Episódios
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Dr. Jennifer Paxton acknowledges that her feelings of inadequacy had always been there but were amplified during the transition to motherhood. She opens up about an interaction with an empathetic colleague that shocked her into seeking support. TW/CW: Themes of suicidal ideation
A Senior Lecturer in Anatomy, PI of a tissue engineering lab, wife and mother, Jennifer opened up in the last episode about parenting as an academic during COVID-19. This is the second part of her story.
If you find this episode valuable, and have some spare change, please consider supporting the podcast!
Resources:
Jennifer’s blog piece – ‘Return of the Mummy – the trials and triumphs of a life post maternity leave.’ Paxton Lab website Jennifer’s lecturing profileHelpful health and wellbeing books
Reasons to Stay Alive – Matt Haig Notes on a Nervous Planet – Matt HaigFull transcript of the podcast is available here, with many thanks to Dan Ranson. If you find these transcripts useful, please consider supporting accessibility!
Mental health support: please contact your GP or use the appropriate support for your country at https://checkpointorg.com/global/
Recorded: 10/09/2021.
Sound: Theme music is “Mindset” by Ketsa; podcast edited by DanPatricksAudio.
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Senior Lecturer, PI, wife and mother, Dr. Jennifer Paxton, opened up about feelings of embarrassment, guilt, anger and acceptance in response to professional contacts seeing her home life in online meetings and lessons. She highlighted specific frustrations of being a parent in Academia. She also courageously opened up in the final 15 minutes about her decision making process for having a child. She, like many of us, was putting off major personal milestones because of the pressure of academia.
If you find this episode valuable, and have some spare change, please consider supporting the podcast!
Resources:
- Jennifer’s blog piece – ‘Return of the Mummy – the trials and triumphs of a life post maternity leave.’
- Paxton Lab website
- Jennifer’s lecturing profile
- Helpful health and wellbeing books
Reasons to Stay Alive – Matt Haig
Notes on a Nervous Planet – Matt Haig
Full transcript of the podcast is available here, with many thanks to Dan Ranson. If you find these transcripts useful, please consider supporting accessibility!
Mental health support: please contact your GP or use the appropriate support for your country at https://checkpointorg.com/global/
Recorded: 10/09/2021.
Sound: Theme music is “Mindset” by Ketsa; podcast edited by DanPatricksAudio.
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Estão a faltar episódios?
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5th year Health Psychology PhD Candidate and creator of the Dear Grad Student podcast, Elana Gloger, chats about maintaining wellness - creating space between where you’re at, and your tipping point to becoming unwell. She encourages leaning in to your unique needs and remembering that ‘you’re not other people.’
Elana opened up previously, in episode 27, about how premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) impacted her life and PhD before it was well managed.
CW: swearing, sexual references
This episode touches on:
- Running through the woods, reality TV, and the desire to be a mother
- Alleviating fears of medication
- Accepting that seeking external help is not a weakness
- Impacts of unmanaged PMDD on a partner
- Common treatment options for PMDD
- Selecting an appropriate and affordable provider
- The annoying fact that exercise actually helps
If you find this episode valuable, and have some spare change, please consider supporting the podcast!
Resources:
Dear Grad Student Podcast
- Twitter: @deargradstudent
- Instagram: @deargradstudentpod
- Facebook: Dear Grad Student
- Website: deargradstudent.com
- Mental health podcast episodes: deargradstudent.com/mental-health
PMDD resources
- @iapmdglobal (twitter) and iapmd.org (website) provides evidence-based information about PMDD.
- Tory Eisenlohr-Moul studies menstrual cycle effects on PMDD
YouTube: ‘Your cycle in 3 minutes’ – contemporary dance interpretation of the impacts of the menstrual cycle
App: Flo – for learning about and starting to track your menstrual cycle
Full transcript of the podcast is available here, with many thanks to Dan Ranson. If you find these transcripts useful, please consider supporting accessibility!
Mental health support: please contact your GP or use the appropriate support for your country at https://checkpointorg.com/global/
Recorded: 14/01/2022.
Sound: Mindset by Ketsa
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Emily chats with Elana Gloger, who opens up about how premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) impacted her life and PhD before it was well managed.
