Blind Survivor of Suicide Shares his Story of Triumph

Zach Tidwell transformed his life after a self-inflicted gunshot wound left him blind and deaf in one ear. Through perseverance, he has pursued numerous adventurous activities, including skiing and white water rafting. He demonstrated that with determination and support, one can regain independence and achieve remarkable goals despite significant challenges.  Tidwell now focuses on inspiring others, promoting mental health awareness, and aiding in the creation of blind accessibility technology. He emphasizes that life improvement comes through active effort and resilience. Hear his story now! To learn more -- or read the transcript -- please visit the official episode page. “That first snowboarding trip was eight and a half months after I shot myself. That next month, I got back into college. Six months later, I moved into downtown Denver to live on the college campus and had to learn to navigate the city with just my cane. It has been incremental, and those sports have been sprinkled in along the way, where even though I didn't have the skill to cook, I got a taste of independent snowboarding. And then when I moved out on my own, I got to OK, now the river was the new thing. And it's kind of supported all of the personal growth that I've had.” ~Zach Tidwell Zach Tidwell is a blind Marine Corps veteran and suicide survivor best known for his lighthearted approach to the hard topics in life and his ability to inspire others. Having shot himself in the head in an attempt to take his own life, he woke up blind and deaf in one ear and with a new perspective on life. At only 28 years old, Zach now shares his story and the lessons he’s learned along the way to save lives and motivate others to take control and write the stories of their futures. In addition to sharing his hard-learned lessons, Zach has gone on to found his own software development company so he can lead the way in inclusive design by creating software everyone can use, regardless of disability or lack thereof. Outside of work, he breaks down barriers and social perceptions of what the world thinks a disabled person can do. He skis, rock climbs, whitewater kayaks, skydives, and even competes in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu against other practitioners without disabilities. Our host, Gabe Howard, is an award-winning writer and speaker who lives with bipolar disorder. He is the author of the popular book, "Mental Illness is an Asshole and other Observations," available from Amazon; signed copies are also available directly from the author. Gabe makes his home in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. He lives with his supportive wife, Kendall, and a Miniature Schnauzer dog that he never wanted, but now can’t imagine life without. To book Gabe for your next event or learn more about him, please visit gabehoward.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, sponsored by NOCD, designer and producer Sam Temple shares her experience living with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and her long journey to getting a diagnosis. Today's episode is sponsored by NOCD (learn more at treatmyocd.com). We delve into the many misconceptions about OCD, and Sam emphasizes how different forms of the disorder, like relationship OCD, severely impacted her life. Her psychiatrist recommended NOCD’s exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy, and she shares her experience with ERP treatment and NOCD.  Sam now advocates for treatment and community support, and she finds solace and purpose in helping others navigate their OCD journeys. Listen Now! “I had the same misconceptions about OCD that most people had at that time. Where you think, ‘Oh, it's just, you know, being afraid of germs or being super tidy.’ I'm the messiest person there is. So, you know, it didn't make sense to me at first.” ~Sam Temple To learn more -- or read the transcript, please visit the official episode page. Today's guest, Sam Temple, is an artist, designer, and producer in the YouTube industry for the H3 show. She lives with obsessive compulsive disorder, and OCD advocacy has become a huge part of her life. She is here today to discuss her life with -- and her treatment for -- obsessive compulsive disorder. Our host, Gabe Howard, is an award-winning writer and speaker who lives with bipolar disorder. He is the author of the popular book, "Mental Illness is an Asshole and other Observations," available from Amazon; signed copies are also available directly from the author. Gabe makes his home in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. He lives with his supportive wife, Kendall, and a Miniature Schnauzer dog that he never wanted, but now can’t imagine life without. To book Gabe for your next event or learn more about him, please visit gabehoward.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hey, everybody, this is Gabe Howard, host of the Inside Mental Health podcast. And for the last nine years, we have released an episode every single week, including over the holidays, over the summer. I have never taken a break. Well, that schedule just got a bit cumbersome. So, instead of releasing weekly episodes, we are going to switch to bi-weekly episodes. It's going to be the same great podcast, with the same great guests and the same cool things happening. But, instead of happening weekly, it will happen bi-weekly. So tune in next week for the next episode of the Inside Mental Health podcast! Gabe Howard (Healthline Media) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

