Shower for the Soul

With the news of Vince's retirement, I thought it would be appropriate to share some stories involving the boss man, Vincent Kennedy McMahon. We share a tale from an airport that has to do with a washroom stall and Pat Patterson. How he told a WWE legend that he looked stupid and what he expects WWE talent to act at parties.  There are too many Vince stories to share in one episode. Look out for a second part to this.

We're back from our summer hiatus and we're plunging right back into the stories from the squared circle. This week, a special look at the once-in-a-lifetime wrestler, and human being, Scott Hall. He wasn't perfect and he owned it. He did what was right for the business and for himself. We share stories from outside the ring. A softer side of Scott Hall, if you will. 

In this Father's Day edition of the show, I share an open love letter to wrestling. It has been since 1985 since I have been watching it, and before any memorable angle, or wrestler, the number one reason why I have so much love for wrestling is because of the bond I was able to form with Dad.  I share a couple of the earliest memories I have with wrestling and pops and pen an honest, thoughtful note to the squared circle. 

Welcome to the debut episode of Everything I've Learned in Life, I've learned from Wrestling. My name is Shane Fame Alexander and I'll share with you various stories from inside and outside the squared circle and how they have influenced my life.  In the debut episode, I take a look at one of my favourite quotes ever. From none other than the Macho Man Randy Savage. 

We're back from a short hiatus and Happy 2022! We know it's been a bit so Shane jogs our memory on what happened before the break. He then gets into his summer and how personal tragedies triggered misophonia got him back into old depressive habits.     

Hi, it's Shane. Before our 6th episode of Fight or Flight drops this week, I thought I'd give you a bonus episode. A few weeks back, I wrote an article for Misomatch. The article looks at how can we, as misophonia warriors, alter the way we think of misophonia and if it'll be here with us for the rest of our lives. I go deep into my struggle and I might drop a tiny spoiler for you. Be warned. Please enjoy this bonus episode of Fight or Flight....and Happy 2022!

We'll get back to our story next week. This week, it's a special edition of Fight or Flight. Shane talks how depression and anxiety intertwine with his misophonia. It has been a long, dark journey for him as he gets brutally honest on the last two years.  The moral of this story is that there's people are always out there to listen. In case you're having trouble coping, there's hotlines and websites you can consider contacting to chat.  Here are a few:  Assaulted Women's Helpline - 1.866.863.0511 Mental Health Resources for Indigenous Peoples --1-855-242-3310. Canada Suicide Prevention Service - 833.456.4566 Shelter Safe - Sheltersafe.ca/Findsupport Women and LGBTQ - 855.554.HEAL (talk/text) Kids Help Phone - 800.668.6868 or text TALK to 686868    

Now that 2020 is behind us, Shane welcomes 2021 with promising possibilities. But they soon get demolished by arguments and another round of misophonia. Shane is in lockdown battling the second round of his debilitating disorder. 

Shane moves out. It's October 2020 and life is okay. He's getting used to his new abode. There's work drama but gets help from his upstairs neighbour - the same neighbour that might be the one that brings back his misophonia. Shane also shares some advice with his fellow misophonia warriors.   

In the second episode of Fight or Flight, Shane talks about when the `fight' part of Fight or Flight began. We travel back a couple of years back to the fall of 2019 and travel to the uncertain days of the lockdown of 2020. Shane also chats about a recent call from his doctor. Could this call have anything to do with the misophonia? 

Welcome to the debut episode of Fight or Flight. Podcast host Shane Fame Alexander shares his turbulent travels throughout the past few years in this uncertain ride of having misophonia. In this debut episode, Shane shares how he believes he's always had misophonia. He tells us why.     

Hi, it's Shane. What you might not know is that I (think I) have misophonia. I say that in an uncertain tone because see, misophonia isn't recognized as...anything. Yet. They've been doing research on this for two decades.    Here's how the website, Disabled World explains it; “Misophonia is a sound sensitivity disorder that is not well understood and is rare. It is characterized by an extreme aversion to certain sounds. The disorder may occur in both children and adults from any age group.”   There are triggers. There's a lot of anger. There's a lot of frustration. They call it 'fight or flight'. And it's a bear to deal with. Since my triggers are from sounds upstairs from my basement-dwelling,, I need to wear headphones for 80% of the day. It's rough. It's demotivating. It's depressing.    And I'm not the only one that's feeling like this. There are others. While this makes me feel comforted that I'm not the only one suffering from this, it also makes me sad that others are needing to battle this debilitating disorder every day.    This is why I'm doing this. I host two podcasts on mental health. I'm a proud mental health advocate. But, today, I would like to officially announce that I would like to be your misophonia advocate. I'm working on a podcast about misophonia. It's called Fight or Flight.  I'm reaching out to see if my fellow misophonia warriors would like to hop on the show to chat about your triggers, coping mechanisms, and misophonia stories. We'll meet over Zoom for less than an hour and have a chat.    Send me a DM and we'll go from there. Or, email me directly at hostshane@gmail.com.    #misophonia #misophoniawarrior #misophoniaawareness  #mentalhealth #fightorflight 

