Giving Voice to Depression: Real Stories & Expert Support for Depression and Mental Health

Episodes

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  Part 2: How to Stay Productive with Depression: 5 Practical Strategies for Work and Burnout 18.08.2026 12m

  When depression affects your concentration, confidence, or energy, staying productive can feel like a constant battle with yourself. But working harder is not always the answer. In the second half of this practical conversation, Terry and Bridget continue speaking with writer Sarah Fielding, author of the Healthline article, “Nine Ways to Motivate Yourself to Work When You’re Struggling Mentally.” Sarah shares five additional strategies for navigating work while living with depression, anxiet...
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  Part 1: How to Get Things Done When You're Depressed: Overcoming Lack of Motivation and Getting Started 11.08.2026 16m

  When depression steals your motivation, even the smallest task can feel impossible. Getting out of bed. Answering an email. Folding laundry. Starting a work project. From the outside, it may look like procrastination or laziness. From the inside, it can feel like trying to move through wet concrete. In this practical episode, Terry and Bridget welcome writer Sarah Fielding, whose article on staying motivated while struggling with mental health inspired a conversation full of realistic, compas...
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  How to Ask for Help with Depression: Finding Support, Therapy, and Hope 04.08.2026 18m

  Hundreds of thousands of people know Shannon for making them laugh. Her videos have gone viral. Her social media is full of humor, energy, and outrageous comedy. What most people didn't see was that behind the camera, she was learning one of the hardest lessons of her life: she couldn't heal from depression alone. In Part 2 of Shannon's story, she shares the biggest changes she's made since seeking treatment—and why asking for help became one of the most powerful tools in her recovery. She ta...
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  Complex PTSD Recovery: From Suicidal Thoughts to Healing, Hope, and Self-Worth 30.07.2026 26m

  Nearly a decade ago, Davey shared one of the darkest depression stories we've ever featured on Giving Voice to Depression. He was living with relentless depression, frequent suicidal thoughts, and believed he simply couldn't do life anymore. Today, he comes back with a very different story. After years of searching for answers, one conversation with a physician led to a diagnosis of Complex PTSD (CPTSD)—a discovery that completely changed how he understood his depression, his childhood, and, ...
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  How to Cope with Depression: Daily Routines, Medication, and the Healing Power of Humor 28.07.2026 21m

  Instagram creator ShannyPants has built a community of hundreds of thousands of followers by making people laugh. But while millions of people saw the funny videos, very few knew she was quietly living with depression. In this episode, Shannon shares what depression really looked like behind the scenes, why she finally sought treatment, how antidepressants and therapy changed her life, and why humor became one of the tools that helped her heal. In today's podcast episode, you'll hear about: &...
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  Healing from Childhood Trauma: Understanding Complex PTSD, Depression, and Self-Worth 21.07.2026 26m

  For years, Davey believed he had depression. What he didn't know was why. After nearly a decade of living with severe depression—including years of suicidal thoughts—a conversation with a physician changed everything. Within minutes of hearing Davey's childhood story, the doctor wrote two words on a piece of paper: Complex PTSD (CPTSD). That diagnosis became the beginning of a completely different healing journey. In this follow-up episode—nearly ten years after his first appearance on Giving...
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  How to Cope with Depression: Small Steps, Daily Tools, and Hope That Lasts 14.07.2026 26m

  What do you do when depression makes even getting out of bed feel impossible? Davey knows that battle firsthand. After years of pushing through exhaustion and believing something was physically wrong, he was eventually diagnosed with major depressive disorder. What followed wasn't a quick recovery—it was a daily commitment to learning everything he could about depression and building a toolbox of coping strategies. In this deeply practical conversation, Davey shares the lessons that have help...
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  Living With Depression: 10 Lessons About Stigma, Therapy, Medication, and Finding Hope 07.07.2026 16m

  Why do so many people wait years before asking for help with depression? For award-winning television journalist Ted Perry, the answer was simple: stigma. In this candid conversation, Ted shares why he kept his depression hidden for years, how grief after his father's death intensified his symptoms, and why finally accepting therapy and antidepressant medication changed his life. He also reflects on the relationships depression affected, the shame that kept him silent, and the hope that ultim...
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  How to Help Someone with Depression: What Actually Helps (and What Makes It Worse) 30.06.2026 17m

  How do you help someone with depression when they believe they're a burden? Pam knows that feeling all too well. After years of suppressing depression, childhood trauma, and overwhelming life stress, she experienced a severe depressive episode that lasted more than three years. During that time, she was hospitalized four times, survived a suicide attempt, and struggled to believe she would ever experience joy again. Today, Pam shares not only how she recovered, but what family members, friend...
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  EFT Tapping for Depression: A Self-Help Technique for Stress, Anxiety, and Emotional Relief 23.06.2026 20m

  What if there were a free, portable tool you could use almost anywhere to help reduce stress and emotional overwhelm? In this episode, Terry and Bridget explore Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) — commonly known as tapping — with EFT expert Brad Yates. Tapping combines gentle stimulation of acupressure points with focused attention on thoughts and emotions. Supporters of the technique describe it as a way to calm the body's stress response while creating space for emotional healing. Brad expl...
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  Father's Day Special: When Dad Has Depression — Helping Children Understand Mental Health 16.06.2026 19m

