Joining us at the table, we have doctor n Yaka mie Lante, Vice President Wellness and Clinical Services, NFL Vice Chair, National Action Alliance.

Joining us at the table, we have doctor n Yaka mie Lante, Vice President Wellness and Clinical Services, NFL Vice Chair, National Action Alliance.

For Suicide Prediction. Enjoy our conversation.

For Suicide Prediction. Enjoy our conversation.

Take your seat, get comfortable because it's time to stay a while.

Take your seat, get comfortable because it's time to stay a while.

I'm your host, Tommy.

I'm your host, Tommy.

Vincent, doctor and Yaka mie Lanty. Welcome to the table. How are you today? I'm doing well, I'm settling in. I'm not actually I'm doing great today. I'm doing great today. I am I am. So you are in the business of we're having this conversation. Let me get this straight. So tell the people what you are a doctor of. So I am a licensed psychologist with a sports like background.

Vincent, doctor and Yaka mie Lanty. Welcome to the table. How are you today? I'm doing well, I'm settling in. I'm not actually I'm doing great today. I'm doing great today. I am I am. So you are in the business of we're having this conversation. Let me get this straight. So tell the people what you are a doctor of. So I am a licensed psychologist with a sports like background.

So I have.

So I have.

I've been doing clinical work probably for twenty five years, and so in my capacity at the you know, so I've worked for the NFL as your VP of Wellness and Clinical Services, so providing wellness resources. So don't be sitting here while we having this conversation trying to you know, like read me and like diagnose with me.

I've been doing clinical work probably for twenty five years, and so in my capacity at the you know, so I've worked for the NFL as your VP of Wellness and Clinical Services, so providing wellness resources. So don't be sitting here while we having this conversation trying to you know, like read me and like diagnose with me.

And so Tommy tell me.

And so Tommy tell me.

I, like I said, I don't diagnose, like I'm not gonna do that, but I will turn the question on you. So how did you get in this space where you knew this was the type of career and mourned. So I started out as an engineer, So I tell people I had no plans on being psychologists. Part of the reason I like engineering is because it's black and white, right, there's no gray. It's like humans are a little too gray.

I, like I said, I don't diagnose, like I'm not gonna do that, but I will turn the question on you. So how did you get in this space where you knew this was the type of career and mourned. So I started out as an engineer, So I tell people I had no plans on being psychologists. Part of the reason I like engineering is because it's black and white, right, there's no gray. It's like humans are a little too gray.

I can't I.

I can't I.

Can't do the the inconsistencies, and so it's a space that I think pick me. I didn't pick it. My junior year in college. I did a summer internship with boys and girls clubs, and they the staff said, you are not an engineer.

Can't do the the inconsistencies, and so it's a space that I think pick me. I didn't pick it. My junior year in college. I did a summer internship with boys and girls clubs, and they the staff said, you are not an engineer.

This is what you were meant to be. And so I went back my junior year and change my major.

This is what you were meant to be. And so I went back my junior year and change my major.

So, you know, I think I think because I've had such a variety of experiences, I've always been somebody who feels other people's emotions and energy, which is not necessarily always been a good thing, absolutely right, and so I think that made it made it very easy for me to understand where other people were coming from. I think that that was just that's just how I'm wired, that's how I was born, which I think was both a gifting a curse. As you go through the career of psychology because you have to figure out you have to be able to separate, like your stuff from the person that you're working with and making sure that you are taking care of yourself as you're trying to take care of other people. So I think it is it's it's something that I kind of stumbled into. And I love the work that I do. I really really I love the work that I do. So that's actually that's a skill that everyone can benefit from because anytime you're a relationship with other people, you can experience and feel what they're feeling. You can take on not only their emotions, but you can take on the weight of that experience.

So, you know, I think I think because I've had such a variety of experiences, I've always been somebody who feels other people's emotions and energy, which is not necessarily always been a good thing, absolutely right, and so I think that made it made it very easy for me to understand where other people were coming from. I think that that was just that's just how I'm wired, that's how I was born, which I think was both a gifting a curse. As you go through the career of psychology because you have to figure out you have to be able to separate, like your stuff from the person that you're working with and making sure that you are taking care of yourself as you're trying to take care of other people. So I think it is it's it's something that I kind of stumbled into. And I love the work that I do. I really really I love the work that I do. So that's actually that's a skill that everyone can benefit from because anytime you're a relationship with other people, you can experience and feel what they're feeling. You can take on not only their emotions, but you can take on the weight of that experience.

