Gratitude and Celebration: Helen and Valerie Take Their Own Advice

[00:00:01] The following podcast is part of the MindBodySpirit.fm podcast network. Welcome to our award-winning podcast, Mental Health, Hope and Recovery. I'm Helen Sneed. And I'm Valerie Milburn. We both have fought and overcome severe chronic mental illnesses.

[00:00:30] Our podcast offers a unique approach to mental health conditions. We provide practical skills, guest experts, and inspirational true stories of recovery. Our knowledge is up close and personal. Helen and I are your peers. We're not doctors, therapists, or social workers. We're not professionals, but we are experts. We are experts in our own lived experience with multiple mental health diagnoses and symptoms.

[00:00:59] Please join us on our journey. Helen Sneed. We live in recovery. So can you. This podcast does not provide medical advice. The information presented is not intended to be a substitute for or relied upon as medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The podcast is for informational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any health-related questions you may have.

[00:01:29] Welcome to episode 65, gratitude and celebration. Or Helen and Valerie take their own advice. Today marks our five-year anniversary and the 65th episode of mental health, hope, and recovery. These are milestones for us. And so we decided it was high time to stop and take our own advice, which we have dispensed over many episodes to many people.

[00:01:57] Namely, to define and express gratitude and to celebrate the accomplishment of several major goals, some of which we didn't even know we had. It is indeed a time for gratitude and celebration. We want to recognize achievements, growth, setbacks, foibles, victories, and most importantly, the incredible people who have made the journey with us and who have brought mental health, hope, and recovery to what it's become today.

[00:02:28] So, Valerie, I found a basic definition of gratitude that speaks volumes. It's from psychology today. And they say, Gratitude is the expression of appreciation for what one has. And then this goes a little bit further from positive psychology. The habit of gratitude promotes resilience and can lead to a more fulfilling life. I love those.

[00:02:56] And I too found several definitions of celebration. And here's my favorite. To say or show publicly that someone or something is great or important. And that's exactly what we are doing today. Right. So, first, we invite you to join us in a few memories of our work over five years and how we reach this day. So, let's start with some high points.

[00:03:25] For me, each and every episode has a strong impact and haunting resonance. And even after years of treatment and a life in recovery, I remain hungry to learn more about mental health issues. So, here are some episodes that have been truly memorable for me. PTSD, the two-part series. Hospitalization. Loneliness, two-part series. Creativity. And goal setting.

[00:03:56] Those are all real high points. Absolutely. And the one I think is one of the most valuable for our listeners is probably the hardest one we did for me. It was my husband sharing his whole journey with me. But the particular thing he shared that was really powerful was when he was watching the paramedics resuscitate me after my suicide attempt.

[00:04:24] He said, I didn't know what to do for my wife. Then later, he shared with our listeners what he had learned to do to help me. Yes, these are, well, it was unforgettable. So, now let's look at a little bit about behind the scenes. People ask us about that. And for me, it's the challenge of interviewing. It's, we have to watch the time, right?

[00:04:53] But cutting someone off in the middle of a great insight or anecdote is just impossible. So, for me, it's always been this balancing act of keeping things moving and yet letting people have their say. That is a challenge, absolutely. And I have kind of a funny story.

[00:05:10] When we were talking about, when we were brainstorming about the episode I just referred to with my husband, I was saying to him, well, we're going to do this series on the family dynamics of a psychiatric crisis and we're going to have a sibling, a parent, a professional. And he stopped me and said, you're not going to have a spouse. And I said to him, well, you would never do it. And he responded something so surprising to me. He said, well, you didn't ask me.

[00:05:37] Well, he had never, I know, he had never talked about so much of what we went through together during my own psychiatric crisis. And he told me he was ready because through the podcast, he could be of service to so many people. And he said, I've watched you and Helen do it. Amazing. We don't want to overlook the fact that we have had setbacks.

[00:06:06] And so here's how we've handled them. My most dramatic setback happened last year when I had emergency brain surgery on an aneurysm. And Valerie, this just left you with an episode to be finished and recorded. And, you know, you just jumped in and did it on your own. And I never doubted it, but it is a great episode. And I'm still grateful for you for doing that. Well, it wasn't the same without you. You were definitely a whole. No, it was a great episode. It was a great episode.

