To wrap up Season 2 of The Resilience Zone, we flipped the script! On this episode, our Executive Producer, teacher and coach Andrew Harding, hosts Anyia and a future host of The Resilience Zone, Janessa, as guests for the week. They talk about the importance of focusing on mental health, overcoming the stigma of going to therapy, and what actions could be taken to build a more resilience-friendly environment at school, especially for their peers facing substance abuse. They also talk about their future hopes and dreams for The Resilience Zone podcast.

Today’s high school students are under unprecedented levels of stress, and some lack the coping skills to deal with the difficulties of their own trauma. Easily-abused substances have never been easier to hide or obtain. On this episode, Anyia sits down with two of her high school peers for an honest conversation about the trauma they have faced in their own families due to substance abuse, and how similar patterns show up on a daily basis at school. They also discuss the climate of reporting drug use at school, and how the criminalization of certain behaviors can make students afraid to speak up or seek help for their issues.

Resilience comes in many different forms. For Elijah, a 15-year-old youth pastor, it’s a spiritual experience. In his church and community, Elijah works with many young people who have difficulty coping with the trauma in their life. His goal is to meet people where they are, without judgment, and to use his faith to guide them toward more effective, sustainable, and resilient coping mechanisms. Anyia and Elijah discuss the challenge of aiding those trapped in cycles of abuse, especially substance abuse, and how they can make a difference, particularly with other people of color.

As a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor and Licensed Clinical Addictions Specialist, Alicia Freeman knows a lot about trauma. She also brings forward a unique perspective as a Native American in the Waccamaw Siouan Tribe. She and Anyia discuss addiction as a condition and the root causes of substance abuse, including how her own familial experiences with substance abuse, ACEs, and incarceration led her to pursue therapy as a career. She also gives practical advice for young people who may be facing mental health challenges, like substance abuse or black-and-white thinking, as a result of trauma.

Zamiyah Howell is still a student at Tarboro High School, but she already has big plans. She already started a business to help women develop their self-image and succeed as entrepreneurs. She also plays volleyball and is headed to an HBCU to major in psychology. In this episode, she and Anyia talk about self-esteem and its ability to influence behavior and agency. They speak frankly about the shortcomings they see at school, and how it could be improved with a better understanding of the trauma, substance abuse, and addiction many students experience.

Anyia interviews her former school counselor, Ms. Eulanda Thorne, about trauma, resilience, and helping people heal. Today, Ms. Thorne is no longer a school counselor. As program manager for the NC Center for Resilience and Learning, she supports young people in building resilience, traveling to schools across the state to provide resilience training for teachers and students. Ms. Thorne was also crowned Ms. Black North Carolina 2022! On this episode, she and Anyia discuss the connections between trauma and substance abuse, and how they have manifested in their personal experiences with loved ones.

Even doctors can abuse drugs. Just ask Dr. Stephen Loyd, a Tennessee doctor who self-medicated his anxiety and depression with opiates for many years. Dr. Loyd got sober by processing the childhood trauma he had repressed for most of his life. The experience was transformative, leading him to refocus his career on addiction and trauma-informed resilience work. In this episode, Dr. Loyd shares some difficult truths with our student host, Anyia Hardy, in the Season 2 premiere of the Resilience Zone.

Meet our new host for Season 2 of The Resilience Zone: Anyia Hardy! She'll be interviewing our guests this season on their resilience strategies and more.