What the BLEEP is Wrong With Us‪?‬ WTBIWWU

Welcome back! It's finally summer!!! For this episode, you will have to travel back in time to February 2021, when even LESS experienced podcasters: Ashley & Sarah, talked to Kristin about her experience with having lost her father. We realize the references to snow and the Covid numbers are going to confuse you, but fear not... Ashley just sucks a lot at editing still. 
Many thanks to Kristin for her time and her story. We could not do this without people who are willing to tell and discuss their stories. Please reach out to us and let us know if you have a topic you want to hear about or a story to tell.
 
Resources Discussed this Episode:
 
The Death of a Parent Affects Even Grown Children Psychologically and Physically by Joshua A Krisch - a Fatherly article about the science of what grief can do to our bodies. 
Reddit Saved Me After My Dad Died By Dylan Haas - article about finding healing through online forums and WHY this is helpful. (Loss- oriented factors vs. restoration-oriented factors & the oscillation between them, grief is a lifelong journey not something to be fixed… The end goal is community)
https://www.reddit.com/r/GriefSupport/ -A place to share stories, ask questions or seek advice. Grief affects every person in a different way every time. Whether you are grieving the dead, a relationship, a job, a pet, a place or an era you are welcome here. 
 
Band Back Together - We are none of us alone. All are welcome.
Through the power of real stories written by real people, we can work together to de-stigmatize mental illness, abuse, rape, baby loss and other traumas so that we may learn, grow, and heal.
 
Journey of Hearts -  A primary goal in creating this website was to provide an online healing place where those who have experienced loss can find resources to help them during the long up-hill grieving process.
 
Books:
How to Go On Living When Someone You Love Dies by Therese A. Rando, Ph.D. 
First book from a pioneer in the field of grief counseling and the current Clinical Director of The Institute for the Study and Treatment of Loss. Her seminal guide to grief gently walks readers through essential and often overlooked aspects of the process while remaining inclusive of all types of losses.
I Wasn't Ready to Say Goodbye: Surviving, Coping and Healing After the Sudden Death of a Loved One by Brook Noel & Pamela Blair - While this is not a memoir, the authors take the time to address their own experiences with a sudden loss in the first few chapters, which establishes a “sense of safety and companionship” between them and the reader, she adds.
The Orphaned Adult: Understanding and Coping with Grief and Change After the Death of Our Parents by Alexander Levy -  “validates how hard, perhaps surprisingly, it is as a grown adult to handle” the loss of a parent and explores “how this signifies so much more in the ‘big picture’ of an adult’s life.”
It's Ok That You're Not Ok: Meeting Grief and Loss in a Culture That Doesn't Understand by Megan Devine with foreword by Mark Nepo - the author, who is both a therapist and bereaved partner, “understands the pain that grieving people carry on top of their actual grief, including the pain of being judged, dismissed, and misunderstood” by others. The book challenges the myths of grief, while also outlining skills and suggestions for providing comfort and care.
 
 
General Mental Health Resources:
Talkspace.com Offers comprehensive online mental health treatment options to meet all your needs via live video, messaging or phone. Their website often has promotions/discounts available & it is as easy as completing a brief questionnaire, selecting your therapist from a list of recommendations based on your replies, and then starting therapy!
 
BetterHelp.com  Our Mission: Making professional counseling accessible, affordable, convenient - so anyone who struggles with life’s challenges can get help, anytime, anywhere. Similar to Talkspace

Ashley & Sarah listen to Stephenie’s story of her journey navigating a religiously manipulative organization & a relationship with a man 6 years her senior, all while trying to graduate high school. Listen to her experience and our discussion on the tactics that were utilized, context & some helpful resources that are available out there. (Also, yes... Sarah has dogs... and dogs in her neighborhood.) 
 
Resources Discussed This Episode:
Dare to Doubt - Detaching from harmful belief systems. Goals: To encourage understanding of religious trauma and Religious Trauma Syndrome (RTS).To make finding help easier for those fleeing and recovering from spiritual abuse, mind control, and destructive groups. To support doubting and former believers through practical resources and inspiring stories.
 
Reddit: Cults Forum - Anything and everything about cults. 75.6k members
 
Freedom of Mind Resource Center  - supports those affected by undue influence by providing coaching and consulting services and supports individuals, families, advocacy groups, educational institutions, professionals, law enforcement, government entities, and non-governmental organizations by providing training and educational resources.
 
Steven Hassan’s books:
Freedom of Mind
&
Combating Cult Mind Control: The #1 Best-Selling Guide to Protection, Rescue, and Recovery from Destructive Cults 
 
Dare to Lead by Brene Brown
 
 
General Mental Health Resources:
 
Talkspace.com Offers comprehensive online mental health treatment options to meet all your needs via live video, messaging or phone. Their website often has promotions/discounts available & it is as easy as completing a brief questionnaire, selecting your therapist from a list of recommendations based on your replies, and then starting therapy!
 
BetterHelp.com  Our Mission: Making professional counseling accessible, affordable, convenient - so anyone who struggles with life’s challenges can get help, anytime, anywhere. Similar to Talkspace.com, also advertises the ability to switch counselors at any time and the ability to message your counselor through the webpage or app any time. 