[00:06:36] Now, here's something that I think for both of us is a larger issue. Every month we make deep dives into illnesses and topics that can be painful or triggering for one or both of us. For example, I had strong emotional responses to the two-part depression series and then same for the bipolar two-part series. I mean, I got the work done, but every aspect was distressing and difficult.

[00:07:03] But this is where our partnership works successfully, even when it's really challenged, because our goals and standards and work methods complement each other. We take care of business, yes, but also of one another. We are vigilant about our mental health and any difficulties that arise. And because of this, we've been able to handle every setback that comes our way. And I am happy to say that we have never dropped a topic or episode because it was too painful.

[00:07:32] Absolutely. We have barreled through and only been able to do that by supporting each other. My biggest challenge, I think, in addition to everything you just said, which holds true for me, has been keeping the website content current. I had to learn a lot about the technology. The first time Shanti said, Shanti's been our support on the website, and I'll talk about her in a minute.

[00:08:00] The first time she said, OK, let me teach you how to get into the back end of a website. I said, what? And say what? But I learned it, and that was a big challenge for me. Well, I want to add here that you did really, because of your technical abilities, you did so much of the bulk of that setting up the website and maintaining it. And I, in that area, am utterly useless. Now, here's another thing.

[00:08:28] I love words and their power to move, delight, and instruct us. This is no secret. So here are some of my favorite quotes from 65 episodes. Nelson Mandela said, don't judge me by my successes. Judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again. And here's one I love from Eleanor Roosevelt. You wouldn't worry so much about what others think of you if you realized how seldom they do. I love that.

[00:08:58] I know. And, you know, it's something to remember for me at any rate. And here's from Edith Wharton. I love this one. There are two ways of spreading light, to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it. Beautiful. And finally, from Bob Marley. You never know how strong you are until being strong is your only choice.

[00:09:22] And I think that is really the basis of my recovery, that I didn't fight until I knew if I didn't fight, I wasn't going to stay alive. So I love that quote. And I think one of my favorite quotes is by Maya Angelou. She said, I can be changed by what happens to me, but I refuse to be reduced by it.

[00:09:44] And that really resonates with me because in my mid 40s, after years of numerous forms of psychiatric treatment, I finally overcame how I had been subconsciously responding to situations throughout my life based on childhood trauma. When I finally overcame this, this allowed me to become the authentic, loving, strong woman I am today.

[00:10:10] Yeah, and that was, I know for you, that was quite a battle to overcome that among many. Another thing that we have on our website, and that has really helped us in so many ways, of course, are books. So here are just a couple that we recommend. Noonday Demon by Andrew Solomon. An Unquiet Mind by Kay Redfield Jameson. Trauma and Recovery by Judith Herman.

[00:10:38] A Life Worth Living by Marsha Linehan. And The Body Keeps Score by Bessel van der Kolk. An Unquiet Mind by Kay Redfield Jameson was a game changer for me. I read it so early and before I got into recovery, but it really, it's a big one. One of my favorite that we, and we had the author on, is When a Loved One Won't Seek Mental Health Treatment. It's extremely practical with specific strategies and skills.

[00:11:07] And an often asked question. Often, often. It's really smart to have written that book, and it's a good one. Another place where we've gotten inspiration, of course, is from leaders in the field. And there are just so many to recognize, but here are some. Judith Herman, Bessel van der Kolk, Marsha Linehan, Blaise Aguirre, and Peter Levine.

[00:11:29] Now, here in Central Texas, there are remarkable leaders, such as Karen Reynas, who's the former executive director of NAMI Central Texas. She is now a leader in trauma and law enforcement. Then there's Eric Kunich, who's the long-term leader with borderline personality disorder and families. And Cherie Simpson, in the area of mental health and the elderly.

[00:11:54] Now, one key, I don't know, just basic component of our podcast virtually every time, is the treatment methods, the exciting things that are available today, and the older ones that are just time-honored. Now, for me, of course, I have to start with DBT, dialectical behavior therapy, because it's been the foundation that I rely on to implement the other treatment methods. And here are some of the great ones. They're just proven to work, you know.

[00:12:23] Education, therapy, medication for some people, group therapy, relationships, and healthy habits such as exercise, sleep, and diet. And also, never forget volunteer work. Those are all such important treatment methods. And the treatment method I am currently most excited about is psychotherapy-assisted ketamine treatment.

