Radical Well-being – Hidden Truths

Hi guys. Welcome to the Radical Wellbeing show on Women's radio station. My name is Ingrid Marsh and we are here in our studio in Covent Garden supporting women's well being. On the Radical Wellbeing Show. I bring you ordinary women like me and you sharing their unique stories. Women who have overcome huge obstacles their lives to be where they are today. And together our mission is a simple one and that's to inspire you to overcome life's challenges too, so that you can be the person who that you were born to be. And as always, we are happy for you to connect and engage with us via our email address@presenterswomensradiostation.com now this week is an interesting title. I've started to call it Hidden Truths and to help me with that is a wonderful lady by the name of Faye Chang. She's in the studio with me today. She's telling you a bit about Faye. So she was born in a very small, close knit village in the Mountains of St. Anne's Jamaica, London. Nonetheless is where is her permanent and she's been there since she arrived in Brixton at age 5 after the death of her maternal grandmother. She herself is a mother. She has a wonderful daughter and two fabulous granddaughters. And she has a passion for reading and has enjoyed over 15 years of work in the magazine and book publishing industry. So set up her own company called Earthwise Books was a natural progression. What I noticed within her books I was looking at and reading what have you. They all kind of were going really quite deep and talking about topics that we don't generally talk about but certainly need awareness. And then of course there was Faye's own Hidden Truth where she suffered with depression and had to fight back from that. So Hidden Truth, I decided the title and say a big hello to Faye. Faye. Hey, how are you? Hi. I'm very well, thanks. Are you very. Thank you. So I'm just gonna bring your mic clothes because she has a really lovely soft voice and like my buttery one. Thank you so much for joining us. So tell us a little bit about your publishing company. I love the name Earth Wise. Even that makes you. How did that come about? Well, Earthrise is. A friend suggested it to me because I was trying to find an appropriate name for the company that kind of reflected stuff that I wanted to publish. And she suggested Earthrise because that was the name of the photograph that, the first trip to the moon, I think it was, took the first photograph of the earth and. And then that became a really kind of iconic Image because it was. I think it's probably the first time people actually saw a photograph from space, what, what the earth looked like. And so that's why I chose that name. And it's funny because looking at your website, it. Although that's the meaning behind it, I still felt quite earthy and grounded when I was looking at it. It sort of evoked that feeling as opposed to it being like a spacey feeling. So it's. Yeah, you're right, it's not to do with space. It's really to do with rising up and challenging and it's to do with its earth and its rise. So the two kind of rang, you know, resonated with me. That's why I chose the name. Not just because of the space connection. It was a name that kind of summed up what I wanted to try and do with the publishing company. Yeah. And it really does that. Earth and Rising. Absolutely love that. So let's talk about some of the books that you publish on there. And let's kick start with the first one which. Which was your first one. Just share that with us. The first one to come out would be Penetrating the Void, which is a novella by a young man who's of Greek Cypriot Irish parentage from North London, comes from a kind of a working class background, who struggled with childhood trauma and an abusive relationship with his father, who he looked up to and kind of emulated in a lot of ways. And now he's trying to undo all that through, you know, he went through a whole series of the book talks about. It's semi autobiographical, so it's not all true, but it does reflect his life of struggling with addiction, all kinds of addiction and overcoming it, and also abusive relationships as well, because he'd inherited a lot of behaviors from his father. Oh, wow. So he's through sort of a lot of rehab in therapy. He's now decided to become a writer. And he's a very good writer actually. And he's a first time writer, isn't that right? Yes, it's his first book. We're hoping to publish that in early next year in spring. And he's also writing a second novel, but this is based on a fictional novel about the early days of the arrival of Greek Cypriots to Britain. And what drew you to it? What made you want to publish it? What was it about it? The way it was written really. I mean, it was written in a sort of stream of consciousness over a period of an hour in a drug rehab therapy group. And it's all the thoughts going through his mind about his family, his father, his relationships and his coming to some kind of self realization by himself as well. So. And it was written as just a long, like in this kind of long form. It just hasn't got any chapters and it's written in the kind of Cockney rhyming slang type of vernacular. So it's, it's really interesting book because you don't. There's not. There are very few working class writers anyway, very few Greek Cypriot working class writers, and very few of them writing in, you know, North London slang and Cockney rhyming slang. So. And dealing with such a deep, you know, sensitive kind of problem that he had to struggle with. And who do you think? So bear in mind, there isn't many people in that area who are writing in that way and that sort of background. Who do you think is the audience for that? Who do you feel is going to gravitate to that kind of book more? Is it going to be people from his community, do you think, or it's going to be people who are just really interested in that world? I think it's going to be people who probably have gone through mental health difficulties and drug difficulties and also people who are interested in literature and writing. Because it's not only