1 00:00:07,560 --> 00:00:10,280 Speaker 1: Hey everybody. My name is Lindsay Young and I am 2 00:00:10,320 --> 00:00:13,520 Speaker 1: a writer and assistant editor here with the Minnesota Vikings. 3 00:00:13,920 --> 00:00:17,680 Speaker 1: I cannot believe that we are already on the sixth 4 00:00:17,720 --> 00:00:21,400 Speaker 1: segment of Getting Open, a new content series that focuses 5 00:00:21,480 --> 00:00:25,120 Speaker 1: on all things mental health. Over the first four weeks 6 00:00:25,160 --> 00:00:28,840 Speaker 1: of the series, we talked to Vikings players Eric Kendricks, 7 00:00:29,080 --> 00:00:34,159 Speaker 1: Jalen Holmes, Harrison hand Tyler Conklin about their respective journeys 8 00:00:34,159 --> 00:00:37,440 Speaker 1: and stories around mental health. And then last week we 9 00:00:37,479 --> 00:00:41,400 Speaker 1: sat down with General manager Rick Spielman and Chief Operating 10 00:00:41,440 --> 00:00:44,760 Speaker 1: Officer Andrew Miller to talk about their emphasis on mental 11 00:00:44,760 --> 00:00:47,599 Speaker 1: health within the Vikings organization, as well as to hear 12 00:00:47,640 --> 00:00:51,680 Speaker 1: a little bit about Andrew's personal story with depression. Today, 13 00:00:51,760 --> 00:00:55,600 Speaker 1: I'm really excited to chat with Chris Hockey. Now, some 14 00:00:55,680 --> 00:00:58,520 Speaker 1: of you may know him from kay Fan's Power Trim 15 00:00:58,520 --> 00:01:01,320 Speaker 1: morning show. He is the lead singer for the Chris 16 00:01:01,320 --> 00:01:03,840 Speaker 1: Hockey Band, So he does a lot of stuff here 17 00:01:03,880 --> 00:01:06,000 Speaker 1: in the Twin Cities, a lot of stuff around the 18 00:01:06,080 --> 00:01:09,520 Speaker 1: Vikings organization, but he also has a very personal story 19 00:01:09,880 --> 00:01:12,840 Speaker 1: around mental illness that he wants to share in order 20 00:01:12,880 --> 00:01:16,120 Speaker 1: to help normalize the conversation and break down the stigma 21 00:01:16,160 --> 00:01:25,920 Speaker 1: around this topic. So let's take a listen. Chris. I 22 00:01:25,959 --> 00:01:29,280 Speaker 1: know that you have shared your story around mental health before. 23 00:01:29,720 --> 00:01:31,720 Speaker 1: I think it was back in twenty seventeen, you did 24 00:01:31,760 --> 00:01:35,800 Speaker 1: a really impactful interview with Carolevin's Jana Shortle. For those 25 00:01:35,840 --> 00:01:38,080 Speaker 1: of us who may not have heard that interview maybe 26 00:01:38,080 --> 00:01:40,720 Speaker 1: aren't familiar, can you share a little bit about your 27 00:01:40,760 --> 00:01:45,039 Speaker 1: experience with mental health and specifically depression. Yeah. I grew 28 00:01:45,120 --> 00:01:47,000 Speaker 1: up in a very small town back on the borders 29 00:01:47,000 --> 00:01:50,720 Speaker 1: of Ohio and Indiana, and really, especially when I was 30 00:01:50,760 --> 00:01:53,640 Speaker 1: growing up, there wasn't much of an emphasis on mental 31 00:01:53,680 --> 00:01:56,200 Speaker 1: health and what was going on. If you were a 32 00:01:56,240 --> 00:01:58,440 Speaker 1: nervous kid, you were a nervous kid. If you had 33 00:01:58,480 --> 00:02:01,240 Speaker 1: little quirks and little picks, that's just part of who 34 00:02:01,240 --> 00:02:04,160 Speaker 1: you were. And I had OCD in just a terrible way, 35 00:02:04,280 --> 00:02:07,440 Speaker 1: just terrible all the way until honestly, until I was 36 00:02:07,440 --> 00:02:12,160 Speaker 1: about twenty five. At specific points in my high school years, 37 00:02:12,200 --> 00:02:15,120 Speaker 1: I had to do things four times. It was really 38 00:02:15,160 --> 00:02:19,520 Speaker 1: really debilitating. Once I found a way to sort of 39 00:02:19,560 --> 00:02:23,519 Speaker 1: conquer that. As mental illness does in a lot of times, 40 00:02:23,720 --> 00:02:26,600 Speaker 1: a lot of ways, it just manifested in different ways, 41 00:02:26,639 --> 00:02:31,080 Speaker 1: you know, my anxiety levels increased because the OCD was 42 00:02:31,120 --> 00:02:34,119 Speaker 1: what I was doing to kind of take away the 43 00:02:34,240 --> 00:02:38,280 Speaker 1: anxiety of the situations I was in. So the anxiety 44 00:02:38,320 --> 00:02:43,120 Speaker 1: got worse, the depression got worse, and it really just 45 00:02:43,240 --> 00:02:46,480 Speaker 1: got to a point where I knew that I needed 46 00:02:46,520 --> 00:02:49,200 Speaker 1: to find someone to talk to. I