State Of Mind with Maurice Benard

WARNING:This episode talks about suicide, which some people may find disturbing. If you are having thoughts of suicide, know there is help and you are not alone. Support:Call or text 988Chat: 988lifeline.orgMaurice Benard sits down with actor Nathan Dean Parsons for a deeply personal conversation about bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, and suicide. Together, they open up about living with mental health challenges, the pain of losing a loved one to suicide, and the overwhelming feeling of being a burden. This powerful State of Mind episode explores what it takes to keep going, the importance of support systems, and why honest conversations about mental health can help others feel less alone. Follow SOM, tap 5 stars, & share this episode with someone who needs it. Video Versions of State of Mind available on YouTube! Watch! Read Maurice’s New York Times Bestselling Book!Nothing General About It: How Love (and Lithium) Saved Me On and Off General Hospital Follow Maurice on Social Media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mauricebenard/ X: https://twitter.com/mauricebenard Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MauriceBenard/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mbstateofmind/ State Of Mind Merch:https://www.mbstateofmind.comState of Mind Production Team: Host & Editorial: Maurice Benard Executive Producer: Paula Benard Director of Production & Video: Anthony CammarataPodcast Strategy Consultant: Aaron Calafato Audio Consultant: Ken Wendt

On this episode of State of Mind, Maurice Benard sits down with rising actress Bluesy Burke for an honest conversation about anxiety, acting, and growing up in the spotlight. Bluesy opens up about moving across the country during COVID, leaving behind close friendships, and stepping into the unknown at a young age. She shares what it was like booking General Hospital, walking into high-pressure auditions, and navigating nerves on set while learning to trust herself. Together, they explore: What anxiety actually feels like in real time The fear of the unknown and how it shapes decisions Why doing the thing you’re afraid of changes everything Mental health across generations Simple tools like breathing, movement, and mindset shifts It’s a conversation about showing up scared, pushing through self-doubt, and realizing you’re more capable than your thoughts tell you. As Maurice reminds us, sometimes the breakthrough comes from doing it anyway. Show your support:Follow SOM, tap 5 stars, & share this episode with someone who needs it. Video Versions of State of Mind available on YouTube! Watch! Read Maurice’s New York Times Bestselling Book!Nothing General About It: How Love (and Lithium) Saved Me On and Off General Hospital Follow Maurice on Social Media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mauricebenard/ X: https://twitter.com/mauricebenard Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MauriceBenard/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mbstateofmind/ State Of Mind Merch:https://www.mbstateofmind.comState of Mind Production Team: Host & Editorial: Maurice Benard Executive Producer: Paula Benard Director of Production & Video: Anthony CammarataPodcast Strategy Consultant: Aaron Calafato Audio Consultant: Ken Wendt

Maurice Benard sits down with acclaimed actor Clancy Brown for a wide-ranging conversation about anxiety, mental health, acting, family, grief, and resilience. Known for unforgettable roles in The Shawshank Redemption, John Wick, SpongeBob SquarePants, and The Penguin, Clancy opens up about the nerves that have followed him throughout his career, how he learned to work through them, and the personal experiences that shaped him long before Hollywood knew his name. The conversation moves from Clancy’s childhood in Ohio and the loss of his sister, to his mother’s artistic journey, to the emotional realities of performing under pressure. Along the way, Maurice and Clancy talk candidly about bipolar disorder, auditioning, soap operas, family, and what it really takes to endure in a creative life. It is a soulful, funny, and surprisingly moving episode about vulnerability, craft, and staying human in the middle of it all. Show your support:Follow SOM, tap 5 stars, & share this episode with someone who needs it. Video Versions of State of Mind available on YouTube! Watch! Read Maurice’s New York Times Bestselling Book!Nothing General About It: How Love (and Lithium) Saved Me On and Off General Hospital Follow Maurice on Social Media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mauricebenard/ X: https://twitter.com/mauricebenard Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MauriceBenard/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mbstateofmind/ State Of Mind Merch:https://www.mbstateofmind.comState of Mind Production Team: Host & Editorial: Maurice Benard Executive Producer: Paula Benard Director of Production & Video: Anthony CammarataPodcast Strategy Consultant: Aaron Calafato Audio Consultant: Ken Wendt