On May 29th, 2020, I woke up at around 3am, as usual, and checked out Twitter. Tweets were all about the riots that happened the night before. I couldn't go back to sleep. I needed to do something. I needed to do a show about this. I needed to make my voice heard.  Podcasting is all about storytelling - one reason why I love it so much. But what was the story I was going to tell here? I didn't want it to be a news type of episode where I blabbered off facts and numbers and the typical lines. I wanted to make a difference, in my own way and to make people realize how long this has been happening.  I thought back to the days when I was obsessed with learning everything I could about Malcolm X and Martin Luther King. They were my guys. I thought of this one time when I was talking to my dad and how I said that I felt safer in the world knowing that Malcolm and Martin made it better for me and my family.  This is the story I wanted to tell. It won me a runner-up prize in a contest last year sponsored by Rode Microphones.  So, here it is, again for you because we need to be reminded. Here is the Rinse episode from 2020, We Shall Overcome. 

Welcome to the second season of Rinse. Short impactful episodes focussing on health, wealth, and self.  We kick off the second season by looking at Misophonia. Not very many people know about it. Can someone actually hate sounds? What happens when they hear these dreadful sounds and why do they have these reactions? Shane takes a deep dive as he suffers from it too.    If you would like to help Shane with his virtual Walk and Talk for Mental Health on May 29th, check out his official team page here. 

We're back and Shane's flying solo this week. We take a trip back to a year ago when this whole COVID thing started. Has anything REALLY changed? How's your mental health been and how has it differed from when we went into lockdown in March 2000? Shane also takes a trip down memory lane talking about the recent passing of one of his radio heroes, Dick Smyth.    Shane wants you to join his team this year for the Defeat Depression Virtual Walk and Talk for Mental Health. Join and/or donate here. Shane will fill us in about this, too.    Let's get social. Find Shane here: Facebook  Fame and Friend's official Instagram Shane's personal, amusing, Instagram account  

Angele D'Alessio of the Canadian Mental Health Association speaks with Shane about Bounceback. Its "a free skill-building program managed by the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA). It is designed to help adults and youth 15+ manage low mood, mild to moderate depression and anxiety, stress or worry." For more information on Bounceback, go to  https://bouncebackontario.ca/

News and mental health. 2020 has been packed with headlines that haven't been the best for any of our health. But when is it too much? And what's the responsibility of the newscasters to inform us with credibility and sensitivity? We sit down and chat with broadcaster Michael Hainsowrth about this. 

On our first year anniversary episode, Shane welcomes back Cory Chadwick from The Mental Gym. This time they're talking goals. How do you reach them and what do you do after you reach said goal? The guys talk about it and share their own goal conquering tales. Find more Cory hereFind more info on Check up from the Head up here.

In the season premier episode of Shower for the Soul, Shane is returns and shares what he did during the hiatus.  We also welcome friend of the show, Cory Chadwick to the show where we chat about leaving our comfort zones in order to live your 10.  Find more Cory at here. 

We're back with our July installment of Rinse. Robin Williams would've turned 69 this week. Shane takes a look into mental health in the entertainment industry on a global scale. K-Pop, Bollywood and Hollywood have their sad stories and what are they doing now to help their performers?  We examine this. 

Wrapping up our series on psychedelics and mental health, Shane looks at LSD, man and what a huge pharma company is doing with it. We also hear from Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary on why he's investing in the future.  

In this very special episode of Rinse, Shane looks on how we'll overcome the senseless tragedy that transpired in Minneapolis and the riots that followed. Quick answer: it's in the next generation and us teaching them now. Spreading love, not hate, in this special Rinse report.

In the second part of a three part series, Shane looks at microdosing. What exactly is it and what are the good and bad sides of this new type of way of curing depression.

