Male Mental Health Podcast

“Don't Take Anything Personally. Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won't be the victim of needless suffering.”-Don Miguel Ruiz

"John Cacioppo, Ph.D., and colleagues at the University of Chicago actually measured the electrical output of the cerebral cortex to demonstrate that, across a variety of situations, negative information leads to a swift and outsize surge in activity. One hurt lingers longer than one compliment. Nevertheless, the ability to rapidly detect bad news and weight it so heavily, Cacioppo says, evolved for a very positive reason—to keep us out of harm's way.”https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/articles/201311/the-power-no

This episode we spoke with a dear friend of mine Brian. The conversation covers his struggles with mental health, being admitted into a Behavioral Health Unit, and what he does to stay the course!

Alan watts, a writer and 20th century philosopher once wrote:“Why don't you really know what you want? There are two reasons that you don't really know what you want. Number one: you already have it. Number two: you don't know yourself, because you never can. The Godhead is never an object of its own knowledge, just as a knife doesn't cut itself, fire doesn't burn itself, light doesn't illuminate itself.”To summarize… it's not your job to understand, know, and control everything. The sooner you accept and surrender to this… you are truly free.

Of the 15% of American adults who are both single and looking for a committed relationship or casual dates – most say they are dissatisfied with their dating lives and that it has been difficult to find people to date67% percent of those American adults report dating is “Not going well” and 75% of that same population found it somewhat/very difficult to find people to date in the last year.-Pew Research Centerhttps://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2020/08/20/nearly-half-of-u-s-adults-say-dating-has-gotten-harder-for-most-people-in-the-last-10-years/https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2020/02/06/the-virtues-and-downsides-of-online-dating/https://www.mind-your-reality.com/everyone-is-your-mirror.html

I've had very little exposure to hallucinogens or psychedelics.  I've never had any interest in tripping balls or anything of the sort. I was terrified before my first season. I cried, hugged my brother (who is my sponsor), and expected to meet god. My anxiety was through the roof. So to that… My experience with Ketamine has been incredible.  Remember that Ketamine is a tranquilizer, so the first thing you feel is very… well… tranquil and relaxed.

A study conducted by The Medical University of Vienna with a population of male suicide survivors found that, “some (men) reported that the adherence to masculine norms meant that sometimes the feelings associated with being vulnerable were more anxiety-provoking than the thought of being dead.” They felt that the feeling Emasculated was worse than death!WORSE THAN DEATH.Citations:https://www.menshealth.com/uk/mental-strength/a25773236/stop-pretending-that-being-a-man-is-simple/

Forgiveness is incredible for every aspect of your life from physical to mental health, your career to your love life, interpersonal to inner peace. Remember, forgiveness is a gift you give to yourself. It DOES NOT require that you are willing to be disrespected. Rather, it's a deep introspection into yourself and a patience and empathy for others. You are saying… I know I've been wronged… but I am not a victim.Link to articles quoted:https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/topic/forgiveness/definition

Gratitude is related inversely to depression, and positively to life satisfaction. This is not to say that “depressed people” should simply be more grateful, as depression is a very complicated disease and a struggle for millions of people. Instead, perhaps gratitude practices need to be a part of the therapy and treatment for people who struggle with depression.”“What is Gratitude and why is it so important” -positivephycology.com

OTHER PEOPLE ARE F****** EXHAUSTING. Your grandmother, your college buddy, your wife, your coworker, your kids, your father, etc… they are all exhausting. Interacting with other people is draining. It doesn't matter how much you love the other person, or how much patience you have for them, you need time apart. TIME APART IS THIS IS A GOOD THING.

Today we spoke with and incredible soul, Ryan. Ryan knowing he has feelings towards other men, still married a cis women. This is not an uncommon thing and is a true manifestation of the stigma gay individuals feel. Most are required to lie to themselves and others to avoid confrontation, hate, or worse... violence. 

“Sometimes the only answer people are looking for when they ask for help is that they won't have to face the problem alone.”– AnonymousThat's really at the crux of the problem with this podcast. Only those willing to identify and fulfill their need for help will be the ones who are ready for it. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't force it to drink. Instead, give it some peanut butter and let it fibber jaw like a goofball.

I am not a writer. I've been fooling myself and other people.—John SteinbeckFor those of you who don't know John Steinbeck wrote the Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men, he won a pulitzer prize, he graduated from Stanford. This only goes to show that even as accomplished as a man like Steinbeck was… he still felt like he was pretending.

“Listen to your body. Do not be a blind and deaf tenant.“-George A. SheehanTo me this speaks to a strange existential  truth…That our minds are simply a giant pile of jelly controlling a tall meat sack we call a body. What Sheehan is asking of you is not to simply control your meat sack. But to listen to your meat sack. Which is to say, the aches and pains of your body are trying to give feedback to your brain. 

Benjamin Franklin once said...“He that can have patience can have what he will.”Benjamin Franklin, although not perfect… unless being perfect is to be a connoisseur of french prostitutes, clearly was not only a scientist, an intellectual, but also a philosopher. He's saying, and quite eloquently, that in enough time we can do anything. We can manifest any outcome we want.

Dance like nobody's watching, because honestly people don't care. Shoot your shot, if you're shot down or fail, no one is going to remember, care, and ruminate over it… except you… but only if you choose to. That should be a truly freeing realization.

“All of us have an innate desire to make people happy, especially the people we love. By refusing to accept others' offers, we deny them the chance to do something good for us.”-Janice L. Pascual of Tinybuddha.com

“Motivation and inspiration” is typically a bullshit poster hung on the wall of your highschool counselor's office that shows a picture of a  dog trying to catch a ball and the subtitle reads “You're pawfect! Never give up! Persevere!” thats cute and all but… it doesn't say anything reallyI think Surbhi S of Keydifferences.com said it best. Motivation is a driving force, whereas Inspiration is a pulling force.

There are two inner voices, the negative, loud, materialistic asshole that is your egoic mind. And the tranquil, peaceful, kind voice which we'll call our Is-ness.  One voice the speaks the truth, the other is a parasite that can't exist without you subconsciously feeding it. This parasitic voice feeds in the darkness, growing until you cannot discern between it and yourself. This voice is your ego.

Money doesn't buy you happiness? Bullshit. Money is energy. It's time we understand the true worth of money... to take care of ourselves.