[00:12:49] And this is because I have personally seen people in my life make leaps and bounds in their mental health recovery through psychotherapy-assisted ketamine treatment. And that leads me to the fact that there have been so many breakthroughs in research and treatment in recent years. And, Helen, what have you found most exciting in this area?

[00:13:14] Well, again, it always comes back to the same thing, and that is the phenomenal research and findings into the workings of the human brain. And its current and potential impact on understanding and treating mental illnesses. It just never stops. Yes, and this research has led to the treatment methods that have become successful in just the past five years that we've been doing the podcast. And these are amazing.

[00:13:41] It really is interesting what has happened in our span here. Yeah, it's just exploded. And these amazing breakthroughs have come in treatment with psychedelics and in the exciting transcranial magnetic stimulation. And you've got new research findings on that later on, and also in the area of ketamine treatment. And the effectiveness of these treatments, wow, improved the lives of so many of us who live with a mental health disorder.

[00:14:11] I think what's exciting also about what you're talking about is the fact that these can so often apply to people who have been treatment resistant. Mm-hmm. And these new things, you know, they use them, and by God, they work on people who have suffered for years. Really do. Now, another sort of, I guess, we have mixed but very fond feelings about creating a website. We are a dot-com at last, Valerie.

[00:14:41] And it's a real sign of tangible progress. I mean, it's greatly enhanced communications and the capacity to reach our listeners or them to reach us. We also now offer accessibility to every episode. So this has all been a huge step forward. It really has. And I mentioned Shanti earlier. Shanti Matalewski of Vanity Fire Photography did an amazing job designing and building our website. She's got such a creative eye.

[00:15:11] The website is beautiful. Since inception of the website, we've added more and more content, offering more resources. Website traffic has quadrupled since we launched it. Thank you, Shanti. And, you know, it's really only, that's only within a couple of years. I mean, what she did was just miraculous. It really is.

[00:15:41] Our goal today is to show gratitude to and celebrate those who have made our podcast possible, memorable, inspirational, and valuable to so many listeners around the world. Helen, you want to kick us off on gratitude? Yes, I really do. Because this is where it's very, very easy. And it's a pleasure to know where to begin with this excessive gratitude.

[00:16:11] And that is when Tina Williamson first approached me to do a podcast on mental health for her new platform, MindBodySpiritFM. I had never listened to a podcast and didn't have an idea as to where to find one. But with Tina, our personal and professional relationships have spanned many years. And Tina is known to be a master of merging communications and technology. She's a visionary.

[00:16:40] So after giving her offer some thought, I decided I could do it if my great friend Valerie Milburn would co-host with me. Now, Tina and her partner, Diane Ray, have just been or continue to be incredible producers. And in my case, very effective and overworked mentors.

[00:17:01] From the outset, they have given us the format, platform, technical advice, and complete freedom as to content. I mean, Valerie, little could we have imagined that mental health, hope, and recovery would be such a transforming opportunity. But Tina could see the potential before we'd even named it. I'll be forever grateful for that. Diane Ray, whom you just mentioned, Tina's partner. Wow.

[00:17:31] My technology skills failed me numerous times when we first started this. And more frequently than we just first started it. And every time, Diane was there for me with a generous, kind, helping hand. I needed that hand holding. So needed it. And this is just a small part of that generosity of spirit and support. Both Diane and Tina have shown me and us throughout these past five years.

[00:18:01] Just beside providing the opportunity in the first place, they've been with us throughout this journey. And I thank both Tina and Diane tremendously. Amen. Now, there are so many people that we want to thank today. There are those supportive behind-the-scenes people. Karen Reynas, Eileen Gray, Eric Kunich, and Charles Sauer.

[00:18:30] They were with us from the very start, from the get-go. And these are Disney professionals and key volunteers who are our personal friends, as well as becoming insightful, patient, creative supporters of our fledgling podcast. Absolutely. And then we have professional supporters. And I mentioned Shanti. And then we have Daniel Fabbitt. He is with podcast doctors, and he is our amazing editor.

[00:18:58] And sometimes has to really doctor the editing I send him. Thank you, Daniel, for walking me through this editing process in the beginning when I had no idea what I was doing. And thank you for supporting us every step of the way. Yeah, he's been a genius. He just has been in such... He's so competent. You know, it's staggering.

[00:19:21] Now we move to a really, really important group of people to acknowledge to begin with. And that are our guest peers. I mean, I don't even know how to begin to thank the courageous, generous individuals who have been interviewed about their struggles and triumphs through living in recovery and pursuing it. Their stories are harrowing, amazing, terrifying, inspirational.

