Mental

Drowning in Debt, Saved by a Conversation 💳📉

Weston thought being an adult meant doing whatever he wanted.Turns out? It means knowing what to do when everything falls apart.This is the story of how one “I got this” turned into “I’m drowning”…and how asking for help didn’t make him weaker — it made him finally grow up.
 
On the outside, Weston had finally moved out and was “living the dream.”On the inside? He was overdrafted, maxed out, and spiraling.At 27, he realized something way too many young adults do way too late:No one ever taught him how to respond to life.
📍“Responsibility isn’t control. It’s the ability to respond.”That line from his dad? Changed everything.
In this episode, Weston finally stops pretending, opens up about the mess he’s in, and — with help — starts learning the mental skills he should’ve built at 17… not 27.
From setting up payment plans to splitting rent to finally seeing money as real, Weston builds what most people avoid:ownership. confidence. clarity.
🎧 Tap into this episode of Mental before life teaches you the hard way.Because the longer you wait to build these skills…the more expensive the lesson gets.

$8 Ramen on a $2,000 Couch 🍜🛋️

Weston had it all… except a clue.Never paid a bill. Never did laundry. Never had to.At 27, he finally moved out. Cue the ✨$7,700 broker fee✨ and the $300 coffee maker he couldn’t afford.
At first, it felt like freedom.Then the bills hit.And suddenly, independence wasn’t aesthetic — it was overdraft fees and frozen pizza.
📍 “This time felt like failure… dressed up as independence.”Oof. That line hits.
This episode of Mental is for anyone who’s ever felt behind, babied, or fake-grown.Because the truth is, your parents’ love can accidentally hold you back.And adulting isn’t about nice couches — it’s about learning how to respond when it all goes sideways.
🎧 Tap in for Weston’s story — or risk learning the hard way like he did.Responsibility doesn’t mean control.It means you actually know how to respond.

From Amputee to Problem-Solving Prodigy 🦿📘

Most people go to college to learn problem-solving. Amanda showed up already fluent.She didn’t have all the answers — but she never waited to start.Her secret? She wasn’t afraid to fail. She was afraid of not trying.
Amanda pulled up to Boston University thinking, “What if all my hacks don’t work here?”But plot twist — she wasn’t just built different… she built different thinkers.
Her group? Stressed. Frozen. Trying to Google their way out of building a bridge.Amanda? Already on prototype #3.
“I don’t need the perfect answer. I just need a few options to try.”That line? It hit everyone.
And suddenly, she wasn’t just the girl with a prosthetic.She was the girl with tools. With options. With answers.
By midterms, they called her the Swiss Army Knife.By finals, they were saying: “You literally changed how I think.”
📍 If you’ve ever felt like your setbacks made you slower — nah.They might be the exact thing that gave you an edge.
This episode of Mental is proof that your so-called “limitations”might just be your superpowers in disguise.
🎧 Listen in. Or miss out on realizing…you’re way more capable than you’ve been giving yourself credit for.

She Lost Her Leg… But That Wasn’t the Hard Part 🦿💭

1 in 4 young adults lives with a disability.But most never talk about the mental side of adapting.
Amanda lost her leg at seven.But the part that almost broke her wasn’t the injury — it was becoming the girl who always figured it out.
In this powerful episode of Mental, we meet Amanda — who lost her left leg in a jet ski accident at age seven. But instead of breaking her, the accident built something most people never learn: resilience through reinvention.
From skateboards to stage props, Amanda didn't just adapt — she innovated. She didn’t ask “Why me?” She asked “How else?”But here's what no one talks about: being the “solution person” comes with its own pressure.Because when you're known for bouncing back, it's hard to admit you're scared of what comes next.
This episode dives deep into the fear of not living up to your own story — and the mental shift Amanda makes as she enters college, no longer defined by her difference, but quietly wondering: Will it still matter when no one knows?
📍 Sometimes the hardest thing isn’t being different. It’s not knowing who you are without it.
🎧 Tune in now to hear the first part of Amanda’s story — because if you skip this, you might miss the reminder that your hardest moment doesn’t have to be your whole identity.Your future self is already counting on you to learn this now.

Real Talk: Vulnerability Saved My Life 💬❤️

If you think vulnerability makes you weak, you’ve been lied to.Amy Ashcraft used to hide her struggles—until they nearly ended her.Now? She’s 7 years sober, leading with honesty, and proving that healing starts where pretending ends.Because real strength? It doesn’t scream. It opens up.
 
n this raw and powerful episode, Amy Ashcraft shares how being vulnerable saved her life—and how it can save yours, too.
From standout athlete to social worker, from mental health burnout to addiction, Amy opens up about her lowest lows and how she climbed back out. She reveals the difference between coping and numbing, why therapy isn't taboo, and how learning to speak her truth transformed her relationships, her career, and her mindset.
This episode is a masterclass in self-awareness and emotional intelligence for young adults trying to navigate high-pressure friendships, toxic partners, and the silent battles they carry. If you’ve ever felt like you have to hold it all in or fake being okay—this episode is for you.
📍 You’ll walk away with real tools to manage hard emotions, set boundaries that protect your peace, and finally stop pretending you're fine.
Don’t skip this one. The cost of not listening might be staying stuck in silence one day longer than you need to.🎧 Tune into this episode of Mental —your future self will thank you.

