Mental health? Get ready for The Perfect Trini Bite 🤩

Added: 2026-05-27

[00:00:00]Well, my friends, here we are at the perfect bite. Although Louis has the perfect drink and we have here Kevin. I'm Char who you know from uh that first episode that we did last week about being at the roundabout. Stuck at the roundabout. And we have here a charming lady with us.

[00:00:19]Her name is Shannon. She runs this place called the perfect bike.

[00:00:25]That's fine. That's fine.

[00:00:26]>> So Shannon, how long have you been operating here? Um, so we are open for 5 years now. This August would make it 6 years in operation.

[00:00:35]>> Six years. Very good.

[00:00:36]>> Cafe. Yeah.

[00:00:38]>> Very lovely. Very lovely. You're well patronized. I realize that.

[00:00:42]>> Yes.

[00:00:42]>> Mhm. Client from everywhere.

[00:00:44]>> Yes.

[00:00:45]>> Very good. Very good.

[00:00:46]>> That's important to mental health.

[00:00:48]Taking a little time out from your your own environment and you know, especially if you're having good service and tasty drinks and snacks.

[00:00:58]>> Yes. Yes. Yeah. This is This is to me this is very English, isn't it?

[00:01:02]>> Yeah.

[00:01:03]>> Yeah. It speaks up very very English.

[00:01:05]Yeah. Long in York. I remember being in York and we were >> Yeah.

[00:01:08]>> treated to things like this, you know.

[00:01:10]>> I'm going to bring you up there. Coffee.

[00:01:13]>> It's a chai tea.

[00:01:14]>> A chai tea.

[00:01:15]>> And Louis.

[00:01:16]>> Pineapple juice.

[00:01:17]>> Pineapple juice. And me I have government juice. Right.

[00:01:20]>> Government juice.

[00:01:23]>> So Shannon, if you could just keep down that for a while with the music.

[00:01:26]>> Yeah, no problem. So tell me something.

[00:01:29]Um I understand that you would like to do something or you this is why you you granted us the opportunity to be here for mental health. You have mental health in in mind.

[00:01:41]>> Yes it is. It is really important for persons to know about it gain more knowledge. I mean we we live in a country where a lot every day wake up it is to get to work make your money do what you have to do and that's just like the goal for everybody so a lot of these things get put to the sidelines a little bit and I just want people to see that it's okay to see think about yourself think about your mindset your um I had written this last night and it came to my had this morning which is um take care of your mind as you will your body.

[00:02:25]>> So I think I want people to get into that more become one with themselves in it.

[00:02:31]>> Very nice. Very very nice. I want you to do a little favor.

[00:02:35]>> Mhm.

[00:02:35]>> I don't want to record here on this side. Tell them to just >> tell them what we do.

[00:02:41]>> Yes, I will.

[00:02:42]>> Please. Yes. So it wouldn't embarrass them if >> Thank you. I will.

[00:02:45]>> Thank you very much. Yes.

[00:02:49]So Kevin, give me a little rundown again about what we did last week with the mental health and the stuck in the roundabout.

[00:02:56]>> Yeah. Well, you know, the the previous episode was part one of five that we had uh have embarked on and it speaks to what I like to call the roundabout effect.

[00:03:10]>> And you were talking about the uh the roundabout effect.

[00:03:15]>> Yeah. So the the roundabout effect basically speaks to the fact that sometimes in life we we are challenged with situations whereby >> we are dealing with something and it is it is not resolved in a timely manner.

[00:03:31]Right? And as a result we keep going in circles and the issue never gets properly addressed. It never gets resolved. So we end up as to use the analogy we end up being stuck in the roundabout. So we just go in with circles, right? And there's so much in life that we could apply this to. Uh it could be the issues as it relates to mental health. It could be issues as it relates to something maybe physical. Um it could be applied to relationships. It could be applied to situations in the workplace and even in society as a whole. So it's a very broad uh analogy that I find very easy to apply in terms of trying to problem solve a situation that one is dealing with >> and um >> another big plus with it as well is that it is like I mentioned in episode one it is absolutely relatable when you speak in these terms people can easily identify with what you're talking about because they may have experienced something similar. Um it might not be one set situation for all but it is possible that they can relate to well you know I have had that experience but in a different way >> and yeah I was stuck or this is how I got out of it.

[00:04:51]>> So it makes it easier in terms of an intervention to be able to talk to someone when you give them something to work with. So I I I hope by the time we are finished with with this series um people can identify their roundabouts, >> right?

[00:05:08]>> They can identify their roundabouts and then come to the conclusions as to where >> okay this is this is me. This is what is happening and um this is where I need to go. This is the direction I need to go in. This is the exit I need to take.

[00:05:23]>> Right. Very good. Very good. So this in part two now you're dealing with about the with the human cost. Okay. I notice here that um in in what you gave me the script you gave me that you can recall occasions where staff I worked alongside decided to pack their backs and leave for England or North America.

[00:05:41]>> Right. My question when I read this is um what happened to them overseas? Were they able to land a job? Were they able to be happier than they were in Trinidad? What was it like?

[00:05:52]>> Uh okay. Yeah. So let me give you some context as it relates to that statement.

[00:05:58]Um this is in reference to nursing >> in the healthcare sector which I would have worked locally in the health sector for many years. Okay. And what I observed because in my my personal situation I actually came from uh a foreign healthare system into our local healthare system and so I had something to to compare it to.

