79 episodes

I want to talk about what no one else wants to talk about... Children with mental illness.Raising a child who is ‘different’ from the other kids takes a great mental and emotional toll on the parents. They are worn out and pushed to the brink, totally exhausted. Many are tapped out financially and in some cases, they have had to quit their jobs or take lesser ones to be there for the next episode when their child can’t cope. There is little or no support from a system caught up in process and willfully lacking in parental resources.As a parent of a challenging child, you can also brace yourself for the stigma of a lifetime. We look like the accomplice to this very badly behaved, poorly mannered and emotionally unstable child. If you don’t have a diagnosis it’s worse. If you don’t have money it’s worse still. So much of what we require to help our children isn’t covered by extended health insurance.The general parent community is unsupportive at best; hostile and judgmental at its worst. This compounds the pain and stress we live through every day. We go through things very few parents can relate to.This podcast is a collection of my interviews with kids affected by challenges, parents of those kids, and even medical professionals from the mental health community. In many cases, the name of the child has been changed or last names of the contributors omitted to maintain privacy for themselves and their children.

Different from the Other Kids Angela Tsounis

    • Kids & Family
    • 5.0 • 2 Ratings

I want to talk about what no one else wants to talk about... Children with mental illness.Raising a child who is ‘different’ from the other kids takes a great mental and emotional toll on the parents. They are worn out and pushed to the brink, totally exhausted. Many are tapped out financially and in some cases, they have had to quit their jobs or take lesser ones to be there for the next episode when their child can’t cope. There is little or no support from a system caught up in process and willfully lacking in parental resources.As a parent of a challenging child, you can also brace yourself for the stigma of a lifetime. We look like the accomplice to this very badly behaved, poorly mannered and emotionally unstable child. If you don’t have a diagnosis it’s worse. If you don’t have money it’s worse still. So much of what we require to help our children isn’t covered by extended health insurance.The general parent community is unsupportive at best; hostile and judgmental at its worst. This compounds the pain and stress we live through every day. We go through things very few parents can relate to.This podcast is a collection of my interviews with kids affected by challenges, parents of those kids, and even medical professionals from the mental health community. In many cases, the name of the child has been changed or last names of the contributors omitted to maintain privacy for themselves and their children.

    Episode Seventy-Four - Carley & Lee

    Episode Seventy-Four - Carley & Lee

    In this episode of Different from the Other Kids, we meet Carley, who is a parent struggling to get mental health services for her son Lee. She is dealing with persistent truancy and some general aggressive and challenging behavior. Carley is trying in vain to work with the school system, psychiatrists, and organizations that provide services that might help her situation.  This is another unfortunate story about a family diligently seeking assistance in a system that is not set up to assist so many of our families.

    • 53 min
    Episode Seventy-Three- Bob Koven

    Episode Seventy-Three- Bob Koven

    In this episode of Different from the Other Kids, we check in with our good friend Bob Koven. Bob is a businessman, a new Grandfather, amateur photographer, standup comedian in the mental health space, a fly fisherman, and a general first-class advocate for all things in this mental health space. Bob gets us up to speed on what he has had happened in his life and how he is managing his mental health these days.

    • 23 min
    Episode Seventy-Two - Grace Kohn

    Episode Seventy-Two - Grace Kohn

    Grace is the Mother of Julianne, who was diagnosed with Autism at the age of 7, the author of Children of Autumn, a vocal teacher, a theatre enthusiast, and playwright. Grace updates us with what’s happening with Julianne and lets us know about her latest project for coaching and educating caregivers in the autism space.

    • 35 min
    Episode Seventy-One - Eleanor Hayward

    Episode Seventy-One - Eleanor Hayward

    “My motivation is to serve our community in a way that enhances our health as individuals, as well as the health of the ecosystems which support us. The Green Party of Canada offers a vehicle for People Planet and Prosperity which resonates with my personal and professional values. I am driven to bring economic equality and justice to the social and environmental conversation currently crucial to the future of our country.”
    Eleanor Hayward is running for NPP with the Green Party for Milton, ONT. Spiritual with a powerhouse of skills, her mandate for candidacy as Member of Parliament in Ottawa’s House of Commons is her driving force for conversation in relation to healthcare and mental health, education, business, energy, environment, indigenous relations, transportation, water, biodiversity, solid waste management, senior’s and women's issues. 
    Her professional and volunteer experiences are listed below:
     2003-2019 - Registered Massage Therapist and sole proprietor of Dynamic Balance Holistic Healing in Halton Region.
    2006-Present - Co-founding member of MiltonGreen Environmental Association Inc. Currently Past-President and Social Media Volunteer. Over the years participated in:
    Advocating implementation of Halton Region’s Green Cart Organics Compost Program as an alternative to an Energy from Waste incinerator.
    Blue and green cart waste diversion at events such as Milton Fair, Milton Canada Day and Downtown Street Festival.
    Installation of a Monarch Waystation Pollinator Garden at the Italian Canadian Club of Milton.
    Co-hosting Halton Green Screens for film screening events.
    2016-2019 - Mature student of Social Sciences at McMaster University. Courses of particular interest range from Social Psychology to Microeconomics and Canadian Politics to Global Political Economy. 
    2018 - Represented the Green Party of Ontario (GPO) as Milton’s candidate.
    2019 - Invited to join GPO’s Shadow Cabinet as Critic on Women’s Issues.
    Leadership Training and Experience:
    2012-2016 Toastmasters International - Competent Communicator and Leadership designations. Introduction to Parliamentary Procedure.
    2010-2014 Citizen representative for Milton on the Joint Municipal Regional Waste Management Advisory Committee.
     For more information on Eleanor please visit https://gpo.ca/candidate/eleanor-hayward/

    • 26 min
    Episode Seventy - Essential Oils for Immunity with Christina

    Episode Seventy - Essential Oils for Immunity with Christina

    Hello everyone! Different from the Other Kids is back with some new episodes! 

    Welcome back to Angela and her daughter Christina! They are here to discuss some essential oils that they use to help boost their immunity during the cold season! This episode contains some fun tips on how to use essential oils around the house and in your daily routine. 

    This episode was from a Facebook Live recording. For all things Different from the Other Kids, check out https://www.facebook.com/differentfromtheotherkids/ - new episodes are coming! Thanks for listening!

    • 31 min
    Episode Sixty-Nine - William (Part Three)

    Episode Sixty-Nine - William (Part Three)

    This week on Different from the Other Kids, Angela Tsounis welcomes back for a third time William Michael Forbes as they discuss William's work and his approach to life. William Michael Forbes is the author of "How to Kill Suicide: With Reason to Live" and often coaches parents and young people during difficult times in their lives. Angela and William continue their discussion from the past two weeks.

    • 18 min

Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5
2 Ratings

2 Ratings

Atomatic9 ,

Heartfelt and touching!

Thanks to Angela for bringing this topic to light! Truly worth listening to if you, or someone you know suffers from a mental illness. Hearing someone else's side of the story is powerful, and helps us understand these people.

Jugey ,

Honest, Heartfelt and Heartbreaking

As the struggling parent of a struggling teen, I really appreciate the honesty of this podcast. It's hard to say I enjoy it, because some of the content is heartbreaking, but it's comforting to know that I'm not alone and helpful to hear what has worked for others. Angela's warmth and empathy comes through loud and clear. This is a good place to hear real stories, told by those that have lived through it! Keep a tissue handy...you might need it!

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