Getting 2 Know U Pod

86: Michelle- Schizophrenic.nyc Creator, Free Lance Web Designer, Former College Lacrosse Player, One Time Sleep Away Camp Counselor, Life Guard for Life

Michelle shares stories about the challenges of being socially outgoing while dealing with Schizophrenia, getting the cops called on her in college for cutting herself and subsequently getting beat down, feeling like she deserved to feel pain and started cutting herself   (3:11), going to school to be a graphic designer, difficulties keeping a job, being an artist as a way to cope with her anxiety, summer camp counseling at a sleep away camp during the summer  (32:04), living in NYC during COVID, smoking weed and how it helps her mental health, making money as a paid audience member (1:09:31), making her own brand b/c she was sick of having a secret and working for others, playing college lacrosse and hating being the low defender, being bored in school as a kid (1:39:52), dealing with mean and super intrusive thoughts as a teen and young adult b/c of her schizophrenia, not wanting to regularly take her meds until her college lacrosse coach intervened, and her “Best 1st for Last” 1st time racing up the Empire State Building stairs (2:13:58)

To Get 2 Know more about Michelle or get some of her clothing and merch, check out her website https://www.schizophrenic.nyc/

86-Michelle (Short Story) Crisis Call Beatdown

Michelle shares a short story about an internet troll leaving nasty comments when she shared the story of a cop beating her down during a crisis call while in college when it was reported that she had cut herself. 

To Get 2 Know more about Michelle or get some of her clothing and merch, check out her website https://www.schizophrenic.nyc/

85-Melanie: Retired Police Officer, Mental Health Advocate, Overcoming PTSI (the I is not a typo), Loves her Wife, Kids, and Family, Softball Star

Melanie shares stories about how she got into law enforcement, the importance of making mental health a priority for officers, the impact of her Field Training Officers on her career and perspective, being trained on controlling situations and leadership (3:08), making stops for stats and how those “performance quotas” help your chances of being promoted, mentally checking out b/c of the mental stress of the job, the institutional stigma behind expressing your trauma, being fired for her mental trauma and fighting to get her job back, nearly committing suicide because of the mental stress and lack of support from her department, her PTSD affecting her home life with her family (47:05), finally finding a support group by going to West Coast Post Trauma Retreat and getting to a better mental place, thinking of her mental health as an injury not a disability, systematic change to police training, why she became a cop (1:47:46),  “Best 1st for Last” 1st time playing in the police softball olympics and medaling, “ENCORE Appearance” more details about her dealing with her PTSD and trying to understand what the right kind of help was for her  (2:31:40), what would make a good counselor for cops, possibly getting in police counseling herself, coming home on Thanksgiving day and breaking down about her shame of being scared during a call  (3:38:37)

 

To Get 2 Know more about Melanie... check out her instagram @mikeska56 or Twitter @melaniemikeska She can also be contacted through email deputyjo @ msn . com

WCPR West Coast Post Trauma Retreat is the retreat she credits for saving her life https://www.frsn.org/west-coast-post-trauma-retreat.html

Fire Fighter Deconstructed is another great resource for those who have and are serving that are dealing with mental health

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-firefighter-deconstructed/id1500483348

Melanie wanted to make sure listeners know she's always here to lift you up and lend an ear, just reach out to her.

Follow the Getting 2 Know U Pod on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook 

Help the Getting 2 Know U Pod upgrade our recording and sound equipment through our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/getting2knowupod

 

85-Melanie (Short Story) I Was Angry as F#$%!

Melanie shares a short story about losing her job as a police officer and having to fight for 3 years to be reinstated all while dealing with her own PTSD

Subscribe to the Getting 2 Know U Pod to get her full episode when it’s released tomorrow.

To Get 2 Know more about Melanie... check out her instagram @mikeska56 or Twitter @melaniemikeska She can also be contacted through email deputyjo @ msn . com

WCPR West Coast Post Trauma Retreat is the retreat she credits for saving her life https://www.frsn.org/west-coast-post-trauma-retreat.html

Fire Fighter Deconstructed is another great resource for those who have and are serving that are dealing with mental health

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-firefighter-deconstructed/id1500483348

Melanie wanted to make sure listeners know she's always here to life you up and lend an ear, just reach out to her.