TW/CW: Suicidal ideation, swearing
This episode covers:
- Elana’s favourite, I mean F-A-V-O-U-R-I-T-E video game, her childhood likeness to Angelica from the Rugrats, and being a child of divorce
- A description of premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) and premenstrual exacerbation (PME)
- How Elana’s diagnosis of PMDD unfolded
- An explanation of the menstrual cycle!
- The moment Elana decided to get support for mismanaged PMDD
- The potential future clash between PMDD medication, pregnancy, and applying for tenure track
- The impact of unmanaged PMDD on Elana’s PhD
- First steps to take if you think you might have PMDDIf you find this episode valuable, and have some spare change, please consider supporting the podcast!
Resources:
- Dear Grad Student Podcast
- Twitter: @deargradstudent
- Instagram: @deargradstudentpod
- Facebook: Dear Grad Student
- Website: deargradstudent.com
- Mental health podcast episodes: deargradstudent.com/mental-health- PMDD resources
- @iapmdglobal (twitter) and iapmd.org (website) provides evidence-based information about PMDD.
- Tory Eisenlohr-Moul studies menstrual cycle effects on PMDD- YouTube: ‘Your cycle in 3 minutes’ – contemporary dance interpretation of the impacts of the menstrual cycle
- App: Flo – for learning about and starting to track your menstrual cycle
Full transcript of the podcast is available here, with many thanks to Dan Ranson. If you find these transcripts useful, please consider supporting accessibility!
Mental health support: please contact your GP or use the appropriate support for your country at https://checkpointorg.com/global/
Interested in being interviewed? We’d love to hear from you. Please submit this brief form.
Recorded: 14/01/2022.
Sound: Mindset by Ketsa
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Emily chats with Dr. Andy Fraass, who opens up about support for anxiety that comes from his wife and daughters, improved sleep hygiene, and challenging intrusive thoughts.
Andy opened up previously, in episode 25, about social anxiety, learning he couldn’t trust his own self-perception, and the impacts of academia on family life.
This episode covers:
- Self-educating about indigenous cultures, science fantasy, and achieving the bucket list goals of professorship and family.
- Family support systems
- Meditation and improved sleep hygiene
- Methods of overcoming negative thought patterns
- The role parenting can play in encouraging self-care and self-management of symptoms
- The importance of supervisors being forgiving and understanding with students
- The surprising value in group therapy for those with social anxiety
If you find this episode valuable, and have some spare change, please consider supporting the podcast!
Resources:
App: Calm – for improving health and happiness, and for sleep stories Andy’s blog about anxiety in academiaFull transcript of the podcast is available here, with many thanks to Dan Ranson. If you find these transcripts useful, please consider supporting accessibility!
Mental health support: please contact your GP or use the appropriate support for your country at https://checkpointorg.com/global/
Interested in being interviewed? We’d love to hear from you. Please submit this brief form.
Recorded: 19/11/2021.
Sound: Mindset by Ketsa
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Emily chats with Dr. Andy Fraass, who opens up about social anxiety, learning he couldn’t trust his own self-perception, and the impacts of academia on family life.
This episode covers:
The boy behind the family man, a career stemming from childhood media (Jurassic Park), and single-celled creatures that tell us about climate change and evolution Andy’s family history of mental illness, and academics The increased difficulty of hiding social anxiety with age, exacerbation of symptoms, and academic requirements for networking The tenure track interview that made Andy realise he couldn’t trust his perception of his own performance Post tenure-track openness about generalised and social anxiety disorders, and panic attacks The impacts of academic pressure on family life The mental health impacts of choosing to stay within an industry that can have significant detrimental effects on familyIf you find this episode valuable, and have some spare change, please consider supporting the podcast!
Resources:
App: Calm – for improving health and happiness Andy’s blog about anxiety in academiaFull transcript of the podcast is available here, with many thanks to Dan Ranson. If you find these transcripts useful, please consider supporting accessibility!
Mental health support: please contact your GP or use the appropriate support for your country at https://checkpointorg.com/global/
Interested in being interviewed? We’d love to hear from you. Please submit this brief form.
You can find out more about Voices of Academia & other personal stories at @academicvoices or our website.
Recorded: 19/11/2021.
