danny lopriore

enNovember 02, 2022

Being Selfish with Your Mental Health

On this episode of Off The Cuff I wanted to take some time to update you all on my life, and what has been going on with me mentally. I think it’s so important to always check-in with yourself, so that’s what I did this week and I recommend that you all do the same.

Recently I have been pushing myself to get outside more, whether that’s walking instead of taking an Uber, taking my dogs on an extra long walk, exercising more. I have been really focusing on little goals, which has been extremely helpful for my mental and physical health.

“Little goals are the things that lead to big goals. And by that I mean little stuff like brushing my teeth in the morning, washing my face in the morning, trying to make my bed, taking the dogs for an extended walk in the morning. Just things that are going to help me in the sense of, I can go past my limits if I need to.” - Danny LoPriore (2:22)

Our minds are very powerful things, you can actually trick your mind into having a positive or negative outlook. When I was first diagnosed with bi-polar, I didn’t see the silver lining, all I saw was how my life would change for the worse. The truth is, I couldn’t have been more wrong.

"Especially me with my bipolar diagnosis, is that I have a lifelong battle. I used to look at that as a horrible thing, but now I really look at it as something that I am going to embrace and be happy to be a part of." - Danny LoPriore (6:35)

Remember, always be selfish with your mental health and your time. The only person you owe anything to is yourself. PEACE!

In This Episode

(1:45) Danny pushing himself to get outside more
(3:05) The benefits of exposure therapy
(4:02) The physical effects of panic attacks
(5:59) Home anxiety vs public anxiety
(6:37) Danny’s lifelong battle with bipolar
(6:59) Tricking your mind into being in a negative or positive mindset
(11:25) What happened when Danny finally decided to get better
(14:30) The importance of the Off the Cuff Community
(16:35) Trying to make a drastic change in your life in the next week
(18:51) Our lives can only get better when we help ourselves
(20:20) Being selfish with your time and who you surround yourself with

Resources & Links

Off The Cuff

enOctober 26, 2022

Fostering Mental Health Through Action with Michael Unbroken

On this week’s episode of Off The Cuff with Danny LoPriore, I’m joined by entrepreneur, author, speaker, and mental health advocate Michael Unbroken to discuss trauma and abuse in his childhood and how those experiences informed his journey, businesses, and current mission to help others foster their own confidence and well-being.

As he dives into his background as a biracial child raised in the mormon church, Michael touches on the reality of the abuse he sustained at the hands of his family members and the realization he came to as an adult.

“I had this recollection, or this experience – recollection is the wrong word – and I had this moment of reconciliation where I was like, ‘Oh I get it actually,’ which is a really crazy thing to say because how could you “get” a grown up beating up a child. But that’s because I look at who his mother was, my step grandma, and she was arguably – and I hate to say it but it’s true – she was arguably the worst person I ever met in my life. And you look at that and you go ‘OK, this is what generational trauma is.” - Michael (10:23)

Michael’s journey to unpack his childhood led him through various seasons, some filled with success and others great challenges. As a young adult only equipped with a high school diploma, he made his way to a Fortune 10 company where he learned difficult lessons about what it really means to prioritize your mental health through action and how to ultimately close the gap between where you are and where you want to be.

“The answer to everything in life is action. People are like ‘I hate my relationship’ – well, leave it or make it better… And that’s the thing about all of this – the healing journey, the physical journey, the mental journey, the spiritual journey; do it, man… You’ve got to go and put yourself in the situation.” - Michael (36:05)

Through Michael’s winding journey, he’s found that mental health requires commitment from everyone. Michael suggests that you work through that fear and begin new actions TODAY to grow as an individual.

“Where you are today versus where you want to be tomorrow – there is a gap. And every single day, the mission is to close that gap until you become that version of you.” - Michael (38:57)

In This Episode

(01:36) - Michael’s background as a biracial child living in poverty, growing up in the mormon church, and living with abusive parents
(03:37)- The church’s role in his life as a child
(06:42) - The way he perceived his biological father and how his stepfather treated him and his siblings
(15:34) - Mental health on the internet – what helps and what hurts
(24:13) - Money trauma and the financial lessons Michael learned in his 20s
(33:10) - Michael’s minimalist lifestyle and how it affects his mental health
(36:05) - The importance of action in your own journey
(45:19) - How people living in lower income and impoverished areas can invest in their mental health
(53:23) - Michael’s thoughts on happiness

Our Guest

Michael Unbroken is an author, coach, speaker, entrepreneur, and mental health advocate for those who have survived abuse. With a high school diploma and a mountain of determination, Michael has built coaching programs, written a book, designed courses, and more to help survivors work through their trauma, build their confidence, and invest in their lives.

He is passionate about helping people foster healthy actions and is committed to using his platform as a mental health influencer and his podcast to equip people with the information they need to heal from their trauma.

Resources & Links

Off The Cuff

Michael Unbroken

enOctober 19, 2022

Mental Health in the Middle East with Ally Salama

While the United States still has a lot of work to do in destigmatizing mental health, the Middle East is much further behind us. This week I spoke with Forbes 30 under 30 Social Entrepreneur, speaker, podcaster, the founder of EMPWR MAG, and The Middle East’s Mental Health Ambassador, Ally Salama. Ally has made it his life’s mission to destigmatize mental health in the Middle East, but in addition to the cultural stigma, there simply is not enough awareness.

"We fear what we don't understand, you know. Mental health in the states, you have hundreds of millions of dollars in media and advertising being spent on awareness. Because they know, the West really knows the price, the burden that mental health has on economies." - Ally Salama (3:04)

Ally came from a prestigious family in Egypt, and accomplishments were very important in his upbringing. Because of his father’s job, Ally had lived in several different countries before even turning 18. Despite having great success in swimming, singing, and academics as a adolescent, he never really felt fulfilled and didn’t understand why.

