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Scars to Stars™ Podcast

Health & Wellness Podcasts

Welcome to the Scars to Stars™ Podcast, where we share stories of resilience and hope. Your host, Deana Brown Mitchell is the founder of the Realize Foundation whose mission is to reduce the number of humans who struggle with suicidal ideation by creating a world where having the conversation becomes commonplace. Like many, she kept silent about her own struggles with mental health for 23 years due to shame and stigma. It wasn't until she lost a friend to suicide that Deana realized the power of sharing our stories. In this podcast, we invite guests who have overcome adversity to share their journey and provide a safe space for vulnerability and openness. Our goal is to let other silent humans know that they are not alone and that there is always hope. Whether you are struggling with your mental health or simply feeling alone, this podcast is for you. Come join our community and let's inspire each other to turn our Scars to Stars.

Location:

United States

Description:

Welcome to the Scars to Stars™ Podcast, where we share stories of resilience and hope. Your host, Deana Brown Mitchell is the founder of the Realize Foundation whose mission is to reduce the number of humans who struggle with suicidal ideation by creating a world where having the conversation becomes commonplace. Like many, she kept silent about her own struggles with mental health for 23 years due to shame and stigma. It wasn't until she lost a friend to suicide that Deana realized the power of sharing our stories. In this podcast, we invite guests who have overcome adversity to share their journey and provide a safe space for vulnerability and openness. Our goal is to let other silent humans know that they are not alone and that there is always hope. Whether you are struggling with your mental health or simply feeling alone, this podcast is for you. Come join our community and let's inspire each other to turn our Scars to Stars.

Language:

English


Episodes
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A Different kind of Psychiatrist Chat with Dr. Fred Moss

10/29/2025
Dr. Fred Moss is a mental health advocate/psychiatrist serving in many capacities: keynote speaker, psychiatry expert witness, podcaster, mental health coach, and teacher. A desire to help people be real and heard has been the driving force leading him to multiple settings and roles as a psychiatrist over the years and compelling him to continually look for better, more effective ways to provide the highest quality care to align people with their most authentic self to deliver into an eagerly awaiting world. He is the amazing creator of Welcome To Humanity, The True Voice Course, Healing the Healer, and Global Madness. As the founder of the Welcome to Humanity movement, and the True Voice Mastermind and methodology, Dr. Fred now finds himself making the difference he came here to make. His years in the community, where he has been a physician to over 40,000 patients, and his storied and adventurous life traveling around the world has left him uniquely qualified to remind us of what we already know. Communication is where love arises from, and speaking the truth and listening authentically is the source of that love. He is the author of "Creative 8 - Healing Through Creativity and Self-Expression" and "Find Your True Voice!". He has written many articles for Psychology Today. Also, he has won an award for the best essay at the 2019 Conference for Global Transformation, titled "Global Madness, What Must Happen to Unite.” Fred has also led many courses in True Voice Podcasting, taking people from zipped-lip to podcaster in 12 short weeks. His most recent course is titled "True Voice Course" and is intended to help people who know they have something to say, to rediscover what that really is and get it out into the world. His most recent work is centered around the healing of the healers, aptly named Healing the Healer. The brilliant virtual course reminds the transitioning healers of the world that are released from their official position of a doctor, nurse, social worker, or clinician of any type, which may not be the trauma that they are likely feeling. In fact, it may be an opportunity to reset, rediscover and reenter the healing world in a new capacity, profoundly more aligned with themselves than they have ever been. A mastermind of like-minded individuals is also offered to capitalize on the essential power of community to assist when making significant paradigmatic shifts. #scarstostars #suicideprevention #mentalhealthawareness #conversations #community #personalstory #havetheconversation #savealifechallenge #virtualevents #amazonbestseller #suicideawareness #mentalhealthmatters #kindnessmatters #psychiatry #welcometohumanity #thehealthyhealer #[IN]Sanity

Duration:01:00:49

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You Are Worthy Network

10/22/2025
Speaker * Author * Coach * Executive Director of Hurt to Hope * Minister Steve shares about his struggles as a child with an absent father and how that shaped him as a father, and later a minister. #scarstostars #suicideprevention #mentalhealthawareness #conversations #community #personalstory #havetheconversation #savealifechallenge #virtualevents #amazonbestseller #suicideawareness #mentalhealthmatters #kindnessmatters #absentfather #divorce #speaker #author #coach #minister #hurttohope

Duration:00:38:21

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AvyHD: Where Neurodivergence Meets Entrepreneurship

10/16/2025
Avy shares with us some things she has never talked about publicly… she is vulnerable, intentional and real with her words. She has dealt with eating disorders, ADHD, depression, anxiety and of course feeling ‘not enough’. She has built a business and raised 2 children with the help of her husband and now she helps other business owners organize their lives! #scarstostars #suicideprevention #mentalhealthawareness #conversations #community #personalstory #havetheconversation #savealifechallenge #virtualevents #amazonbestseller #suicideawareness #mentalhealthmatters #kindnessmatters #ADHD #depression #anxiety #momlife

Duration:00:42:54

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Rugby Injury forced Change

10/8/2025
Camden shares about how a Rugby injury changed the course of his life. He became a coach because he could no longer play. The irony is that he found his true calling in leadership due to the set back!