Sound: Mindset by Ketsa
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TW/CW: Bullying and abuse
Emily chats with Andrea Hayward, a Project Manager for the CACTUS Communications ‘Joy and Stress Triggers: A global survey on mental health among researchers.’ They discuss open-ended answers from the survey, highlighting what institutions can do to ease work-related pressures, reduce barriers to seeking help, and encourage personal wellbeing of researchers. Andrea also opens up, for the first time, about experiences she had during her Masters, including being made to feel like she was never good enough.
This episode covers:
The purpose of CACTUS Communications and how the organisation became involved in the researcher mental health space How Andrea’s work on the CACTUS Mental Health Initiative has made her aware, for the first time, of the psychological experiences she had during her Masters, including being made to feel like she was never good enough The role of managing academia-induced stressors shouldn’t fall solely on the researcher Suggestions to reduce barriers to seeking help and support in academia What institutions can do to reduce work-related pressures and help encourage work-life balance and personal wellbeing of researchers Some initiatives that are assisting researcher mental health Different types of bullying Improving policies to feel valued, safe, and included in academiaIf you find this episode valuable, and have some spare change, please consider supporting the podcast!
Resources:
Activities under the CACTUS Mental Health initiative:The CACTUS Mental Health Survey reports
Twitter: CACTUS Mental Health Initiative
The CACTUS Mental Health Webinar series
The CACTUS Mental Health Video series
Researchers and Their Stories
‘R Voice’ – a private community forum for researchers to talk openly about what they’re going through
Mental health Internationally Delivering Support (MINDS) conference page Academic mental health networksDragonfly Mental Health workshops available for universities and institutes to provide concrete steps for improving researcher mental health
PhD Balance
TAE Consortium (Transforming Academic Ecosytems)
Full transcript of the podcast is available here, with many thanks to Dan Ranson. If you find these transcripts useful, please consider supporting accessibility!
Mental health support: please contact your GP or use the appropriate support for your country at https://checkpointorg.com/global/
Recorded: 12/11/2021.
Sound: Mindset by Ketsa
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Emily chats with Seda Battilani, who opens up about juggling medication trials with work, disclosing medication use to a supervisor, and social media accounts for people with ADHD.
Seda opened up previously, in episode 22, about anxiety disorder, and pursuing an ADHD diagnosis as an international student.
This episode covers:
YouTube obsessions, choosing someone to share a life with, and the desire to settle in one country long-term Juggling the impact of medication trials with work Disclosing medication use to a supervisor and asking for extensions Learning to cope better over time The importance of honest communication How ADHD can present Rejection sensitivity Social media accounts for people with ADHDIf you find this episode valuable, and have some spare change, please consider supporting the podcast!
Resources:
Good places to start for ADHD Insta: @the_mini_adhd_coach TikTok: @connordewolfe Seda is available on Twitter and via emailFull transcript of the podcast is available here, with many thanks to Dan Ranson. If you find these transcripts useful, please consider supporting accessibility!
Mental health support: please contact your GP or use the appropriate support for your country at https://checkpointorg.com/global/
Interested in being interviewed? We’d love to hear from you. Please submit this brief form.
You can find out more about Voices of Academia & other personal stories at @academicvoices or our website.
Recorded: 07/09/2021.
Sound: Mindset by Ketsa is licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, available through Free Music Archive.
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Emily chats with Seda Battilani, who was drawn into research in linguistics after learning about the field during her undergrad. She became fascinated by how our communication impacts the way we perceive each other. Seda opens up about early struggles with an anxiety disorder, and the complexities of pursuing an ADHD diagnosis whilst also an international student.
This episode covers:
Seda’s COVID wedding and a crash course in her research (translanguaging and endangered languages) The impact of the pandemic when abroad and doing a PhD The road to being diagnosed with generalised anxiety disorder The mental health impacts of being an international student Adjusting to higher work demands with ADHD The vulnerability of pursuing a diagnosis Lack of communication from medical professionals re: what to look out for when starting medication Navigating visas and a foreign health systemIf you find this episode valuable, and have some spare change, please consider supporting the podcast!
