Healthy Mind, Healthy Life

Content note: This episode discusses chronic illness, medical gaslighting, isolation, and existential distress. Please listen with care.

 

What happens when your body stops cooperating with the life you carefully built? In this conversation, guest-host Sana sits down with Dr. Jeffrey Bone, a clinical psychologist who has spent over two decades helping people navigate chronic illness and now lives inside that experience himself. Together, they unpack the quiet grief no one prepares you for: the slow, disorienting question of "who am I now?" when your story shatters.

This is a tender, honest exploration of medical uncertainty, the cultural trap of equating worth with productivity, why people pull away from those who are ill, and how creative expression — poetry, journaling, even coloring — can become a doorway back to yourself. It's a reminder that even when the body is uncertain, identity can still be rebuilt, slowly and with intention.

About the Guest:
Dr. Jeffrey Bone is a licensed clinical psychologist based in Newport Beach, California, with over two decades of experience specializing in chronic pain and chronic illness. He is the host of To The Bone: Conversations on Pain, Illness, and Meaning, the author of two poetry collections (Broken Bone and Carved Out of Bone), the chronic illness journal Breath Between Battles, and reflective coloring books including Healing Horizons. He lives with Common Variable Immune Deficiency, and his work bridges psychology, art, and lived experience.

Key Takeaways:

Worth is not the same as productivity. Culture conditions us to confuse the two. When chronic illness disrupts output, the rules of society quietly try to lower your value. They are wrong.

Other people's silence often isn't about you. When someone pulls away from a person who is ill, they're usually defending an illusion of their own invincibility, not making a judgement on the sick person.

Medicine sees the symptom, not the story. Healing accelerates when you find clinicians who are curious about the whole of you, not just curious about the lab values.

Self-advocacy is part of care. When the system can't give you a navigator, you sometimes have to become your own. Persistence is medicine too.

Reassemble the dream in three pieces. Find something you love, that you can control, that lets someone else benefit. That's where identity quietly rebuilds itself.

Pain can be present without being the storyteller. You can acknowledge what your body is doing today and still choose intention as the through-line of your day.

Connect With the Guest:

Website: https://www.drbone.live/ 

Podcast — To The Bone: Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ttbonepodcast?si=wPx58df9tbxuks0E 

SubStack

Books on Amazon: Search "Dr. Jeffrey Bone" for Broken Bone, Carved Out of Bone, Breath Between Battles, and Healing Horizons

Episode Chapters:
[00:00] When Life Doesn't Just Challenge You, It Changes You — the quiet grief of identity loss

[03:00] The Existential Crisis of a Body That Won't Cooperate — when your story shatters

[06:00] Productivity Culture and the Worth Trap — how society conditions us to measure value

[10:00] Why People Disappear When You Get Sick — the illusions others can't let go of

[15:00] Medical Gaslighting and the Search for Answers — the day Jeffrey realised the system didn't have a story for him

[22:00] Becoming the Zebra — finding the right doctor, and learning self-advocacy

[27:00] The Curiosity Test — what to look for in a clinician

[31:00] Poetry as a Way Back to Self — the moment Jeffrey began to reassemble the dream

[36:00] Three Pieces of a Rebuilt Identity — love, control, and service

[40:00] Living With Intention When the Body Hurts — closing reflections from Jeffrey

 

Want to be a guest on Healthy Mind, Healthy Life? DM on PM - Send me a message on PodMatch DM Me Here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/avik

Disclaimer: This episode is produced for educational and informational purposes only. All views expressed by the guest are their personal opinions alone and do not represent the views of the host or Healthy Mind by Avik™. The Network does not verify, endorse, or assume responsibility for any guest statements. Nothing in this episode constitutes medical, legal, financial, or professional advice, please consult a qualified professional before making any decisions. Listeners are encouraged to engage critically and independently with all content do not consume blindly. Use this content as a starting point for your own reflection and research, not as a substitute for professional guidance. Third-party content is referenced under fair use for informational purposes only. Guest speakers are solely responsible for their own statements.

