a is for anxious: a podcast diary

we're backk..... and with a spicy episode 🌶️ because x is for x-rated, or rather, sex and intimacy. with the help of today's guests, greta and amelia, we dive into everything from our first sexual experiences, sex education, disassociating during sex, and so much more! content warnings for this episode: sexual content, sexual assault and harassment, sexual trauma, alcohol and substance use. stay tuned for the next episode with another special guest, Y is for _____________ . can you guess what Y is for? 👀resources + links: - https://www.nami.org/help- https://988lifeline.org- https://bornthisway.foundation/resources-for-help/- https://www.activeminds.org/about-mental-health/self-care/- https://aakomaproject.org- https://www.asianmhc.org/resources/- https://www.thetrevorproject.org/resources/article/resources-for-mental-health-support/intro and outro music created + produced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Brandon Y.D. Music⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast cover art + art direction created by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Zoë Cain⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠follow the podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! follow alyx ang on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!Alyx Ang (she/her/hers) lives in Saint Paul, MN, and is a digital storyteller and mental health advocate. She is a content creator focused on life and literature at the intersection of mental health and wellness. On May 18th, 2022, Alex attended MTV Entertainment Group’s inaugural Mental Health Youth Action Forum at the White House as one of 30 mental health advocates and creators. Since then, she has been on a mission to highlight the importance of storytelling in mental health awareness.

this week for episode w, i am joined by fellow mental health advocate Sophie Szew. from a young age, Sophie grappled with the concept of womanhood and their gender, something that they pointedly describe as "inextricably linked to anxiety." at its core, today's episode is about identity and its link to our mental health. stay tuned for the next episode with another special guest, X is for _____________ . can you guess what X is for? 👀 sophie's book recommendations from today's episode: Thick: And Other Essays by  Tressie McMillan Cottom Black on Both Sides: A Racial History of Trans Identity by C. Riley Snorton follow sophie: Instagram be on season 2 of a is for anxious! apply here: https://forms.gle/NHpjRviF29XESC4K6 resources + links:  - https://www.nami.org/help - https://988lifeline.org - https://bornthisway.foundation/resources-for-help/ - https://www.activeminds.org/about-mental-health/self-care/ - https://aakomaproject.org - https://www.asianmhc.org/resources/ - https://www.thetrevorproject.org/resources/article/resources-for-mental-health-support/ intro and outro music created + produced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Brandon Y.D. Music⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ podcast cover art + art direction created by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Zoë Cain⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ follow the podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!  follow alyx ang on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Alyx Ang (she/her/hers) lives in Saint Paul, MN, and is a digital storyteller and mental health advocate. She is a content creator focused on life and literature at the intersection of mental health and wellness. On May 18th, 2022, Alex attended MTV Entertainment Group’s inaugural Mental Health Youth Action Forum at the White House as one of 30 mental health advocates and creators. Since then, she has been on a mission to highlight the importance of storytelling in mental health awareness. Alex now sits on the Youth Advisory Board for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). 

this week for episode v, i am joined by my friend Mackenzie to talk about our anxieties of video games. as a recent avid video game player, Mackenzie tells us about her experience as a female gamer, performance anxiety, and how video games can also be beneficial for her mental health. stay tuned for the next episode with another special guest, W is for _____________ . can you guess what W is for? 👀 follow mackenzie: ⁠Instagram⁠ be on season 2 of a is for anxious! apply here: https://forms.gle/NHpjRviF29XESC4K6 resources + links:  - https://www.nami.org/help - https://988lifeline.org - https://bornthisway.foundation/resources-for-help/ - https://www.activeminds.org/about-mental-health/self-care/ - https://aakomaproject.org - https://www.asianmhc.org/resources/ - https://www.thetrevorproject.org/resources/article/resources-for-mental-health-support/ intro and outro music created + produced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Brandon Y.D. Music⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ podcast cover art + art direction created by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Zoë Cain⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ follow the podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!  follow alyx ang on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Alyx Ang (she/her/hers) lives in Saint Paul, MN, and is a digital storyteller and mental health advocate. She is a content creator focused on life and literature at the intersection of mental health and wellness. On May 18th, 2022, Alex attended MTV Entertainment Group’s inaugural Mental Health Youth Action Forum at the White House as one of 30 mental health advocates and creators. Since then, she has been on a mission to highlight the importance of storytelling in mental health awareness. Alex now sits on the Youth Advisory Board for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). 