“I always knew I was different, but I’d never understood that it could make me feel alienated.” - Ally Salama (18:06)

Through all of Ally’s ups and downs in life, his determination and upbringing taught him a lot about success and how to never stop learning, improving, and growing.

“Action breeds confidence, and then confidence, if you don’t really work on it, you lose it. And that comfort makes you less confident because that comfort comes from consistent action from you being always at that cusp of your comfort zone.”

- Ally Salama (11:10)

In This Episode

(2:17) Mental health for young people in Egypt.
(6:52) Ally's early upbringing and his relationship with his parents
(10:54) Feeling complacent once getting to comfortable or too confident
(11:53) Ally’s educational background
(12:56) Ally’s background in professional swimming
(16:16) Ally’s mental health issues as a kid and teen
(19:26) The struggles Ali faced when moving around the world as a child
(22:36) Coming from a privileged family and learning how to give and help others
(27:00) The darkest point of Ally’s life when he was clinically diagnosed with depression
(30:13) How dogs help with mental health
(32:45) Ally’s grandfather being diagnosed with Cancer and how it affected his family
(34:30) How Ally started EMPWR MAG
(40:28 )The people Ally looks up to the most
(44:06) Ally’s 5 year plan
(46:19) The mental health stigma for younger Egyptian kids

Our Guest

Ally Salama is a Forbes 30 Under 30 recognized social entrepreneur, an ex-pro athlete, #1 Apple charting podcaster, and The Middle East’s Mental Health Ambassador. He founded empower-mag.com, the first mental health magazine in the Middle East, winning Harvard's top 7 most impactful social initiatives in 2019, earning recognition from the World Health Organization & the World Federation for Mental Health. He currently hosts Apple’s #1 Charting Youth Leadership Podcast “Empathy Always Wins”- the world's exclusive leadership and mental wellbeing podcast focusing on empathy.

Resources & Links

Off The Cuff

Ally Salama

enOctober 12, 2022

Empowerment and Acceptance with Hannah Blum

Not one story about a bi-polar diagnosis is the same. We all have our own experiences to tell and this week on Off The Cuff I was honored to hear Hannah Blum’s, a fellow bi-polar type 2 mental health advocate.

From the outside, Hannah was a normal teenage girl. She had a ton of friends and was even nominated for prom queen. However she knew deep down that something was just not right. For several years she hid behind drugs and alcohol, and the excuse that she was just a hot mess. Her junior year of college she hit rock bottom and knew that she needed help. Unfortunately the system failed her in many ways, and she was involuntarily institutionalized. Overall, it was far from a good experience, but Hannah was able to see some good in a less than desirable situation.

“I think the thing that's positive that came out of the hospital too, was that it motivated me. They told me don’t look back, don’t look back Hannah. And now I see why they didn’t want me to look back. Ya know, they said, ‘these people, you won’t see them, they don’t have hope, you do.’ And I thought, what the hell is wrong with you?!” - Hannah Blum (49:38)

Hannah decided to channel what she was going through by writing and becoming a mental health advocate, which she has found great success in. The more advocacy she did, the better she not only understood herself, but her peers in the mental health community. This sent Hannah on a path of healing and truly helping others.

“So when I got involved in the community, what ended up happening was, I’m with other people with bipolar disorder, in rural America, some of the poorest people I have ever met, and they are out there with their pamphlets doing advocacy, and they have mental illness. And I started saying to myself, these people are amazing. They are kind, they are empathetic, they are supportive, they are cool, why am I believing that this makes me a monster?” - Hannah Blum (17:00)

In This Episode

(2:15) How old Hannah was when she got her diagnosis
(4:16) What happened when Hannah had a breakdown in college which led to her being institutionalized against her will
(16:44) The importance of acceptance and advocacy
(18:18) Hannah’s article on Marilyn Monroe and her mental health
(22:50) Dating as a woman with bipolar
(32:55) Clinging to an identity of being messed up
(34:15) How people with mental health issues have been treated historically
(38:28) Kanye West and other celebrities and their mental health issues
(46:23) Hannah’s experience in the mental hospital
(52:00) Relying too much on mental health professionals and not peers
(53:41) How Hannah overdosed after she left the mental hospital
(56:40) The importance of people with mental illness coming together
(58:29) How television and film are profiting off of suicide
(1:00:49) Hannah’s thoughts on medication and how they have changed over the years
(1:03:30) Men’s side effects from antidepressants
(1:07:00) How Hannah’s blog “Halfway to Hannah” started
(1:14:18) What Hannah’s therapy routine is right now
(1:17:27) What people can do to become a part of the mental health advocacy movement today

Our Guest

Hannah Blum is a writer and mental health advocate. Hannah writes about her journey as a young adult living with bipolar II disorder on her blog, Halfway2Hannah, to encourage others to join the mental health movement and learn to embrace their differences both mind or body. She is also author of the book The Truth About Broken: The Unfixed Version of Self-Love.

Resources & Links

Off The Cuff

Hannah Blum

enOctober 05, 2022

Dealing with Toxic Masculinity and Imposter Syndrome with Keith Walsh

In Ireland, toxic masculinity has been a part of the culture for many, many years. “Be a man,” “Grow a pair,” “Real men don’t cry,” are all thoughts that have been ingrained in society since the country became fully independent in 1949.

In this episode, former radio DJ and media personality Keith Walsh opens up about the historical traumas the people of Ireland have had to go through and how he has learned from those traumas, and has challenged those stereotypes through his own mental health journey.

“And we go back to talking about toxic masculinity, this is how households are run, by men who have trauma who were triggered by things, took it out on everybody in the house, were completely unreasonable, and expected everybody to just turn up for mass on a Sunday morning smiling.” - Keith Walsh (35:36)

After being a host of one of the most successful morning shows in Ireland, Keith was let go from his dream job, which he thought he never deserved in the first place. In turn, triggered imposter syndrome, which had been something he struggled with his whole life.

