this, it's so easy.

Season 1: Episode 50 - "Joy for Jan" founders Melanie and Krystal share their story and advocacy to raise 'suicide awareness' after their mother died by suicide

Melanie and Krystal founded "Joy for Jan,' after the grief of losing their mom to suicide. They have a blog, videos and products for sale, all supporting scholarships for kids making a difference in their lives.

Advocates and sisters, a dynamic duo, began in a small town. Check out their sites and enjoy listening to our podcast interview.

Check them out on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joyforjan

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joyforjan/

Website: https://www.joyforjan.com/

Podcast link:

Season 2 - Episode 2 - "Ditch the Mask" Campaign with Sam Dailey

Sam is a strong Mental Health advocate on Twitter and has been supportive of all people living with mental illness that he's come in contact with on Twitter. He lives with autism and proudly supports this community. He wears several masks and we talked about a few descriptors he's written on his mask for our “Ditch the Mask,” Campaign.

The Video vodcast will release on our youtube channel next week, so stay tuned for that. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6_NdPpIelddMoXjmKCaDp_z4akWdeTGM

His Poem:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MaddDawgDailey

Blog: https://maddawgvlogsblogspot.com/

Season 2 - Episode 1 - "Ditch the Mask" Campaign in 'The Rose Garden' in Berkeley, CA with Janna

Welcome to our introductory podcast for Season 2 of A New Dawn podcast.

We are here with, "Bipolar Mama of 3," as she ditches her mask, as my first video & podcast guest of season 2.

Please find the video version of this podcast on my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gs2-SAKPA_A

The importance of removing the social media mask she’s worn for several years was apparent during our interview. She’s still apprehensive, but yet well aware her bravery will help others. Thank you, Janna, for being the first, meeting you has been a joy. I’m hopeful for our future work together.

Vodcast of this podcast: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7jue8iV4cTwdyEFYESf_OQ

Watch our "Ditch the Mask," Introductory Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNzhkHCw2ZY&t=11s

Season 1 - Episode 49 - Sammie shares her story of being self-sufficient at a young age and living with bipolar disorder, depression, OCD, anxiety and childhood schizophrenia.

Episode 49 - Sammie shares her story of being self-sufficient at a young age and living with bipolar disorder, depression, OCD, anxiety and childhood schizophrenia. "My Brain Works Differently Than Yours"

She's been supportive of her autistic stepbrother and showed compassion towards her mom with her struggles. She calls herself the #blacksheep of the family.

Podcast link

Season 1 - Episode 48 - Jordyn of ChronicallyUnimaginable blog shares her story of being homebound and advocating for mental health

Jordyn shares her story of living with physical limitations and mental illness simultaneously. She runs a blog called "Chronically Unimaginable" and advocates to help others.

Her mission is to kick the stigma of mental illness.

Her mission: “The purpose of The Chronically Unimaginable is to inspire, encourage, lift up, and help others, whether chronically ill or not. We are an inclusive community whose aim is to be there for others emotionally. The goal is to empower others and to fight the stigma against the chronic illness, mental health, and disability communities.”

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Jordyn72758776

Facebook:

Instagram

Email: thechronicallyunimaginable@gmail.com