So how can we.

So how can we.

Engage with people, care about them, love them, but not carry the burden of their experience? You know, I like to say, my job is not to fix it. My job is to sit here with you and help you hold it right. And then from that safe space where people are able to say things that maybe they've never said to another person, you know, and I don't recoil or judge or say so you can wrong with you also understanding you know, how do I empower you to to kind of go through this and sift through it and figure out like how to kind of navigate it. But I also know it's not mine to pick up, so I like to say, yeah, your job isn't to solve. I think when we think about people who come to us and they share and we we want to help, I think a lot of times our out by nature, how we want to how we try to help us solve, to stop someone from hurting, to fix it right, as opposed to saying I can I'm not gonna try to fix this, Like you're hurting, and it's okay that you're hurting, but I can sit here with you in it, and I can hold the space for you, right, and then we can together we can figure out what's next.

Engage with people, care about them, love them, but not carry the burden of their experience? You know, I like to say, my job is not to fix it. My job is to sit here with you and help you hold it right. And then from that safe space where people are able to say things that maybe they've never said to another person, you know, and I don't recoil or judge or say so you can wrong with you also understanding you know, how do I empower you to to kind of go through this and sift through it and figure out like how to kind of navigate it. But I also know it's not mine to pick up, so I like to say, yeah, your job isn't to solve. I think when we think about people who come to us and they share and we we want to help, I think a lot of times our out by nature, how we want to how we try to help us solve, to stop someone from hurting, to fix it right, as opposed to saying I can I'm not gonna try to fix this, Like you're hurting, and it's okay that you're hurting, but I can sit here with you in it, and I can hold the space for you, right, and then we can together we can figure out what's next.

But it is. It's it's one of those things that requires you to know yourself really well.

But it is. It's it's one of those things that requires you to know yourself really well.

And to be patient, right, and to be be okay with people displaying their emotions because I think just by nature sometimes you know, seeing that those emotions can be scary for us, right, absolutely, and to the point of wanting to fix people. When you care about people immediately, how can you make it go away so that it's all better for this person?

And to be patient, right, and to be be okay with people displaying their emotions because I think just by nature sometimes you know, seeing that those emotions can be scary for us, right, absolutely, and to the point of wanting to fix people. When you care about people immediately, how can you make it go away so that it's all better for this person?

Yeah?

Yeah?

Well, you so you have the education, the institutional knowledge, and so you carry that with you with you everywhere and you go and you're still human, you're still living life, and you're still you're not exempt from all the things that you support other people in. Are you more critical of yourself because you know that when you're just being human? You know, I think I'm critical of myself because I you know, I'm a little bit of a perfectionist, and I'd probably say I'm a little neurotic.

Well, you so you have the education, the institutional knowledge, and so you carry that with you with you everywhere and you go and you're still human, you're still living life, and you're still you're not exempt from all the things that you support other people in. Are you more critical of yourself because you know that when you're just being human? You know, I think I'm critical of myself because I you know, I'm a little bit of a perfectionist, and I'd probably say I'm a little neurotic.

Right, So.

Right, So.

Anybody, anybody who knows you knows I've got a ridiculous high standard. And so you know that all of those things probably contribute to why I'm self critical. I do think, you know, there's there's I like to say the therapist mantra is do as I say, not as I do. And you know, we can have the book knowledge and and we know sort of what the things are that we should be doing, but that's it's hard to practice it all the time, right and and being and just like we share to other people, you know, be self compassion, to give yourself grace.

Anybody, anybody who knows you knows I've got a ridiculous high standard. And so you know that all of those things probably contribute to why I'm self critical. I do think, you know, there's there's I like to say the therapist mantra is do as I say, not as I do. And you know, we can have the book knowledge and and we know sort of what the things are that we should be doing, but that's it's hard to practice it all the time, right and and being and just like we share to other people, you know, be self compassion, to give yourself grace.

I have to work on doing the same for myself. You know.

I have to work on doing the same for myself. You know.

