Lisa, Her Journey & This Podcast

In this very first episode I want to introduce myself and tell you how this podcast came to be. While I am an advocate for anyone who is hurting, I haven't always shared my truth about my own mental health. I have become an expert at wearing the mask that says "I'm fine". My journey began over 23 years ago. Let me tell you a little bit about it.

Transcript:

Lisa Boehm: Wow. Episode one. Here we are! Welcome to Rising strong mental health and resilience. I'm your host, Lisa Boehm, and today I want to share a little piece of my story. This episode is all about unveiling the why behind this podcast and why I'm so deeply committed to the world of mental health.

My journey through mental health struggles began after the birth of my son. Depression knocked at the door, and I found myself trying to navigate the heavy fog it cast upon my life.

Then the world of anxiety came crashing in when my children were small and our lives were filled with the beautiful chaos that parenthood often brings. The anxiety was relentless. There were moments that I landed in the emergency room, my heart racing at a staggering 200 plus beats per minute. I wasn't even able to achieve those kinds of numbers when I was a competitive athlete. There were nights when I feared sleep, convinced that if I closed my eyes and fell asleep, I would die. If you've experienced panic attacks, you know exactly what I'm talking about. I

 was determined to take control of my mental health. I worked with my physician, embraced regular exercise, focused on a healthy and nutritious diet. I tried medication, I began journaling, and I even cut my hours back at work to reduce my feelings of overwhelm. I did everything in my power to maintain my well being, and for a while, it seemed to work. I even became a health and wellness coach, focusing on healthy habits and mindset for those people who were struggling. Life was good.

Just when I thought I had it all figured out, the unthinkable happened. My beautiful daughter's life was tragically cut short in a car accident, and the shockwaves of her loss shook me to the core. I watched my family unravel in all kinds of ways.

There was a time in my life when suicidal ideation was a constant companion and no one else knew about it. I became a master at saying, I'm fine. You see, in grief and in mental health, we all experience it differently, and we cope and manage differently, too.

Now, some of you might be wondering, why are you doing a podcast about mental health and not about grief? After all, I've written a book about child loss, and I actively support grieving mothers.

The answer is simple I see mental health struggles all around me. I grapple with my own mental health battles, and so do members of my family, people in my friend circle and coworkers. In my eyes, grief is intertwined with mental health, and I hope that those who are struggling with loss will also find solace here.

I yearned to create a space where I could normalize conversations about mental health. As I mentioned in the trailer, I'm profoundly fascinated by individuals who persevere after adversity, and I firmly believe in the power of stories.

In my book Journey to Healing, I wrote stories touch us. They teach us and they help us understand. They are the way we connect emotionally and they help us gain insight and find strength. Stories help us understand things, they can help us change our minds and encourage us to take action. Stories bring people together, they connect us. And stories are universal. We can usually find common ground with other people when we share stories.

My hope for this podcast is that the information, stories, and experiences shared here will offer you valuable strategies to help navigate the challenging and often stigmatized journey of mental health.

Mental health is a topic that deserves to be in the spotlight, and I'm committed to creating a community that openly discusses and supports mental well being. So join me every week as we explore the resilience of the human spirit and unveil the stories that help us rise strong.

Thank you for tuning in and let's embark on this journey together.

Rising strong mental health and resilience is available every Tuesday on Apple Podcasts, google Podcasts, spotify and wherever you find your Podcasts. Remember, together we can conquer the darkest of days.