201. Why You Can’t Separate Mental Health from Mental Performance
Release Date: 10/07/2025
212: Finding Freedom After Addiction — The Inspiring Journey of Mary Beth O’Connor
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In this episode, Chuck Thuss sits down with Mary Beth O’Connor for a candid, eye-opening conversation about survival, healing, and long-term recovery. After surviving a childhood marked by emotional neglect and severe abuse, Mary Beth fell into addiction at just twelve years old — eventually becoming a daily meth user by her teens. But her story didn’t end there. Through determination, trauma therapy, and a recovery path she crafted for herself, Mary Beth rose from years of substance use disorder to graduating from Berkeley Law and ultimately serving as a federal administrative law...
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211: From Underground Hacker to Healing: The Remarkable Journey of Ryan Merket
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In this powerful episode, Chuck Thuss sits down with Ryan Merket, a former underground hacker turned Silicon Valley tech leader, author, angel investor, and man of deep faith. Ryan’s journey is one of addiction, depression, betrayal, healing, and a spiritual awakening that transformed his entire life. From early bullying and hiding behind a computer screen, to running international piracy groups, to spiraling into addiction, to being pushed out of his own startup, Ryan’s redemption story is raw, inspiring, and filled with hope. Today he works at Microsoft helping founders build...
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210: Unbroken: Adrienne Caldwell on Surviving Trauma, Finding Peace, and Rewriting Her Story
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209: Overcoming Adversity: The Inspiring Journey of Navy Seal David Brown
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208: Courage, Perseverance, and Mental Health: A Veteran’s Tale of Resilience
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207: Basking in Grace: Marcia Earhart's Journey Through Grief, Healing, and Divine Strength
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206. Reclaiming Purpose: Ryan Woodruff's Journey from Military Service to ClearPath for Veterans
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205. A Navy SEAL's Redemption: Dr. Tony Dice on Overcoming Addiction and Helping Others
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204. From Darkness to Redemption: The Journey of Garr Russell
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203. Merging Sports and Mental Health with 'Kicking the Stigma'- Guest Brett Kramer
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In this episode of Warriors Unmasked, Brett Kramer shares her journey of merging her passions for sports and mental health into her role as the Director of 'Kicking the Stigma' with the Indianapolis Colts. Brett discusses her personal experiences with anxiety as a student-athlete at Michigan State, the pressures faced by today's athletes, and the critical importance of addressing mental health in sports. She provides insights into the work being done to reduce stigma, the financial pressures on athletes, and the necessity of asking genuine questions about well-being. This episode is a valuable...
info_outlineThis week on Warriors Unmasked, Dr. Christine Silverstein, Peak Performance Coach, registered nurse, hypnotherapist, and author joins Chuck to explore the powerful connection between mental health and mental performance.
With decades of experience helping athletes, students, and professionals, Dr. Silverstein specializes in working with children, teens, and adults, offering her transformative program Winning Ways for Teens. Through her unique approach to mindful toughness, she equips people of all ages to heal from trauma, strengthen resilience, and perform at their highest potential.
From stories of Olympians like Simone Biles and Mikaela Shiffrin to her own childhood skating victory and deeply personal experiences of overcoming trauma, Dr. Silverstein shows how the mind can either hold us back or launch us forward.
You’ll hear about:
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Why mental health and performance are inseparable
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How trauma and the “recency effect” can sabotage even elite athletes
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The origin of mindful toughness and how it shifts stigma into strength
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Dr. Silverstein’s powerful personal journey of healing childhood trauma
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Practical techniques anyone can use to build confidence, resilience, and performance
Whether you’re an athlete, parent, or professional striving to show up fully, this episode is packed with wisdom to help you heal, grow, and perform at your best.
Chapters:
00:00 – Welcome & Intro: Chuck introduces the theme of mental health and performance
02:00 – Mental Health vs. Mental Performance: Dr. Silverstein explains why they can’t be separated
03:30 – From “Mental Toughness” to “Mindful Toughness”: Reframing the stigma
05:00 – Olympic Stories: Simone Biles, Mikaela Shiffrin, and the recency effect
10:00 – Childhood Lessons: Roller skating race and discovering inner strength
15:00 – Fear, Imagination, and Performance: How mindset shapes outcomes
17:00 – Defining Mental Health: Beyond diagnoses and stigma
22:00 – Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs): How early trauma affects performance
23:30 – Personal Story: Dr. Silverstein’s eye surgery trauma and healing journey
30:00 – Helping Teens Heal: Wrestling stories and mindful toughness techniques
34:00 – Writing Wrestling Through Adversity: Why she wrote the book
37:30 – Mindful Toughness Tools: Practical skills in the book
40:00 – Hope and Healing for All: Final words of encouragement
Chuck’s Challenge:
Reflect on an old wound or challenge that might still shape how you show up today. Take one small, intentional step this week to begin healing it.
Connect with Dr. Christine Silverstein:
Website: drchristinesilverstein.com
Website: idealperformance.net
LinkedIn: Dr. Christine Silverstein
Connect with Chuck:
Check out the website: https://www.thecompassionateconnection.com/
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuck-thuss-a9aa044/
Follow on Instagram: @warriorsunmasked
Join the Warriors Unmasked community by subscribing to the show. Together, we’re breaking stigmas and shining a light on mental health, one story at a time.