[00:19:49] Filled with first-hand advice and hard-won wisdom. You know, I'm always blown away by their willingness to take the risk of exposing their innermost selves in order to help other people that they've never even met. To speak the truth, however painful. I mean, as we say in our introduction, they are not professionals, but they are experts.

[00:20:20] In addition to these incredible peer guests, we have guest experts. These psychiatrists, therapists, authors, and researchers share their time and expertise with us and enhance our episodes and our own recovery. They bring depth and meaning to the research we uncover. But like I said, they bring depth and meaning to that. And then they share their own experience to bring this research alive.

[00:20:48] What a gift these pros are to us and our listeners. Yes, and I think for you and me, it was such a learning experience, you know, every time. Now, another thing is we are also grateful to the organizations, Great and Small, National Institute of Mental Health, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the National Education Alliance on Borderline Personality Disorder,

[00:21:16] Brain and Behavior Research Foundation, the Jed Foundation, SAMHSA, Austin Clubhouse, Communities for Recovery, and the Austin State Hospital. I mean, these and others are great clinics. They have scholars, authors, foundations, and they have all provided us with this vast reservoir of information that we needed and we were able to pass on.

[00:21:44] The next thing we want to talk about is our awards. And, you know, you could put this in celebration. We put them in gratitude because, you know, we're going to talk about celebrating later. But we have our awards in the gratitude section because we were so grateful when we received these awards

[00:22:03] because it not only validated the fact that we are bringing content that is of service to our listeners, because that is our only goal, is to share our recovery, our guest's recovery, our guest's knowledge, to bring the hope of recovery, just as our name says, mental health, hope, and recovery to others.

[00:22:30] And in 2023, we won the Signal Awards, which are the awards that recognize excellence in podcasting. We won the Signal Award, Listener's Choice. And we won this in the category of the Best Parenting category for which we won Best Episode. We won Best Episode and Listener's Choice in 2023 Signal Awards. And Helen, you and I went to New York for the awards ceremony to celebrate this award.

[00:23:00] We had a great time. Celebrate we did. Celebrate we did. And then in the next year, 2024, we won the International Positive Change Award for the impact we are making in the mental health field. These awards, you know, I don't think it's really a matter of boasting. I think for both of us, it was just the validation and the recognition after all the, you know, working and wanting to be recognized.

[00:23:29] To finally get some was just, I don't know, just a real shot in the arm. Yes. Now, here's where it gets really, really personal, I think, and that is thanking friends and family. And so I have to say I am endlessly grateful to my family and friends who are the most cherished people in my life. There are so many, I can't begin to list them all, but here are some of the names I will never forget.

[00:23:58] Family. Family. My late parents, Anna and Robert Sneed. My brothers, Jerry and John. Cousins, Nancy Durling and Lou Weatherby. And my sister, Casey Sneed, whose generous spirit, wit, and compassion have saved me more times than I can count. And then there are those great friends, you know, Eleanor Spirit, Alma Cuervo, Susan Bergstrom, Emily Little, David Finkel, Pat Galloway, Eileen Gray, Marla Porter.

[00:24:28] And especially Kent Maxwell. We do have a lot of people to thank. And my family's support literally made it possible for me to do this podcast. Before we began, I asked permission, which may sound very strange because I am an independent woman. But this is a family disease. My family suffered together, but we healed together.

[00:24:52] And I wanted them to know that it was going to be a family story. So I said to them, you know, we're going to be exposed by my transparency to the world. And every family member said, it's your story. Sing it to the world. You will help so many people.

[00:25:15] But there were things in my past that my kids didn't know about that I wanted to be able to share on the podcast because I wanted to be completely honest with our listeners. My son wanted to hear it all before we launched. Our conversation is both brutal and beautiful. But as my daughter told me to sing it to the world, she also said she wasn't going to listen to the podcast. There were things she thought would be better left unsaid.

[00:25:43] I'm impressed by and respectful of her boundaries. Now, my husband is my biggest podcast cheerleader and supporter. He has great topic suggestions. He brainstorms potential guests with me. He proofs my editing timestamps. He has so many supporting roles. And then there are those two episodes he was a guest on that I talked about. These are two of the most powerful and difficult of our episodes for me, as I said.