needed to find 47 00:02:49,240 --> 00:02:53,520 Speaker 1: help to deal with all the different demons I was 48 00:02:53,560 --> 00:02:56,640 Speaker 1: fighting daily in my head. And that was a huge 49 00:02:56,720 --> 00:02:59,880 Speaker 1: change in my life to the positive to first admit 50 00:03:00,040 --> 00:03:03,440 Speaker 1: it that I needed help, and second to go actively 51 00:03:03,480 --> 00:03:06,160 Speaker 1: find it. So when you use these words like OCD 52 00:03:06,320 --> 00:03:08,919 Speaker 1: and anxiety and depression, were those things that you were 53 00:03:08,960 --> 00:03:11,799 Speaker 1: able to identify or I guess label at that at 54 00:03:11,800 --> 00:03:13,800 Speaker 1: the point that you first started dealing with them, or 55 00:03:13,800 --> 00:03:16,079 Speaker 1: how did you kind of come to figure out this 56 00:03:16,160 --> 00:03:18,840 Speaker 1: is what I'm dealing with and how did you cope 57 00:03:18,880 --> 00:03:21,760 Speaker 1: with that? It's a great question. We I had no 58 00:03:21,840 --> 00:03:24,560 Speaker 1: idea what was I hate to put it this way, 59 00:03:24,560 --> 00:03:26,960 Speaker 1: but it's the way I would have put it back then. 60 00:03:27,240 --> 00:03:28,880 Speaker 1: I had no idea what was wrong with me. I 61 00:03:29,440 --> 00:03:34,320 Speaker 1: had a legitimate, literal compulsion to do things four times 62 00:03:34,320 --> 00:03:36,760 Speaker 1: and I didn't know why. I thought there was just 63 00:03:36,880 --> 00:03:40,400 Speaker 1: something broken within me. I didn't tell anybody. It was 64 00:03:40,400 --> 00:03:42,440 Speaker 1: a secret, a giant secret. I didn't tell my dad, 65 00:03:42,480 --> 00:03:44,880 Speaker 1: I didn't tell my closest friends. I didn't tell my girlfriend. 66 00:03:45,240 --> 00:03:47,680 Speaker 1: It was it was obvious in some ways, you know, 67 00:03:47,720 --> 00:03:49,840 Speaker 1: when she was leaving, I had to give her a 68 00:03:49,920 --> 00:03:52,320 Speaker 1: kiss four times before she could leave. I had to 69 00:03:52,400 --> 00:03:54,240 Speaker 1: check the house to make sure the doors were locked 70 00:03:54,240 --> 00:03:57,440 Speaker 1: four times before I could leave. But I didn't know 71 00:03:57,480 --> 00:04:00,120 Speaker 1: why I didn't. As I got away from the small 72 00:04:00,160 --> 00:04:02,720 Speaker 1: town and went to college and got a little more worldly, 73 00:04:03,280 --> 00:04:06,880 Speaker 1: I found out, you know, the names for the different 74 00:04:06,880 --> 00:04:10,240 Speaker 1: things they've been afflicting me. But even then I didn't 75 00:04:10,560 --> 00:04:13,280 Speaker 1: have any idea that there were ways to quote unquote 76 00:04:13,280 --> 00:04:16,480 Speaker 1: fix it. And also there was a stigma to it 77 00:04:16,680 --> 00:04:19,520 Speaker 1: that hopefully things like you're doing and things like we're 78 00:04:19,560 --> 00:04:24,159 Speaker 1: doing here today are taking away because one of maybe 79 00:04:24,200 --> 00:04:29,440 Speaker 1: the hardest hurtle, the highest hurtle between being who I 80 00:04:29,600 --> 00:04:34,280 Speaker 1: was and being well was being able to talk to 81 00:04:34,279 --> 00:04:36,320 Speaker 1: people about it, being able to admit that this was 82 00:04:36,360 --> 00:04:39,000 Speaker 1: a situation I needed to deal with, and and and 83 00:04:39,640 --> 00:04:42,440 Speaker 1: to having to admit that I wasn't strong enough to 84 00:04:42,480 --> 00:04:45,720 Speaker 1: do it myself. So it took me a long time 85 00:04:45,800 --> 00:04:50,039 Speaker 1: to find out what my issues were, and a lot 86 00:04:50,080 --> 00:04:53,680 Speaker 1: longer than that to admit what my issues were. When 87 00:04:53,680 --> 00:04:55,240 Speaker 1: you did kind of get to the point where you 88 00:04:55,240 --> 00:04:57,440 Speaker 1: were able and willing to admit the things that you 89 00:04:57,480 --> 00:05:01,320 Speaker 1: were going through, what was that like for you? There 90 00:05:01,320 --> 00:05:03,880 Speaker 1: were different spots on the journey for me with that. 91 00:05:04,320 --> 00:05:08,560 Speaker 1: When I was able to overcome the greater part of 92 00:05:08,600 --> 00:05:12,719 Speaker 1: the OCD, the obsession, the obsession compulsive, that was a 93 00:05:14,720 --> 00:05:18,200 Speaker 1: like the like the clouds cleared away and the sun 94 00:05:18,240 --> 00:05:21,480 Speaker 1: finally came out moment for me, it was a life