It is Brain Injury Awareness Month so in this episode, our host Joe and our producer Felice are sharing facts about all types of brain injuries and conditions. They share the importance of non-brain injury survivors being aware of the signs of various brain conditions because oftentimes many injuries related to the brain can be avoided or healed when acted upon quickly. We didn’t get to talk about every single brain injury or condition in this episode so please let us know what we missed on our socials!

In this episode, Joe and Lauren are exploring how depression shows up in different ways for brain injury survivors. Depression much like a brain injury is an invisible illness that is hard for those not experiencing it to understand. Joe and Lauren both share their personal experiences with depression and how they have coped and managed it. Plus, they touch on therapy and processing grief. Do you or someone you love experience depression on a regular basis? Please let us know on our socials and how we can support you.

We’re celebrating Black history month by kicking off our first Amplify Black Voices episode of 2022! This is a series where our podcast highlights the stories of Black brain injury survivors. There is a major lack of representation in healthcare when it comes to educating and spreading awareness for BIPOC individuals so we want to shine a light on their stories. In this episode, Joe is chatting with Janai Burton, a Black stroke survivor originally from Louisiana. She shares her challenges dealing with the inequalities of the healthcare system as well as her recovery journey. If you are a Black brain injury survivor, please connect with us on our socials. We want to support you through your recovery journey!

What causes encephalitis and how does it affect the brain? World Encephalitis Day is February 22nd so in this episode, Joe speaks with brain injury survivor and encephalitis awareness advocate, Veronique Theberge (Vero for short). Vero teaches us more about encephalitis and her experience suffering from it as well as how she manages her aphasia. From Tiktoking to spread awareness to fundraising, Vero does it all! Do you know anyone who suffers from encephalitis? Please connect with us on our socials for support.

It’s that time of year when folks are thinking, talking and showing grand gestures of love – Valentine’s Day is coming. So our host, Joe is exploring a subject we haven’t talked too much about on past episodes – dating and romantic relationships post-brain injury. He’s chatting with fellow stroke survivor Octavia Burrell about all aspects of the dating journey and managing relationships post-brain injury.  They discuss timing, self-work, boundaries, family/friends plus the importance of dating yourself.  If you’re a brain injury survivor, what has been some challenges you’ve faced with relationships during recovery?  Please share with us on our socials!

We finally saw Spider-Man: No Way Home so Joe and Lauren are diving deep into the mental health themes laced throughout the movie. SPOILER ALERTS! They talk about villains and their dissociative episodes as well as processing trauma around loss. Plus, Joe and Lauren discuss the spectrum of “success” and “failure” in recovery. What are you favorite parts of this epic Spider-Man movie? Please share on our socials!

In this episode, our host Joe and his partner and our producer Felice talk about a very special dog that belonged to our good friends Jon and Patricia. She was key to Joe’s mental health during his first days home from the hospital following his stroke. This beautiful pup’s name was Boo and she just passed away last week. We’re dedicating this episode to Boo and talking about how animals are a huge support and comfort during times of stress and trauma, whether that be mental, physical, or both. Do you have a special animal that supports you through the ups and downs of life? Please share with us on our socials.

In this episode Joe is chatting with fellow stroke survivor and podcaster, Eryn Martin. They share how they both found support in the recovery through podcasting and how their journeys to becoming starting their own podcasts were very similar. Plus they talk about Eryn’s recovery, community and connecting with other survivors. If you are a brain injury survivor, how do you connect with community? Please share on our socials!

In this episode, our host Joe and co-host Lauren discuss the role of anger when dealing with trauma from the perspective of the Jedi and Sith in Star Wars. Going through any type of brain injury experience is traumatic mentally and physically so they explore coping mechanisms through Star Wars including anger as a path to healing and analysis of anger in Anakin. Plus they figure out that Lauren would be a Sith/Gray Jedi while Joe would be you’re standard regular Jedi. What kind of Jedi are you? Please share on our socials!

We’re kicking off the year with Dina Chon from TAAF – The AVM & Aneurysm Foundation! Our host Joe is chatting with Dina about TAAF’s advocacy and support for AVM and aneurysm survivors and their plans for 2022! Do you or a family member or friend have an AVM or aneurysm? Please share on our socials. We would love to support you!