[00:26:11] But his gift of opening his heart and soul to me and our listeners is one of the most beautiful gifts he has given me in our 42 years of marriage. My brother Greg, my sister Bernadette, my niece Elena, my nephew Ray, my cousin Karen, and so many more that I can't even mention were amazing supporters. Their emails, phone calls, and positive feedback sustained me, particularly in the beginning.

[00:26:34] Knowing that they were learning hard things about me and yet pouring out their love for me was moving and validating. Bernadette also blessed me with her vulnerability and love in her guest appearance in our series on the psychiatric crisis and families. Her experiences as my support during my crisis and her love and wisdom in sharing this was a great service to both me and our listeners.

[00:27:04] Well, we both have been extremely fortunate to have such great people in our lives. And to have them be so supportive of something that, you know, was, as you say, a bit of exposing ourselves, you know, to a wider audience. Yes. You know, Valerie, this is really, for me, quite a tall order, which is to try to express my deepest gratitude to you.

[00:27:32] When I try to describe our relationship and the origins of the podcast, the most amazing image always comes to mind. I think of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid when they joined hands and jumped off the cliff together. It's exactly what we did. And since then, we've maintained a sense of adventure about every new topic and episode. So we have had quite a ride. So friendship first.

[00:27:58] We began as friends about 11 years ago through teaching and public presentations for NAMI. I learned your story in depth. And since then, have never lost sight of the battles you fought and won against monolithic odds. And it still impresses me the way you tell your story without a trace of self-pity. And it is a difficult story. And you tell it with courage, truth, and vulnerability.

[00:28:26] And then there's the unique pleasure of knowing your family and friends. Malcolm, your husband, is a wonder. I am so lucky to know him and to experience his intelligence, courtesy, curiosity, support, and humor throughout our journey. And his willingness to bear his soul and to tell the story of your illness with truth and gentle candor has made two episodes about family into overnight classics.

[00:28:54] Malcolm and your sister Bernadette are as delightful as they are commendable. Now, Valerie, there's so much to admire in your life, the life that you've built. The strong manner in which you live your values and principles. And your private courage in maintaining your life in recovery, even when the darkness returns, is an inspiration.

[00:29:19] Now, in our professional partnership, our collaboration grew out of the common goal to reach more individuals fighting mental illness and those who love and support them. It required us taking that leap into new, unfamiliar form, format, and territory. And your professional throughout is rare and multifaceted.

[00:29:39] I could go on forever, but, you know, innovation, discipline, risk-taking, humor, and this ongoing commitment to learning the new in order to foster a wider impact and bigger audiences. One thing that you always jump into is you always take action. You're willing to take action. And I have watched you grow on the job over these years. It's really, really, really impressive.

[00:30:05] Such as your willingness and capability to take on the complex technical demands of the podcast, which you just mastered. And also, your monthly contribution of a mindfulness exercise is one of the best and most beloved components of our work. Now, in my career, I've had some great working relationships, but no one in my professional life knew about my condition. I kept it a total secret.

[00:30:33] So working with you is a revelation. I don't have to hide the truth. I mean, with you, Valerie, there's a depth of understanding and care for one that makes me, it just makes me freer in my work. Another component is mutual respect and trust. And I'm always appreciative of your reflecting back to me a better self that I am often incapable of seeing.

[00:30:59] Now, in the podcast, we have outed ourselves in virtually every episode. And this was a deliberate risk. It was a collaborative decision and a critical component that makes our podcast unique. Charles Darwin said, In the long history of humankind, those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed.

[00:31:27] And through collaboration with you, I have learned so much about survival, grace, and thriving. So on this day of gratitude and celebration, I turn first and foremost to you, Valerie. Thank you for becoming part of the fabric of my life in such indelible ways. Thank you for the friendship, partnership, understanding, and respect. Through collaboration together, we have prevailed.

[00:31:56] Thank you. That is deeply, deeply meaningful to me. It's beautifully said. My thanks to you starts all the way in the very beginning when Tina asked you to start a mental health podcast. And you asked me to be your partner. I mean, what an honor. What an honor to be asked by you. And what fun.

[00:32:23] For five years, we've had a journey of exploration, education, and growth for me. And none of that would have happened without you by my side. I needed your support. I needed your friendship. None of that would have happened. I mean, we are a great team. We're a team because you have so much to give.

