Welcome to the first episode of Swords of Depression, hosted by yours truly, Miriam Slozberg. I want to first start by saying that when it comes to mental illness, there may be more acceptance towards it than there used to be. However, the stigma is still incredibly thick. It does not matter what type of mental illness you have; whether it is Major Depressive Disorder, like what I have, or Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, Schizophrenia, Complex PTSD, or C-PTSD, which I also have, there is a lot of ignorance surrounding it. So what can be done about that? Well, it is obvious. Keep spreading the awareness. That is what I am doing because I am called to do. It will take a very long time to soften the stigma against mental illness, but you have to start somewhere.

There are plenty of podcasts about mental illness, which is very helpful for spreading awareness. However, mine is different. I am going super niche with this because my focus is to intrigue and help those who struggle with mental illness who love tarot and metaphysics or spirituality in general. If you struggle with mental illness and tarot does not interest you, you may not get much value from Swords of Depression; however, if you want to stick around. You want to feel validated and feel that you are not alone because you are not, then I would love for you to stick around because that is what you will get.

However, for those who love tarot, you will find a lot of value in this podcast because I will talk about the cards' meanings and how they can relate to any struggle with mental health. There will, of course, be tips on how to use the cards to make the best of your days. There will be a lot of storytelling with this. Very soon, before I start delving into the card meanings, I will share a story about someone who struggles with mental health, which resulted from a lot of trauma that the individual experienced. Then, the story will continue as I begin to share the card's meanings. This will help you feel less alone in your struggles and validate what you go through, which is super important, but it will help you look at the tarot in a much different way. 

You know what you can expect from this podcast regarding content and value. Now let's talk about how often you can expect a show to happen. Of course, this will be subject to change, but for now, I will launch two times a week: Tuesdays and Thursdays. If there is a change, however, I will announce it in an episode. However, that is my goal for now. So, I deliver you some goods twice a week so that you can look forward to that, and you can listen to it at any time as well.

However, if there is an essential week regarding mental health awareness, such as in September, it may become more frequent. When the focus is on mental health, it is ideal for getting a lot more content out to intensify the stress. But you do not need to worry. You can expect two episodes a week during an average time, and if there are any changes, you will know about them beforehand. Episodes will also run about 10 to 20 minutes long each time. Some may be shorter, and others may be longer. That all depends on the content that I am delivering that day. Now, let me introduce you and tell you about my history to know more about why I am creating Swords of Depression. 

I was the black sheep of my family, which was challenging to handle. I was also bullied throughout middle school and during my first year of high school. Even after the bullying ended, my reputation was still laughable. That was because I was always overweight and had a bad case of acne, as I later was diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome or PCOS. I also had awkward social skills, which meant I struggled socially and had some learning differences. Therefore, I was an easy target, and when you are the black sheep of the family and being bullied, well, that messes you up. I did not know how to stand up for myself, so I took the abuse. However, the trauma did not end there.

I ended up birthing a child with complex special needs, and I was not equipped to care for him. I tried, I took him to a variety of therapy, and no matter what I did, I was chastised for not doing any more than I could. And when it comes to special needs parents, it’s like their needs suddenly become irrelevant. That is what happened to me. It did not matter that I struggled with my mental health and physical health and did not get enough sleep. Never mind that I wasn’t able to be fully attentive to my other typical child. My weight shot up to over 100 lbs overweight, I was angry all of the time, severely depressed, and I was on the brink of losing it. Let’s talk about the fact that I had been mourning for the typical son I longed for, and I am not ashamed to say this. These things need to be said anyway. So, I had no choice but to transfer him to a residential school and group home.

Moving him away from home was the best move I made for my husband, myself, my daughter, and my son. My son could not stay at home, and he is doing so much better where he is. In addition to that, I went against society’s expectations of being his caregiver for life and did the best and safest thing for him. That was the catalyst for me to begin standing up for myself. I have been vilified for doing this, but those who don’t get it will judge, and I have accepted it. Unfortunately, there are plenty of non-empathetic people who will judge you without knowing what it is like to walk even a meter in your shoes.

Anyway, I have Major Depressive Disorder and C-PTSD, and unfortunately, I am medication resistant, but I am always looking for alternative therapies. Tarot cards for me have been beneficial, but I am going to stress that they do not replace a prescribed treatment for mental illness. Instead, they are tools that can help you get through each day. You may also notice that many intuitive people, psychic readers, and tarot readers have had a story about trauma. In the next episode, I will delve more into that before I tell you the story of this particular individual who struggles with mental illnesses, which will be the story used in the episodes about each card meaning. I am glad you are here, and I am looking forward to connecting with you!