that. I mean, it's a great, It's a great piece of writing as well. So it's, it'll be. If, you know, if you like literature and like pushing the boundaries of literature, then I think it's important book that will appeal to those people as well. Yeah, it sounds like it's pushing boundaries, but I'm also intrigued in the mental health aspect of it because that's a very big part of it. So we're trying to. At the moment, we're meeting up on Wednesday to try and work out strategy for publicity and which kind of institutions and clinics that he'd worked with that would want to try and work with us to promote the book. So. Yeah, that's going to be a big part. And how old is he? Oh, God. How old is he? He's about 34 or something. He's quite young. I can't remember the exact. Yeah, he's very young. He's got a daughter. I'm not sure how old she is. I think she's about seven or something. Right. And. But, you know, he does have a good relationship with her, so. Which is good. Cool. And talking about the, the whole mental health thing, you had, you challenged. You had challenges in these areas yourself, didn't you? Is that right, Faye? Yeah, that's one of the reasons also that I was attracted to the book, because a lot of what he'd written about I kind of could identify with in a lot of ways. So. Yes. Yeah. Can you show this maybe an aspect of one that some of the things that. Something that he did go through that you did identify with. Gosh. Yeah. Let me. Yeah. I mean, he had. He'd gone through that real childhood trauma and, you know, fear of his father. And I'd sort of gone through the same kind of traumatic experience as a child being taken away from Jamaica after my grandmother died and brought to England to live with my aunt and uncle. And I thought that I was coming for a holiday. And then when I asked to go back, I was told that this was my home now. So, you know, you can't go back. So that was very traumatic. And that's kind of stayed with me for most of my life, I think, because I know that growing up, I kind of couldn't talk and I'd lost my voice, and I couldn't communicate with people, and they just say I was shy, but just I physically couldn't talk. And, you know, and I didn't know until much later that it was symptom of trauma. So. And it's. It does. If I'm under a lot of stress, it still comes up now. You know, actually, as an adult, you know better how to handle it, but as a child, you don't know how to handle it because you don't understand what it is. May Angelou had the same situation, didn't she? She had a trauma, and I'm not sure if you're aware of that, but she actually just stopped speaking for. For many, many years. Yeah, I read that. Yeah. I mean, it's. It's not uncommon. I didn't stop speaking, but I couldn't speak to people I didn't know. So anyone that came up to me and said, hello, how are you? I just couldn't answer. I'd struggle to talk, but nothing would come out. And just remind me, what age were you when you came over from Jamaica? Five. It was age five. Yeah, yeah. And then, like I said, left your maternal grandmother and came here. Yeah, I was very close to her, so that was. It was a kind of a loss as well. Yeah, Yeah, I hear you. Okay. You're listening to Ingrid Marsh. Thank you so much for everything, and speak to a bit more. Listen to Ingrid Marsh here at women's radio station from our studio at Covent Garden, where we're supporting women's well being. I'm here with the wonderful Faye Chang who's, you know, we're talking about hidden truths, some of the things that we're going through that nobody really talks about. But I think we're talking about more and more. But I'll ask phase opinion of that when we come back after the break. But I just think it's really important that we are talking about these topics because it helps us to, it helps us to get stronger and know that we're not alone going through some of these things. You know, there's so many of the stories that we talk about here where it's, you know, things kind of follow that similar pattern. So I'm really grateful to face so much for being here. Tell us a story and tell us about her books and what have you so we can go about how we can go about bringing about change. Now she did make a miraculous comeback and so please stay listening to hear more about that. It's such a beautiful story. So we'd love you to engage with us, of course, which you can do here. Presenters@womenswadiostation.com please send us your emails, let us know your thought, your thoughts and your views. I'm struggling to get my words out today. Let me know your thoughts and your views. Email us in. Is there anything you'd like to ask Faith? And of course we can do that. But yeah, stay listening. It's a wonderful story. We're going to be getting to the real part of life because when we embrace things, we embrace our truths. This is one of the ways that we can make a miraculous recovery. And like I said, Faith story is simply wonderful and her recovery, her comeback is just amazing. So please stay listening to that. My name is Ingrid Marsh and this is of course the Radical Wellbeing Show. Welcome to Women's Radio Station. I'm Sarah Louise Ryan and welcome to Love Lessons live on Women's Radio Station. Hello and welcome to future Classic Women Awards with me, Stefania Passamonte on Women's Radio Station. Hello and welcome to Julie Mae is listening. Hi, this is Anna Kennedy and we're at welcome Women's radio Station supporting women's well being and we're talking all things autism women. The possibilities are endless. That's what makes us different. Hi, I'm Lauren Mishkon. I'm a birth doula and mum of three and I'm passionate about supporting women to have empowering and positive birth experiences. Please join me for my brand new show From Tummy to Mummy here On Women's Radio Station. 