altering, 95 00:05:22,080 --> 00:05:24,839 Speaker 1: life changing moment for me. It was it was being 96 00:05:25,360 --> 00:05:28,440 Speaker 1: freed from the bird cage in a way that I 97 00:05:29,000 --> 00:05:33,560 Speaker 1: can't even explain the joy that I felt when it 98 00:05:33,560 --> 00:05:36,560 Speaker 1: came to the depression and the anxiety. That was a 99 00:05:36,600 --> 00:05:41,080 Speaker 1: whole different journey for me to admit to myself that 100 00:05:41,120 --> 00:05:44,880 Speaker 1: it was more than just needing to drink more caffeine 101 00:05:45,279 --> 00:05:47,800 Speaker 1: or needing to see the sunny side of things, or 102 00:05:48,480 --> 00:05:51,920 Speaker 1: to stop saying to myself, Hey, stop being down, what 103 00:05:52,240 --> 00:05:55,880 Speaker 1: is your problem? You got a great life learning over 104 00:05:55,960 --> 00:06:01,280 Speaker 1: time that first of all, there are reasons for it, 105 00:06:02,160 --> 00:06:04,760 Speaker 1: and second of all that there are ways to help yourself. 106 00:06:05,800 --> 00:06:08,640 Speaker 1: That was a long journey for me, but each step 107 00:06:08,680 --> 00:06:11,400 Speaker 1: along the way, as trying lexapro for the first time 108 00:06:11,560 --> 00:06:14,120 Speaker 1: and seeing that there were benefits to that. Finding a 109 00:06:16,120 --> 00:06:20,360 Speaker 1: therapist who actually helped me was a big thing. And 110 00:06:20,400 --> 00:06:23,040 Speaker 1: I say it that way because I saw two therapists 111 00:06:23,080 --> 00:06:25,600 Speaker 1: that I didn't quite click with before I found one 112 00:06:25,640 --> 00:06:28,360 Speaker 1: that I did, and for I've been told that's pretty quick. 113 00:06:29,640 --> 00:06:31,440 Speaker 1: I think the biggest issue that a lot of folks 114 00:06:31,480 --> 00:06:33,440 Speaker 1: have is that you try one therapist and you're like, well, 115 00:06:33,480 --> 00:06:36,760 Speaker 1: that didn't work, and then you're done, and that's not 116 00:06:36,839 --> 00:06:40,000 Speaker 1: the way to do it. I hear a lot these days, 117 00:06:40,120 --> 00:06:45,880 Speaker 1: especially that people are trying zoom therapy with different doctors 118 00:06:45,880 --> 00:06:47,720 Speaker 1: and such like that. I just think that's wonderful. What 119 00:06:47,839 --> 00:06:52,560 Speaker 1: a great way to explore relationships with different therapists and 120 00:06:52,600 --> 00:06:54,279 Speaker 1: find out if they're the right one for you before 121 00:06:54,279 --> 00:06:57,599 Speaker 1: you commit to the long time, hard work that you 122 00:06:57,720 --> 00:07:01,040 Speaker 1: need to commit to with one person. And so it's 123 00:07:01,040 --> 00:07:03,000 Speaker 1: it's been a lot of different steps on my journey, 124 00:07:03,360 --> 00:07:06,440 Speaker 1: but each time, um, you know, again, as I said, 125 00:07:06,440 --> 00:07:09,080 Speaker 1: the OCD thing was the big sun coming out moment, 126 00:07:09,720 --> 00:07:11,760 Speaker 1: but it got a little sunny or each step that 127 00:07:11,800 --> 00:07:16,120 Speaker 1: I took, and you know, one of the weirdest things 128 00:07:16,200 --> 00:07:22,080 Speaker 1: about that is when I realized that I didn't have 129 00:07:22,160 --> 00:07:24,680 Speaker 1: to be happy every day, and that I was never 130 00:07:24,800 --> 00:07:27,600 Speaker 1: going to be happy every day. And as silly as 131 00:07:27,600 --> 00:07:30,120 Speaker 1: that may sound to somebody who isn't one of us, 132 00:07:31,120 --> 00:07:34,160 Speaker 1: it's it's ever. You know, if you spend a lot 133 00:07:34,160 --> 00:07:36,200 Speaker 1: of your time to press it, and with anxiety, a 134 00:07:36,200 --> 00:07:38,160 Speaker 1: lot of people tell you, hey, buck up, man, let's 135 00:07:38,160 --> 00:07:40,360 Speaker 1: see a little zip in you. Come on, let's go snap, snap, 136 00:07:40,360 --> 00:07:42,000 Speaker 1: what's going on? Why are you so sad? You've got 137 00:07:42,040 --> 00:07:44,200 Speaker 1: a great life, You've got a great family, and you 138 00:07:44,320 --> 00:07:45,800 Speaker 1: hear that a lot, and you're like, you're right, I 139 00:07:45,920 --> 00:07:48,560 Speaker 1: don't I don't know why I'm like this. I should 140 00:07:48,640 --> 00:07:52,679 Speaker 1: be happy every day. When you realize that the gray 141 00:07:52,760 --> 00:07:55,400 Speaker 1: is where most people live most of the time, it 142 00:07:55,480 --> 00:07:58,200 Speaker 1: takes the pressure off and you don't try to force 143 00:07:58,240 --> 00:07:59,680 Speaker 1: yourself to be happy, because what do you do when 144 00:07:59,680 --> 00:08:02,520 Speaker 1: you're force yourself to be happy? You make yourself more depressed. 