Resources:
Good places to start for ADHD - Insta: @the_mini_adhd_coach, TikTok: @connordewolfe
Seda is available on Twitter and via email Previous episode: 15. I will not be silenced | Dr. Clare Griffin – self-advocating for a diagnosisFull transcript of the podcast is available here, with many thanks to Dan Ranson. If you find these transcripts useful, please consider supporting accessibility!
Mental health support: please contact your GP or use the appropriate support for your country at https://checkpointorg.com/global/
You can find out more about Voices of Academia & other personal stories at @academicvoices or our website.
Interested in being interviewed? We’d love to hear from you. Please submit this brief form.
Recorded: 07/09/2021.
Sound: Mindset by Ketsa is licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, available through Free Music Archive.
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CW: Academic bullying and abuse
Emily chats with Dr. Kartik Aiyer, who opens up about the benefits of a good academic mentor and support network on mental health and productivity.
Kartik opened up previously, in episode 20, about the impact a poor Faculty relationship had on his mental health during his PhD.
This episode covers:
Kartik’s music obsession and the positive relationship with his family The benefits of supportive research group culture on mental health but also productivity The need to train and empower junior researchers to value their own contributions whilst also learning from the research experience of others That clear, respectful communication between mentors and mentees is key What to look for in a mentor Places to seek mentors Shutting out negative thoughts and focussing on personal strengths Suggested policy shifts to improve mentoring and trainingIf you find this episode valuable, and have some spare change, please consider supporting the podcast!
Resources:
Kartik’s blog post on ‘Empowering early career researchers and improving culture in academia.’ Kartik’s science communication blog Professor Jen Heemstra – as a role model tweeting to bring out the best in researchersFull transcript of the podcast is available here, with many thanks to Dan Ranson. If you find these transcripts useful, please consider supporting accessibility!
Mental health support: please contact your GP or use the appropriate support for your country at https://checkpointorg.com/global/
You can find out more about Voices of Academia & other personal stories at @academicvoices or our website.
Interested in being interviewed? We’d love to hear from you. Please submit this brief form.
Recorded: 04/10/2021.
Sound: Mindset by Ketsa is licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, available through Free Music Archive.
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CW: Academic bullying and abuse
Emily chats with Dr. Kartik Aiyer, who opens up about the impact a poor Faculty relationship had on his mental health during his PhD.
This episode covers:
Kartik’s love of running, books and sports How academia doesn’t appear to be people-focussed How researchers require training in mentoring to get the best out of people Suffering in silence Poor relationships with academic faculty Ineffective bullying/harassment management pathways through universities The need for emotional, psychological and financial support for graduate studentsIf you find this episode valuable, and have some spare change, please consider supporting the podcast!
Resources:
Kartik’s blog post on ‘Empowering early career researchers and improving culture in academia.’ Kartik’s science communication blog MINDS conference for academic mental healthFull transcript of the podcast is available here, with many thanks to Dan Ranson. If you find these transcripts useful, please consider supporting accessibility!
Mental health support: please contact your GP or use the appropriate support for your country at https://checkpointorg.com/global/
You can find out more about Voices of Academia & other personal stories at @academicvoices or our website.
Interested in being interviewed? We’d love to hear from you. Please submit this brief form.
Recorded: 04/10/2021.
Sound: Mindset by Ketsa is licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, available through Free Music Archive.
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Emily chats with Dr. Viviana Re, who opens up about using therapy, the physical and meditative teachings from yoga, and essential oils to help calm the nervous system and manage panic attacks.
Viviana opened up previously, in episode 18, about experiencing panic attacks during her PostDoc and how they restricted her personal and work behaviour.
This episode covers:
· Living a yoga lifestyle, supportive partners and accepting oneself
· Judgement as part of life in academia
· Learning who is safe to open up to
· How the responses of others aren’t a reflection on us, but more to do with their own beliefs and fears
· How in some cultures, there’s a traditional idea that mental health concerns should be kept within the family
· Using the physical and meditative aspects of yoga, as well as essential oils to help calm the nervous system and manage panic attacks
· Learning to listen to what your body is trying to tell you
· Recovery on the day of a panic attack
Resources:
· Viviana’s personal blog: https://biralnas.wordpress.com/
· Books: Feel The Fear And Do It Anyway (Susan Jeffers); The power of now (Ekart Tolle), The God of small things (Arundhati Roy)
· Article: https://alltogether.swe.org/2020/06/mental-health-women-in-stem
· Podcast: Yoga on the Sofa – living a yoga lifestyle, Morgana, (in Italian)
Referenced episodes:
Episode 5. Mindfulness: not some 'Buddhist chant' | Daniel RansonFull transcript of the podcast is available here, with many thanks to Dan Ranson
Mental health support: please contact your GP or use the appropriate support for your country at https://checkpointorg.com/global/
You can find out more about Voices of Academia & other personal stories at @academicvoices or our website.
