The Upstream Podcast with Salman, Like the Fish

Did you know that one in 6 men will encounter a clinically significant depressive episode in their life? Think of your closes 6 friends...well, 6 friends, you’re pretty lucky (joke to break the seriousness of this topic), but that is a staggering number.

Even if not ‘clinically significant,’ as in meeting all the criteria a provider utilizes, don’t we all have somewhat of an idea of how that may feel?

For some, the descent into that chaos of depression is an abyss that seems insurmountable, and even worse, many tangible things can be lost along the way down: a job, a relationship, health, you name it. Time and healing, therapy via counseling and/or medication, self-reflection, and acceptance are crucial to getting back on one’s feet.

Join me and Pete Isip, once barely acquainted, now friends, as we discuss our unlikely encounter in a very random outpatient therapy program that was the very spark to this deep dive on recovery and rebuilding after a mental health crisis

 

 

"There's nothing certain in life except for DEATH and TAXES."

Death.. we don't like to think about it. Matter of fact, how often do we take a step back behind the veil and think about the "matrix," that we're in so-to-speak. Have you ever asked yourself why you are here? How did you get here? Where are we going after "this" is over. Who or what put me here in the first place? What is death going to be like? Is there life afterwards? What about the in-between?

Near-death experiences have skyrocketed since the dawn of CPR and though many survivors may not be spiritual, or even of the same religious persuasion, it is baffling how many experiences share commonalities.

Join me as a sit and talk with Paulo Santos, a man who has been at the brink of death after contracting COVID in the very beginning of it all. Medically speaking, he should not have survived COVID. Now he lives to tell about his experience. A true journey beyond life, and into the realm in-between life and death.

Join us as we close out this segment on the spiritual awakening that the program of Alcoholics Anonymous can provide one who has tried everything else to maintain sobriety from alcohol and drugs. This program can provide the willing participant to regain control of their life, not just over substance abuse, but even for the non-addict who struggles with engaging in behaviors they can not break, thinking patterns that are self-defeating, and resentments that breed a life of drudgery. 

See what I did there? ‘w-AA-y.’ Thats because this episode is all about how the program of Alcoholics Anonymous would be massively helpful to anyone, and not just those who are working towards their recovery from illicit substances or alcohol.

I’ve had the honor and privilege to work along side patients and their counselors on their road to recovery and have witnessed tremendous change from the inside out. Some would call that a ‘spiritual,’ change. From what I’ve seen over and over, anyone seeking lasting change in anything in life, there is something that goes deep within and beyond behavior.

C.S. Lewis once wrote, ‘You don’t have a soul. You ARE a Soul. You HAVE a body.’ For our body and it’s expression in this world to change, our souls need healing and growth.

Join me and CEO of Bluecrest Recovery Center as we discuss the benefits of AA for the general population. The man is wealth of wisdom gained through the upstream of life without a doubt!

Ahhhhh relationships.... such a complex and personalized topic. But what is the point of relationship? We were never meant as human beings to live life alone. It is in our DNA. The human race would not be here to this day otherwise.

Culture is constantly changing, but the truth remains that some relationship are life giving, while others are ... well, NOT.

Every relationship we enter into is a gamble. We don’t have much control of our attractions, but we do choose who we decide to commit to. But when is it time to call it quits? When do we make a formal commitment? And when we’ve made that commitment, how do we keep it?

Join me and artist, musician, and one of my best friends as we discuss life in committed relationships from both sides of the fence; myself married 13 years, and Aremo, 2 years into a committed relationship. Maybe you’ll have some clarity on whether or not you’re in a relationSHIP or a relationSHIT

Listen as the tables are now turned and Angel plays host as we journey through this writer's experience into working through mental health issues never before lived. 

Mental health.... just those words alone bring about stigma. It’s not sexy. It’s not commonly spoken about with even our closest associates. 

It’s a scary thought that one can descend off into the lower side of the mental health spectrum, but the reality is we all have a certain level of resiliency and threshold to cope with life.

The pandemic has added another layer of anxiety that hangs on the backdrop of the complex life that we are all already living. There are those in the field like myself and Angel Bosquez who are in the thick of serving those who seek mental health services.

Join us as we share and get vulnerable about what it’s been like from the perspectives of two men working in mental health, fighting for our own.

We’ve heard it said before that it’s not what you know but who you know.

As human beings, we are meant to be in communion with one another, like it or not. We were not created to be isolated creatures. And within the depth of our being is a yearning to be good to our fellow humans, and ideally, make a lasting positive impact on humanity. This, inherently, leaves us with a feeling of accomplishment, joy, and peace.

Join me as I speak with Eric Nowoslawski, a man on a mission to leave this Earth better than it was when he arrived. What makes this man tick? Why is he so driven to be generously altruistic? What drives a man to want to live a life that contributes to the betterment of society at large? Listen and find out!

 

You may or may not be aware of the undercurrent of, "Cancel Culture." It is sweeping away whole careers, movements, companies, cultural icons, even history; so much has been "cancelled," without any chance for redemption. This plays out with an even more furious pace given the usage of social media platforms, where news, valid or not, goes from the clouds to our hands exclaiming, "Cancel (fill in the blank), they did (fill in the blank), and so it goes.

All of this is taking place on the macro level, but this also takes place on the micro level. 

The micro level is the level of our interpersonal relationships: our friends, family, loved ones, co-workers, relatives, and even acquaintances. A difference of opinion or viewpoint, or maybe even a misunderstanding can cause one to "cancel" on the relationship for good. And why cancel? Does this provide more peace? Security? Does it quell?

Join me as I speak with Mute; photographer and artist and good friend of mine, who I almost cancelled! So much was gained from our interaction and we want to share that with you. If you've ever felt like "cancelling," someone, this just might be the episode you need to hear.

Do you have power in your life? What is power anyway? And if you don't have power, how can you acquire it?

Join me and my guest John Troche, Substance Recovery Specialist and Interventionist as we explore the concept of power and how possession, or lack there of it, can make or break our lives. 

We have a deep intuition that there is a part of us that has not been actualized. No matter what level of consciousness, something so germaine to being human is this wisdom that we can be something different, maybe even better, than what we are now. For some, that inward call is left unfilled. Why? Could it possibly be because of a lack of power?

Let's change the script. Let's find out what power is and how we can get it so that we can be everything we were created to be, so that we can help those around us who we were meant to serve.