I have to make sure that I have people in my circle who you know can call me out say hey, you know, I need you to this. This isn't good, this is not sustainable. Let's let's take a beat, let's pause. I need you to take you know, block off. I'm going to print blocked off my calendar. It was like, you need to take a vacation. And so I think the biggest challenges just making sure that I making sure that I connect to those people, connect with those people so that they can kind of keep me round it when I need to be. Yeah, I want to go back to the moment where you talked about you made when you were working at the Boys and Girls Club and you made a decision to do a pivot from your major from engineering into psychology in that moment and knowing that we have the ability to reset into pivot and to change our minds. But when you were in that moment, was it an easy decision or did you.

I have to make sure that I have people in my circle who you know can call me out say hey, you know, I need you to this. This isn't good, this is not sustainable. Let's let's take a beat, let's pause. I need you to take you know, block off. I'm going to print blocked off my calendar. It was like, you need to take a vacation. And so I think the biggest challenges just making sure that I making sure that I connect to those people, connect with those people so that they can kind of keep me round it when I need to be. Yeah, I want to go back to the moment where you talked about you made when you were working at the Boys and Girls Club and you made a decision to do a pivot from your major from engineering into psychology in that moment and knowing that we have the ability to reset into pivot and to change our minds. But when you were in that moment, was it an easy decision or did you.

Did you believe let me? Let me?

Did you believe let me? Let me?

Did you believe what they told you when they said you're not an engineer, you're a psychologist? Not necessarily, I knew I was miserable and engineering. Okay, right, so there's that's one thing I wasn't loving it. I was also a student athlete, and you know, balancing engineering and athletics is a challenge.

Did you believe what they told you when they said you're not an engineer, you're a psychologist? Not necessarily, I knew I was miserable and engineering. Okay, right, so there's that's one thing I wasn't loving it. I was also a student athlete, and you know, balancing engineering and athletics is a challenge.

But I but I I was miserable. I mean that was very clear and so uh.

But I but I I was miserable. I mean that was very clear and so uh.

And then I had a lot of friends who were taking psychology classes, and so in some ways I was like, okay, you know what, that makes sense. Let me at least just that's a path out follow that path. And I had no idea necessarily what I would do with it. I didn't grow up in a household where we talked about those kinds of things. You know, my friends would probably have said that. They probably would have my friends would probably have nominated me the least likely to go back to school. So you know, I would have nominated myself for that, but go ahead. You know, my friends were like, you know, and going they knew that they were to medical school and you know, and I was easily the least likely to go back to school. And so, you know, my my senior thesis in the undergrad was a sports psychology thesis. And I didn't know that you could have a career pursuing that. Like it just it didn't cost my mind. And so my first year after college, I worked in a nonprofit work primarily with boys, so I don't necessarily so you know, it's only now that I can sort of look back and say, oh, I see how that piece connected to this piece that connected to this piece.

And then I had a lot of friends who were taking psychology classes, and so in some ways I was like, okay, you know what, that makes sense. Let me at least just that's a path out follow that path. And I had no idea necessarily what I would do with it. I didn't grow up in a household where we talked about those kinds of things. You know, my friends would probably have said that. They probably would have my friends would probably have nominated me the least likely to go back to school. So you know, I would have nominated myself for that, but go ahead. You know, my friends were like, you know, and going they knew that they were to medical school and you know, and I was easily the least likely to go back to school. And so, you know, my my senior thesis in the undergrad was a sports psychology thesis. And I didn't know that you could have a career pursuing that. Like it just it didn't cost my mind. And so my first year after college, I worked in a nonprofit work primarily with boys, so I don't necessarily so you know, it's only now that I can sort of look back and say, oh, I see how that piece connected to this piece that connected to this piece.

Right, it all made Since it all makes sense now.

Right, it all made Since it all makes sense now.

I think then in the moment, it was more while this is really hard, I'm also getting so much out of it that that's what kind of inspired me to kind of continue to do it. Right, And so I went and got a master's in sports psych And then I knew if I didn't go ahead and get a PhD, I would probably never get one.

I think then in the moment, it was more while this is really hard, I'm also getting so much out of it that that's what kind of inspired me to kind of continue to do it. Right, And so I went and got a master's in sports psych And then I knew if I didn't go ahead and get a PhD, I would probably never get one.

And so then made the decision to get a PhD.

And so then made the decision to get a PhD.

