Build Your Mental Health Team

Trying to “push through” alone can look strong from the outside, but it often feels brutal on the inside. I’m Justin Alan Hayes, and this Voices for Voices solo conversation is a real-time check-in on what happens when we stop pretending we can carry our mental health, our stress, and our anxiety without help. I share why this show has become my version of journaling without a pen and how speaking it out loud can create space for someone else to breathe, too.We dig into a team approach to mental health using an American football analogy: teammates matter, but coaches matter too. Whether the title is therapist, psychiatrist, mentor, or trusted friend, the point is the same. Support works best when it’s coordinated, consistent, and built around your real life, not an ideal life where nothing hurts. I also talk about emotional waves and how feelings can shift faster than we expect, plus why it’s OK to admit “I was wrong” when the old approach is not working.Along the way, I reflect on gratitude, basic human needs like shelter and food, and the heartbreak of seeing people who do not have them. And yes, we talk about my dog Lucy and the surprising mental health benefits of pets and support animals, including the comfort of simple routines and physical connection on hard days.If this helps even a little, share it with someone who needs it, subscribe for more conversations that tell the truth, and please leave a review so more people can find Voices for Voices. If you want to support the 501(c)(3) nonprofit mission, you can also donate at lovevoices.org.*Merch Shop: voices-for-voices.org/4h2xvA0**Please Donate Today: LoveVoices.org, CashApp and Venmo***Find our book here:Amazon: voices-for-voices.org/3ZhJ6AWPublisher: voices-for-voices.org/3LKL1uNInstagram: @voicesforvoicesTikTok: @voices_for_voices_22Facebook: Voices for Voices*Voices for Voices is a 501c3 nonprofit charity. All donations are 100% tax deductible.Chapter Markers0:00 Welcome And Ways To Support5:45 Summer Reflections And Staying Present9:05 Mental Health Needs A Team17:30 Reaching 560 Episodes With Purpose24:00 Start Small And Keep Showing Up31:40 Basic Needs And Compassion For Others33:35 How Pets Support Mental Health38:50 Final Encouragement And Goodbye#PersonalGrowth #HealingFromWithin #TraumaRecovery #CommunitySupport #MentalHealthMatters #EmotionalHealing #HealingStories #SoulHealing #justiceforvoicesforvoicestiktok #VoicesforVoices #help3billion #TikTok #Instagram #truth #Jesusaire #Episode560Support the show