[00:06:21]>> Okay. What I noticed was uh our local people, our local professionals were very frustrated and um not everyone mind you but a lot of them were reasonably frustrated to the point where they were looking for options and what were the options and of course migration is always an option for a professional in the area of healthcare and nursing. There's a global demand even to this day there will always be a global demand for nurses. So you'll find that for example in the US and the UK they always recruiting right. So uh I think you know uh >> foreign experience is >> is uh is very good. It is something that people should should do. If they do uh have the opportunity to do it by all means go for it. Okay. It gives you perspective and it brings into uh comparison what we do uh in terms of our local standards as opposed to what is out there. So I'm saying that to say people a lot of people would have exercised this option and um packed their bags and left >> in frustration. A lot of them really and truly in frustration simply because they felt as though they were in a roundabout and they weren't getting anywhere in terms of um >> job satisfaction. Job satisfaction is very important. No matter what the job is, if you're not happy doing what you're doing, you you will just get stressed and burnt out.

[00:07:50]>> Yeah.

[00:07:51]>> How they coped when they got to England.

[00:07:53]>> Yeah.

[00:07:53]>> For instance, like England.

[00:07:57]in England. Um if if one has never been to the UK and um they have now decided to go and live there, it is going to be an eye openening experience. Put it mildly because for example there is the weather. The main thing it's the weather. It's you're going to get a lot of uh gray, dull, rainy days >> in the UK. That's typical English weather, right? And um then of course there's the whole culture shock as well because there's the the English way of doing things. Mind you, we are an English colony and there's a lot of things we do here that is reminiscent of of of of what is there. But the point is we now have to adhere to another set of rules, regulations, expectations from another society. So that in that regard it does take adapting and getting used to. This takes time, right? Uh there's an issue of maybe uh isolation as well because of course you would have left your families um your friends, your families. The the things you would do here is not what you would do there in terms of how we socialize or lime. You know, now we lime in Trinidad is not how you lime in England, right?

[00:09:14]>> Um they have seasons there. We have what?

[00:09:17]Two >> wet and dry. Okay.

[00:09:20]>> Wet and dry.

[00:09:21]>> Yeah. And so these things also pose challenges as well. So there's a lot of things that goes into what are the challenges having moved to another country. It is similar to for North America. I have had a North American experience personally as well. And again the winters I see there.

[00:09:40]>> So how do they cope? Let me say um financially would they would they compensate it as as a gauge here >> or was it the whole or was the the the the opposition here was really the management >> system? That's that's um >> that's a very loaded question. Yes, you are right. Um, so for example, in the '90s, uh, up until the '90s, the UK was actively recruiting nurses, whereby it didn't cost anything for you to go and train there. You were literally getting free tuition. Okay. And at the end of it, you would have gotten a job.

[00:10:20]>> Mhm.

[00:10:21]>> Okay. Such was the demand >> for staff here.

[00:10:25]>> That has since changed. Um but there was adequate compensation even in training.

[00:10:31]You were compensated in training as well.

[00:10:33]>> So you had enough financially to get back.

[00:10:35]>> You were as a young person. Yes. It it would have been adequate. It wasn't amazing.

[00:10:40]>> Of course with some sacrifices.

[00:10:42]>> You you had to sacrifice. There's no there's no two ways about it. Okay.

[00:10:45]>> That is just part and parcel. And those those experiences taught you skills as well. for example, money management, survival for us men, how to cook because you know your your mom there to help with that, etc. You have to learn to wash your own clothes. You know, the little things that we really took for for granted.

[00:11:05]>> Um, all of a sudden now you were maybe thrown in at the deep end and you had to do what you had to do.

[00:11:11]>> But but the thing though is that it would have been a wealthy experience. It would have been valuable because it taught you so much life skills, >> right?

[00:11:20]um >> because you sink or swim.

[00:11:21]>> Absolutely. Absolutely. So there was adequate compensation at the end of it all and um it it the scope to move up, the scope to professionally develop was also very much available as well. Even today, I would argue it still is as well. um you are recognized for who you are as a professional and you are valued as such also and in that regard I could say personally from personal experience it was such a a rewarding work experience um for me because I I felt valued in the workplace and I I came away at the end of the day sometimes very tired mentally but um satisfied that you know what today was a good day. I I there were good interventions. I had a good job >> uh experience. I was able to >> physically tired but mentally satisfied.

[00:12:23]>> Well, a bit of both. A bit of both.

[00:12:26]Yeah. Because you know talking >> working with people trying to solve problems with people could be quite mentally daunting at times.

[00:12:34]>> Okay. Right. Right.

[00:12:35]>> Yeah. And that is the mental toll. So that was the field that you had already gone into.

[00:12:40]>> Yeah.

[00:12:41]>> There was always going to be a bit of that that doesn't go away. That is just part and parcel of of the work, >> right?

[00:12:48]>> It is what it is, you know. But again, the importance in that is actually >> being able to identify with that.

[00:12:56]>> So in that regard, you know what you are dealing with. If you know what you are dealing with, then you can you can deal with it. You know how to address it. You know what needs to be done. you know what what might be the uh triggers, what is going to be causing the problems, what is the challenges and how to approach it so that it does not indeed get the better of you because when it does get the better of you there is where you find that u background about >> yeah yeah for sure I >> we need to understand it's a very good point you're making I'll tell you why we need to understand it happens to the best of us it happens to the best of us it's not just about well you should be immune Because you know you are the specialist, you know better. No no that's not what life is about.

[00:13:38]>> Right. Right. Right.

[00:13:39]>> That is not what it's about. That's all.

[00:13:42]>> So your relationship >> let's say abroad would have been better with management.

[00:13:49]You had more flexibility.

[00:13:50]>> I mean that was the second part of what you were asking.

[00:13:54]>> Absolutely. Um that was something of an eye openener again for someone who uh like myself who would have had a a foreign work experience which is that management was invested in you as an employee as a professional they were invested in you that was my I don't know about other people but I can speak to that and as such you felt valued because in terms of running a is they they have an expectation of you know >> you need to perform >> and especially in this field it's about human lives we're talking about.

