Thank you everyone for being so patient with me as I took another needed break. I deeply appreciate all of you.I've recently been diagnosed with CPTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and in this episode, I talk about what CPTSD feels like and

Going Under The Sea with Saltwater Sean

Dec 3rd, 2020 31m 20s

The wonderful Sean McMullen returns to Optimistically Depressed to talk about his excursions as Saltwater Sean, the thrills of discovering what lies under the sea, and how the exposure to cold water benefits him physically and mentally as it re

Feeling Moodie with Pat Sebastien

Nov 26th, 2020 43m 58s

Are you looking for ways to improve your emotional and physical well-being? Do you struggle with some of your thoughts and feelings?Pat Sebastien, CEO of Moodie Inc, & I sat down to discuss the app Moodie, which is designed to be your personal

Emma with Self-Care, CPTSD & Emotional Regulation Therapy

Nov 20th, 2020 46m 54s

It's amazing how many contributors there are to the inability to regulate our emotions. They feel like this involuntary experience that takes over our body - you know the feeling - the anger takes over and all you see is red, or the sadness is

Emotional Connection with Meaghan Smith

Nov 12th, 2020 20m 5s

What do we all share? Our emotions. While the way we experience them is unique, the feelings themselves are what connect us. With something so powerful, we need to be aware of how we use them and, while protecting ourselves, we can also use the

Optimistically Depressed: I’m Back!

Nov 6th, 2020 35m 24s

After a much needed break, I’m feeling mostly refreshed and ready to get back to all of you and share what’s been on my mind for the past six months.It isn’t a surprise that it’s been rough, but it’s brought me to some realizations that were l

Ruthy's Rumination on Dealing with Bad Thoughts, Balancing Your Mental Health with Others & Looking Forward to Post-Covid | Ep. 85

May 30th, 2020 43m 29s

It's Rumination time! I got more topics for discussion from you beauties and used the opportunity to practice being more honest and raw with my opinions. I can't wait until all this crap with Covid is over. One of you asked what I'm looking fo

Lindsay Umlah on Appreciating Your Body | Ep. 84

May 22nd, 2020 1h 11m

The glorious Lindsay Umlah joins Optimistically Depressed for a second time! I saw a post she made on Instagram about being enough and it struck me. There are many areas we need to work through when it comes to feeling like we measure up and b

Ruthy's Rumination on Staying Sane, Self-Care and Astrology | Ep. 83

May 15th, 2020 43m 20s

Hey friends! This week I thought I’d do another rumination. I asked for some suggestions on what to talk about and suggestions were made! I talk on some tips I’ve learned on how to stay sane during quarantine and how to take care of ourselves.

Shannon Moyer-Szemenyei on C-PTSD, EMDR Therapy and Releasing Trauma | Ep. 82

May 11th, 2020 1h 7m

Anyone else feel like a caged animal right about now? Like you need to get out but you also have so much fear around going out because you don't want catch Covid-19 and bring it home to your family? Needless to say, the past couple months have

Ruthy's Rumination on Losing Relationships, Looking in the Mirror and Hope | Ep. 81

Apr 30th, 2020 44m 32s

Rumination time! I tried out Ruthy's Rumination many months ago and have recorded others since but haven't released them because I'm not ready for that level of vulnerability. And now here we are, one that made the cut!I want to thank the peo

Alexa Goodman on Handling Our Behaviour During a Challenge | Ep. 80

Apr 16th, 2020 53m 53s

Ok, it's been something like four weeks since we've had to stay home, right? Perhaps some of us still need more time to grieve, but others may be noticing a crossroads. What next? Shall I plunge into self-destruction? Sink into mediocrity? Hone

Abigail Lower on Freeing Yourself from Influence | Ep. 79

Apr 9th, 2020 1h 12m

Freedom. Ah, doesn't that sounds especially sweet right now?We may be feeling a little caged right now since we can't go out and visit our friends, but the most effective cage in our lives is our mind. Now, I don't expect that statement to be

Hanging Out With Sean McMullen: The Self-Isolation Issue | Ep. 78

Apr 3rd, 2020 33m 29s

I think we’re starting to get to a point where we’re really starting to understand this pandemic isn’t going away soon. I know we “knew” that, but we didn’t really know that. That make sense? It’s like the five stages of grief. We’re starting t

Marc Boudreau on Coping with Self-Isolation | Ep. 77

Mar 26th, 2020 25m 41s

I hope all of you are doing well. If you are struggling, my heart goes out to you. If you have lost someone to this horrible virus, from the bottom of my heart, I am sorry. I have been thinking about those who are hurting from this. I can't ima

Candyce Sellars on Mental Health in Community | Ep. 76

Mar 20th, 2020 1h 26m

It's so great to have a friend that you can talk to about anything, including the stuff that we generally hate talking about, ie: confrontational stuff. Candyce is one of those people that can look at a problem and not only find a solution, but

Christy Ann Conlin on Turning Life Into Your Own Story | Ep. 75

Mar 12th, 2020 1h 15m

We all have a part of our pasts that we can feel the victim of, and the truth is that when we’re children, we are the victim. But what about when we become adults? Do we carry the victim status along with ourselves or do we grab the pen which h

Lee Fraser on Successful Mindsets and Retaliation | Ep. 74

Mar 6th, 2020 54m 5s

We’ve heard from this guy before, but I had to interview him again. Lee Fraser is one of those minds that many try to mimic, and why? Because when he sets his mind on something, he gets it done.This past weekend, I got to participate in a week

Wren Kelly on Owning Borderline Personality Disorder | Ep. 73

Feb 27th, 2020 48m 32s

One of the mental disorders that has a lot of confusion around it is Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). Many people get a little freaked out at the idea, but they don't need to be.Wren Kelly openly discusses her symptoms with BPD and what

Verity Vale on Climbing Mountains and Managing Anxiety | Ep. 72

Feb 20th, 2020 45m 32s

Inspiration graces us in many forms and in this case, it comes in the form of my friend Verity. I am thrilled to have her back on Optimistically Depressed.As a professional hypnotherapist, she has shared with me several helpful insights for ma

Meaghan Smith on Understanding Emotion and Rebuilding Yourself | Ep. 71

Feb 14th, 2020 46m 30s

I’ve been privileged to know Meaghan Smith for about six years now. She has taught me many valuable lessons involving how to interpret, understand and manage my emotions. Her unique perspective on life is what every storybook dreams of. Each co

Veronica Gutierrez on Culture and Mental Health | Ep. 70

Feb 6th, 2020 50m 56s

You know how they say you need to surround yourself with people who will tell you the truth? Veronica Gutierrez is one of those people, and that is probably how she attracts the same kinds of people as friends. This strong and fiery woman joine

Brett Hartlin on Using Nature to Ease Anxiety | Ep. 69

Jan 30th, 2020 1h

We all know that getting outside helps with mental health, so why don’t we do it more? Perhaps we need some inspiration! Brett Hartlin joins Optimistically Depressed to talk about the benefits of getting outside and helps reignite the desire to

Sean McMullen on Exercise, Saying No and Being Meaningful | Ep. 68

Jan 23rd, 2020 34m 10s

Sean comes back to Optimistically Depressed to talk about making big changes in his exercise habits and saying no more often. We also discuss the frustrations associated with trying to be meaningful in a world full of noise and facing the fear

Tom Taggart on Hardship, Trauma, War Heroes and Not Diminishing Your Own Struggle | Ep. 67

Jan 17th, 2020 55m 11s

Tom Taggart returns to the show to talk about not diminishing your own struggle and the importance of hardships in order to learn and grow. We also touch on Star Wars, Elon Musk and the myths of success.