on adoptees' perspectives, highlighting the often overlooked side of adoption narratives. Our conversation delves into how the adoption industry, driven by a multibillion-dollar market, prioritizes the narratives of adoptive parents, sidelining the voices and experiences of adoptees. We discuss the societal expectations placed on adoptees to feel grateful despite the complexities of their experiences, including feelings of loss, identity issues, and the challenges of connecting with their biological roots. Furthermore, the dialogue touches on systemic issues in adoption practices, such as the lack of access to original birth records for adoptees. Through their stories and insights, Sara and Louise stress the need for greater understanding, reform in adoption practices, and more inclusive conversations that give adoptees a platform to share their experiences and identities. “I think you can do both. You can love your family. And you can also want to know your other family and your roots and who you are. It's like an inherent right, I think, to know who you are because we strive for it. Like we may not know we're searching, but we are always, because you have like this, this hole that's missing. And you're taken from your mother. It's a strange scenario if you think about it, and you put somewhere else. No one talks to you about it, and you try to navigate the world. And so all these little subtle things growing up affect a lot of people.” ~Louise Browne To learn more -- or read the transcript -- please visit the official episode page. Sarah Reinhardt is a co-host of “Adoption: The Making of Me,” a podcast by and for adoptees. She is a writer, empty-nester, OCD dog parent, and works in Public Media in Kansas City, MO. Sarah hopes her voice will help resonate with other adoptees facing similar issues. Currently, she is working on a book of humorous essays that follow the theme of searching for identity. Louise Browne is a co-host of “Adoption: The Making of Me,” a podcast by and for adoptees. Louise works for the executive leadership team in digital banking. She is working on a YA novel and has written two children’s books along and several poems. Louise lives along the Central Coast of California with her husband, Bill, and their dog, Gracie. She has a grown son who lives in Los Angeles. She is trying to change the narrative of adoption to include the voices of adoptees and to help change the way adoption is run as a business. Our host, Gabe Howard, is an award-winning writer and speaker who lives with bipolar disorder. He is the author of the popular book, "Mental Illness is an Asshole and other Observations," available from Amazon; signed copies are also available directly from the author. Gabe makes his home in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. He lives with his supportive wife, Kendall, and a Miniature Schnauzer dog that he never wanted, but now can’t imagine life without. To book Gabe for your next event or learn more about him, please visit gabehoward.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“The Holocaust was real” should not be a controversial statement, but sadly it has become one. Today, we feature Dr. David Hazony, an expert on Jewish philosophy, who dives into the troubling rise of Holocaust denial and its roots in conspiracy theory and antisemitism. Hazony describes Holocaust denial as not only an offshoot of historical antisemitism but also a mechanism for individuals to express disenchantment with societal authorities, attributing personal or societal failures to fabricated Jewish conspiracies. He emphasizes the grave consequences of dismissing the Holocaust, warning that such denial undermines the lessons learned from one of history's darkest chapters, potentially making society vulnerable to repeating past atrocities. “When you don't want to believe something, you find ways of not believing it. When there's a market for disbelief and denial, you'll find people prepared to fulfill the needs of that market through false scholarship, through false books, through false documentaries and films, and all of the false information. The question is not so much what are they thinking as why are they thinking it. What need does it fulfill? What role in society does it fulfill? Why does it make them feel good? And how do we get to the bottom of what's driving people who want to believe that they’re forces geared up against them to take away that which is rightfully theirs? That's the real question that we need to ask.” ~Dr. David Hazony To learn more -- or read the transcript -- visit the official episode page. David Hazony is an award-winning editor, translator, and author. He is the former editor-in-chief of the journal Azure and was the founding editor of TheTower.org. His book “The Ten Commandments” (Scribner, 2010) was a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award. His translation of Uri Bar-Joseph’s “The Angel” (HarperCollins, 2016) won the National Jewish Book Award. He has edited two previous anthologies: “Essential Essays on Judaism” by Eliezer Berkovits (Shalem, 2002) and, with Yoram Hazony and Michael B. Oren, “New Essays on Zionism” (Shalem, 2007). He has a PhD in Jewish Philosophy from the Hebrew University and lives in Jerusalem. Our host, Gabe Howard, is an award-winning writer and speaker who lives with bipolar disorder. He is the author of the popular book, "Mental Illness is an Asshole and other Observations," available from Amazon; signed copies are also available directly from the author. Gabe makes his home in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. He lives with his supportive wife, Kendall, and a Miniature Schnauzer dog that he never wanted, but now can’t imagine life without. To book Gabe for your next event or learn more about him, please visit gabehoward.