Your world with Dr. Beatrice Hyppolite
Hello,
I am Dr. Marie Beatrice Hyppolite. I hold a doctorate in Health Science with emphasis on Global Health and master’s degree in social work. I have over 14 years of experience in the field of health and human services.
This podcast is primarily focused on mental health and the quality-of-life elements that affect it such as divorce, death, domestic violence, trauma, toxic relationships, and single parenthood to name a few. It is no secret that mental health challenges continue to profoundly impact modern society although not enough discussion is given due to stigma. Research has shown an increase of 25 % in mental health crises after COVID-19. It is important to have honest, uncomfortable conversations about mental health while being supportive. Although we are interdependent, change begins with the individual, hence “your world.”
I welcome you to join me on my journey and look forward to your responses.
Your world with Dr. Beatrice Hyppolite
Financial Harships and Mental Health
After facing the threat of eviction and unemployment during the 2009-2014 recession, Mrs. Nyoka Gumbs found a way to turn her struggles into a source of strength. In this candid conversation, she opens up about the realities of financial hardship and its profound impact on mental health, sharing lessons learned and the motivation behind her book, "The Day After Unemployment Runs Out." This episode illuminates essential strategies for accessing resources, staying resilient, and working proactively within government systems. Listen as we explore the role of supportive networks in overcoming financial adversity and why Mrs. Gumbs' book is a lifeline for those in similar situations.
Navigating life's challenges with dignity, even when faced with the lure of substance use, takes immense courage and creativity. Together, we explore the power of community support and the importance of maintaining moral integrity during tough times. Ms. Gumbs shares practical insights from her book, including budget-friendly meal preparation tips and the transformative effects of helping others. Through personal anecdotes, she illustrates how focusing outwardly can unlock doors to unexpected opportunities, all while nurturing mental health and fostering resilience in personal and professional spheres.
Financial stress can feel like a relentless storm, but Mrs. Gumbs offers a beacon of hope. With her guidance, including tips on negotiating with creditors and prioritizing basic needs, listeners can find ways to manage debt and maintain mental well-being. Her book is a comprehensive toolkit—not only for the unemployed but for anyone facing financial strain, such as recent graduates or individuals experiencing a life transition. From fraud prevention to accessing government aid, this episode underscores the importance of recognizing community strengths and resources. Secure your copy of this survival guide, available on Amazon, and arm yourself with strategies for navigating financial challenges with grace and grit.
Hello everyone. I'm Dr Beatrice Ippolit and this is your World. It's a pleasure to have you one more time with us today, and today on the show we're going to have a very special guest we have with us today, ms Nyoka.
Speaker 2:Gumbs.
Speaker 1:Ms Nyoka is gonna talk about financial hardship and mental health. It's gonna be broad, but she's also gonna address some personal experience and, of course, she just had a book that came out recently, the Day After Unemployment Wants Out. So all of that, you're going to have the opportunity to hear her talk on the show. Ms Gumbs, welcome to the show.
Speaker 2:Thank you, I'm really happy to be here. It's a pleasure.
Speaker 1:The pleasure is all mine. I know you, you and I have to let everybody know me's going to travel out of state, yes. So that's what we call commitment, that's what we call support, and I deeply appreciate it.
Speaker 2:I appreciate your support as well.
Speaker 1:It's a long commute for you to come where you came from, to be here today, so it's well appreciated, thank you, thank you so much. So what you have for us, tell us a little bit about yourself.
Speaker 2:Sure, my name is Nyoka Gumbs. I am from a tiny federation, St Kitts Nevis, the smallest sovereign nation in the Western Hemisphere. So I always say it's like I'm like the salmon that swam upstream and came to United States at 16 to study architecture, and from since then I've been a construction project manager in New York City for the past 25 years.
Speaker 1:Oh, okay, so now if I need to finish my basement, so I know who should I come to yes, I'm a construction project manager, so we'll talk after the show.
Speaker 2:So, during the recession of 2009, 2014, I found myself in a situation where, like many, I was out of employment. After some time, my resources were depleted. I lived alone in Harlem at the time and I went through different stages of the situation which, at times, I was close to eviction. Situation which, at times, I was close to eviction. Repossession of my car, homelessness, you know, was a constant threat for me during that time. Bankruptcy was something that I considered and I eventually decided where the people like me? Where do they go to access information about how to survive a situation like this when your resources come to zero, not at the point where you can borrow from your 401k, when you still have options or you have bailouts. That can happen During that time because the unemployment was so prolonged.