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To find out more and be part of this movement, come check out our website@mediamattersforwomen.org you're listening to women's radio stations supporting women's well being. Women's Radio Station is creating a global network for the empowerment of women and we want you to be involved. Join us on Instagram and Twitter mensradio Station, that's Womens Radio STN or Facebook Women's Radio Station to keep up to date with all our exciting programs. Hi guys, Ingrid Marsh here from the Radical Wellbeing show at Women's Radio Station here in our delightful studios in Covent Garden. Today I've decided to call the show Hidden Truths because this is stuff that we're not talking about, but I want us to start talking about it more because it's the truth for so many people. And so many people, it gets hidden under the carpet and then it just manifests itself in so many other ways. And what people don't realize is that there were choices. There are so many choices that once we own it, we can then start looking into some of those choices to make ourselves better and be who we were supposed to be. We weren't, you know, not supposed to feel like this. And there are ways out. And I'm so, so happy and really grateful for Faye Chang to be in the studio with me today talking about her own depression, what she went through, how she came back from that, a book that she's in the process of publishing at the moment which tackles that really creative, beautiful way. So we're talking to Faye a little bit more about that. Faye, thank you so much again for joining us. So I just want to go back to the beginning about you leaving Jamaica at this very young age. I've heard this story a lot, actually, but only recently. Yeah, my parents are from Jamaica. It's very much. But people just not talking about it, how that must have just impacted them. So you're making me feel a little bit emotional now, actually, because I just think of so many people I know in that situation. Some of them talk about it a little bit. Not at all. But I have questions thinking that must have been really traumatic, but it's just kind of shoved under the carpet. Yeah. I mean, my generation in particular, I think were pretty much affected because a lot of parents left their children in the care of friends and relatives thinking they're going to be looked after while they worked to save money to send for them. And, you know, they'd send money back. Money was never spent on them and they were abused and used to work and stuff. So my generation, I think we all kind of, a lot of us share that same experience of parents, for one reason or another, having to leave their children behind or send them to look up, to be looked after by relatives. It almost needs a separate awareness campaign, isn't it? What do you think? No one's talking about it, really. I just think it almost sneaks. Like if people, if there was a bigger, more, if there was more awareness around it, I think more people would be able to come out and say, yeah, I was actually really affected by this. But. Well, I think, I don't know. I think because I think if you, a lot of us share that common experience, so you don't really have to talk about it because you know what, you know what They've gone through. Because you've gone through the same thing. So, I mean, when we're in groups and stuff, people talk about it, but it's. I think growing up you didn't. There was no such thing as therapy. There was no such thing as. And, you know, talking therapy. Anyway, so you just got on with it and you just kind of muddled your way through life the best you can. But are they getting on with it or is it manifesting itself in other reason I'm saying this? I'll tell you why I'm saying actually, before you answer that, because I know of an extended family member, somebody in the extended family and same sort of thing. He was brought up in Trinidad and his mother left, came to England to, you know, for a better life. And he was left with an auntie, what have you. And he tells me stories that he used to. Was like, every time I used to hear a car come in, oh, he was abused very much by this auntie and I was basically treated like a house slave. And every time he'd like hear a car coming up the hill, he thought was his mum come to get him and it never ever was. And he didn't see her until many years later. But when he tells this story, he doesn't talk about that it was trauma, how it's impacted him today, how he struggles to share his feelings, etc. Etc. But I just in my own mind, probably drawing the wrong conclusion, but thinking that must have every time when I hear that. So I think, well, that must have been really traumatic. Yeah, it is. And I think, you know, those, I think those, those memories gets passed on from one generation to the next until it's dealt with. I think, you know, because your body can holds memories and I think those memories are passed on, but it is difficult. How do you, as a person who grew up in Jamaica and come here and you don't know about therapy, it's just something that happened to you and it does affect your behaviour, it affects your relationships with your children and your family because there's a dysfunction there and it's not something that you identify until, you know, like until I went to have therapy at the age of about 40, I had no idea I had a problem up until then. Yeah. And what age were you? Age 5 When this happened and then it was known to you as age 40, that you had therapy to deal with it and how did it affect your relationships of your family? It's not so much of affect relationships, my family, it's how it's affect relationships with other people. Because I've always, I think what it's done is I always felt that relationships were transitory, that they were never, they should never be trusted and they're never lasting because that's, that's what the impression I had as a five year old growing up, you know, you know, complete betrayal by your father and your mother. So, so everything else that you do after that colors your relationships with people. So yeah, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's because it happens in the formative periods of growing up, you know, and I think that's why a lot of, there's a lot of dysfunction in West Indian families. I mean, we were growing up being beaten and, you know. Yeah, it's funny actually saying that because I get into