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The Impact Series celebrates the ability of one person to make a difference. ♪ ♫ Featured in Part 2: Meg Hutchinson's song Gatekeeper, a song about a man who (for years) saved people from jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge. How did this man do it? Listen to find out. You'll hear tips on helping a depressed friend or busting stigma from Samantha, a college student who attended the Active Minds National Conference last November. Samantha will show us what she learned from 1) WNBA (Basketball) player Chamique Holdsclaw 2) Singer/songwriter Meg Hutchinson and 3) Active Minds Speakers Maggie and Jordan Bertram. Learn more about Active Minds at www.activeminds.org! Interested in buying some of Hutchinson's music, click here! Your Thoughts? Do you lead a chapter or support network at your school? Has listening to Flipswitch given you courage to share your story?

Ever feel like you're the only one where you are who cares about destroying stigma? Hear why size doesn't matter-how you can make a difference no matter where you are! In Part 3 of the Impact Series, we finish my interview with Sam, a Maryland college student who attended the Active Minds 8th Annual National Conference last November. In this podcast, she talks about Active Minds Chapters at universities across the U.S. Interested in starting an Active Minds chapter at your school, visit www.activeminds.org! Your Thoughts?: Do you lead a support network or chapter at your school? Were you able to get help for depression (or another mental illness) because of a support network at your school?

Meet, Claire, a California student who is Co-President of a LETS Club at her college. What is LETS? LETS is a great nonfprofit that helps young people break mental health stigma at their high schools and colleges. LETS stands for Let's Erase The Stigma. Claire will tell us about her diagnoses of depression and anxiety and how she has risen above these illnesses to become a successful college student. She will tell us about the genesis of LETS at her school. Claire talks about caring what her peers think of her but still acting despite stigma! Interested in learning more about LETS? Visit www.lets.org. Your Thoughts?: Do you want to break stigma but sometimes feel ashamed of your own diagnosis? How do you choose who you will share your diagnosis with?

Claire, a 20-yo California student, finishes her story from Pt 4. Now, she tells us about activities she's put on as Co-President of the LETS Club at her college and how students have been impacted! Any student leading a support network can find inspriation. Claire also talks about how to break stigma even if you're not a student leader--we talk about how the little things count and how you can erase stigma everyday! L E T S stands for Let's Erase The Stigma! Interested in learning more about LETS? Visit their website at www.lets.org! Your Thoughts?: Can you use any of these ideas to erase stigma (testimonial days where people share stories, screening films, newsletters, or sm all group discussions)? Were you inspired to do something by Claire?

16-yo Sarah, the President of the largest LETS club in the U.S. L E T S stands for Let's Erase The Stigma; LETS is a mental health organization that empowers students at high schools and colleges to erase stigma on campus and in their communities. In the first half of my candid interview with Sarah, she discusses surviving a suicide attempt, getting a diagnosis of Bipolar I and ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), and how her best friend helped save her life. Interested in learning more about LETS? Visit www.lets.org. Your Thoughts?: Has a best friend ever kept you from completing suicide? OR Have you ever saved a friend's life? Can you use these 2 lessons (1. Don't dismiss mood swings as "teenage angst." 2. Put a friend's safety first before fear of rejection when dealing with a suicidal person)?

16-yo Sarah finishes her riveting story. She describes surviving a suicide attempt in 8th grade and later helping dozens of youth with depression. Sarah, a California highschooler with Bipolar I and ADHD, used her past painful experiences to found the largest LETS club in the country. She is now the President of a club with 110 students that serves as a a model to other LETS clubs. L E T S stands for Let's Erase The Stigma; LETS is a mental health organization that empowers students at high schools and colleges to erase stigma on campus and in their communities. Visit their website at www.lets.org! Your Thoughts?: Are you the president (or founder) of a support network or mental health advocacy group at your school? Can you use your pain to help others?

