Mental Health Talks You Should Watch Now

Nearly 450 million people are affected by mental illness worldwide. In wealthy nations, just half receive appropriate care, but in developing countries, close to 90 percent go untreated because psychiatrists are in such short supply. Vikram Patel outlines a highly promising approach — training members of communities to give mental health interventions, empowering ordinary people to care for others.

Jessica Gimeno lives with bipolar disorder and wants to expand the discourse around mental health. It’s not enough to just receive a diagnosis, she says, people have to learn to live with depression and other mental health issues. In her talk, she shares the techniques she’s learned to help her get stuff done while depressed.

As a comedian and performer, Jordan Raskopolous does not suffer from stage fright, but away from the lights it’s a different story. In this compelling and funny talk, she shares her insights into what it is like to live with high functioning anxiety and how people like her can be perceived – to be both shy and loud at the same time. A talk many will relate to and one that offers strategies for dealing with it.

As a creativity consultant and international speaker,. Courtney Ferrell can be found standing at the busy intersection of ideas, energy, and people. Her latest idea, Girl Up, empowers young women to take full advantage of their gifts, their independence, and their possibilities in order to create an extraordinary life for themselves. In the past decade, she has worked intimately with thousands of young women as a speaker, teacher, coach, dorm mother, and mentor. Her mission is to provide girls with actions and language that will help them put common (and uncommon) sense into practice and become a sought-after person without compromising who they are.

Anna has struggled with Social Anxiety Disorder since she was a young child which has limited her voice. In this inspiring talk, Anna goes through the process she followed in order to share what she has to say with the rest of the world.

Everyone has the ability to build mental strength, but most people don’t know how. We spend a lot of time talking about physical strength and physical health, but much less time on mental strength and mental health. We can choose to perform exercises that will help us learn to regulate our thoughts, manage our emotions, and behave productively despite our circumstances – the 3 basic factors of mental strength. No matter what your goals are, building mental strength is the key to reaching your greatest potential. Amy Morin is a licensed clinical social worker and psychotherapist. Since 2002, she has been counseling children, teens, and adults. She also works as an adjunct psychology instructor.  

Jonas Kolker’s talk will explore the concept of “embracing the suck.” How does one turn a diagnosis into activism, empowerment and coaching? Jonas Kolker is a 15-year-old in the ninth grade. From grades three through eight, he dealt with severe anxiety attacks that were triggered by his school environment. Jonas had to learn techniques and strategies that would help him manage and control his ideas as he progressed through his school career. Through his experiences, Jonas has learned about the workings of the brain, as well as the common fears we all have to deal with every day.

Brendan’s community became his home when he moved from house to house after his parents left him with his three brothers and a sister when he was 4 at a shopping mall. They never came back. Although those communities became the connecting thread throughout the chapters of Maguire’s life, his childhood is defined by his grit.

Childhood trauma isn’t something you just get over as you grow up. Pediatrician Nadine Burke Harris explains that the repeated stress of abuse, neglect and parents struggling with mental health or substance abuse issues has real, tangible effects on the development of the brain. This unfolds across a lifetime, to the point where those who’ve experienced high levels of trauma are at triple the risk for heart disease and lung cancer. An impassioned plea for pediatric medicine to confront the prevention and treatment of trauma, head-on.

If you’re a man, at one point or another you’ve probably thought to yourself, “I will never understand women!” And if you’re a woman, “what’s wrong with men?!” But your gender is all you’ve ever known, so how could you understand? As a transgender woman, Paula Stone Williams has lived on both sides, “and the differences are massive!” In this funny and insightful talk, Paula shares her wisdom for all. Reverend Dr. Paula Stone Williams is the president of RLT Pathways, Inc., a non-profit providing counseling and coaching services. She works with the Center for Progressive Renewal, serves on the board of the Gay Christian Network, and is an active member at Highlands Church in Denver. She has been featured in the New York Times, The Denver Post, and Colorado Public Radio, and is a blogger for The Huffington Post. She is an avid runner and mountain biker with three children and five granddaughters.

This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences. In this powerful talk, Thomas Lloyd talks about taking pride in owning his identity and the strength that stems from that ownership. He talks with admiration about a movement that learnt that changing a community is much easier and much less damaging than changing one’s own identity. In his journey he has learnt to walk in solidarity with not only those he identifies with but also other marginalized groups in society.