Kyle and Judy talk an all-too-common silent killer: depression. A leading cause of death, rates of depression have skyrocketed during the pandemic, yet it is still difficult for people to talk about openly. This especially impacts men, many of whom have been taught from a young age to tough out difficult situations by sheer willpower and to not talk about their feelings and keep things close to the chest.Kyle was diagnosed with depression at the age of 9 and it took him decades before he advocated for himself to become educated in the condition, to receive effective treatment continuously, and to help empower others to do the same. In this candid conversation, Kyle talks about the stigma facing men who suffer from mental health conditions, and how that kept him stuck until he connected with MedCircle, where he is now the on-camera host of their educational programs as well as a content strategist. Kyle and Judy dissect some recent research that shows some valuable secrets to getting better care for any physical or mental health condition you have, and why self-advocacy and self-compassion go hand in hand to help people find hope again and recover from difficult circumstances. If you or a loved one is struggling with depression or anxiety, or if you are someone who works with people dealing with mental health symptoms; this episode is for you. You’ll learn the secrets to getting rock solid education so that you can make the best health decisions for yourself and your family, and Kyle and MedCircle have a phenomenal giveaway that you don’t want to miss which is going to a game changer in developing iron-clad mental health resiliency.In this episode, we discuss:1.  The stigma facing men and mental health (1:20)2.  Kyle’s unique journey to MedCircle (4:48)3.  The transformative impact of online education (7:00)4.  Why some men don’t talk about their feelings (10:30)5.  Misconceptions about psychotherapy (14:50)6.  The crucial missing piece in mental health treatment (23:10)7.  Depression and identity: Why we define ourselves by our symptoms (28:20)8.  The secret to depression recovery (30:50)9.  What self-care isn’t (36:00)10. Another reason to love animals and your pets: Link to mental health (38:15)11. What to say to a loved one suffering with mental health symptoms (39:50)12. SuperCharged Tips of the Day: Self-Advocacy for Better Health and Mental Health (43:00)13. The MedCircle Giveaway You Don’t Want to Miss (47:30)https://www.drjudyho.com/https://www.instagram.com/drjudyho/https://twitter.com/drjudyho            https://www.facebook.com/doctorjudyho https://www.instagram.com/stage29podcastshttps://twitter.com/stage29podcastshttps://www.facebook.com/Stage29Podcasts/ https://kylekittleson.comhttps://medcircle.comhttps://www.youtube.com/medcirclehttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-pet-collective-podcast/id1522579858https://www.drjudyho.com/medcirclegiveaway Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices