Ep. 28 Neil Parekh | Shining Light on Shadows: Mental Health Advocacy and a New Diagnosis at 51—Adult ADHD

I was recently diagnosed with Adult ADHD. The anxiety and occasional depression that I’ve dealt with and talked about on the show are the result of my ADHD. This is the first time I’m talking about this publicly.

I am the guest and Dawn Helmrich Neuburg will be the host on Ep. 28 of “Shining Light on Shadows: A Candid Conversation About Mental Health.” I’m sharing an update on my own mental health, and what I’ve learned since launching this show just over a year ago.

We will be live Thursday April 24 at 7 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. CT / 4 p.m. PT. If you can’t watch the live show feel free to watch the recording on the same links.

In my blog post for the show, I write about how ADHD manifests itself in me, particularly Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria. Dawn, in her blog post, shares her observations on my mental health journey, from when we first met at a United Way conference, through our launching this show and now, my sharing this update.

Programming Note

We are live the second and fourth Thursdays of the month. Our next show will be Thursday, May 8th. Amanda Kranz will join us for a special Mother’s Day edition. You won’t want to miss that episode.

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Watch the live show or recording on this page or watch and comment on social media: Facebook | Twitter* | LinkedIn | YouTube | Instagram*

*We wont' know the exact urls for Twitter and Instagram until we go live on Thursday. For now, these links go to my Twitter account and Dawn's Instagram.

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This show comes at the end of Sexual Assault Awareness Month (April) and just before Mental Health Awareness Month (May). My journey started when I co-hosted Season 3 of “Unspoken: Conversations with Candace” in 2023 focusing on Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse. People like me. We talked about mental health a lot on that show. I wasn’t ready to talk about it much during those shows.

At the end of the year, I decided to do this show, focusing on mental health. I asked Dawn if she’d be a guest and instead she offered to be my co-host.

I’ve learned a lot about myself over the past 27 episodes and have gotten more comfortable talking about my own issues. So much so that I’m ready to share my relatively recent diagnosis of Adult ADHD.

Blog Posts on Adult ADHD / Mental Health Advocacy

Click here to read my blog post, “Updating My Diagnosis at 51: It’s Adult ADHD and RSD, Not Anxiety and Depression.”

Click here to read Dawn’s blog post, “Neil Parekh's Evolution as a Mental Health Advocate.”

Background

Dawn and I launched this twice a month show (the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of the month) in order to help reduce the stigma associated with mental health. Thank you for being part of our community.

We are proud to be in Year 2 of the show. If you are interested in being a guest on the show or know someone who might be interested, please let us know. We’re looking for people who would be willing to share their story, advocates and people who work in the field of mental health.

We hope you can watch the show and share your own thoughts in the comments.

“Shining Light on Shadows: A Candid Conversation About Mental Health” is produced by Digimentors on a pro bono basis.

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Resources / Relevant Links

Calibrate ADHD (ADHD Testing and Coaching) calibrateadhd.com/about National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Helpline 800-950-6264 Or text "HelpLine" to 6264; nami.org

Mental Health America Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org; mhanational.org Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) National Sexual Assault Hotline 800-656-HOPE (4673); rainn.org