Duration:00:49:03

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Let’s Break the Silence

9/10/2025
Angeline shares her story of being married in New York, wining and dining and making great money with who she thought was the love of her life. The abuse started as words and ended up with her in the hospital with a broken nose needing surgery. After her divorce, she has started Let’s Break the Silence and helps women in similar situations find their voice and purpose. #scarstostars #suicideprevention #mentalhealthawareness #conversations #community #personalstory #havetheconversation #savealifechallenge #virtualevents #amazonbestseller #suicideawareness #mentalhealthmatters #kindnessmatters #domesticviolence #letsbreakthesilence #verbalabuse #physicalabuse

Duration:00:37:56

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Bullied Kid to Jiu Jitsu Champion

9/3/2025
Julio Angel Rivera vulnerably shares how he was bullied as a kid in New York and was in constant fear. At 8 years old he witnessed a murder from his living room. His journey took him to body building, Jiu Jitsu, competitions, becoming an instructor and owning his own gym. He is the author of “Internal Jiu Jitsu” and “Brokedown Sensei”. #scarstostars #suicideprevention #mentalhealthawareness #conversations #community #personalstory #havetheconversation #savealifechallenge #virtualevents #amazonbestseller #suicideawareness #mentalhealthmatters #kindnessmatters #bullied #murderwitness #bodybuilder #jiujitsu #blackbelt #self-defenseinstructor #champion #coach #author

Duration:00:43:22

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Trying Not to Die

8/22/2025
Deb Krier shares in depth about her diagnoses of Stage 4 triple-positive breast cancer in 2015, basal cell carcinoma in 2021, and thyroid cancer in 2023. She talks about the journey with different doctors and navigating the medical industry. Deb transformed her personal journey into a mission to help others thrive. #ScarsToStars #suicideprevention #mentalhealthawareness #conversations #community #personalstory #havetheconversation #SaveALifeChallenge

Duration:00:44:35

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Inner Transformations with Sound Healing

8/13/2025
Amandine shares so much about herself growing up with eating disorders and never feeling ‘enough’. Now she is a wealth of knowledge in many modalities to heal the body, mind and soul. She talks about how important self love is, and how we are each amazing human beings and worthy of love. She teaches us that if we have a negative thought, treat it as a cloud and let it float by and do not act on it. This too shall pass! #scarstostars #suicideprevention #mentalhealthawareness #conversations #community #personalstory #havetheconversation #savealifechallenge #virtualevents #amazonbestseller #suicideawareness #mentalhealthmatters #kindnessmatters #mindfulness #Transformation #SoundHealing #Wellness #InnerPeace #Reconnect #Harmony #eatingdisorder

Duration:00:39:31

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Healing Musicals

8/6/2025
In her past, Deborah was a marketing executive. In this episode, she shares how creativity can be a powerful tool for overcoming adversity and building self-worth. She creates children’s plays, musicals and books with fundamental lessons that help them understand their self-worth. She is headed for Broadway folks! #scarstostars #suicideprevention #mentalhealthawareness #conversations #community #personalstory #havetheconversation #savealifechallenge #virtualevents #amazonbestseller #suicideawareness #mentalhealthmatters #kindnessmatters #marketing #creativity #selfworthinitiative #luckypenny #paisley

Duration:00:47:18

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Brain Tumor at 23

7/30/2025
Benjamin shares how he was diagnosed with sever dyslexia at a young age and to this day has a 3rd grade reading level. Despite that he owns a successful event company in Austin, TX and has met many celebrities! At age 23 he had trouble hearing in one ear and was smart enough to get it checked out as it was a golf ball size brain tumor. #scarstostars #suicideprevention #mentalhealthawareness #conversations #community #personalstory #havetheconversation #savealifechallenge #virtualevents #amazonbestseller #suicideawareness #mentalhealthmatters #kindnessmatters #dyslexia #learningdisability #braintumor #eventproducer

Duration:00:41:48

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Losing My Eye

7/23/2025
Diana vulnerably shares her journey of being a divorced mom of two you boys when she was diagnosed with cancer. Little did she know, she would end up losing her left eye in a rare diagnosis and even more rare surgery. She built a unique bond with many at the hospital. #scarstostars #suicideprevention #mentalhealthawareness #conversations #community #personalstory #havetheconversation #savealifechallenge #virtualevents #amazonbestseller #suicideawareness #mentalhealthmatters #kindnessmatters #executive #leader #cancerthriver #maxwell

