208 - Tragedy, grief, healing, and finding happiness | Kelsey Chittick

Summary

In this podcast episode, the host interviews Kelsey Hopkins, a former collegiate swimmer, about her background and struggles with weight gain and partying during college. Kelsey also discusses her relationship with her husband, Nate Hopkins, and their journey to his career in the NFL. The conversation raises questions about the long-term effects of playing football and the need for better support for players, especially those who struggle to transition out of the sport.

The speaker talks about her late husband, Nate, and how he seemed to be drifting away in the last year of his life. She found his journals after he passed away and realized that he was struggling with something but was trying to work through it on his own. She also talks about how Nate encouraged her to go on a trip to Jamaica, where she had a transformative experience, and how she received a call while there that Nate had fallen and was in the hospital. She had a feeling that he was gone before anyone confirmed it, and she believes that he waited until she was away to pass away.

The speaker discusses the nuances of grief and how her feelings have changed over the last four and a half years since her husband's death. She believes that grieving and gratitude can coexist, and she is both deeply grieving and happy at the same time. Her husband died of cardiomyopathy of the left ventricle, and his autopsy revealed that he had stage two almost age three CTE, which was likely caused by playing football. The speaker had Boston University examine her husband's brain tissue to determine if football had anything to do with his death. The results showed that he had lesions all over his brain, and his behavior and moods were affected.

The context is a conversation about grief and how to deal with it after losing a loved one. The speaker talks about their experience losing their husband to CTE and how their children coped with the loss. They discuss the importance of setting aside time to grieve and the role of children in the grieving process. The speaker also talks about the use of traditional medicine versus alternative methods such as psychedelics in dealing with grief. They touch on the topic of keeping memories alive through videos and pictures, but also being cautious not to let grief consume one's life.

The context is about a woman who talks about her experience with psychedelics for grief work and trauma. She shares how she initially had reservations about trying them but eventually decided to do it to access a relationship with her deceased husband. The speaker describes her experience with psilocybin mushrooms and how it helped her connect with her deceased husband, Nate. During her trip, she was able to communicate with Nate and he showed her their children and gave her advice on how to raise them.

In this podcast, the speaker discusses their experiences with psilocybin and MDMA and how they have helped them become a better version of themselves. They believe that these substances have the potential to open up pathways in the brain that were previously blocked, leading to increased openness, patience, and fearlessness. However, they caution that these substances should be used in conjunction with traditional therapy and a committed spiritual practice. The speaker also discusses the importance of radical acceptance and how it has helped them cope with difficult situations.