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Asima Ahmad discusses the significant role doulas can play in pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum care, highlighting the importance of clear roles and communication between healthcare professionals, doulas, and birthing individuals for optimal outcomes. Dr. Asima’s personal experience with a doula demonstrates the benefits of having tailored support for physical and emotional well-being, underscoring the potential for doulas to alleviate stress and anxiety, and contribute to a more positive birthing experience. The conversation also addresses controversies surrounding doula services, emphasizing the necessity of teamwork and understanding in medical settings to prevent miscommunication and ensure the safety and health of both the mother and baby, with research supporting the positive impact of doulas on reducing medical interventions and improving mental health outcomes. To learn more -- or read the transcript -- visit the official episode page. “So I think there's a lot of different roles that doulas can play. I don't think it's just like a copy and paste for all. Personally, I've had five pregnancies, I have four children, and I'm lucky that I've always had a good support system in place. But for this last delivery, I did have a postpartum doula, and even though I had gone through it three times before, I found her insight and support to be valuable to not only myself but also to my family and friends.” ~Asima Ahmad, MD, MPH Our guest, Asima Ahmad, MD, MPH, is a co-founder and the chief medical officer (CMO) of Carrot Fertility, the leading global fertility care platform. As Carrot’s CMO, Ahmad leads clinical strategy, overseeing the company’s expansive network and telehealth program, which offers access to more than 10,000 reproductive endocrinologists, urologists, adoption experts, mental health experts, OB/GYNs, doulas, and midwives.   In addition to her role at Carrot, Ahmad is a practicing reproductive endocrinologist and infertility specialist. She is double board certified in reproductive endocrinology and infertility and obstetrics and gynecology. Ahmad earned a combined medical and public health degree from the University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Medicine and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston. She completed her residency in OB/GYN at Yale-New Haven Hospital in Connecticut and her fellowship training in reproductive endocrinology and infertility at the University of California, San Francisco. She has worked alongside and received mentorship from former ASRM presidents Dr. Hugh Taylor and Dr. Marcelle Cedars. Ahmad’s work has been published extensively in academic literature and internationally on various topics related to infertility, reproductive and hormonal health, gynecologic malignancies, and patient safety.  Ahmad has been recognized by Entrepreneur magazine and Fierce Healthcare on their Women of Influence lists and named to Business Insider’s 30 under 40 in Healthcare list. She has also spoken at The World Economic Forum and has been featured in The New York Times, the “Today” show, “Good Morning America,” NPR, CNN, USA Today, Women’s Health, and more. Our host, Gabe Howard, is an award-winning writer and speaker who lives with bipolar disorder. He is the author of the popular book, "Mental Illness is an Asshole and other Observations," available from Amazon; signed copies are also available directly from the author. Gabe makes his home in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. He lives with his supportive wife, Kendall, and a Miniature Schnauzer dog that he never wanted, but now can’t imagine life without. To book Gabe for your next event or learn more about him, please visit gabehoward.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our guest, Greg Harden, is a renowned peak performance coach best known for his work with Tom Brady and Michael Phelps. In today’s episode, Greg emphasizes the importance of self-knowledge, mental training, and understanding that fear and anxiety are natural parts of life to be managed, not feared. His latest book, "Stay Sane in an Insane World," offers insights into achieving personal success and well-being by adopting self-supporting attitudes and behaviors. If you want to be a better version of yourself, this episode is for you. To learn more -- or read the transcript -- visit the official episode page. “What we do is sometimes we get so preoccupied with worrying about things we can't control, that when we can get to the things that we can do something about, we're worn out and tired. And what I try to do is get people to simply make a