Support the podcast: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/VoAPodcast
Support accessibility: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/DanielRanson
Recorded: 03/09/2021.
Sound: Mindset by Ketsa is licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, available through Free Music Archive.
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Emily chats with Dr. Viviana Re, who opens up about experiencing panic attacks during her PostDoc and how they restricted her personal and work behaviour.
This episode touches on:
· Vivana’s love of books, the sea and nature in general
· Personal growth
· Descriptions of anxiety and panic attacks, and how to recognise them
· Hiding symptoms at work to avoid being judged harshly
· How the unpredictable nature of panic attacks restricted Viviana’s personal and work behaviour
· The series of events that encouraged Viviana to shift her approach to managing panic attacks
Resources:
· Personal Blog: https://biralnas.wordpress.com/
· Books: Feel The Fear And Do It Anyway (Susan Jeffers); The power of now (Ekart Tolle), The God of small things (Arundhati Roy)
· Article: https://alltogether.swe.org/2020/06/mental-health-women-in-stem
· Podcast: Yoga on the Sofa, Morgana (in Italian)
Full transcript of the podcast is available here (https://sonix.ai/r/ciSoCN1L8hoGFySo9s5hGoqj/share?utm_source=sonix&utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=link), with many thanks to Dan Ranson.
Mental health support: please contact your GP or use the appropriate support for your country at https://checkpointorg.com/global/
You can find out more about Voices of Academia & other personal stories at @academicvoices or our website.
Interested in being interviewed? We’d love to hear from you. Please submit this brief form.
Recorded: 03/09/2021.
Sound: Mindset by Ketsa is licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, available through Free Music Archive.
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Emily chats with Henry Powell-Davies, who tried a PhD and decided it wasn’t for him, choosing to exit with a Masters. He discusses what supported him through the isolation, making this decision, and moving on.
Henry opened up previously, in episode 16, about the mental health impacts of pandemic isolation, and making the difficult decision to exit his PhD with a Masters.
This episode covers:
· Breaking habits, #ChemistsWhoCook, skydiving and visiting Australia
· How academics seem to lean towards being productive, even in our downtime
· Twitter as a supportive community
· How Henry’s experiences have led him to become an advocate for young people in S.T.E.M.M through his work with the Salters’ Chemistry Festival.
· How Henry used his learned knowledge of himself to make decisions for his future
· How Henry initially found it difficult to accept academic support for his disability
· The usefulness of disability supports but how they may not be enough to help overcome the pressures of the academic system
· Pandemic isolation ideas – online communities, research group food challenge
Resources:
· Books: Atomic Habits by James Clear – for shifting habits, 5 minutes in the morning – a journaling book to help zero in on what brings happiness in life
· App: Headspace - for meditation
· Chemistry Salters’ Festival – for young students with additional support needs – Henry advocacy video
· Twitter: #RealTimeChem – big chemistry community, #DisabledInStem, @ChemConvosPod
· Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC): Twitter conference, listening and wellbeing service
Full transcript of the podcast is available here, with many thanks to Dan Ranson
Mental health support: please contact your GP or use the appropriate support for your country at https://checkpointorg.com/global/
You can find out more about Voices of Academia & other personal stories at @academicvoices or our website.
Mindset by Ketsa is licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, available through Free Music Archive.
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Emily chats with Henry Powell-Davies, who opens up about how the isolation he experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic, and associated lockdowns, led him to question and ultimately redirect his career path.
