Mental Note

Most people assume athletics and healthy bodies are synonymous. But the truth is much more complicated. For researcher Traci Carson, sports were her world - from elementary school through college she excelled at soccer, track, football, and women's rowing. But a dark side of competition prompted her to get off the field and into a doctoral program for epidemiology to study the link between female...

Author Alisa Kennedy Jones woke up to a seemingly normal day, oblivious to the fact that it was the last day of her "normal" life... No stranger to tough jobs, Alisa had worked hard to build a thriving career as a copywriter and brand strategist for the likes of Tommy Hilfiger, General Electric, Coca-Cola, Disney, and Marvel. Yet, as she headed out the door, her vision swirled and she lost all abi...

23 - You! Every year in honor of Eating Recovery Day , we flip the script and devote our whole show to the recovery letters of those who listen. Today you'll hear from people in recovery, family members, service providers, and other loved ones. You finding your voice on the road to recovery is why we make this show — it's an absolute honor to give you a platform! email: mentalnote@eatingrecovery.c...

What if your story has the potential to reshape the world? Cheryl Strayed is the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling memoir Wild, the New York Times bestsellers Tiny Beautiful Things and Brave Enough, and the novel Torch. Her books have been translated into nearly forty languages around the world and have been adapted for both the screen and the stage — winning numerous awards along the wa...

Have you ever felt crippled by anxiety and the traumatic effects of life? If so, join us for this enlightening episode as we hear from McCall Dempsey (you may remember her from episode #14). She shares the process of choosing to stay in eating disorder recovery even in the midst of depression, trauma, and PTSD. Cultivating the art of coping allowed her to thrive in extremely difficult situations a...

Johanna Kandel grew up the daughter of parents who survived the Holocaust and with roots in deep poverty - traumas that continued to shape her life even though she was born long after they occurred. We explore how her body image issues and eating disorder unfolded and why it took years to receive a diagnosis and find treatment. We also discuss helpful steps to getting a diagnosis if a medical prov...

It takes an incredible amount of will, talent, and work to become a major league baseball player. So why did the former catcher for the Seattle Mariners, Mike Marjama, give it all up to share his story? This special Q&A with Mike and his mom takes a look at how we can better equip each other to live full lives, accomplish great things, and rethink traditional masculinity.  Mental Note is  sponsore...

Before starting your New Year's diet, you'll want to check out this episode as we dip our toes into the world of Christie Dondero Bettwy. After a long history of dieting to get others' approval while also falling into an eating disorder, she is fighting back against assumptions about "health" that hurt people far more than they help them. Along the way, we also speak with nutritionist Dr. Ralph Ca...

What happens when your child is diagnosed with an eating disorder? Where do you go for help? How does it affect your community? When Beth Ayn's daughter received a diagnosis of anorexia, she set out on a journey that led her to unexpected places. Eventually, she took those lessons and turned them into Stay Strong Virginia  - a non-profit that helps other parents in similar circumstances.  Mental N...

Binge Eating Disorder is grossly underdiagnosed and can leave dramatical devastation in its wake. So how do you find your way in a culture that makes it so difficult for us to rise above diets, shame-based choices, and self-hatred?  We sit down with Andy McLoughlin and talk about his lifelong journey to shed the darkness of his disorder and embrace a fulfilling life.  Mental Note is sponsored by E...

Sunnie never knew she had OCD. Rather, this mom of six simply soldiered on – doing her best to ignore the disturbing voices in her head. That is until a diagnosis finally opened her eyes to a whole new world where she could be free from her mental prison.  Join us as we journey with her through the process of dividing her own identity from that of the disorder. Along the way, we'll discover just h...

There once was a 14-year-old girl named McCall who didn't know how to fit into her own body. Her resulting sadness launched a 15-year long journey through the pitfalls of dieting pills, along the cliff edge of weight loss to the point of an eating disorder diagnosis, down the narrow path of making a choice to recover, and into the breakthrough of discovering an antidote to shame. Along the way, we...