“I had mistakenly attached my success as a person to the job I was doing. So, my success as a human being, was not how my kids were doing, how happy my wife was, how happy I was, ya know do I love myself? It was, what job I say to people, when they ask me, when they meet me at a party. How successful I was was how big the show was. Me and that job…that was me. So when it was taken off me, I was like who the f*ck am I? What’s left?” - Keith Walsh (23:14)

In This Episode

(3:15) The history of Ireland and how the country has changed
(9:09) Toxic masculinity in Ireland.
(16:21) The pressures of being a performer
(20:53) Keith’s feelings about therapy
(23:44) How Keith coped before finally going to therapy.
(24:55) How Keith’s mental health spiraled after he was let go from his job
(26:12) Imposter syndrome
(31:56) The patriarchal pressure put on men and toxic masculinity.
(36:53) How and why Keith created his play Pure Mental
(44:05) How Keith met his wife
(51:18) What it was like for Keith becoming a dad and learning his new responsibilities

Our Guest

A radio veteran of 20 years, Keith Walsh co-hosted RTÉ 2fm’s breakfast show for five years. He now has his own podcast and wrote, produced, and starred in his own play about mental health called Pure Mental.

Resources & Links

Off The Cuff

Keith Walsh

enSeptember 28, 2022

The Best of Off The Cuff

On Off The Cuff, we’ve had the pleasure of hearing from so many insightful, inspirational, and incredible guests – Broadway actors, champion athletes, elite military members, activists, politicians and more – all with extraordinary stories of hope and healing.

Today, we’re looking back at some of Off The Cuff’s best moments, featuring guests Jonny Benjamin, Zac Clark, Dr. Justin Puder, Mona Shaikh, Kevin Hines, Joe Barksdale, and Alessandra Torresani.

If you’re new to the show, you’ll catch up on some of the season’s highlights – and if you’re a longtime listener, you’ll be able to relive some of your favorite moments.

Either way, enjoy some of the best of Off The Cuff – and get excited for more.

enSeptember 21, 2022

Amputee Advocacy (And Positivity) with Alyssa Cleland

Mental health issues are difficult enough to handle. But for the millions of people who are living with a physical disability too, the journey can be even tougher.

Today’s guest, Alyssa Cleland, was born with a one-in-a-million condition called paraxial tibial hemimelia, which led to the amputation of her leg. But with the aid of a prosthetic, Alyssa has made a name for herself as a para-equestrian and social media influencer, helping to shine a light on all that she – and others with disabilities like PTH – is capable of.

In this episode, Alyssa talks about growing up with a disability, being adopted from Ukraine into a marathon-running, sports-loving family, and her journey of self-love.

“After doing a lot of healing and things like that – which like, obviously there's still more [to do] – I think I've just come so to terms with who I am, what I have going on and blah, blah, blah, that like, I just don't care, you know? And I'm gonna be myself. If you don't like it, then that's cool. We're not meant to be in the same, you know, atmosphere together. And I'm okay with that.” – Alyssa (42:48)

She also shares about her experiences with mental health, the strategies she uses to keep herself thinking positive, and how she became determined to live her best life.

“I was able to like, comfort myself in knowing that, ‘Hey, like I didn't cause this to myself. I didn't ask for this. And I can't do anything about it.’ So either I can sit and be shameful of something that I have no control over or I can get the f*ck over it and live my life to the best that I can. And that's what I decided to do. … It’s definitely a fight every day, but I think it's a fight worth fighting.” – Alyssa (06:20)

In This Episode

(03:20) Competing as a para-equestrian
(05:06) Growing up with a disability
(08:02) What is paraxial tibial hemimelia?
(10:25) Being adopted and having a leg amputation in childhood
(15:28) Alyssa’s “sticky sock vacation” at nine
(22:51) The journey to sharing her story on social media
(26:57) How Alyssa keeps herself thinking positive
(30:09) The role of faith in Alyssa’s life
(33:31) Life with prosthetics
(40:22) Dealing with strangers as an amputee

Our Guest

Alyssa Cleland is an influencer, para-equestrian and disability rights advocate.

Resources & Links

Off The Cuff

Alyssa Cleland

enSeptember 14, 2022

Psychopaths, Brain Trauma and Therapy with Dr. Judy Ho

Few people have as much hands-on experience with the many sides of mental health work as today’s guest, Dr. Judy Ho.

As a triple-board certified clinical and forensic neuropsychologist, Dr. Ho has evaluated maximum security prison inmates, served as an expert witness in criminal trials, works as a tenured associate professor at Pepperdine University – and goes to therapy herself.

In this episode, Dr. Ho shares about emigrating from Taiwan as a child, the differences between men’s and women’s love styles, why people settle in relationships, and the challenges of working in the criminal justice system as a woman.

“My supervisors [were] like, ‘Why do you wanna be an expert witness in criminal cases?’ I'm like, ‘Well, I think it's interesting. And I think I can help.’ And one of my supervisors who is a woman was like, ‘Take it from somebody who worked there for five years in the beginning of my career – it is not a walk in the park.’ But it's never a comfortable environment. Sometimes it's a maximum security prison and it's really tough. You have to be escorted everywhere, including to the bathroom. All of your liberties are taken away, at least temporarily. And I'm not saying that that's anywhere near the liberties that [the inmates] lose, but it's like even just that tiny taste of it is [difficult].” – Dr. Ho (20:42)

Dr. Ho also talks about the benefits of therapy for everybody, and why she receives counseling herself as a mental health practitioner.

