Smashing the Stigma

In Season 2 of Smashing the Stigma, Alice takes you on her own wild ride of trying to build a billion dollar business while having bipolar disorder. Let's see if she can shatter that glass ceiling for women, minorities and those with a mental illness.

At the young age of 36, Monica Kirshnan lost her husband to brain cancer. She was abruptly faced with the responsibility of raising her two daughters alone. Monica went through many stages of grief, including depression. As a clinical pharmacist, she was hesitant to start medication, until one day, she couldn’t handle it anymore.

With a family history of depression, anxiety and alcoholism on both sides, artist Samuel Price struggled with these conditions. Here he shares his story about how he was able to overcome his addiction to alcohol and manage his mental illnesses so that he can lead a thriving life.

For the first time ever, Sam Yoo, husband of the founder of Smashing the Stigma - Alice Yoo, opens up about how he supports his wife through her manic episodes. In this gripping story, you'll learn how they first discovered Alice was bipolar and how they work together to manage her mental illness.

Adam Bauman is a technology leader and real estate investor from Denver, Colorado. He has dealt with depression since childhood and has a deep family history of mental illness. Adam realized that therapy and medication were the only ways to keep from “hitting the wall” in his professional and personal growth.

A type-A, overachiever since birth, Danielle Liss has struggled with mental illness. In her 30s, Danielle struggled with depression and, more recently, she was diagnosed with OCD. Through this, she’s learned that her illness was not the secret sauce fueling all of that overachieving after all.

Sonya Lee, a UX expert, and business coach in Orange County, California, discusses how living a Buddhist monastery that left her emotionally scarred and struggling to know her true self. Being cut off from mainstream society initially stunted her growth, but rather than shrink back, she used the experience to push the boundaries of personal evolution and improve the human experience. Learn about how she self-diagnosed herself with complex PTSD and what steps she took to finally be freed from the mental illness.

As a mental health clinician, Dr. Jessica Cho works with families, couples and individuals who are seeking insight and growth. She believes the foundation of therapy begins with a trusting, empathetic, and non-judgmental relationship in order to foster healing and true transformation. Here we discuss why therapy should be something we could all use and she goes into depth about how she uses CBT and restorative therapy to help people break the negative cycle spinning around inside their heads.

Originally from Trinidad and Tobago, Wendy has battled multiple mental illnesses such as depression, ADHD and PTSD. Here she shares with us a harrowing tale from the time she spent in the US Army and how she treated her depression after she lost her young nephew in a tragic accident.

This should give you a better understanding of what Smashing the Stigma is all about. One story at a time, let's smash the stigma of mental illness!

How are we going to change the world? When it comes to mental illness, we're going to have to smash down old stigmas. How? By talking about it, sharing our stories and educating ourselves on how the brain works. Why don’t we equate physical health to mental health? Both are vitally important.

Kat Elliot shares some practices she incorporates into her life that bring her happiness and fulfillment. She also shares her own battle with depression, goes into detail about what happened, and shares what others can do to help.