And and again had no idea what that would mean.

And and again had no idea what that would mean.

I had no plans. You know, I didn't know if I was gonna haveop faculty or do therapy.

I had no plans. You know, I didn't know if I was gonna haveop faculty or do therapy.

Like most of the people who kind of take that path have some sense of what they're right, had none. But I also made sure that what the experiences while I was in school, I always had to work, and so I made sure that those work experiences were somehow connected to what I enjoyed.

Like most of the people who kind of take that path have some sense of what they're right, had none. But I also made sure that what the experiences while I was in school, I always had to work, and so I made sure that those work experiences were somehow connected to what I enjoyed.

So I worked as a diversity counselor at a prep school. You know, I worked, Uh, I work.

So I worked as a diversity counselor at a prep school. You know, I worked, Uh, I work.

I spent some time with the track team while I was a graduate school, and so all of those pieces together, now I can say, oh.

I spent some time with the track team while I was a graduate school, and so all of those pieces together, now I can say, oh.

It makes sense, that all makes sense. But then I had no idea. It was a zero idea.

It makes sense, that all makes sense. But then I had no idea. It was a zero idea.

So you know, I tell folks all the time, just, you know, how do you don't necessarily feel like you have to have it all clearly laid out, because in some ways that might actually limit some of your options as opposed to being a little allowing me to be a little bit more organic. Right.

So you know, I tell folks all the time, just, you know, how do you don't necessarily feel like you have to have it all clearly laid out, because in some ways that might actually limit some of your options as opposed to being a little allowing me to be a little bit more organic. Right.

That doesn't say don't don't.

That doesn't say don't don't.

Prepare right right, right, but but don't be so locked in that you missed opportunities.

Prepare right right, right, but but don't be so locked in that you missed opportunities.

You know.

You know.

I ended up working at the prep school because I moved across the street from a school that had just laid a brand new track, and I wanted to use the track, and so I wouldn't.

I ended up working at the prep school because I moved across the street from a school that had just laid a brand new track, and I wanted to use the track, and so I wouldn't.

I asked if I could use the track, and they were like, have you volunteer coach?

I asked if I could use the track, and they were like, have you volunteer coach?

And then two years later they were like, hey, so we're creating this diversity councilor position based on all the work that you've done.

And then two years later they were like, hey, so we're creating this diversity councilor position based on all the work that you've done.

You will love you to help us create that. And so just again, now all of those pieces make sense.

You will love you to help us create that. And so just again, now all of those pieces make sense.

Then it was trying to figure out how do I sort of, you know, get the most out of whatever this experience is.

Then it was trying to figure out how do I sort of, you know, get the most out of whatever this experience is.

Right now, there is a push at least this is what I feel happy, this push to.

Right now, there is a push at least this is what I feel happy, this push to.

Destigmatize mental health and for it to be something that is just like as if you're taking care of your body in the gym or taking care of just your wellness in general, that this is something.

Destigmatize mental health and for it to be something that is just like as if you're taking care of your body in the gym or taking care of just your wellness in general, that this is something.

That we need to make normal. Do you think it's working?

That we need to make normal. Do you think it's working?

So let's back up. So I think these are two different conversations. So I think, what's so the conversation about these stigmatizing mental health?

So let's back up. So I think these are two different conversations. So I think, what's so the conversation about these stigmatizing mental health?

Sometimes I cringe when I hear that, Okay.

Sometimes I cringe when I hear that, Okay.

Because to me, mental health in and of itself doesn't have a stigma. Okay, it's when we equate mental health to mental illness. I got you that the stigma comes up. Right, Like, mental health is just like physical health. We all have it, and so in and of itself, it doesn't have a stigma. And so so part of it is trying to figure out how do we make sure that we understand the.

Because to me, mental health in and of itself doesn't have a stigma. Okay, it's when we equate mental health to mental illness. I got you that the stigma comes up. Right, Like, mental health is just like physical health. We all have it, and so in and of itself, it doesn't have a stigma. And so so part of it is trying to figure out how do we make sure that we understand the.

Entire spectrum of mental health. Right, we all have mental health, but.

Entire spectrum of mental health. Right, we all have mental health, but.