commitment to be someone that when you talk to yourself, you change the way you talk to yourself. To improve the way that I talk to myself, the way I see myself, the secret that's not a secret, Gabe, is self-love and self-acceptance.” ~Greg Harden Greg Harden is a peak performance coach, motivational speaker, and executive consultant best known for his work with seven-time Super Bowl champion quarterback Tom Brady. He also worked with Heisman Trophy winner, and Super Bowl MVP Desmond Howard and 23-time Olympic Gold medalist Michael Phelps. He’s spent more than 30 years counseling, motivating, and coaching them at the University of Michigan, including 400 future professional athletes, 50 NFL first-round draft picks, and 120 Olympians from more than 20 countries. He gained national recognition when “60 Minute Sports” profiled him as “Michigan’s Secret Weapon.” Our host, Gabe Howard, is an award-winning writer and speaker who lives with bipolar disorder. He is the author of the popular book, "Mental Illness is an Asshole and other Observations," available from Amazon; signed copies are also available directly from the author. Gabe makes his home in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. He lives with his supportive wife, Kendall, and a Miniature Schnauzer dog that he never wanted, but now can’t imagine life without. To book Gabe for your next event or learn more about him, please visit gabehoward.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, Dwight "Doc" Gooden, a former Major League Baseball pitcher, discusses his journey with addiction, relapse, and the significance of addressing mental health alongside substance misuse. He emphasizes the importance of honesty, self-forgiveness, and seeking proper help, including for mental health issues, which he feels are often overlooked despite their significance. Doc also highlights the human toll of his addiction beyond baseball, such as the time lost with his children and the impact on his family. To learn more -- or read the transcript -- please visit the official episode page. “Those are the most people that you see out on the streets or holding signs saying, I want to work for food. And it's sad because that was somebody's kid, I mean, at the end of the day, we're all brothers and sisters. And that would definitely be me if I didn't have money. So when I see those people, I try to talk to them a little bit if I can. Sometimes you go to the store and you see people outside. I just talk where you from. I just like to talk to them, see what's going on, because they are people too, and they need help. And saddest part is those people, most of those people and they’re out here suffering and nothing's been done. It's so deep and that's mental health.” ~Dwight "Doc" Gooden Our guest, Dwight Eugene Gooden, aka “Doc,” is well known for his baseball heroics. Dwight’s career accolades include Rookie of the Year, a Cy Young Award, three World Series championships, and a storybook no-hitter. Earning the nickname “Doctor K” due to his propensity for pitching strikeouts, it could be argued that Dwight Gooden earned it all in his playing career. Dwight Gooden’s history also includes substance use and addiction, league suspensions, arrests, and a long road toward learning how his various struggles were associated with his mental health. Receiving treatment and now over four years sober, Dwight Gooden uses his unique perspective to offer support and insightful guidance to others struggling with mental illness. Having served thousands through various speeches, talks and advocacy endeavors, Dwight Gooden is retired from baseball but considers now the prime of his career as he sees his true purpose in helping others. In addition to participating in various mental health causes, Dwight Gooden is working to spread nutritional awareness through St. Augustine’s Fountain. He also looks forward to when the New York Mets will give him the highest honor a player could receive from their club when they retire his #16 jersey this year. Our host, Gabe Howard, is an award-winning writer and speaker who lives with bipolar disorder. He is the author of the popular book, "Mental Illness is an Asshole and other Observations," available from Amazon; signed copies are also available directly from the author. Gabe makes his home in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. He lives with his supportive wife, Kendall, and a Miniature Schnauzer dog that he never wanted, but now can’t imagine life without. To book Gabe for your next event or learn more about him, please visit gabehoward.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Raghu Kiran Appasani and author Brooke Siem join us for a nuanced discussion about the complexities of prescribing psychiatric medications to children. They explore the importance of informed consent, the inadequacies of the current mental health system, and the societal shift toward over-medicalizing everyday life challenges.  