This episode covers:
· How Henry’s experiences have made him who he is today
· What led Henry to research & the alternative paths he considered
· How being visually impaired since birth has impacted Henry’s life, within and outside academia
· How disability doesn’t define Henry, but he’s accepted it as a part of him and tries to ask for appropriate support
· Moving to a new city for a PhD
· Isolation as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown
· Exiting a PhD with Masters and the difficulties of letting go of what might have been
· How it has become clearer to Henry that the worth PhD students provide is undervalued
Resources:
· Book: Atomic Habits by James Clear
· App: Headspace for meditation
· Podcast: ChemConvos
The full transcript of the podcast is available here, with many thanks to Dan Ranson
For mental health support, please contact your GP or use the appropriate support for your country at https://checkpointorg.com/global/
If you’re interested in being interviewed, we’d love to hear from you. Please submit this brief form.
You can find out more about Voices of Academia & other personal stories at @academicvoices or our website.
Finally, if you feel there are additional content or trigger warnings you would like us to add to our database, please contact us!
Recorded 09/07/2021.
Sound: Mindset and Something Beautiful by Ketsa are licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, available through Free Music Archive.
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CW: OCD and bipolar disorder
Emily chats with Dr. Clare Griffin, who opens up about medical treatments for OCD and bipolar disorder, strongly advocating for her needs and using creative writing as a medium to express experiences of mental illness.
Clare is a science historian who opened up previously, in episode 14, about the delay in her diagnoses and how this impacted her academic journey.
This episode covers:
· A fantastic book series recommendation, and more animal chat
· Some of the medical treatments Clare has found for OCD and bipolar, including how she responded to approaches that didn’t feel right to her
· The problematic issue of agency being withdrawn from someone that is mentally ill
· Silencing of people with mental illness to make others feel more comfortable
· Considerations of cost and safety through treatment
· Saying no, and being clear with others about your needs, even at a senior level of academia
· Creative writing for expressing mental illness from a different, perhaps less vulnerable, angle
· Disability resources Clare recommends
· How self-advocacy has helped to support Clare
Resources:
· Clare’s website
· Autistic Hoya - for writing and projects on disability justice: Twitter, website, Lydia X. Z. Brown
· Ovidia Yu – mystery books author, with diverse characters
· Clare recommends disability literary journals and websites, where people can creatively express their conditions. One of them is wordgathering, where she has also shared parts of her story
The full transcript of the podcast is available here, with many thanks to Dan Ranson
For mental health support, please contact your GP or use the appropriate support for your country at https://checkpointorg.com/global/
If you’re interested in being interviewed, we’d love to hear from you. Please submit this brief form.
You can find out more about Voices of Academia & other personal stories at @academicvoices or our website.
Finally, if you feel there are additional content or trigger warnings you would like us to add to our database, please contact us!
Recorded 25/06/2021.
Sound: Mindset by Ketsa is licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, available through Free Music Archive.
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CW: OCD and bipolar disorder
Emily chats with Dr. Clare Griffin, who opens up about the delays in her diagnoses of OCD and bipolar disorder, and how the conditions have impacted her academic journey, both before and after treatment.
This episode covers:
· Clare’s love of video games, running and animals
· The common lag time of ~10 years from onset of symptoms to diagnosis of OCD or bipolar disorder
· How mental illness is often framed based on how it impacts other people
· The difficulty of knowing whether your mental experiences are similar to those of others
· How Clare’s academic journey was impacted by her conditions before she received diagnoses
· The academic culture of overwork
· Self-advocacy balanced with personal boundaries and health
· How Clare’s openness about her diagnoses has impacted her academic experience
Resources:
· Clare’s website
· Autistic Hoya - for writing and projects on disability justice: Twitter, website, Lydia X. Z. Brown
· Clare recommends disability literary journals and websites, where people can creatively express their conditions. One of them is wordgathering, where she has also shared parts of her story
The full transcript of the podcast is available here, with many thanks to Dan Ranson
For mental health support, please contact your GP or use the appropriate support for your country at https://checkpointorg.com/global/
If you’re interested in being interviewed, we’d love to hear from you. Please submit this brief form.
You can find out more about Voices of Academia & other personal stories at @academicvoices or our website.
Finally, if you feel there are additional content or trigger warnings you would like us to add to our database, please contact us!
Recorded 25/06/2021.
