Nicea DeGering: The Cost of Looking Like You Have It All Together

For decades, Nicea DeGering has been a familiar, trusted voice in Utah homes delivering the news, celebrating “good things,” and interviewing everyone from celebrities to presidential candidates. But behind the polished on-air presence is a deeply personal story shaped by mental health, advocacy, and hard-earned perspective.In this refreshingly honest episode of Mental Health Momentum, Dr. David Morgan sits down with Nicea to talk about the things we used to whisper about and why we can’t afford to anymore.Nicea shares what it was like growing up in the 80s and 90s, when mental health wasn’t discussed, therapy was taboo, and families were expected to quietly “handle things.” She opens up about her sister’s decades-long mental health journey, becoming an advocate at just 12 years old, and witnessing firsthand how stigma can isolate people who are already suffering.This conversation goes far beyond diagnosis or labels. Together, Dr. Morgan and Nicea explore:Why saying “I’m fine” is often the least honest thing we sayHow compassion is built through lived experience and why it mattersThe cost of perfection culture, especially for womenWhy emotional growth requires struggle (just like physical growth does)How social media both connects us—and overwhelms usWhat it really means to “visit” hard emotions without living thereThis episode is a reminder that mental health isn’t an “other people” issue. It’s a human issue. It’s our sisters. Our daughters. Our neighbors. Ourselves.And most importantly: talking about it isn’t weakness—it’s how stigma loses its power.If you’ve ever…Felt pressure to look like you have it all togetherStruggled to slow your mind in a nonstop worldWondered how to support someone without “fixing” themQuestioned whether your voice belongs in the room. . . This episode is for you.  Listen now: