What is it really like to live with bipolar disorder, depression, and anxiety—and why are so many people still afraid to talk about it?

On this episode of State of Mind, Maurice Benard sits down with actress, model, and musician Léa Marcastel for an honest and deeply personal conversation about mental health, trauma, and healing. Together, they explore what it means to struggle with depression from a young age, feel misunderstood, and navigate the invisible weight of anxiety and emotional pain.

Léa Marcastel shares her journey growing up feeling invalidated, battling depression and suicidal thoughts, and eventually finding healing through therapy, journaling, meditation, and self awareness. The conversation also dives into addiction, including the hidden impact of marijuana use on mental health, and why substances that feel helpful at first can quietly become a crutch.

Maurice opens up about his own experience with bipolar disorder, the importance of staying ahead of mental health struggles, and why building daily habits like mindfulness, exercise, and emotional awareness can make all the difference. Together, they break down the stigma around mental illness and explain why talking openly about these challenges is one of the most powerful steps toward healing.

This episode covers:

• Bipolar disorder, depression, and anxiety
• Therapy, journaling, and meditation for mental health
• Addiction, marijuana use, and emotional dependency
• Trauma, PTSD, and feeling disconnected from yourself
• Building habits to stay mentally strong and grounded

If you have ever struggled with mental health, felt alone in your thoughts, or are looking for ways to better understand yourself or someone you love, this conversation is a reminder that you are not alone and that healing is possible. *If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available. Call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or chat via 988lifeline.org. Support is free, confidential, and available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

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Video Versions of State of Mind available on YouTube! Watch! Read Maurice’s New York Times Bestselling Book! Nothing General About It: How Love (and Lithium) Saved Me On and Off General Hospital

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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mbstateofmind/ State Of Mind Merch:https://www.mbstateofmind.com State of Mind Production Team: Host & Editorial: Maurice Benard Executive Producer: Paula Benard Director of Production & Video: Anthony Cammarata Podcast Strategy Consultant: Aaron Calafato Audio Consultant: Ken Wendt

WARNING: This episode talks about suicide, which some people may find disturbing. If you are having thoughts of suicide, know there is help and you are not alone.

Support: Call or text 988 Chat: 988lifeline.org Maurice Benard sits down with actor Nathan Dean Parsons for a deeply personal conversation about bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, and suicide. Together, they open up about living with mental health challenges, the pain of losing a loved one to suicide, and the overwhelming feeling of being a burden. This powerful State of Mind episode explores what it takes to keep going, the importance of support systems, and why honest conversations about mental health can help others feel less alone.

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Video Versions of State of Mind available on YouTube! Watch! Read Maurice’s New York Times Bestselling Book! Nothing General About It: How Love (and Lithium) Saved Me On and Off General Hospital

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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mbstateofmind/ State Of Mind Merch:https://www.mbstateofmind.com State of Mind Production Team: Host & Editorial: Maurice Benard Executive Producer: Paula Benard Director of Production & Video: Anthony Cammarata Podcast Strategy Consultant: Aaron Calafato Audio Consultant: Ken Wendt

In this episode of State of Mind, Maurice Benard sits down with actor Diedrich Bader for a deeply personal conversation on depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, and the ongoing pursuit of peace within.

What begins as a light conversation about Hollywood quickly turns into an honest exploration of mental health, including the realities of living with bipolar disorder, the impact of alcohol and anxiety, and the emotional toll of acting and storytelling. Diedrich opens up about his own experience with depression, sleeplessness, and unconventional paths to healing, while Maurice shares his lifelong journey with bipolar disorder and medication.

Together, they unpack the pressure to “feel happy,” the importance of representation in mental health, and why sometimes stepping away is the most powerful step forward.

This is a raw, vulnerable, and ultimately hopeful conversation about what it means to live, struggle, and keep going.

In this episode:

• Bipolar disorder and long-term mental health management
• Depression, anxiety, and the impact of sleep
• Alcohol and mental health
• Acting, identity, and emotional toll
• Alternative healing and recovery paths
• Why peace within matters more than perfection

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Video Versions of State of Mind available on YouTube! Watch! Read Maurice’s New York Times Bestselling Book! Nothing General About It: How Love (and Lithium) Saved Me On and Off General Hospital

Follow Maurice on Social Media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mauricebenard/

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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mbstateofmind/ State Of Mind Merch:https://www.mbstateofmind.com State of Mind Production Team: Host & Editorial: Maurice Benard Executive Producer: Paula Benard Director of Production & Video: Anthony Cammarata Podcast Strategy Consultant: Aaron Calafato Audio Consultant: Ken Wendt

On this episode of State of Mind, Maurice Benard sits down with rising actress Bluesy Burke for an honest conversation about anxiety, acting, and growing up in the spotlight.

Bluesy opens up about moving across the country during COVID, leaving behind close friendships, and stepping into the unknown at a young age. She shares what it was like booking General Hospital, walking into high-pressure auditions, and navigating nerves on set while learning to trust herself.

Together, they explore:

• What anxiety actually feels like in real time
• The fear of the unknown and how it shapes decisions
• Why doing the thing you’re afraid of changes everything
• Mental health across generations
• Simple tools like breathing, movement, and mindset shifts

It’s a conversation about showing up scared, pushing through self-doubt, and realizing you’re more capable than your thoughts tell you.

As Maurice reminds us, sometimes the breakthrough comes from doing it anyway.

Show your support: Follow SOM, tap 5 stars, & share this episode with someone who needs it.