NATIONAL CRISIS AND SUICIDE HOTLINES:
 
Girls & Boys Town National Hotline
(800) 448-3000
 
National Hopeline Network
(800) SUICIDE
 
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
(800) 273-TALK (8255)
 
National Youth Crisis Hotline
(800) 442-HOPE (4673)
 
Veteran's Crisis Line:
To reach caring, qualified responders within the Department of Veterans Affairs connect with the Veterans Crisis Line. Many of them are Veterans themselves. This free support is confidential, available 24/7, and serves all veterans, service members, National Guard and Reserve, and their families and friends.
Call 1-800-273-8255 or Text: 838255, Support for deaf and hard of hearing: 1-800-799-4889
Online Chat is Available: https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/

ILLINOIS RESOURCES: 
 
Illinois Call4Calm Text Line
If you or a loved one are struggling with stress related to the COVID-19 pandemic and need emotional support, text TALK to 552020 for English or HABLAR for Spanish (Message and Data Rates May Apply. See Terms & Conditions of Use). This service is free and available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. People seeking assistance will remain anonymous and will provide only their first name and zip code, which enables the service to link you to a counselor in your area who is knowledgeable about available local resources.
 
Illinois Warm Line
If you or one of you family members has mental health and/or substance use challenges and would like to receive support by phone, call the Illinois Warm Line at 866-359-7953. Wellness Support Specialists are professionals who have experienced mental health and/or substance use recovery in their own lives. They are trained in recovery support, mentoring, and advocacy and are ready to listen and support you. The Warm Line is not a crisis hotline, but is a source of support as you recover or help a f

Come listen to Lynnea's story about her journey with infertility for 9+ years. We understand everyone's story is markedly different, but this is Ashley's BEFF FREND and we want you to listen to her amazing story! Lynnea was incredibly brave and candid in recalling the years long rollercoaster she has been on and we'd love to hear from any of you who have experienced this trauma as well! Comment below! 
 
Resources discussed this episode: 
 
https://resolve.org/ The National Infertility Association - Site has links to support groups, infertility professionals, a helpline, information on insurance plans and how to select the most affordable option that covers infertility treatment, as well as advocacy and activism opportunities.
 
https://www.reddit.com/r/infertility/ - infertility, pregnancy loss, and trouble conceiving community: Welcome to /r/infertility, a fantastic community that exists for shitty reasons. We're here for everyone, of all genders, who are dealing with primary or secondary infertility, social infertility, pregnancy loss after infertility, and/or recurrent loss. This is the place to be when it feels like everyone is easily pregnant, except you. We operate in cynical, compassionate mutual support, underpinned by evidence-based medicine. (Nearly 24k members as of 2/25/2021)
Coping with Infertility, Miscarriage, and Neonatal Loss: Finding Perspective and Creating Meaning by Amy Wenzel - recommended by American Pyschological Association “This wise, compassionate book teaches proven cognitive-behavioral strategies for coping with infertility and pregnancy loss.” 
Unsung Lullabies: Understanding and Coping with Infertility by Janet Jaffe, Martha Diamond & David Diamond - Provides tools to navigate the stress and psychological trauma of infertility.
 
The Art of Waiting: On Fertility, Medicine, and Motherhood by Belle Boggs - a critically acclaimed memoir, which has been praised for how it covers a complex list of experiences and emotions associated when experiencing infertility. 
 
The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson - memoir about a queer woman’s struggle to start a family with her genderqueer partner.
Silent Sorority: A Barren Woman Gets Busy, Angry, Lost and Found by Pamela Mahoney Tsigdinos - The story of one of the 40% of women who never conceived, despite infertility treatment.
What He Can Expect When She’s Not Expecting by Marc Sedaka - Explains how a partner can support their loved one who is struggling with infertility.

Celebrity memoirs that discuss their experience with pregnancy loss: 
 
We're Going to Need More Wine: Stories That Are Funny, Complicated, and True by Gabrielle Union - collection of essays about her life, including her several miscarriages. 
Becoming by Michelle Obama - Both Malia and Sasha were born via IVF
 
General Mental Health Resources:
 
Talkspace.com Offers comprehensive online mental health treatment options to meet all your needs via live video, messaging or phone. Their website often has promotions/discounts available & it is as easy as completing a brief questionnaire, selecting your therapist from a list of recommendations based on your replies, and then starting therapy!
 
BetterHelp.com  Our Mission: Making professional counseling accessible, affordable, convenient - so anyone who struggles with life’s challenges can get help, anytime, anywhere. Similar to Talkspace.com, also advertises the ability to switch counselors at any time and the ability to message your counselor through the webpage or app any time. 

NATIONAL CRISIS AND SUICIDE HOTLINES:
 
Girls & Boys Town National Hotline
(800) 448-3000
 
National Hopeline Network
(800) SUICIDE
 
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
(800) 273-TALK (8255)
 
National Youth Crisis Hotline
(800) 442-HOPE (4673)
 
Veteran's Crisis Line:
To reach caring, qualified responders within the Department of Veterans Affairs connect with the Veterans Crisis Line. Many of them are Veterans themselves. This free sup

Come join us for our first ever completed episode! Everyone talks and laughs about Jason Collier in Texas, Sarah tells Becky and Ashley about her experience with CPTSD, and we share some helpful and insightful resources and coping methods. Come laugh at/with us!