E026 Jason Balgopal Peer-to-Peer Support Groups
Let’s Be Well Together Podcast - Episode 26
Date: July 26, 2022
Participants: John Webster, Sammy Damaren, Cameron Earnshaw and Sheila Webster
Guests: Jason Balgopal and Brian Peyton
Start times and Segment Segments:
[0:00:42] What’s On Your Mind: Sammy and John talk about baggage you don’t need to carry – your past, guilt, expectations, other’s mistakes and negativity.
[0:12:15] Expanding Minds Interview: [Social & Mental Wellness] we interview Jason Balgopal, who went through a period of deep depression. He was ultimately helped by a web of support. In the process, he felt that he was burning out his family by repeatedly saying the same things to them. They tried their best, but they had no lived or clinical experience to help him. He saw something missing - the ability to speak with other people who walked in his shoes, so to speak. Not experts, family or friends, but people like him. He developed a peer support group. It helped. He’s now giving back to the community, which supported him, by helping develop more mental health peer support groups, including online ones. It’s making a difference for many people.
[0:20:33] Adventures of the Starving Artist: Cameron talks about music theory, including Breaking THEory Rules.
[0:36:18] Move That Body: Brian Peyton built his eBike after retirement. He loves riding around the city and its trails.
[0:42:26] Running Popup: Getting to a better place is rarely a straight line. There are steps forward and back.
[0:45:48] Flipside of the Coin: Sheila talks to John about something in his book, Accidentally Well. Being too skeptical (or dogmatic) is problematic.
Quotes and Take-Aways:
Sammy – There’s a difference between goals and expectations. Expectations can set you up for failure at times. You’re expecting something, and if you don’t get it, then you may feel it’s a failure.
Jason – The fact that there we so many different aspects to the help that I got, I liken to a web of support [to help overcome deep depression]. It’s not just one thread, for example where you can say there’s a magic bullet and I’ll get medication that’s going to be the end of it. It’s a whole web of support that helps you get through these kinds of challenges.
Jason – What do you do in life when there’s something’s not there that you need? Well, you create it. That’s what I did anyway.
Jason – When I’m talking to people with similar or analogous experiences, they understand what I’m going through and I have a confidence that they are interested in what I have to stay. They’re not stuck there like my wife when I come home from work and unburden on her. When I go to a mental health peer support group, the people are there for themselves to get help, but they’re also there to give help to other people. You know when you are talking to them that they actually want to listen to what you’re saying. They have suggestions about what worked well for them.
Jason – Feedback is one of two things: (1) empathy; or (2) what’s worked or didn’t work for somebody else. The one thing we won’t do in the group is tell people what they should and shouldn’t do. We’re not professionals, so we won’t tell you what to do.
Jason – I’m surprised at how positive an experience this has been. It’s amazing. No longer do I feel lonely and alone in my journey.
Bulletin Board Quote brought to you by Brian: I’ve done it a couple times, but it’s pretty hairy!
Guest Information: Jason Balgopal is a lawyer. He's been an Assistant Crown Attorney in Scarborough, Ontario since 2004, which is similar being a District Attorney in the U.S. He's appeared in all levels of court, and has conducted all manner of prosecutions, including murder trials. He’s a member of the Elder Abuse Consultation Team in Toronto and has presented many times on the topic of Elder Abuse. He’s also a member of the Scarborough Human Services and Justice Coordinating Committee which helps to coordinate the various services offered by different organizations to a diverse population. After a lengthy challenge with deep depression, and after getting to a better headspace for himself, Jason wanted to give back to the community which had supported him. In 2015, he created the Mental Wellness Peer-to-Peer Support Groups, which have been operating ever since in person, and more recently through Zoom. The groups offer members an opportunity to unburden themselves to peers (people who have “walked a mile in your shoes”) about how their mental wellness challenge is affecting them and get feedback (empathy or best practices) to support them.
Website for meetup.com site: Mental Wellness Peer-to-Peer Support Groups
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Thanks for joining us,
(-(-_(-_-)_-)-) Your wellness check-in team
John, Sammy, Cameron, Sheila and Julie