Beyond Well With Sheila Hamilton

Researchers estimate as many as ten percent of people who contract Covid 19 do not make a quick recovery. Many of these Covid long haulers are still suffering months later with debilitating fatigue, brain fog, gastrointestinal illness and psychological disturbances. Christina Preston-Beard discusses how dramatically her life has been altered by COVID-19.

Families have adapted to Covid-19 whether they wanted to or not. Many remote workers who hated the isolation in the beginning would now prefer to work from home. Many children, who loathed the idea of staying home are now worried about going back to school. How do you prepare your family for the psychological flexibility needed for this next stage of Covid-19? Dr. Jim Polo is here to help.

Chris Colin is a reporter for the NYTimes the New Yorker, and Wired Magazine. His book OFF, The Day The Internet Died is a comical picture book about a day when all the screens went dark. We all dream about a life free of scrolling or tweeting, but Colin imagines what an analog world might actually look like and why our attachments to our screens has created a new kind of addiction and dependence.

Unemployment can be one of the greatest stressors in a person's life. Combined with a global pandemic and economic uncertainty, it's no wonder that a record number of Americans are reporting anxiety and toxic stress. Jenny Foss, the CEO of JobJenny talks about the steps we should take now to be job ready and the psychological framework it takes to survive unemployment.

Jarvis Sam is the Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion at Nike, one of the world's most respected and recognized brands. Sam talks about the racist attacks against Asian Americans, the four steps every company should take to actually integrate true diversity and inclusion into everyday values, and his own mental health practice for remaining optimistic, balanced, and passionate about changing the world.

This Beyond Well was created from our Chasing Chaos interview with Andrew Shayde, a fan favorite on the hit Discovery series, Naked and Afraid. Andrew came out as a gay man to his Baptist parents, traversed the wild ride of the Amazing Race and then decided to test himself even further by stripping down and enduring the African wild. The hardest part? Overcoming the fear, sleep deprivation and psychological distress of extreme conditions. Andrew's five steps for survival are genius.

We had such a phenomenal response to our video series, "Chasing Chaos," we are bringing you the conversation to our friends at Beyond Well. Courtenay Hameister is the author of Okay, Fine, Whatever, and the former host of Live Wire Radio. Courtenay spent one year challenging herself with the most frightening things she could think of in an attempt to confront her anxiety with hilarious and insightful results. Then, a pandemic hit, forcing everyone to examine their coping methods. 

Stephanie Thornton Plymale lived in a car with her mentally ill mother, became a ward of the state of California and an abused foster child, endured multiple car wrecks and physical traumas, and is one of the most optimistic, cheerful people I know. How do we bounce forward from trauma? How do we work with the anxiety and fear in our body that is created by trauma in order to understand and assimilate what happened to us? For Stephanie, it was investigating the onset of her mother's multiple personality disorder and realizing the extent of intergenerational trauma. American Daughter is above all, a book about hope.

Seasonal Affective Disorder is a mood disorder characterized by depression that occurs at the same time every year. Seasonal affective disorder occurs in climates where there is less sunlight at certain times of the year. Symptoms include fatigue, depression, hopelessness, and social withdrawal. Treatment includes light therapy (phototherapy), talk therapy, and medications.

Joy Scott is the CEO of Scott Public Relations and a lifelong spiritual leader. Scott's book, Magenta Nation, turns the reader's attention toward the disastrous political divide in the United States and offers a clear communications strategy toward unification. Scott's book was written before President Biden's inaugural speech on Unity, but the themes and suggestions are similarly urgent; we must learn to be able to disagree without hating one another. How do we begin? Listen in.

What if 2021 is the year you could really make the changes  in your life? Dr. Jim Polo talks about the steps that are  necessary to make resolutions effective, and whether  psychology behind procrastination.     

Margo Fowkes turned her enormous grief over the death of her son into a global force for healing. An extraordinary interview with a mother, entrepreneur and activist about the communal nature of grieving. 

Loneliness is now a major health crisis, as lethal as smoking fifteen cigarettes per day. Let us sing, paint, walk, read and connect our way out of loneliness and relearn the art of being alone. Dr. Jim Polo offers tips for combatting loneliness during quarantine. 

It is a time of great suffering for many people. Self-reported surveys suggest 2/3 of Americans are experiencing severe depression and anxiety. But, if you are a family member of someone who is suffering, talking about mental health issues is extraordinarily charged and potentially dangerous. Dr. Jim Polo walks us through best practices for helping someone who is hurting emotionally.

Cristina and Jamaal Lane founded three barbershops for black clients living in Portland, Oregon. Their conversations with thousands of people about what they needed to cultivate greatness led to the creation of Be Great University, a virtual community and learning platform for professionals who want to pivot professionally or increase their core business skills. Be Great University provides a step by step process for finding your inner purpose. 

More than half of all Americans are coping with quarantine stress, depression and anxiety.  Substance abuse and drug use has also increased and access to residential treatment centers is limited due to the spread of the pandemic. Dr. Jim Polo walks us through treatment options available during this time.

Researchers are scrambling to understand just how COVID-19 impacts the brain and what scientists can do to prevent long-term damage. Anxiety, depression, brain-fog, hallucinations, stroke and olfactory damage are all neurological symptoms now associated with Covid19. Dr. Jim Polo talks about potential treatment and outcomes available for people with neurological symptoms.

Steven Wolt is a recovered addict and entrepreneur who has studied what works in behavioral healthcare. As CEO of Veritus Solutions, Steven understands better than most the shame and stigma of seeking help for addiction. Wolt launched Veritus Solutions to provide recovery options for healthcare workers who are dealing with alcoholism, substance abuse, depression, or anxiety during Covid19.

If you've ever wished for a successful, empathetic human to describe anxiety accurately, meet Harris Goldberg. Harris is a writer, producer and director (Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo: The Master of Disguise), and his own film Numb, inspired by his experiences dealing with depersonalization disorder and ocd. Goldberg talks with Beyond Well about the origins of his anxiety and how Covid quarantine has forced him to stress test his coping mechanisms. 

Dr. Jim Polo talks about the disturbing increase in reported incidents of psychosis, a severe mental disorder in which though and emotions are so impaired that contact is lost with external reality. "In those who face a high risk for somebody developing a psychotic disorder, cannabis can act like a trigger."