And how did that turn you into someone who wanted to become a mental health advocate?

Yeah, absolutely.

So I'll try to give the shortest version of the answer that I can because it's involved.

But when you grow up in this country and you get strep throat, bronchitis, pneumonia, the most common things that we're diagnosed with, you know, you get a strep culture and you take amoxicillin that tastes like, you know, or penicillin tastes like bubble gum tasting liquid medicine.

The thought process is that, okay, when I get sick, when I'm older, it's the same thing.

I got to find out what the label that's wrong with me and then take the medication that fixes me.

And so for anyone who looks at my case and says, well, why did you try 52 meds before trying anything? I thought I was doing all the right things to get better, right? Find the right label from the right expert.

Eric, you know, it's it's become less stigmatized these days that the words mental health but you know there was a time really fairly recently when people were being you know mental health isn't real it's not real it's blah blah blah blah blah and now it's becoming more and more accepted to use the words of mental health and because mental health is real people realizing that that it is real and i guess um Share more about this, you know, the holistic approach, the exercises, and specifically what you share in your book, the book you just came out with, Diagnosis, How We Defeat the Mental Health Epidemic by Labeling Less and Connecting More.

I had

worked in professional sports for the NBA League office, the Chicago Sky, the Phoenix Suns, and the New Jersey Devils, and now had landed this new position.

Living in South Beach, making more money I'd ever made before in my life.

Not that in sports it's that much money, but, you know, good for the industry and good for, you know, my parents.

I grew up with nothing against the profession of teaching.

Both my parents were educators, so grew up modest lifestyle.

They provided for me beautifully.

And can you talk about what that sign is? Yeah, for sure.