“Some of my clients say, ‘Well, I don't feel like I need therapy. I don't know why I'm here.’ You know what? Everybody needs therapy, probably. It might not be everybody's cup of tea, but I hope that it's not because you feel like there has to be something majorly wrong with you to go to therapy, you know?” – Dr. Ho (37:29)

In This Episode

(02:05) The education required in order to be triple-board certified
(05:07) Humor as a healing tool
(11:22) Dr. Ho’s experience as an expert witness in the judicial system
(17:09) The ups and downs of evaluating maximum security prison inmates
(21:24) How the Big Sister Little Sister program shaped Dr. Ho’s passion for psychology
(23:57) The link between brain trauma, aging and psychology
(27:43) Emigrating from Taiwan and adapting to the American school system
(37:29) Why Dr. Ho goes to therapy as a mental health professional
(41:49) Why people settle in relationships
(43:45) The differences between men’s and women’s love styles
(49:14) Dr. Ho’s experience working with multicultural, same-sex and gender-diverse couples

Our Guest

Dr. Judy Ho is a licensed and triple board-certified clinical and forensic neuropsychologist. She is also a tenured associate professor at Pepperdine University and the author of “Stop Self-Sabotage: Six Steps to Unlock Your True Motivation, Harness Your Willpower and Get Out of Your Own Way.”

Resources & Links

Off The Cuff

Dr. Judy Ho

enSeptember 07, 2022

Politics, PTSD and Veterans’ Rights with Jason Kander

By 2018, Jason Kander had already served in Afghanistan, been elected to the Missouri State Legislature, and become Missouri Secretary of State. The logical next step: a 2020 presidential campaign.

Instead, Jason took the political world by surprise and chose to run for mayor of Kansas City, near his hometown of Shawnee, Kansas.

Despite a successful early campaign, Jason made another shocking decision: to end his candidacy, take a break from the public eye, and spend eight months receiving treatment for the PTSD he brought back from Afghanistan.

Today, he joins me to talk about how therapy helped him deal with the trauma he endured during his service, how the U.S. must change the way it takes care of its veterans, and more.

“One of the big things that I worked through in therapy was … this sense that I hadn't done enough. I mean, it was just this constant refrain because I had friends who had been hurt physically. I had plenty of friends who had been overseas longer than me. So I had this real sense that I had not done enough and it drove me for a very long time. And what I realize now is that I actually have done quite a lot and I have done enough. Doesn't mean I'm not gonna do more for my country, but it won't be because I feel I have to, or I owe it. It'll be because that's what I want to do.” – Jason (07:34)

Jason discussed coming to terms with his PTSD diagnosis after more than a decade, and how his diagnosis provided not only validation, but a way forward.

“When I was diagnosed with PTSD, it happened after me really coming to terms with the idea that I had PTSD. So when I was finally diagnosed, you know, I had spent almost 11 years being like, that's not what this is. And then that became like, it's not what this is. I didn't earn that. So that's just something wrong with me. I'm just this way. And then it was very hard and very difficult for me to accept the idea that this was PTSD. So then after I'd gone through that, then to be diagnosed was validating for me. … but I think even more than the validation that it provided to me was the clarity, you know, the idea of like, because once you say like, okay, for sure that's what this is, then it does feel a little like, okay, so now I know what to do.” – Jason (09:08)

In This Episode

(01:13) Jason’s path to joining the military
(02:49) Learning to help others by example
(04:30) Choosing the Army
(07:34) Trauma, therapy, and survivor’s guilt
(09:08) Coming to terms with PTSD
(12:40) Recovery in the public eye
(19:48) Will the U.S. change the way it takes care of our veterans?
(32:34) The case for foreign aid
(47:15) Writing Invisible Storm

Our Guest

Jason Kander served in Afghanistan as an Army Captain before being elected to the Missouri State Legislature in 2008 and becoming Missouri Secretary of State in 2012.

Currently, Jason is the President of the National Expansion at Veterans Community Project, a non-profit dedicated to preventing suicide and homelessness among veterans.

He is the author of two books, Outside the Wire: Ten Lessons I’ve Learned in Everyday Courage, and Invisible Storm: A Soldier’s Memoir of Politics and PTSD.

Resources & Links

Off The Cuff

Jason Kander

enAugust 31, 2022

Self-Defense, C-PTSD and Survival with Terra Newell

Today’s guest, Terra Newell, was only 25 when she survived a knife attack at the hands of serial predator and con man John, whom she killed in self-defense.

The shocking incident became the subject of 2018’s smash TV hit “Dirty John,” and Terra has gone on to share her story – and raise awareness for domestic abuse – on Dateline, Dr. Oz, KTLA, and more.

Six years after defending herself from John, Terra is still working through the trauma.

“[Everyone says], ‘Well, you know, we need everyone's stories because it's not just your story, you know, it's your mom's, it's this, that.’ I understand that they all have stories, but the reason why [John] isn't here today is because of me. And I have to hold onto that trauma and I have to live with that. And I am the only one that has to live with that.” – Terra (27:05)

Today, Terra joins me to share her story – including when she realized something wasn’t right about John, the “master manipulator” tactics she witnessed him using on her mother, and how her relationship with her mom has changed.

She also speaks candidly about being a trauma survivor, how C-PTSD has altered virtually every aspect of her life – from dating to physiological changes to getting through the day – and techniques she uses to cope.

“It's still like, I wish I didn't have to do that. Like I wish the cops could have handled it, but you know, everything happens for a reason. And I have to lean on that reason when those days come up because you know, I wanna be normal some days. I wanna be as normal as I can.” – Terra (44:06)

For Terra, something that helps her own journey to recovery is helping other trauma survivors, which she does through her trauma healing work.

