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A little bit of my Quest
I lived with depression and suicidal ideation for 40+ years. My first suicidal thought was from overhearing an adult conversation on the stairs of our apartment when I was 6 years of age. From that moment up until about 3 years ago, I continued to have suicidal thoughts. Along with the thoughts, came end of life behaviors, such as drinking alcohol, one would call it, undercover alcoholism, because the drinking would occur after I got settled in the house and around bedtime.
Finally, I knew that whatever was going on with me, I couldn’t handle it alone, I didn’t know where to turn, so I started seeking God, I admitted that He was the only ONE that could help me. Even though it was a 10 year healing quest, today, I live a Free Life! Free from depression; Free from Suicidal ideation! Free does not mean that a negative or sad thought doesn’t come up, free means, the thought doesn’t survive in my ‘head’ for very long.
During my 10 year healing quest, I came to learn more about myself, my behaviors, my triggers, my environment, my emotions. Then I learned how I allowed the outside world to contribute to what I was thinking, feeling and believing.
On my quest, God set numerous amounts of tools in front of me that aided in my healing. I was willing to invest in myself, my growth. I knew that what god put before me, was for me and essential to my healing process. I paid whatever price I needed to pay in order to learn more and what I was seeking. I paid even when I believed I couldn’t afford it, every sacrifice I made was worth my deliverance.
One of my favorite bible verses that I stood on during my quest, a verse that I still stand on today: Matthew 7:7-8 ‘7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.’ I asked God for healing and I received my healing, I sought out to find my answers and God provided, I knocked on Gods doors and He opened them. When God opened the doors, I was fearless and took each directed step.
In 2019, after I realized I had overcome the biggest obstacle, challenge in my life, mental health disorders, I asked God to show me His Ways, show me the tools He provided along the way that helped me with the healing process. To my amazement, there were about 40 things I learned and applied that helped me get to where I was, healed, which was about 3 years ago.
After I gained revelation, I was launching my Hi-Jack the Mind Live Workshop, a workshop designed to give the tools and techniques that lead me to my victory. And then, COVID hit, so I sat back and asked God WHAT ELSE? WHAT AM I MISSING? … Really astonished, by what was revealed next. I started studying Dr Amens work on brain health. Dr Amen is a double board certified psychiatrist and he specializes in brain health through the use of what looks like an ‘x-ray’ machine, the Brain SPECT! Very intrigued, I enrolled in his medical coaching program, though I have no medical degree, yet, I am a Certified Brain Health Professional and a Licensed Brain Trainer through the Amen Clinics.
I recently got my own brain scanned to see how my own brain functions and the blood flow, which shows how I can improve my lifestyle by understanding what I needed. During my evaluation, the psychiatrist assigned to me advised me of the results, her almost last words were, from what I see on these scans and the life that you live, you should teach others what you do, you have what most don’t. I have a disciplined lifestyle that includes automatic cognitive behavior therapy that I apply daily. I’ve been doing my CBT for so long, it’s a natural part of who I am. If it were not for the tools and techniques I have learned and applied over the last 4 years, I would probably still be experiencing much depression and many suicidal thoughts and behaviors.
This has not always been the case for me. Most people are where I was! I was stuck in this place, this place of knowing what to do and not doing it! I got the same advice that I already knew from my friends that I talked with and therapist I paid out of pocket money to counsel me. My first step was asking God for help, my next step was seeking to understand why I didn’t do what I knew that I needed to do to get better, feel better and show up for myself better.
What I found on my quest is that, often, we are told to find our WHY… WHAT’s your purpose in life. For me, it’s not the purpose in life that I needed, the WHY that I require is behind the technique. WHY do I need to do this, what difference is this ONE THING going to make, how is this technique going to make the difference in my life. For me, the gap between what I knew to do, the Technique, and me doing what I knew to do was the WHY in the technique. When I learned the why, I started doing the technique. For me to enjoy the fullness of the technique, I need the difference the technique will make for me. It lead me to understand that although I can do without certain techniques, certain skills, doing life with the techniques made life easier, gave quicker results which lead me to full mental stability.
What I realized on my quest was that I needed the right person to provide me with the education behind the techniques and to coach and mentor me along the way. I knew I couldn’t do it alone, so, following Gods instruction, being a humble student to whom He directed me to lean into, I was provided the step by step guidance and the WHY behind the steps. If you’re anything like me, if you know someone like me, the one of the first necessary steps to becoming healed is to finding the right teacher and being a humbled student.
God has equipped me with the skills, techniques and programs to help those that are:
- wanting to be proactive in brain and mental health
- hoping to understand behaviors involved in brain and mental health disorders
- supporting loved ones as they are experiencing mental health disorders
- seeking further education about brain and mental health
Education is needed whether you’re the person where I was, felt broken, know what to do but for some reason you don’t do it. Education is needed for family and friends to support each other emotionally, mentally, spiritually and psychologically. Education is needed for parents in understanding how the brain functions in our youth, the development cycle of our brains and how to deal with what most of us believe are defiant or combative behaviors. You are now going to get an overview of the three Brain Health Programs that will provide you, your family and friends with the education that we all need.
PROGRAMS
There are three Brain Health Educational programs that I run. In each of these programs we learn about how there is a direct relationship with brain and mental health. We take a look at my brain scans, learn some of my techniques and get an understanding of how the techniques impact the lifestyle that we live. Below is the breakdown and a little more details about the three programs. Contact me at monica@monicaMmadden.com for pricing and further details.
Overcome Anxiety, Depression, Trauma and Grief
Do you feel anxious, sad, traumatized, or grief-stricken? Are your negative emotions and hurts from the past controlling your life and keeping you down? What if you didn’t have to feel this way? What if you could learn to control your emotions and transform your life? It can happen with this scientifically proven 6-week online course.
Brain Fit For Work and Life
Looking for a program to take your teams, company or organization through? Getting better together! BRAINFIT for Work and Life is what you’re looking for.
Thrive By 25
Have teenagers or college kids? Are you looking for a program to go through as a family that will help shed some light on the way a teenage brain works as well and lean some insights about the brain overall? THRIVE BY 25 is for you.
The Brain Warriors Way
Want to improve the overall function of your brain with a longer term commitment? We know that lifestyle improvements don’t happen over night, however, the longer you stick with a program, with a group desiring similar results, the easier it is to make life style changes. Brain Warrior is the program for you.
I display here, the certifications I have accomplished that play a key role in my healing process. I show them not to impress you, but, one: to impress upon you that there are tools and techniques that can help you create a freeing lifestyle; two: show you the professional background of the very person, if you so choose to partner and work along side of.
Contact me for one on one mentoring and coaching opportunities or for other programs that are available to meet you where you are and to help you live the life that you desire to have.
*Contact me at monica@monicaMmadden.com for more information.
Monica M Madden; Dominion Life Strategies, LTD