Bunny Hugs and Mental Health

This episode originally aired April 23, 2022. January 2016 Chad lost his little sister Chandra, her husband Jordan, and their two kids Kamryn and Miguire to a drunk driver, Catherine McKay. Catherine survived the crash with a few minor bumps and scratches. Chad talks about his heart break in his new book Surviving the Crash. In writing his book, Chad met with Catherine's children. Chad's capabilit...

Lisa's idilic family was devastated when her 18 year old daughter was taken in a car crash. Grieving the loss of a child seems like an impossible task. How did Lisa manage to be a wife to grieving husband and mother to a grieving son and still be able to process her own emotions? There were little or to no external supports for her so Lisa has created a support to help others. Today Lisa Boehm is...

Laura Lawrence is an author, speaker, bodytalk practitioner and the founder of the non for profit organization Youth Matter in Melfort Saskatchewan. Last year I was lucky enough to be a guest speaker at their mental health symposium for youth. This year I recorded parts of the event for the podcast. The style of this episode is different than any other I've done. This episode an audio documentary...

How does a young, attractive girl go from a drama and trauma free, well to do southern California family to being trafficked? How does a trauma riddled sex worker go from 16 years of the streets and addiction to being an inspiration? Christina bravely gets vulnerable and tells her story. Follow Christina on TikTok and Instagram @majorchristina89 Topics in this episode include sexual trauma and abu...

Martin spent 17 and a half years in prison for killing 2 people while driving under the influence. Did Martin learn from those mistakes, why did a reporter refer to his crash as a 'palpable irony' and what are Martin's thoughts on the prison system in America? Go to Martin's website at https://www.martinlockett.com/ to find his writings and to hire him for speaking engagements. follow Martin on In...

Dr Tim Lewis has written a new book Daddy: A Son's Reckoning with Personal and Collective Trauma in America. As a young adult, Dr Lewis overheard his father kill his mother and then take his own life. In our discussion he explains the circumstances behind that event, his PTSD from it, his CPTSD growing up with abuse and his father's PTSD as a WWII veteran. Today he is a psychologist helping others...

Shane suffers from misophonia, the disorder that drives people to fight or flight mode when hearing certain sounds. In the past it affected his relationships, work and his mental health. Today he has strategies and tools he uses when triggered. Listen to find out more about Shane's journey and how he copes. Topics in this episode include depression, anxiety, misophonia FOLLOW BUNNY HUGS AND MENTAL...

You may have seen James on the wildly popular Netflix series, Love on the Spectrum USA, where folks on the autism spectrum try to find love. James discusses with me a bit about his time on the show, challenges he's endured in school, work. love and Star Wars. James is an incredibly sweet soul with lots of love to give! You can follow him on Instagram @jamesbjones87 Topics in this episode include b...

Amy is the author of her new book, Raising Amy. At 10 years old Amy lost her family and moved in with a friend of her mother's. Her new family however, was anything but hospitable to a young, grieving and defiant girl. At 16, strange men scooped her from her bedroom in the middle of the night with the permission of her guardians. Why and what happened next? You can purchase Raising Amy at https://...

Two years ago Ashley lost her brother to a drug overdose a couple hours after he was released from the hospital. Shayne had asked for help with detoxing and his addiction while there. Ashley tells what happened that day, why there was no inquiry done, and what she wants changed. She also talks about her foundation she has started called Laugh Now Cry Later. You can follow it on Instagram @_laughhn...

Brad Keck grew up in a broken home. He was bounced back and forth between his parents, grandparents and extended family, eventually ending up in a foster group home for children. What happened in all those homes? Why did no one make him feel wanted and how did that affect his adult years? I went to school for a couple years with Brad and always wondered about him. Then one day I saw his name in an...

How do you move forward after losing a child in a car crash that you were a driver in? How do you move on after your husband blames you and leaves you not long afterwards? How do you stay supportive and present for your surviving child while processing the traumatic events? How do you live your life when it all changed in the blink of an eye? This was Raycine's reality. Topics in this episode incl...

Jenn knows the pain of losing a teen to suicide. Her Son Dayton was only 15 when he passed. The pain was too much for her husband Curtis to take and, 18 months later, he too took his own life. Jenn tells her story in hopes that decision makers will begin to prioritize mental health services and to let others know that it is possible to continue life after a tragedy. The number of suicides and over...