Both Brooke, as an advocate with personal experience, and Dr. Raghu, from a medical perspective, agree on the need for a multifaceted approach to mental health treatment, moving beyond reliance on medication alone. However, they disagree on the best path forward and share their perspectives. To learn more -- or read the transcript -- please visit the official episode page. “When people come to me and they ask me these questions, they are never thriving, which is another piece of anecdata for me, that just shows that these drugs don't really work long term. I mean, I honestly have not met one single person who has been medicated for, let's say, more than 2 to 3 years for depression, who says they're thriving. I hear them say they're coping. They're, you know, they're okay. They're fine. That's kind of the best it gets. They're never living their best life. And so I think we just really attribute a lot of that to just like, oh, it's just being an adult, you know, life's hard and then you die type of attitude.” ~Brooke Siem Our guest, Brooke Siem (@brookesiem), is both a chef to professional athletes and the surprising face of psychiatric drug withdrawal awareness and advocacy. Her book, “May Cause Side Effects,” won the 2023 BIBA Prize for memoir and was named as one of “Good Morning America's” most anticipated reads. Her work on antidepressant withdrawal has also appeared in The Washington Post, New York Post, Psychology Today, and more. She is a Food Network "Chopped" Champion, founder of the newsletter Happiness Is A Skill, and creator of the F**it Bucket™.  Our guest, Dr. Raghu Kiran Appasani, is an integrative & addiction psychiatrist, neuroscientist, and social entrepreneur focused on bridging the gap between Western and Eastern practices to create a wholesome society by taking a proactive approach to health. He recently completed his Addiction Psychiatry Fellowship at the University of California-San Francisco (June 2023). His interests lie at the intersection of psychodynamic psychotherapy, integrative/nutritional psychiatry, mental health literacy, advocacy, wellness, entrepreneurship, and psychedelics. His alter ego's life goal is to become a chef integrating farm-to-table experiences in stunning landscapes around the world. For his contributions, he has been recognized as a World Economic Forum Global Shaper, One Young World Delegate Ambassador, StartingBloc Fellow, Nexus Global Delegate, EchoingGreen, MassChallenge, and Kellogg Innovation Network Delegate. Through his extensive scientific research, he has published more than 35 peer-reviewed articles and edited 5 books. He has given more than 120 talks on mental health, entrepreneurship, global health, and consciousness in parallel with authorship and features on CNN, Vogue, The Boston Globe, ThriveGlobal, The Better India, The Zoe Report, and The Huffington Post. Our host, Gabe Howard, is an award-winning writer and speaker who lives with bipolar disorder. He is the author of the popular book, "Mental Illness is an Asshole and other Observations," available from Amazon; signed copies are also available directly from the author. Gabe makes his home in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. He lives with his supportive wife, Kendall, and a Miniature Schnauzer dog that he never wanted, but now can’t imagine life without. To book Gabe for your next event or learn more about him, please visit gabehoward.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Krista St-Germain shares her journey with grief following the death of her husband by a drunken driver. She explains how the commonly referenced five stages of grief are inadequate – if not outright inaccurate – for many people's experiences. She discusses alternative grief theories, such as the dual process model, and introduces the concepts of “grief plateau” and “grief fog,” highlighting the complexity and uniqueness of each person's experience of grief. In her work as a grief expert, Krista advocates for a more individualized approach to grief, emphasizing the process of integration and post-traumatic growth rather than just “moving on” or reaching acceptance. She is a master certified life coach, a post-traumatic growth and grief expert, widow, mom, and the host of “The Widowed Mom Podcast.” To learn more -- or read the transcript -- please visit the episode page. Our guest, Krista St-Germain, is a Master Certified Life Coach, Post-Traumatic Growth and grief expert, widow, mom and host of The Widowed Mom Podcast. When her husband was killed by a drunk driver in 2016, Krista’s life was completely and unexpectedly flipped upside down. After therapy helped her uncurl from the fetal position, Krista discovered Life Coaching, Post Traumatic Growth and learned the tools she needed to move forward and create a future she could get excited about. Now she coaches and teaches other widows so they can love life again, too. Krista has been featured online and in print in Psychology Today, Medium, Thrive Global, Bustle, Psych Central, and Parents Magazine and on select podcasts such as The SelfWork Podcast, Seek The Joy, Life Check Yourself, and You Need A Budget to name a few.  Our host, Gabe Howard, is an award-winning writer and speaker who lives with bipolar disorder. He is the author of the popular book, "Mental Illness is an Asshole and other Observations," available from Amazon; signed copies are also available directly from the author. Gabe makes his home in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. He lives with his supportive wife, Kendall, and a Miniature Schnauzer dog that he never wanted, but now can’t imagine life without. To book Gabe for your next event or learn more about him, please visit gabehoward.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices