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Affliction & Resilience

Affliction & Resilience

By Judy Mandel

Welcome to the Affliction/Resilience podcast hosted by New York Times Bestselling author Judy L. Mandel. We’ve all had some kind of affliction. Whether it’s psychological, physical or situational. And we all deal with adversity in different ways. In each episode, we’ll talk to people who recognize and use their own affliction in their lives, as well as psychologists and other experts who counsel them. It may be addiction recovery, the trauma of disease and treatment, or in the case of the host, her role as a replacement child. Hopefully you will take away useful information for your own life.
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A Personal Conversation about Asian Hate in America

Affliction & Resilience May 29, 2021

00:00
42:45
A Personal Conversation about Asian Hate in America

A Personal Conversation about Asian Hate in America

This is a bit of a different kind of podcast for me. It's a very honest and personal talk with a friend about Asian hate in America, and really about all forms of racial hatred. Rachel Wong and I are friends through writing workshops and classes. We’ve talked recently about the rise of anti Asian violence in the country. I wanted to talk to Rachel about her up close experiences in NYC, what has changed in the last few years and through the pandemic, what’s basically the same and her thoughts about what we can do about it. I also want to ask her about her book, since it focuses on Anti-Asian hate.

Rachel Wong became a writer at 14 when she sold her first non-fiction short story to a magazine. She has worked for tech startups, agencies, even an international law firm. In her free time, she helps run monthly board game socials and collects rare plants.  She has two degrees in Creative Writing (BA + MFA) and her current (and longstanding) project is a speculative fiction YA novel called Catalyst. She lives in New York City.

I asked Rachel what she recommends for action to combat Asian hate and she suggests the following:

Biden signed AAPI protections into law but we need more action on a state level. Please petition your local leaders to sign protections for these increased race-based hate crimes. California and New York, big cities in particular, have a spike in these crimes.

There are a few funds that I can recommend:

- Hate Is A Virus commUNITY Action fund

- #StopAsianHate: Support AAF (Asian American Federation) gofundme campaign

- AAPI Community Fund

If you don’t have money to spare but have time, volunteer groups like Compassion in Oakland and “Community Angels” in NYC chinatown chaperone Asian elders who go out on errands, so they won’t be alone

For education and resources.:

https://www.laaunch.org/

https://hateisavirus.org/

https://www.sendchinatownlove.com/ (great foundation that also does “gift a meal” funds for the needy)

https://www.taaf.org/

An op-ed about Asian-Black Solidarity: https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/19/opinions/black-asian-american-solidarity-jones/index.html

More of “what we can do:” https://www.instagram.com/evachen212/guide/ways-to-help/17906750905739799/?utm_medium=copy_link

May 29, 202142:45
Being a Young Woman Secret Service Agent Changed Her Life
Apr 13, 202131:02
Newsflash: We are all going to die. But you can make it easier for your loved ones.
Apr 06, 202126:32
The First Thing She Had to Unpack was Witnessing Her Mother's Murder
Apr 01, 202127:10
Do you self-sabotage your weight loss plan? That's one of the topics I talk about with Dr. Franchell Hamilton, who has had her own amazing journey.

Do you self-sabotage your weight loss plan? That's one of the topics I talk about with Dr. Franchell Hamilton, who has had her own amazing journey.

“I used to be a life corrupter, but now I am a life-changer,” says weight loss surgeon Dr. Franchell Hamilton.

I wanted to know how someone who was in gangs as a teenager found her own resilience and motivation be become a surgeon. Dr. Franchell Hamilton first reminded me that only 2% of all physicians are Black, and an even smaller percentage of surgeons are Black and female, and she’s proud to be among that group.

Dr. Franchell Hamilton, is a weight loss surgeon, health and wellness visionary and author of Transformation is a Mindset, the journey to changing your input and your world.

We talk about her troubled life as a teen and how she found her path to becoming a doctor.

