When Your Mind Fights Back: Steps Toward Mental Wellness

Fashitsho Podcast - Episode 12: "The Silent Struggle: Navigating Depression and Anxiety" (Feat. DJ Kornbred aka DJ Empress)

In this raw and heartfelt episode of the Fashitsho Podcast, host DJ Kornbred, aka DJ Empress, takes us on a deeply personal journey through the realities of depression and anxiety. These mental health struggles are often invisible but can weigh heavily on our lives. DJ Kornbred opens up about her own experiences and shares insight on how these challenges can show up, how they feel, and how they impact every aspect of our daily lives.

Throughout the episode, we talk about the importance of acknowledging mental health struggles, finding healthy coping mechanisms, and the power of reaching out for support. DJ Kornbred emphasizes the need for open conversations around mental health, especially in our communities where it can often be stigmatized.

With a mix of vulnerability, practical advice, and resources, this episode is a must-listen for anyone who has struggled with depression or anxiety — or for anyone who wants to better understand how to support others facing these challenges.

Remember, you are not alone. Tune in for an honest and empowering discussion on navigating mental health and learning to prioritize your well-being.

Resources mentioned in the episode:

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (U.S.)
• Local mental health support resources based on your region.

Join DJ Kornbred in this important conversation — because mental health matters. 💙

Chapters

• 0:00 Episode Introduction & Mental Health Focus
• 3:15 Breaking Down Depression & Anxiety
• 6:21 How Mental Health Affects Creativity
• 8:04 Practical Steps for Coping
• 12:24 Support Systems & Self-Compassion
• 14:09 Don't Suffer in Silence

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:04

hey, what's up y'all? It's your girl, dj cornbread. Welcome back to another episode on for shit show, the podcast, where we talk about the culture, the hustle and everything in between. I'm so grateful that you guys are tuned in for episode 12, ep. Y'all already know it was a lot going on, so we kind of been on hold, but for the last EP. But you know, we back on and this episode here is going to be like a little different, a little heavier. Um, you know, but it's something we need to talk about. So we're going to be diving into the conversation about depression and anxiety, uh, some topics that we we face, a lot of us face, you know, on a day-to-day basis, but don't always get a chance to discuss openly, you know it. Um, if you ever felt like the weight of the world is too much to carry or like you can't find your way out of your own head, this episode is definitely going to be for you. We're going to break down, or I'm going to break down what depression and anxiety really are, how they affect people, especially in the creative world, and what we can do to start healing, because it's time, you know, to get real and just let it. Let this stuff go so. So, like now, before we get into this heavy stuff, I just want to acknowledge something. So, as we all are here grinding whether you're an artist, a business owner, a student or just doing your thing mental health can sometimes, you know, feel like it's just another thing we have to manage. But we can't ignore it. So we need to recognize it, talk about it and find ways to cope with it. So today is like breaking the silence, you know, and we're, you know we're doing this together. Like today's episode is kind of going to be a mix of education, like conversation and reflection. You know I got a lot to say and I, you know, I hope you like hear me out because we need to talk about this.

Speaker 1: 2:33

Some people deal with mental health and stuff in a way and it's real, it's raw and it's relatable. Some people don't understand depression and anxiety. It's just like it's a big thing, a lot of people go through a lot of things and it can weigh a lot on your health and your everyday, you know, day to day life. So, first off, let's just get on the same page. So we talk about depression and anxiety. We're not just talking about feeling sad or a little stressed here and there, like no, it's deeper than that.

Speaker 1: 3:16

For those who are struggling with these issues, it can feel like, and like all consuming force that impacts every part of your life, like your work, your relationships, your sense of self, your relationships, your sense of self. So let's break it down real quick. Depression isn't just about feeling sad. It's about feeling empty, disconnected and hopeless. It can steal your energy, your motivation and it can make you feel like you're walking through life in like a fog, like like don't get me started on anxiety. It's like it's that constant worry, that racing heartbeat, that feeling like you're about to explode from the inside out. Anxiety takes like over your mind. It's sometimes it's like like there's no way out.