[00:14:36]>> Okay. So it's a huge responsibility.

[00:14:41]>> They it they they would have had things whereby you were constantly being updated. You were constantly being retrained. So you always knew what were the the current interventions, what works best, best practice as we say and interestingly this also included the medications as well that we would have been exposed to and used. Uh I was so surprised to know that some of the for example having returned to Trinidad some of the medications that in the UK we no longer even >> they were no longer valid still using it here to this day. to this day >> to this day and I'm talking about um stuff that would have been discontinued let's say 15 20 years ago.

[00:15:26]>> Yeah.

[00:15:27]>> You know so >> it is always good. It is always >> has anybody ever brought that to authorities attention to authorities?

[00:15:37]>> I you know what Lance I I would like to think so honestly I honestly would like to think so. Um, when it comes to the local governance of how we do things here, I think I think there's there's a there's always going to be scope for best practice to be um implemented. I I like to I like to be positive about these things, you know, and I think it is never too late to learn. It is never too late to change and as such we can do it. I think uh with the right approach, the right uh people, the right technocrats, yeah, the technical people that advise um these things can be properly addressed and uh positive change can indeed take place.

[00:16:25]Um but but everyone has to be invested in it. It can't just be >> one one aspect of society or one aspect of government. It takes a team effort.

[00:16:36]It's a huge effort. And this even comes down to the uh what you call it the the users in the system as well. So the people that access the systems >> um >> that they they also need to uh be properly educated >> and to give feedbacks.

[00:16:53]>> Well yeah exactly. Now for example in in the UK they have what they call advocates. In mental health you have advocates and they advocate um uh institutions as well that work on behalf of clients. They call them patients, they call them clients. Yeah.

[00:17:10]In mental health. And and so they advocate for clients and what is best practice for clients. And there is where for example you will find change takes place because there are voices that are speaking up >> and seeking uh betterment for the people that access these um services.

[00:17:33]>> Right. Um, I would like to think that some of that indeed does take place here as well. Um, I have since moved on from the local system. I've been, you know, it's been a while and I cannot speak to what is available, what is actually working. I can only speak from the perspective of my personal work and the people I interface with, what they think, what they feel, what their experience has been.

[00:18:00]>> Yeah.

[00:18:03]your personal work, how do you do you advocate medication mainly or would you say therapy sessions are more effective?

[00:18:16]>> I will as a professional I would never discount the importance and relevance of medication in any treatment as it relates to health. Uh medication definitely has its role and function.

[00:18:33]come out and make it better.

[00:18:36]>> As an adjunct to medication, I think therapies, alternative therapies, alternative interventions are also absolutely essential.

[00:18:46]Um, more often than not, we do not see that happen in the context of what we're talking about, which is mental health. I'll give you an example. So >> you go into hospital, you get treatment because >> I used my >> of an episode with regards to mental mental illness that you had. Yeah.

[00:19:05]>> Right.

[00:19:06]>> And you stayed in maybe a month, six weeks. It depends.

[00:19:11]>> Right. But during that time you would have been assessed measuring >> and you would have been given maybe a diagnosis as to what what is the problem and in as part of that diagnosis you're going to get prescribed medication.

[00:19:28]Okay. All well and good. Okay. And eventually you stabilize in the clinical environment and uh after a couple reviews the doctor the team the medical team will decide okay it's time that you could be discharged home. So you go on home you get your you get your prescription filled. You go home and you get an appointment for a followup. Okay which is basically what what happens >> basically right?

[00:19:55]>> All well and good. Nothing is wrong with that in any way or form. Okay. Um, you really do not want to be in hospital more than you need to be in hospital.

[00:20:05]It's not healthy.

[00:20:08]>> So your main your main form of treatment in hospital would have been tablets, medication, right? Could be tablets, it could be injections, a combination of, right? And having been discharged, it also now still remains your main form of treatment, medication. Okay. Um there is nothing else usually that uh people access having been discharged. So for example, talk therapy. Okay. So this is what I do. I talk to people. I I interact with people. I explore uh their thoughts, their feelings with them and we work on it as an adjunct. So this is alongside what they're doing as a medication.

[00:21:04]>> You see it's like this.

[00:21:07]You're having an issue, right? You have a let's use a physical analogy again with the whole uh saw and plaster, >> right?

[00:21:15]>> You have a saw and the medication now is the plaster. So you put a plaster on the saw but the saw is still there. Okay.

[00:21:26]The medication is keeping that saw at bay. All right. However, something is happening under there as time progresses.

[00:21:34]>> Dormant.

[00:21:34]>> It's dormant but it's also pestering. So in other words that that that that issue hasn't been resolved.

[00:21:42]>> It's just covered up. It's m masking.

[00:21:45]Okay. Um, the medication is masking the signs and the symptoms, but the signs and the symptoms, if you look close enough, you're going to see the signs and the symptoms. You might even see it getting worse.

[00:21:58]>> What we really need to do is treat with that so okay, we need to we need to treat with that instead of just trying to cover it up. Right.

[00:22:10]>> So >> for for someone that is is having a mental health issue, it means then I need to understand what is happening in your head, I need to understand what are your thoughts, what are your feelings, what is really bothering you, what is causing you to feel how you feel to behave how you are behaving to think how you are thinking that that takes time.

[00:22:35]Okay? And it it doesn't happen overnight. It's a process. Now, these processes can be relative. It's not the same for everyone as well. So, what you might be able to deal with in let's say a month, someone else might take 6 months to deal with that very same situation or challenge that they have.

[00:22:56]>> So, everyone has to be treated on their own merits.