Duration:00:41:52

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The Mental Health Comedian

7/16/2025
Frank shares his history of mental health and suicide in his family. He has been a comedian for decades and also wrote jokes for Jay Leno and the Tonight Show for 20 years. He has a goal of saving a life a day. Also, he has just landed his 14th TEDx talk, making him the human with the most in the world! #scarstostars #suicideprevention #mentalhealthawareness #conversations #community #personalstory #havetheconversation #savealifechallenge #virtualevents #amazonbestseller #suicideawareness #mentalhealthmatters #kindnessmatters #comedian #tedx #speakercoach

Duration:00:50:06

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Incredible MS Journey

7/9/2025
Jess shares how she woke up one morning as a teenager and her eye would not move... she was diagnosed with MS. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, often disabling disease that affects the central nervous system, specifically the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. It's an autoimmune disease, meaning the body's immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue, in this case, the myelin sheath that insulates nerve fibers. This damage disrupts the transmission of nerve signals, leading to a wide range of symptoms. The journey Jess has been on is miraculous, scary and incredible! #scarstostars #suicideprevention #mentalhealthawareness #conversations #community #personalstory #havetheconversation #savealifechallenge #virtualevents #amazonbestseller #suicideawareness #mentalhealthmatters #kindnessmatters #msdiagnosis #teenager #hospitals #stemcells #servicedog

Duration:00:28:49

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Living With Chronic Disease

7/2/2025
Rhonda shares about being on the road with her husband, Wayne Nelson of The Little River Band and getting a cold that would not go away. She was eventually diagnosed with AERD. Rhonda is now an advocate for chronic disease, functional medicine and supports the Allergy Asthma Network as a board member. And… don’t miss the music stories at the end! #scarstostars #suicideprevention #mentalhealthawareness #conversations #community #personalstory #havetheconversation #savealifechallenge #virtualevents #amazonbestseller #suicideawareness #mentalhealthmatters #kindnessmatters #AERD #chronicdisease #hope #notalone #diagnosis #medicallymanaged #biologics

Duration:00:42:14

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Losing a Life Long Friend

6/25/2025
Hollywood shares the story of losing a lifelong friend from an accident and having a hard time with closure. This turned into him writing the book, “The Ashes”. He explains how he lost that friend that knew all the things from his life that others did not understand. #scarstostars #suicideprevention #mentalhealthawareness #conversations #community #personalstory #havetheconversation #savealifechallenge #virtualevents #amazonbestseller #suicideawareness #mentalhealthmatters #kindnessmatters #death #livelongfriend #writingishealing #theashes

Duration:00:20:15

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Is Happily Ever After Possible?

6/18/2025
Carissa shares about how her ‘happily ever after’ did not turn out the way she expected. Diagnosed with several forms of depression, and dealing with suicidal ideation, she finally found herself through searching, reading, learning, healing and traveling. #scarstostars #suicideprevention #mentalhealthawareness #conversations #community #personalstory #havetheconversation #savealifechallenge #virtualevents #amazonbestseller #suicideawareness #mentalhealthmatters #kindnessmatters #divorce #depression #suicidalideation #bucketlist #butterfly

Duration:00:36:14

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Losing My Brother

6/11/2025
Barton shares how he lost his brother to addiction. The first time he tried heroin; it was laced with fentanyl. #scarstostars #suicideprevention #mentalhealthawareness #conversations #community #personalstory #havetheconversation #savealifechallenge #virtualevents #amazonbestseller #suicideawareness #mentalhealthmatters #kindnessmatters #brother #fentanyl #drugaddiction #overdose #sibling #crisis

Duration:00:31:40

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How Cancer Saved My Life

6/3/2025
Jennifer shares about her struggles to have a baby and then being diagnosed with the most aggressive type of breast cancer. She was given a death sentence, but you will want to hear the rest of the story! She wrote a book about the experience, “Everyone Needs A Larry!” You are also going to want to hear about what she is doing to help other women that are going through chemo treatments! #scarstostars #suicideprevention #mentalhealthawareness #conversations #community #personalstory #havetheconversation #savealifechallenge #virtualevents #amazonbestseller #suicideawareness #mentalhealthmatters #kindnessmatters

Duration:00:37:33

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The Journey to Purpose

5/29/2025
Danielle shares how she went from thinking music would be her life to being an ecommerce expert. We also talk about all the ups and downs along the way! #scarstostars #suicideprevention #mentalhealthawareness #conversations #community #personalstory #havetheconversation #savealifechallenge #virtualevents #amazonbestseller #suicideawareness #mentalhealthmatters #kindnessmatters #music #careerchange #ecommerce #businessowner #jackofalltrades

Duration:00:41:43

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The Fentanyl Crisis

5/21/2025
Brian shares about the fentanyl crisis from his perspective of a special agent in the DEA. He shares so much education on the subject and what we can do to warn our friends, family and communities. #scarstostars #suicideprevention #mentalhealthawareness #conversations #community #personalstory #havetheconversation #savealifechallenge #virtualevents #amazonbestseller #suicideawareness #mentalhealthmatters #kindnessmatters #lawenforcement #deaagent #fentanyl #whatcanwedo

Duration:00:33:14