Voiced Vulnerabilities

On today's episode, I have Diego on the pod where we talk about being highly sensitive in this world. I really enjoyed this sit-down conversation and felt a deep appreciation for our emotions and abilities to express them. Tune into our discussion about how overwhelming being highly sensitive can be, but also how it could lead us to creating art for ourselves and the world.

MAIN POINTS & Time stamps:

4:25: Hypersensitivity, what is it?

15:53: Translating hypersensitivity into art 

18:50: Translating & labelling emotions through art 

25:12: Being in tune with emotions & the consequences of suppressing them

31:40: Burying a version of Diego Leon? Belonging, moving overseas, finding yourself. 

38:30: The concept of freedom. 

References:

Book: The Highly Sensitive Person by Elaine Aron

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Starts at 01:07

Writing is a way for me to capture and express emotions, and I thought I'd start incorporating it into the pod. Melancholia has always been something fascinating to me, how it shows in colors and in different motions. Hope you enjoy this short written piece & let me know how YOU feel melancholia. Take care

Photo creds: @messageofeka (Instagram)

Transcript:

It's autumn, but life doesn't emanate the warm colors of the golden leaves. Recently, it's been teal. A cold blue, but not rigid, a bit softer--what you see in the night streets from the reflection in old kiosks. Growing up, it used to be gray; but the grayness has slowly peeled its layers to reveal a teal.

It doesn't take away the colors, the hues; but it leaves a tint on everything. As I'm walking back home, I'm deeply aware of this tint. Call it melancholia, call it numbness. It's what keeps us in bed, what produces the dissonance between us and life's joys, what keeps us as passive bystanders.

But to me, this melancholia, this teal, is comforting, familiar even. It provides a cold warmth. I know it doesn't serve a practical purpose anymore, but I genuinely don't know how to live without its familiarity.

But I'm doing my best to not let it dictate everything, to over-consume me. How much space do I give it? How much is too much and how much is too little? I know I can provide space for new experiences and feelings; but sometimes, this tint can't be simply shedded. It doesn't simply just disappear.

I'm still learning how to coexist with this (teal). I'm still finding the balance. But tonight, I know that I can still navigate my way home with these teal-tinted glasses.

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Content warning: trauma, PTSD, C-PTSD, sexual assault

On today's podcast, I have Anna sharing her experiences with trauma and trauma symptoms. We talk all things with trauma being in the body, building a safe environment, juggling responsibilities, and the struggles of being heard. Plus: are our mental health struggles all in our head? Is healing linear? How can we better support those who struggle with trauma?

Thanks for listening in to our vulnerability talk and make sure to take care of your mental health today

Time-stamps-

04:15 Anna's experience with trauma & peritraumatic tonic immobility

08:50 Trauma in the body & triggers

18:00 Building a safe environment after trauma

24:05 Dealing with trauma and life (student) responsibilities

35:47 Support networks & reaching out to others

41:25 Are my struggles all in my head?

46:15 Anna's wish for support

**I am not a licensed therapist or clinical psychologist. All mentioned is from research and personal experiences. If you need formal advise, please seek a professional. Additionally, all topics discussed have been previously agreed with the guests.

References:

The Body Keeps The Score- Bessel van der Kolk- Van der Kolk, B. A. (2014). The body keeps the score: Brain, mind, and body in the healing of trauma. Viking.

Trauma in the Body- Herringa, R.J. Trauma, PTSD, and the Developing Brain. Curr Psychiatry Rep 19, 69 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-017-0825-3

DSM-5 Criteria- American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. 5th ed. Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Association; 2013.

Further resources:

Introduction to peritraumatic-tonic immobility: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26701284/

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Big thanks to Yashni, Neil, and Asiya for the making of the theme song; I absolutely adore you guys. And big thanks and credits to D3AF for the mixing and mastering! Special thanks to Neil for helping with the recording of the episode.

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When do you know it's time to make a change? What factors should you consider when moving countries?

In this episode, Mara and I talk about our process of deciding to move countries. We talk about following our gut-instinct, navigating through other’s opinions, dealing with the stress of moving, and finding peace in the right places.

If you are at any point considering a life change or have already decided to, we hope this episode can help you feel less alone.

Either DM us on Instagram or email us at voicedvulnerabilities@gmail.com if you want to be featured in one of our episodes!

On this episode, get to know our teammate, Kinga. We talk about being in tune with our bodies, dealing with panic attacks, and much more. Give it a listen if you want to know more!

What happens after mental health recovery, when your symptoms have significantly decreased over the past few years/months? There are many advantages and achievements to celebrate, yet no one talks about the in between period bridging recovery and normal life. On this episode, I talk about my experience with this weird, empty, maybe even difficult phase after recovery. 