What sounds better than meeting someone, falling in love and marrying them? That's what happened to Nick Thompson on season 2 of the hit Netflix reality series Love is Blind. Nick and his wife quickly realized however, that being on the show wasn't what it was all cracked up to be. They exchanged horror stories of unethical production practices while filming and once the series aired, their lives...

When Giselle met her first husband it was love at first sight. They were a typical young, small town couple who worked hard and played hard. It wasn't long before occasional red flags for Giselle turned into a constant nightmare. One night it all came to a head and things ended in tragedy. Today Giselle tells her harrowing story to inspire others in abusive relationships to find a way out and to p...

From the age of 6 Isabelle suffered panic attacks, anxiety and depression. In her teens she lived with suicidal ideation to the point she had a plan. What stopped her and how did she become healthy enough to be a social worker and counselor? Check out Isabelle's counselling services here https://www.mtrecoveryfamilytherapy.com/ Topics in this episode include Anxiety, depression, suicide, trauma FO...

Angela is one the stars of the extremely funny and clever HBO show, The Rehearsal. Creator Nathan Fieder takes ordinary people and puts them in extraordinary circumstances in order to 'rehearse' a basic life choice...Trust me, its amazing. As one of those ordinary people, Angela found her life to be anything but once the show aired. We discuss substance abuse, trauma, cults, faith and horrific onl...

Stephanie is a passionate and compassionate equine therapist that works mostly with youth. We discuss what equine therapy really is, how it may be more helpful than traditional therapies and why it works. You can watch a short documentary about Stephanie and her practice, Success Ranch on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RXVuAhkLkk and check out her website at https://dsltherapies.ca/ To...

Rob is an exceptional human. He over came loss, abuse and severe addiction to now offer free counselling to folks on the street. Listen to his incredible journey and be inspired! Topics in this episode include abuse, trauma, addiction, depression Be sure to enter to win a CO-OP gift card! This week’s question -   Email your answer to bunnyhugspodcast@gmail.com FOLLOW BUNNY HUGS AND MENTAL HEALTH o...

Jake and Emily are a loving couple and they both suffer from a cluster B personality disorder. Jake lives with antisocial personality disorder, Emily, borderline personality disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder. They also collaborate and create together. Their Instagram account @antisocialtheatre is full of creative content. Jake writes and Emily directs short movies about their experiences...

Mike was involved in a terrible accident that left his head crushed and his face disfigured. For years afterwards he suffered anxiety, depression and agoraphobia. After years of suffering he managed to find acceptance and became empowered to tell his story. Today he inspires and encourages others to live their best lives. Follow Mike on Instagram @titanium_mike110 Topics in this episode include tr...

Jacob is a diagnosed with narcissistic personality disorder and he wants to educate the world with what it's like living with it. It turns out that like most other disorders, folks diagnosed with NPD suffer. Weather you are also diagnosed, you know someone diagnosed, or you just want to know more about NPD, Jacob's experiences and TikTok videos are priceless information. You can follow Jacob on Ti...

Terry and Anita are no strangers to depression and anxiety. Not only do they have their own mental health journeys and struggles but they are also co-hosts of the podcast Giving Voice to Depression. You can check out their podcast here https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/giving-voice-to-depression/id1208566376 Topics in this episode include depression, anxiety, suicide, chronic fatigue. FOLLOW B...

Will is an advocate and author. In his new book, One Step Forward: Ideally in the Right Direction, Will explores his not always pretty journey with mental health. We discuss his journey, how he pulled his way out of the dark and what he does to stay in the light. You can find Will's book here https://www.amazon.com/One-Step-Forward-Ideally-Direction/dp/B0C2SMM54Y Follow Will on Instagram at mental...

Keana was suffering extreme anxiety, panic and depression. She stayed in the local psychiatric ward numerous times where they tried numerous treatments, including electroconvulsive therapy, to keep her symptoms at bay but nothing was working. Eventually ketamine treatment became an option. Topics in this episode include anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation. FOLLOW BUNNY HUGS AND MENTAL HEALTH  ...