In this episode of State of Mind, Maurice Benard sits down with actress Kelly Thiebaud for a raw, funny, and surprisingly deep conversation about what it really means to start over. Kelly opens up about growing up in a small town, being a sports kid turned model, and how the modeling world messed with her relationship to food, her body, and her self-worth. She shares what it was like moving to Los Angeles at 17, experiencing an early heartbreak that shaped how she viewed love, and why she didn’t fully step into acting until later in life. Maurice and Kelly also get real about mental health: therapy, bitterness, anxiety, medication decisions, and the pressure of having to “perform” when you’re privately falling apart. Together, they talk about learning to be alone, rebuilding after blowing up your life, and treating your past not as proof you’re broken—but as information that helps you grow. Show your support:Follow SOM, tap 5 stars, & share this episode with someone who needs it. Video Versions of State of Mind available on YouTube! Watch! Read Maurice’s New York Times Bestselling Book!Nothing General About It: How Love (and Lithium) Saved Me On and Off General Hospital Follow Maurice on Social Media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mauricebenard/ X: https://twitter.com/mauricebenard Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MauriceBenard/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mbstateofmind/ State Of Mind Merch:https://www.mbstateofmind.comState of Mind Production Team: Host & Editorial: Maurice Benard Executive Producer: Paula Benard Director of Production: Anthony CammarataAudio/Video/Editorial: Anthony CammarataPodcast Consultant: Aaron Calafato

Actor, writer, director, and voice actor Michael Easton joins Maurice Benard on State of Mind for a rare, deeply honest conversation about what it really takes to heal. Michael shares what it was like growing up between Belfast and the U.S., moving constantly, and carrying the hidden weight of childhood fear and instability into adulthood. From there, the conversation opens up into the stuff most people avoid: anxiety, grief, loss, and the long process of bringing buried pain to the surface so it can finally move. They talk about surrender, therapy, meditation, the difference between suppressing pain and processing it, and why real healing often starts when someone is willing to sit with you in the dark. Later, Michael reflects on his path into acting, the early years of his career, and the strange moments that come with visibility, identity, and being seen. The episode closes with a powerful tribute to Kamar de los Reyes, and what his life and passing changed in Michael forever. Video Versions of State of Mind available on YouTube! Watch! Read Maurice’s New York Times Bestselling Book!Nothing General About It: How Love (and Lithium) Saved Me On and Off General Hospital Follow Maurice on Social Media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mauricebenard/ X: https://twitter.com/mauricebenard Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MauriceBenard/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mbstateofmind/ State Of Mind Merch:https://www.mbstateofmind.comState of Mind Production Team: Host & Editorial: Maurice Benard Executive Producer: Paula Benard Director of Production: Anthony CammarataAudio/Video/Editorial: Anthony CammarataPodcast Consultant: Aaron Calafato

Josh Swickard—an actor who’s starred in films that have reached #1 on Netflix and on General Hospital—opens up about anxiety attacks he didn’t understand until they hit him, and how breathwork helped him reframe the symptoms and take away the fear. The conversation moves through anger, calm, parenting, and faith, landing on a powerful idea: don’t waste the pain—use it to help others keep moving forward. Video Versions of State of Mind available on YouTube! Watch! Read Maurice’s New York Times Bestselling Book!Nothing General About It: How Love (and Lithium) Saved Me On and Off General Hospital Follow Maurice on Social Media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mauricebenard/ X: https://twitter.com/mauricebenard Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MauriceBenard/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mbstateofmind/ State Of Mind Merch:https://www.mbstateofmind.comState of Mind Production Team: Host & Editorial: Maurice Benard Executive Producer: Paula Benard Director of Production: Anthony CammarataAudio/Video/Editorial: Anthony CammarataAudio Podcast Consultant: Aaron Calafato

Retired LAPD veteran Manny Santoo rarely does interviews, but on State of Mind he opens up about a life shaped by the streets—air support helicopters, high-risk nights during the LA Riots, and what police work teaches you about fear, adrenaline, and restraint. The conversation turns deeply personal as Manny shares the story of his daughter Bella, who is autistic and mostly nonverbal, and how his family learned to communicate through letter boards and unwavering patience. Along the way: faith, grief, true-crime fascination, and the moments that change a person’s entire outlook.If you're having thoughts of self-harm or suicide: call, text 988, or start a live chat with Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It's free and confidential. You'll reach someone who is trained to listen and support you. Video Versions of State of Mind available on YouTube! Watch! Read Maurice’s New York Times Bestselling Book!Nothing General About It: How Love (and Lithium) Saved Me On and Off General Hospital Follow Maurice on Social Media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mauricebenard/ X: https://twitter.com/mauricebenard Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MauriceBenard/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mbstateofmind/ State Of Mind Merch:https://www.mbstateofmind.comState of Mind Production Team: Host & Editorial: Maurice Benard Executive Producer: Paula Benard Director of Production: Anthony CammarataAudio/Video/Editorial: Anthony CammarataPodcast Consultant: Aaron Calafato