Instagram: @voiced_vulnerabilities

Trigger warning: this episode contains content about suicide, suicidal attempts, and suicidal ideation. For those who think this would be a trigger to them, we advice you to click away. We also want you to know that we are not professionals, and everything stems from our personal experience; what we share are our personal opinions. If you want professional advice, please seek professional help.

On this episode, my teammates and I cover a sensitive yet important topic: suicide. What takes a person to come to that point? What are the factors for a university student to become suicidal? We also cover questions such as: what are the things to not say to a suicidal person and how should we support someone who is suicidal?

Hotlines:

- The Netherlands

• suicide hotline: 113
• emergency hotline: 112
• 24/7 service: 088 0767 000
• for crisis operators, seek your GP

- United States

• suicide hotline: 1-800-273-8255

- UK

In today's episode, Sebastian and Laura (his coworker) discuss about the struggles of balancing work, school, and mental health. They talk about  burnout, being vulnerable to employers about your mental health, and how people should open up more about the topic.

Thank you so much for tuning in. If you ever want to be a guest on  the podcast, DM us on Instagram (@voiced_vulnerabilities) or send us an  email (voicedvulnerabilities@gmail.com).

It's been awhile since I've uploaded on this podcast. After a long break, I'm excited to say that I'm back and this time with a new team! We will be producing more vulnerable and in-depth content and also be more active on our social media (instagram: @voiced_vulnerabilities). I wanted to talk about these new updates and also briefly touch on the topic of setting boundaries for yourself.

If you ever want to be a guest, please reach out to either my email (voicedvulnerabilites@gmail.com) or DM me on instagram (@voiced_vulnerabilities).

You can hear my previous episodes on Spotify, Apple podcast, and Anchor.

On this episode, mental health advocate and social media influencer Maddi talks about her experience with anxiety and OCD. We talk about the stigma around taking medication, the misconceptions about anxiety and OCD, and the ways we could utilize the internet and social media to feel less alone in our mental health struggles. Thank you so much for your support and go follow Maddi on instagram @madisonleonardo_.

Follow my instagram @voiced_vulnerabilities for any updates or extra content. 

On this week's vulnerability talk, Craig Randall (Literature teacher and a good friend of mine) talks about his journey with his anxiety and depression, taking medication and getting off on it, and most important of all, his experience with hope. Listen to see how hope has helped him in his journey and how he views hope in different way from what the mass media shows. Hope you enjoy part 1 and stay tuned for part 2 next week to see what Craig's definition of hope is.

Follow me on Instagram for updates: @voiced_vulnerabilities

On this episode, I share my top four podcasts to listen to. I have a good mixture of education, fun, calm, and wisdom. Hope you enjoy this short bonus episode and check out any of the podcasts below! 

On this episode, Julia (UvA student) opens up about her mental health struggles with persistent depressive disorder starting from high school. We also talk about the process of getting help and share some of our experiences in getting the right therapist.

*Trigger Warning: this episode contains details about diet, weight, and eating disorders.

On this podcast episode, host of Curious Mind In Progress, Louiza, and I talk about the dangers of diet culture, how it affects young girls, body image, and causes body dysmorphia. Later on, we have one of the most vulnerable talks here on Voiced Vulnerabilities about our personal struggles with an eating disorder/eating disorders.

Timeline:

• Diet culture, body image, body dysmorphia: 01:20
• Louiza's ED story: 14:10
• My ED story: 24:48

Mentioned:

In this podcast episode, I open up about my self-care routine; and how they personally help me with my mental health. I also talk about overdoing self-care routines, making sure to keep boundaries and good intentions, and not letting your "success" in self-care define you. Hope you enjoy. :)

Youtube channels I enjoy:

In celebration of Valentine's last week, I wanted to talk about relationship anxiety and attachment styles! Do you ever feel anxious in a relationship or even friendship? Do you want to know what attachment style you have? Hope you had a lovely valentine's and enjoy this episode!

References:

- Social Psychology 4th Edition by Eliot R. Smith

This episode I have a special guest, Mae Callie, who started a mental charity called Let's Break the Shame. We talk about her charity, the benefits of the internet, and opening up about mental health.Hope you enjoy this episode and a big thanks to our guest Mae Callie and also Daan Dijkshoorn for editing this video.

On this second podcast, guest Sebastian Alvino and I discuss about being  international students struggling with mental health. We talk about  being independent, loneliness, how to reach out, and how to utilize the  healthcare system in the country and university.
If you have any questions, requests, or want to be featured as a guest, please email me  at voicedvulnerabilities@gmail.com or through my social media.  

Mentioned by Sebastian:  A Noonday Demon by Andrew Solomon, Tuesday's with Morrie by Mitch Albom, and Mac Miller's Album "Circles"  

Audio edited by Daan Dijkshoorn  

Instagram: @voiced_vulnerabilities