[00:23:00]>> That is how that works. Yeah. So, medication on its own in my opinion could never really fully solve a situation. It's it's it's it it is absolutely needed especially in the acute phase of something where you need to stabilize someone.

[00:23:20]>> But really and truly from a mental health perspective, we need we need more than that. We need for we need other interventions that is going to enhance the treatment process to come to a resolution. I want to ask you a question at this point. Um, you mentioned symptoms. You mentioned the sore and the symptoms. How does one spot the symptom?

[00:23:46]How do you identify a symptom that this person is heading in a direction that is going to perhaps be blown out of proportion?

[00:23:56]>> How does I mean just just a basic thing.

[00:23:59]How does this work? Any one or two examples?

[00:24:02]>> Is there any particular scenario you're thinking about when you ask that >> a person is very agitated person is very um you know >> shortfused >> shortfused you know. Yeah. So okay let us use the uh context of a a relationship example a husband and a wife. Yeah.

[00:24:22]>> And um who better to know you than your spouse? 51.

[00:24:28]>> Okay. I mean, >> you guys have been married for what?

[00:24:31]>> 55 years.

[00:24:32]>> 55 years.

[00:24:33]>> Say that again.

[00:24:34]>> 55 years and I'm still learning.

[00:24:38]>> Beautiful answer. Beautiful answer. You can ask.

[00:24:42]And that to me is is a that speaks to humility. That's why I say it's a beautiful answer. We we are never too old to learn and we will learn something new every day if we really wanted to.

[00:24:54]But the point is for the husband and wife, they know each other relatively well.

[00:24:58]>> Okay? And so they would be the first then to identify that you know what something is wrong. Um maybe you're not sleeping well. Maybe as you said you become irritable. You've become irritable lately. In the last week you become irritable and you you would be the one that will see these little little minute minuscule signs and symptoms that something is wrong. um you're not sleeping well, you're not eating well, you're irritable, you're isolating yourself.

[00:25:26]>> Um >> isolating >> Mhm.

[00:25:28]>> is very important to notice.

[00:25:31]>> Mhm. Isolation. Yeah.

[00:25:33]>> That's a sure thing.

[00:25:35]>> And isolation can be quite unassuming.

[00:25:38]For example, you do not want to speak to your spouse.

[00:25:41]>> You don't what?

[00:25:42]>> Speak to your spouse.

[00:25:43]>> Why?

[00:25:44]>> Because you're isolating yourself.

[00:25:45]>> Yes.

[00:25:46]>> Right. But there's a reason.

[00:25:47]>> But there's a reason. And do we understand what that reason is?

[00:25:50]>> We need to understand.

[00:25:52]>> That's why you have to communicate.

[00:25:54]>> Absolutely.

[00:25:57]>> So in so much as um these these are things you look at. You will soon pick it up. Okay. It becomes it becomes second nature. We we all human beings. We understand. We understand uh you know we can look at somebody at somebody and we could say you look you look angry.

[00:26:15]You you're you're quite a jolly person.

[00:26:17]you you have a pleasant demeanor. We we recognize emotions. Yeah. And behind emotions are thoughts.

[00:26:26]Okay. So if you >> if you're thinking anger, you're going to reflect anger. Yes. Uh if you're thinking happy, you'll look happy, right? That is how it works. So these are all indicators as to how easy it is to to to pick up on the fact that yes to detect that something is wrong. Uh in the same way we can detect that something is right, we actually can equally apply that to the fact that we can indeed detect that something is wrong also with with with with someone, right? And not only can you apply to personal relationships, but you can apply to society as well. So you walking now, you're walking on high street and you know you see somebody and they're acting a bit unusual.

[00:27:14]But what is unusual? The unusual is the fact that we in public in a public space and we are expected to behave in a certain way to look a certain way in public, right? And anytime somebody goes out of that norm, >> it becomes apparent. It becomes quite obvious. So, for example, you're walking down the road and then there's this person at the corner and they they're shouting at the top of their voice in an angry manner. Well, you're not going to really expect that from a normal situation, right? So, something is up there. But is it is it that they might be a religious person preaching the gospel or is it that this person is unwell and he thinks that you know people around him want to kill him and he's shouting for hell. So again it has to be taken on its merits as well because you do get lots of people sometimes in society and they out there evangelizing at the top of their voice system you know and that is that is okay that is acceptable >> but again you as the individual you are making that distinction sometimes because of these distinctions we make it paints a different picture paint a negative picture so you find that um I I don't want to use the word stereotyping but or prejudice but it it becomes something uh with elements of that attached to it because you all >> you you me we we all have we all have an expectation of people we all have an expectation of people in society >> and we all have an expectation of what is uh >> appropriate behavior what is inappropriate behavior >> okay and so >> and I took the the out >> it could be that you know you could become quite offended when something someone is behaving in a partic particular way or they treat with you in a particular way. You know a good example of that I'll tell you what's a very good example of that there when we go to a government office now I'm not here to step on anyone's toes but I can tell you from personal experience sometimes you go you go with an expectation of getting service and then you know it's like I don't care to talk to you you're giving me work to do you know can't you say I'm busy I'm on my phone >> I'm sure there are people out there that could relate to this right of course And these things happen. Okay. But but again when these things happen we we need to understand how we really want to react to it. Do we want to be do we want to be aggressive in terms of shall I say fighting fire with fire or do I need to incept try and adopt a dignified retreat?

[00:30:00]>> Fingers crossed I'll come another day and get better service you know. So >> Mhm. So, society does the minute you step out of your door, um you're going to be exposed to what is out there.

[00:30:15]>> But you know, um I hear you, >> but um we have had we must admit in the last 20 or 30 or even maybe 40 years a change in society.

[00:30:30]>> Yes.