For the first time publicly, Chris McKenna opens up about his bipolar diagnosis and the mental health journey that reshaped his life and career. In this deeply personal episode of State of Mind, the General Hospital actor tells Maurice Benard what it was like living undiagnosed for decades, the breaking point he faced during the pandemic, and the treatment that helped him find stability and clarity. After breaking on State of Mind, Chris McKenna’s story was subsequently featured on The Story Is with Elex Michaelson on CNN, bringing the conversation to an even wider national audience. Video Versions of State of Mind available on YouTube! Watch! Read Maurice’s New York Times Bestselling Book!Nothing General About It: How Love (and Lithium) Saved Me On and Off General Hospital Follow Maurice on Social Media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mauricebenard/ X: https://twitter.com/mauricebenard Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MauriceBenard/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mbstateofmind/ State Of Mind Merch:https://www.mbstateofmind.comState of Mind Production Team: Host & Editorial: Maurice Benard Executive Producer: Paula Benard Director of Production: Anthony CammarataAudio/Video/Editorial: Anthony CammarataPodcast Consultant: Aaron Calafato

On this episode of State of Mind, Maurice sits down with Emmy-winning actress Sharon Case—known to millions as Sharon Newman from The Young and the Restless—for an unfiltered conversation about mental health, acting, and the real emotional truth behind portraying bipolar disorder on screen. Sharon opens up about her early life, unexpected path into daytime TV, her work with complex storylines, and the rising awareness around depression and suicide since the pandemic. This is an honest, surprising, deeply human conversation that fans of both daytime drama and mental-health advocacy will not forget. Video Versions of State of Mind available on YouTube! Watch! Read Maurice’s New York Times Bestselling Book!Nothing General About It: How Love (and Lithium) Saved Me On and Off General Hospital Follow Maurice on Social Media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mauricebenard/ X: https://twitter.com/mauricebenard Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MauriceBenard/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mbstateofmind/ State Of Mind Merch:https://www.mbstateofmind.comState of Mind Production Team: Host & Editorial: Maurice Benard Executive Producer: Paula Benard Director of Production: Anthony CammarataAudio/Video/Editorial: Anthony CammarataPodcast Consultant: Aaron Calafato

Maurice welcomes longtime TV journalist Dorothy Lucey for a deep, vulnerable conversation about crippling nerves, panic attacks, and the unseen emotional cost of decades in the spotlight. Dorothy opens up about faith, anxiety, marriage, grief, joy, and the daily work of stopping a spiral before it starts. Together they explore how trauma sits in the body, how peace is rebuilt step by step, and why none of us are ever as “normal” as we seem. Video Versions of State of Mind available on YouTube! Watch! Read Maurice’s New York Times Bestselling Book!Nothing General About It: How Love (and Lithium) Saved Me On and Off General Hospital Follow Maurice on Social Media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mauricebenard/ X: https://twitter.com/mauricebenard Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MauriceBenard/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mbstateofmind/ State Of Mind Merch:https://www.mbstateofmind.comState of Mind Production Team: Host & Editorial: Maurice Benard Executive Producer: Paula Benard Director of Production: Anthony CammarataAudio/Video/Editorial: Anthony CammarataPodcast Consultant: Aaron Calafato

Actress Raven Bowens joins Maurice for a powerful, wide-ranging conversation about resilience, mental health, and the unexpected turns that shape a life. Raven opens up about a childhood spent moving from city to city, the grief of losing her first love, and the struggle to find stability while chasing her dream. She also shares how her acting journey led her to Days of Our Lives and why her greatest fulfillment now comes from rebuilding a school in Nigeria. A raw, honest, and deeply hopeful episode that reminds us why purpose and connection matter. Video Versions of State of Mind available on YouTube! Watch! Read Maurice’s New York Times Bestselling Book!Nothing General About It: How Love (and Lithium) Saved Me On and Off General Hospital Follow Maurice on Social Media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mauricebenard/ X: https://twitter.com/mauricebenard Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MauriceBenard/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mbstateofmind/ State Of Mind Merch:https://www.mbstateofmind.comState of Mind Production Team: Host & Editorial: Maurice Benard Executive Producer: Paula Benard Director of Production: Anthony CammarataAudio/Video/Editorial: Anthony CammarataPodcast Consultant: Aaron Calafato

In Part 2 of their conversation on State of Mind, Genie Francis (General Hospital) and Jonathan Frakes (Star Trek: The Next Generation) open up about the hidden side of their 40-year relationship: social anxiety, deep lows, the “riverbank” metaphor that changed everything, and the small decisions that saved their marriage. Maurice creates space for a rare, honest look at survival, compassion, and what it means to stay when things get hard. Powerful, vulnerable, and unforgettable. Video Versions of State of Mind available on YouTube! Watch! Read Maurice’s New York Times Bestselling Book!Nothing General About It: How Love (and Lithium) Saved Me On and Off General Hospital Follow Maurice on Social Media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mauricebenard/ X: https://twitter.com/mauricebenard Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MauriceBenard/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mbstateofmind/ State Of Mind Merch:https://www.mbstateofmind.comState of Mind Production Team: Host & Editorial: Maurice Benard Executive Producer: Paula Benard Director of Production: Anthony CammarataAudio/Video/Editorial: Anthony CammarataPodcast Consultant: Aaron Calafato