A new year often brings the pressure to reinvent ourselves — to lose weight, quit bad habits, or be more productive. But what if this year, your most important resolution was simply to take better care of your mental health?

In this insightful Giving Voice to Depression episode, psychologist and author Dr. Margaret Rutherford joins Terry McGuire and Bridget to talk about setting mental health resolutions that actually help — ones rooted in self-compassion instead of shame.

Dr. Rutherford explains why traditional resolutions often fail and how to replace them with practical, emotionally sustaining goals that strengthen your mental, physical, and spiritual health. From journaling and mindfulness to therapy, social media limits, and learning to forgive yourself, this conversation offers a roadmap for real and lasting emotional change.

If you’re starting the year wanting to feel better but unsure where to begin, this episode gives you both insight and doable next steps.

💬 Primary Topics Covered

• Why most New Year’s resolutions fail — and how to make meaningful ones
• The link between mental, physical, and spiritual health
• How to set goals based on self-compassion, not shame
• The importance of therapy, meditation, and journaling in recovery
• The role of social media, boundaries, and relationships in emotional wellbeing
• The difference between “superficial self-care” and real self-care
• How to support others’ mental health by reducing stigma
• Learning to forgive yourself and heal from past mistakes
• Using your experiences to grow empathy and connection
• Embracing the truth that there is no health without mental health

⏱ Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction: Why New Year’s resolutions often fail
02:27 – How setting intentions for mental health can be powerful
03:38 – Dr. Margaret Rutherford on self-awareness and emotional honesty
04:30 – The problem with goals based on shame or self-loathing
05:22 – How to take a holistic view of health: mind, body, spirit
06:12 – Why self-validation is essential in challenging times
06:40 – How to plant “mental health seeds” for your future
07:45 – The effects of social media on depression and self-image
09:03 – Resolutions that make a real difference (therapy, journaling, mindfulness)
10:22 – The benefits and accessibility of online therapy
11:20 – Breaking down stigma and understanding hidden struggles
13:22 – “People don’t fake depression. They fake being okay.”
14:43 – Seeing mental health as a spectrum — and everyone’s on it
16:25 – Healing from guilt, shame, and past actions
17:09 – There is no health without mental health
17:25 – Creating a “to-be” list instead of a “to-do” list
18:05 – A message of hope and self-forgiveness for the new year

Explore mental health and addiction treatment options at recovery.com
Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/GivingVoiceToDepression/
Terry's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/givingvoicetodepression/

The holidays can be painful for anyone carrying grief, loss, or depression — especially in a world that insists on constant cheer.
In this special annual episode of Giving Voice to Depression, author John Pavlovitz reads his essay “To Those Who Struggle This Christmas” — a heartfelt message to anyone who feels broken, lonely, or unseen this time of year.

His compassionate words acknowledge every kind of pain that the season can amplify:
grief over loved ones lost, strained relationships, health struggles, or the quiet war within your own mind.
He reminds listeners that while pain may feel overwhelming today, this moment is not the end of your story — that you are loved, seen, and not alone.

Co-hosts Terry McGuire, Carly McCollow, and Dr. Anita Sanz introduce and close the episode with reflections on why this message matters — and where to find community and support if the holidays feel unbearable.

If this season is heavy for you, this six-minute reflection is a soft place to land.

💬 Primary Topics Covered

• Holiday depression and the loneliness of unmet expectations
• How grief, loss, and separation deepen emotional pain in December
• Mental health and faith: how compassion and honesty can coexist
• The false pressure to “be merry” when you’re struggling
• Releasing guilt for not feeling joyful during the holidays
• Why you are not alone in your pain — millions feel this way too
• The reminder that your current sadness is not your whole story
• Finding hope through empathy, connection, and community
• The role of self-acceptance in healing through the holidays

⏱ Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction: Giving Voice to Depression’s holiday message
00:25 – The power of sharing stories of struggle during the holidays
01:32 – Introducing Dr. Anita Sanz and John Pavlovitz’s annual essay
02:20 – John Pavlovitz begins reading “To Those Who Struggle This Christmas”
02:44 – A message to those grieving, alone, or weighed by loss
04:25 – When dreams dissolve and relationships end
05:13 – For those facing illness, depression, and personal demons
06:00 – The shared human truth: you are not suffering alone
06:45 – Hope beyond today’s pain: your story is not over
07:20 – Reflection from hosts on finding hope and connection
07:40 – Where to find support and understanding in the GVTD community

Explore mental health and addiction treatment options at recovery.com
Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/GivingVoiceToDepression/
Terry's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/givingvoicetodepression/

The holiday season can bring warmth, connection, and joy — but it can also trigger deep stress, loneliness, and depression. In this insightful conversation, Dr. Anita Sanz, psychologist and board member for Giving Voice to Depression, joins hosts Terry McGuire and Bridget to talk about how to navigate the holidays with compassion and balance.

Using a surprising lens — Ebenezer Scrooge — Dr. Sanz explores how grief, loss, and unrealistic expectations can transform the season into an emotional burden, and what we can do to reclaim meaning. She shares practical ways to manage mental health, from setting boundaries and redefining traditions to offering (and receiving) grace.

Listeners will learn actionable self-care strategies and a simple but powerful way to support friends with depression during the holidays — what Dr. Sanz calls “the gift of the out.”

If you’ve ever felt pressure to pretend everything’s fine when you’re struggling, this episode reminds you: You have permission to slow down, simplify, and celebrate on your own terms.

💬 Primary Topics Covered

• Why the holidays are emotionally challenging for people with depression
• How grief and unrealistic expectations fuel holiday stress
• “The Scrooge Perspective”: empathy for those who can’t feel festive
• What it means to “offer the out” to someone struggling
• How to set healthy boundaries with friends and family
• Giving yourself permission to rest, say no, or leave early
• Non-negotiable self-care during the holidays (sleep, nutrition, sunlight)
• How to simplify and find meaning beyond consumerism
• Dealing with financial pressure and post-holiday burnout
• Choosing quality over quantity: redefining what “celebration” means

⏱ Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction and welcome
02:28 – Why holidays amplify stress, grief, and expectations
03:38 – Reframing “Scrooge” through the lens of empathy and depression
05:13 – Why some people withdraw or avoid gatherings
07:24 – The emotional cost of unpredictability in depression
08:00 – “The Gift of the Out”: offering flexibility and compassion
08:47 – Allowing guests to arrive, leave, or skip without guilt
09:13 – Why flexible invitations reduce pressure for people with depression
10:32 – Turning empathy inward: offering compassion to yourself
10:57 – The basics of self-care during the holidays (sleep, nutrition, movement)
12:07 – Simple, low-cost ways to recharge emotionally
12:54 – Asking “What do I really want this holiday to mean?”
13:31 – Letting go of traditions that no longer serve you
14:43 – Redefining family expectations and setting limits
15:53 – Post-holiday burnout and financial stress management
16:42 – The importance of permission and choice in healing
17:38 – Hosts share their own holiday simplification experiences
18:59 – Closing reflections and message of hope

Explore mental health and addiction treatment options at recovery.com
Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/GivingVoiceToDepression/
Terry's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/givingvoicetodepression/