[00:30:31]>> Our young people are very different to us.

[00:30:36]and having worked in a company for 40 years. I worked for four years with NP which was BP and um had the privilege of seeing different ages that are coming through in NP right and the last 10 years particularly in my working life we never knew about not walking into an office and saying good morning, right?

[00:31:15]That was just protocol. Good morning.

[00:31:18]You walk into the office, good morning, you leave in good afternoon.

[00:31:22]>> Right? Young people in the last 20 years walks in on telephone. So they can't say good morning. So whether they decide to make a call that at that moment just say good morning and we from the old colonial days will think this is really ridiculous and you might be tempted to say something >> but that's when you're stepping out of your boundaries now to tell a young person because that's how they socialize Nice.

[00:32:07]>> This is how I see >> I have experienced exactly what you are saying and and this is how I I perceive it. Um in today's society we we seem to have forgotten what it does mean to socialize. What what is the true meaning of of a social interaction?

[00:32:29]The for the younger generation most of their social interaction on a daily basis is that screen.

[00:32:35]>> All right. The thing about that screen is it does not teach you any real social skills.

[00:32:41]>> Social media but not social >> social media minor social skills. Okay.

[00:32:46]So that's an interesting equation right the thing is this as I um would have said in the last episode you know the importance of educating.

[00:32:57]Okay, this is yet another example of what we we talk about when we talk about educating people and the importance of it.

[00:33:05]Now, >> it happens it starts in the home. It starts in the home and if people if parents uh are not being responsible parents up to a certain point are absolutely responsible and accountable for their children. Okay. Up to the legal age anyway. All right. 18.

[00:33:27]>> I believe it is 18 in Trinidad.

[00:33:30]>> Um, >> so you mean a parent if a child is less than 18, it is your right >> to to teach them your right?

[00:33:42]>> Well, I'll go I'll go one better than that. I think so long as I am alive, it is my right as a parent to do that. In the eyes of the law, it is up until the legal age that I have that level of accountability towards my kids.

[00:33:57]>> But so long as I am alive and I am breathing >> even if they pass >> a a parent that never changes. Can you not how can you how can you not be a parent if you brought children into the world or a mother or father? You can't whether even if that even if that turned out to be a bad experience for you it's it's what you call an unchangeable I could never change the fact that I am a parent neither can you okay but you still but as such you get to determine then after a certain age how much you really want to interact and intervene as it relates to their kids. Okay. It is a very hard thing to do. It can be quite challenging. Absolutely ch because sometimes you see your kids going down the wrong road as we say and it it breaks your heart.

[00:34:53]>> Okay. It breaks your heart. But then what do you do? You by all means you reach out. You talk to them. You you state your case. You show them as what you would have always been doing. You show them the right way. You give them options.

[00:35:06]>> But it's the hard part about it at the end of the day. The hardest part about it is the fact that >> you must accept the fact that this is an adult now >> and they have adult decisions to make >> and they are boundaries >> and >> and there are boundaries >> and and if anything you would actually be overstepping boundaries now if it is you now think that well I think you should do A instead of B >> because you're no longer in that position anymore. So you it's it's very hard sometimes as parents that you must relinquish certain responsibilities respectfully and for the right reason >> yet you still have to do it you know >> still have to do it >> because not a word we knew >> but but but we did >> you're right I mean we never thought twice about it but we adhered to it because we understood and we appreciated rules and regulations We understood and appreciated uh dos and don'ts. You know in the school in the school system you knew you knew what would have been the consequence for certain behaviors. Okay.

[00:36:15]In in the home you understood fully well what would be the consequences for certain behaviors.

[00:36:20]>> That's right.

[00:36:21]>> And and um more times than often you complain.

[00:36:25]>> I'm written boundaries.

[00:36:28]>> Unspoken boundaries.

[00:36:29]>> I am enjoying your boat but I will get back on course here a little All right, we we digress. We dig.

[00:36:35]>> No, no, no. You all have incorporate some good topics like that.

[00:36:38]>> Um, >> you have your look around in society.

[00:36:43]There are lots of highly stressed people among us. It's not hard to spot them if you know what to look for. Well, you we already cover that, right?

[00:36:50]>> Doctors call it allostatic allostatic load.

[00:36:55]>> Put simply, the physiological price your body pays for adapting to prolonged stress. I want to get to that now. what happens to the body, the human body under prolonged stress.

[00:37:07]>> Yeah. So to use a clinical term it's called um psychosomatic symptoms. Okay.

[00:37:14]So but let me break that down. Okay. So for example uh when you are stressed sometimes you get what is called psoriasis. Okay.

[00:37:23]Psoriasis is when you get like uh flaky skin especially in the scalp areas. That is an example of your body reacting to stress. Okay. Another one is for example ulcers.

[00:37:36]So you get indigestion, right? That's another classic example of your body responding to stress whereby you you get acid reflux which leads to the ulcers. Acid reflux. Okay. And it's quite common in um stress that you see people having to get treatment for acid reflux as well. Okay. So your body reacts in many different ways. Um another typical way the body would react for example is in uh fatigue, tired, always tired. Um you have low energy. Okay. Um so you don't feel to do things you just want to lie in bed all day. Okay. Um so these are physical ways in which your body would would tell >> the telltale some of the telltales.

[00:38:30]Yeah. Many um poor appetite is a very common one as well. So I don't feel to eat you know um you're eating little or nothing as a result of how you feel. All right. And it's again a very common one and with that of of course that is what leads to the ulcers the acid reflux and the ulcers as well as it leads to weight loss as well.

[00:38:57]>> Okay. Well Kevin we have to move on because I see a girl there with an instrument a musical instrument. I don't know if she has songs that she's going to play or whether we're going to have a copyright from her. So let's kind of move along a little bit because we're covering most of the things that you have. Right.

