For many women, the experience of going through menopause can have a significant impact on their mental health. And due to the stigma around it, many don’t get the help they actually need.

In this episode of From Survivor to Thriver, we sat down with Ann Bell to discuss the link between menopause, perimenopause, postmenopause, and mental health and how women can educate themselves and become their own best advocates.

Ann Bell is here to remind women that their needs matter, that they deserve an enjoyable, nourishing sex life, and that there is a deep connection between menopause and mental health.

Her journey into this field began in 1998 as a massage therapist, where she discovered the deep need for addressing mental, emotional, and relationship health in people's lives. Clients found solace in confiding in her during their sessions and, in 2012, Ann made the decision to formalize her commitment to their overall wellness.

In 2020, she furthered her expertise by obtaining certifications in relationships, sex, and love coaching.

In today’s episode, we cover:

• The different stages of menopause
• The number one symptom of menopause
• Hidden symptoms of menopause that many people don’t know about
• The impact of menopause on your mental health
• The number one thing women need to treat menopause
• Why postmenopausal women struggle to get access to HRT
• The problems in women’s healthcare
• The impact of antidepressants on menopausal women
• The importance of educating yourself about your health so that you can be your own advocate
• The stigmas around women’s health

We hope you enjoyed this conversation with Ann! If you want to learn more from her, you can visit her website here. You can also learn more about menopause and how to find a menopause practitioner at menopause.org/.

Thanks again for tuning in. We are so grateful to each and every one of you. Please remember to leave a rating and review of our show. It helps us grow and reach those who need it. Also, make sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode!

Links:

Visit Ann’s website

Visit the menopause website

Get in touch: amgits.reverse@gmail.com

Quotes:

“Being on hormone replacement therapy is nourishing for your body.” -Ann

“When it comes to perimenopause and your menopause, the number one prescription that needs to be written is hormone replacement therapy.” -Ann

“How many women are going to therapists and are presenting with anxiety and depression and the question probably doesn't even come up of ‘are you perimenopausal? Are you menopausal?’ And then they're being prescribed antidepressants, which, as I read, often have the opposite effect on women who are menopausal.” -Erik

In this episode of From Survivor to Thriver, we had the privilege of sitting down with John Padilla to talk about how his life was changed forever by a tragedy. The devastating loss of his brother to suicide during his high school years changed the trajectory of his life.

John shares how he turned his pain into purpose and embarked on a path of healing alongside his brother's friends. Inspired by their collective resilience, he created YouTube films centered around mental health in the mountains.

Join us as John shares his deeply personal story, showing the impact of community in navigating through life's most challenging moments.

In 2019, John Padilla lost his teenage brother, Jack, to suicide. John’s background as a professional skier and photographer prompted him to create Mountain in My Mind, the first video production company focused on mental health awareness in ski towns. This project has resulted in two, award-winning, feature length films that have been viewed by millions across the world. He and his team are currently on location in Montana shooting the third film which is set for release in the Fall of 2024.

In today’s episode, we cover:

• How to check in with loved ones who might be contemplating suicide
• John’s experience with a brother who committed suicide
• How he started a nonprofit to help others struggling with their mental health
• The impact of social media and bullying on the mental health of young adults
• The power of community
• The healing that John and the other kids found through making movies
• The stigma around mental health in ski towns
• The topics covered in John’s movies
• 
  

We hope you enjoyed this conversation with John! If you want to check out his movies for yourself, head over to his YouTube and follow him on Instagram.

Thanks again for tuning in. We are so grateful to each and every one of you. Please remember to leave a rating and review of our show. It helps us grow and reach those who need it. Also, make sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode!

Links:

Check out the films on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MountainInMyMind

Follow Mountain in My Mind on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mountaininmymind/

Follow John on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/john.padilla/

Get in touch: amgits.reverse@gmail.com

Quotes:

“No suicide doesn’t have a heartbreaking end to it. It just doesn’t.” -Marc

“​​It's very simple. Ask bluntly, but politely, ‘Do you have a suicide plan?’ That's it. And if the answer is yes, or if I even sense that the answer is not no, I'm going to start making calls.” -John

“Community was probably the one thing that saved us and saved all of Jack’s friends.” -John

In this episode of From Survivor to Thriver, we talked with Jon Katz about his journey to better mental and physical health and how he learned that real healing comes after facing pain by looking within yourself.

Jon tells his story and talks about how important it is to take full responsibility for our own lives and happiness. Now, he helps others overcome their struggles in the same way he did.

In late 2020, Jon Katz went through a horrendous breakup. This breakup, compounded with the weight of an unstable childhood, decades of poor decision-making, poor relationship choices, and poor habits, left him obese, anxious, depressed, and suicidal at the age of 34.

Since then, Jon has turned his life around in every conceivable way and now coaches others on how to step back from the path of negativity, poor health, hopelessness, worthlessness, fear, and suicide.

It is now his life's mission to help folks out of the pit of suicidality, anxiety, depression, repression, and denial and take back their lives. Let’s welcome in Jon!!

In today’s episode, we cover:

• How Jon reached his lowest point in his mental health and then changed the trajectory of his life
• How the people we spend our time with can impact our habits
• Why we have to look inside if we want true happiness
• How Jon realized that running away from his problems wouldn’t solve them
• The problem with getting lost in the narratives of others
• The power of trying and giving things your all
• How desperation can actually make you unstoppable
• How your mental health and physical health are intertwined
• The juxtaposition between art and pain
• How the creative process impacts mental health

We hope you enjoyed this conversation with Jon! If you want to learn more from him, head over to his Instagram and you’ll find all of his links there.

Thanks again for tuning in. We are so grateful to each and every one of you. Please remember to leave a rating and review of our show. It helps us grow and reach those who need it. Also, make sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode!

Links:

Follow Jon on Instagram

Visit our website

Follow us on Facebook

Follow us on Instagram

Get in touch: amgits.reverse@gmail.com

Quotes:

“The regretful man is the man that isn't leading a healthy life, that isn't really trying. If you aren't really trying, then you aren't really going to be okay.” -Jon

“You have to remove things from your life if you want to grow.” -Jon

“Sometimes you create these things, even if it is as therapy or to deal with the pain, and it helps and heals others, but it doesn't necessarily do that for the artist.” -Marc

"When I’m creating something, I'm able to transpose my thoughts. It's like going on a trip. You have a suitcase and you have all this stuff in your suitcase and it's heavy and it's weighing you down. And you finally get to your room and you get a chance to unpack the suitcase and start to put things away. And I feel like that's what that creative process does from a mental health standpoint for me.” -Erik