The language we have for describing mental health challenges and suffering can constrict or expand the realm of possibilities for how we define ourselves. Sascha Altman DuBrul has spent his life challenging mainstream assumptions about mental health, what’s normal and abnormal, and built a community around shifting the narrative. Drawing from his personal experiences of getting locked up in a psych ward, he co-founded a radical mental health support group and media project (The Icarus Project) which proliferated the language of mental health concerns as ‘Dangerous Gifts,’ to be harnessed and worked with rather than obliterated and erased. Today we talk about lessons learned, the challenges and necessity of community organizing, developing ethical values as a provider outside the system, and visions for the future of mental health.

In this episode: 02:30 Sascha’s Story & The Icarus Project
07:53 From Punk Rock Subcultures to Radical Mental Health
11:11 Challenges and Transitions in Mental Health Organizing
17:14 Dangerous Gifts and other language
26:46 Using Internal Family Systems to Process Shame
42:35 Self-reflection in Community Organizing
51:30 A Vision for the Future

Bio

Sascha DuBrul is a writer and educator that has been facilitating workshops and community dialogues at universities, conferences, community centers and activist gatherings for more than two decades. From the anarchist squatter community in New York City to the Lacandon jungle of Chiapas, Mexico, to the Earth First! road blockades of the Pacific Northwest, Sascha is a pioneer in urban farming and creative mental health advocacy. He is the co-founder of the Bay Area Seed Interchange Library, the first urban seed library in North America, and The Icarus Project, a radical community support network and media project that’s actively redefining the language and culture of mental health and illness. He is currently working in private practice and raising two children in Oakland, California.

Sascha’s Website & Private Practice: https://www.saschadubrul.com/

Underground Transmissions Substack : https://undergroundtransmissions.substack.com/

The Icarus Project Archive and Resources: https://site.icarusprojectarchive.org/about-us

Icarus Project Archive Survey 2024https://forms.gle/3EvDGq7NoyHa2Rzr9

Get bonus episodes now on substack! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://depthwork.substack.com/⁠

Sessions & Information about the host: ⁠⁠JazmineRussell.com⁠⁠

Disclaimer: The DEPTH Work Podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. Any information on this podcast in no way to be construed or substituted as psychological counseling, psychotherapy, mental health counseling, or any other type of therapy or medical advice.

Are most mental health concerns a result of issues with cellular metabolism? In this episode, I discuss Dr. Chris Palmer’s 'brain energy theory,' which draws on decades of cross-disciplinary research, positing that metabolic dysfunctions throughout the body may underlie various mental health conditions. I explore how mental health, chronic illness, stress, modern lifestyle, and cellular metabolism are all related in an ongoing feedback loop. I review a landmark pilot study from Stanford on the ketogenic diet, and other research supporting this theory. This is a really exciting time for psychiatry as we move beyond neurotransmitter imbalance theories and understand the complex nuances of brain and body health. Studies such as these can promote more agency to make healthy choices and options to intervene at many levels in service of our health.

00:00 Introduction 00:26 Challenging the dominant paradigm 01:23 The Brain Energy Theory of metabolic health explained 06:00 The Role of Cellular Metabolism & Mitochondria 11:25 How our environment sets the stage 14:16 Nutritional interventions and the ketogenic diet 15:42 Case Studies and Research Findings

Get bonus episodes now on substack! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://depthwork.substack.com/⁠

Sessions & Information about the host: ⁠⁠⁠⁠JazmineRussell.com⁠⁠⁠⁠

Links

• Brain Energy by Chris Palmer https://brainenergy.com/
• Metabolic Mind https://www.metabolicmind.org/
• Stanford Pilot Trial description: https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2024/04/keto-diet-mental-illness.html
• Case study of depression and anxiety: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2024.1396685/full
• Review of Keto for Mental Health: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11122005/

Disclaimer: The DEPTH Work Podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. Any information on this podcast in no way to be construed or substituted as psychological counseling, psychotherapy, mental health counseling, or any other type of therapy or medical advice.

“Our mental health is a cumulative product of the story of the body.” Why do mental and physical health concerns seem to go hand in hand? At which levels can and should we intervene and develop more agency in our whole health trajectory? Too many people are getting more sick with traditional interventions, but many are taking their power back and finding ways that basic and sustainable changes can change our outcomes. In this episode, I share personal and professional lessons in healing from over a dozen chronic conditions (celiac, depression, IBS, Lyme, anemia, schizophrenia, PMDD, etc.), revealing how they were all connected and how I came to understand the importance of sustainable changes. I am not here to offer a “magic pill” kind of story, but rather to reveal and embrace the complexity of healing and offer a different framework for understanding mind-body health.