Speaker 2:Unemployment insurance just kept getting renewed after six months. They give you another six months. So during that time, you kept hearing about Congress about to pass another bill to extend it. So there were many times when it just kept coming to zero, coming to zero, so that informed the title of the book the day after the unemployment runs out. So what happens when you're down to zero? Where do you turn? And so I turned to my Caribbean roots and the creativity and resilience of that, and I felt that not everybody has access to that, and so I started to make notes about what I wanted to the book that I wish that I had during that time so I can help others in the future. And so finally in December of 2024, I was finally able to publish it and release it to the world. So that's where we are, now that the book is available on Amazon and I'm ready to share the information, and you know when I read the book.
Speaker 1:I must thank you so, so, very much, because that book has a lot of resources, resources that I never heard of, prior resources even if I had a need for, I would not known where to go exactly. But after I read your book I call myself like someone who's well equipped now. So if I ever have to face the same challenges that you faced a couple years ago, now I know that that book, I'll treat it like my Bible, exactly, and that's what I want everybody who will have the opportunity to read Ms Gum's book to treat that book as a Bible, because in that book the amount of resources that you will find it's unbelievable. I don't want to spoil anything because you have to get your own copy, yes. So let me start with some questions. You know, you say, like the day that unemployment wants out, what that day, that same day, what was life for you?
Speaker 2:anxiety, stress, fear, loneliness, loneliness, isolation, at times embarrassment those are last minute.
Speaker 1:To what? Or because of what?
Speaker 2:embarrassment of not being able to provide for yourself, and because the book is talking about the space where the the resources run out. You're talking, potentially, from a standpoint where you've already borrowed money from friends, family, and so the book is about gaining the tools to help yourself and to dig out of that hole without losing hope, by creating accessible information in a just, very practical, succinct way, not to be a heavy read, but just a guide, a GPS of how to go from here to back to thriving.
Speaker 1:Okay, there is something that I point out and I'm going to wait it out a lot for the people you mentioned in your book. Follow up on your application Once your application is submitted. Once your application is submitted, stay proactive by following up on its status.
Speaker 2:This may involve contacting the relevant agencies or department to inquire about the process of your application. Why it is important, right? So you're referring to chapter one, which is about navigating government resources like unemployment, medicaid, food stamps and things like that. So we have to realize that those agencies get thousands of applications and you don't want your application to get delayed or lost or rejected due to misinformation. So following up one big theme in the book is advocating for yourself. So following up that way shows that you want to make sure that just a quick response time can get your application to move ahead so that you don't delay the resources that's available to you.
Speaker 1:Okay, you did identify in the book few networks and you basically beg people to stay connected Correct, you know and be around those networks. So in what way that was beneficial for you and why you want viewers to address that or take that into consideration.
Speaker 2:Well, community is very important. It's for not feeling alone, knowing you're not alone, going to spaces that are empathetic and networking also can be a way to allow other people now to advocate for your situation. It allows you not to just focus on yourself even though you're in hardship. It gives you the those moments where you could see others. They in turn see you and your situation. It's very important for your mental health. You know, I listened to one of your previous podcasts that talked about grief and now, reflecting back, it helped me to understand what I was going through during that time, because in that episode you and the guests talked about different types of grief and there's the death grief and there's a non-death grief right and so a non-death grief unemployment can fall into that category Exactly.
Speaker 2:So you still go through the same, similar symptoms of the grieving process denial, disillusionment, you know anger, and then hopefully at some point you can get to acceptance right. So because you're in a state of grief, because you've lost not a person, but you've lost status, you've lost sometimes for some people they may feel like their dignity is lost during your self-confidence. So you're grieving some of that loss in terms of what you imagine your life to be. So the community of others helps with that process where you get to see that you're not alone, it's just your circumstance, but there's nothing wrong with you, specifically Right, and you get to see that through community.
Speaker 1:And I'm so happy that you had the willpower at that moment to understand it the way that you did, because many people who probably had similar experience, you know, kind of embrace other routes. That's right. I've heard you when you said that you lost your car, you lost your apartment, you, you basically lost everything. You were to a point where you were you wanted to file for bankruptcy. That was a lot to deal with. At one time there were people who would just plunge themselves into alcohol and drugs.