If you have concerns about any content, please contact us here. By listening, you acknowledge and accept this disclaimer in full. Read detailed disclaimer here.

Healthy Mind By Avik™ is a global platform redefining mental health as a necessity, not a luxury. Born during the pandemic, it's become a sanctuary for healing, growth, and mindful living. Hosted by Avik Chakraborty, storyteller, survivor, and wellness advocate.

With over 6500+ episodes and 200K+ global listeners, we unite voices, break stigma, and build a world where every story matters. Subscribe and be part of this healing journey.

Brand: Healthy Mind By Avik™ | Email: https://www.podhub.club/contact | Website: https://www.podhub.club | Based in: India & USA Listen to all podcast shows: https://www.podhub.club/podcastnetwork | Be a guest: https://www.podhub.club/beaguest | Newsletter: https://healthymindbyavik.substack.com/

 

#podmatch #healthymindbyavik #podhub.club #chronicillness #chronicpain #invisibleillness #identityshift #mentalhealthawareness #existentialtherapy #commonvariableimmunodeficiency #spooniecommunity #healingjourney #selfadvocacy #podcastinterview #healthymind #breathbetweenbattles

Content note: This episode includes honest discussion of childhood sexual abuse, depression, and suicidal ideation. Please listen with care, and step away if you need to.

 

There's a kind of quiet exhaustion that comes from carrying a story you've never told. Maybe not even to yourself. In this episode, Alan Katz, a writer and producer behind HBO's iconic Tales from the Crypt and host of The How Not to Make a Movie Podcast, sits down with Avik for a conversation about what radical honesty actually costs, and why it might be the most freeing decision a person ever makes.

Alan walks us through a career that looked golden from the outside, the moment Hollywood broke something inside him, and the secret he kept from himself for forty-five years. It's a conversation about creativity, depression, the difference between writing and storytelling, and what becomes possible when a person finally tells themself the truth.

About the Guest:
Alan Katz is a writer, producer, and the creative force behind HBO's Tales from the Crypt and the films Demon Knight and Bordello of Blood. He is the host of The How Not to Make a Movie Podcast, named Best Film Podcast of 2022 by Entertainment Weekly, and runs Costard & Touchstone Productions, a podcast company built around one mission: making the world a better place through storytelling.

Key Takeaways:

A secret kept from yourself disconnects you from yourself. You can succeed up to a point, but at the moments when you most need to be there for you, you won't be. You can't be.

Doing creative work for the wrong reasons breaks more than the work. When you build something out of pure cynicism, every day gets stupider, and the cost shows up later, in relationships, in mood, in your sense of self.

Self-blame is a survival mechanism that becomes a template. What gets you through one moment can quietly run your whole life if you never name it for what it was.

There's a real difference between being a writer and being a storyteller. A writer has craft. A storyteller has truth. You can't tell anyone else's story honestly until you've told yourself your own.

Asking for help is allowed to be informed. Alan researched his own care, partnered with his GP, and didn't settle for being a generic experiment. Self-advocacy is part of healing.

Truth doesn't always announce itself with fireworks. Sometimes it lands quietly, the day your nervous system finally has enough space to hear it.

Connect With the Guest:

Website (Production Company): https://costardandtouchstone.com

The How Not to Make a Movie Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-how-not-to-make-a-movie-podcast/id1616014436

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/a-l-katz-1120954a

YouTube (Costard & Touchstone): https://www.youtube.com/@costardandtouchstone

Episode Chapters:
[00:00] The Truth We Nod At, why we agree with this idea but rarely live it

[05:00] Stumbling Into the Truth, the 45-year secret Alan kept from himself

[08:00] From Writer to Storyteller, the early years, New York, and a one-month decision to move to LA

[11:00] The Tales from the Crypt Reinvention, how Alan and Gil rebuilt a franchise

[18:00] Becoming the Crypt Keeper, why the character had to be given a personality

[27:00] The Project That Broke Everything, when a movie nobody wanted to make took the air out of a creative life

[31:00] The Quiet Decades, depression, writer's block, and a near-fatal December

[33:00] Telling Himself the Truth, what shifted when the secret finally surfaced

[38:00] Storytelling as Repair, how How Not to Make a Movie became a way home

 

Want to be a guest on Healthy Mind, Healthy Life? DM on PM - Send me a message on PodMatch DM Me Here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/avik

Disclaimer: This episode is produced for educational and informational purposes only. All views expressed by the guest are their personal opinions alone and do not represent the views of the host or Healthy Mind by Avik™. The Network does not verify, endorse, or assume responsibility for any guest statements. Nothing in this episode constitutes medical, legal, financial, or professional advice, please consult a qualified professional before making any decisions. Listeners are encouraged to engage critically and independently with all content do not consume blindly. Use this content as a starting point for your own reflection and research, not as a substitute for professional guidance. Third-party content is referenced under fair use for informational purposes only. Guest speakers are solely responsible for their own statements.

If you have concerns about any content, please contact us here. By listening, you acknowledge and accept this disclaimer in full. Read detailed disclaimer here.

Healthy Mind By Avik™ is a global platform redefining mental health as a necessity, not a luxury. Born during the pandemic, it's become a sanctuary for healing, growth, and mindful living. Hosted by Avik Chakraborty, storyteller, survivor, and wellness advocate.

With over 6500+ episodes and 200K+ global listeners, we unite voices, break stigma, and build a world where every story matters. Subscribe and be part of this healing journey.

Brand: Healthy Mind By Avik™ | Email: https://www.podhub.club/contact | Website: https://www.podhub.club | Based in: India & USA Listen to all podcast shows: https://www.podhub.club/podcastnetwork | Be a guest: https://www.podhub.club/beaguest | Newsletter: https://healthymindbyavik.substack.com/

 

#podmatch #healthymindbyavik #podhub.club #radicalhonesty #mentalhealthawareness #depressionrecovery #storytelling #creativehealing #talesfromthecrypt #menshealth #childhoodtrauma #podcastersofinstagram #healingjourney #truthtelling #creativelife #healthymind

If you're a high-achieving woman who believes rest is something you have to earn after the work is done, this episode is the gentle interruption you didn't know you needed. We sit down with LaKisha Mosley, founder of Soft Simple CEO™ and The LM Experience, to unpack why so many leaders are exhausted, disconnected, and quietly running on empty, even as their numbers climb.

Together we explore how softness becomes a sophisticated leadership skill, why boundaries actually keep you in (not people out), and how rest becomes infrastructure, not indulgence. LaKisha shares the breakdown moment that changed how she leads, and offers a grounded reframe of fragility, hustle culture, and sustainable success for women entrepreneurs.

About the Guest:
LaKisha Mosley is the founder of Soft Simple CEO™ and The LM Experience, where she creates leadership conversations and community centred on mental wellness, entrepreneurship, grief, faith, and sustainable success. Her work helps high-achieving women build leadership styles where rest, softness, and boundaries are the strategy, not the afterthought.

Key Takeaways:

Rest is proactive, not reactive. It's maintenance, not repair. Schedule rest the way you schedule client meetings, before the engine fails.

Softness is strength that has stopped pretending. It's not weakness; it's a sophisticated leadership skill that asks you to lead yourself first.

Boundaries keep you in, not people out. Communicating your capacity is how you accommodate people more, not less.

Fragility connects, it doesn't disqualify. Vulnerability is what makes leaders relatable and human, not less credible.

Your internal rhythm is your real compass. Not the calendar. Not the algorithm. Not someone else's 5am routine.

Watch the subtle signs before the breakdown. Irritability, isolation, losing joy in things you used to love are signals, not small inconveniences.

