Beyond Well With Sheila Hamilton

We continue our conversation with Logan Lynn, musician, entrepreneur, and creator of the dot gay website, where young people hoping to learn more information about coming out and living their truth can network, socialize and learn more about gender and gender identity.

Logan Lynn is an American musician, writer, producer, filmmaker, television personality, mental health advocate, and LGBT activist. Since 1998 he has released nine studio albums and became the spokesperson for the .gay domain. Lynn's childhood was scarred by sexual abuse and trauma and by his early teens, Lynn turned to drugs to cope. He was homeless before finally being introduced to a therapist who said, "What happened to you?", helping Lynn untangle decades of unhealthy coping mechanisms. This is a riveting two-part series on recovery, music, and becoming your own life mentor.

Fawn Preston and Angel Prater founded AWARE Consulting Group to help people and organizations offer truly trauma informed approaches to service delivery and crisis intervention. Every time we make a decision, interpret a conversation, or close a business deal, we are doing it through our own lens of trauma. Learning to be trauma aware is fundamental to an organization's success. 

As kids make their way back to in person learning, there is trepidation and fear among those kids who were the subject of bullying. Dr. James Polo offers a different perspective, "We will never end bullying. It is imbedded in the social construct that some people will use cruelty and teasing to improve their ranking." Polo says. "What we can do is teach our kids to be aware of bullying, how to report it when they see others doing it, and how not to become the victims of bullies. "

Entertainers were hit particularly hard during the pandemic. If you make your living in front of people, your income and your profession were put on hold. Storm Large dealt with the isolation and loneliness of the pandemic with honesty, vulnerability and a difficult question, "If I'm not performing in front of thousands of people, who am I?"  The answer revealed itself in the form of live-streamed pajama sessions, honest conversations with others about their mental health and well-being, and the spark of genius that keeps us coming back for more, more, more from Ms. Large

It is a lot easier to be angry at someone than to tell them you are hurt. Anger is a readily accessible emotion and its impact on our bodies and our societies is evident, especially in a year of stress, uncertainty and social tension.  Dr. Jim Polo talks about how to recognize, moderate and manage anger. 

Steven Wolt rejoins us to bring us up to date on Veritus INC., a fully confidential and evidence based recovery program for healthcare workers, lawyers and professionals.

Americans are under tremendous stress; economically, physically and spiritually. How does one understand when he/she/they is coping versus on the verge of a mental breakdown? The line between sanity and mental  illness and how to cope with early symptoms in this episode with Dr. Jim Polo.  

There’s no guidebook for parenting during a pandemic. Sheltering at home means being yourself in front of your kids, all day every day, without the release of school or the office. Sad House is one mother’s guide to stumbling through a season of loss with humor, creativity, and hope. When Laura Stanfill’s best friend was killed by the virus in April 2020, her daughters experienced her grief at close range. They asked questions. They brought her treats. And when she didn’t stop crying, they admitted frustration and begged her to be happy. Over the next several months, with storytelling and art, gardening and games, Laura found her imperfect way through deep grief—just in time to weather a second major loss. Through Laura experimenting with her own creativity, Sad House offers a guide for family resilience, growth, and how small, shared joys can sustain a household in difficult times. 

Researchers estimate as many as ten percent of people who contract Covid 19 do not make a quick recovery. Many of these Covid long haulers are still suffering months later with debilitating fatigue, brain fog, gastrointestinal illness and psychological disturbances. Christina Preston-Beard discusses how dramatically her life has been altered by COVID-19.

Families have adapted to Covid-19 whether they wanted to or not. Many remote workers who hated the isolation in the beginning would now prefer to work from home. Many children, who loathed the idea of staying home are now worried about going back to school. How do you prepare your family for the psychological flexibility needed for this next stage of Covid-19? Dr. Jim Polo is here to help.

Chris Colin is a reporter for the NYTimes the New Yorker, and Wired Magazine. His book OFF, The Day The Internet Died is a comical picture book about a day when all the screens went dark. We all dream about a life free of scrolling or tweeting, but Colin imagines what an analog world might actually look like and why our attachments to our screens has created a new kind of addiction and dependence.

Unemployment can be one of the greatest stressors in a person's life. Combined with a global pandemic and economic uncertainty, it's no wonder that a record number of Americans are reporting anxiety and toxic stress. Jenny Foss, the CEO of JobJenny talks about the steps we should take now to be job ready and the psychological framework it takes to survive unemployment.

Jarvis Sam is the Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion at Nike, one of the world's most respected and recognized brands. Sam talks about the racist attacks against Asian Americans, the four steps every company should take to actually integrate true diversity and inclusion into everyday values, and his own mental health practice for remaining optimistic, balanced, and passionate about changing the world.

This Beyond Well was created from our Chasing Chaos interview with Andrew Shayde, a fan favorite on the hit Discovery series, Naked and Afraid. Andrew came out as a gay man to his Baptist parents, traversed the wild ride of the Amazing Race and then decided to test himself even further by stripping down and enduring the African wild. The hardest part? Overcoming the fear, sleep deprivation and psychological distress of extreme conditions. Andrew's five steps for survival are genius.

We had such a phenomenal response to our video series, "Chasing Chaos," we are bringing you the conversation to our friends at Beyond Well. Courtenay Hameister is the author of Okay, Fine, Whatever, and the former host of Live Wire Radio. Courtenay spent one year challenging herself with the most frightening things she could think of in an attempt to confront her anxiety with hilarious and insightful results. Then, a pandemic hit, forcing everyone to examine their coping methods. 

Stephanie Thornton Plymale lived in a car with her mentally ill mother, became a ward of the state of California and an abused foster child, endured multiple car wrecks and physical traumas, and is one of the most optimistic, cheerful people I know. How do we bounce forward from trauma? How do we work with the anxiety and fear in our body that is created by trauma in order to understand and assimilate what happened to us? For Stephanie, it was investigating the onset of her mother's multiple personality disorder and realizing the extent of intergenerational trauma. American Daughter is above all, a book about hope.

Seasonal Affective Disorder is a mood disorder characterized by depression that occurs at the same time every year. Seasonal affective disorder occurs in climates where there is less sunlight at certain times of the year. Symptoms include fatigue, depression, hopelessness, and social withdrawal. Treatment includes light therapy (phototherapy), talk therapy, and medications.

Joy Scott is the CEO of Scott Public Relations and a lifelong spiritual leader. Scott's book, Magenta Nation, turns the reader's attention toward the disastrous political divide in the United States and offers a clear communications strategy toward unification. Scott's book was written before President Biden's inaugural speech on Unity, but the themes and suggestions are similarly urgent; we must learn to be able to disagree without hating one another. How do we begin? Listen in.

What if 2021 is the year you could really make the changes  in your life? Dr. Jim Polo talks about the steps that are  necessary to make resolutions effective, and whether  psychology behind procrastination.