I'll be honest with you-I don't know where John Moe has been hiding all these years- but I'm darn glad I found him &his brutal honesty, words of wisdom, intellectual scholarly appeal and insight. Don't take this the wrong way but depression needs a bit of humor mixed with sarcasm & John added it with plenty left in the tank in this brilliant Macmillan audio.I've never listened to his podcasts but based on what I've just heard I may have to stalk this man because he tackles topics that are heavy yet need to be discussed.
Depression, Mental Illness, Suicide, Death of a Loved One, Survivor's Guilt, Loss of Self, and that all important journey we all must take from Ignorance to Awareness!
Sure, we can sweep it under the rug-pretend it doesn't exist- or we can be open, honest, frank, and do so with dignity, grace, and class and thankfully without language that'd make my mother frown.
We live in a world today where others dismiss without knowing the underlying issues and are quick to offer opinions that are a last ditch effort to douse the problem.
We offer increased funding to protect monuments yet take away funding in treating disabilities,mental illness, or in further evaluations using approaches like EMDR.
First- John- you are a man with a plan and a godly sent mission and I applaud you for your courage, motivation, and level of understanding.
Your pain is all of our pain because it ignites a passion within to release the stigma associated with such guilt, shame, remorse, death, and the trauma associated with shared experiences.
As you can probably tell I'm no stranger to pain. Enter the black sheep and scapegoat of the family.
I've been dealing with the lack of support and love from a narcissistic family for 47 years and let me tell ya; it ain't no picnic.
Your stage presence in offering guidance along with your level of maturity can only be obtained by authenticity and reality and sometimes we all need to go down Ol' Tobacco Road or aka Live the Life of Hard Knocks to learn lessons to grow stronger and more attune to others needs.
As you noted,"Your problems have maps and they will find you."
You can't ignore the past nor run and hide. It must be dealt with.
You know the truth is in your words when you mentioned,"Depression is my oldest companion."
I'm so terribly sorry for the loss of your brother Rick but his life was not in vain. You know by now that it wasn't your fault in getting that gun membership yet I'm sure that provides little comfort.
Thankfully you found EMDR therapy which helped you counter this illness and helped offer coping strategies well into the future.
When you noted about the trauma fixed upon memory that left saddies exhausted with vivid looping of the recurrent memory; it was relatable.
I say this because I lost my niece in 2016 (June 21st) just two days after Father's Day and the day before her father's birthday to a young man that was alleged to have been speeding on I-4 in Clermont Florida 4 years ago killing Cassie instantly along with 3 other adults (she being the only child) from this 7 car multi-vehicle accident.
https://www.dailycommercial.com/news/article_daf0f51c-8d96-5214-b4cc-bf04898a27ed.html
My brother is now raising an only child but it's a cruel and harsh reality to overcome as I myself am a single mom of three left bankrupt, homeless, LT unemployed , extreme poverty after a divorce in 2013 which left us devastated and torn apart as a family here in Pennsylvania.
I dare anyone to read my profile to understand just some of what occurred yet my voice and my writing instruments are my power. As are yours in this healing process.
I've done similarly to you in life in terms of offering a platform and allowing room for us all to understand this pain and hardships.
Sure pain is different from chronic mental illness but it's part of the umbrella of causes that I prefer because until someone walks in our shoes they have no idea.
I've learned early on when my mother was told I couldn't sit still that I was born this way not made from the environment. My mother was told to put me on medication for ADHD as a child (she never did thankfully) & I went on to achieve great success in both my personal and professional life.
Ironically doctors now tell me I talk fast--holy cow! The world may just end! Prepare for Armageddon I grew up in Northeastern PA near the boondocks of Bear Creek/Thornhurst area and if you wanted to be heard you had to talk loud and fast over three brothers as an only girl in the family . For god's sake my pop is hard of hearing from working in the Navy too. LOL
You touched on so many interesting and valuable topics that I don't know if I can do them all just because your level of sarcasm, humor, wit, and personality really blew me away and made me yearn for more.
Why did this audio have to end? WHY?
The podcasts with the celebrities and your own immensely personal tribute to your family and your brother in discussing your own personal issues with depression, suicide, chronic mental illness and beyond was so touching and heartfelt.
It brought to mind Robin Williams who suffered from Lewy Body Dementia (a rare brain disease) yet has fascinated the world with his intellect, charm, comedy, and abilities in grabbing an audience's attention and not letting them go.
Yet underneath that blanket was a man suffering from Parkinson's but also addiction and chronic depression.
His suicide was a block in time that I can never nor will ever forget. I grew up in the era of all things Robin Williams from his tv shows to his comedy club routines and talk show appearances and it well never be the same.
As you noted, there's no tidy ending. Our stories end when we die.
Of course, the celebrity female you noted stated, "Depression Lies."
This is an eye opener in the land of fake news these days. We get our information from a variety of emerging and instant gratification sources much of which offers strictly opinion based articles.
"Words Matter" was what you stressed as one of the 9 things you learned and I can't tell you how important our attitudes, words, and lack of empathy and compassion can truly hamper lives.
People do want to talk. They do need that platform. They do need others to listen intently to their voices and experiences.
We can learn so much from just listening, comprehending, and validating.
What a different world it would be if we all took just a second or 9 hours to listen to an audio of the same.
Your powerful story about your brother touched a nerve with me because you noted it felt as though that bullet ricocheted and hit everyone Rick knew and loved in the process.
Those words hold so much meaning behind them that it floored me.
You may well be a "professional saddie" but you're also human and I personally thank you for your level of insight and trust with sharing others stories to bring to your audience.
I don't need that 'big climactic event' because our lives all hold value.
Sure, your wife can divorce you, the kids may disown you, the dog may run away(did you say you had a dog??) Oh, well anyway we all can live in Walmart's parking lots but we can all do so together.
Unity, diversity, and love = Power in numbers.
Please don't ever tell someone suffering to SMILE-GET OVER IT- or worse as in my case,"SUCK IT UP BUTTERCUP WE ALL GOT PROBLEMS- GET A JOB!
When I began to open up and tell my story those flood walls came crashing down. The walls built to protect soon built a platform to elevate those around me to join in this 'calling.'
Many would ask how much I charge for emails on my FB page, "The Lost Self Life After Narcissism" which dealt with recovery and rebuilding after malignant narcissism, domestic violence, and a host of DSM manual traits. I chuckled, and noted I do my work for free.
When I look in others eyes (especially as I volunteer in serving food for those in need), or in the past 20 years volunteering having been awarded the nation's highest award -The Points of Light-Ty 41st President of these United States- I'm blessed because I get to work on the front line. This front line bleeds red, white, and blue.
We are all one shade. One race. One people.
I would rather be broke and live in a cardboard box with my kids than be rich and miserable married to a malignant narcissist.
Remember- PRIVILEGE IS REAL but also remember this IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT.
We all have a purpose in life.
That need to impress, to satisfy, to strive for acceptance, to succeed only creates a robot of perfectionism not a human with emotional needs.
Many celebrities have long learned wealth can't buy happiness nor love.
Many have gone on to lose sight of what matters most in their lives.
We all shall now say YES!! YES!! YES!!
I will honor your commitment and proclaim along with you - Say, YES to the world!
In closing, you noted it best- Thank you to those who helped or harmed you as they formed the world I'm delighted to live in....
God bless all! Stay safe!
Thank you to Bibliotheca and Cloud Library for this e-read!
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