The Conquer Your Battlefield Podcast JD McGibney

I’m JD McGibney, and today I’ll be chatting with an extremely inspiring, vibrant, and courageous woman. She started off her journey in life as a radio and television host across the United States from Boston, to Los Angeles, and Miami. More recently, she has shifted gears and become an active voice in the mental health community as a certified mindfulness coach. Today I’ll be chatting with the ever so wonderful Melissa Maxx!

In this episode we are going to be talking about Mindfulness. For those who are not aware, mindfulness is a mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations.

Mindfulness is a therapeutic technique used by mental health professionals to help individuals better handle their stress, and is commonly used to aid those struggling with anxiety and depression. A popular way people are encouraged to practice mindfulness is through meditation.

I’m JD McGibney, and today I’ll be chatting with a man of many talents. He wears many metaphorical hats ( NOT literal ones because his hair is too awesome to cover up). He’s an actor, writer, producer, comedian, Psychology professor, and even a magician. He’s one of the members of the Award winning creative group Great Hair Productions, and is an overall great human being. Today I’ll be talking with Mr. Jeffrey Thompson.

Today we are going to be talking about Face Blindness, or what is clinically called “Prosopagnosia.” Simply put, Prosopagnosia is a neurological disorder that leaves the brain unable to recognize faces or facial expressions. It can be caused from damage to the brain, or be present from birth.

According to a Harvard University study led by Ken Nakayama and Richard Russell, roughly about 2% of people in the UK show signs of having face blindness. While there is not currently a cure, there are a myriad of ways that people can adapt in order to recognize individuals and pick up on emotional cues.

I’m JD McGibney, and today I’ll be chatting with a woman who’s cheerful demeanor radiates and influences anyone in her presence. She’s the cofounder of the Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors Resource Center, has been featured on the A&E TV show “Obsessed,” has been featured on numerous news outlets, is one of the producers behind This Is My Brave - The Show in Los Angeles, and is a licensed psychotherapist in the state of California. Today I’ll be chatting with the amazing and humble Karen Pickett.

Today we are going to be talking about the Life of a Therapist. For many, there is a preconceived (and often negative) idea of what a psychotherapist is, or does. This includes people thinking of therapists as being cold and almost “inhuman,” or feeling that therapists will just tell them what to do. Probably one of the most negative misconceptions is that seeking therapy is for “Crazy People.”

The truth of the matter is that therapists are human beings just like the rest of us, complete with emotions, feelings, empathy, and a desire to help those in need. First and foremost, a good therapist must be a good listener. On top of that, a good therapist must also be self aware enough to know their own feelings, motivations, and potential biases in order to help their patients.

According to Cross River Therapy, there are almost 200,000 therapists practicing in the United States, alone. All of which have expertise and experience in a multitude of mental illnesses and behaviors. Therapy is not a One-Size-fits-All, and there is someone out there that has some insight on something that you may be struggling with.

I’m JD McGibney, and today I’ll be chatting with a woman that combines jazzy elegance, with the power and confidence of heavy metal. A woman that instantly becomes the life of any party, she’s the singer of the Acid Doom band Old Blood, and even knows where “Ronkonkoma” is on the Long Island Railroad: Ms. Cat Braithwaite!

Today we’re going to be talking about Caregiver Stress. Using the definition provided by The Mayo Clinic, Caregiver Stress is simply the emotional and physical stress of caregiving. A caregiver is anyone who provides help to another person in need, such as an ill spouse or partner, a disabled child, or an aging relative.

Caregiver Stress is a type of burnout that can manifest itself in many ways. Some of which include: Feeling overwhelmed or constantly worried, being tired and having irregular sleep patterns, Gaining or losing weight, becoming easily irritated or angry, losing interest in activities you used to enjoy, feeling sad, having frequent headaches or body pains, or even substance abuse.

I’m JD McGibney, and today I’ll be chatting with one of the most well put together, centered, confident, and talented people I personally know. He shreds on the guitar for the band Seven Kingdoms, he is the world’s best tour manager, and a man that has grinded his way through the music industry and earned every bit of success he has achieved. Today I’ll be talking with the one, the ONLY Camden Cruz.

Today we are going to be talking about Body Image. In western society, it isn’t uncommon to hear that some people struggle with poor body image. There is a lot of focus placed upon our physical appearance in order to establish our identities, portray our confidence, show off our successes, convey our expertise, and attract romantic partners.

Those who severely struggle with their body image may end up battling things like anorexia, bulimia, or Body Dysmorphic Disorder to some degree. The exact definition for BDD, according to the Mayo Clinic,is a mental health condition in which you can't stop thinking about one or more perceived defects or flaws in your appearance.

According to the International OCD Foundation, between 5 and 10 million people in the United states have BDD, and according to the National Library of Medicine, BDD is a rising concern among adolescents.

I’m JD McGibney, and today I’ll be chatting with one of the most humble human beings I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting. A man that manages to combine the pure essence of heavy metal with the fine elegance of gothic romanticism. A phenomenal singer, songwriter, pianist, and the mastermind behind the symphonic metal band Anthea: Mr Diego Valadez.

Today we’re going to be talking about Music as a Coping Mechanism. According to the American Psychological Association, coping mechanisms are any conscious or nonconscious adjustment or adaptation that decreases tension and anxiety in a stressful experience or situation.

According to the National Library of Medicine, there are four MAIN categories of coping mechanisms:
Problem-focused, which directly addresses the problem causing the distress.
Emotion-focused, which aims to reduce the negative emotions associated with the problem.
Meaning-focused, in which an individual uses cognitive strategies to derive and manage the meaning of the situation
Social coping (support-seeking) in which an individual reduces stress by seeking emotional or instrumental support from their community.

In today’s environment, in particular Western Culture, it is quite common to hear that people tend to use music in relation to one of these categories of coping mechanisms in order to work through their particular obstacle, or obstacles.