Depending on the day, I may be at once at any point on that continual rights from excelling and thriving all the way to being in crisis. Yes, and so what I try to encourage people to do, and I tell this to players, I tell this to even family, you know, especially as athletes wake up in the morning and they know where they are physically, right, Okay, this hurts a little bit. That might inform how I practice or how I stretch. And we did the same thing. From a mental health perspective, okay, where a must mentally today? Okay, today I'm struggling. Why that self awareness? That's what I mean. That's what I think about when I think, hey, we need to be prioritizing our mental health, right, so making sure that we are thinking about it and being intentional about it, just as we are in physical health. So I do love this idea of you know, because a lot of times when they say let's destigmatize mental health, they're saying, let's be comfortable talking about you know, therapy and.

Depending on the day, I may be at once at any point on that continual rights from excelling and thriving all the way to being in crisis. Yes, and so what I try to encourage people to do, and I tell this to players, I tell this to even family, you know, especially as athletes wake up in the morning and they know where they are physically, right, Okay, this hurts a little bit. That might inform how I practice or how I stretch. And we did the same thing. From a mental health perspective, okay, where a must mentally today? Okay, today I'm struggling. Why that self awareness? That's what I mean. That's what I think about when I think, hey, we need to be prioritizing our mental health, right, so making sure that we are thinking about it and being intentional about it, just as we are in physical health. So I do love this idea of you know, because a lot of times when they say let's destigmatize mental health, they're saying, let's be comfortable talking about you know, therapy and.

Anxiety and depression.

Anxiety and depression.

But there's an approach where you can say, well, what does it mean to every single day? The intentional arrange absolutely absolutely, and so I do think that there's more stigma around, you know, Again, mental illness and anxiety and depression and how do we come and how do we how do we help to decrease that so that people are more willing to seek help.

But there's an approach where you can say, well, what does it mean to every single day? The intentional arrange absolutely absolutely, and so I do think that there's more stigma around, you know, Again, mental illness and anxiety and depression and how do we come and how do we how do we help to decrease that so that people are more willing to seek help.

But I think there's a way that we can integrate just.

But I think there's a way that we can integrate just.

A conversation about where we are from a mental health perspective that entire continuum, because that allows us to be intentionally and proactive and then maybe we don't get to the anxiety and the depression. Right It helps to inform just our lifestyle, integrating mental health and our lifestyle period. And I'm glad you brought that up because visually, I'm seeing a scale in my head, a scale where you could, like, we wake up and today I could be at a one, Tomorrow I could be at a five, and the higher the number goes, I'm moving towards crisis. And I don't know that we approach life that way. We'll allow for ourselves to get to the crisis before we tap into I need to pull back here and address this area of my life. So I appreciate you calling that out so that we can actually see there's a progression to this thing, and if we can see it that way, we can do a better job of taking care of our mental walk illness, and that neither that's where it is right to say, because most of us aren't aware of our mental health until there is a crisis, right, and now we are trying to dig ourselves out of a hole, as opposed to saying, if I can be thoughtful about my mental health at every and you know, when things are great, Okay, what what did I do yesterday that allowed to where you know, I feel like, oh I can take on the wall, so you know what you know? Was it a conversation with a supportive friend? Was it because I went out for a run. And so because those are the things that we can do, also, I need to do more of that, right, just gonna keep me here. But most of the time, we don't even become aware of where we are from a mental health perspective until it's that until we're in the red, is what I like to say, right, if we think about it from green to yellow to red, right, and so so that's what I think about when I think, Okay, let's let's really work on normalizing the conversation around mental health, right, not about necessarily the therapy. I think everybody needs to know some scout right, Like I think therapy is a thing that's clear. But what I try to sell players is if you can work with somebody on your mental health at that before it's a crisis, that's truly performance enhancement, right, and that's for all of us.