[00:39:14]>> So um I like this. I like this one. You You put it in bold letters. Your body keeps receipts. If you don't pick a day to rest, your body will pick a day to break down.

[00:39:26]>> So, how what kind of rest would you suggest to somebody having stress? I mean, apart from just lying in bed and looking at the ceiling, maybe cross your legs. Is that resting?

[00:39:38]>> Yes.

[00:39:38]>> Um, >> excuse me. Excuse me. Is that what?

[00:39:44]So yeah, we were saying about the um finding a a way to rest. Do what? Go outdoors, go a pond, throw a stick in the water, throw a stool in the water.

[00:39:55]>> You come to the perfect um the perfect bite.

[00:39:58]>> Oh, you come to the perfect bite. Okay.

[00:40:02]Spring is just nature having a coffee.

[00:40:05]Very nice. So there you >> So yeah, rest.

[00:40:14]rest. I like to look at the word rest as a a peaceful term.

[00:40:18]>> Okay. And it comes in many ways and in in many forms. Obviously, the most uh obvious one is actual physical rest, >> right? And as such, we do need to take all of us, every one of us, we do need to take time out to rest ourselves physically. You know, in some countries, for example, they have siestas in the afternoon. They they pause and they take an hour's rest. Okay. And there's a reason for that.

[00:40:46]>> No, that's lazy.

[00:40:48]>> Well, I thought so as well, but then I looked into it some more and I realized what was the value of that. What was the actual value of that? And it was to do with the fact that they were promoting their wellness by doing that. But you see, to do that, it takes what you call active participation.

[00:41:04]You have to do it. It's all well. It's all well and good. I could say to you, well, you know what? Get your rest, right? But what do you mean get your rest? What is rest? 10 minutes to 2 hours. Okay, it is relative to what you do. So, for example, if you're in a highly stressed job, some jobs, for example, you'll find that they they have they have um breaks.

[00:41:25]Okay? So, they take rest breaks. So, you are allowed maybe uh uh three three breaks including your lunch for your shift. Okay?

[00:41:35]And again it gives you that opportunity to to decompress to unwind to gather your thoughts right depending on the on the situation. For example in nursing in mental health nursing you'll find that um it could be quite challenging at times sometimes in the environment that you work right there's a lot of a lot of things happening on the ward. It's very busy. It's very chaotic. There's lots of shouting stuff like that happening and you are in the middle of that and you have to deal with that. Okay. Exciting.

[00:42:04]exciting stuff. Okay. Um, nevertheless, it could be quite stressful because it could be quite dangerous as well. Okay.

[00:42:13]Um, there's always going to be risk involved in what it is uh you're dealing with when it comes to our mental health environment. There's an element of risk at all times. So, you have to be aware of that. You have to be able to to deal with that.

[00:42:28]But if you keep exposing yourself to that day in day out, day in day out, and you're not giving yourself that time to rest and reflect as to am I coping with this um do I have it under control? Is it getting the better of me? Is it affecting me personally on a personal level? What, you know, in my personal life? What about my personal relationships? Am I am I coming home with a short fuse? uh agitated and aggressive because I had a a really tough shift.

[00:42:57]>> Yeah.

[00:42:58]>> So you pass that on to your family.

[00:42:59]>> Absolutely. And because you you're bringing your bringing your work stress home with you and now it becomes your family stress. So it's transferable.

[00:43:08]>> Becomes transferable. Yeah. And you know what? It it happens without a second.

[00:43:19]>> I didn't see that. Sorry.

[00:43:22]So it becomes it becomes um it's like the molehill has turned into a mountain.

[00:43:32]>> Okay.

[00:43:32]>> Yeah.

[00:43:33]>> That's one way to look at it.

[00:43:34]>> And you actually hear women would say sometimes when it's time for the husband to come home they're afraid because coming home aggressive or angry, you know.

[00:43:48]>> Yeah. And funny enough, you should say that uh for men especially, one of the ways men deal with that is actually they they they don't come home. They they go to the bar.

[00:43:57]>> Yes.

[00:43:58]>> Right. They go to the bar. Um >> more trouble.

[00:44:02]>> You know, we like to say that uh women like to talk. You put women in a room together and all hell breaks loose.

[00:44:10]Okay.

[00:44:12]>> Men like to talk too, >> but they like to talk to the boys.

[00:44:16]>> Yes. Yeah, eventually you know >> men have their friends >> and and it's it's something again in especially in the context of mental health um that is is something that is often times overlooked the importance of men having that space to express themselves.

[00:44:34]The best way that men find is really at the bar.

[00:44:38]>> Okay. You go to a bar typically you're going to see maybe I don't know 90% plus is men and what they're doing they're talking >> they're changing it >> well >> a lot of women going to the bar >> again these are the changing times society society is changing and you know >> but it's a it's quite interesting that you would say that and I'm pretty sure there are some valid reasons for that as well okay but when we do not talk when we do not take whether it's men or women when we do not take the time to Again, you you're going around with >> thoughts, feelings, emotions, >> and it's just there. It's just bottled up.

[00:45:18]>> To talk it out.

[00:45:20]>> Absolutely. And you feel when you do find yourself in an environment where it is safe to talk. You see, this is very important. This is why I'm saying to men like their space as much as women like their space as well. Maybe we need to find that medium, that middle ground where we can we can indeed come together and talk as a group. Okay. And there would be times for that when that is necessary. For example, in the workplace mentioned EAP in the past where you have maybe sometimes a group.

[00:45:48]>> Yeah. A group of people they get together and they talk and they share because it helps to build. We learn from each other by sharing with each other.