[00:32:51] For one thing, you are the most beautiful writer, the most talented writer. And why that is so important to me is that you don't really know that as truly as it is. When I tell you this is so beautifully written, you always say, oh, yeah, well, blah, blah, blah. And I love convincing you of it. It's like, no, it is really beautiful.

[00:33:20] And that's one of the things that I really admire as well. Talking about how we bear our souls. I know that's not easy for you. And I admire you so much for how raw you are as you share it. Because I know how deeply difficult that is for you.

[00:33:41] And you have a story of pain and triumph, of trial and mastering all of that pain. And I'm just so impressed by where you are today and how beautiful and full your life is. And the deep relationships you have and all of those people that you named in the episode, in the people we thanked a minute ago.

[00:34:10] So we are a great team. Not only do we finish each other's sentences when we're brainstorming on an episode, but we can write as a team over the phone. I mean, that is a rare and beautiful partnership. And it's a friendship that I value. You show up as a friend when an episode topic is emotionally difficult for me. And we've both talked about that. And I thank you for that.

[00:34:36] We often bear our souls and revisit tough times as we share our journey. You supported me when my journey was tough, not only on the podcast, but in my life. That, as you said, is not easy to do because we share our full lives, our families, all of our struggles. And we support each other in all of that.

[00:35:05] Dear Helen, thank you. Thank you, Valerie. As I said earlier, it's been quite a ride. And I simply don't think we would have had it without each other. And now we come to the most people to thank. And that is also, it's a tall order because it's our gratitude to you, our listeners.

[00:35:36] Our listeners around the globe. We, you know, we do our part as best we can, you know, unstintingly because of you. Because our timeless connection to you has enriched our lives, focused our efforts, and fulfilled our dreams beyond imagination. Our primary goal was and is to provide education, inspiration, and hope to those who need it most. And we cherish you.

[00:36:04] We cherish the support you give us, your constancy, and your precious time. Thank you. We are also so grateful for the multitude of listeners who have revisited and continue to download every one of our 65 episodes. Some of these are now considered to be classic podcasts.

[00:36:26] It's very unusual for back episodes to be continued being downloaded all the way back over and over and over and over again. And that is something that fills our hearts because we want those episodes to be alive and continue to be a resource. And that is happening. And we are so grateful that our listeners are still accessing that resource.

[00:36:53] Thank you, listeners, for making our work over these five years challenging, gratifying, and inspiring. Valerie, I think that we have tried our best to express gratitude. And so now let's move to celebration. Tell us some things that are causes for celebration. Quite a bit.

[00:37:22] Over the last five years, our increase in downloads has been 400%. In five years, we've had a 400% increase in downloads. And then this, Helen, you and I love this. In the last 30 days, we've had downloads in 83 countries. And in just the last year, our website visits have doubled. It's amazing.

[00:37:52] Yeah, it's a little bit hard to sort of take in for me because the numbers are so high. It's really great. So we've had advances. And then we have advances in the field of mental health that we want to talk about. And one just really is so funny in many ways. And just like a prophecy from my psychiatrist. Dr. Trey Alley was our first guest in 2021.

[00:38:22] He talked about how the use of psychedelics in the treatment of mental health disorders was going to be the next breakthrough. He was right. In the five years since then, research has shown that when combined with psychotherapy, substances like psilocybin, also known as magic mushrooms, and MDMA, also known as ecstasy, can provide rapid and sustained relief for treatment-resistant mental health conditions. Go, Trey.

[00:38:52] Go, Trey. I mean, if you told us this 10 years ago, we would have thought, that's crazy. I'll never try that, right? Right. Now, the thing I get, well, many things, but one of the things that I most celebrate are the advances in understanding the brain and how it affects our mental health. I said this, and there is this extraordinary potential for treatment that is being rapidly investigated. I mean, it's happening so fast it can make your head spin.

[00:39:22] Just last week, the renowned Brain and Behavior Research Foundation announced the result of a new study. The researchers used transcranial magnetic stimulation, TMS, which we know is non-invasive, to treat comorbidity. The severe condition of having more than one mental illness at the same time, and both of us have it, and it's not easy.

[00:39:47] Well, so in this study, depression and anxiety were treated simultaneously, with TMI applied to the two separate parts of the brain where the disorders are thought to develop. The potential for this could change the entire field.

