Megan Hurley: Hope, Identity, and Finding Purpose After Traumatic Brain Injury

Jodi Gardner: Growing Older Doesn’t Mean Growing Invisible

When we think about mental health, older adults are often left out of the conversation. Yet they may be carrying a lifetime of grief, caregiving, health challenges, trauma, and life transitions—while growing up in a generation that was taught to keep those struggles to themselves. In this episode of Glow For Hope: Sparking Conversation on Mental Health, Kelly Poelker welcomes Jodi Gardner, Executive Director of the St. Clair County Mental Health Board, for a conversation about why purpose doesn't retire, why isolation can quietly become one of the greatest threats to mental wellness, and how each of us can help ensure the older adults in our lives never feel forgotten. Whether you're an older adult yourself, caring for aging parents, or simply looking to build stronger connections across generations, this conversation offers wisdom that extends far beyond growing older. What You'll Learn Why older adult mental health deserves more attention The emotional impact of grief, chronic illness, and life transitions How caregiving affects both caregivers and those receiving care Why isolation is one of the greatest threats to emotional wellbeing How purpose influences mental health throughout life Ways families can better support aging loved ones The importance of including older adults in important decisions Mental health resources available throughout St. Clair County The role of the St. Clair County Mental Health Board Why asking for help is never a sign of weakness Resources Mentioned St. Clair County Mental Health Board Programs and Services for Older Persons (PSOP) Older Adult & Caregiver Counseling Program Memorial Senior Counseling Services Heartlinks Grief Center Area Agency on Aging of Southwestern Illinois Southwestern Illinois Visiting Nurse Association St. Clair County Suicide Prevention Alliance 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

Richard Lynch: When the Helper Becomes the One Who Needs Help

Richard Lynch: When the Helper Becomes the One Who Needs Help Addiction recovery, grief after suicide, PTSD, men’s mental health, faith, and the reminder that you are not the worst thing you’ve ever done Host: Kelly Poelker Guest: Richard Lynch, MA, LCADC Category: Men’s Mental Health · Addiction Recovery · Grief · Trauma · Suicide Prevention What happens when the person trained to help others finds himself in need of help? In this episode of the Glow For Hope: Sparking Conversation on Mental Health Podcast, host Kelly Poelker sits down with Richard Lynch — a licensed clinical alcohol and drug counselor, behavioral health leader, speaker, trainer, and someone who has spent years walking with people through addiction, trauma, grief, and mental illness. But this conversation is not simply about Richard’s professional experience. It is about his lived experience. Richard opens up about being parentified as a young child, growing up with a father who struggled with alcoholism and severe mental illness, and the way those early experiences shaped his identity as a caretaker. For years, being the person others could depend on felt like strength. Later, Richard began to understand how often he had abandoned himself in the process. The conversation moves into the loss that changed everything. After finally rebuilding a relationship with his father, Richard lost him to suicide during a hunting trip in 2006. What followed was grief, PTSD, clinical depression, substance misuse, the collapse of a career, incarceration, faith, recovery, and a long road toward