raise your hand if you are scared of the unknown. in today's episode, i am joined by my friend Ravali Vallurupalli to talk about our mutual anxiety about the unknown and the many uncertainties that come with life. from speaking candidly about her experience as a high school student navigating the unknowns of college to imparting great advice for those who don't feel in control, we hope this episode helps you begin to tackle your anxiety of the unknown. stay tuned for the next episode with another special guest, V is for _____________ . can you guess what V is for? 👀 follow ravali: Instagram be on season 2 of a is for anxious! apply here: https://forms.gle/NHpjRviF29XESC4K6 resources + links:  - https://www.nami.org/help - https://988lifeline.org - https://bornthisway.foundation/resources-for-help/ - https://www.activeminds.org/about-mental-health/self-care/ - https://aakomaproject.org - https://www.asianmhc.org/resources/ - https://www.thetrevorproject.org/resources/article/resources-for-mental-health-support/ intro and outro music created + produced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Brandon Y.D. Music⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ podcast cover art + art direction created by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Zoë Cain⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ follow the podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!  follow alyx ang on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Alyx Ang (she/her/hers) lives in Saint Paul, MN, and is a digital storyteller and mental health advocate. She is a content creator focused on life and literature at the intersection of mental health and wellness. On May 18th, 2022, Alex attended MTV Entertainment Group’s inaugural Mental Health Youth Action Forum at the White House as one of 30 mental health advocates and creators. Since then, she has been on a mission to highlight the importance of storytelling in mental health awareness. Alex now sits on the Youth Advisory Board for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). 

let's talk about therapy... what it is, what it isn't, and the anxieties that so many of us have about taking this giant leap in our healing journey. i am joined by my dear friend Dr. Monica P. Band, an award-winning practicing mental health therapist and educator, to talk about therapy on this episode of 'a is for anxious.' stay tuned for the next episode with another special guest, U is for _____________ . can you guess what U is for? 👀 listen to Dr. Monica's podcast 'I Need To Ask You Something': https://lemonadamedia.com/show/i-need-to-ask-you-something/ follow Dr. Monica: Instagram | Linkedin be on season 2 of a is for anxious! apply here: https://forms.gle/NHpjRviF29XESC4K6 resources + links:  - https://www.nami.org/help - https://988lifeline.org - https://bornthisway.foundation/resources-for-help/ - https://www.activeminds.org/about-mental-health/self-care/ - https://aakomaproject.org - https://www.asianmhc.org/resources/ - https://www.thetrevorproject.org/resources/article/resources-for-mental-health-support/ intro and outro music created + produced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Brandon Y.D. Music⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ podcast cover art + art direction created by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Zoë Cain⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ follow the podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!  follow alyx ang on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Alyx Ang (she/her/hers) lives in Saint Paul, MN, and is a digital storyteller and mental health advocate. She is a content creator focused on life and literature at the intersection of mental health and wellness. On May 18th, 2022, Alex attended MTV Entertainment Group’s inaugural Mental Health Youth Action Forum at the White House as one of 30 mental health advocates and creators. Since then, she has been on a mission to highlight the importance of storytelling in mental health awareness. Alex now sits on the Youth Advisory Board for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). 

the letter s is for none other than social media. i am joined by Larissa May, founder of #HalfTheStory, to talk about her anxieties of social media, the digital wellbeing movement, and how you foster healthy social media habits. stay tuned for the next episode with another special guest, T is for _____________ . can you guess what T is for? 👀 follow #HalfTheStory: https://www.halfthestoryproject.com/social-media-uhttps://www.instagram.com/halfthestory/https://halfthestory.substack.com/ be on season 2 of a is for anxious! apply here: https://forms.gle/NHpjRviF29XESC4K6 resources + links:  - https://www.nami.org/help - https://988lifeline.org - https://bornthisway.foundation/resources-for-help/ - https://www.activeminds.org/about-mental-health/self-care/ - https://aakomaproject.org - https://www.asianmhc.org/resources/ - https://www.thetrevorproject.org/resources/article/resources-for-mental-health-support/ intro and outro music created + produced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Brandon Y.D. Music⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ podcast cover art + art direction created by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Zoë Cain⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ follow the podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!  follow alyx ang on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Alyx Ang (she/her/hers) lives in Saint Paul, MN, and is a digital storyteller and mental health advocate. She is a content creator focused on life and literature at the intersection of mental health and wellness. On May 18th, 2022, Alex attended MTV Entertainment Group’s inaugural Mental Health Youth Action Forum at the White House as one of 30 mental health advocates and creators. Since then, she has been on a mission to highlight the importance of storytelling in mental health awareness. Alex now sits on the Youth Advisory Board for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). 

on this episode, we dive into the anxieties that one may have about their religion, as well as navigating their identity and faith at the same time. i am joined by my good friend Amelia Gerrard (they/them) to talk about their experiences growing up religious and how their identity played a role in some of the anxiety they experienced around their religion. stay tuned for the next episode with another special guest, S is for _____________ . can you guess what S is for? 👀 resources from our guest: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bdEIdIX8TGxlU5PR0ug5FycN7nijph3vqi7O09kzujY/edit?usp=sharing resources + links:  - https://www.nami.org/help - https://988lifeline.org - https://bornthisway.foundation/resources-for-help/ - https://www.activeminds.org/about-mental-health/self-care/ - https://aakomaproject.org - https://www.asianmhc.org/resources/ - https://www.thetrevorproject.org/resources/article/resources-for-mental-health-support/ intro and outro music created + produced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Brandon Y.D. Music⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ podcast cover art + art direction created by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Zoë Cain⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ follow the podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!  follow alyx ang on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Alyx Ang (she/her/hers) lives in Saint Paul, MN, and is a digital storyteller and mental health advocate. She is a content creator focused on life and literature at the intersection of mental health and wellness. On May 18th, 2022, Alex attended MTV Entertainment Group’s inaugural Mental Health Youth Action Forum at the White House as one of 30 mental health advocates and creators. Since then, she has been on a mission to highlight the importance of storytelling in mental health awareness. Alex now sits on the Youth Advisory Board for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). 