Dr. Hamilton founded A Better Weigh Center – a place for her patients to receive treatments ranging from bariatric surgery and medical weight loss to hormone therapy. As her practice grew, she began seeing more and more patients, but many had the same recurring issue – weight regain with return of their other medical conditions. She wanted to provide results with longevity. Thus, the 4 Pillars of Transformation was founded – Dr. Hamilton’s weight loss and wellness system. She uses her book as a guide to help thousands struggling with unhealthy strongholds in their life find the root of the problem.

If you are interested in contacting Dr. Hamiliton, or learning more, you can visit her website at

http://www.drfhamilton.com/

Mar 24, 202132:49
A Single Mother by Choice Talks About Her Journey

A Single Mother by Choice Talks About Her Journey

Louisa Pateman is the Australian author of: Single, Again, and Again, and Again… What do you do when life doesn’t go to plan? Louisa has had a successful career as a civil engineer, working all around the world. She is a dedicated traveler and has ventured to over 70 countries, while also building a substantial individual property portfolio.

For  20 years, Louisa tried very hard to fulfill her life plan; the path set by society: to find her soulmate, get married and have children. But after a dozen failed relationships and a biological clock that was about to expire, she conceded defeat and gave up her dreams of finding ‘the one’. In order to salvage her last chance of motherhood, at 37 she embarked on a journey to become a single mother by choiceShe says it turned out to be the best decision of her life.

Louisa offers a window for women considering this option, and some concrete ideas for making this important, life changing decision. Not to mention being a lovely person to chat with long distance!

Mar 18, 202128:53
An Adult Child of Alcoholics Talks About Her Own Recovery
Mar 11, 202130:54
Emily Rapp Black talks about her new book, Sanctuary - a memoir

Emily Rapp Black talks about her new book, Sanctuary - a memoir

Emily Rapp Black is the author of Poster Child: A Memoir, and The Still Point of the Turning World, and most recently, Sanctuary – a memoir.

A onetime Fulbright Scholar, she was educated at Harvard University, Trinity College in Dublin, Saint Olaf College and the University of Texas at Austin, where she was a James A. Michener fellow. She has received many many awards and fellowships, most recently a Guggenheim Fellowship.

Her work has appeared in Vogue, The New York Times, Salon, Slate, Time, The Boston Globe, The Wall Street Journal, Psychology Today, O:The Oprah Magazine, The Los Angeles Times and many others. She is a regular contributor to The New York Times Book Review and frequently publishes scholarly work in the fields of disability studies, bioethics, and theological studies. She is currently associate professor of creative writing at the University of California, Riverside, where she also teaches medical narratives in the School of Medicine.

She talks candidly with me about writing this book about the death of her son Ronan just before he turned three, of Tay Sachs, and then having a subsequent, and healthy, daughter. Her book is beautiful, gripping and thought provoking and I think you’ll find our conversation insightful.

Mar 06, 202132:17
From Bedridden to Traveling the World--and Helping Others Fulfill Their Travel Bucket List

From Bedridden to Traveling the World--and Helping Others Fulfill Their Travel Bucket List

Estee Gubbay is a top travel adviser and writer on world travel. She is the author of the bestselling book Your Travel Bucket List: The Ultimate Guide to Enrich Your Life with Great Adventures and Unforgettable Memories. She is the owner of Luxurist Travel Agency.  With more than twenty years of facilitating workshops on goal setting, self-care, and pursuing a life of balance and fulfillment, she uses her expertise to guide her Clients through the process of creating their ideal travel bucket list. Estee has a unique story of overcoming Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Ethlos Danlos Syndrome to build a successful travel business in a very challenging time. All of which we talk about on this episode of Affliction & Resilience. A bonus is getting some great travel tips! You can find her book on her website: www.luxuristtravel.com Or call her for travel advice at 1-858-381-7713
Mar 02, 202136:11
Author of The Power of Feminine Negotiation Talks About Her Personal Struggle Through the Mental Health System
Feb 24, 202134:09
Second Generation Holocaust Survivor Shares Her Story

Second Generation Holocaust Survivor Shares Her Story

Dr. Erika Landau is our guest today on Affliction & Resilience. She is a second generation Holocaust survivor. Both of her parents lost their parents and siblings in the Holocaust. She was born in Romania, and came to the US to escape the Communist dictatorship of Ceausescu. Dr. Landau is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the Columbia University Medical Center. In addition to her medical degree, she also holds a master’s degree in bioethics. In light of Holocaust Remembrance Day this past week, it seems fitting that we discuss how survivors were not only those who endured the horrors of the camps, but how the trauma is embedded through generations. Dr. Landau talks about the strength and responsibility of that legacy and how it has served her. She is an amazing example of resilience.

