Guts, Grit & The Grind: A MENtal Mechanics MANual

Join Kristin as she speaks with Frank King and Peter Dudley, both of who are authors and speakers within the mental health community, each in their own right. They discuss their own voyages as men who help others, men especially, within the mental health community as well as their parts in the second of an anthology series, "Guts, Grit & The Grind: A MENtal Mechanics MANual: Advanced Mechanics in Preventative Maintenance" by Sally Spencer-Thomas, Sarah Gaer, and Frank King.

Frank is a standup comedian and storyteller who was born into a family with the gift of humor and the curse of generational depression and suicide. His maternal grandmother took her own
life after realizing her mental state was deteriorating and felt that “doctors have done all they could.” Frank’s mother found her. His grandmother’s sister, his great aunt, took her life after being diagnosed with glaucoma and deciding that she didn’t want to be a burden on anyone. Frank was four years old when he and his mother found her. According to Frank’s mother, he “screamed for days.” She said that she offered a deal to God, that she would give up 10 years of her life if God would make it so Frank didn’t remember any of this. He didn’t until 2014 when, in an instant, whatever had walled that off in Frank’s brain collapsed and the traumatic memory all came flooding back. It was a blessing and a curse. A curse, in that, up until that moment, he’d been blissfully unaware of his aunt’s final moments and of his family history of generational depression and suicide. A blessing, in that it explained the source of his major depressive disorder and chronic
suicidality. For as long as he could remember, suicide was always an option on his menu—for problems both large and small. He remembers one time when his car broke down and he had three thoughts—one, he could get it fixed; two, he could buy a new one; or three, he could just kill
himself. That’s chronic suicidality. Shortly thereafter, he went from being a ‘funny speaker,’ to being a speaker who is funny. He now had a story to tell, with not just ha-ha’s, but also with lifesaving ah-ha’s. He began doing something he’d been dreaming of since he took the stage as a comedian—making a living and making a difference. He took those painful memories and presented an 18-minute TED Talk-style event in Vancouver, BC. Today, he shares his lived experience and mental health insights speaking on depression and suicide prevention for associations, corporations, and colleges everywhere. He’s doing what comedians since the time of the court jester were born to do—speak truth to power on behalf of the powerless. He speaks truth to the power of mental illness on behalf of people often powerless in its grip. He’s combined his familial gift of humor and curse of mental illness to bring hope to the often hopeless. You can find more about him on his website: http://www.TheMentalHealthComedian.com

Peter Dudley is a fundraising executive and author with extensive expertise in corporate social responsibility, marketing, and software development. Prior to joining the Cancer Support Community as Chief Development Officer in 2018, he ran Wells Fargo’s Global Employee Giving and Volunteerism for over 15 years. Peter is a member of the Community Health Charities National Board of Directors and has served as a scout leader, a youth soccer coach, and a school crossing guard. A 30-year resident of the Oakland area, Peter is the proud father of two grown children and a fierce advocate for equality. You can find more about him on his website: http://www.peterdudley.com

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