145 00:08:04,800 --> 00:08:06,760 Speaker 1: I like that Earlier you brought up the idea of 146 00:08:06,760 --> 00:08:08,720 Speaker 1: the stigma, and of course that's a lot what we're 147 00:08:08,720 --> 00:08:11,720 Speaker 1: talking about with this series, breaking down the stigma, normalizing 148 00:08:11,760 --> 00:08:14,760 Speaker 1: the conversation. Why do you think there is such a 149 00:08:14,760 --> 00:08:18,200 Speaker 1: stigma around mental illness, and do you believe that that 150 00:08:18,360 --> 00:08:23,000 Speaker 1: stigma is more prevalent in men for one reason or another. 151 00:08:23,840 --> 00:08:26,400 Speaker 1: The second half of that, for obvious reasons. It is 152 00:08:26,400 --> 00:08:27,960 Speaker 1: hard for me to answer because I only know it 153 00:08:28,040 --> 00:08:31,000 Speaker 1: from a male perspective, But I really believe so, you know, 154 00:08:31,040 --> 00:08:34,800 Speaker 1: and this was I guess more from my research that 155 00:08:34,840 --> 00:08:37,839 Speaker 1: I've done throughout the years. But there is a whole 156 00:08:37,840 --> 00:08:41,520 Speaker 1: lot of you got to be the strong guy. You 157 00:08:41,600 --> 00:08:43,400 Speaker 1: got to buck up, man, you gotta get up and 158 00:08:43,440 --> 00:08:45,600 Speaker 1: go to work. That's part of the deal. Yeah, today 159 00:08:45,720 --> 00:08:47,960 Speaker 1: was a bad day, but guys have bad days and 160 00:08:48,000 --> 00:08:49,880 Speaker 1: you just got to be strong and get through it. 161 00:08:50,320 --> 00:08:53,199 Speaker 1: So I definitely think there's something to that. But I 162 00:08:53,240 --> 00:08:57,880 Speaker 1: think also, you know, just the words themselves mental illness. 163 00:08:59,600 --> 00:09:02,840 Speaker 1: For for a lot of people, and even for me, 164 00:09:03,480 --> 00:09:09,480 Speaker 1: there's not much differentiating that between being depressed or having 165 00:09:09,520 --> 00:09:13,040 Speaker 1: anxiety and being committed, you know, I mean, they sort 166 00:09:13,040 --> 00:09:15,360 Speaker 1: of all seem the same. When you label something as 167 00:09:15,400 --> 00:09:21,120 Speaker 1: a mental illness, it sounds really devastating and really debilitating 168 00:09:21,160 --> 00:09:26,600 Speaker 1: and really on the edge, I guess. So I think 169 00:09:26,640 --> 00:09:31,120 Speaker 1: that's the biggest stigma. Maybe the wording around the understanding 170 00:09:31,160 --> 00:09:36,840 Speaker 1: around what mental illness is is colored by the words themselves. 171 00:09:38,440 --> 00:09:42,000 Speaker 1: I like the word anxiety because I think that really 172 00:09:42,360 --> 00:09:45,520 Speaker 1: puts a pinpoint on how so many of us feel. 173 00:09:46,200 --> 00:09:48,800 Speaker 1: Depression is a very gloomy word, a very dark word, 174 00:09:48,920 --> 00:09:51,640 Speaker 1: but again it's right on the money because that's where 175 00:09:51,640 --> 00:09:55,679 Speaker 1: you're at when you're depressed. So there's a stigma to it. 176 00:09:56,240 --> 00:10:00,360 Speaker 1: But the weird thing about that stigma to me is 177 00:10:00,440 --> 00:10:03,400 Speaker 1: when I did the interview you spoke about with Jannah Shortle, 178 00:10:03,440 --> 00:10:06,760 Speaker 1: when I wrote my song Happy and started really walking 179 00:10:06,760 --> 00:10:09,160 Speaker 1: out into the public and talking about what was going on, 180 00:10:10,400 --> 00:10:13,320 Speaker 1: I realized very quickly that there are way more of 181 00:10:13,440 --> 00:10:15,680 Speaker 1: us than there are of people who don't deal with 182 00:10:15,720 --> 00:10:19,840 Speaker 1: something like this, And so that stigma can be erased 183 00:10:20,240 --> 00:10:23,800 Speaker 1: just by looking around and talking to people and realizing 184 00:10:23,880 --> 00:10:26,800 Speaker 1: the guy in the cubicle over and the lady on 185 00:10:26,840 --> 00:10:30,480 Speaker 1: the bus with you, and your neighbor they're probably suffering 186 00:10:30,480 --> 00:10:32,120 Speaker 1: in some way as well. So if we all talk 187 00:10:32,160 --> 00:10:33,400 Speaker 1: to each other a little bit more, I think the 188 00:10:33,440 --> 