Speaker 1: 4:09

Now, for those who don't personally deal with these issues, it can be hard to fully understand what it's like. So that's why it's so important to have conversations like this, to build awareness and empathy. It's easy to say like just snap out of it, you know, or think positive, but that kind of advice doesn't really help someone who's deep in it like. I want to take a moment here to let you know like, if you're struggling with either of these, you're not like alone. It's like everyone deals with stuff like this. Everyone deals with anxiety and depression. Even if you feel like no one gets it, trust me, there are people who understand what you're going through and it's okay to ask for help. You don't have to go through it by yourself.

Speaker 1: 4:59

Let's talk about, like, how these conditions show up in different areas of life. Like Like starting with, like creativity, as creative, like whether you're in fashion, music, writing, you know, or whatever, like your hustle, maybe your mental health, like mental health plays a huge role in how we produce, how we think and how we see ourselves, you know. So let's talk about mental health. Mental health messes with our grind. When you're dealing with depression and anxiety. It doesn't just mess with your mood, it messes with your ability to work. And for anyone who's trying to make a name for themselves in any creative field, that can be tough, there's this expectation that we need to be constantly on. But when depression hits, it's like all of that energy gets drained out of you the passion, the drive, the desire to create. It's just like it, like it disappears. So it's like you.

Speaker 1: 6:05

You're stuck in a cycle where your brain tells you like, why, why even bother? Like, like, what's the point? Like you know, like, don't even worry about it at this point, just stop. You know, and with anxiety it's a whole other ball game. Like you start doubting yourself, you're doubting your ideas, your talent, your worth. Like every little mistake, every missed opportunity like starts to feel like it's the end of the world. So you're like paralyzed by the what ifs and before you know it, you're stuck in your own head. You know so, but you know, here's the thing. So I'm not just talking about, like the bad side. Like we're going to talk about, like how to get out of the dark space too, so like we'll get there.

Speaker 1: 6:50

But first, like I want to dive like a little deeper into, like the idea that mental health isn't just about fixing something, so it's about learning to live with it and still moving forward, even when it feels like you're not making progress. So like, so okay, so let's get to the good stuff. So what do so? What do you do? What do we do about it? Because the last thing I want to do is like leave y'all hanging. So it's all good to talk about problems, but let's talk about solutions.

Speaker 1: 7:24

So, um, here's how you cope with depression and anxiety. So acknowledge, start by acknowledging it. So like you can, you can't heal what you want, won't acknowledge. If you're dealing with depression or anxiety, don't ignore it, like whether you talk to a friend, a therapist, or just like write it down, get a journal or something you you know, get those feelings out of your head and into the world. Like you know it's the. That's like a first step toward clarity.

Speaker 1: 7:57

You know, like second thing, set like small achievable, like goals or something like that. You know, sometimes, when you're in the depths of like depression, of anxiety or anxiety, the ideas of doing like big things can feel impossible. So, like, start small. Like celebrate the little wins. Like you don't have to just always be big. So if you get out of like bed, like that's progress. If you manage to write like a verse or like sketch a design, like that's progress. Like little steps lead to bigger victories, you know so. Like you know, then, like three, create a routine. So when, when everything feels like chaotic, creating a like structure can help bring some stability. Like you don't have to have a perfect day, but having a routine, like getting up at the same time, eating regularly, and like setting aside time for creative work, like can make a big difference. You know so.

Speaker 1: 8:55

And like you know, reach out for support, like please, please hear me on this. Like therapy works. Like whether you see a counselor, talk to a mentor, even like reach out to a loved one, friends, family, whatever. It's important to have people who support you. There's no shame in asking for help. Like the strongest people people, I know are the ones who know when to lean on others. You know so. And also like, like, don't be afraid to step back and like, take a break when you need to. Like creative burnouts is real as well, you know it's real.