[00:40:06] And as always, we want to celebrate our favorite topic, hope for the future. Now, given my own long journey, I have the deep belief, and it's hard one, I deeply believe that there is far more hope for people fighting mental illness today.

[00:40:34] There are more varied methods and options in the treatment field. Medicine and science are catching up. The medications are far more sophisticated. And most importantly, the doctors are just plain smarter. There's now a vast body of knowledge that they can draw upon to help their patients.

[00:40:54] Now, after researching and working on 65 episodes over five years, this has strengthened my belief in recovery and in the expanding reasons for hope for all of us. Absolutely. Absolutely. My hope for the future is that the research, new medications, and new treatments that are exploding will indeed bring more and more people being able to live in recovery with the mental health disorder.

[00:41:22] And that's going to happen soon. And now, we are going to ask you, Valerie, to lead us in something that has become, I guess, one of the most beloved and definitely significant aspects of every episode. Please lead us in a mindfulness exercise. I will be happy to.

[00:41:52] What is mindfulness? I always give a definition. 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 without judgment. Our mindfulness exercise today will be expressing gratitude for the little things in life, the day-to-day gifts that often go unnoticed. Let's get mindful.

[00:42:21] We'll begin, as always, with our diaphragmatic breathing. We'll take just two diaphragmatic breaths. I usually take about 10 to start my meditation and mindfulness practice. If you're driving or walking, please adapt this mindfulness exercise in such a way that it works in your current surroundings. If you can, find a comfortable seated position. Try closing your eyes if it's safe to do so. Let's breathe.

[00:42:50] Inhale through your nose, expanding an imaginary balloon in your stomach. Exhale through your mouth, pulling your stomach in as you do so. Take another inhale through your nose. Expand that imaginary balloon. Exhale through your mouth, pulling your stomach all the way in.

[00:43:18] Drop your shoulders. Continue with this deep, regular breathing. Shift your awareness from your breath to your body. Feel the floor beneath you, the seat you're sitting on. Or the ground, as your feet touch down as you walk. Think about the room or the space that you're in.

[00:43:51] Begin to take notice of the little things around you that you might take for granted as you go about your busy days. Feel the air on your skin and notice what it feels like. Warm or cold, appreciate the temperature of the air that surrounds you.

[00:44:18] Now notice the sounds in this room or space. Perhaps you hear a ticking clock, the hum of a fan or the air conditioning, the murmur of voices, or the honking of a horn. Rather than thinking of these sounds as noises or distractions, lend some appreciation to them.

[00:44:48] Just listen. Be present. Now begin to extend your awareness to outside of your immediate surroundings. If you're at home, think about your entire home and everything in it. Bring to mind the things that you use every day to help your life run more smoothly.

[00:45:22] See yourself going through a normal day, but moving more slowly through it, more mindfully. Mindfully taking time getting dressed, washing up, eating, working.

[00:45:48] If you're outside, think of the world around you. Think of the blue sky above, the sun that sustains us, the trees that offer us shade. Imagine taking the time each day to express gratitude for all of this. Appreciate every aspect of your daily experience.

[00:46:20] Commit to mindfully walking through your life and making an effort to notice more, feel more, and see more. This is our life. We are here. Let's strive for gratitude. If your eyes are closed, please open them and gently bring yourself back to the room.

[00:46:48] Thank you for doing this mindfulness exercise with me. Well, Valerie, since we're talking about gratitude on behalf of I don't know how many people, I want to thank you for this, again, this great, great feature and opportunity every month. And I also want to tell you personally, thank you, because I have needed you to tell me to drop my shoulders now 65 times.

[00:47:20] Okay, I want to close with the wisest, most instructive words I know for people in our universe. The great E.M. Forster who said, connect, only connect. Now, I can't think of anyone who, in isolation and all alone, can overcome the challenges we face for our mental health.

[00:47:48] Connection to other people is the bedrock of recovery and a life worth living. As we say in our podcast, we live in recovery. So can you. And now, after five years and 65 episodes, we leave you with our favorite word. Onward.

[00:48:23] I'm Suzanne Giesemann. And if you've ever wondered about life after death, or if it's possible to connect with higher consciousness, I invite you to join me for my podcast, Always Connected. It's my mission to share with you that a connection with loved ones who have passed and divine guidance is always available. And we are so very loved. I want to teach you how to live a consciously connected and divinely guided life. Listen here on the mindbodyspirit.fm podcast network.