do you ever get anxious before quitting something? when is the right time to quit a job? we explore all that and more with the letter q. tesia shi experienced a lot of anxiety and stress before quitting her job this past year. in this episode, she discusses the implications of quitting on her mental health and how that created tension in her relationships with herself and her parents. stay tuned for the next episode with another special guest, R is for _____________ . can you guess what R is for? 👀 resources + links:  - https://www.nami.org/help - https://988lifeline.org - https://bornthisway.foundation/resources-for-help/ - https://www.activeminds.org/about-mental-health/self-care/ - https://aakomaproject.org - https://www.asianmhc.org/resources/ - https://www.thetrevorproject.org/resources/article/resources-for-mental-health-support/ intro and outro music created + produced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Brandon Y.D. Music⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ podcast cover art + art direction created by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Zoë Cain⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ follow the podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!  follow alyx ang on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Alyx Ang (she/her/hers) lives in Saint Paul, MN, and is a digital storyteller and mental health advocate. She is a content creator focused on life and literature at the intersection of mental health and wellness. On May 18th, 2022, Alex attended MTV Entertainment Group’s inaugural Mental Health Youth Action Forum at the White House as one of 30 mental health advocates and creators. Since then, she has been on a mission to highlight the importance of storytelling in mental health awareness. Alex now sits on the Youth Advisory Board for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). 

dog-owners or pet-owners of any kind, this episode was meant for you! on today's episode, i speak with relatively new dog mom, Belinda Huang, about her anxieties related to caring for her year old poodle named Bennie. we dive into everything from the puppy blues, social media, and her experience with training a puppy. stay tuned for the next episode with another special guest, Q is for _____________ . can you guess what Q is for? 👀 learn more about our guest: follow Belinda on socials: Belinda's Instagram resources + links:  - https://www.nami.org/help - https://988lifeline.org - https://bornthisway.foundation/resources-for-help/ - https://www.activeminds.org/about-mental-health/self-care/ - https://aakomaproject.org - https://www.asianmhc.org/resources/ - https://www.thetrevorproject.org/resources/article/resources-for-mental-health-support/ intro and outro music created + produced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Brandon Y.D. Music⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ podcast cover art + art direction created by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Zoë Cain⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ follow the podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!  follow alyx ang on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Alyx Ang (she/her/hers) lives in Saint Paul, MN, and is a digital storyteller and mental health advocate. She is a content creator focused on life and literature at the intersection of mental health and wellness. On May 18th, 2022, Alex attended MTV Entertainment Group’s inaugural Mental Health Youth Action Forum at the White House as one of 30 mental health advocates and creators. Since then, she has been on a mission to highlight the importance of storytelling in mental health awareness. Alex now sits on the Youth Advisory Board for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). 

in this episode, Alyx is joined by author, entrepreneur and mental health advocate, Dayna Altman, to discuss the anxiety of OCD. OCD, also known as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, was a diagnosis that Dayna received through learning more about her anxiety. today, we tackle everything from diagnosis, stigma, to some great coping mechanisms, both personally and professionally. stay tuned for the next episode with another special guest, P is for _____________ . can you guess what P is for? 👀 learn more about our guest: Dayna Altman is an energetic and dynamic speaker, entrepreneur, author, and creator. The full force and sole operator of Bake it Till You Make it LLC, Dayna harvests her passion for mental health advocacy by using food and baking to create an authentic recipe for vulnerable storytelling. A nationally recognized mental health leader by the Biden-Harris administration, a dual graduate of Northeastern University, and an active Boston community member, Dayna has experience both working in the mental health field and with youth-based non-profits. Currently, Dayna pursues writing poetry and exploring new ways to change the world using her own story. follow Dayna on socials: Dayna's Instagram | ⁠Bake It Till You Make It Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | TikTok resources + links:  - https://www.nami.org/help - https://988lifeline.org - https://bornthisway.foundation/resources-for-help/ - https://www.activeminds.org/about-mental-health/self-care/ - https://aakomaproject.org - https://www.asianmhc.org/resources/ - https://www.thetrevorproject.org/resources/article/resources-for-mental-health-support/ intro and outro music created + produced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Brandon Y.D. Music⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ podcast cover art + art direction created by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Zoë Cain⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ follow the podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!  follow alyx ang on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Alyx Ang (she/her/hers) lives in Saint Paul, MN, and is a digital storyteller and mental health advocate. She is a content creator focused on life and literature at the intersection of mental health and wellness. On May 18th, 2022, Alex attended MTV Entertainment Group’s inaugural Mental Health Youth Action Forum at the White House as one of 30 mental health advocates and creators. Since then, she has been on a mission to highlight the importance of storytelling in mental health awareness. Alex now sits on the Youth Advisory Board for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).