  How do you explain depression to a child? For Todd Rennebohm, that question became deeply personal. After years of living with depression, anxiety, ADHD, alcoholism, suicidal thoughts, and multiple hospitalizations, Todd found himself facing one of the darkest nights of his life. What began as a desperate attempt to leave something behind for his children eventually became Sometimes Daddy Cries, a children's book designed to help families talk openly about mental health. In this Father's Day ...
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  Suicidal Thoughts vs. Suicide Planning: How to Understand and Manage Daily Ideation 09.06.2026 19m

  What does it mean to live with suicidal thoughts — and not be actively suicidal? In this powerful episode, Wally shares what it’s like to experience daily suicide ideation while actively managing their mental health. With the increased visibility of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, conversations about suicide are more public than ever. But there’s often confusion: Does having suicidal thoughts automatically mean someone is suicidal? As this episode explains, suicide ideation exists on a...
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  Reasons We Deny Our Depression: High-Functioning Depression and the Signs We Miss 02.06.2026 24m

  Can you be depressed and not even realize it? Psychologist, author, and TEDx speaker Dr. Margaret Rutherford joins us to explore a powerful and often overlooked topic: high-functioning and perfectly hidden depression. In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, we unpack why so many people deny their depression — even to themselves. Dr. Margaret explains the difference between: Classic depression (observable changes in mood and behavior) High-functioning depression (still produc...
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  High-Functioning Depression and Denial: Signs You’re Depressed But Don’t Know It 26.05.2026 20m

  Can you be depressed and not even realize it? Psychologist, author, and TEDx speaker Dr. Margaret Rutherford joins us to explore a powerful and often overlooked topic: high-functioning and perfectly hidden depression. In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, we unpack why so many people deny their depression — even to themselves. Dr. Margaret explains the difference between: Classic depression (observable changes in mood and behavior) High-functioning depression (still produc...
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  How Talking About Depression Reduces Stigma and Helps People Feel Less Alone 19.05.2026 17m

  What happens when people speak openly about depression? In this Ripple Report episode, we hear how honest conversations about mental health create real-world change — from classrooms to hotlines to theater stages. A New York theater director shares how listening to personal stories of depression helped her manage anxiety during a major life transition. She describes how having voices in her ear “held her hand” during a difficult travel day and prevented her from spiraling. Her theater ensembl...
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  How to Manage Depression and Bipolar Disorder: CBT Tools, Relapse Prevention, and Support Strategies 12.05.2026 12m

  What does a bipolar depressive episode actually feel like? In this early archive episode, 28-year-old Brooklyn artist Ben shares candidly about living with bipolar disorder and depression — including what happens when medication changes trigger a rough patch. Ben describes: What a “code level orange or red” depressive episode looks like The emotional contradictions of depression (lonely but avoiding people, hungry but not eating) Why changing medications can tempor...
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  Depression Help That Works: Suicidal Thoughts, 988 Crisis Support, Therapy, and Antidepressants Explained 05.05.2026 52m

  Depression isn’t laziness. It isn’t weakness. And it’s not just sadness. In this powerful and deeply honest conversation, licensed therapist and suicide attempt survivor Aja Chavez joins Terry McGuire to unpack what depression really looks like — including the intrusive, convincing lies it tells us. They explore: How to recognize depression in yourself or someone you love Why suicidal thoughts are symptoms — not truths When and how to call 988 (and what actually ha...
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  Am I Depressed? Signs, Symptoms, and High-Functioning Depression Explained 28.04.2026 52m

  What does depression actually feel like? In this special crossover episode with Recoverable, Terry interviews licensed therapist and suicide attempt survivor Aja Chavez about what depression really looks like — beyond the stereotypes. They discuss: Why depression doesn’t always look like sadness The difference between laziness and clinical depression What high-functioning depression is (and why it can be dangerous) Early warning signs to watch for &...
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  How to Help a Partner with Depression: Real Relationship Advice That Works 21.04.2026 15m

  What do you do when someone you love has depression — and you don’t? In this episode, Chris shares her experience living with depression since middle school, while her boyfriend Chris offers an honest look at what it’s like to support someone through depressive episodes without having depression himself. They discuss: The impact of stigma on seeking help Why many people hide depression from employers and even doctors The difference between sadness and clinical depr...
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  Hidden Depression and the Mask We Wear: Signs, Stigma, and How to Get Help 14.04.2026 18m

  What is hidden or "smiling" depression? It’s showing up to work, cracking jokes, caring for your family — while a loop in your mind repeats, “I want to die.” In this episode, Andrew shares his experience with high-functioning depression and the exhausting mask he wore for decades before receiving a formal diagnosis. For twenty years, he knew something was wrong — but didn’t seek professional help until suicidal thoughts became harder to ignore. He describes “The Mask” as both savior and enemy...