debates loads with people when we talk about, you know, famous people who've been done for abuse and I literally hear people say, like, it's no sexual abuse and things like that. And they say, oh, it was, that was the norm in our day. And they just like. And I'm like, but it wasn't okay. Yeah, but it was normal. Everyone was beaten, so it was something. And it's like I'm talking about the beaten and the sexual abuse that was happening as well. No people talking about the uncle coming around and doing all sorts of silly things with them. We talk about that. I actually hear people say, well, you know, it was, you know, it, that's how it was. And they kind of. And I'm like, but it wasn't okay? No, no. Yeah. I mean, I've heard stories of, you know, other friends who have been sexually abused by their stepfathers and stuff. You know, that as children, but as a child it's something you just have to bear and deal with, really. I mean, a friend of mine, her mother told her that she was going away and be back soon to get her. So she would sit outside the house every day for months waiting for her mum to come back and she never did. And then she sent for her and by that time her mother had remarried and stepfather sexually abusing her for years. And when she mentioned it to her mother, her mother just wouldn't accept that it happened. He had a lot of that as well, don't you? You know, and so she's another friend who's been on therapy for years as well for that very reason, because it was never resolved because her mother just wouldn't accept that anything happened. Yeah, and not just Caribbean families too. Although that's what the topic Is today. But I know of another lady, actually, and how nice sister were abused by her stepfather. But she's ready to admit it and wants to get therapy for it. But the sister's in complete denial because she's on her journey and doesn't want to share it. Yes, but it's causing frustrations for her because the sister won't say, look, this happened to me too. And yeah, that's difficult because you haven't got anyone to validate your story. If you're two sisters in the same house and one's saying she's been abused and the other one hasn't, then that support isn't there, is it? Yeah, quite. And then you talk about the beating as well. Once again, Caribbean families, this was deemed as normal. And what made me reflect on that the other day, actually, because I had a lady in here who was going through abuse, went through domestic abuse, and she actually said, look, I don't believe anyone who has, who has not been beaten in their childhood would accept this. And that's another bit of theory behind that by another psychologist. And like, so, you know, these are things where we just dismiss, oh, you know, good old beating. That's what we grew up with, and there's nothing wrong with it, but we just have no idea of the trauma once again that we're inflicting on our children. What we see is normal. Well, I did. Well. Or do you feel differently about that? Do you think it's. I think it's. It became a cultural thing. I mean, if you think of my grandmothers or my great grandmother, they were just. Just out of slavery. So it was very much part of the culture to abuse and beat, you know, So, I mean, I think most Caribbean people have grown out of that now. I think most don't beat and abuse their children anymore, not physically, anyway. But, you know, slavery just ended. Was it 200 years ago? Two generations ago. So that generation would have, you know, my great grandmother would have been a slave, you know, under the whip. So that's where that comes from. I mean, it's all part of our colonial history, isn't it? Absolutely, yeah. Very deep. And like I said, it's just the other day. And you can stop physical slavery, but that slavery doesn't stop in our minds necessarily. No, it carries on. It carries on. Yeah. No, yeah. But hopefully, through conversations and talks like this, people become conscious and aware where that behavior has come from and look to cease. Look to stop doing it and find alternative ways. So we're going to be speaking to face More after the break. My name is Ingrid Marsh. This is the Radical well Being show. We're talking about depression and mental health and trauma from when we're younger and cultural trauma, things that have been happening for many years and we see it as part of our culture and see nothing wrong with that. But how does it impact people thereafter? How does it impact their lives later on? What can we do to bring about a change that's a positive part of this story? So please do stay with us. How Fay wonderfully turned this around and got help and it's just an amazing job. But I'm just. Her courage and her vulnerability, it takes strength to do this and I'm so grateful to her because I know personally, two or three I'd be like, you can listen to the show. This amazing woman was on here and this is what she went through and this is how she dealt with it. So, you know, thank you so, so much. Faye, as per usual, we'd love you to engage with us on the show and the website addresses presentersomensradiostation.com this is the radical wellbeing show where we get radical about our self love, where we get radical about the people we have around us and our lives and our beliefs systems. We keep that intact so we can be who we were meant to be, alright? So we can fight through those walls, fight through those boundaries and get very radical about it. Stick with us. Welcome to the women's radio station supporting women's well being. Women's radio station is all about diversity from opinions, career, ethnicity, education and most importantly, women's well being. We aim to celebrate the individuality of every woman everywhere, providing opportunities and the platform for your voice. Visit our website womensradiostation.com for more information. I'm Tamina Zaman, founder of Empower and Enrich. When it comes to money, do you clam up or get confused? 