In this episode, I have the great honor and pleasure to speak with Congressman Adam Smith, author of “Lost and Broken: My Journey Back from Chronic Pain and Crippling Anxiety” about his personal struggles and difficulties with mental health issues and various methods and approaches of dealing with them. Member of U.S. Congress Adam Smith went through longstanding struggles with chronic pain, anxiety, and depression, and he talks openly and candidly about how he felt and what he went through as well as how he eventually got better. There are different pathways for each and everyone to get better but at the same time, it is important to overcome obstacles including stigma and fears, one’s own and those of others. In fact, although medication can provide temporary relief of symptoms, it is often not a long-term solution as it does not address the core issues. This can be done via different forms of psychotherapy, which help you examine your life and the things that might be causing your anxiety or depression. Although we all suffer from stress and anxiety, it would help to shed light on why it is we feel so anxious by not only managing our feelings but also uncovering underlying issues including trauma, negative experiences, and guilt, which we tend to bury and ignore in our lives. Finally, we also discuss how anyone can benefit from being more honest with themselves, reducing feelings of guilt and shame alongside anger and constant worrying, and uncovering and processing the pain, fear, and grief we experience in our lives and that we should remind ourselves that we are all worthy of love and that we are not stuck and can indeed get better.

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

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