[00:45:55]We learn. I didn't know you felt like that or you didn't know. I felt like how I am feeling. I didn't know you had that skill or that talent, but now you're telling me and I was like, "Wow, you know, we have something to cover." And so you go, you develop uh dialogue, you rapper, and um you build.

[00:46:13]>> Okay. But what we're doing is we actually building each other.

[00:46:16]>> Such is the importance of good talk, of good conversation.

[00:46:19]>> Yes.

[00:46:20]>> And again, it goes back to both of the watch words I would like to use is education. So you see, education happens. There are so many different and diverse uh opportunities for education to take place. All right. It's not just having to sit in a classroom >> or to do a course or anything like that.

[00:46:37]It can happen as we are doing right now.

[00:46:40]>> Yes.

[00:46:40]>> In in a cafe.

[00:46:41]>> In a cafe.

[00:46:42]>> In a cafe.

[00:46:43]>> Beautiful cafe.

[00:46:44]>> Beautiful cafe.

[00:46:44]>> And we're not drinking.

[00:46:46]>> No.

[00:46:49]Because that I got a little worried about that when you said that men like to go to the bars because drinking is not going to help the situation.

[00:46:58]>> Mask the situation.

[00:47:00]>> Exactly.

[00:47:00]>> It's a it's a very good example of how it does indeed mask the situation because after you have had your drinks, >> you're going home now with a cold head and you you know, >> but when you wake up in the morning, we back to square one, right? Because they say, why you say Nancy? Um, something could swim.

[00:47:18]>> Oh, they say men, some people uh drink to drown their worries, >> but they didn't know worries could swim.

[00:47:28]>> I totally agree. I I Yes, absolutely.

[00:47:32]>> So, Kevin, here we are now. We're coming to the end of this session here. And now in the in the next episode, which will probably be next week sometime, we will tackle the real triggers.

[00:47:46]The real triggers. Why put a tiny plaster on a massive wound instead of doing surgery?

[00:47:53]>> Okay.

[00:47:55]>> Right. So, we're going to get in. So, next week is going to be a bit of surgery, right?

[00:47:58]>> Yeah. We're going to do surgery.

[00:47:59]>> You have to do that one in the hospital.

[00:48:01]>> Well, See, we could if we could book the hospital.

[00:48:10]>> No, no, no. It's not surgery.

[00:48:12]>> Yeah. Surgery.

[00:48:12]>> Surgery. Surgery.

[00:48:13]>> Surgery. If you have to go to the hospital, you know, it might be too expensive.

[00:48:23]>> Well, >> it look like we I feel I feel confident that we we can improvise and um do this surgery irregardless of what the venue is.

[00:48:32]>> Yes. Yeah. Yeah. Definitely. You think you're so skillful?

[00:48:35]>> I think we are all so I think we all have the ability to it's it's going to be a team effort.

[00:48:41]>> Surgery without being in a hospital.

[00:48:43]>> Uh when you when you're a team, a lot of things can happen.

[00:48:48]>> That's right. Team work is very important.

[00:48:51]>> Absolutely.

[00:48:52]>> So Kevin, we want to thank you very much for having brought us here and for Shannon for having us in our cafe, the perfect bite along the Vistabella main road. So, we want to just I'm going to just kind of scan those. Um, >> I am very sorry that I did not give you 50. I drank all >> I was so busy talking.

[00:49:18]>> That is fine. So, stay tuned for next week, the real triggers as we break down the bad habits. Bad habits.

[00:49:26]>> Mhm. M >> you know a while ago you're talking about taking a rest and mamaloo I want to tell you girl you already know how to work and then rest in >> yeah I I feel you have Spanish in your >> Thank you very much Kevin >> you're welcome >> let me just go and um browse these things and see what we're saying right okay we have beef pie there vegetable that looks roll sweets, right?

[00:50:05]>> You all come here.

[00:50:07]>> Okay. Do you like the stuff?

[00:50:09]>> Everything.

[00:50:10]>> Okay. Good. Now, good.

[00:50:13]>> Mhm. Nice.

[00:50:14]>> First time.

[00:50:16]>> First time. Yeah. First time coming. You mind doing a little video? You mind? You can go.

[00:50:21]>> Okay. That's why that's why they >> Yeah. First time coming here. I like it.

[00:50:25]It's kind of English like, you know.

[00:50:27]>> Nice. Mhm. Very good.

[00:50:33]>> Thank you.

[00:50:37]>> Okay. So, Mama Lou is just getting geared here to do a little filming.

[00:50:41]We're going to um video a bit of we're still on the Vistabella road that takes us along into just above High Street and then we will cut across and go down Navet and visit her sister. So in the meantime, Mamaloo is in charge of this part of the video.

[00:50:58]So Maloo, hold don't let your hands get behind here because the camera is there.

[00:51:03]Right, Malu, keep it above there and we are off the old Vista Bella Road.

[00:51:08]And is that San Fernando Hill?

[00:51:11]>> That's part of what's left of the San Fernando Hill.

[00:51:21]>> The reason it's over.

[00:51:23]>> It's over. 14 years I have not come up this road.

[00:51:26]>> Wow.

[00:51:30]>> 14 years. Would you believe it?

[00:51:32]>> So that's part of the San Fernando Hill that we are driving towards. Okay.

[00:51:37]>> Yes. Yes. Definitely.

[00:51:41]We used to see San Fernando Hill from the back of Lyndon's place in Corora there until they chopped it up for road works material for the road building or whatever and they chopped down a really great hill.

[00:51:57]So, we're heading here now.

[00:52:03]Bright sunlight in Trinidad.

[00:52:05]>> Yes, it has. It was very cloudy this morning, but it has really brightened up to be looking like a bright sunshiny day.