You Are Not Your GPA 🧾🚫

Ever turned a bad day into a bad identity?That’s what Alexia did.
She wasn’t just failing a test—she became a failure in her own mind.She wasn’t just struggling with code—she believed she was a bad coder.
But what changed everything…was one text from her brother—and one sentence from her old coach:
“You played terribly. You’re not terrible.”
📍 That’s when it clicked.Alexia had been turning verbs into nouns. Struggles into labels.“I bombed the test” had become “I’m not smart.”
But when she rewired the story—when she started saying “I’m struggling,” not “I suck”—she didn’t just speak differently.She started living differently.
By the end of the episode, Alexia earns a B+... but more importantly,she earns something bigger:Peace. Clarity. Momentum.
📍 Because you’re not your outcomes.You’re the person who creates them.

When Winning Becomes Your Whole Identity 🏆😶

Did you know nearly half of high-achieving students say they constantly feel like a fraud—even when they’re winning?That’s the twist: imposter syndrome doesn’t wait for failure… it feeds on success.
Alexia grew up the definition of the winner.State champ. MVP. Recruit magnet. The one her parents called their “little champion.”But when she gave up her full-ride to pursue computer science far from home, something broke.
In Iowa, she was unstoppable.In Arizona, she couldn’t even pass her midterm.
She wasn’t just failing a class.She was failing herself—because the girl who always delivered suddenly couldn’t even understand the assignment.And instead of saying “I bombed the test,” she whispered, “I’m not smart enough.”
That’s the moment it hit her:She’d stopped being someone who failed at something—and started becoming someone who thought she was a failure.
The power to understand turning verbs into nouns and identities become an unnecessary burden you put on yourself. Join us this Sunday as we unravel the ending to Alexia's story.

Not a Clapback. A Comeback. 🧘‍♂️🛠️

Ever notice how the loudest voices in the room are rarely the most helpful?Jonathan did—after one freestyle post went viral for all the wrong reasons.His friends mocked him. His dad dismissed him. His self-worth? Fading fast.
To start off season 5, we conclude with the second episode of this two part series.
In this episode, Jonathan doesn’t fight the noise—he walks away from it.Because sometimes the bravest move isn’t clapping back.It’s choosing silence where there used to be self-doubt.
📍 If no one taught you how to be mentally tough, how would you start?Rip up the playbook. Do it your way. Your future self is watching.

20K Views, 0 Friends: The Cost of Chasing Dreams 📱💸

Nearly 70% of young adults say online hate has crushed their mental health. But what happens when that negativity isn't just from random trolls—it's coming from your group chat and your own father?
Meet Jonathan: 19 years old, creative dreamer who posted one freestyle video hoping to share his art with the world 🎵. Instead, he went viral for all the wrong reasons. 20,000 views. Thousands of comments tearing him apart. His friends turned it into a roast session. His dad called it embarrassing.
When everyone you trust becomes a critic, how do you keep believing in yourself? Jonathan almost gave up on his dreams until one voice message from his best friend Malik cut through all the noise: "Don't let those who don't mean that much, mean that much." 📍
Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do isn't clap back or prove the haters wrong—it's deciding what YOU believe about yourself. This two-part story follows Jonathan as he learns to turn down the volume on everyone else's opinions and finally starts listening to his own voice again 🔊.
Over 60% of young adults struggle with mental health, but here's the insider secret—you don't have to just wing it through hard moments. Mental skills are the cheat code to life that nobody's teaching, and your future self will thank you for learning them now ✨

SEASON 4 FINALE / Waiting for a Title? You’re Already Leading.

FACT: 84% of Gen Z believe they’re expected to lead—yet less than 20% feel emotionally prepared to do it.Now imagine trying to lead... when no one ever raised you to.
Julia is 21. A dancer. A quiet anchor. The one who always shows up early, stays late, and leads without the spotlight.
But behind her calm? A stormy upbringing, an older sister who brought chaos, and a house full of slammed doors.Julia didn’t learn leadership from speeches—she learned it from watching what broke her family… and choosing to be different.
She’s not loud. She’s not perfect.But she’s consistent. And she’s present.That’s leadership.
📍This episode is for every young adult who's leading without a title, holding it together behind the scenes, and showing others how to stay grounded when things get messy.
Because the strongest leaders? They don’t always make noise.They lead with who they are.
🎧 Listen in. And let Julia’s quiet strength show you what real leadership looks like.