“I get the people [who are at their] last resort. They're like, ‘I've gone to therapy. My therapist, I haven't learned anything from her.’ I'm like, ‘Well, I have been through a lot of stuff and I've gone through the process of it. So let me show you what has worked for me.’ … There's the commonality that everybody has been through. Something everybody has been hurt. And so I don't love to get to know people's hurt, but I love to bond with people over that, for sure. I know that we're all not alone.” – Terra

In This Episode

(01:51) Terra’s story: “My mom married a psychopath”
(03:59) The point that she knew something wasn’t right about ‘Dirty John’
(09:40) Love bombing, gaslighting, and other tactics of a master manipulator
(21:05) Being triggered as a trauma survivor
(23:38) America’s obsession with sociopaths
(28:21) A day in the life: How Terra copes with C-PTSD
(38:07) The healing role of animals in a trauma survivor’s recovery
(42:19) How Terra’s relationship with her mom has changed
(48:14) Dating with C-PTSD
(55:39) EMDR therapy and coping techniques
(1:03:03) The physiological effects of trauma
(1:06:27) Terra’s work as a trauma life coach
(1:10:45) “I know this is my purpose”

Our Guest

Terra Newell helps other survivors cope through her work as a trauma life coach and is the host of her own podcast, Time Out with Terra, and true crime podcast The Survivor Squad.

Currently, Terra is working with criminal behavior analyst Laura Richards to help pass laws against coercive control in the United States. With her help, one such law has already passed in California.

Resources & Links

Off The Cuff

Terra Newell

enAugust 24, 2022

Beyond Schizoaffective Disorder with Jonny Benjamin

Mental health is hard enough to tackle when you’re a teenager or adult. For this week’s guest, mental health campaigner, public speaker and vlogger Jonny Benjamin, it’s been a lifelong journey.

“My parents took me to see a psychologist when I was five. So I didn't understand it. No one explained it to me because no one did right back then.” – Jonny (01:26)

Jonny’s documentaries on mental health and suicide have been presented on the BBC, his ThinkWell school program has seen major success in UK secondary schools, and his youth mental health charity, Beyond, was launched in 2018.

Today, Jonny joins me to talk about living with schizoaffective disorder, getting his start as a mental health campaigner on YouTube, and the benefits of finally finding the right therapist.

Jonny also shares how cognitive behavioral therapy has changed his life, the viral #FindMike campaign of 2014, and his youth mental health charity, Beyond.

“It's been a long journey. I've got a psychiatrist now that I can trust, that I can talk to. I've got a therapist now – it took me like 13, 14 years to find the right support. Like once I found my therapist now, it clarified everything. I feel I was finally listening to myself and just instead of just listening to what other people wanted to tell me and, and you know, I was actually looking out for myself.” – Johnny (51:14)

In This Episode

(01:12) Signs of Jonny’s schizoaffective disorder at 5 years old
(05:30) What schizoaffective disorder is
(14:28) Jonny’s first experience with psychosis
(17:32) Stigma surrounding mental health and sexuality in a Jewish family
(20:21) Jonny’s “guardian angel”
(25:42) #FindMike campaign
(30:20) The mental pressure of of #FindMike and Jonny’s subsequent breakdown
(38:29) Finally telling his parents about his struggle with mental health
(43:54) “I literally broke down in tears.”
(51:05) The difficulty – and joy – of finding the right therapist
(56:51) Jonny’s youth mental health charity, Beyond
(1:02:34) Are you happy today?

Our Guest

Mental health campaigner, public speaker and vlogger Jonny Benjamin was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder at 20. After his YouTube channel documenting life with his condition went viral, Johnny became a mental health advocate and public speaker, with BBC documentaries, a school program for UK secondary schools, and a youth charity for teens and young adults.

Resources & Links

Off The Cuff

Jonny Benjamin

enAugust 17, 2022

Making Anxiety Funny with Gianmarco Soresi

Most people with anxiety would cringe at the idea of getting up on stage and telling jokes to hundreds of people. But for actor and standup comic Gianmarco Soresi, who has dealt with anxiety since childhood, standup is a refuge.

“One thing I think is nice about comedy is like, I can use that anxiety and live on that anxiety on stage and it can be funny. I can make the anxiety funny and I don't have to hide it.” – Gianmarco (41:43)

In today’s episode, Gianmarco shares how he found comedy, using his sometimes dysfunctional family as inspiration for material, his experience with therapy and antidepressants, living up to traditional expectations of masculinity, and how he handles anxiety today.

“That's why I think standup, like, let me be myself more. And I still feel anxiety about standup. Sometimes, sometimes I feel chill. Sometimes I'm filled with anxiety and I still work on it. I still work on enjoying the anxiety or just being like, Hey, you're anxious cuz this is cool. This is crazy.” – Gianmarco (42:33)

In This Episode

(02:01) Acting vs standup, and Gianmarco’s background as a comic
(05:45) The impact of COVID on standup
(11:41) Gianmarco’s family as inspiration for comedy material
(22:03) Standup as therapy
(35:05) The pressure to choose sports over performing in high school
(39:54) How being Jewish has influenced Gianmarco’s comedy
(41:10) Making anxiety funny
(43:02) Gianmarco’s experience with therapy
(49:19) “The side effects of depression are death.”
(51:02) The dynamic of being a child in a joint-custody arrangement
(59:03) Gianmarco’s comedy writing process, and the changing model of TV viewing

Our Guest

Gianmarco Soresi is a standup comic, actor and writer who has been featured on Netflix’s Bonding, PBS’ Stories from the Stage, SeeSo’s New York’s Funniest, Real Housewives of New York, New York LIVE, Vanity Fair, and George Takei Presents. In 2019, he was the winner of Amazon’s Comics Watching Comics Season 8.

Gianmarco is a member of the sketch team Uncle Function and is the creator of the sketch series Matza Pizza. He is the host of a podcast called The Downside with Gianmarco Soresi.