[00:52:16]>> Look at the clouds clearly now.

[00:52:18]>> I can see clearly. Look at that woolly white cloud.

[00:52:27]So friends, we had just left the perfect bite run by Shannon, a very interesting, amicable soul she is.

[00:52:36]And we are heading away. She runs a kind of a tea shop like beautiful, beautiful lady, beautiful place. There was a bit of music introduced by a guitarist, young lady, but for copyright reasons, we couldn't record anything really. What a fantastic tree.

[00:52:56]>> Wow.

[00:52:59]>> Kelvin's hardware.

[00:53:02]>> Mhm.

[00:53:04]So, what we actually doing, Louis, is running around here, and we're at the top of the, you know, a height up here.

[00:53:20]Going all the way.

[00:53:22]>> What's that tall building in the distance there?

[00:53:24]>> That probably the hospital.

[00:53:31]>> Mhm.

[00:53:34]This was a drive I made pretty often in my day with the truck.

[00:53:42]And this is St. James Street. It's a very, very, very steep hill.

[00:53:48]Famous. Okay.

[00:53:50]>> And there's Lanc.

[00:53:52]>> Oh, me. Okay.

[00:53:54]That's right. Thank you. Raham used to have a a gas station here. You know, Raham, but it's no longer there.

[00:54:04]So, we're coming up to High Street now.

[00:54:06]I understand.

[00:54:07]>> Oh, the the popular High Street.

[00:54:11]>> Yeah, >> I am. So, what you drive up High Street or down High Street?

[00:54:17]>> No, no, no. High Street isn't up.

[00:54:19]>> So, you're going up High Street?

[00:54:20]>> I'm going to go around there and that'll put us in line with Navet Road.

[00:54:23]>> And that's the library.

[00:54:26]It >> That's library corner.

[00:54:27]>> Library corner. And there was a library.

[00:54:30]>> Yes.

[00:54:31]I got to keep my eye on the road here.

[00:54:33]It's kind of busy, right?

[00:54:34]>> Yes. Library corner.

[00:54:36]>> Yeah.

[00:54:39]>> I don't remember that red building like a red but it's different.

[00:54:43]>> And there's Ratans. You can find Ratans anywhere in Trinidad. And you do get some good deals there too.

[00:54:52]Look, library. The library.

[00:54:53]>> Oh, that's the library. Then this is something else.

[00:54:55]>> Yeah.

[00:54:57]But it's now a bank. Republic Bank.

[00:55:00]>> Mhm.

[00:55:04]>> So that's that's that's I'm not sure what that is, but that's going down the road.

[00:55:10]>> That's the prominard.

[00:55:12]>> No, nothing. The prominard is back this way.

[00:55:14]>> Okay.

[00:55:15]>> Like I'm lost.

[00:55:16]>> You're lost. Really? Yes.

[00:55:19]>> And you're going to lose all your viewers.

[00:55:23]Okay.

[00:55:27]So, for those of you who lived in San Fernando and travel along this road pretty often, >> I think it's the first time we doing any filming on High Street.

[00:55:38]>> This is High Street. No, >> no, High Street. Well, I mean, it's the top of High Street. We got to swing up here now. Remember this big corner?

[00:55:45]>> Huh?

[00:55:46]>> Right.

[00:55:47]>> Keep it up. You can You have to be looking at that.

[00:55:53]>> You You can look. Look at you. Look.

[00:55:55]>> Look at the beautiful tree.

[00:55:57]>> Look at that.

[00:55:59]>> So, what street is this?

[00:56:05]>> It's not Frederick Street.

[00:56:09]I'm lost.

[00:56:13]Okay. I think I think we we've done enough because Okay.

[00:56:22]This is just a small little road trip that we're doing here. I hope Mama Luca keep her hand up and keep the >> Don't worry, Lance. You keep your eyes on the road. I'm keeping my eyes on the camera.

[00:56:33]>> Very good. Very good.

[00:56:34]>> Okay.

[00:56:35]>> Okay. Very lovely. You say that.

[00:56:38]>> You keep your eyes on the road.

[00:56:41]Beautiful man. Although I'm not too sure where exactly we are.

[00:56:56]>> So you know where you are?

[00:57:00]>> This looks interesting.

[00:57:19]Upper Hillside Street. Okay. Upper Hillside. So, we're going to turn here.

[00:57:30]They had made here a oneway at one point heading west. But they realized that that was an error. A lot of businesses would have suffered. So it seemed that they reverted to the two-way.

[00:57:48]>> You remember KFC?

[00:57:49]>> KFC.

[00:57:49]>> Yeah. You remember KFC?

[00:57:51]>> And I recognize KFC wherever KFC is. Is this the coffee then?

[00:57:55]>> You don't want the >> Is this on the coffee?

[00:57:59]>> This is the coffee I get.

[00:58:01]>> Yes, of course.

[00:58:03]>> No, this is coffee.

[00:58:04]>> Yeah. If you come >> I really don't know I forgot >> standard distributors and we're going to turn off to get to Nadlet from here right well I know where I am now that's that's not the coffee land that is sero street supermarket it >> now. NP Louise NP NP NP sets the pace.

[00:58:41]>> You want to go in there and look for any of your friends?

[00:58:43]>> Um, no. I don't know if I know anybody here now.

[00:58:47]>> Okay. Mama Lou, you did a wonderful job.

[00:58:49]>> You think so?

[00:58:50]>> I hope so. So friends, this will end our little trip here and I'll look at it and see what it looks like. And thank you very much for being patient with us.

[00:59:00]Mamalu, thank you.

[00:59:02]>> Welcome. I might have sounded a little um gruffy over things, but okay. But I know you forgive me.

[00:59:10]>> Yeah, you know your anxieties.