Welcome to the Stigma Podcast, a collection of conversations about mental health, addiction and recovery. Our intent, is to share stories of experience, strength and hope so that others will be encourage to share their stories, and seek help when appropriate. Our hope is that these conversations, and our efforts to talk openly about stigmatized topics, will help to reduce stigma so that more people will continue to get help for their mental health and addiction struggles.
You will hear from psychiatrists who have done extensive research on mental health, and addiction. You will hear from founders of startups in the mental health industry. You will also hear from people living in recovery about their journey dealing with addiction, depression, anxiety, mental illness, and more.
The purpose of these conversations is to create a virtuous cycle of sharing, and encouragement to fight against the stigma that prevents people from getting help. As we share our stories of addiction, recovery, and living with mental illnesses, others are encouraged to share. As more people share, more people hear that help is available and eventually seek help.
Our goal is to be apart of the amplification of the conversation on mental health, addiction and most importantly, the reduction of the stigma that surrounds these topics.
Episode Number 1 of the Stigma Podcast
In this episode, host Stephen Hays, explains the purpose and intent of the podcast as well as what to expect in terms of guests and content going forward. Stephen also takes time to walk listeners through his personal journey of mental illness, addiction, rehab, depression, and recovery. We hope that this episode will not only give you a sense of what our podcast is about, but it will help those who are still suffering know that there is hope, and there is help, when you are ready.
Why A Podcast on Mental Health and Addiction?
Host, Stephen Hays, spent years living in addiction, struggling with untreated type-1 bipolar disorder. After a long and treacherous path brought him to rehab during the middle of 2018, Stephen finally got help. You can read more of Stephen Hays’ story here: My Struggle With Bipolar and Addiction
In recovery we learn that we only keep what we have by giving it away. Part of the recovery process is to be of service and help others.
Stephen openly shares about how he finds it difficult to live his “regular” life from 9-5 everyday, and then ‘do recovery’ in the evenings or on the weekend. Recovery is his life, and everything else secondary. Step 12 of the 12-step process talks about service and giving back – so this podcast, is part of his effort to serve and give back in some small way.
If this podcast helps one other person get help, or even share their story of recovery (so that maybe another person will see it and be encouraged), then we consider it to be a huge success. That’s the goal. As we turn up the volume on people’s stories, we will be encouraging others to talk and break down stigma, and hopefully some people who are in pain, will get relief because of it.
Please join us in this conversation. Please engage, give us feedback, subscribe and write reviews, and engage on social media. Show those who are suffering that there is a groundswell of support, whether you are living in recovery, or you’re not an addict, or you don’t know what to think. Just join in the conversation and let’s all defeat stigma together!
Thank you for being here.
Connect with the Stigma Podcast in the following ways: Website, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Email
Connect with host Stephen Hays here: Stephen Hays Personal Website, Twitter, LinkedIn, What If Ventures (Mental Health Venture Fund)
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