Resources & Links

Off The Cuff

https://www.offthecuff.fm/
https://www.youtube.com/c/OffTheCuffwithDannyLoPriore
https://www.instagram.com/1and1otc/
https://www.instagram.com/dannylopriore/

Gianmarco Soresi

enAugust 10, 2022

Life After Reality TV with Hannah Berner

Comedian Hannah Berner, who spent three seasons as a member of the Bravo show “Summer House,” isn’t someone whose big personality lends itself easily to the ultra-manipulated and overcut nature of reality TV – even though, she says, they tried.

“Imagine people who don't like you narrating your life to America. You're just like, f*ck it. That's how it happened. That's not how it happened. And it's hard ’cuz you're also oversimplified to these characters. Like there's the hot girl. There's the messy girl. There's the truth teller. There's the hot guy. There's the whatever. And like we're as humans so much more complex than that. … Then like six months [after production], [you’re] watching like a show that sometimes you don't really even recognize. And sometimes you even recognize yourself.” – Hannah (32:53)

On today’s episode, Hannah talks about the funhouse mirror of reality TV, leaving pro tennis for comedy after college, the identity politics of being Italian and Jewish, and why she prefers being standup-anxious to being tennis-pro anxious.

“I don't have that much fear and I'm not holding it too close to my ego. So I actually like don't really get nervous. The only time I get nervous is if like it's an audition for something or like I know someone's watching and I'll be like nervous for like the first five seconds. And then I'll kind of calm down. But also deep down, I like a little nerves. I like the high of it all, but I don't have the sick, horrible anxiety in my stomach that I used to have when I [played tennis]. I say it's like surfing – when you find the right thing, when you find the right wave, you just go.” – Hannah (45:26)

And how do you go from being a straight-edge tennis star to making it big in comedy, anyway? Hannah shares what the transition was like – and why she’s so much happier these days.

“I feel like I'm doing what I'm meant to do now. Even though I do love to play tennis, just ‘cuz you're really good at something doesn't always mean it's what you're meant to do. Or maybe for that time, it's what I was meant to do. But at this time in my life I found what makes me happy.” – Hannah (46:16)

In This Episode

(02:45) Leaving pro tennis for comedy
(08:13) Being a “bagel”: Hannah’s identity as a half-Jewish, half-Italian woman
(16:08) Why comics have insecurities, and getting canceled for controversial jokes
(22:16) Hannah’s whirlwind romance with her now-husband
(25:43) Men vs women in love
(31:08) How Hannah came to be on Bravo’s “Summer House”
(36:01) How reality TV impacted her mental health
(41:30) The courage it takes to leave relationships
(44:01) Hannah’s performance anxiety during standup
(50:03) Are you happy today?

Our Guest

Hannah Berner is a comedian, podcast host and mental health advocate. Hannah was a cohost on Bravo’s “Chat Room” and was a member of Bravo’s “Summer House” for three seasons.

Her podcasts, “Giggly Squad” and “Berning in Hell,” have more than 20 million downloads, and she has over 1.2 million followers on social media.

Hannah performs standup across the country.

Resources & Links

Off The Cuff

https://www.offthecuff.fm/
https://www.youtube.com/c/OffTheCuffwithDannyLoPriore
https://www.instagram.com/1and1otc/
https://www.instagram.com/dannylopriore/

Hannah Berner

enAugust 03, 2022

The Mental Game with Andrew Jensen

Andrew Jensen started golfing at seven years old and went professional around 23.

His first suicide attempt happened at 16, with others between tours in his mid-twenties.

In this episode, Andrew joins us to talk about his journey as an athlete, how intergenerational toxic masculinity shaped his golf game, and the mental health struggles that contributed to his suicide attempts as a young adult.

“It was like trying to make it quick and painless as opposed to something that consciously hurt, I think, because if I look back, I really dive into it. It was much more the emotional pain that I wanted to continue to inflict, and have the physical be quick and make all of the pain end as opposed to some people who cut … want the physical pain to kind of take away from the mental pain. Whereas I was hurting myself so much internally that I just wanted to stop hurting period.” (30:30)

Andrew also shares how his struggles eventually led him to become a mental health advocate and YouTuber, where he uses his channel to not only help other golf enthusiasts with their game, but to continue to work through the long-lasting mental hurdles in his own.

“I think that's where it's like all those years of being a professional golfer and associating that identity now and like on YouTube. And if I have to stop at [that], you know, my knee jerk to that is like, f*ck I failed. ‘Cause I didn't achieve my goal. ‘Cause that was my need. That's how I felt. I feel as a golfer, I still feel like I'm a failed professional golfer, but whatever. And people on the internet love to tell me that too, but I don't f*cking care anymore.” (1:00:09)

In This Episode

(01:24) What makes golf so tough
(05:01) How Andrew started golfing
(12:47) Intergenerational toxic masculinity
(21:16) Andrew’s first struggles with mental health
(29:01) Andrew’s suicide attempts
(32:42) Recovering from the first attempt while still dealing with depression
(40:38) The intense pressure of pro sports and its effect on Andrew’s mental health
(53:02) How Andrew focuses on his mental health currently
(57:52) Andrew’s relationship with his wife, Kelly
(1:03:01) Will he let his son play golf?

Our Guest

Andrew Jensen competed around the world as a professional golfer for over a decade.

After breaking his arm forced him to leave pro golf, Andrew started a YouTube channel to document his journey as an athlete, share behind the scenes looks at tours, equipment and training, share about fatherhood and talk openly about sports and mental health.

Resources & Links

Off The Cuff

https://www.offthecuff.fm/
https://www.youtube.com/c/OffTheCuffwithDannyLoPriore
https://www.instagram.com/1and1otc/
https://www.instagram.com/dannylopriore/

Andrew Jensen

enJuly 27, 2022

Being Kind to Your Mind with Cooper Chapman

Many professional athletes go on to second careers in Hollywood or politics – but former pro surfer Cooper Chapman’s dreams are a little different.