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For more information on how you can sponsor a Show, go to womensradiostation.com Women's radio station supporting women's well being. Welcome back. My name is Ingrid Marsh. It's the radical wellbeing show on women's radio station. Don't forget you can engage with us here presenters@womensradiostation.com Topic this week is called Hidden Truth and I wanted to call it Hidden Trees because I think that we're sharing a story that in my opinion, my view and you know, because I'm from my parents from the Caribbean, I'm very much in touch with that community and for me, nobody's really talking about this and I want it spoken about because if we speak about it, we embrace it. We can go and get help and we can do something about it. We can free ourselves from these beliefs really because it ends up, you know, us not believing in ourselves anymore. We can free ourselves from these beliefs, these labels and live the life that we were born to live. So helping me with this topic today is the wonderful Faye Chang who is from the Caribbean, before the break was talking about. She came as a very small child, left her maternal Grandmother came here and experienced trauma as a result. It wasn't until age 40 that she had some therapy and realized what was the cause of this problem. So, Faye, thank you so much for joining us. So you went into therapy. Why? What were you experiencing? What consciously came to you that made you think, I want to get some help? Well, I thought I wanted help because I was suffering from stress. I didn't think it was depression. So I went to the doctor saying that I had that I suffering from stress and tiredness and whatever. And it turned out that it wasn't stress, that it was something deeper than that, but that's what I saw it as. And why did you think it was stress? What were you. I thought it was work related because I had a job in publishing as a sales and marketing manager for a small independent publishing company. And there's a lot of stress there because you're responsible for the income and the finance of the company because the books don't sell or they're not marketed or promoted properly. You know, it could have a negative impact on the company. And also it's a lot of work as well. Working in a small independent, you're doing a lot, a lot, covering a lot of bases and stuff. So that's why I thought it was stress. But it probably wasn't. It was just that everything was crumbling around me and everyone's talking about how stress is the one major thing to do with work. And it just got worse and worse to the point where I didn't want to go out anywhere, struggled to get out of bed. I'd arranged to meet friends and not turn up. And you know, and over the years, I mean, I've lost a lot of friends because of that. Because, you know, there's only so many times your friends are going to keep ringing up and you do not the phone or ringing up an arranged meeting at last minute tell them you're not coming or you don't tell them at all. So that was the pattern. And I just didn't, I didn't know what it was. I just thought, oh, I'm tired or overworked or, you know, I blamed it all on the job. I didn't know what else was wrong. And it wasn't only until I had therapy, I went to, to saw a psychotherapist. And then talking through stuff, I realized that I had really deep problems, you know, that go really far back, you know, to my childhood, which I didn't know I had. And you talk about you were feeling this way for many years. Is that what. When we met? Yeah. You said that you felt like this for years. Yeah, yeah. I mean, some days were okay, some weren't, but generally it was a struggle to just to move from one day to the next. And how far did you get into your therapy for it to then come out that actually I'm. You're depressed as opposed to stress? Yeah, I mean, I knew that it was depression, but then, but it was my. I didn't really want to take medication for it and which is why I went to the homeopath instead. And so I went to. So what I was really asking before we go into the going to a homeopath, how many was it like the first session with your therapist for it to come out to realize that actually there's some deeper issues here? Yeah, it was around the first one. So quite quickly. Yeah, you got that. So like you said, you decided you didn't want to take medication. No, I hear you on that. I hear you on that. I'm such an anti medication person. My sister who deals in mental health, you always just get addicted to, which I know isn't necessarily true, but I hear you. So you decided you didn't want to go medication, so you went the homeopathic route. Yeah. Tell us about that. Well, I'd had homeopathy before and it works for me. I had, I used to get breast cysts a lot and it used to be, give me a little scare because, you know, breast cancer and stuff. And I said, I think it happened about three or four times. I have to go to the, go to the doctors, the hospital and they would expiate it, you know, with a needle and tape. But then the cyst would return. And so I decided I'd read something about homeopathy and I went to her and within weeks sister had gone and had never come back. Oh, really? Oh, wow. And well, yeah, because she said that a lot of illnesses that you have is emotional. It's not all, you know, it comes from the emotion and that's treated, you know, because I say it's where as a body that, you know, I'd rather that the body is helped to heal itself rather than having pharmaceutical drugs, which is why I went to the homeopath. And I said to her, quite surprisingly, it's all gone. I don't know how is it possible? And she said, oh, it's just the body reacts emotionally to stuff and that's what causes disease. So. So after years later, that's when I went to her again and basically went through the same process. What the therapist asked me about my childhood, my mother, my grandmother. And actually she picked up on something that the therapist didn't pick up on because I said to her that I never accepted my aunt as my mother. And so she said, oh, so that means in effect you grew up without a mother. I was just absolutely stunned because I'd never thought of it in those terms before. And I said, yeah, I guess you're right, I did. So where was