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Truly MentalAuthor: Joe & Jesse
This podcast has been created by Joe Smarro & Jesse Trevino and it is being provided by SolutionPoint, a national training and consulting firm that specializes in cultivating mental wellness to maximize human capital and promote safety. They are two combat veteran marines, who have been on a shared journey as best friends for the last 20 years. Joe and Jesse were both San Antonio Police officers for 15 and 10 years, respectively, and have started a training and consulting firm which is now their full-time endeavor. They have set out on a mission to change the culture of law enforcement in America by focusing on individual wellness. They hope to eradicate first responder suicide. Welcome to the podcast, please subscribe, share, and leave comments for them both. BeWell - Language: en-us Genres: Health & Fitness, Mental Health, Science, Social Sciences Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Your Brain Is Lying to You: Bipolar Disorder, Grief, and Hanging On with Alana Michaels
Episode 15
Tuesday, 22 September, 2026
In this episode we meet Alana Michaels, a storyteller, speaker, mother, and host of the podcast Hope: Hang On, Pain Ends, for an honest conversation about living with bipolar disorder. Alana shares what mania, depression, and suicidal thoughts actually feel like from the inside, and why learning to question your own mind can save your life.Connect with her:Â WebsiteInstagramHer podcastIn this episode:How the sudden loss of her father in December 2025, followed weeks later by her mother's near-fatal brain bleed, set off a "quiet hypomania" she didn't recognize until months laterWhy hypomania is so hard to spot when it's only "a couple notches up" from your normal personalityThe biggest misconceptions about bipolar disorder, including why it isn't moodiness or mood swings throughout the dayHer 2017 episode: 10 days without sleep, alone in a New York City hotel, convinced she was being filmed for a reality showHer one inpatient hospitalization, why it felt like a "safe haven," and how close she came to being sent homeHer darkest depression and the moment her father sat her down, begged her to see a new doctor, and helped save her lifeHow her 14-year-old son was one of the first to notice something was wrongThe shame that follows an episode, and how she has learned to find the good ideas that came out of those seasonsWhy "your brain can lie" is at the center of her messageWhat loved ones need to understand: bipolar disorder is an illness, and you can't positive-think it awayWhy person-first language matters: "Alana has bipolar disorder," not "Alana is bipolar"How faith and her father's memory changed her relationship with suicidal thinkingThe one sentence Alana would whisper to everyone suffering in silenceIf you are struggling:If you or someone you love is in crisis or having thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.Â
