General Hospital (GH) star, Maurice Benard (Sonny Corinthos) hosted someone different on his State of Mind podcast this week. He sat down with singer and short film actress Léa Marcastel and discussed how she copes with mental health problems. Read on to find out more.
Staying Grounded
During their chat, the GH star talked about staying grounded in the high-pressure industries of acting and music. Well, you don’t have to be a singer or an actor to know that the world often feels disconnected. So, plenty of ABC soap fans were able to find some takeaways from the discussion.
During their chat, Léa mentioned how a therapist “told me that maybe I had ADHD. Like I never really got any diagnosis, but my therapist was like, you know, maybe you have ADHD, maybe you have this, maybe you have that.” Well, whatever it was, she found it helpful reading books about “PTSD.” One she found useful for mental health was called The Body Keeps the Score.
Journaling & Yoga
Maurice liked it when his guest talked about Yoga, as he does it. She explained that for her, it’s more than just a workout. She told the real-life Sonny Corinthos, “yoga helps you get back like to connection with your body.” Well, he couldn’t disagree. But she also talked about journaling, which he couldn’t get into.
Talking more about that, General Hospital fans heard her argue that “for me it helps a lot to put everything that I have in my head on the paper, right? And I kind of feel a little lighter during the day.” Perhaps, Maurice Benard will try it again one day. However, he also enjoyed her use of physical exercise to stay mentally fit. Of course, ABC fans know that Maurice is often in the gym, and he likes boxing, sometimes with his son, Joshua.
Staying Fit
Léa Marcastel told Maurice Benard that she makes a point to hike at least twice a week. While she used to do it daily, it took up a lot of time. So, her meditation and yoga help get rid of any trauma “stuck in the body.” She added, “Yoga helps you get back like to connection with your body.”
Discussing things that help, Maurice felt that folks shouldn’t leave it until it’s something that becomes too hard. He explained how mental health fixes are a bit like driving a car. For him, he finds it helpful to stay in “first and second gear” by meditating and eating right. He believes that if you wait until you are “too far gone” to try these tools, they might not work as well.
Léa agreed that you shouldn’t wait for a crisis to start a wellness routine. She told the State of Mind host, “You don’t wait to gain muscle to go to the gym.” By meditating multiple times a day and journaling honestly, she finds a sense of peace that keeps her from hitting high level stress.
Viewers React
In the comments section, many people enjoyed hearing about achieving mental fitness. One of them opined, “Fantastic interview with [Léa Marcastel]. Good stuff.”
Here are a few more responses:
- Journaling and yoga changed my life…I don’t do it everyday now, because I don’t need to. Coloring is helpful too. Everyone is different, find your groove and stick with it…
- The Body Keeps the Score is highly recommended from trauma-informed therapists.
- This episode proves you don’t need to be [extremely] famous to be relevant and interesting!!
What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below, and remember to come back here often for all your General Hospital cast news and updates.