00:10:37,440 Speaker 1: stigma goes away, and you go from being ashamed of 189 00:10:37,480 --> 00:10:43,160 Speaker 1: it to being not proud, but a vocal advocate for 190 00:10:43,280 --> 00:10:45,640 Speaker 1: yourself and for other people. Because you say you want 191 00:10:45,640 --> 00:10:47,560 Speaker 1: to walk around to people. I say, yeah, I hear you. 192 00:10:47,679 --> 00:10:50,520 Speaker 1: I feel where you're coming from. I feel the same way. 193 00:10:50,800 --> 00:10:54,000 Speaker 1: Here's what helped me, what helped you. It creates community 194 00:10:54,000 --> 00:10:56,480 Speaker 1: in some ways. There's probably going to be a lot 195 00:10:56,480 --> 00:10:59,160 Speaker 1: of people listening to this interview who are familiar with 196 00:10:59,160 --> 00:11:02,160 Speaker 1: you in one way or another. Right So, there might 197 00:11:02,160 --> 00:11:05,240 Speaker 1: be familiar with your with your stage presence as the 198 00:11:05,320 --> 00:11:07,920 Speaker 1: lead singer of the Kree Hockey Man. They might listen 199 00:11:07,960 --> 00:11:11,120 Speaker 1: to you having so much fun on kay Fan's Power 200 00:11:11,160 --> 00:11:14,760 Speaker 1: Trip morning show. You know, they might be familiar with 201 00:11:14,840 --> 00:11:19,280 Speaker 1: you being silly and having fun with Aaron and Vikings connected, 202 00:11:19,360 --> 00:11:21,800 Speaker 1: or maybe all of the above. But I think some 203 00:11:21,840 --> 00:11:25,079 Speaker 1: people might say, how can someone who has that much 204 00:11:25,120 --> 00:11:28,200 Speaker 1: fun and is that vibrant of a personality, is that 205 00:11:28,320 --> 00:11:30,400 Speaker 1: much going on in his life? How are you able 206 00:11:30,400 --> 00:11:33,440 Speaker 1: to still have that sham be happy even though you're 207 00:11:33,520 --> 00:11:37,160 Speaker 1: also dealing with a level of depression. I think you'll 208 00:11:37,160 --> 00:11:39,760 Speaker 1: know what I'm saying when I say this. You become 209 00:11:39,760 --> 00:11:43,040 Speaker 1: a pretty good actor. You know, from a very young age, 210 00:11:43,360 --> 00:11:48,319 Speaker 1: I hid the OCD, which again I can't overstate how 211 00:11:48,360 --> 00:11:52,000 Speaker 1: debilitating it was. I learned to hide that, and you 212 00:11:52,080 --> 00:11:55,360 Speaker 1: become a good actor. But also again I think that's 213 00:11:55,400 --> 00:11:57,640 Speaker 1: another thing going back to the stigma that we were 214 00:11:57,640 --> 00:12:03,119 Speaker 1: talking about. Every person's depression, every person's anxiety, every person's 215 00:12:03,120 --> 00:12:07,040 Speaker 1: OCD affects them in different ways. As I've gotten older 216 00:12:07,240 --> 00:12:12,120 Speaker 1: and gotten more of a handle on my issues and 217 00:12:12,160 --> 00:12:15,840 Speaker 1: the medicines have, I've found the correct medicines to help 218 00:12:16,120 --> 00:12:19,000 Speaker 1: fill in the holes that I needed to fill. It's 219 00:12:19,000 --> 00:12:21,439 Speaker 1: been easier for me to be more up than down, 220 00:12:22,240 --> 00:12:28,079 Speaker 1: but I legitimately do give myself permission to be down 221 00:12:28,360 --> 00:12:31,000 Speaker 1: and said on days when that is how I'm feeling, 222 00:12:31,520 --> 00:12:34,720 Speaker 1: I remind myself that is not a permanent thing, and 223 00:12:34,760 --> 00:12:37,960 Speaker 1: I remind myself that there's always tomorrow. And when I 224 00:12:38,000 --> 00:12:40,400 Speaker 1: talk to somebody who's having a really bad day, that's 225 00:12:41,120 --> 00:12:42,880 Speaker 1: the number one thing I try to get across to 226 00:12:42,960 --> 00:12:45,800 Speaker 1: them is if you're having a really bad day, like 227 00:12:45,840 --> 00:12:48,520 Speaker 1: it's one of your worst days, do your best to 228 00:12:48,600 --> 00:12:51,199 Speaker 1: go to bed as soon as you possibly can hit 229 00:12:51,240 --> 00:12:56,960 Speaker 1: that reset button. That overwhelming fix of most things is 230 00:12:57,000 --> 00:12:58,920 Speaker 1: going to sleep and waking up again the next day. 231 00:12:58,960 --> 00:13:02,240 Speaker 1: And there's always a next days. So I find that 232 00:13:03,200 --> 00:13:06,360 Speaker 1: knowledge to be really comforting, and a lot of times 233 00:13:06,520 --> 00:13:08,960 Speaker 1: that knowledge that tomorrow is going to be better, and 234 00:13:09,000 --> 00:13:10,880 Speaker 1: then maybe even later today is going to be better. 