healing. Released during Men’s Mental Health Month, this episode is for every helper, caretaker, clinician, parent, provider, and person who has carried more than anyone knew. It is also for everyone who loves someone who is struggling and wants to understand what support, safety, and hope can look like. In This Episode How Richard became a caretaker at just five years old What parentification can do to a child’s identity and emotional development Why professional knowledge does not make someone immune to grief, trauma, depression, or addiction How losing his father to suicide changed Richard’s life and sense of self Why grief demands to be heard instead of avoided or rushed The connection between PTSD, depression, addiction, and unresolved pain How Richard’s incarceration became part of his accountability, recovery, and faith journey What men are taught to carry silently — and what that silence can cost Why emotional safety matters when someone is struggling How to support someone who is grieving without trying to fix them Why community and connection are essential to recovery What it means to believe you are not the worst thing you’ve ever done Powerful Moments From the Conversation “You are not the worst thing you’ve ever done. You’re also not the worst thing that’s ever happened to you.” “Self-care is not selfish.” “Grief demands to be heard.” “We are hurt in relationship and we heal in relationship.” “Lean on your people.” “You are enough.” “Strength looks all kind of ways.” About Richard Lynch Richard Lynch, MA, LCADC, is a licensed clinical alcohol and drug counselor, clinical supervisor, behavioral health leader, speaker, and trainer with more than 15 years of experience across substance use treatment, community mental health, corrections, grief care, and trauma-informed practice. His professional background includes clinical leadership, program development, staff supervision, crisis response, substance use treatment, grief counseling, trauma-informed care, and behavioral health advocacy. Richard is also trained in EMDR, is a QPR instructor, and brings both lived experience and professional insight into conversations about addiction, grief, recovery, faith, and men’s mental health. Richard speaks openly about his own journey through addiction, PTSD, clinical depression, suicide loss, incarceration, faith, and recovery. His message centers on accountability, healing, self-care, community, and the belief that our worst moments do not have to define who we are. Connect With Richard Lynch Facebook: Search Richard Lynch Instagram: Search #LeanOnYourPeople TikTok: Search #LeanOnYourPeople YouTube: Search #LeanOnYourPeople Hashtag: #LeanOnYourPeople Resources Mentioned QPR Institute — Question, Persuade, Refer: qprinstitute.com Alcoholics Anonymous: aa.org Narcotics Anonymous: Find NA meetings Al-Anon Family Groups: al-anon.org Alateen: alateen.net EMDR International Association: About EMDR Therapy 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: 988lifeline.org If This Episode Resonated With You If you are the helper, the caretaker, the provider, the parent, the professional, or the person everyone assumes is fine — you still deserve support. You do not have to wait until things fall apart to ask for help. If you love someone who is struggling, remember that you do not have to have perfect words. Sometimes being present, listening without trying to fix everything, and reminding someone they are not alone can make a meaningful difference. If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 in the United States to connect with the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

