Mental Health Adjacent: Podcast All About Mental Health

Here at anamesa, mental health is sooo important to us! A few months back I was scrolling through Instagram, looking up different mental health niche accounts to follow. I was in search of additional information, education, support resources, anything really that was related to mental health. I was so excited when I stumbled upon @mh.adjacent , an Instagram account dedicated to discussing mental health. Excitingly, they even have a podcast all about mental health as well!

Once I found the account, I knew I had to reach out to whoever the caring soul behind it was to see if I could write about them and what they are doing. Having discussions about mental health and offering outward support is so amazing! I was elated when Sabby, the one behind @mentalhealthadjacent, agreed to answering interview questions for us. Read all the interview question and answers below, and make sure to give their podcast a listen!

What inspired you to start this account?

What inspired me to start the account and everything related to Mental Health Adjacent was my own experience being a supporter to someone that was struggling with their mental health. About a year and a half into my relationship with my former partner, who deals with anxiety and depression, I realized the constant need to be there for him had made it so I had pushed my own wellbeing, especially the mental and emotional one, completely in the back burner. I was getting to a state of burn out and it just wasn't a healthy relationship for me any longer. Doing some research, I was able to find very little resources on how you can look after yourself when supporting someone else. Most resources available were on what you could do for the other person, but nothing put the focus on how you can best support yourself and care for yourself as the healer. That's why I decided to create a platform that focuses on the needs of the carers, how they can look after their own wellbeing while they are trying to support someone close to them that is struggling.

How do you plan to utilize your podcast?

My hope for the podcast is that it will become a place of support, community and education for the supporters. My idea is to create a platform in which those that have loved ones struggling with mental health can come on and share their experiences. Because it's very easy when you're in that position to feel isolated, or that you have no one to speak to about your experience So one side of it is to allow the carers to have an outlet to share their stories. At the same time, I'm hoping that listening to others going through similar things will allow the supporters to not feel so alone. On the other hand, I'm also hoping to bring on professionals that will give tips and prompt the caregivers to look after their own wellbeing some more. I know it's very easy to let go of yourself when your mind is focused on making things better for someone you love. So it is my intention that by bringing on different type of experts, the supporters will be reminded of the importance of filling their own cup as well and will start taking measures to look after their own wellbeing, especially their mental and emotional wellbeing.

What information is shared on your podcast?

The main type of information shared on the podcast is experiences being on the supporter role for someone struggling with their mental health. Other than that, there are also some professionals that come on (both counselors/therapists and from some other fields) that share their own expertises. The focus is always on what the caregivers can do to best support themselves. Some of the tips shared include how to best approach tough conversations, how to put in place and uphold boundaries and how to differentiate between enabling and supporting actions.

Do you have a personal mental health story you would like to share?

My personal mental health story is much of what I already shared. I was in a relationship for three years with a guy that struggles with anxiety and depression. At first, it really took a toll on me to be there for him. I was only focusing on his well being, so I completely suppressed my own needs and emotions in the relationship. It became a very unhealthy thing for me, because there was no space for me. Everything was focused on the other person. I came to a place close to burnout, and that's when I started looking more into what I needed to do to take care of myself, while still supporting my partner. Firm boundaries, working on our communication and learning to not take things personally were all essential parts of me getting to a healthier place and slowly removing the resentment that had started to build inside me towards my partner.

What are your future plans personally, and in terms of the account/podcast?

My personal plans right now are a bit on hold, as I was planning to relocate but am having to stay where I am due to Covid. Other than that, I'm just hoping to be able to fully dedicate myself to something I'm passionate about. And Mental Health Adjacent is definitely part of that. I really have high hopes for it. I want it to be something that can help as many people as possible. So I really just want to get it out there and have people that need it listen to the episodes and find value in them. Eventually, I would love to grow this project as well. I definitely have a lot of big plans for it. Just have to kind of wait and see how it all develops.

Where do you get all the ideas for your posts and podcasts from?

It all comes from things I have struggled with personally, things the guests have struggled with or lived through and things I see other people in similar situations struggle with. These days, most of my posts are inspired by the podcast. As for each podcast episode, it is inspired by both the things I went through, what the guest has gone through, what their expertise is, and what I have seen some common struggles are.

What do you hope to see change in the future in terms of mental health?

I would love for us as a society to continue to dismantle the stigma. There needs to be more open communication about these topics. And we need to stop invalidating other people's experience when it comes to their mental health. We really need to make it ok for people to struggle and for people to talk about it. There needs to be more understanding. That's really my main hope for it, for us to continue breaking the stigma.

Any advice/tips on keeping up with your mental health?

Create space for yourself. Don't be too hard on yourself. Get curious about your thoughts, don't just believe everything negative your mind tells you about yourself. And reach out if you need help. There is nothing shameful in needing assistance, and it can really go a long way.

You can find them on Instagram: @mh.adjacent (their podcast is linked in their bio!)