235 00:13:11,440 --> 00:13:13,559 Speaker 1: Is the thing that gets me out of my spin, 236 00:13:13,720 --> 00:13:15,600 Speaker 1: as I like to call it, out of the gray 237 00:13:15,679 --> 00:13:18,680 Speaker 1: and into the sunshine. So I'm a pretty happy guy 238 00:13:19,080 --> 00:13:23,360 Speaker 1: almost always. That's real. Um, sometimes I'm acting. I wanta lie. 239 00:13:24,559 --> 00:13:27,640 Speaker 1: Is music cathartic for you? Is that healing for you? 240 00:13:27,640 --> 00:13:30,160 Speaker 1: Because obviously music is a big part of life. Does 241 00:13:30,240 --> 00:13:34,200 Speaker 1: that play any role on the mental illness that you 242 00:13:34,280 --> 00:13:39,920 Speaker 1: deal with? Absolutely? I can. I can legitimately say music 243 00:13:40,000 --> 00:13:44,560 Speaker 1: has saved my life a bunch of times. Um. You 244 00:13:44,600 --> 00:13:47,760 Speaker 1: know the loneliness that I felt as a young man 245 00:13:48,640 --> 00:13:51,840 Speaker 1: with everything that was going on inside me, and how 246 00:13:51,920 --> 00:13:55,480 Speaker 1: weird I felt, how odd I felt. I found bands 247 00:13:56,320 --> 00:13:58,720 Speaker 1: of every different stripe and I'm you know, I'm an 248 00:13:58,720 --> 00:14:02,280 Speaker 1: old dude now, so I'm talking the eighties, but I'm talking. 249 00:14:02,360 --> 00:14:04,960 Speaker 1: I would hear a song like calling on You by 250 00:14:04,960 --> 00:14:07,360 Speaker 1: a band called Stryper, and it was like they were 251 00:14:07,360 --> 00:14:09,079 Speaker 1: talking to me, and man, that saved me a lot 252 00:14:09,080 --> 00:14:11,319 Speaker 1: of times. There was a song called I'll Be There 253 00:14:11,320 --> 00:14:13,520 Speaker 1: for You by a band called Black and Blue that 254 00:14:13,640 --> 00:14:15,480 Speaker 1: when I heard that, I was like, I hear you 255 00:14:15,559 --> 00:14:20,480 Speaker 1: up there. Thank you. So in reality, at its very 256 00:14:20,520 --> 00:14:23,520 Speaker 1: basic form, music has saved my life. It's been there 257 00:14:23,560 --> 00:14:26,320 Speaker 1: for me. It's given me a way to communicate my feelings, 258 00:14:26,920 --> 00:14:28,760 Speaker 1: even before I knew I was doing that. I look 259 00:14:28,800 --> 00:14:30,800 Speaker 1: at songs that I wrote when I was in my twenties, 260 00:14:30,840 --> 00:14:35,040 Speaker 1: and I was saying things in my songs that I 261 00:14:35,080 --> 00:14:38,920 Speaker 1: couldn't say to people in real life. So music coming 262 00:14:38,920 --> 00:14:41,720 Speaker 1: in from other folks has made me feel less alone. 263 00:14:42,000 --> 00:14:44,680 Speaker 1: Music going out of me has given me a way 264 00:14:44,720 --> 00:14:46,960 Speaker 1: to communicate my feelings without having to look somebody in 265 00:14:47,000 --> 00:14:48,600 Speaker 1: the eye and tell them, because for a long time 266 00:14:48,600 --> 00:14:53,120 Speaker 1: I couldn't do that. We've done several pieces of this 267 00:14:53,200 --> 00:14:56,080 Speaker 1: series now, and something that's come up a lot in 268 00:14:56,120 --> 00:14:59,040 Speaker 1: different ways in sort of this idea of a support system, 269 00:14:59,120 --> 00:15:02,440 Speaker 1: whether that's family, only, friends, co workers. You know, probably 270 00:15:02,480 --> 00:15:06,200 Speaker 1: looks different for everybody. What has that support system looked 271 00:15:06,240 --> 00:15:10,040 Speaker 1: like for you in your life? Wow, it's been so 272 00:15:10,400 --> 00:15:14,720 Speaker 1: important for me to be able to be honest with people, 273 00:15:15,240 --> 00:15:20,280 Speaker 1: and it's been so cathartic to me to be there 274 00:15:20,280 --> 00:15:24,000 Speaker 1: for other people as well. So my support system grows, 275 00:15:24,680 --> 00:15:26,560 Speaker 1: you know, not as much during these times we're not 276 00:15:26,560 --> 00:15:30,200 Speaker 1: out very much, but I can legitimately tell you it 277 00:15:30,240 --> 00:15:33,000 Speaker 1: grows at every show that I do with my band, 278 00:15:33,240 --> 00:15:35,200 Speaker 1: because almost every show somebody would come up to me 279 00:15:35,200 --> 00:15:38,480 Speaker 1: afterwards and say your song happy, That's how I feel. 280 00:15:38,640 --> 00:15:41,480 Speaker 1: And immediately, you know, even if I never see that 281 00:15:41,520 --> 00:15:45,840 Speaker 1: person again, that's somebody in my support