Video Versions of State of Mind available on YouTube! Watch! Read Maurice’s New York Times Bestselling Book! Nothing General About It: How Love (and Lithium) Saved Me On and Off General Hospital

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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mbstateofmind/ State Of Mind Merch:https://www.mbstateofmind.com State of Mind Production Team: Host & Editorial: Maurice Benard Executive Producer: Paula Benard Director of Production & Video: Anthony Cammarata Podcast Strategy Consultant: Aaron Calafato Audio Consultant: Ken Wendt

Chauntal Lewis joins State of Mind again. This time, for a deeply honest conversation about surviving domestic violence, living with anxiety, and finding a way forward after trauma. In this powerful episode, she opens up about abuse, love addiction, grief, losing her hand in a devastating car accident, and the work it took to reclaim her life and sense of self.

This is a raw, emotional, and ultimately hopeful conversation about what it means to tell the truth, get help, and keep going.

Show your support: Follow SOM, tap 5 stars, & share this episode with someone who needs it.

Video Versions of State of Mind available on YouTube! Watch! Read Maurice’s New York Times Bestselling Book! Nothing General About It: How Love (and Lithium) Saved Me On and Off General Hospital

Follow Maurice on Social Media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mauricebenard/

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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mbstateofmind/ State Of Mind Merch:https://www.mbstateofmind.com State of Mind Production Team: Host & Editorial: Maurice Benard Executive Producer: Paula Benard Director of Production & Video: Anthony Cammarata Podcast Strategy Consultant: Aaron Calafato Audio Consultant: Ken Wendt

Maurice Benard sits down with acclaimed actor Clancy Brown for a wide-ranging conversation about anxiety, mental health, acting, family, grief, and resilience. Known for unforgettable roles in The Shawshank Redemption, John Wick, SpongeBob SquarePants, and The Penguin, Clancy opens up about the nerves that have followed him throughout his career, how he learned to work through them, and the personal experiences that shaped him long before Hollywood knew his name.

The conversation moves from Clancy’s childhood in Ohio and the loss of his sister, to his mother’s artistic journey, to the emotional realities of performing under pressure. Along the way, Maurice and Clancy talk candidly about bipolar disorder, auditioning, soap operas, family, and what it really takes to endure in a creative life. It is a soulful, funny, and surprisingly moving episode about vulnerability, craft, and staying human in the middle of it all.

Show your support: Follow SOM, tap 5 stars, & share this episode with someone who needs it.

Video Versions of State of Mind available on YouTube! Watch! Read Maurice’s New York Times Bestselling Book! Nothing General About It: How Love (and Lithium) Saved Me On and Off General Hospital

Follow Maurice on Social Media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mauricebenard/

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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mbstateofmind/ State Of Mind Merch:https://www.mbstateofmind.com State of Mind Production Team: Host & Editorial: Maurice Benard Executive Producer: Paula Benard Director of Production & Video: Anthony Cammarata Podcast Strategy Consultant: Aaron Calafato Audio Consultant: Ken Wendt

In this special birthday episode of State of Mind, the tables turn as Dominic Zamprogna (Dante on General Hospital) takes over the host chair to interview Maurice Benard.

Maurice opens up about his life, career, and lifelong journey with bipolar disorder—from his early days chasing acting dreams, to his first manic episode and time in a mental institution, to becoming one of daytime television’s most iconic actors as Sonny Corinthos.

The two longtime friends share stories from their years working together, discuss the pressures of fame, ego, mental health, and finding peace as you get older. Maurice also speaks candidly about medication, anxiety, and why helping others with mental health struggles has become his true purpose.

Plus, heartfelt birthday messages from friends, co-stars, and family celebrating Maurice’s impact both on and off screen.

This episode is honest, funny, emotional—and a powerful reminder that peace of mind is the greatest gift of all.

Show your support: Follow SOM, tap 5 stars, & share this episode with someone who needs it.

Video Versions of State of Mind available on YouTube! Watch! Read Maurice’s New York Times Bestselling Book! Nothing General About It: How Love (and Lithium) Saved Me On and Off General Hospital

Follow Maurice on Social Media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mauricebenard/

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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mbstateofmind/ State Of Mind Merch:https://www.mbstateofmind.com State of Mind Production Team: Host & Editorial: Maurice Benard Executive Producer: Paula Benard Director of Production: Anthony Cammarata Audio/Video/Editorial: Anthony Cammarata Podcast Consultant: Aaron Calafato

In this episode of State of Mind, Maurice Benard sits down with actress Kelly Thiebaud for a raw, funny, and surprisingly deep conversation about what it really means to start over.

Kelly opens up about growing up in a small town, being a sports kid turned model, and how the modeling world messed with her relationship to food, her body, and her self-worth. She shares what it was like moving to Los Angeles at 17, experiencing an early heartbreak that shaped how she viewed love, and why she didn’t fully step into acting until later in life.

Maurice and Kelly also get real about mental health: therapy, bitterness, anxiety, medication decisions, and the pressure of having to “perform” when you’re privately falling apart. Together, they talk about learning to be alone, rebuilding after blowing up your life, and treating your past not as proof you’re broken—but as information that helps you grow.

Show your support: Follow SOM, tap 5 stars, & share this episode with someone who needs it.

Video Versions of State of Mind available on YouTube! Watch!

Read Maurice’s New York Times Bestselling Book! Nothing General About It: How Love (and Lithium) Saved Me On and Off General Hospital

Follow Maurice on Social Media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mauricebenard/

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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mbstateofmind/ State Of Mind Merch:https://www.mbstateofmind.com State of Mind Production Team: Host & Editorial: Maurice Benard Executive Producer: Paula Benard Director of Production: Anthony Cammarata Audio/Video/Editorial: Anthony Cammarata Podcast Consultant: Aaron Calafato