From Survivor to Thriver

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

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 
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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 

In this episode of From Survivor to Thriver, we sat down with Dana Diaz. After living through years of narcissistic and physical abuse, she learned that it was time to make a change and create a better life for herself.

Join us as Dana shares her story and the importance of rediscovering who you are after leaving an abusive relationship and how she learned to put little deposits into her own happy jar. 

Dana is a wife, mother, and author of the best-selling book GASPING FOR AIR: THE STRANGLEHOLD OF NARCISSISTIC ABUSE. 

Dana has had life-long experience with narcissistic abuse, beginning in childhood. Her education in journalism and psychology at DePaul University in Chicago gave her the ability to accurately verbalize and express how narcissistic abuse creates confusion and conflict within victims, so that she can help other victims know they are not alone and better understand their own circumstances. 

Today, Dana is a proud voice for fellow victims who are unable, afraid, or ashamed to share their experiences. She strives to create awareness and understanding to ensure victims are given the support they need to first understand their situation and then begin the healing process. 

Her first book, chronicling her own abusive marriage that lasted nearly three decades, started as a journal that she hid under the couch cushion in the basement. 

In today’s episode, we cover: 

• How Dana began writing her book with a notebook hidden under a cushion
• How Covid turned into a game of survivor for Dana with her abuser
• The physical and mental abuse Dana endured from her caregivers growing up
• The traits of a true narcissist
• When Dana realized she reached a deal breaker in her marriage
• The ability people have to make you sick 
• The ongoing process of healing
• The power of asking yourself what you really want
• The stigmatized way people treat others that struggle with their mental health

In this episode of From Survivor to Thriver, we sat down with Laura Renner. She shares her experiences after a traumatic brain injury changed her life forever and brought her mental health to an all-time low. 

Laura tried many forms of therapy to heal after what she experienced but found in the end that healing is an individualized experience and it is a journey that will take time. 

Laura shares more about the different types of healing modalities she tried including EMDR, therapy, hypnotherapy, meditation, and more. 

Laura Renner is an author, podcast host, and neonatal intensive care nurse who suffered a near-fatal traumatic brain injury that changed the trajectory of her life. Through her complicated recovery, she hit rock bottom and realized she needed to undergo deep work to heal her complex trauma. 

She’s spent the last two years exploring countless trauma healing modalities and sharing her experience to show others they're capable of healing, too. In her book, "No, I'm Not Fine. Thank You.," Laura openly discusses her journey of identifying her traumas, healing deep wounds, and how she reclaimed her power. 

She is also the host of her own podcast called Healing #Nofilter where she provides relatable, no-nonsense methods for healing your mind, body, and all things trauma-related. As she writes in her book, “Being on this healing journey is a lot like running. Well, running for people who are not runners, myself included.” 

In today’s episode, we cover: 

• The feelings of depression and hopelessness Laura experienced after a traumatic brain injury
• The stigma around mental health and why we struggle to talk about it
• The PTSD of a PTSD event 
• How meditation helps Laura cope with her traumas 
• What EMDR is and how it became part of Laura’s healing journey 
• The individualized process of finding therapy methods that work for you
• The trauma that your body can hold onto 
• The power of getting to the root of your traumas and understanding why you believe the things you do