After seeing firsthand how depression affected his father, and losing two family friends to suicide – not to mention his own anxiety and stress Cooper developed a passion for mental health that has sparked a new career.

In today’s episode, Cooper talks about his mental health organization, The Good Human Factory, the pressure of success in pro surfing at 14, and his own struggle with mental health that started when he began basing his self-worth on his surfing achievements.

“I started to struggle a little bit with my identity. I felt a bit of shame, like being around people at my local community when I wasn't succeeding as often. And then I went and spoke to my sports psychologist about how I was feeling and what was going on. And he's like, man … so many people base their self worth and their overall well being on their achievements and their successes. He said, I want you to take this forward in your life and it's gonna change the way you think. I want you to base your life on how well you live to your values. And that was this light bulb moment that completely changed my life.”

Cooper also shares his take on the vast mental health spectrum, the importance of making gratitude a daily habit and why everyone should have the tools to help themselves when their mental health needs a little help.

“We are all on a spectrum of mental health to mental illness. And we're all moving up and down it from time to time. And what I'm trying to do [with The Good Human Factory] is, I like to think of it like, life is almost like a treadmill that's dragging us from good mental health to mental illness. We're all walking against it, just at different paces. And I'm trying to give people the skills to be able to walk against it at a faster pace so that when life does speed up and throw some of these really difficult times at us, you can walk back against it.”

In This Episode

(06:27) Cooper’s youth surfing career and winning a national title at 14
(9:50) The pressure of early success and how he got into mental health
(12:30) Cooper’s “lightbulb moment”
(16:00) The sports psychology approach
(18:43) Transitioning from a sports career to a career in mental health, and starting The Good Human Factory
(22:17) A typical Good Human Factory workshop
(31:47) The mental health spectrum
(40:12) Competing against your own success
(47:55) Making gratitude a habit

Our Guest

Former pro surfer Cooper Chapman started The Good Human Factory after seeing how mental illness and suicide affected his father and close family friends.

Through The Good Human Factory, Cooper has helped thousands of Australian students and teachers practice mindfulness and gratitude, and increase their mental strength and resilience.

Resources & Links

Off The Cuff

https://www.offthecuff.fm/
https://www.youtube.com/c/OffTheCuffwithDannyLoPriore
https://www.instagram.com/1and1otc/
https://www.instagram.com/dannylopriore/

Cooper Chapman

enJuly 20, 2022

the good human factory

cooper chapman

The Funny Thing About Trauma with Mona Shaikh

Childhood trauma shapes us in different ways. For some people, it’s a lifelong source of pain. But others, like comedian Mona Shaikh, seem to use it as a source of strength – not to mention laughs.

Today, Mona joins me for a wild conversation about the funny side of life (being catfished by a fake Indian finance bro in LA who turned out to be lying about his identity for reasons you won’t believe) and the not so funny (Mona’s childhood abuse, her brothers’ battle with polio and her rocky relationship with her parents).

“As you get older, there's a turning point where you're like, my parents are just fucking people who did the best they could. They did the best they could with all their issues and all their traumas. And don't get me wrong. I am super grateful to my mom, to my dad for bringing us to America, for giving us good education, even all the fucked-upness they gave us. I'm grateful for it. Right? ’Cause I chose to take all that shit and turn it into gold. Turn it into something good. You have to.” – Mona

Mona also shares about why she incorporates her trauma into her act, the challenges of being a woman in comedy, what needs to change about the American approach to mental health and how 15 years of therapy saved her life.

“The greatest gift you'll ever give to yourself is to learn to be alone. It's the single greatest gift you'll ever give yourself. There is no greater gift than the power of sitting alone in your thoughts and sitting with your pain and your trauma and all the fucking mess, just sitting with it and saying, ‘I'm gonna find my way out of this. I'm gonna go to therapy. I'm gonna do self-help, I'm gonna work out whatever the fuck it takes, but I'm gonna carve my way out of this and I'm gonna make a life for myself.’” – Mona

In This Episode

(02:47) How Mona got her start in comedy and whether she still gets nervous performing
(09:42) Mona’s experience emigrating from Pakistan to the U.S. in high school
(14:59) Self-hatred, the Kardashians, and “f*cking your way to the top”
(19:03) Getting catfished on dating apps by a Pakistani Jewish witch with a federal indictment against him
(34:04) Beating up a classmate for making fun of her brothers with polio
(42:51 ) The state of mental health and the predominance of gun violence in the U.S.
(48:27) Mona’s complicated relationship with her mother, and owning your trauma
(56:36) Using her childhood trauma in her act, and being a woman in comedy
(1:15:08) How therapy saved Mona’s life

Our Guest

Stand-up comedian, host, and actor Mona Shaikh grew up in Pakistan and started her comedy career after moving to New York.

Mona has headlined The Laugh Factory, where she became the first Pakistani female comedian to win the venue’s Funniest Person in the World Competition, and is a regular at major LA comedy clubs including The Comedy Story, Flappers Comedy Club, Ice House Pasadena, and more. She also made history when she became the first Pakistani female comedian to headline Hollywood Improv.

Mona can be seen regularly on The Young Turks, The Stephanie Miller Show on SiriusXM and Mo’Kelly Show on IHeartRadio.

Resources & Links

Off The Cuff

https://www.offthecuff.fm/
https://www.youtube.com/c/OffTheCuffwithDannyLoPriore
https://www.instagram.com/1and1otc/
https://www.instagram.com/dannylopriore/

Mona Shaikh

enJuly 13, 2022

From Active Duty to the Psych Ward to the Stage with Rudy Caseres

Serving in the U.S. military is a challenge for anyone – but it can be especially tough when you’re dealing with mental health conditions.