Are you interested in making a difference at your high school or college? Hear practical tips and ideas from Ann, an 18-yo who talks about how she overcame her brother's suicide & how she helped so many students with depression. Ann started a successful chapter of Erika's Lighthouse (EL) at her high school and is now a freshman in college. Young people, parents, and teachers can all find inspiration from Ann's courage and compassion in the face of tragedy. Visit www.erikaslighthouse.org for more information about bringing EL to your school! Your Thoughts?: Can you use some of Ann's ideas to make a difference/start a club at your school for depression awareness (start a Facebook page, get involved in Homecoming activities, put a booth up at fairs, talk to health classes, etc.)? Can you apply these 2 lessons to your life (1. persevere if you want to make a difference and 2. channel your grief into a force

Ever wonder if the things you're doing might be unintentionally making your depression or a friend's depression worse? Listen for 5 things NOT to do and 5 Things to do with a friend who suffers from depression. If you wish your family and friends knew how to help you better (or someone else) share this short podcast on your Facebook wall, Tweet it, or email it. List includes ideas from Flipswitch fans who shared their thoughts on Twitter. Your Thoughts?: What is the best thing someone ever did with you when you were depressed? What is the worst thing someone ever did with you when you were depressed? Do you know someone else who can benefit from hearing this podcast?

Have you lost a friend to suicide? OR Are you someone longing to bust mental health stigma at your school? Hear some comforting words from Reed for suicide survivors and practical tips for students who wish to make a difference in the world of mental health. Reed is the Co-President of his high school's Erika's Lighthouse (EL) chapter. Reed is the second student from EL featured in the Impact Series. You can hear the first EL interview with Ann here, Impact Series Pt 8: Teen Channels Grief from Brother's Suicide into Force for Good. Interested in bringing Erika's Lighthouse to your school? Visit www.erikaslighthouse.org for more information. Your Thoughts?: What are the most comforting words someone ever told you after losing someone to suicide? Can you use Reed's advice to make an impact at your school (get other students involved, get a teacher/faculty member involved, remember that no difference is too small)?

How do you move on when everyone around you has seen you at your lowest? Would you keep your friend's secret no matter the cost? Helping us with these two riddles is 17-yo Kelsey and her mom. We'll hear about Kelsey's journey from survivng severe depression to becoming a successful mental health advocate. Kelsey is a student leader at Erika's Lighthouse. Interested in bringing Erika's Lighthouse to your school? Visit www.erikaslighthouse.org. Your Thoughts: Can you use Kelsey's advice on helping a suicidal friend (getting an approprite adult involved--not keeping a secret at any cost)?

Hear from Alison Malmon, the Founder of Active Minds Inc., an organization that destroys mental health stigma on campuses. Malmon will talk about why she started Active Minds, and how it's grown from 3 students to 300 chapters. Malmon will also give tips for those of us with mentally ill siblings & advice for people who have survived the suicide of a loved one. To bring Active Minds to your campus, visit www.activeminds.org. Your Thoughts?: Can you use Alison's advice on loving a sibling (trust your instincts, trust your relationship, and get support for yourself)? Were you inspired by Alison's story?

In this short podcast, I finish my interview with Alison Malmon, the Executive Director of Active Minds, a booming organization that busts sitmga on college campuses across the U.S. Alison shares 1) practical ways teachers and professors can help students that are battling mental illness and 2) how you can help a depressed family member or friend. For more information on Active Minds, visit www.activeminds.org. Your Thoughts?: Are you a teacher or professor who can use some of these ideas (1. tell students you care about more than grading their papers 2. put the school's mental health resources on the syllabus 3. listen to students/treat mental illness with the same consideration you give physical illness)? Are you a friend or family member who can use Alison's advice on also finding support for yourself?

In this podcast, we broach the difficult subject of rape--what NOT to say and what TO say to a friend who has been raped or sexually assaulted. 1 in 4 women in the U.S. have been raped or sexually assaulted. 1 in 6 men have experienced sexual abuse or rape. At the end of the podcast, I also list resources for survivors and their loved ones. April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month in the U.S. Your Thoughts?: Can you use these two lists to help you support a friend or loved one? Can you use some of the resources in the podcast to find help for yourself or a friend?