system and I'm 282 00:15:45,880 --> 00:15:51,080 Speaker 1: in there is as well. So it's grown exponentially since 283 00:15:51,120 --> 00:15:55,880 Speaker 1: I decided to come forward and talk to people. Before that, though, 284 00:15:57,160 --> 00:16:00,800 Speaker 1: your best friends, the people who really listen when you're 285 00:16:00,800 --> 00:16:03,560 Speaker 1: talking to them, those are the important ones. Those are 286 00:16:03,560 --> 00:16:07,880 Speaker 1: the ones who you need to talk to because again 287 00:16:08,960 --> 00:16:11,440 Speaker 1: I say it all the time, but they're probably suffering 288 00:16:11,480 --> 00:16:14,880 Speaker 1: in some way as well. And when you know the 289 00:16:14,920 --> 00:16:18,320 Speaker 1: friend I'm talking about, the friend who literally does listen 290 00:16:18,360 --> 00:16:21,680 Speaker 1: to you, doesn't hear what you say, and then tell 291 00:16:21,720 --> 00:16:24,080 Speaker 1: you how that affects them or how it relates to 292 00:16:24,120 --> 00:16:26,400 Speaker 1: something in their life. If you're talking to somebody and 293 00:16:26,440 --> 00:16:29,720 Speaker 1: they're really listening to you, that's the person you can 294 00:16:29,760 --> 00:16:32,360 Speaker 1: open your heart too. And it starts with the first 295 00:16:32,360 --> 00:16:34,440 Speaker 1: person that you talk to, the first person that's willing 296 00:16:34,480 --> 00:16:37,200 Speaker 1: to listen, the first person you feel comfortable talking to, 297 00:16:37,720 --> 00:16:41,800 Speaker 1: and then that gives you the gumption to talk to 298 00:16:41,840 --> 00:16:45,640 Speaker 1: more people, and it goes both ways. I can't tell 299 00:16:45,680 --> 00:16:48,880 Speaker 1: you again how for those If somebody's watching this right 300 00:16:48,880 --> 00:16:51,440 Speaker 1: now and is willing to take that chance to talk 301 00:16:51,480 --> 00:16:53,480 Speaker 1: to somebody, what you're going to find out is that 302 00:16:53,520 --> 00:16:56,320 Speaker 1: person wants to listen, and it helps just to talk, 303 00:16:56,320 --> 00:16:57,960 Speaker 1: even if they don't know the answers. In fact, they 304 00:16:57,960 --> 00:16:59,560 Speaker 1: probably don't know the answers, even if they want to 305 00:16:59,560 --> 00:17:01,800 Speaker 1: know the answers. That's not the point. But when they 306 00:17:01,800 --> 00:17:03,560 Speaker 1: talk back to you, and then you talk to somebody 307 00:17:03,560 --> 00:17:06,240 Speaker 1: else and they talk back to you. Just having a community, 308 00:17:06,359 --> 00:17:09,720 Speaker 1: my gosh, that helps so much. You're because you don't 309 00:17:09,720 --> 00:17:13,400 Speaker 1: feel alone anymore. Man. That's the darkest place, isn't it. Yeah. 310 00:17:13,440 --> 00:17:16,280 Speaker 1: And I'm gonna actually build right off of that question 311 00:17:16,320 --> 00:17:18,560 Speaker 1: into the next one, and that is you mentioned not 312 00:17:18,640 --> 00:17:20,520 Speaker 1: being able to go out a lot and stuff right now, 313 00:17:20,560 --> 00:17:23,720 Speaker 1: You know these pasts basically twelve months, just a lot 314 00:17:23,800 --> 00:17:27,280 Speaker 1: of heavy stuff. There are people right who have dealt 315 00:17:27,320 --> 00:17:32,520 Speaker 1: with mental illness or different challenges anxiety, depression, etc. For many, 316 00:17:32,560 --> 00:17:35,840 Speaker 1: many years, and so it might be more difficult now, 317 00:17:35,880 --> 00:17:37,720 Speaker 1: but they have a little bit of a toolbox or 318 00:17:37,760 --> 00:17:40,119 Speaker 1: they know what's going on. But there's a large population 319 00:17:40,119 --> 00:17:42,560 Speaker 1: of people who are dealing with these things for the 320 00:17:42,680 --> 00:17:45,160 Speaker 1: very first time and maybe don't know what they are. 321 00:17:46,080 --> 00:17:49,000 Speaker 1: These feelings are scary, they're foreign to them. Would you 322 00:17:49,040 --> 00:17:51,159 Speaker 1: say anything else to those people who are kind of 323 00:17:51,200 --> 00:17:54,080 Speaker 1: experiencing these things for the first time during such a 324 00:17:54,119 --> 00:17:58,280 Speaker 1: difficult time of life. Yeah, that is such an important point, 325 00:17:58,320 --> 00:18:02,040 Speaker 1: and it's so valid because you do see that so often. 