A conversation about where we are from a mental health perspective that entire continuum, because that allows us to be intentionally and proactive and then maybe we don't get to the anxiety and the depression. Right It helps to inform just our lifestyle, integrating mental health and our lifestyle period. And I'm glad you brought that up because visually, I'm seeing a scale in my head, a scale where you could, like, we wake up and today I could be at a one, Tomorrow I could be at a five, and the higher the number goes, I'm moving towards crisis. And I don't know that we approach life that way. We'll allow for ourselves to get to the crisis before we tap into I need to pull back here and address this area of my life. So I appreciate you calling that out so that we can actually see there's a progression to this thing, and if we can see it that way, we can do a better job of taking care of our mental walk illness, and that neither that's where it is right to say, because most of us aren't aware of our mental health until there is a crisis, right, and now we are trying to dig ourselves out of a hole, as opposed to saying, if I can be thoughtful about my mental health at every and you know, when things are great, Okay, what what did I do yesterday that allowed to where you know, I feel like, oh I can take on the wall, so you know what you know? Was it a conversation with a supportive friend? Was it because I went out for a run. And so because those are the things that we can do, also, I need to do more of that, right, just gonna keep me here. But most of the time, we don't even become aware of where we are from a mental health perspective until it's that until we're in the red, is what I like to say, right, if we think about it from green to yellow to red, right, and so so that's what I think about when I think, Okay, let's let's really work on normalizing the conversation around mental health, right, not about necessarily the therapy. I think everybody needs to know some scout right, Like I think therapy is a thing that's clear. But what I try to sell players is if you can work with somebody on your mental health at that before it's a crisis, that's truly performance enhancement, right, and that's for all of us.

So so that's that.

So so that's that.

And I think when we think about wellness, and you know, part of the challenge with wellness is that that's become a trending topic and so now you get so much sort of some commercialization and all those kinds of things that that sort of get wrapped up into it. So you know, when I think about it is let's let's really think about what it means that it's for, right, And thinking about wellness is again this wholistic approach versus a.

And I think when we think about wellness, and you know, part of the challenge with wellness is that that's become a trending topic and so now you get so much sort of some commercialization and all those kinds of things that that sort of get wrapped up into it. So you know, when I think about it is let's let's really think about what it means that it's for, right, And thinking about wellness is again this wholistic approach versus a.

Product or you know, I don't know, just because it's because it's the thing. It's the thing. It's the thing, right, This is a thing. It's a thing right now. Yeah, yeah, I know that experience with depression. So for me, it's not a thing. It's real.

Product or you know, I don't know, just because it's because it's the thing. It's the thing. It's the thing, right, This is a thing. It's a thing right now. Yeah, yeah, I know that experience with depression. So for me, it's not a thing. It's real.

So I recognize the importance of it and how no one taught me to tap into my life that way. And I watched so many women growing up living life depressed. And I know that now just because of my own experience. But when I'm seeing how the whole house would be just in disarray or not getting out of the bed as a kid, that's type of stuff used to make me angry at the adults in my life because I'm thinking, what the heck is wrong with you? We need to eat, we need to you know, all these things. But now I realize, oh, this is what was absolutely absolutely, so I know it's real. It's not made of because a lot of people think some people are just pretending at this state of mind. So this is very real to me, and it's very important to me that people address it because we deserve to know ourselves well enough that when we are we don't have to get to crisis. I don't have to be laid out in the bed for days before I am like, Okay, Tommy, you know yourself well enough to know it's time for you to chill, or you need an extra appointment on the count.

So I recognize the importance of it and how no one taught me to tap into my life that way. And I watched so many women growing up living life depressed. And I know that now just because of my own experience. But when I'm seeing how the whole house would be just in disarray or not getting out of the bed as a kid, that's type of stuff used to make me angry at the adults in my life because I'm thinking, what the heck is wrong with you? We need to eat, we need to you know, all these things. But now I realize, oh, this is what was absolutely absolutely, so I know it's real. It's not made of because a lot of people think some people are just pretending at this state of mind. So this is very real to me, and it's very important to me that people address it because we deserve to know ourselves well enough that when we are we don't have to get to crisis. I don't have to be laid out in the bed for days before I am like, Okay, Tommy, you know yourself well enough to know it's time for you to chill, or you need an extra appointment on the count.

Absolutely whatever, it's.

Absolutely whatever, it's.

Absolutely and I think that that's you know, And it's interesting because it's not uncommon, and especially with audiences of color, right and women of color, it is not uncommon for me to do a presentation and say, hey, from a diagnostic perspective, DSM diagnosed, you know, here are the symptoms of depression. And after someone pulls me aside and says, I've got eight of the ten of those and never thought, never knew that that's what that was.

