Mallory and Badmouth dedicate a significant portion of the podcast to the crucial topic of mental health, acknowledging its prevalence and impact within the postal service. They begin by honoring two fallen brothers, Mathew Rorie from Branch 41 and Dan Workman from Branch 113, and offer condolences and information for sending cards. The hosts emphasize the importance of destigmatizing mental health conversations, comparing mental health struggles to physical health issues and highlighting the prevalence of neurodivergence. They explain that society and work structures are often designed for neurotypical individuals, and it’s okay for brains to work differently. The episode delves into various mental health concerns, including stress, burnout, low self-esteem, and specific conditions like depression, anxiety, PTSD, ADHD, and others, noting their often invisible nature. They stress that mental well-being affects not only the individual but also their families, coworkers, and customers, reinforcing the concept of solidarity and kindness. The podcast provides practical advice on seeking help, discussing different types of therapy (CBT, psychodynamic, humanistic, behavioral) and mental health professionals (psychologists, counselors, social workers, psychiatrists, nurse practitioners, primary care physicians), with a recommendation to use the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) as a primary resource. They highlight EAP’s usefulness in finding local mental health professionals and its confidential, free nature, and also mention the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. The episode also touches on CareFirst benefits and resources like PsychologyToday.com for finding therapists. They encourage listeners to be their own best advocates, explore various treatment options, and not give up if the first approach isn’t successful. The episode concludes with a powerful message of solidarity, encouraging mutual support, empathy, and personal growth, urging listeners to utilize available resources and take care of themselves and each other. They also mention upcoming episodes on CCA conversion, scheduling, and travel.
Cites
1-800-EAP-4YOU – Eap4you.com (USPS & Family)
National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline -Call or text 988 for a free, confidential conversation with a trained counselor, 24/7 https://988lifeline.org/
Crisis Text Line – Text ACTION to 741741 to be connected to a crisis counselor https://www.crisistextline.org/
Samaritans – Preventing suicide and providing hope 877-870-HOPE (4673) https://samaritanshope.org/
Veterans Crisis Line – 800-273-TALK (8255) and press 1, Text to 838255 to connect veterans with a trained responder https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/get-help-now/chat/
Teen Line – 800-852-8336 Text TEEN to 839863 to connect with highly trained teen listeners
The Trevor Project – 866-488-7836 https://www.thetrevorproject.org/ Crisis intervention and suicide prevention for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning young people ages 13-24
Institute on Aging’s Friendship Line – 800-971-0016 Email friendshipline@ioaging.org Crisis line for people aged 60+ and adults with disabilities
Parent Stress Line – 800-632-8188 https://www.parentshelpingparents.org/stressline
National Helpline for SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) – For individuals and families facing mental and/or substance use disorders 800-662-4357 https://findtreatment.gov/
MA Substance Abuse Helpline – 800-327-5050 https://helplinema.org/
National Alliance on Mental Illness Helpline – 800-370-9085
Project Semicolon – https://projectsemicolon.com/
Project YES (for teens having trouble accessing services) – https://www.schleiderlab.org/yes.html