Listen to “#793 Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy on Profiles in Mental Health Courage” on Spreaker.
On this episode of The Small Business Radio Show…
Segment 1 with former Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy starts at 0:00
I have many times talked and written about my struggle with depression and anxiety over the past 40 years. How it affected me, my family and my businesses- and we have featured other people over the last 15 who have had the courage to combat a similar struggle which is all too common among entrepreneurs and small business owners.
Remembering that President John F. Kennedy, published his classic book Profiles in Courage, he hoped to inspire “political courage” by telling the stories of brave U.S. senators who changed America. In “Profile in Mental Health Courage”, Former congressman Patrick Kennedy adapts his uncle’s idea to showcase the acts of “mental health courage” that happen in private: what it takes for those living with mental illness and addiction to find care and treat their illnesses, and the risk they take telling their stories in a country without adequate mental health understanding, infrastructure, and care. Patrick Kennedy is one of the leading voices on mental illness while he was in Congress. Soon after the death of his father, Senator Ted Kennedy he left congress to devote himself to mental health Advocacy.
Here is what we discussed:
- Why the book is dedicated to “To those still suffering in silence”- why are so many Americans still after all these years, still suffering in silence?
- Patrick’s own struggles in 2015 with bipolar disorder and addiction.
- How did your relationship change with people once you disclosed this?
- Why do you the frame of courage for people struggling with mental illness?
- Why isn’t physical and mental illness seen as medically the same?
- When Simone Biles was at the Olympics and said she could not compete because of a mental health situation. In the book Patrick writes “all people wanted to know was why she couldn’t perform the way they wanted her to …”.
Segment 2 with Robert and Brian Moran starts at 14:12
We are continuing our discussion on the challenges of mental health. A year back, I listen to a podcast called: “I Didn’t Ask for This” where a father and son cover mental illness from all angles- primarily from their own experiences. I thought it would be perfect to have them on the show today. Brian Moran was the Executive Director of Sales Development at the Wall Street Journal where he oversaw the sales development and marketing programs for the financial and small business categories among the many Journal brands. Now of course he is a small business expert that runs Small Business Edge. Robert Moran is their marketing manager.
Here is what we discussed:
- What inspired you both to kick off this podcast so publicly since many people as we have heard suffer with mental illness in silence?
- What happened to Robert and how he and his family got through it the 13 hospitalizations and how he is doing today?
- Where did the Moran family find the courage to get through this?
- Why don’t we see physical and mental illness as the same?