In this Flipswitch interview, I talk to the author of children's book, Bipolar Bears, Sue Hueston. Through the story of a family of polar bears, easy to understand language, and beautiful illustrations, this book helps children with parents who have bipolar disorder make sense of the illness. Sue talks about how a manic episode following the birth of her first child in 2008 inspired her to write Bipolar Bears and helped her come to terms with a sexual assault that happened many years ago. Sue also shares her tools for being happy and successful while living with bipolar disorder. Her story is one of hope over despair! Visit her website here: www.bipolarbears.net.au. Your Thoughts?: Has lack of sleep ever triggered a manic episode for you? Can you use Sue's advice for staying stable (monitoring sleep patterns, exercising regularly, eating healthy)?

What happened the last time you reconnected with a friend? You'll hear the surprising thing that happened when two childhood friends found each other after 30 years on Facebook. This is my interview with talented actress, Meredith Simesen, from Chicago theater company, Erasing the Distance. Meredith is starring in the world premiere of Good Enough, a production from Erasing the Distance, which can be seen on May 14, 15, 21, or 22. Visit www.erasingthedistance.org for more info. Your Thoughts: Were you encouraged by Meredith and April's story? Do you have similar story of friendship in the face of mental illness?

Linea Johnson talks about the book she wrote with her mom (Cinda Johnson) Perfect Chaos, which chronicles her journey through bipolar disorder. The 26-year old reads 4 passages from the book on depression, mania, ECT (electroconvulsive therapy), and how a friend helped her during a crying spell. Linea shares her message of comfort for people who are managing bipolar disorder. Your Thoughts?: Could you relate to Linea's story? Has a friend ever made you feel less alone during depression or mania?

Hear from Amelia, a "story collector" at the theater company Erasing the Distance. Amelia is one of the writers of Good Enough, which has shows on May 14, 15, 21, and 22 in Chicago. Good Enough features the true stories of five remarkable women who are experiencing depression or bipolar disorder. Amelia will read a passage from the play. She will tell us why Good Enough is a great production for audience members with and without mental illnesses. For more information about watching Good Enough or submitting your own life story, you can visit www.erasingthedistance.org. Your Thoughts: Will you watch the show? Do you ever struggle with feeling good enough?

Hear from a woman who has overcome it all--abuse, homelessness, addiction, and undiagnosed mental illness (bipolar disorder) to help thousands! Sharon Wise is a successful artist, author, and mental health advocate. I met her when we both won honors from the National Council--she won 1st place in Artistic Contribution. To order her artwork or read her books, email her at thehouseofsharon@msn.com. In this interview, Sharon shares the tools of her bipolar survival kit. Your Thoughts?: Does Sharon's life give you hope? Is there someone you can share this story with--someone who needs hope?

I met Kevin Cleare when we both won awards from the National Council of Community Behavioral Healtchare. Kevin won 1st Prize in Individual Achievement. Kevin has been a tireless advocate for people with serious mental illness in the criminal justice system. Hear him discuss how he turned his life around after serving five years in prison. Kevin will also share two tools in his "mental health survival kit." Your Thoughts? Do you know someone who could derive hope from Kevin's story? Have you ever had to turn your life around?

Hear from Carol as she reads her poem, In Less Than a Day, which inspired a play by the same name from Erasing the Distance, a Chicago theater company. In this interview, Carol talks about the excruciating pain she endured from a surgery prompted her to remember her father's death from a brain tumor. In facing stressful circumstances--multitasking lupus and bipolar disorder--Carol has used tools from DBT, or Dialectical Behavioral Therapy. She will discuss "opposite reaction" and "living in the moment," and how we can use these tools in our own lives. Interested in seeing In Less Than a Day on Monday, June 25, 2012? Go to erasingthedistance.org for more information! Your Turn?: Were you inspired by Carol's courage? Can you use these DBT tools: opposite reaction and living in the moment?