We often deal with firsthand stories on this podcast and what happens when a person finally decides to tackle a seemingly insurmountable mental health illness. But what about those who walk alongside such a person in struggle? Where's their story?   Well, on today's episode, we're taking the opportunity to celebrate Father's Day by talking with a pretty amazing dad.  David   Bachman  is the father...

Just imagine feeling out of place in your own skin — that the actual physical container of your person just doesn't mesh with what you know to be true. It would mean that every time you changed clothes, met new people, or went out in public, the world around you reminded you that while you may identify as one way, you definitely look another.  Today, we're sitting down with Ryan Sallans - an autho...

On this special episode, we listen to you in celebration of Eating Recovery Day on May 1st! The responses we got from your gratitude letters were simply too good not to share and we wanted to present them back to you, allowing their power to speak for themselves. You are truly incredible and we love being part of the recovery community.  Also, if you would still like to join in the #myrecoverylett...

On today's episode, we are sitting down with Shannon Kopp. She made it through a family divided by alcoholism, personal struggles with bulimia, and into a future where she is thriving – all with the help of some friends who barely understood a word she said, yet generously gave the love they had with wet noses and furry kisses.  Check out our website for a free values sort! mentalnotepodcast.com A...

We all see the dramatic photos of celebrities looking toned and thin immediately following the birth of their child... Is that really what we should strive for? Join us as we talk frankly with Lauren Hill about her experiences with body image and pregnancy. We'll discuss what's most important for our bodies and our family during and after birth, how partners, friends, and family can support us bes...

Professional athletes gain or lose potentially millions of dollars based on the way their bodies look and perform. But what happens when the pursuit of perfection shipwrecks your life? Patrick Devenny walks us through how he suddenly found himself — a 6'3", muscled, and fine-tuned athlete — facing a diagnosis of bulimia… and how he was able to dig his way out. Along the way we talk with Rebecca Mc...

Ana Agarrat fills up the room. She's bubbly & gregarious—the type of person that, upon meeting her, you assume she's one of those people who has it all together. Yet, perceptions are misleading. Discover the upending world of Bipolar and learn how Ana has found a new sense of equilibrium and purpose in her life through a strong support system, letting go of perfection, and cultivating valuable ski...

The holidays are not always Hallmark-card-perfect. Sometimes they are just as much a reminder of who we have lost in our lives as those we are grateful to have. Join us as we talk with Laura and her Mom, Mary Ellen, about how to honor loss and make space for hope in our holiday celebrations.

Robyn Cruze has lived an adventurous life to say the least — an actor from an early age, she's chased big dreams, failed in even bigger ways, and not only survived but has discovered a fullness of life she never thought possible. Now in recovery, Robyn is a published author, invested Mom, and recovery advocate living in Denver, CO. Her journey teaches us about the comorbidity between substance use...

How often do you associate binge eating with trekking to the top of the highest peak in Africa? We thought so... Join us as we talk with Kara Richardson Whitely, author of the book Gorge, about her lifelong journey towards recovery from Binge Eating Disorder and it's ramifications in her life. She'll take us from the roots of her disorder, all the way up to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro as we dig int...

Life for someone like Eric Dorsa can look pretty fabulous. He's one of San Antonio's hottest drag queens, his TED talk has been viewed over 240,000 times, and he has a host of people who love and support him daily. Yet, getting to this place proved far from easy. Along the way he had to grapple with a life threatening eating disorder, drug and alcohol abuse, and an underlying self hatred that cont...

Kelli's life seemed perfect from the outside : mother of two, active in church, a successful career, and loving husband. However, her story is a little more complicated than that. She's 8 years into recovery after nearly 30 years of anorexia, alcohol addiction, over exercise, depression and suicidality. She's seen it all and still believes that it's never too late to take your first step toward he...

Meet Mental Note – a new podcast highlighting both the work and the beauty of mental health recovery. Stories will span a variety of mental illness struggles, introduce you to relatable personalities, and dive deep into how they chose health amidst daunting illnesses. At the end of it all, we will provide hope that recovery is possible—and worth it.