Connect With the Guest:

Website: https://lakishamosley.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lakishammosley

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lakishammosley

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lakishammosley

Email: [email protected]

Episode Chapters:
[00:00] The Myth of Earned Rest, why high-achieving women keep paying for rest with exhaustion

[02:30] LaKisha's Breakdown Moment, the November turning point that rewired how she leads

[04:20] Softness Is Not Weakness, reclaiming gentleness as a sophisticated leadership skill

[06:30] Where Hustle Culture Comes From, social media, end-results, and the unseen redirects

[08:30] Subtle Signs Your System Is Breaking, irritability, isolation, and lost joy

[12:30] Fragility as Connection, why vulnerability earns trust, not loses authority

[14:30] Rest as Infrastructure, proactive maintenance over reactive recovery

[17:00] Boundaries That Keep You In, small shifts that change how you lead

 

Want to be a guest on Healthy Mind, Healthy Life? DM on PM - Send me a message on PodMatch DM Me Here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/avik

Disclaimer: This episode is produced for educational and informational purposes only. All views expressed by the guest are their personal opinions alone and do not represent the views of the host or Healthy Mind by Avik™. The Network does not verify, endorse, or assume responsibility for any guest statements. Nothing in this episode constitutes medical, legal, financial, or professional advice, please consult a qualified professional before making any decisions. Listeners are encouraged to engage critically and independently with all content do not consume blindly. Use this content as a starting point for your own reflection and research, not as a substitute for professional guidance. Third-party content is referenced under fair use for informational purposes only. Guest speakers are solely responsible for their own statements.

If you have concerns about any content, please contact us here. By listening, you acknowledge and accept this disclaimer in full. Read detailed disclaimer here.

Healthy Mind By Avik™ is a global platform redefining mental health as a necessity, not a luxury. Born during the pandemic, it's become a sanctuary for healing, growth, and mindful living. Hosted by Avik Chakraborty, storyteller, survivor, and wellness advocate.

With over 6500+ episodes and 200K+ global listeners, we unite voices, break stigma, and build a world where every story matters. Subscribe and be part of this healing journey.

Brand: Healthy Mind By Avik™ | Email: https://www.podhub.club/contact | Website: https://www.podhub.club | Based in: India & USA Listen to all podcast shows: https://www.podhub.club/podcastnetwork | Be a guest: https://www.podhub.club/beaguest | Newsletter: https://healthymindbyavik.substack.com/

 

#podmatch #healthymindbyavik #podhub.club #womenleadership #burnoutrecovery #softlife #softsimpleceo #mentalhealthforfounders #boundariesinbusiness #womenentrepreneurs #sustainablesuccess #restisproductive #leadershipmindset #hustleculture #emotionalintelligence #healthymind

What if the most powerful thing you could do for your mental health and your sense of purpose did not require a dramatic overhaul of your life? What if it started the moment you opened your eyes, with something as simple as a smile?

In this grounded and quietly inspiring episode of Healthy Mind, Healthy Life, host Avik sits down with Terrence Rotering, a retired US Air Force officer, fighter pilot, and author of the Chronicles of Trinian book series. Terrence shares the SMILE framework, a practical daily architecture built from 35 years of military service, that helps anyone move from aimless drifting to intentional, purpose-led living. Whether you are just starting out or wondering if it is too late to change course, this conversation has something real to offer.

About the Guest:

Terrence Rotering is a US Air Force Academy graduate who served 20 years flying F-111F and F-15E fighter aircraft worldwide before spending 15 additional years at NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command). Since retiring, he has channelled his life experience into writing the Chronicles of Trinian, a multi-book epic series blending fantasy, science fiction, and spiritual themes. He lives on a ranch in the Colorado mountains with his wife Theresa.

Key Takeaways:

You do not need to have your entire life purpose figured out before you begin. Acknowledging that you are unique and that purpose exists for you is enough to start moving in the right direction.

The SMILE framework offers a simple morning orientation: Service (who am I serving?), Mission (what is my day-to-day calling?), Intentionality (what actions will I take?), Legacy (what am I building over time?), and Eternity (what does it all mean in the longest view?).

When you focus outward on service to others, your world expands. When you turn inward only, your world can become very small. Purpose often lives at the intersection of what you can give and who needs it.

A day that felt like failure is rarely a wasted day. It is a data point, an after-action review that teaches you something for tomorrow. Do not be hard on yourself; be curious instead.

