Dr. Eric Bender

And we could try that.

I don't know that that's the best way to do it for you for these reasons.

So I think people can't come in with those questions.

I encourage you to bring them to your doctors, talking to your audience here, bring those questions to your doctors, but realize not everybody's gonna respond the same way.

Yes.

I think people can be influenced by other people.

So in that case, it could be a good thing.

If someone says, Hey, I've gotten some help and I'm feeling better.

Maybe someone else is willing to say, Oh, my friend did this.

So yeah, I'm going to go try to get some help.

So I think that can be good, whether it's contagious, maybe too strong of a word, but the fact that we can actually have people

say to each other i'm really struggling with depression i went to talk somebody it helped or i'm really struggling with anxiety and i don't know what to do and then maybe their friend that they're talking to you can say have you thought about talking to a professional or talking to somebody that might be able to really help you i really like when that happens i really hope that happens more do you think there needs to be a healthy balance between

The way I look at that is mental health is a part of who you are.

It's not everything.

It's a part of your story.

it doesn't have to define you.

So how do you understand your mental illness and how do you understand your mental health?

And what does talking to other people about it give you?

What are you trying to get?

I think that's one of the big things with patients is what are you hoping for?