In this episode we discuss:

• chronic illness and mental health overlap
• early cascades of symptoms that lead to chronic health crises
• surprising roots causes no one ever told me about
• why getting diagnosed is not enough to determine interventions
• interpreting the body’s messages
• why western world has worse rates of chronic illness and mental health concerns
• determining the most basic and sustainable interventions

Get bonus episodes now on substack! ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://depthwork.substack.com/

Sessions & Information about the host: ⁠⁠⁠JazmineRussell.com⁠⁠⁠

Links

• chronic illness rates : https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/newsletter-article/study-chronic-disease-increased-25-percent-over-last-decade
• global chronic disease: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6214883/
• c section and swabbing : https://www.science.org/content/article/swabbing-c-section-babies-mom-s-microbes-can-restore-healthy-bacteria
• effects of overuse of antibiotics: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4939477/
• pans and step bacteria: https://www.psych.theclinics.com/article/S0193-953X(22)00101-0/abstract

Disclaimer: The DEPTH Work Podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. Any information on this podcast in no way to be construed or substituted as psychological counseling, psychotherapy, mental health counseling, or any other type of therapy or medical advice.

“A new order will emerge from within the chaos” - Sara Avant Stover

Being human means experiencing loss. If we let it, these moments can propel us towards a deeper, richer inner journey. In this episode of the Depth Work podcast, Sarah Avant Stover shares her profound experiences through many circumstances of grief and heartbreak, detailing the events that led her to write her latest book. She discusses the unique nature of betrayal trauma, the transformative power of grief, and the significance of ritual and communal support in healing. Her exploration into Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy and its impact on her is also highlighted. In fact, she was generous enough to demonstrate an IFS session in real time with yours truly

00:06 Sara’s story 02:13 Betrayal Trauma and Its Unique Challenges 04:14 The Transformative Power of Grief 12:16 Navigating the Early + Later Stages of Grief 14:51 Collective Grief and Community Healing 19:48 The Role of Rituals in Healing 25:20 Exploring Internal Family Systems (IFS) 32:29 Demonstrating a session - Jazmine’s parts 48:35 Understanding Inner Child Dynamics

Bio

Sara Avant Stover is an author, Certified Internal Family Systems practitioner, and teacher and mentor of women’s spirituality and entrepreneurship. Her work—integrating Buddhism, embodiment, and psychology—has uplifted the lives of countless women worldwide. She has taught at Kripalu, 1440 Multiversity, and Shambhala Mountain Center and has been featured in Yoga Journal, HuffPost, Newsweek, Natural Health, and more. She lives in Boulder, Colorado. For more, visit saraavantstover.com.

Links

• Handbook for the Heartbroken: A Woman's Path from Devastation to Rebirth By Sara Avant Stover https://www.soundstrue.com/products/handbook-for-the-heartbroken?variant=43436021809351
• Website https://saraavantstover.com/about
• Programs: https://saraavantstover.com/offerings
• Podcast: https://saraavantstover.com/podcast/

Resources Mentioned

• Jody Day https://gateway-women.com/
• Sobonfu Some https://www.sobonfu.com/
• Daniel Foor https://ancestralmedicine.org/bio/

Get bonus episodes now on substack! ⁠https://depthwork.substack.com/

Sessions & Information about the host: ⁠⁠JazmineRussell.com⁠⁠

Disclaimer: The DEPTH Work Podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. Any information on this podcast in no way to be construed or substituted as psychological counseling, psychotherapy, mental health counseling, or any other type of therapy or medical advice.

https://depthwork.substack.com/

Its becoming more well known that gut health impacts mental health, but with the rise of ‘wellness culture’ how do we separate fact from fiction? Dr. Supriya Rao of Gutsy Girl MD bridges the gap between medicine and lifestyle to give patients simple and effective support for gut health, motility, and nutrition. We talk about the topics patients are often too embarrassed to discuss (elimination!), what trauma has to do with the gut, and the things we can do each day to support ourselves.

In this episode we discuss:

• how gut health is linked to mental health
• the enteric nervous system and trauma
• why it’s important to screen for sexual abuse
• motility and issues with constipation and diarrhea
• simple effective nutrition tips
• 6 pillars of lifestyle medicine
• dispelling wellness myths

Bio

Dr. Supriya Rao (she/her) is a quadruple board-certified physician in internal medicine, gastroenterology, obesity medicine and lifestyle medicine who focuses on digestive disorders, gut health, obesity medicine, and women's health and wellness. She received her undergraduate degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology after which she graduated from Duke University School of Medicine. She completed her internship and residency in Internal Medicine from the Hospital at the University of Pennsylvania. She went on to complete her fellowship in Gastroenterology at Boston Medical Center. She joined Integrated Gastroenterology Consultants in 2014 and is now a managing partner. She completed further certification in obesity and lifestyle medicine and is the Director of Medical Weight Loss at Lowell General Hospital and runs the Metabolic & Lifestyle Medicine Program at IGIC. She also runs the motility program, which focuses on disorders of the esophagus, irritable bowel syndrome and anorectal disorders. She is passionate about empowering people to improve their health through sustainable changes in their lifestyle. She enjoys cooking, traveling, running, yoga and spending time with family and friends. You can also find Dr. Rao on Instagram @gutsygirlmd.

