A Mental Health Check-In (with Stephanie Wittels Wachs and Gary Mendell)

Our mental health is getting beat up during this pandemic: anxiety, depression, substance abuse and suicidal ideation are all on the rise. Andy talks about it with two inspiring guests: Stephanie Wittels Wachs, the host of Last Day, and Gary Mendell, the founder of Shatterproof. Both have moving personal stories and are out to change how stigma, mental health, and addiction are talked – and thought – about. Helpful links if you need them in the show notes.  Keep up with Andy on Twitter @ASlavitt and Instagram @andyslavitt. Follow Stephanie Wittels Wachs on Twitter @wittelstephanie. Follow Gary Mendell on Twitter @gary_mendell.  In the Bubble is supported in part by listeners like you. Become a member, get exclusive bonus content, ask Andy questions, and get discounted merch at https://www.lemonadamedia.com/inthebubble/    Support the show by checking out our sponsors! Livinguard masks have the potential to deactivate COVID-19 based on the testing they have conducted from leading universities such as the University of Arizona and the Free University in Berlin, Germany. Go to shop.livinguard.com and use the code BUBBLE10 for 10% off. You can digitally purchase life insurance from Haven Life Insurance Agency at havenlife.com/bubble. Haven Term is a Term Life Insurance Policy (ICC17DTC) issued by Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual), Springfield, MA 01111 and offered exclusively through Haven Life Insurance Agency, LLC. Policy and rider form numbers and features may vary by state and not be available in all states. Our Agency license number in California is 0K71922 and in Arkansas, 100139527.   Check out these resources from today’s episode:  If you or someone you know is struggling emotionally or feeling hopeless, it’s important to talk to someone about it now. Contact one of the resources below for a free, confidential conversation with a trained counselor anytime.  National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 Crisis Text line: Text “Connect” to 741-741 The Trevor Project: 1-866-488-7386 You can find additional tips, tools and resources for taking care of your emotional health from the JED Foundation and the team at Last Day here: http://jedcares.org/lastday/.  Listen to Season 2 of Last Day: https://www.lemonadamedia.com/show/last-day/  Learn more about Gary’s work to end the stigma around addiction and his organization, Shatterproof, here: https://www.shatterproof.org/.  For help finding high quality addiction treatment, visit https://treatmentatlas.org/  Read the CDC’s report on rising rates of mental illness, substance use, and suicidal ideation during the COVID-19 pandemic: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6932a1.htm?s_cid=mm6932a1_w  Are you hoping to vote in the 2020 election? Are you confused about how to request an absentee ballot in your state? This website can help you with that: https://www.betterknowaballot.com/   Pre-order Andy’s book, Preventable: The Inside Story of How Leadership Failures, Politics, and Selfishness Doomed the U.S. Coronavirus Response, here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250770165    To follow along with a transcript and/or take notes for friends and family, go to www.lemonadamedia.com/show/in-the-bubble shortly after the air date. Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia. For additional resources, information, and a transcript of the episode, visit lemonadamedia.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.