The Broken Brain

The use of our senses for meed management and immediate stress-reduction is a quick and effective technique. Today the focus is on our sense of smell, how to use it, and why the future smells rosy...especially when you're smelling roses.

A live play session of a one-shot RPG called "Cage Fight," where the players adopt the powers of Nicolas Cage characters to defeat aliens and save the world. This episode is another exploration into how RPGs can be used for fun, social skills, and building a sense of community. Check out www.dwighthurst.com/rpg to see how I am applying TTRPG play to mental health.

The American Society for Addiction Medicine (ASAM) is the largest organization of addiction professionals in the world, and has developed a model for assessment and treatment planning. This is a look at where it came from, how it has changed, and the 6 areas for assessment that they recommend. Go to www.stigmafree.art to view and participate with Mental Health Awareness & Creative Arts Gallery, this month's highlighted charity

Do you struggle with burnout, waver in self-acceptance? Would you like to get into the head of a mental health clinician? And for professionals, how much of yourself do you bring into session? Dr Jessi Gold is a psychiatrist and author who is here to share her story in treating healthcare professionals, and her journey through addressing her own mental health needs. Her book "How Do You Feel: One Doctor's Search for Humanity in Medicine," is a look into the trends of modern medicine, Personalism vs Professionalism, and how being yourself can moderate burnout and help others. You can order a signed copy of her book at: https://www.novelmemphis.com/pre-order-signed-copy-how-do-you-feel-jessi-gold Our Charity of focus this month is Mentla Health Awareness Creative Arts Gallery, in Hudson NY, where they provide free Art Education and those with Psychological Illness to showcase their healing through Art. Follow their work at www.stigmafree.art. If you join the Patreon this month and half your donation will go to them each month.

This week's Mental Health Tip is all about counting & celebrating things going well, especially when anxiety or depression get in the way. Today is the last day to join Patreon and have 50% of your monthly donation go to Horses of Hope, Puerto Rico each month. Tomorrow we start our October challenged

Darryl Mansel, AKA Seed, joins to talk about "Batman: White Knight vol 1," an alternate storyline where Batman must confront his own demons when The Joker is (possibly) cured from his mental health problems and organizes a citizen's drive against him. Happy Batman Anniversary Day 2024!

Ian Bawa is a filmmaker who joins to discuss his Short Film "The Best," which is currently being shown at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). His short "Strong Son," premiered at TIFF in 2020. Both films showcase father-son relationships and complexities of masculine identity. He is currently working on a feature film that further explores these topics. Ian joins to discuss storytelling and integrating his own experiences through film. Follow his work at www.ianbawa.com The Broken Brain's highlighted charity this month is www.horsesofhopepr.org bringing equine therapy to adults and children with disabilities and trauma.

If you've been in or around therapy before you are probably familiar with the concept of journaling your thoughts & feelings. Many find this to be a difficult task, and some get overwhelmed by it completely. As always, I am a fan of individualization and empowerment. You should make journaling work for you, not the other way around. Here are a few tips to help personalize and adjust the goal of journaling.

This is the first 7 minutes of a 37 minute bonus episode for Patrons. This week we will be looking into the way Token Economy systems are formed, mostly for residential and inpatient healthcare units, although they occur naturally in any structured environment. Also a look into the history of Behavioral Psychology, and the first time a Token Economy was used to help shape behavior. Subscribe to the Patreon to hear weekly dives into mental health history! www.patreon.com/brokenbrain

Dr Mary E. Anderson is a Clinical Psychologist and author of the new book "The Happy High Achiever," in which she outlines her approach to bringing goals of personal health & happiness into your definition of success. Noticing that highly motivated people often experience self-doubt & dissatisfaction, she developed tools to help people to prioritize excellence in emotional health over perfectionistic focus on external wins. This month's charity of focus is Horses of Hope, a nonprofit organization in Isabella, Puerto Rico, providing Equine Therapy for Trauma Recovery in young people. Go to www.horsesofhopepr.org to learn more