It is never too late to change course. Purpose shifts across different seasons of life, and what you thought was aimless drift may have been the runway you needed to build speed before taking off.

Starting small matters. You do not have to plan your whole life on a Monday morning. Start with one day, one smile, one question about who you are serving today.

Connect With the Guest:

Website and Books: ChroniclesofTrinian.com

Search: Terrence Rotering on any major book retailer or search engine.

Episode Chapters:

[00:00] Introduction: A Single Word That Can Change Your Morning

[05:45] Meet Terrence: 35 Years, Fighter Jets, and 5,000 Pages of Story (approx.)

[08:00] The Biggest Misconception About Purpose and Daily Life (approx.)

[13:30] The SMILE Framework Unpacked: Service, Mission, Intentionality, Legacy, Eternity (approx.)

[20:00] When the Framework Falls Apart: Hard Mornings and After-Action Reviews (approx.) [24:00] A Message for Anyone Who Feels Like They Missed Their Day (approx.)

[26:30] Closing Reflection: Five Questions, One Smile, a Day From the Inside Out (approx.)

 

Want to be a guest on Healthy Mind, Healthy Life? DM on PM - Send me a message on PodMatch DM Me Here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/avik

Disclaimer: This episode is produced for educational and informational purposes only. All views expressed by the guest are their personal opinions alone and do not represent the views of the host or Healthy Mind by Avik™. The Network does not verify, endorse, or assume responsibility for any guest statements. Nothing in this episode constitutes medical, legal, financial, or professional advice, please consult a qualified professional before making any decisions. Listeners are encouraged to engage critically and independently with all content do not consume blindly. Use this content as a starting point for your own reflection and research, not as a substitute for professional guidance. Third-party content is referenced under fair use for informational purposes only. Guest speakers are solely responsible for their own statements.

If you have concerns about any content, please contact us here. By listening, you acknowledge and accept this disclaimer in full. Read detailed disclaimer here.

Healthy Mind By Avik™ is a global platform redefining mental health as a necessity, not a luxury. Born during the pandemic, it's become a sanctuary for healing, growth, and mindful living. Hosted by Avik Chakraborty, storyteller, survivor, and wellness advocate.

With over 6500+ episodes and 200K+ global listeners, we unite voices, break stigma, and build a world where every story matters. Subscribe and be part of this healing journey.

Brand: Healthy Mind By Avik™ | Email: https://www.podhub.club/contact | Website: https://www.podhub.club | Based in: India & USA Listen to all podcast shows: https://www.podhub.club/podcastnetwork | Be a guest: https://www.podhub.club/beaguest | Newsletter: https://healthymindbyavik.substack.com/

 

#podmatch #healthymindbyavik #podhub.club #purposedriven #smileframework #mentalhealthpodcast #intentionalliving #morningroutine #militaryveteran #legacybuilding #selfimprovement #mindsetshift #purposefullife #militarylife #christianfiction #personalgrowth #healingjourney #healthyhabits

There is a version of leadership that looks flawless from the outside, strong decisions, growing numbers, a polished presence. And then there is what is actually happening inside the person carrying all of that. For far too many leaders, the gap between those two realities is enormous, and the cost of maintaining that gap is quietly enormous too. This episode is for anyone who has ever wondered if showing up as a whole person at work would somehow make them less of a leader.

Chelsea Byers, a high-growth operator and C-suite leader who helped scale an education startup to $100 million in revenue, opens up about navigating clinical depression, infertility, and the pressures of leadership during one of the most scrutinised periods in workplace culture. In her memoir Course Correct, and in this conversation, she makes the case that vulnerability is not a liability in leadership. It is the foundation of trust, resilience, and the kind of human infrastructure that makes organisations truly work.

About the Guest:

Chelsea Byers is a high-growth startup operator and C-suite leader who has held roles including VP of Product and COO, helping scale organisations through complex growth phases. She is the author of Course Correct, a memoir about navigating clinical depression, infertility, and the pressures of leadership during the MeToo era. She describes her work as building human infrastructure, creating the relational and cultural conditions that allow teams to do their best work. She writes about executive vulnerability and strategic leadership at her Substack, The Executive Front.