In the first part of a three part series, Shane looks at the influence Timothy Leary had on people looking at drugs as legit treatment for mental health.  

Welcome to Rinse a brand new podcast from the host of Shower for the Soul, Shane Alexander. On this debut episode Shane looks at how our favourite artists have battled through mental illness. 

On the season finale of Shower for the Soul, Shane looks at the good that's happening around the world amid COVID-19. Shane also chats with Todd Devlin of Defeat Depression London. To find out more on Defeat Depression, go here. And for more information on Daya, check out their website here.  This weeks episode of Shower of the Soul is brought to you by BetterHelp.com. If you feel that you need to speak to someone, try Better Help. Go here to get 10% off your first month.

Licensed Professional Counsellor, Ahmed Butt joins the show this week talking about mental health and COVID-19. Shane and Ahmed talk about the  ramifications COVID took take on those that suffering from anxiety or depression. We also chat about if big business' should take a page from WWE's playbook in their handling of this years Wrestlemania. Is it true that the show must go on?  This weeks episode of Shower of the Soul is brought to you by BetterHelp.com. If you feel that you need to speak to someone, try Better Help. Go here to get 10% off your first month.

Still covering COVID-19, this week Shane examines the influence music has had on the world while battling this unknown pandemic. It's also the return of Shane's Journal where Shane reads an entry from 2014.  Find more information on Canadian band, The Fringe Dwellers, here.  This weeks episode of Shower of the Soul is brought to you by BetterHelp.com. If you feel that you need to speak to someone, try Better Help. Go here to get 10% off your first month.

In a very special episode of Shower for the Soul, Shane helps us make sense of COVID-19. 

What are you supposed to do when a separation from your spouse kicks off a downward spiral of unfortunate happenings? Keep your head up and moving forward. And that's exactly what this weeks guest did. Shane sits down with Andrea in this inspirational International Women's Day episode of Shower for the Soul. While the story is heavy, it has an ending full of accomplishment and strength.   To find more information on Anova, check out their website here.  This weeks episode of Shower of the Soul is brought to you by BetterHelp.com. If you feel that you need to speak to someone, try Better Help. Go here to get 10% off your first month. 

Shane welcomes the legendary Erin Davis to Shower for the Soul. The two chat about their love for radio and share stories of grief and how they used radio to get over loss. Erin talks about being sober for just under one year and how her book, Mourning has Broken, helped her through the sudden passing of her daughter.  To find all things Erin Davis, check out her website. Grab her book, Mourning has Broken, here.  This weeks episode of Shower of the Soul is brought to you by BetterHelp.com. If you feel that you need to speak to someone, try Better Help. Go here to get 10% off your first month.

This week on the show, Shane shares his thoughts on the Netflix documentary, Taylor Swift: Miss Americana. Shane explains why it's important to understand the female brain in order for all of us to take care of our mental health. We also cover why it's imperative for guys to talk to each other about their feelings. And another tale about Liberty and Shane in Shane's Journal.  This weeks episode of Shower of the Soul is brought to you by BetterHelp.com. If you feel that you need to speak to someone, try Better Help. Go here to get 10% off your first month. 

And we're back....  On the season premier episode of Shower for the Soul, Shane catches us up on what exactly happened that night in December when a walk-in doctor directed him to the ER. We take an honest approach to the stigma of getting therapy. Shane shares his experiences and where he's currently going to. Also, a brand new feature debuts where Shane reads his old journal entries that he penned on his mysteriously hidden old Tumblr page. Mental health involves finding a balance in all aspects of life including physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. By learning more about mental health, we can take steps to help ourselves and others improve mental health and reduce the risk and stigma of mental illness. Find additional resources here.

On this episode of Shower of the Soul, Shane revisits the topics we tackled this season but this time - Shane's talking about the healing aspect. Shane talks about if getting his two tattoos helped in the healing process, if he has recovered from anxiety and if he still has body image problems. Episode length - 11:31  

This week Shane shares his love for wrestling and how it being such a constant in his life, helped him over the years to stay sane. Speaking of wrestling, Shane gives his two-cents on the Ranallo/Graves situation that went down last week.  Cory Chadwick of the Personal Greatness Project joins us. We talk about mental health in today's society and in sports. It's a hard hitting, action packed, body checking type of episode. Episode length - 35.30

On this weeks show, Shane delves right in and talks about the good and bad parts of social media. Shane shares his experience with it and reveals disturbing numbers in terms of which social platforms cause the most anxiety.  Show length: 12.22

