The Bravest Thing You Can Do: Ryan Lipsett on Asking for Help
From No Shame On U by No Shame On U
April 10, 2026 · 36 min · Season 2 · Episode 3
About this episode
Ryan Lipsett shares his journey with mental health and the importance of asking for help.
In this episode of the No Shame on U podcast, host Gadi Kalman is joined by Ryan Lipsett, a college freshman mental health advocate from Illinois who is already making waves in the mental health community. Ryan shares his story with remarkable openness — from a "typical childhood" that shifted in middle school when body dysmorphia and isolation set in, to years of quietly living with depression and anxiety, to a pivotal moment when he finally asked his mom for help on what he feared might be one of his last days. Ryan reflects on what it meant to finally be asked if he was okay, why that one question changed everything, and how his journey led him to advocacy work with NAMI's Ending the Silence program and a seat on NAMI's National Next Gen advisory board. He and Gadi also dig into the unique barriers men face when it comes to mental health — from toxic "man up" messaging to identities tied to performance and silence reinforced by peer culture. The conversation turns to the state of mental health education in schools, where Ryan makes a compelling case for why a one-week mental health unit simply isn't enough, and what a real, consistent, clinician-informed curriculum could look…
People in this episode
Host: Gadi Kalman
Guest: Ryan Lipsett
Topics covered
- mental health
- advocacy
- depression
- anxiety
- education
- masculinity
- help-seeking
Keywords
- mental health
- advocacy
- depression
- anxiety
- help-seeking
- education
- masculinity
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: NAMI, NAMI's Ending the Silence program, NAMI's National Next Gen advisory board
More episodes of No Shame On U
- The Balance Project: Teens Making The World A Better Place · May 29, 2026 · 37 min
- Game-Changer: One Founder's Mission to Support Struggling Teens · February 24, 2026 · 35 min
- Gadi Speaks: A Young Man’s Mental Health Journey · January 26, 2026 · 30 min
- High Hopes: How Bruce Springsteen Saved My Life at 60 · September 19, 2025 · 48 min
- Breaking Through Mental Health Stigma: How to Truly Support Your Loved Ones with Dr. Michele Nealon · July 14, 2025 · 46 min
- Be Curious: Abby's Journey with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder · March 30, 2025 · 43 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the No Shame On U podcast page.