Key Takeaways:

The invisible tax of leadership is not long hours or hard decisions. It is the constant pressure to project perfection, to never let the mask slip, even when everything behind it is struggling.

Performing strength while privately struggling does not protect your team or your performance. It isolates you, and it silently signals to everyone around you that their own humanity has no place in this organisation.

Vulnerability from a leader is not weakness. It is the thing that makes you human enough to be trusted, honest enough to be followed, and safe enough for others to bring their best work.

Human infrastructure is what makes or breaks a business. The best data, the best product, and the best strategy all collapse inside a dysfunctional team. The relational scaffolding comes first.

You do not need to become someone else to reach the C-suite. Leaning into what is authentic to you is not softness. It is a sustainable leadership style that people will want to follow again and again.

One honest moment from a leader can be life-changing for the person on the receiving end. It costs very little to be human. The impact lasts.

Connect With Chelsea Byers:

Substack: The Executive Front

LinkedIn: Chelsea Byers

Book: Course Correct on Amazon - available on Amazon worldwide (e-book and print)

Episode Chapters:

[00:00] Behind the Shiny Profile — What the outside world sees, and what leaders actually carry [02:35] Meet Chelsea Byers — C-suite operator, author, and builder of human infrastructure [07:00] The Biggest Misconception About C-Suite Leaders — They are human too, and pretending otherwise costs everyone

[09:00] The Invisible Tax — What it really means to project perfection while privately struggling [12:00] A Moment of Leadership That Changed Everything — When a CMO's honesty became a gift

[14:00] How Emotional Exhaustion Shows Up in Leadership — Decision-making, trust, and team resilience

[18:00] What Human Infrastructure Actually Means — And why it decides whether your strategy works or fails

[23:00] Don't Check Yourself at the Door — Chelsea's closing message to every leader who thinks they don't belong

Want to be a guest on Healthy Mind, Healthy Life? DM on PM - Send me a message on PodMatch DM Me Here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/avik

Disclaimer: This episode is produced for educational and informational purposes only. All views expressed by the guest are their personal opinions alone and do not represent the views of the host or Healthy Mind by Avik™. The Network does not verify, endorse, or assume responsibility for any guest statements. Nothing in this episode constitutes medical, legal, financial, or professional advice, please consult a qualified professional before making any decisions. Listeners are encouraged to engage critically and independently with all content do not consume blindly. Use this content as a starting point for your own reflection and research, not as a substitute for professional guidance. Third-party content is referenced under fair use for informational purposes only. Guest speakers are solely responsible for their own statements.

If you have concerns about any content, please contact us here. By listening, you acknowledge and accept this disclaimer in full. Read detailed disclaimer here.

Healthy Mind By Avik™ is a global platform redefining mental health as a necessity, not a luxury. Born during the pandemic, it's become a sanctuary for healing, growth, and mindful living. Hosted by Avik Chakraborty, storyteller, survivor, and wellness advocate.

With over 6500+ episodes and 200K+ global listeners, we unite voices, break stigma, and build a world where every story matters. Subscribe and be part of this healing journey.

Brand: Healthy Mind By Avik™ | Email: https://www.podhub.club/contact | Website: https://www.podhub.club | Based in: India & USA Listen to all podcast shows: https://www.podhub.club/podcastnetwork | Be a guest: https://www.podhub.club/beaguest | Newsletter: https://healthymindbyavik.substack.com/

 

#podmatch #healthymindbyavik #podhub.club #HealthyMindHealthyLife #LeadershipMentalHealth #ExecutiveWellness #VulnerableLeadership #LeadershipDevelopment #MentalHealthAtWork #WomenInLeadership #HumanInfrastructure #AuthenticLeadership #StartupLife #CourseCorrect #ChelseaByers #BurnoutRecovery #InnerWork #HealingJourney