Last month, I had the pleasure of being interviewed for the Guts and Glory podcast. In this chat, I open up about my personal health struggles. We discuss some of the shortfalls of our medical system that we have experienced, especially surrounding chronic illness and trauma and its impacts on mental health.
Episode 3: Recovering Resilience in the Face of Mental Illness with Augustina Ampofo
Today's episode is with Augustina Ampofo, a mental health advocate who has been diagnosed with Bipolar II Disorder and speaks openly about her experiences with psychosis.
During this conversation, we discuss why she became a mental health advocate and our complicated relationship with health-related labels. We also talk about the importance of creativity in her recovery process; specifically, how journaling, art therapy and dancing have been an integral part of her healing journey. Throughout the conversation, we break some misconceived notions about mental illness.
Episode 2: The Patient's Perspective from the Doctor's Perspective with Ariel Lefkowitz
Today’s guest is my friend Ariel Lefkowitz, someone who I met a few months ago and has been instrumental in the creation of this podcast.
Ariel is an internal medicine physician and medical educator at the University of Toronto. He has a background in theatre, improv, and creative writing, and his research focuses on ethics, improving physician communication, person-centred care, and the doctor-patient relationship.
We often go to doctors when we are at our most vulnerable - from the joy of giving birth to the devastation of our death. When there is something wrong with our bodies or minds, that can be incredibly scary and traumatic. Within this context, the relationships between doctors and their patients can be quite significant; particularly if we are being diagnosed with a chronic or terminal illness.
So how do we build healthier and more equitable relationships between healthcare providers and their patients that promote healing while mitigating the effects of burnout? That is what we discuss in the conversation you are about to hear, along with topics such as improving communication between patients and doctors, the importance of advocacy for changes in the system, and how to create a more integrated healthcare system.
Episode 1 : Relational Healing with Aaron Stern
This episode features a conversation I had with my friend and relational psychotherapist (qualifying), Aaron Stern.
The idea of this podcast arose out of conversations I have been having with Aaron and others over the last several months around ways to reduce the shame and stigma of facing mental and physical health challenges.
This whole journey began when I started speaking out about my personal struggles as a patient. I hope others can feel empowered through these conversations to know that they are not alone and there is support available, no matter what you are going through.
Over the course of this conversation, Aaron and I discuss the importance of healthy relationships and community in the face of physical and mental health challenges, the importance of viewing a patient in a holistic and personalized way, how his training as an actor impacts his work as a therapist, and how to provide patients with a feeling of agency and empowerment through changing the stories we are told and tell ourselves about our issues and challenges.
What is the Life Support podcast?
Life Support is an interview series that will help break stigma around mental health and chronic illness. It will feature incredibly knowledgeable guests from a variety of disciplines offering tangible resources for anyone who feels lost in a medical system that does not always meet our emotional and psychological needs.