Actor Tells All: Cannabis Addiction, Depression and The Power of Therapy

As an actor who started out on Broadway and now calls LA home, JD has survived the sting of rejection. But it was real life that recently delivered the sharpest of blows when his infatuation for a woman in a Zoom class led to unrequited love. When she wanted to "just be friends," JD's heart was broken, he was wounded, and even his neighbors would hear him in the throws of despair.But underneath his obsession was an even darker part of his life. Every waking moment was centered around cannabis and getting high. For JD, marijuana was an addiction that he tried to break free from a half-dozen times. But it was the single substance in his life that proved to be more powerful than him.JD joins me for a candid conversation about how his drug dependency and Zoom obsession spiraled out of control. Most relevantly, hitting this low-point started with the pit of depression: a history of dysthymia, treatment-resistant depression, and ultimately the merry-go-round of medications and prescribers of varying efficacy.From confronting suicide (we hear JD's intense thoughts on ending his life) to the transformative power of therapy, JD is now walking a path of acceptance and balance in his second act.Support the showHelp Bipolar She Today! Buy Me A Coffee is a platform for podcasters to receive support, even if just a micro-donation. It's finally time to grow! Let's amplify voices of mental illness in all their raw details.Bipolar She is dedicated to real conversations for women living with mental illness. Hosted by Janine Noel, the majority of episodes give voice to a woman who has lived-life experience with mental illness--or who has experienced the illness of someone close to them. Along the way, I interview experts in the field that address additional mental health concerns.Frankly, coping with a mental health condition can be exhausting. Here's a place where you can land and find an episode that resonates with you. Some topics we've covered: being a bipolar mom or having a bipolar mom. Anxiety, agoraphobia, chronic depression, ECT, borderline personality disorder, ADHD, a psychiatrist that breaks your trust. A therapist who goes above and beyond to help you. The impact of trauma on your brain. Bipolar She couldn't have thrived without guitarist, JD Cullum's original music.Editor Brandon Moran makes everyone's voice sound both crisper and smarter.Sponsored by Amy Vincze's Emotional Freedom Technique App: Soar With Tapping....