A Heroine’s Journey to Heal Trauma and Depression | WeMentor Mondays with Nancy PODCAST

Episode 256: A Heroine’s Journey to Heal Trauma and Depression

Every Hero/Heroine’s Journey starts with an event. The coronavirus was our unwanted call to adventure. Have you accepted the call, or are you still thinking the pandemic isn’t going to get worse before it gets better? On the hero/heroine’s journey, mythologist Joseph Campbell identified steps involved in self-transformation through mythical characters. It is common for us not to accept the call for change the first time around. Initially, we thought we would be mildly inconvenienced for a few months. Boy were we woken up.

The picture above is a modified version of the Hero’s Journey by Athea (Her last name is not listed on her website). This image reflects the ascent to a higher plane,

I went to my podcast archives for inspiration. Suzula Bidon’s Heroine Journey provides clues we can use in our lives as we continue this strange journey into a new way of working and living. Quarantine restrictions this holiday season and next year allow us time to continue progressing through individual leadership transformation and integration. Understanding where you are will help you acknowledge where others you lead are in their journey.

I have included all three episodes of Suzula’s journey healing trauma and clinical depression. You can binge-listen. Then complete the WeMentor Meaningful Activities below. Keep grounding yourself and face the reality of where you are at any cost.

“Emotional sickness is avoiding reality at any cost. Emotional health is facing reality at any cost.” — M. Scott Peck.

Suzula Bidon asserted bravery as she described her journey. A life that began in Spooner, Wisconsin. A place where her Mom, Dad, and brother lived along the picturesque Yellow River. Her Dad and brother enjoyed hunting and fishing together while Suzula swam and caught tadpoles and frogs. A place where she became an avid reader.

In the 1^st episode, you will hear how Suzula’s life begins to unravel, and she submerges into the underworld of substance abuse, not recognizing the call to heal. DOWNLOAD

2^nd Episode: Compounded grief takes Suzula through a long recovery where she is tested with two spiritual awakenings and a 27-month stay in a federal correctional facility. Allies and enemies await her. The road back to herself isn’t easy. She persists and ascends to a sober life becoming an Ivy League graduate, licensed practicing attorney in private practice, certified peer recovery specialist, and certified yoga teacher. Once you know how to navigate your own transformation, your human spirit is free to evolve at its own pace and in its own way. You awaken to the possibilities of creating a better life. Substance Use Disorder meet Criminal Justice System | WeMentor Mondays with Nancy PODCAST

3^rd Episode: Learn 5 ways to use inclusive language. Self-awareness releases a judgmental mind. 5 Ways to Use Inclusive Language | WeMentor Mondays with Nancy PODCAST

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Episode Resources

Articles About Suzula Bidon

WeMentor Meaningful Activities

WeMentor Meaningful Activities:

Answer the questions below as you listen to Suzula:

What was Suzula’s call to adventure?
What was the inciting incident that led her “off to the races,” as Suzula puts it?
What is medication-assisted therapy, and what is its purpose? Did it work for Suzula as a drug therapy treatment?
How did unresolved grief and untreated depression show up in her life? How was she tested, and who were her allies and enemies?
How did Suzula move through the transformation process? Over what timeframe?

2. Once you have finished listening to this Episode or all three, acknowledge your Hero/Heroine’s Journey.

- The inciting incident was the coronavirus. How has your life and business changed since March? Use the picture of the Heroine/Hero’s Journey to reflect upon where you are. You can create your own ascension spiral. No one is finished with the transformation we are collectively in, so we have time to understand where we are and sort out a path forward.
- Have moved through the abyss and am invested in the road back home, mastering the two worlds. The world we are leaving behind and the new world we are walking into. The journey isn’t pretty, but it is real, and I am invigorated knowing that I have what it takes to ascend to a higher plane. I am used to working without a net and feeling uncomfortable. Your turn, recognize where you are on your journey. Use the diagram to help you out. Please write it down. Decide what you are committed to becoming next. Go about doing the work every day with focus and determination. You have what it takes to ascend. Go for it. Find out what you are made of.
- Share your journey with a friend. It will permit them to share too. As always, you can email me where you are and let me know how you are evolving. Contact | WeMentor Mondays with Nancy PODCAST

“Emotional sickness is avoiding reality at any cost. Emotional health is facing reality at any cost.” — M. SCOTT PECK.

Equip yourself with facts, feelings, and a mentor as you reinvent (or evolve) yourself as you redesign your business. When WeMentor… your life gets better!!! Mentoring WORKS.

Podcast Guest Mentor

Suzula Bidon. Suzula lives in long-term recovery from addiction, dedicated to smashing stigma and helping people thrive. She is an attorney, entrepreneur, yoga instructor (E-RYT 200), and Certified Peer Recovery, Specialist. Bidon is also the creator of Recovery Yoga Meetings®, a yoga curriculum designed to help individuals beat addiction and thrive in recovery by living and breathing the principles of recovery – on the mat and in their lives. Bidon leads Recovery Yoga Meetings® in yoga studios and treatment facilities. She offers Recovery Yoga Teacher Training for yoga teachers, too.

Bidon knows from personal experience that addiction is a public health issue best addressed with treatment – not punishment. In her legal work, she specializes in expungements (sealing criminal records), consults on addiction-related policy, and educates legal professionals about addiction and the need for criminal justice reform.

Bidon volunteers her time for public service as well. She is a member of Minnesota’s Lawyers Assistance Program, Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers (LCL), where she sits on the Cases and Interventions Committee. Bidon is also the Chair of the Ramsey County Citizen’s Advisory Council Chemical Health Committee.

Bidon speaks and writes openly about her addiction, recovery, and the criminal justice system in various forums. She has testified at the legislature about sentencing guideline reform. She presents Continuing Legal Education seminars for legal professionals. She speaks in treatment centers and at events around the country. She has been featured in The Huffington Post, Star Tribune, and Forbes.com. Her article, “A New Call to Action: Lawyers and Addiction,” was published in the Jan/Feb 2017 issue of The Hennepin Lawyer.

Credentials & Expertise

Attorney at Law, licensed in Minnesota: Addiction Law and Policy
J.D. William Mitchell College of Law
B.A. Barnard College
Peer Support Minnesota Certified Peer Recovery Specialist (CPRS)
Yoga Alliance Certified Registered Yoga Teacher (E-RYT 200): Yoga, Health, and Wellness Specialist

Learn more about Suzula and Recovery Yoga Meetings® HERE Facebook: @rymtgs