In the episode, “A Lived Experience Dialogue: Facing Our Pasts, Reinventing Our Futures with Tom Woodrow and Mike Panasitti (S6, E7),” I sit with two success stories of people who have suffered with forms of mental illness who have come out on the other side.

Part 1:

When Tom Woodrow was 17, his life took a sharp turn. During a road trip with friends, Tom experienced his first manic episode, and subsequently ended up in a psychiatric hospital-misdiagnosed with depression and subjected to electroshock therapy. After years of struggling, and after nearly losing his life in India during a volunteer trip, he met two counselors from a mental health charity, who taught him to manage moods, avoid triggers, and stay well with skills that have kept him stable for 20 years. Today he helps others who also live with bipolar disorder, understanding how overwhelming it can be. He offers support programs that help people manage their symptoms and lead fulfilling lives.

To learn more about Tom, follow him at:

Instagram: @bipolarwithyou

Part 2:

Mike Panasitti was born in East Los Angeles in 1969 and is a graduate of UC Berkeley and a former patient of California's Department of State Hospitals. From 2015 to 2018 he was a prisoner at New Folsom, a maximum security prison near Sacramento. Mike is now an exhibiting artist, as well as a poet and prose writer whose publishing credits include poems in Matter, creative non-fiction in WALL Literary Journal, and over 40 short stories posted on Reedsy Prompts. He currently lives in the city of Santa Ana and is enrolled as a student of creative writing at Saddleback College. Mike shares how he become acquainted with the mental health industrial complex and bravely reveals what he’s learned from prolonged institutionalization. Envisioning a new path, Mike is committe3d to making his dreams come true as a professional artist and writer.

To learn more about Mike, follow him at:

Instagram: @mikepanasitti

Don't forget to subscribe to the Not As Crazy As You Think YouTube channel @SicilianoJen
And please visit my website at: www.jengaitasiciliano.com
Connect: Instagram: @ jengaita
LinkedIn: @ jensiciliano
Twitter: @ jsiciliano

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/jengaita.bsky.social

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In the episode, "Spotlight on Psychotherapy Beyond Traditional Boundaries with Al Galves: Finding Well-being by Targeting the Underlying Causes of Mental Distress, (S6, E6)" psychoanalyst Galves joins the show to share his own personal lived experience and his insight on the problems with the traditional treatment model in psychiatry. Author of "Harness Your Dark Side: Mastering Jealousy, Rage, Frustration and Other Negative Emotions," Al shares compelling stories that reveal the importance of addressing unmet emotional needs to combat depression and dissatisfaction.

Galves challenges the medical model of mental illness arguing that mental health issues are not just biological disorders to be masked with medication but are tied to our emotions and life experiences. He emphasizes taking personal responsibility and explores the profound benefits of psychotherapy and other alternative approaches like support groups and exercise. Discover why confronting your emotions—even the negative ones—can lead to authentic personal growth as Al underscores the significance of connection, self-expression, and capability in fostering mental health and happiness.

Al dives into the complex nature of diagnoses like psychosis, highlighting the importance of understanding these conditions as responses to overwhelming experiences rather than mere pathologies. Through therapeutic approaches like the Soteria House model and the work of psychologist John Weir Perry, we explore how psychosis and other mental health issues can be seen as survival strategies. Al’s compassionate insights challenge the limitations of the medical model, offering listeners a glimpse into a more humanistic and empowering approach to mental well-being.

Don't miss Al’s generous offer of his book and insights for those eager to explore these ideas further. If you'd like a copy of his book, email him and let him know: agalves2003@comcast.net

Follow Al Galves at:

Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/albert-galves-b9b26752/

YouTube: @algalves3512

website: www.algalves.com

Don't forget to subscribe to the Not As Crazy As You Think YouTube channel @SicilianoJen
And please visit my website at: www.jengaitasiciliano.com
Connect: Instagram: @ jengaita
LinkedIn: @ jensiciliano
Twitter: @ jsiciliano

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/jengaita.bsky.social

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In the episode, "Finding the Support and Mindset to Be Bold, Invite in Change, and Regain Play with Mr. D (S6, E5)", I invite back my former Social Studies grammar school teacher, Don DiBenedetto, or Mr. D, to share his anecdotes and enthusiasm for how to bring in change into your life through learning how to align with the right mindset. Now a teacher of spirituality, Mr. D shows us through a variety of techniques how we all can co-create with the universe to bring into our lives our greatest wishes and dreams.

#bipolarartist #manic #depression #joyfulness #changefromwithin #wordsofwisdom #notascrazyasyouthink #mentalillness #mentalhealth #manifestingchange

Follow Mr. D on:
TikTok: @intro2spirituality
IG: @dondibenedetto1946
Facebook: @dondibenedetto

Don't forget to subscribe to the Not As Crazy As You Think YouTube channel @SicilianoJen
And please visit my website at: www.jengaitasiciliano.com
Connect: Instagram: @ jengaita
LinkedIn: @ jensiciliano
Twitter: @ jsiciliano

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