Jan 29, 202120:36
Patti Hawn, author of GOOD GIRLS DON'T

Patti Hawn, author of GOOD GIRLS DON'T

Entertainment publicist, author and public speaker, Patti Hawn has worked on over thirty major motion pictures including some of the most acclaimed films of the last decade. Her credits include Ghost, Glory, Overboard, and Bride Wars.

She made her debut literary effort with her memoir, GOOD GIRLS DON’T, that tells the story of the last generation of young women to experience life on the eve of the sexual revolution of the sixties and the passing of legislation legalizing abortion.

Most recently she appeared in the theater production BLANK, at the invitation of many adoption groups throughout the country.

She contributed a chapter to the book REPLACEMENT CHILDREN: THE UNCONSCIOUS SCRIPT, by Rita Battat and Dr. Abigail Brenner which explores the many stories of people who have found themselves a part of this circumstance…including herself.

Patti is the sister of the acclaimed actress Goldie Hawn. She resides in Manhattan Beach, California with her husband and travels to India, Nepal and Thailand where she works in humanitarian efforts.

Jan 08, 202129:38
Kristina E. Schellinski, the unique perspective of a therapist and replacement child

Kristina E. Schellinski, the unique perspective of a therapist and replacement child

Kristina Schellinski, M.A., is a supervising and teaching analyst with the C.G. Jung Institute, Zurich, Kusnacht. She works with adults in private practice in Geneva and is a lecturer and consultant of the Geneva University Hospital Psychiatry Department. Kristina is also one of the co-founders of the Replacement Child Forum (replacementchildforum.com).
We had a fascinating discussion from the viewpoint of both a professional who treats replacement children, and as a replacement child herself. Kristina has a unique perspective for resilience in the face of affliction as well as for parents who have subsequent children after the death of a child.
Her book, Individuation for Adult Replacement Children: Ways of Coming into Being, is an exceptional guide to the replacement child condition.
Jan 02, 202129:57
Fran Dorf, acclaimed writer and psychotherapist talks about her resilience from grief

Fran Dorf, acclaimed writer and psychotherapist talks about her resilience from grief

Fran Dorf is a therapist (LCSW) and lifelong writer, most notably author of three acclaimed, internationally published novels, as well as plays, screenplays, articles, essays, and poetry. Fran’s novels include A Reasonable Madness (BirchLane 1990/Signet 1991), Flight (Dutton 1992/Signet 1993) and Saving Elijah (Putnam 2000).  Fran’s first novel, a psychological thriller about a psychiatrist and his possibly delusional patient, became a longtime bestseller in Germany under the title “Die Totdenkerin” which means “The Death Thinker.” In 2018/19 Fran co-wrote a screenplay adapting that novel for a German film producer, and she is co-developing a limited series television drama based on her third novel, Saving Elijah. As a therapist, Fran has a general private practice in psychotherapy, but specializes in bereavement, a subject with which she became intimately acquainted after the 1994 death of her three-year-old son Michael.  This loss changed her life in ways that are sweeping and profound.

Dec 28, 202042:44
A conversation with Rita Battat, co-author of Replacement Children, The Unconscious Script

A conversation with Rita Battat, co-author of Replacement Children, The Unconscious Script

Rita Battat answers the question of how being a replacement child affected her life and how writing her book has changed her feeling about it. We talk about commonalities for replacement children and discuss some famous replacement children like Elvis, Vincent Van Gogh, and Carl Jung. One way people deal with any kind of affliction is to find a community in order to understand more about themselves.
Dec 22, 202034:22