84-Xackery: Director of Nothing Without You and Chain Gang, NYU Grad, Vegetarian, Hardest Name to Spell Correctly on the Entire Planet

Xackery shares stories about television producing being his bread and butter, COVID’s effect on film workers, his 1st paying job with Trauma Life in ER, getting people to open up and share their stories, relationship between actors and directors (3:40), learning about shooting films at NYU, differences in USC and NYU for film students, measuring/defining the success of a film, showing at film festivals, why he put his movies on Amazon Prime,  (41:12), artists building a platform for their projects, watching others watch his films, writing and directing Nothing Without You and The Fugitives’ influence on his film, why most people don’t have a favorite film (1:35:19), the challenges of directing a movie and being the director of photography, how he became a vegetarian b/c of a girl on a plane, and his “Best 1st for Last” 1st time he called into a radio show  and made an absolute fool of himself thanks to his brother (2:11:25)

To Get 2 Know More about Xackery check out his films and IG/Twitter

Nothing Without You

https://amzn.to/3bPDV0E

American Chain Gang

http://amzn.to/2g8hVGN

Instagram/Twitter @XackeryIrving 

Follow the Getting 2 Know U Pod on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook 

Help the Getting 2 Know U Pod upgrade our recording and sound equipment through our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/getting2knowupod

84-Xackery (Short Story) What’s True Here?

Xackery shares a short story about his time at NYU learning about shooting films and the ways to tell a story through directing.

Xackery’s full pod will be out tomorrow. Be sure to subscribe to the Getting 2 Know U Pod to get it.

To Get 2 Know More about Xackery check out his films and IG/Twitter

Nothing Without You

https://amzn.to/3bPDV0E

American Chain Gang

http://amzn.to/2g8hVGN

Instagram/Twitter @XackeryIrving 

83-Olesya: Founder of Slow Fashion Bus, UpCycler, Mom of 2, Teacher, Believer in Sustainable Fashion, Pretty Darn Creative and Crafty

Olesya share stories about life in Dubai during her early 20’s, 70% of donated clothing in the UK being sold in 2nd hand markets as fast fashion and the sustainability issues that come along with that, environmental cost of cheap clothing (2:57), teaching sewing classes for UpCycling older clothing, leaving corporate companies b/c of a mini-mental breakdown, creating her Up-Cycling fashion business, expanding her sewing skills through self-teaching (31:42), COVID’s impact on mom life and schools, psychological impact of wearing a mask on people, and her “Best 1st for Last” 1st time feeling that she inspired a young girl to embrace sewing   (1:22:48)

To find out more about Olesya, check out her website https://slowfashionbus.co.uk/

Follow the Getting 2 Know U Pod on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook 

Help the Getting 2 Know U Pod upgrade our recording and sound equipment through our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/getting2knowupod

83-Olesya (Short Story) It’s Never Really Thrown Away

Olesya shares a short story about the impact of cheap clothing and over buying on the environment and 3rd world countries, as well as the mental wellness benefits fo sewing.

Olesya’s full pod will be out tomorrow. Be sure to subscribe to the Getting 2 Know U Pod to not miss it.

To Get 2 Know more about Olesya go to her website https://slowfashionbus.co.uk/

82-Cassie: Ultra Marathon Runner, Naked and Afraid Particpant, Spanish Olive Farm Owner, Support Puppy Lover, Vegetarian, Scarred Fire Dancer

Cassie shares stories about being deported from Bulgaria back to the USA b/c of COVID, why she has a emotional support dog, how she and her partner wound up in Bulgaria and what it’s like to live there  (4:02), owning an Olive Farm in Spain and fixing it up, tips on purchasing discount farms in other countries (42:54),  becoming an Ultra Marathon Runner, running 122 miles straight in the Himalayas, her training and diet for running, what she does while running so far and the importance of her mindset in training  (1:15:09), going on Naked and Afraid with a partner who hates blondes, going 6 days without fire in Canada, hunting for food, obsessing over food and losing 20 pounds during the experience  (2:06:25) “Best 1st for Last” 1st time spinning fire in Hawaii after a couple drinks (2:51:24)

You can follow Cassie on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/run_like_hell/

Follow the Getting 2 Know U Pod on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook 

Help the Getting 2 Know U Pod upgrade our recording and sound equipment through our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/getting2knowupod

 

82-Cassie (Short Story) 2 Days in an Airport Jail

Cassie shares a short story about being deported from Bulgaria back to the USA b/c of the COVID outbreak where the experience included 2 days in an airport jail with her partner and dog, Spain rejecting them and spending 6 months in the states going from hotel to hotel.

Her full pod will be out tomorrow, so be sure to subscribe to the Getting 2 Know U Pod and not miss it.

You can follow Cassie on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/run_like_hell/