your mother? Because you brought up with your grandmother, you said, well, I grew up with my mum, but I spent a lot of my time with your grandma, which is quite usual. Right. And then you came obviously with your aunt. Yeah, because I used to. She didn't live far from us, so every opportunity I'd be around her house. So that was, you know, my mother wasn't a maternal person. She didn't really like children. She just had us because my dad wanted children and she had us and a maid would look after us. And then when my dad died, she was left with children she didn't want, so she left them. I was sent to Jamaica when my dad was sick before he died. And when he died, she left my brothers and sisters with aunts and uncles and went off to America and didn't come back. And one of my brothers came here. So, yes, so basically I did grow up without a mother. From I was born, I never had a mother and then when I moved to England, your grandmother, she was that mother of hers. Then you came here and that. And you saw the homeopath pointed out that, yeah, you felt like you didn't have a mother. How did that feel? It was a bit of a revelation actually, because I'd never considered it in those terms before and it was quite a shock that I thought of my childhood in those terms of having grown up without a mother and a dead father. So I kind of grew up with nobody that I really cared about. Have you been able to find a mother? We can find our mothers and other people. Have you been able to do that? Not really. Or mother within yourself can be our own mothers? Yeah, I guess so. I guess that's one way of looking at it. Sometimes it would be our own mothers. Yeah. So tell us more about the treatment. So you had the homepath. She's now asking you very similar questions to the. To your therapist picked me. Something you never thought about. Told us how that made you feel. Like a bit of revelation. Tell us more about the process of. Because many people have never had a homeopath before to deal with depression. So they ask you about your personal life, your childhood, what sort of food you eat, whether you like a bit, you know, salty food. I don't know why they ask you these questions, you know, but it's whether you feel hot and cold. Different questions about your body and how they respond to heat, food, salt, sugar and stuff like that. And then once you've answered all these questions about your, your own personal condition and your personal kind of responses, body responses to stimuli and food and stuff, she then creates what she calls is a remedy which is, and the remedy is obviously based on those set of questions and answers. And for me, she prescribed sepia, which is the ink from a cuttlefish. And when I asked the why sepia? She said ink from a cuttlefish? Yeah. And what she said is that the person who created homeopathy got the idea of using sepia because artists use sepia when they paint and then they suck their brushes and they're always cheerful. Wow. Although we're not advising anybody do that. Go the proper route. Stick with us. We're speaking with Faye Chang. She's sharing with us her story of depression and coming back from that, using a holistic route to come back. You know me, guys, I'm all about mind, body, spirit, that we're all connected, we are one machine operated with each other. And I think this story is important because many people don't want to go on antidepressants and you know, Valium and all that there is out there, maybe don't want to do that. And you know, Faye's here to give us another route to show us another way. So do stay listening. This is Ingrid Marsh. It's the radical well being show and don't forget to email us in also. Stay with us. Welcome to women's radio Station. I'm Sarah Louise Ryan and welcome to Love Lessons live on women's radio station. Hello and welcome to future Classic women awards with me, Stefania Passamonte on women's radio station. Hello and welcome to Julie Mae is listening. Hi, this is Anna Kennedy and we're at women's radio station supporting women's well being and we're talking all things autism women. The possibilities are endless. That's what makes us different. Hi, I'm Lauren Mishkon. I'm a birth doula and mum of three and I'm passionate about supporting women to have empowering and positive birth experiences. Please join me for my brand new show from tummy to Mummy here on women's radio station. Every week I'll be here with an expert guest talking about women's reproductive health, everything, fertility, pregnancy, birth and baby related, right through to the menopause and beyond. Please join us for an informative and fun hour. Hello, my name is Ingrid Marsh on Women's Radio Station and coming soon is the Radical Wellbeing show to help support women's well being. Each show, I share the airwaves with ordinary women like me and you, doing extraordinary things. 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We're a registered charity operating in Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of Congo and we produce and share podcasts via Bluetooth on mobile phones, focusing specifically on women and girls excluded from information due to extreme poverty. We empower those living in rural areas with media that transforms how they access, own and share information. To find out more and be part of this movement, come check out our website@mediamattersforwomen.org you're listening to Women's Radio Station supporting Women's wellbeing. Women's Radio Station is creating a global network for the empowerment of women and we want you to be involved. Join us on Instagram and Twitter womensradiostation, that's womensradio Stn or Facebook Women's Radio Station to keep up to date with all our exciting programmes. Hi, guys. Welcome back. This is the Radical Wellbeing show on Women's Radio Station. Today I'm joined by with a lovely lady by the name of Faye Chang and we're calling this week the topic Hidden Truths because I believe that there's so many hidden truths. Hidden truths about what has happened to many people who came from the Caribbean or from the Caribbean and other countries where they went through