What happens when the thing you've always relied on to get through hard things stops working?

I loved getting to reconnect with Dr. Donald "Skip" Mondragon, who I first met at SpeakFest in Savannah. Skip is a retired Army colonel, physician, national wrestling champion, author, husband, dad, and grandfather. But in this conversation, he opened up about something much more personal: his experience with depression and learning that he couldn't simply "muscle through" it.

Skip shared the story of the day he found himself under his desk, finally realizing he needed help. We talked about the signs he hadn't recognized, the importance of asking for support, and the small things that helped him begin to climb out of that dark place.

In this episode, we talked about:

• The "tough guy" mentality and why pushing harder doesn't always help
• Recognizing the signs of depression
• Asking for help and finding the right support
• The role of sleep, movement, sunlight, laughter, and gratitude
• How our breath can help us slow down and respond differently
• Processing trauma and finding your "battle buddies"
• Why we don't always see what's happening inside ourselves

Connect with Dr. Donald "Skip" Mondragon

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/donald.mondragon.92/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr._skip.mondragon
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin,com/skip-mondragon-66a2b436/
• YouTube: https://youtu.be/YMmhTsdDX2g
• Book: Wrestling Depression Is Not for Wimps on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Books-Skip-Mondragon/s?rh=n%3A283155%2Cp_27%3ASkip%2BMondragon

One thing I took away from this conversation is that strength doesn't always look like pushing through. Sometimes it looks like admitting you need help.

And if the first call doesn't work, make another call. Find another person. Try another approach.

You don't have to do it alone.

Adventure on.

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