Sound: Mindset by Ketsa is licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, available through Free Music Archive.
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TW: Fatal and racist violence in the U.S.
Emily chats with Dr. Malik Boykin, who opens up about how dancing, writing hip hop rhymes, and challenging his self-doubt in the mirror keeps him going, with a challenging life and career.
Malik opened up previously, in episode 12, about early life experiences and challenges he faces as a Black man and Professor.
This episode covers:
· Malik’s love of 90s hip hop, and his dreams to perform in Africa, publish a Nature paper, and become a full Emeritus Professor
· The support Malik received from his graduate department following significant loss
· Finding time to get to a dance floor (hip hop/Afro-beat/electronic music) and let go of stress by dancing
· Actively seeking and taking up every opportunity to get help
· Despite the challenges, Malik never considered quitting – not because quitting should be stigmatised, but because this path felt like his calling
· Getting comfortable with critical feedback, on repeat
· Using mirror work to challenge self-doubt
Resources:
· Dr. Boykin’s Research Lab
· Malik Starx the artist
The full transcript of the podcast is available here, with many thanks to Dan Ranson
For mental health support, please contact your GP or use the appropriate support for your country at https://checkpointorg.com/global/
If you’re interested in being interviewed, we’d love to hear from you. Please submit this brief form.
You can find out more about Voices of Academia & other personal stories at @academicvoices or our website.
Finally, if you feel there are additional content or trigger warnings you would like us to add to our database, please contact us!
Recorded 29/05/2021.
Sound: Mindset by Ketsa is licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, available through Free Music Archive.
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TW: Depression, loss, and racial discrimination
Emily chats with Dr. Malik Boykin, who opens up about early life experiences, how they lead him to become a Professor, and some of the challenges he has faced, and continues to face, as a Black man and academic.
This episode covers:
· Embracing multidimensionality eg. You can be a scientist AND an artist
· Formative experiences from Malik’s early life
· A drop off in high school engagement and grades after significant loss
· Malik’s realisation that his life as a Black man in America without a college degree may be precarious
· Finding self-, rather than external, motivation
· The link between Black advocates and role models in academia, and Malik’s success
· The academic expectation to continue to meet deadlines even following a devastating personal loss
· A few examples of the extra labour Malik manages as a Black academic
Resources:
· Dr. Boykin’s Research Lab
· Malik Starx the artist
The full transcript of the podcast is available here, with many thanks to Dan Ranson
For mental health support, please contact your GP or use the appropriate support for your country at https://checkpointorg.com/global/
If you’re interested in being interviewed, we’d love to hear from you. Please submit this brief form.
You can find out more about Voices of Academia & other personal stories at @academicvoices or our website.
Finally, if you feel there are additional content or trigger warnings you would like us to add to our database, please contact us!
Recorded 29/05/2021.
Sound: Mindset by Ketsa is licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, available through Free Music Archive.
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Hi everyone! I'm taking a short break from releasing episodes but will be back on August 11. That's just enough time for you to catch up on past episodes ;) Here's a sneak peek of the upcoming episodes with Dr. Malik Boykin.
For episode 12 -
[Malik] "People who study race have a much better time when there are people of color as Editors of the Journals. But oftentimes you're fighting an uphill battle. And the fact that if an editor doesn't think that this is a valid thing to think about or valid thing to study, then you have to navigate the fact that you have a harder road to hoe to convince people that this is scientific, that it's worthwhile. And sometimes it might be a study that is actually threatening to the person that receives it as an editor. So you got to bake that in, that resistance is extra drag. Over and above the fact that, one of the other things, and I don't want you to feel any kind of way about this because I'm on your platform to talk about this, but I'm often asked to talk about experiences that are racially charged and traumatic experiences as a part of my job."
For episode 13 -
[Malik] "The one thing that I did all the way through graduate school that was the most helpful, was dance. However cheesy that sounds, it was like I had to find time to get to a place that was playing hip hop music or Afrobeat music or electronic dance music or something and just sweat it out and really just leave it there and dance until my legs retired and dance until, you know, I just was almost meditatively just in the groove, in the music, in the moment. And I think that was my best strategy to recharge. It was my best strategy to release, and I had just a consistent practice of that."
See you soon!
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