From Mental Hellness to Mental Wellness w/ David Woods Bartley
November 2, 2021
Hosted by Chris Meek
[Download MP3] [itunes] [Bookmark Episode]
Guest Information
Episode Description
David Woods Bartley has seen his fair share of successes and setbacks, from directing a nationally recognized nonprofit to battling a life-threatening mental illness. Now he’s speaking with Chris Meek about what he describes as the brutal knock-down, drag-out fight he experienced with clinical depression, which led him to attempt suicide and now devote his life to opening the doors to the possibility of good mental health and wellness to everyone. As an international mental health educator, trainer and advocate, David instructs others on the “why” of suicide and the “how” of hope. He believes that we all must take the initiative to understand what mental illness feels like for others, focus on the “why” surrounding those feelings and subsequently why people commit suicide. He also reminds us that when struggling with mental health it is easy to believe that everything you think is true. But suicide is not about truth or fact, as David discusses, it is ultimately about needing faith and the “how” of hope. This hour of Next Steps Forward focuses on the problems and solutions of suicide, the three most important words of mental health (hint: connection, connection, connection), and how to ask the right questions to those who may be struggling.
Next Steps Forward
Tuesday at 10 AM Pacific Time on VoiceAmerica Empowerment Channel
Personal empowerment, commitment to our own well-being and the motivation to achieve more than we ever thought possible are the ingredients of a better life. And, they’re all within our reach. Next Steps Forward with Chris Meek delves into each aspect of the three keys that add energy, excitement, direction and purpose to everything that we do.
Each week, Chris hosts leaders from the worlds of business, sports, entertainment, medicine, politics and public policy as they engage in thought-provoking discussions to help us all take the next step forward on our own journeys to our better selves and greater service to others. Next Steps Forward with Chris Meek is an informative, uplifting hour every Tuesday at 1 PM Eastern Time and 10 AM Pacific Time on the VoiceAmerica Empowerment Channel that’s certain to inspire you to take that important next step forward, too.
Chris Meek
Chris Meek believes in the American spirit of individual empowerment and service to others, especially those who have sacrificed for our freedoms. As someone who lived through the horrors of Ground Zero on 9/11, Chris had no way home but to join others as they put one foot in front of the other to make their way forward. Since that day, Chris has committed himself to empowering and motivating fellow Americans to keep taking steps forward, no matter what life throws their way.
Chris has spent the last decade serving as the co-founder and chairman of the national nonprofit SoldierStrong, which is dedicated to helping military veterans take their next steps forward. SoldierStrong carries out its mission by providing revolutionary medical technology to VA medical centers, including exoskeleton suits to help paralyzed veterans walk again and virtual reality equipment to help treat post-traumatic stress.
He also serves as an advisor on the President’s Roadmap to Empower Veterans and End a National Tragedy of Suicide (PREVENTS) task force. In this role, he shares a responsibility to raise awareness about mental health, facilitate research and define a plan to prevent suicide. In 2020, Chris launched ReachStrong, a nonprofit aimed at empowering all Americans to care for their overall well-being. Chris is also a financial services executive at S and P Global, Inc, in New York City. He and his wife, Christine, have three children.
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