• 3 days ago
"We are here to show the world it is OK to not be OK."

Mindful meditation, psychedelics, and even bringing in the metaverse ... This startup incubator is getting people to think differently about mental health.

Throughout the month of August, Brut is partnering with Aurora Institute to discuss all things mental health and wellness.

Giannis Antetokounmpo Robbie Williams
Transcript
00:00I've got body dysmorphia. I have depression and anxiety.
00:05When I leave the house, I'm just uncomfortable.
00:08I'm an alcoholic and an addict.
00:10We are here to show the world that it is okay to not be okay.
00:15I'm pretty successful and a lot of people think, like, okay, he's fine.
00:18We have to stop with the stigma that, you know, when you ask for help, like, you're weak.
00:22The system is set up for us to suffer, so we got to create this new system.
00:3120% of Americans will suffer from a mental health problem at some point in their lifetimes.
00:3750% of those end up with a substance abuse problem.
00:40These are people that are our friends, that are in our community.
00:44How can we help them?
00:46In this number, we always quote that one billion people globally have mental health issues.
00:50This does not count all the people who are not coming forward.
01:01We are here to show the world that it is okay to not be okay.
01:05We have to stop with the stigma that, you know, when you ask for help, like, you're weak.
01:10The system is set up for us to suffer, so we got to create this new system.
01:14I started the Kevin Love Fund. We found that sweet spot and started an emotional vulnerability curriculum.
01:22For ages 13 through 18, they're learning how to be vulnerable and what that means to be with their peers
01:29and with those that they look up to.
01:31The pill has become the mainstay of medicine.
01:34Many people don't think about experiences as medicine for the mind as they might think of a pill.
01:39I actually think there's an opportunity to change that, interestingly enough, through technology.
01:59A lot of people, you know, they judge meditation right away. You know what I mean?
02:09Why do they judge meditation when that is actually the answer to connecting to yourself?
02:15I believe that psychedelics, as you see on my mushroom shirt here,
02:19that psychedelics are the most promising tool we have in this fight against the mental health pandemic.
02:26These are very, very powerful trips. They're not always nice because a lot of things in life,
02:32which you either have to learn or, for example, past trauma, which you have to overcome,
02:38can be very challenging for you, but it helps you if you work through it.
02:43We want to make it medically available again so that you can go to your therapist,
02:48which is the way humans did it for the last thousands of years.
02:57It's making it, you're not embarrassed to say I'm suffering from depression right now,
03:02and I'm super anxious right now, I'm anorexic right now, I have a drug addiction right now.
03:10Whatever mental health issue that people are currently facing, they should be able to talk about it
03:16the same way they do if they have a disease, because that's what it is.

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