Episode 6 Part 1: Anxiety & Anger with Rob Hicks: gender stereotypes & men’s mental health Artwork

Brain Matter Chatter (BMC)

Welcome to Brain Matter Chatter (BMC), the #AcademicMentalHealth podcast. Our mission is to raise awareness about issues surrounding mental health in Academia. As graduate students, at various stages, studying neuroscience, our hosts bring a unique experiential and scientific perspective to discussions on mental health and illness. To provide a holistic picture of mental health in academia, we aim to bring a diverse set of guests to BMC. Some of our episodes will serve to highlight the experiences of current graduate students. Others will invoke perspectives from our very own faculty advisors, mental health experts, and special guests who will add professional insights to the discussions. Conversations surrounding mental health can be difficult. With this podcast, we hope to make the conversations easier and more accessible. A podcast platform is personal, on-demand, and varies in degree of engagement; listeners can choose when and where they listen, suggest topics that they want to hear discussed, and even appear on episodes as guests. One episode at a time, we hope to begin planting the seeds for change. There isn’t a single, simple solution to the on-going state of mental health in academia. Cultivating a platform for open conversations about #AcademicMentalHealth is the first step.

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Brain Matter Chatter (BMC)

Episode 6 Part 1: Anxiety & Anger with Rob Hicks: gender stereotypes & men’s mental health

September 12, 2021 • Brain Matter Chatter ft. Rob Hicks. A SONGS (society of neuroscience graduate students) Production brought to you by Niveen, Julia, Ruby, Olivia & Hayley • Season 1 • Episode 6

Anxiety & anger series with Rob Hicks, PART I: gender stereotypes & men’s mental health

In this three-part series, Niveen (@nivful) and Julia (@juliasunstrum) chat with Rob Hicks, a PhD Candidate in Kinesiology & Neuroscience at the University of Waterloo (Ontario, Canada), about his experience in Academia with gender stereotypes and mental health, expressing emotions other than anger, and panic attack/anxiety triggers and what to look out for. Rob details his personal story of becoming a new parent in graduate school while managing his mental health and provides invaluable advice for (really) everyone, including men, parents, and Academics.

References / resources:
⇢The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Information Resource Center
⇢ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Look out for upcoming episodes where Niveen and Julia continue the conversation with Rob Hicks in the Anxiety & Anger Series:
↬ Part I: gender stereotypes - men’s mental health
↬ Part II: practicing mindfulness
↬ Part III: becoming a parent in Academia

Connect with Rob Hicks:
↬ Instagram: @neurosnacks
↬ Twitter: @_robhicks
↬ Website
↬ Rob's article: Men, we need to #GetReal about our mental health

September is National Suicide Prevention Month to address suicide, its causes, awareness around it, and its prevention. We want to bring awareness and remind individuals that you are loved and you matter to the world.

Health Hotlines:
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
↬ The Lifeline provides 24-hour, toll-free, and confidential support to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress. Call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) to connect with a skilled, trained counsellor at a crisis centre in your area.
↬ Support is available in English and Spanish and via live chat

Crisis Text Line
↬ Text HELLO to 741741 for free and confidential support 24 hours a day throughout the U.S.

Disaster Distress Hotline
↬ People affected by any disaster or tragedy can call this helpline, sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, to receive immediate counselling.
↬ Call or text 1-800-985-5990 to connect with a trained professional from the closest crisis counselling centre within the network.

Recent episodes can be found at www.songsuwo.ca/brainmatterchatter
↬ Ep 5: Anxiety, Social Isolation & Returning to "Normal" w/Dr. David Dozois

Listen on any podcast platform + follow us on Twitter @BrainMatterChat !