Speaker 2:And that's a good point that you mentioned, because one of the things that is key in writing the book. I'm trying to target the person who wants to survive it legally and morally. It's easy to take the immoral way out. It's easy to take the immoral way out. It's easy to take the illegal way out, and you best rest assured those options will find you right. They will be presented to you. So this is the course for somebody who really wants to stay morally clean and legally on the right side and still get through the hardship that way.
Speaker 1:Oftentimes, for those who will seek, you know, either drugs, alcohol, whatever substance that they may prefer, it's not because they really know that. Hey, let me rephrase, because I don't know the reason why people do Right, but one thing that I'm sure about is like they try to numb the pain at that moment and alcohol or drugs to them is the best resources to imply into that condition, to numb the pain and to come to realize that will lead you to even deeper problems down the road. That's right. I thank God that you didn't go or you didn't embrace that route, because when I read that book it was quite a time for you. But you know, thanks God, you overcome all those challenges. So at that time were you already an architect or you were in school.
Speaker 2:No, I'd already been in the industry for many years. Yeah. I'd already been Okay so in chapter 29,.
Speaker 1:I see you mentioned the breakfast. You mentioned a lot of things food, smoothie, eggs, muffins, avocado, yogurt, so, and I would like for you to walk me through that so what do you really want me as your reader, you know, or everybody who are listening to learn from that?
Speaker 2:chapter. So that chapter, I think, is entitled like budget friendly meals and thrifting thrift shopping, right? So the whole point is, when you're going through this is to show that trying to eat healthy, you could still do that in an economic way. So that piece with the recipes the breakfast, lunch and dinner recipes were called like $5 recipes and just trying to give some ideas of if you buy off-brand products and you have simple ingredients, just a few ingredients, how can you make healthy, satisfying meals even at that time? And so it was just to give some ideas for somebody who don't have the creativity.
Speaker 2:I'm from a place where just part of the culture you know what to do with flour and water and you could do boiled dumplings, fried dumplings. You could make a bread. You know you can make porridge and the same with cornmeal and water. You could do turn cornmeal. You could make, you know, cornmeal pancakes. A repas is what it's called in some cultures. You have you know that creativity was built into my cultural upbringing, so I just wanted to share ideas for people who may not have that at their disposal. Just don't focus on the brand names and also point them to spaces where they can get vegetables and different staples at a lower cost, even sometimes in a slightly imperfect state, but where you can still navigate that period and still stay on a health course with whatever little resources you have.
Speaker 1:Okay, so you mentioned mental health. If you, I don't know how comfortable you may feel to kind of share with us the mental health challenges that you went through, or if you have been- through any, of course.
Speaker 2:Of course, um, I felt trapped, um, after some time, especially as the unemployment became prolonged, like I said, the reason why I had been here at such a young age. I always excelled educationally and so, at this point, dealing with, even though you know that it's a worldwide recession, it's a countrywide recession and you're seeing millions are unemployed, there's still periods where you internalize it as a failure and so, definitely, living alone. Also, we talked about it in the context of grief. A death grief is visible to everybody, but a non-death grief sometimes it can be isolating and misunderstood by others, and even well-meaning family and friends may say things. You know they don't have the solution, but sometimes it still plays into your mental health in a way that wasn't intended, right, where you may feel slightly judged or a disappointment, and so that digging out of that space and turning despair into determination was a big part of the process for me. And just focusing on you know we keep talking about the word resilience and it's about the ability to withstand and recover right. That is an important life skill to have and your value system helps to determine how quickly you can do that, that bounce back and, like I said, just tapping into information that is positive in that time to help pull you out of that space. I mean in the book we talked about.
Speaker 2:For me as a Bible reader, as a Christian, the Bible was a big part of that. For me Affirmations, you know, was something that I shared for some. So definitely the managing my mental health in terms of a routine was something that helped. Going on walks, just keeping your eyes open and not being so focused just on yourself, suddenly, you see, you know, I could distinctly remember in one case meeting a neighbor who was blind, you know, and maybe helping him walk somewhere, because now I have the time to do it and just through that dialogue you get to share a piece of yourself. And then you say, hey, I'm looking for work and he's, it's like oh, by the way, around the corner is a construction office, right? So sometimes just focusing on somebody else instead of yourself, opportunities could come out of that that's, that's power.
