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Opening the Window

Opening the Window

By: Mark Ashby
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About this listen

 For too long, too many families have battled mental illness behind closed doors, because the stigma against discussing it is too ingrained. In Opening the Window, one family talks frankly about how they continue to learn how to love and support each other through the challenges, in the hopes that listeners will understand that even if they're not ready to talk about it themselves, that they're not alone.Copyright 2025 Mark Ashby Hygiene & Healthy Living Psychology Psychology & Mental Health
Episodes
  • Episode 7: Episode 007 : "I Thought of My Brother"

    Episode 7: Episode 007 : "I Thought of My Brother"
    Jun 4 2022
    There is a growing epidemic of youth suicide in our culture, and everyone seems either to claim to have pinpointed the cause, or has no idea what to attribute it to.  The statistics of its rise are clear, however, so it's high time we started speaking our stories about suicide and suicidal ideation to try to bring those numbers down.  Mark's older son, Nathan -- who was diagnosed with bipolar type 2 as a teenager -- joins the program to talk about his battles with thoughts of ending his life as early as middle school, including how often those thoughts occurred, how two of his friends' deaths affected his own contemplation of mortality, and what ultimately stopped him from following through on his impulses. These are difficult conversations.  We need to have them, anyway. Content warning: suicide https://www.facebook.com/OpeningTheWindowPodcast/ https://www.instagram.com/openingthewindow/ Theme music: "Mistakes" by Adam Rabin : https://mailbox.bandcamp.com/ New Yorker article referenced in this episode: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/04/11/the-mystifying-rise-of-child-suicide
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    34 mins
  • Episode 6: Episode 006 : Bad Behavior ... or Mental Illness?

    Episode 6: Episode 006 : Bad Behavior ... or Mental Illness?
    Apr 22 2022
    He's made national news for his recent legal troubles, but for your host, the saga of character actor Eddie Deezen has a local component, as they're from more or less the same small western Maryland town.  Deezen's actions at dining establishments and private homes have gotten him arrested and have led many to either defend or scorn him.  At first, his behavior looked a lot like entitlement.  As events unfolded over the past year, it started to appear there was much more going on from a mental illness standpoint.  But is religion getting in the way of him seeking help?  And how can we tell when bad behavior is more than just that...that there's an underlying issue that needs to be addressed? There are no easy answers, but we'll try to unpack what's going on and apply it to a wider perspective on mental health, enabling, gossip, and consequences, not just for Deezen, but for ourselves. https://www.facebook.com/OpeningTheWindowPodcast/ https://www.instagram.com/openingthewindow/ Theme music: "Mistakes" by Adam Rabin : https://mailbox.bandcamp.com/
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    19 mins
  • Episode 5: Episode 005 : You Keep Using That Word...

    Episode 5: Episode 005 : You Keep Using That Word...
    Apr 7 2022
    "You keep using that word.  I do not think it means what you think it means."  -Inigo Montoya, "The Princess Bride" We're all guilty of speaking or writing before we think about the effect the words that casually leave our mouths or fingertips will have on others.  Have you ever considered that words like "manic" or "OCD" are thrown around in incorrect ways that make those who have mental illnesses feel slighted, diminished, or broken?  We could insist we don't mean anything by them, or we could rethink our own use of language so that we keep from minimizing the battles that our friends, family, or complete strangers fight with their mental health.  But does that make us "snowflakes" or "language police"? Here's why I think you should feel empowered to stand up for yourself and others when it comes to intentional or unintentional language-based microaggressions. https://www.facebook.com/OpeningTheWindowPodcast/ https://www.instagram.com/openingthewindow/ Theme music: "Mistakes" by Adam Rabin : https://mailbox.bandcamp.com/
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    14 mins

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