When it comes to mental health, there are certain thought biases that depressed people are more likely to engage in than others.

In this episode, I cover different types of thought biases and strategies to fight back against them to avoid unnecessary suffering.

Labeling - When you assign traits to yourself or others without considering the evidence.

Strategy: Stop and ask yourself whether or not the evidence actually supports that conclusion. Remember our lives can never be reduced to a singular moment or label.

Mind Reading - When someone assumes that they know what another person is thinking, even when there's no evidence to support that assumption.

Strategy: Try and remind yourself that it’s impossible ever to know what another person is thinking unless we ask them. Find a trusted loved one. Tell them you’re down, and ask them about what they’re thinking instead of assuming.

Overgeneralization - When someone takes one experience and applies it to all other situations. If something didn't work out once, then you might assume that nothing will ever work out.

Strategy: Notice if you’re using words like always or never or thinking in broad strokes, assuming nothing will change or work out. Remember that nothing in life ever repeats itself exactly and tomorrow will be different than today.

Emotional Reasoning - When we assume everything that we feel is true and an accurate reflection of what is happening in our life.

Strategy: Remember thoughts and emotions are not facts. Avoid assuming everything you think or feel is true.

In this episode, you’ll also hear:

• Understanding thought biases and the halo effect
• How depression exacerbates thought biases
• Recognizing thoughts and emotions are simply information

Must-listen moments:

[00:04:57] Labels are good for boxes. You are not a box. You're an endlessly complicated human being that deserves an endlessly complicated and beautiful description.

[00:08:20] Tomorrow might be really hard, yes, but it will not be exactly like today, because that's just not how the universe works. Allow the mystery to provide you hope.

[00:10:41] Emotions are important, no doubt about it, so are our thoughts. But when we allow our emotions and our thoughts to be the only factors that influence our mood, we set ourselves up for unnecessary suffering.

Thank you for listening!

Depression, Anxiety, and Other Things We Don’t Want to Talk About - https://www.amazon.com/Depression-Anxiety-Other-Things-About/dp/1400221323

Ryan Casey Waller

Website - https://www.ryancaseywaller.com/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ryancaseywaller

Twitter - https://twitter.com/ryancaseywaller

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ryancaseywaller/

When it comes to suicide, everybody wants to help prevent it from happening but nobody wants to ask the wrong question or make things worse by inadvertently planting the idea of suicide in a person’s mind who wasn’t already considering it. 

It’s important to understand asking about suicide will not cause someone to commit suicide. 

In this episode, I explain why you never have to go beyond your expertise to address suicide, supportive phrases to use if someone is struggling, and why it’s crucial to check in on loved ones often and repeatedly. 

If you’re not quite sure how to help a friend or loved one you think may be suicidal, remember to be guided by ALP:

A: Ask - Be blunt and ask if they are considering suicide.

L: Listen - Listen for as long as it takes and listen without judgment.  

P: Point - Point them in the direction of a mental health professional.

You may not be a professional but you can help them find professional help. 

In this episode, you’ll also hear:

• How being blunt and asking questions is better than saying nothing
• Listening with non-judgment and resources for professional help  
• Helpful phrases and a reminder to check in on your loved ones  

Must-listen moments: 

[00:04:07]  You will never regret asking someone about suicide. What you will regret undoubtedly is not asking. When in doubt, just ask.

[00:06:15] Allow yourself that freedom of not knowing. You don't need to solve the problem. You don't need to rescue your friend. All you need to do is be enough of a friend to ask the question, listen, and then point them in the direction they ought to go.

[00:08:53] Just because someone wasn't suicidal yesterday doesn't mean they're not today. If you believe a person is suicidal, you should check on that person repeatedly. 

Thank you for listening! 

Resources Mentioned: 

National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Dial 988

Depression, Anxiety, and Other Things We Don’t Want to Talk About - https://www.amazon.com/Depression-Anxiety-Other-Things-About/dp/1400221323

Ryan Casey Waller

Website - https://www.ryancaseywaller.com/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ryancaseywaller

Twitter - https://twitter.com/ryancaseywaller

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ryancaseywaller/

A common misconception is that resilience is reserved only for those who defy the odds.

However, anyone can practice resilience because everyone faces difficult situations that push our limits and force us to choose whether we will keep moving forward or not.   

In this episode, I address how humans may be resilient by nature. Still, our ability to access this power largely depends on the state of our mental health, which then impacts how we adapt to difficulty. 

When we face trauma or difficult situations, we tend to respond in three ways: 

• Get stuck in the past, ruminate psychologically, and paralyze ourselves 
• Numbing out, seeking safety at all costs even if the perceived safety is harmful
• Choosing to grow, viewing our suffering as an opportunity to learn

In this episode, you’ll also hear:

• Understanding the relationship between mental health and resilience
• 3 responses to trauma: Getting stuck, numbing out, choosing to grow
• Tragic optimism and the ability to search for meaning 

Must-listen moments: 

[00:03:45] Our capacity for resilience is not reserved for superstars. It's for you and for me. 

[00:05:30] We are all naturally resilient, but if a person's mental health is suffering, however, their ability to display resilience will be compromised when facing a tragedy. 

[00:12:33] Resilience is all about the mindset we take toward the struggle. If everything, no matter how awful, is an opportunity to grow, that means I can literally face anything.

Thank you for listening! 

Depression, Anxiety, and Other Things We Don’t Want to Talk About - https://www.amazon.com/Depression-Anxiety-Other-Things-About/dp/1400221323

Ryan Casey Waller

Website - https://www.ryancaseywaller.com/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ryancaseywaller

Twitter - https://twitter.com/ryancaseywaller

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ryancaseywaller/