Links

https://www.gutsygirlmd.com/

Sessions & Information about the host:

Get bonus episodes now on substack! https://depthwork.substack.com/

⁠⁠JazmineRussell.com⁠⁠

Disclaimer: The DEPTH Work Podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. Any information on this podcast in no way to be construed or substituted as psychological counseling, psychotherapy, mental health counseling, or any other type of therapy or medical advice.

Millions of people are put on psychiatric drugs each year. For some, these drugs are desired and effective, but for many, whether taken willingly or by force, they create multiple harmful side effects, long-term health complications, and are incredibly challenging to taper off of. Users of psychiatric drugs also rarely find professional or even peer support for tapering off due to the stigma and discrimination and a false narrative that implies users must remain on them for life. Chaya Grossberg, psychiatric survivor and ally, has supported people for over 15 years in finding alternatives and maintaining their agency, a role that is much needed. After becoming ill and nearly dying from the multiple psychiatric drugs she was prescribed, she decided to slowly taper off with support from the Freedom Center (a peer support organization) and heal the damage done to her body. Now, an activist, community organizer and writer of her book: “Freedom from Psychiatric Drugs”, Chaya shares her wisdom.

In this episode we discuss:

• what it was like to take 7 different psychiatric medications
• how to change and reclaim your narrative
• crisis as a retrieval of life purpose
• what we want young people to know today
• how pharmaceutical companies use non-profits and peer organization to perpetuate propaganda
• why nutrition matters when coming off psych meds
• case studies of successful tapering off
• withdrawal symptoms and the false narratives told about them
• the risk of SI due to being on or coming off psych meds
• taking a basic needs framework

Bio

Author Chaya Grossberg discusses her book Freedom from Psychiatric Drugs about what people go through coming off psychiatric drugs and what helps them. Freedom From Psychiatric Drugs is a manual and workbook for psychiatric survivors and their allies, friends and families. Chaya is not a medical practitioner, does not give medical advice, and supports the autonomy of each individual to make their own decisions on when or whether to come off psychiatric drugs. She advocates for increased options, support and safe spaces for people seeking alternatives to psychiatric drugs.

website: http://www.chayagrossberg.com

Book: Freedom From Psychiatric Drugs: First edition

Resources

the freedom center - https://www.freedom-center.willhall.net/node/463.html

Links

Get bonus episodes now on substack! ⁠https://depthwork.substack.com/⁠

Institute for the Development of Human Arts (mental health training institute) - www.IDHA-NYC.org

Sessions & Information about the host: ⁠⁠JazmineRussell.com⁠⁠

Disclaimer: The DEPTH Work Podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. Any information on this podcast in no way to be construed or substituted as psychological counseling, psychotherapy, mental health counseling, or any other type of therapy or medical advice.

"When someone says that they want to end their life, it just means that they don't want to be living the life that they're living" (Icarus Project). It’s overwhelmingly common for people to experience a suicidal ideation at some point in their life. As a society, we have to find better ways of preventing or approaching these experiences. Currently, our traditional psychiatric approaches seem to often do more harm than good for folks in vulnerable states. In this episode, I review some of the concerning research around SI interventions, and what we can do better.

In this episode we discuss:

• myths about folks who experience SI
• why structured clinical assessments aren’t predictive of SA
• what traditional mental health systems get wrong about approaching SI
• why there are higher rates of SA after psychiatric hospitalization
• research on efficacy of emergency services
• alternative options when someone’s experiencing SI

Resources

• Institute for the Development of Human Arts : www.idha-nyc.org
• peer run respite centers: https://power2u.org/directory-of-peer-respites/
• Alt 2 Su (australia): https://alt2su-nsw.net/support-groups/
• Alt 2 Su charter https://wildfloweralliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/CHARTER_alt2su_August-edits.pdf

Research:

• safety contracts https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18638213/
• assessments and lack of predictive power https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11673-022-10189-5
• post-hospitalization suicide risk https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/2629522
• higher risk post emergency services https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00127-014-0912-2
• coercion survey https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31162700/
• harm disguised as help https://www.madinamerica.com/2023/09/suicide-police-harm-disguised-as-help/
• hospitalization both increased and decreased risk https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37851457/

Sessions & Information about the host:

Get bonus episodes now on substack! ⁠https://depthwork.substack.com/⁠

⁠⁠JazmineRussell.com⁠⁠

Disclaimer: The DEPTH Work Podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. Any information on this podcast in no way to be construed or substituted as psychological counseling, psychotherapy, mental health counseling, or any other type of therapy or medical advice.