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Episode 5: Dr. Josephine McNary - Navigating Mental Health Issues

September is Suicide Awareness Month. As someone who's experienced suicidal ideation and mental health challenges through the years, I feel this is the best time to have some bold conversations around complex mental health issues. 

You see, a few brave souls reached out to me after watching my story of struggle on the World's Toughest Race. And those raw conversations with them have put me in a place where I feel the need to understand these topics beyond my own experiences. 

Today, I’m bringing in an expert, Dr. Josephine McNary, a board-certified general psychiatrist. She and her entire team at CalPsychiatry specialize in medication management, particularly focusing on the use of complementary medicine for mood and anxiety disorders.

I wanted to dive deeper into those issues to raise awareness, especially how we, as athletes, need to think about mental health and wellness. 

In this episode, you will hear:

  • The mental health stigma within ourselves

  • Why it’s hard for society to accept mental illness

  • The hierarchy of struggle

  • The collective trauma people are experiencing during COVID times

  • Is my struggle worth it?

  • When to start seeking help and how to navigate the first step

  • Who to go to: psychiatrists vs. psychologists and other therapists

  • What is the best therapy out there?

  • Defining depression, anxiety, panic attacks, and passive suicidal thoughts

  • Depression and anxiety among athletes

  • The role of coaches and training partners

Join the adventure!

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Subscribe and Review

I’d love for you to subscribe to my podcast. Each week, Tales of Toughness takes a deep dive into how to overcome limiting beliefs, developing awareness into why you compete, and understanding what makes high-performers tick. The goal is to help develop more confidence and toughness both mentally and physically.

If you’re feeling really generous, I’d love for you to give me a review over on iTunes. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps me out a ton!

If you really enjoyed this episode, we've created a PDF that has all of the key information for you from the episode. Just go to the episode page at https://gosonja.com/podcast​ to download it.

Supporting Resources:

www.calpsychiatry.com 

https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/calpsychiatry-presents-mindstories/id1501515784

https://www.hbo.com/documentaries/the-weight-of-gold 

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a national network of local crisis centers that provide free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Please keep their number in your wallet, in your drawer, or at your bedside. You may not need it, but you might need to give it to a friend. 

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