Aaron Burros: Real Men Don’t Cry — Until They Have No Choice

Glow For Hope: Sparking Conversation on Mental Health REAL MEN DON'T CRY — UNTIL THEY HAVE NO CHOICE Men's mental health, trauma survival, PTSD, resilience, and what it really means to ask for help when the world tells you not to Host: Kelly Poelker Guest: Aaron Burros, The Running Servant Category: Men's Mental Health · Trauma · PTSD · Resilience · Suicide Prevention WHAT HAPPENS TO A MAN WHEN EVERYTHING IS TAKEN FROM HIM AT ONCE — AND NOBODY COMES TO HELP? In this episode of the Glow For Hope: Sparking Conversation on Mental Health Podcast, host Kelly Poelker sits down with Aaron Burros — known to many as The Running Servant — an RRCA-certified transformational run coach, ultra-marathoner, keynote speaker, and author of Medal Monday. Aaron's story begins long before running. It begins with a kid from Akron, Ohio who moved to Houston at ten years old, found his way through faith and Bible college, and then watched his health spiral to nearly 400 pounds before a doctor's warning changed everything. What followed was one of the most remarkable physical transformations in the running community — 178 pounds lost, and a growing passion for endurance athletics that would eventually be tested in ways he never imagined. In November 2015, Aaron was shot five times at his workplace. What followed was years of physical pain, debilitating PTSD, isolation, and a mental health battle that nearly broke him — fought largely alone, in silence, the way men are taught to fight everything. This is the story of what happened after. The crying spells that lasted two to four hours. The hallucinations. The ten days without sleep. Breaking down on the side of a Houston freeway and finally realizing — in his mother's words — that he wasn't Superman. And then, in 2021, lacing up his shoes and running 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 weeks to raise money for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital — with a bullet still lodged in his body — because running was the only thing that gave him back a reason to get up. Released during Men's Mental Health Month, this episode is for every man who has been told to push through, suck it up, and carry it alone — and for everyone who loves one. IN THIS EPISODE * What the messages men receive about strength actually cost them over a lifetime * How Aaron went from nearly 400 pounds to competitive ultra-marathoner — and what running gave him that nothing else could * What surviving a violent workplace shooting actually looked like in the days, weeks, and years that followed * What PTSD feels like from the inside — not the clinical definition, but the lived reality * Why men are still not getting the mental health support they need — and why Aaron believes it's getting worse, not better * The moment on the side of a Houston freeway when Aaron finally broke — and what his mother said that changed everything * How the 50/50/50 challenge became his path back to himself * What running with chronic physical pain taught him about perseverance that no finish line ever could * What he wants every man who is quietly struggling to hear right now POWERFUL MOMENTS FROM THE CONVERSATION > "People don't cry at funerals because of who passed. They cry because it's the only acceptable place for a man to cry." > "The mental and emotional pain — I cannot describe it to someone to where your soul is pained. The pain I experience physically is nowhere near the mental and emotional pain I experienced." > "My mom said, you finally realize that you're not Superman, you're not invincible. And that was that whole thing — because all my life you're being told, real men don't cry." > "I would rather feel this physical pain from the bullet than the emotional pain. And so in 2019, I went back to running." > "Get help. Don't wait until you don't have a choice. People are going to make fun of you. But there will be a chosen few that are going to be there to tell you — you're not crazy." ABOUT AARON BURROS Aaron Burros is an RRCA-certified transformational run coach, ultra-marathoner, keynote speaker, and author based in Houston, Texas. Known publicly as The Running Servant, Aaron transformed his life by losing 178 pounds through running and went on to compete in endurance events across the country. In 2021, Aaron completed his 50/50/50 challenge — 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 weeks — to raise awareness and funds for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. He now uses his platform to speak openly about men's mental health, PTSD, trauma recovery, and the power of running as a tool for healing. His book Medal Monday tells the full story of that journey. CONNECT WITH AARON BURROS * Email: aaronburros@yahoo.com [aaronburros@yahoo.com] * Instagram: @therunningservant [https://www.instagram.com/therunningservant/] * Facebook: Aaron Burros [https://www.facebook.com/aaron.burros] * Book — Medal Monday: Available on Amazon [https://www.amazon.com/Medal-Monday-Quest-Marathons-States/dp/B0BYRXP1H9/] * Supporting Men's Mental Health: NoStigmas.org [https://nostigmas.org] IF THIS EPISODE RESONATED WITH YOU If you're carrying more than you're saying — or you know someone who is — please reach out to someone you trust. You don't have to wait until things fall apart to ask for support. If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 in the United States to connect with the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Find Mental Health Support [https://glowforhopenfp.org/resources/mental-health-help/] Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/glow-for-hope-sparking-conversation-on-mental-health/id1837796801] The post Aaron Burros: Real Men Don’t Cry — Until They Have No Choice [https://glowforhopenfp.org/real-men-dont-cry-aaron-burros-ptsd-running/] first appeared on Glow For Hope | Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Awareness [https://glowforhopenfp.org].