Absolutely and I think that that's you know, And it's interesting because it's not uncommon, and especially with audiences of color, right and women of color, it is not uncommon for me to do a presentation and say, hey, from a diagnostic perspective, DSM diagnosed, you know, here are the symptoms of depression. And after someone pulls me aside and says, I've got eight of the ten of those and never thought, never knew that that's what that was.

I thought that that's just how I feel. And I think that's where we really that's the challenge.

I thought that that's just how I feel. And I think that's where we really that's the challenge.

I think that's where we've missed the vote in terms of how do we make sure that everyone has mental health literacy right? Because if everyone has mental health literacy, then it allows me to know every point on that continuum and measure that against where I am as opposed to.

I think that's where we've missed the vote in terms of how do we make sure that everyone has mental health literacy right? Because if everyone has mental health literacy, then it allows me to know every point on that continuum and measure that against where I am as opposed to.

This is just the normal, right, And so when people say, oh, I didn't know I could feel that.

This is just the normal, right, And so when people say, oh, I didn't know I could feel that.

I didn't know I was supposed to feel better because I never no one ever sort of helped me to think about it.

I didn't know I was supposed to feel better because I never no one ever sort of helped me to think about it.

From that, we normalize it, right, yes, And so we normal we normalized struggles.

From that, we normalize it, right, yes, And so we normal we normalized struggles.

And especially if someone who grew up in that depressed household, who also and we know the depression is genetic, right, and so who they might also have some of the genetic predisposition, and so you think this is normal versus oh wait, wit, wait, these are.

And especially if someone who grew up in that depressed household, who also and we know the depression is genetic, right, and so who they might also have some of the genetic predisposition, and so you think this is normal versus oh wait, wit, wait, these are.

All the ways that someone can feel and here are the symptoms. Wait, so I'm I'm you know, I spent most of my life in the struggling category.

All the ways that someone can feel and here are the symptoms. Wait, so I'm I'm you know, I spent most of my life in the struggling category.

That's not normal or that's not you know, And I tried, I sort of put normal in quotes, but yes, you know what I mean. And I think and I think that's where the conversation is about. You know, how you feel and giving language to emotion and you know, and again knowing what that continuum looks like. I think that's where we can then sort of say, how do I create a plan to make sure that I am taking care of myself and then also that you know, I'm encouraging the people around me.

That's not normal or that's not you know, And I tried, I sort of put normal in quotes, but yes, you know what I mean. And I think and I think that's where the conversation is about. You know, how you feel and giving language to emotion and you know, and again knowing what that continuum looks like. I think that's where we can then sort of say, how do I create a plan to make sure that I am taking care of myself and then also that you know, I'm encouraging the people around me.

To take care of themselves and to be aware of some of these things.

To take care of themselves and to be aware of some of these things.

We're and we're coming to the end of our conversation, but I feel like we can't put a bow on our conversation because you talked about there are ways that you can identify that you are you know, deal with the depression, and there are actual things we can look at.

We're and we're coming to the end of our conversation, but I feel like we can't put a bow on our conversation because you talked about there are ways that you can identify that you are you know, deal with the depression, and there are actual things we can look at.

So I would love for you.

So I would love for you.

To come back for a part team if you're willing at some point of time, because it's important to me for people to get this information, have the language around how they're feeling, and being able to move to this place where they could really move in a space appealing. So if you're willing, I would love to see when we could get you back on the calendar for a part two, because this is really important to me.

To come back for a part team if you're willing at some point of time, because it's important to me for people to get this information, have the language around how they're feeling, and being able to move to this place where they could really move in a space appealing. So if you're willing, I would love to see when we could get you back on the calendar for a part two, because this is really important to me.

Like I said, it's my old personal story and people deserve to be well. Oh, no question. I loved it. We loved it.

Like I said, it's my old personal story and people deserve to be well. Oh, no question. I loved it. We loved it.

I thank you so much for taking your time to come and enjoy and and join me here. I know that you have a lot of things you could be doing, but you're here with me, and I do appreciate it. Well, I I and I appreciate being here with you.

I thank you so much for taking your time to come and enjoy and and join me here. I know that you have a lot of things you could be doing, but you're here with me, and I do appreciate it. Well, I I and I appreciate being here with you.

So thank you. I feel honored. Thank you.

So thank you. I feel honored. Thank you.

Good stay weud gone stay a we

Good stay weud gone stay a we