326 00:18:02,080 --> 00:18:05,600 Speaker 1: In fact, I've had some instances as of late where 327 00:18:05,680 --> 00:18:09,359 Speaker 1: I've spoken to people and found out just how overwhelmed 328 00:18:09,960 --> 00:18:12,600 Speaker 1: in the therapists are and such with people looking for help. 329 00:18:12,720 --> 00:18:16,560 Speaker 1: Right now, I would say to anybody experiencing it for 330 00:18:16,560 --> 00:18:18,679 Speaker 1: the first time, the same thing I would say to 331 00:18:18,720 --> 00:18:21,120 Speaker 1: somebody who's been dealing with their whole life. And it's 332 00:18:21,200 --> 00:18:23,639 Speaker 1: exactly what we talked about a little bit earlier. Do 333 00:18:23,760 --> 00:18:26,159 Speaker 1: your best to be honest with people, with people that 334 00:18:26,200 --> 00:18:29,440 Speaker 1: you care about that care about you. Again, great chance 335 00:18:29,560 --> 00:18:32,720 Speaker 1: right now they're feeling the same way, but just talking 336 00:18:32,720 --> 00:18:35,679 Speaker 1: to somebody about it, it's going to relieve so much tension. 337 00:18:36,040 --> 00:18:39,359 Speaker 1: Once you open up a dialogue with people, you're gonna 338 00:18:39,400 --> 00:18:41,320 Speaker 1: say things to them you didn't even know. We're true, 339 00:18:41,359 --> 00:18:42,919 Speaker 1: They're going to say things back to you and you're 340 00:18:42,920 --> 00:18:44,720 Speaker 1: going to relate and didn't realize they were true to 341 00:18:44,720 --> 00:18:48,360 Speaker 1: you as well. But this is this is not a 342 00:18:48,400 --> 00:18:51,199 Speaker 1: small club that you have joined if you were experiencing 343 00:18:51,240 --> 00:18:53,200 Speaker 1: this for the first time. There are a lot of 344 00:18:53,280 --> 00:18:55,560 Speaker 1: us out there. And again, there are people like me. 345 00:18:55,600 --> 00:18:58,040 Speaker 1: I'm fifty years old. I've been living with this most 346 00:18:58,080 --> 00:19:00,359 Speaker 1: of my life and if I can help you, I 347 00:19:00,400 --> 00:19:05,119 Speaker 1: certainly will. So please reach out even it doesn't It 348 00:19:05,200 --> 00:19:07,199 Speaker 1: doesn't have to be a professional. It can be just 349 00:19:07,240 --> 00:19:09,080 Speaker 1: your buddy, and it can be a strange guy on 350 00:19:09,119 --> 00:19:12,760 Speaker 1: the radio talks far jokes most of his life reach out. 351 00:19:13,040 --> 00:19:16,600 Speaker 1: People are willing to listen. Well, Chris, thank you so much. Um. 352 00:19:16,800 --> 00:19:18,560 Speaker 1: I just love the heart that you have for this. 353 00:19:18,680 --> 00:19:20,639 Speaker 1: I know when I called you, I told you you know, 354 00:19:20,680 --> 00:19:23,320 Speaker 1: I said, hey, Chris, this is this content that I 355 00:19:23,359 --> 00:19:25,320 Speaker 1: want to do. What do you think? And you were like, 356 00:19:25,400 --> 00:19:28,280 Speaker 1: I'm in, Like you didn't even have any other questions, 357 00:19:28,560 --> 00:19:30,760 Speaker 1: And I can just you know, hear that your voice 358 00:19:30,760 --> 00:19:33,400 Speaker 1: and in wanting to share with other people. So thank 359 00:19:33,440 --> 00:19:36,919 Speaker 1: you so much for being willing to share your story 360 00:19:37,080 --> 00:19:39,920 Speaker 1: to help other people. That's a great idea and I'm 361 00:19:39,920 --> 00:19:41,520 Speaker 1: so glad you're doing this. And I thank you for 362 00:19:41,560 --> 00:19:44,479 Speaker 1: including me. And I literally just want to give everybody 363 00:19:44,520 --> 00:19:46,960 Speaker 1: a hug, you know. I just want to want to 364 00:19:46,960 --> 00:19:49,520 Speaker 1: make everybody okay, including you and you and you and 365 00:19:49,560 --> 00:19:51,280 Speaker 1: you and you and you, all of you. I want 366 00:19:51,320 --> 00:19:53,159 Speaker 1: you all to be okay. Let's all be okay together. 367 00:19:53,960 --> 00:20:05,920 Speaker 1: Thanks Chris, Thank you, Dear, big thank you to Chris, who, 368 00:20:06,000 --> 00:20:08,800 Speaker 1: over the past three or four years has become especially 369 00:20:08,880 --> 00:20:12,240 Speaker 1: passionate about sharing his story and also connecting with others 370 00:20:12,240 --> 00:20:15,960 Speaker 1: who have similar experiences around mental health. Big thanks to 371 00:20:16,000 --> 00:20:18,639 Speaker 1: you as well for tuning in, and I encourage you 372 00:20:18,680 --> 00:20:21,520 Speaker 1: to keep an eye on all Vikings digital platforms for 373 00:20:21,680 --> 00:20:23,280 Speaker 1: upcoming Getting Open features.