Speaker 1: 9:32

Like and sometimes the best thing for you, for your mental health, is to just pause, like take a break. It doesn't mean you're weak, it means you're taking care of yourself so that you can like come back stronger. You know so. You know, and which, like it brings me to my last point like be kind to yourself. Like we all have our battles. We all have our like off days, our off weeks, or even like off months. You know, but that that doesn't mean like we're failures. It just means we're human. Like you know it just, yeah, it just means we're human. Like so just look. I mean just look, just look at yourself.

Speaker 1: 10:19

If you're dealing with depression, anxiety, you know and you know, or if you know someone who is dealing with depression and anxiety, I want you to know that you're not alone. Like you know it is. You deserve to take, you know, take care of your mental health and take care of your body and your hustle. So, like you know, just reach out to people, reach out to your family and your loved ones, make sure, like you know, check in on, you know each other and support, let's like support one another in this, because it's like this can take a big toll on you. You know, um, like mental health is just like it's a big, it's a big thing. You know mental health is just as important as physical health.

Speaker 1: 11:14

If, if you're struggling, don't suffer in silence, like talk to someone, whether it's a professional or a friend, and get the support you need. Like today, you know it's just it's I said it's a big thing. Like you need to make sure you're looking into getting help from people you know and family, and because sometimes you, some people, don't know how to deal with it, like sometimes you might just want to give up. People don't know how to deal with it. Like sometimes you might just want to give up, like you have certain people that they're. They might be going through so much that they just like want to end their lives and something might just be stressing them out to the point where they just don't even want to be here, or you know things like that and and you know it's just, it's just a lot like some people don't even want to like see psychiatrists and they just feel like when they people talk to them about things like that, it's just they feel like, oh no, I'm not crazy, I don't need to do that. But that really doesn't mean that you're not crazy, you know. It doesn't mean that you are crazy. It just some people just need you know they need more than you know some people can give them or they just meet that extra little kick, you know.

Speaker 1: 12:39

And then you know it's just, it's just, it's just really it's just a lot with anxiety, you know, and depression, and everyone doesn't need medication, everyone. You know know some people can get past. You know a lot of these things with just talking and having conversations with you know, regular, just normal people, friends and family, just on a day-to-day basis and some people can't. But before it gets to that point. For people that do have those type of issues, uh, when it's really really that strong, it's better to get help, because you don't want it to get that bad to the point where you feel like you want to look into hurting yourself or doing something that you will regret later. You know, because you have people that love you, you have your family and a lot of people have you, have kids, and you know they need you and your family needs you and things like that. So I just think that a lot of people that are going through those type of things, they know someone that are going. They're going through things like that and you need to just talk with them. You know it's.

Speaker 1: 14:00

It's a lot like people sometimes. People just need to take time to their themselves, and it's not that they're acting funny or anything like that. They just need time to themselves, to get back, because get back to them because you never know what a person's going through a lot might be just weighing on them, weighing on them, weighing on them. You know. You know you never know what a person's going through, so they just need that time. And it's so many fake people out here that act one way and act like this, this and that, and then they come around just to you know, get what they want out of a person and it might stress the person out that much and that bad to the point. They're like, oh my goodness, like I'm just so tired of people coming around me doing this to me, doing this, doing that, and they just it just stresses them out too on top of the other stress that they have going on. So they just get to the point where they just like I don't even know what to do. So some people might stress out over things like that.

Speaker 1: 14:55

So it's just, it's just a big thing. So you just have to, yeah, just just take it. You know, just help. You know look into helping your friends, family and just like, yeah, just just be there for them. Anybody that's having those issues, whether it's yourself or anybody else, just take the time and go over those steps that I said at the beginning and just look into those things if you need help. As far as psychiatrist, doctor, anything like that, it just it helps, it helps, it helps. So I know this episode, this ep, was kind of different, um, not like a full ep, uh, more on some strict, strict things of your health or whatever, but take my advice if anybody's going through anxiety and depression, because trust me, it will help. But I'm about to get out of here. It's your girl, dj cornbread, aka the empress. What's your show? The podcast? Y'all already know what time it is.