certain things in their childhood that is impacting their lives today. But it's not talked about, but it is a truth. And if we take it from under the rug, we can start doing something about it. We're speaking to Faye, who came here from age 5, almost felt that she was ripped from her. It was her grandmother, but her mother, it felt like, and brought to this foreign land. And it wasn't until at age 40 and she thought she was suffering from stress that she realized that she had, in fact, depression and then decided actually she was going to do something about it. And the alternative route, seeing a homeopath, which did absolute wonders for her. So, Faye, thank you so much for joining us. So thank you. There are many women, many women and men who have gone through this kind of thing, who have lost hope almost and feel that this is it. They're just always going to feel this way. What would you say to them? Well, I would say that it's really important to get some kind of treatment because I waited a long time before I sought treatment. And with that, you know, I wasted huge number of years thinking that next year was going to be better for some reason, you know, when my condition wasn't getting any better. And so it's really, really important if you have symptoms of not being able to get up out of bed in the morning, it's not that you're tired, it's a sign of depression. And the earlier, the sooner you get treatment, the better you can begin living your life properly. And from my research as well, it shows that it doesn't actually conflict with existing medicines. Is that right? Going the homeopathic route, it doesn't conflict with any medicine. You can take whatever medicines you like with homeopathy, it doesn't conflict with allopathic medicine or whatever you call it. Right? No. So that's really quite wonderful, isn't it? So it really is worth giving it a go. It's worth giving it a go, you know, I mean, it's just worth giving it a go without, just to see if it works for you or not. It doesn't poison your body, it doesn't affect your mental capacity, it doesn't slow you down in any way. It's because it's just really small amounts of substance that you drop on your tongue every morning. I mean, it's really, really simple therapy. And I noticed the change within weeks. Oh, wow. After years of going through that. Yeah. Gosh, that makes my hair Stand on it. Yeah. Notice the change in weeks. I mean, it was astonishing. When I met you, there was something that. There's just a sentence that stuck with me. I remember thinking, gosh, I hope she'll come to the show and speak with me. Please speak with me. And I remember you saying the words. I remember you saying that I felt like this for years and I thought I would never get better. And that really just struck a chord with me because I know someone who's been going through this for so many years and just feels that such a loss. And just hearing you said that, I just thought, my gosh, there's hope. You can get better. You can. I mean, because I was very bad. I mean, I think what made me go to the homeopath, because I thought that after. For a long time, I just was thinking that I could deal with it on my own, with my own willpower, that I could, you know, make myself better. And one day I kind of looked in the mirror and I didn't recognise the person looking back at me and I thought, fucking hell, is that me? And I was absolutely shocked. And that just said that I'd not actually looked at myself properly. I was just going through a haze, just existing from one day to the next. And that's when I decided I had to do something, you know, And I'd hate anyone to wait that long because there's no need to wait that long. And it's. It's. You're just wasting your way or life, really. And that's intriguing. You're saying that. Look in the mirror. Because sometimes we could look in the mirror and still can't see it. Yeah. No. One day that penny dropped. Thank God for that fate. You've the author of these wonderful books. This one you've got coming out sounds fabulous, especially for people going through the same. Mm. So it gives the title for that again. Penetrating the Void by Lou Christou. Love the name. So if people want to get in touch with you, Faye, how do they do that and be able to purchase this book and find out more about Earth wise? How do they do that? Website www.earthrise e a r t h r I s e.com and all the details will be on there and my contact details are there as well. Fantastic. And I'd love you as well, Faye, to please give us three radical wellbeing tips for anybody who is potentially going through the same thing, who feels the way you felt. What three tips would you share with them? Well, the main one is, as I said before, go and get treatment immediately because depression is very debilitating and it affects all areas of your life and it affects your relationships and your friends and your ability to enjoy yourself. I mean, it's really, really important that it's recognized as a really serious disease. And, you know, it's. It's as serious a disease as a physical disease because it has physical implications on your body as well. Yeah, I'm glad you said that. Because what I think I'm tired of hearing is people who are going through depression or people know someone who's going through depression and they'll say things like, but she has everything. She has a house, a husband, a car. And it's like it has nothing to do with it. You know, children. It has nothing to do with it. It's totally separate to that, isn't it? That doesn't make you happy. It's an illness, like I said, that needs dealing with. Yeah, it's a disease. Disease. Yeah, quite. And your other two tips, I would say. I remember when I was a teenager and was at party and this girl came in and she was staggering with her clothes all over the place and her hair was a mess. And we started laughing at her. And a friend who's a trainee nurse said she's sick. She's looked. She's on medication. And we all kind of stop laughing and think, oh, God, what horrible people. We are making snap judgments about other people. And I would say, you know, one