Public speaker and mental health advocate Rudy Caseres, who was serving in the Army during his first experience with catatonic schizophrenia, understands this firsthand.

In today’s episode, I sat down with Rudy to discuss his experience with mental health in the military, being discharged from the Army, and what he learned from his time in psych wards.

Rudy also talks about the difficulties of being formally diagnosed, and the conflicting feelings his diagnoses brought.

“When you're going through this stuff, you have no fucking idea what's going on with you. And then you're just entrusting your life to these strangers that you never met. It takes a lot to take that leap of faith to be like, okay. And when I heard my diagnosis though, I was like, you know what, thank God. Because that at least gives me some kind of explanation of why this is happening to me. But my thing was ‘All right, diagnosis. That's great. What the fuck am I supposed to do now?’” – Rudy

Rudy also shares how his difficult journey eventually led to his “aha moment,” which helped him find his niche as a public speaker.

“It kinda wakes me up to like, realize like, ‘Hey, you don't have to let the universe, like, just have its way with you. Like, you don't have to completely just be sucked into the depression and let the depression win. … You can actually turn a negative into a positive and make the most of it. You're not a freak. You're not a mutant. You're just built differently. And we need people like you and you can still contribute a lot to this world. Not just in spite of it, because of it.” – Rudy

In This Episode

(01:43) When Rudy first noticed he might have mental health concerns

(03:29) What drew Rudy to public speaking
(15:56) Rudy’s first catatonic episodes during his time in the Army
(20:23) Being considered “mentally ill” in the military
(27:13) Coming home after being discharged from the Army and leaving the psych ward
(30:00) Rudy’s first experiences with catatonic schizophrenia and bipolar disorder
(38:59) The “aha moment” of finally being diagnosed
(41:11) Harnessing bipolar energy
(53:28) What Rudy’s manic episodes feel like, and his second time in a psych ward
(59:41) How Rudy began his public speaking career
(1:12:48) Rudy’s next steps

Our Guest

Rudy Caseres is an award-winning public speaker, live-streamer and social media influencer who has given over 100 presentations across the country sharing his story of surviving a mental breakdown while in the U.S. Army and living with bipolar disorder.

He is the host of “No Restraints with Rudy Caseres,” which features live, candid discussions with mental health, human rights and suicide prevention activists, and hosts a monthly panel on mental health for The Mighty.

Rudy has been featured in This is My Brave, HealthyPlace, The S Word, OC87 Recovery Diaries, Sweatpants & Coffee, Stigma Fighters, and Schizophrenic NYC, and was named one of The Mighty's Mental Health Heroes of 2017.

Resources & Links

Off The Cuff

https://www.offthecuff.fm/
https://www.youtube.com/c/OffTheCuffwithDannyLoPriore
https://www.instagram.com/1and1otc/
https://www.instagram.com/dannylopriore/

Rudy Caseres

Mentioned

https://www.nami.org/Home

enJuly 06, 2022

catatonic schizophrenia

rudy caseres

Mental Health Advocacy in the Trans Community with Nate Cannon

Mental health can be a tough topic for men – and it can be even tougher when you’re part of a marginalized group.

On this week’s episode, I sat down with public speaker and author Nate Cannon to talk about his work as a mental health advocate in the trans community, which faces a disproportionate rate of mental health challenges including depression, anxiety and attempted suicide.

“We've seen numbers coming out, for example, upwards of 55% to 60% of transgender men or boys have had suicidal thoughts just within the last year. And wow … that is very alarming. And so if I can help talk with folks and express some education and awareness around how intense the mental health symptoms can be around gender dysphoria, and how important it is to honor that identity, I wanna do everything I can to do that.” – Nate (11:07)

Nate, who is a transgender man, also shared about the stigma around mental health and being trans in the LGBTQ+ community, his own experience transitioning, and the importance of supporting kids who may be questioning their identity.

“If we don't allow [gender] exploration, I worry that there's going to be an exacerbation of baseline mental health challenges, which as we've discussed is already a significant issue for the trans population, especially kids right now. So I do think that it's important that we have those conversations and be open about it.” – Nate (28:12)

As a survivor of two suicide attempts and as a person who lives with mental illness, Nate also discusses his work in mental health advocacy, and talks about the life-saving freedom of living your truth.

“I do know that if I hadn't transitioned, I wouldn't be here. I would not be alive today. … I am still here. I am still alive. I'm still breathing. Thankfully I'm cognitively intact and able to share my story in a way that hopefully it’ll maybe give someone pause before they consider taking their lives.” – Nate (1:08:00)

In This Episode

(01:16) Nate’s story and how he got involved with mental health advocacy
(03:52) Stigma around mental health and being trans in the LGBTQ+ community
(07:17) Nate’s childhood experiences figuring out his gender identity
(18:01) How playing hockey helped Nate realize he was trans, not lesbian
(24:09) Nate’s advice for parents of trans kids
(36:52) The process of transitioning, and the challenges Nate encountered accessing gender-affirming procedures as a person with mental health and neurological conditions
(45:39) Differences in social expectations Nate’s experienced since transitioning
(50:30) The challenges of living as a trans person in a social system not built for trans people
(1:06:00) How Nate would’ve handled his transition differently

Our Guest

Acclaimed public speaker and author Nate Cannon has spoken about his experiences as a transgender man living with mental illness and disability at government agencies, univiersites and non-profits across the country.

He also provides organizational training in areas including diversity and inclusion, crisis intervention, disability justice and other LGBTQ+ issues.

He is the author of two memoirs, “Running On A Mind Rewired,” and “Dying to Hang with The Boys.”

Resources & Links

Off The Cuff

https://www.offthecuff.fm/
https://www.youtube.com/c/OffTheCuffwithDannyLoPriore
https://www.instagram.com/1and1otc/
https://www.instagram.com/dannylopriore/

Nate Cannon