JD Tremblay: It Doesn’t Get Better — You Get Stronger

Glow For Hope: Sparking Conversation on Mental Health   JD TREMBLAY: IT DOESN’T GET BETTER — YOU GET STRONGER Men's mental health, military service, identity, silent struggle, nervous system regulation, and what it really means to rebuild from the inside out Host: Kelly Poelker Guest: JD Tremblay Category: Men's Mental Health · Military Veterans · Identity · Resilience · Suicide Prevention WHAT DOES STRENGTH ACTUALLY LOOK LIKE WHEN THE WEIGHT NEVER STOPS COMING? In this episode of the Glow For Hope: Sparking Conversation on Mental Health Podcast, host Kelly Poelker sits down with JD Tremblay — military veteran, ultra-endurance athlete, certified naturopathic practitioner, and author — for an honest conversation about men's mental health, silent suffering, and what it takes to stop surviving and start paying attention to what's happening on the inside. JD is one of only three people in the world to complete the EpicDeca: 10 Ironman-distance triathlons in 10 consecutive days across six Hawaiian Islands. But that's not where this conversation starts. It starts with a 14-year-old being bullied, caught between two broken homes, making the decision to leave both parents behind and join the military — because that felt safer than staying. JD opens up about years of searching for answers, the addiction he's spoken about publicly, the pressure of military culture to never show weakness, and why the traditional mental health resources he turned to didn't work for him. He talks about what chronic stress actually does to the body, how men learn to outrun their pain instead of facing it, and what finally began to shift. This is not a highlight reel. It's a real conversation about the gap between how high-achieving men look on the outside and what they're carrying privately — and why closing that gap starts with being honest about the struggle. Released during Men's Mental Health Month, this episode is for anyone who has ever performed strength while quietly falling apart inside. IN THIS EPISODE * Why so many men can't tell the difference between vulnerability and weakness * How military culture trains men to hide struggle — and what that costs them * What living in chronic stress actually does to the body over time * The difference between feelings and emotions — and why it matters for healing * Why high achievement and extreme discipline can become a way to avoid inner work * How to regulate the nervous system when you're constantly overwhelmed * The identity crisis that follows when men root themselves in a role that disappears * What active and passive meditation actually look like — and why both are necessary * What JD would tell his younger self — and why the answer is not what you'd expect * What he wants men who are quietly struggling to hear right now POWERFUL MOMENTS FROM THE CONVERSATION > "There's a stigma of not allowing others to see your weaknesses. But there's a difference between vulnerability and weakness — and many people, especially men, aren't able to see it." > "I tried to look for answers. One of them was a psychologist. It might work for some people. For me, it didn't." > "Everybody doing these ultra events definitely has some mental health going on. They're trying to outrun certain other parts of their life — and then they figure out that it becomes part of their life anyway." > "The hard part of the EpicDeca wasn't the 10 days in Hawaii. The hard part was going back to a storage unit with boxes, hoping I was going to make it." > "It doesn't get any better. What gets better is how you react to it." > "Not talking about it isn't strength. You're just trying to do everything by yourself — and that's the problem right there." ABOUT JD TREMBLAY JD Tremblay is an integrated engineer, military veteran, certified naturopathic practitioner, ultra-endurance triathlete, and author of the bestselling book Hunger for More in Life. He is one of only three people in the world to have completed the EpicDeca — 10 Ironman-distance triathlons in 10 consecutive days across six Hawaiian Islands. As the founder of Hungry Warrior Academy, JD works with men to rebuild their mental, physical, and spiritual capacity so they can lead with clarity, purpose, and resilience. CONNECT WITH JD TREMBLAY * Book: Hunger for More in Life [https://hunger4more.com] * Hungry Warrior Academy: hungrywarrioracademy.com [https://hungrywarrioracademy.com] * Instagram: @hungrywarrioracademy [https://www.instagram.com/hungrywarrioracademy/] IF THIS EPISODE RESONATED WITH YOU If you're carrying more than you're saying — or you know someone who is — please reach out to someone you trust. You don't have to wait until things fall apart to ask for support. If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 in the United States to connect with the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Find Mental Health Support [https://glowforhopenfp.org/resources/mental-health-help/] Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/] The post JD Tremblay: It Doesn’t Get Better — You Get Stronger [https://glowforhopenfp.org/jd-tremblay-mens-mental-health/] first appeared on Glow For Hope | Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Awareness [https://glowforhopenfp.org].

Sean Carey: I Was Holding Everything Together… Until I Wasn’t

What happens when the man holding everything together is quietly falling apart inside? In this deeply honest episode of Glow For Hope: Sparking Conversation on Mental Health, Sean Carey shares the real story behind his message of discipline, ownership, and personal growth. Sean opens up about surviving years of alcoholism in the home, protecting his children during chaos, becoming a single father, emotional exhaustion, grief, survival mode, and the moment he realized he had to rebuild himself from the inside out. This conversation explores: ✔ Men’s mental health ✔ Emotional suppression ✔ Fatherhood and resilience ✔ Entrepreneurship and burnout ✔ Addiction’s impact on families ✔ Vulnerability and leadership ✔ Learning to ask for help ✔ Rebuilding after trauma If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, emotionally exhausted, isolated, or like you had to carry everything alone — this conversation is for you. 🎙 Hosted by Kelly Poelker ✨ Glow For Hope: Sparking Conversation on Mental Health #MentalHealth #MensMentalHealth #SeanCarey #GlowForHope #MentalHealthPodcast #AddictionRecovery #Fatherhood #EmotionalHealth #SuicidePrevention #Resilience