area of well being is developing yourself and not making judgment about other people. I love that one. And another one is just being kind to yourself and being kind to other people. Because that has very therapeutic effect on your well being. Do you know if there's one that comes up every single week, it's got to be that one. Self compassion. Yeah. When I ask people that question, Faye, you are delightful and you are fabulous beyond words. And thank you so very much for sharing your story with us about your company. The book that you've got coming out, your. Your connection with it and your journey and your truth which is no longer hidden. Thank you. It's been a pleasure. Thank you. In wrapping up, guys, you know, always end with a bit of a. Ingrid says, and Ingrid says this week that it can get dark and can get really dark and you will be forgiven to think that you can't get out or you can't get there. And I'm saying that not just from face to, because, yeah, I've been there too. I know. And I've. You've been in places that has Been so dark. And I know they say there's a stories in there that says. I think it's the Bible. Someone said to me that says, you just need as much faith or as much light as a mustard seed and you can get out. But I know I've been in places where it's so dark, there was no light as big as a mustard seed, but you can get out. And I share those stories. We bring people like Faye here and share my stories to give you hope, really, to know that no matter how dark it gets, I mean, you see me now, I have so much energy, so much light, so much brightness. You see, Faye, you can get out there with tiny little steps. And I think certainly one of the first steps is to disconnect from the noise, disconnect from judgmental people who don't get it, who are not there yet. Disconnect from those people. You're very much your environment. So find people who understand, find communities who understand who are not making those quick judgments, because that just doesn't help. So slow down. Disconnect from the noise. Disconnect from those messages that are out there that are telling you that that will make you happy. Because in time, you realize that, well, the happiness actually comes from within. And it come from those things also from what Faye said, is to own it. And I know that feels really hard and that feels really scary sometimes to own our truth, just own that this doesn't feel right, but own it, because know that there's an answer. And I cannot begin to tell you, you know, Faisha and her story, that when you find that way, how much lighter it feels, like your whole world just lightens up. And it's great to know once again, I'm just so grateful her for her to share with us an alternative route. You know, I've been down. I've been in really dark places, and I had to just claw myself out. I wish I knew about the homeopathic route, because I certainly would have gone that route, but, you know, I didn't want to take medication. The thing is, if you have gone that way, let's find this, you know, check one of these people out, check out a homeopath and find another way. But that's an important thing, is to keep looking for a new way. One thing with me, I have so much resilience and grit. I don't ever want to feel horrid. I want to feel great. So I'm always looking for another way. Never stop looking for a new way. So we know we've taken some great lessons today, some great lessons from Fay. It's very important, unless that I do also say that we're not medical professionals on this show of any kind. We don't hold any medical degrees and this program is really here just to share with you alternative ways of being healthy and its benefits. It's not intended any way to be any kind of a diagnosis, a treatment, a cure or to prevent depression. It is a show just giving you information. So just to bear that in mind. And please remember that you should always consult your doctor before making any, any changes to your medication, your diet, your nutrition or your exercise program. In any case, I trust that you have found this show entertaining, informative nonetheless, and that we've given you some useful information. This is of course the Radical Wellbeing Show. I'm here again next week with some wonderful women sharing their unique stories to help me help you live the life that you was born to live. Send us some emails please@presentersomensradiostation.com and if you've got an interesting story to share, please don't forget to email me here and let me know about that. We can get you on the show and you too can help me empower other women. Faye, you have been wonderful. Thank you again for joining us. The Sabbatical Wellbeing Show. We see you next week. Welcome to the women's radio station supporting women's well being. Women's Radio Station is all about diversity from opinions, career, ethnicity, education and most importantly, women's well being. We aim to celebrate the individuality of every woman everywhere, providing opportunities and the platform for your voice. Visit our website womensradiostation.com for more information. I'm Tamina Zaman, founder of Empower and Enrich. When it comes to money, do you clam up or get confused? Do you wish you could save more money or are you hoping you have enough for retirement? You are not alone. Many women want to be smarter with their cash but just don't know where to start. @empowerandenrich.org you will find a host of options to help you take charge of your finances and learn how to put your money to work for you in an easy, affordable way. Get in touch with me@empowerandenrich.org and let's change your future together. Hello, my name is Natasha Ann Kelleher. Welcome to you lovely lady listeners of your very own women's radio station. Over the coming months I'll be doing a survey in big brand coffee shops interviewing customers asking why they like to drink coffee and if they would like to give us a health tip for our listeners, the most shared and liked post will be the winner of a prize. Stay tuned for further details. Hi, I'm Carolyn Van Beers. 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