This week Shane tackles body confidence. Shane shares what he has been battling since birth and his views on being short. To kick off the show, Shane lets us know his thoughts on the Don Cherry debacle. Episode length: 13:07 

This week Shane takes a look at friendships. The bad, toxic ones and the ones that we all should hold close to our hearts. Shane discuss how to spot a toxic person in our lives and how to cut the friendship cord. Episode length: 14:44 Friendship: How to spot a toxic oneLike how it's a tough to come by a good friend, it's tough to spot a toxic one. They start off really nice and they often convince you that they are not the problem. This is where they danger lays. They have a way of making their friend feel inferior, invisible, anxious, and that they are a bad person, thus, eroding a person's sense of self and compromising their mental health.However, the non-toxic individual should not change their good nature or the tendency to be self-reflective and accountable. These are admirable qualities. By implementing six techniques, they can neutralize the toxicity without having to change who they are or sever the friendship. I's necessary to decipher whether a friend is in the toxic zone.Your friendship is in the toxic zone if:Make comments that are confusing and that sting. These comments swim in a person’s head, causing self-doubt and anxiety.He or she ignores their friend’s feelings and promotes their own.If the non-toxic friend asserts themselves in the friendship, the toxic friend frames them as dramatic or over sensitive.Occasionally the toxic friend is nice in order to deter their friend from suspecting they are toxic. The toxic friend is especially nice when other people are watching.Toxic characters project like crazy. Chances are they have already accused their friend or others of being toxic.Frequently they play the victim, asserting they have a more difficult plight than anyone else.They triangulate – meaning if there is a mutual friend they begin to align that friend with themselves and exclude the non-toxic friend.Rarely do they comment on their friend’s successes or achievements, but they readily highlight their own.Often they ignore or exclude their friend when they are with mutual friends.They indirectly sabotage their friend by drawing them into drama that deters them from pursuing their goals.How to neutralize a toxic friendshipGet space, emotionally. Refrain from telling the toxic friend anything personal. Avoid talking about feelings, issues, hopes, and dreams. The toxic person cannot sabotage without this information. Also, do not go to the toxic person in need of help with something. Finally, steer clear of their drama with other people. Simply empathize with their feelings and politely excuse yourself from the conversation.Be diplomatic. Do not make it evident that emotional space is the goal. Say things like, “I'd love to talk, but I'm knee deep in a work project. I'll call you next week.” It's okay to be slightly disingenuous in order to protect yourself and salvage the friendship.Pursue activities and friendships independent of the toxic friend. Hitch your wagon to a friend with healthier interpersonal capacities. Make friends with an empath. Find a passion or hobby independent of the toxic friend.It's alright to have fun with the toxic friend. Have some laughs and talk about impersonal things like the Cubs, HGTV, or the weather. Go out and dance or see a movie.Do mind and body work. A toxic individual can impact your sense-of-self. One way to recover is to do mind and body work, such as yoga, tai chi, and martial arts.Laughter is good medicine. A toxic friend can zap your ability to laugh. Find it again. Be silly. Go to a comedy club. Watch funny movies. article continues after advertisementHandling a toxic friendship is an essential skill in today's world. Identifying one is the first step. Grabbing enough emotional space to be safe from a toxic person's manipulations is key. Have fun, but don't get too chummy. 

That INKredible TattooShane shares the story of his two tattoos and how they have become an important part of his mental health recovery. He also tackles how tattoos have become a popular way to remind yourself that you've survived the battle. Tattoos have become a very important part of the healing process. Shane tells us why.As promised, here are my tattoosI said I'll post my tattoos for you. Here they are. The headphone with microphone is my first born. I got it on February 1st 2014. The second, I received in 2018. As I shared with you on the show, they both have their own rightful spot in my heart and soul.          

This week Shane covers the long road he took to finally find his self-worth. It's a bumpy ride for most people as we all have this preset in our mind that we're not as good as we should be. This bouncy train of thought causes accidents. Shane shares how he was able to find the safe road, which ultimately got him to his destination of making this very podcast. Episode length: 16.57 

On this trailer episode of Shower for the Soul, Shane fills us in on what exactly this podcast is about. He also speaks with Karin Gornick, one of the producers of the film, Angst. The film is doing its tour of duty at schools around North America. It focuses on anxiety in young people. Karin and Shane discuss anxiety in the young and old, the medical mumbo-jumbo of what exactly causes anxiety and safe ways of battling it.