Speaker 1:Why, dear you know, you know that's very important. Yeah, you know it's like know while you may be in need, you focus on yourself so hard, but if you get to like you know what you know, let me be selfish at least for one second to myself and focus my energy into somebody else and, before you even know it, a lot of opportunities will come, and I experienced that way too many times, and I'm glad that you mentioned that, thank you. So, seeking for public health, it's always a challenge, and some people may be comfortable doing it and some people may not be comfortable doing it, and there is a stigma attached to it, of course. What was your? To seek for public assistance when you needed it, right? So were you ashamed or were you comfortable? And what was that for you and for everybody who's watching or listening? What would be your message to them?
Speaker 2:Well, I would say it wasn't initially comfortable. I'm used to providing for myself, but just remembering that when you are working, those deductions are coming out of your paycheck. You're contributing to the system, so why shouldn't it be there for you when you're in need? So that helped me overcome it. And again, there are tips in the book about how to you engage in those spaces with some dignity. The preparation helps you to maintain your dignity when you go into that space, so it's there for you, right? You contributed, so it's part of the wider concept of community.
Speaker 1:One thing that I want to point out. You say you work. There is some contribution that was taken from your paycheck. What about if I never worked? Am I also entitled or should not feel ashamed even if I never contributed to anything?
Speaker 2:Well, from a human rights level, it's all part of sharing right and balancing of resources. So there would still be food banks, there's charitable organizations, a lot of churches are involved as distribution centers in the community. There are still spaces where somebody can get aid, even if they didn't contribute to the unemployment pool.
Speaker 1:When you're facing or dealing with that reality. What would be the first thing to do?
Speaker 2:The reality if you're unemployed. I started with the first chapter about navigating government resources before going into some of the other steps, because you want to try to stop the bleed right, you want to deal with keeping a roof over your head, but some people may not know exactly which agency that I shall go to first correct.
Speaker 2:So if we're dealing with somebody that did work and paid unemployment, then the first agency you want to contact is you want to contact unemployment insurance, because that also has like a waiting period before it kicks in. It's generally like a like a week or two before you start getting the payment. So you want to report the unemployment and get that going.
Speaker 2:Then you would want to deal with food, right, your, your your basics right so the ebt snap program would be the next place to go to see if you qualify.
Speaker 2:And you know I talked about like that's when you go to Social Security for food stamp Correct, and so you look at the website or you visit a local office to find out what are the qualifications, gather the documents to make your application likely to be processed, where you're not turned away, you know, and have to go back and forth.
Speaker 2:So those are the first places that I would say you should start, and then trying to manage the resources that you do have in a smart way the budgeting, the thrift shopping, the coupons, the $ five dollar meals those will come into play with managing those resources. And then, of course, your mental health. I mean the two go together, you can't separate them. Your mental health is needed for that ability to even keep trying and face rejection. Or in a lot of cases you're not really sent a letter to say you didn't get the job. So that's like a rejection that just happens and you you know it happened because you don't get a response. So your mental health has to be a priority in a time like that because that's the biggest, the next biggest piece you know to stabilizing your yeah.
Speaker 1:And how did you deal with that credit card debt? Oh my goodness, yeah Well, and what are some of the good tips that you can share with people who may be dealing with a situation like that at this moment to kind of navigate their way out?
Speaker 2:So I would say, contact your creditors. I think the natural inclination is to ignore or to run, to be afraid. I think, contacting your creditors, you'd be surprised how much can be done to help you. Even the IRS, like we think, like that's such a big agency that would, just, you know, pounce. You know, I, during that time I've I set up $50 payment plan on a tax debt after running, being scared. But when you speak to them, there's, there are things in place, right, and they respect the integrity of you making that phone call to them. You understand having that conversation, having that conversation is vital.
Speaker 1:It's vital, you know. Don't take it upon you to say I don't have it, so you know. They have to understand exactly because you don't have it, they don't know. Right, like you just mentioned, you have to make that phone call, yes, to let them know, inform them of what is going on in your life now, so they can walk things around with you. Let's say, if you had a student loan, you cannot just decide, oh, because I'm dealing with that situation, I'm not going to pay my student loan. Make a phone call, have them reduce that for you. Yes, they're always going to find a way to help you out.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:Some credit cards, you know, may even allow you to pay five or ten dollars correct, you know per month.
Speaker 2:So that's forbearance. They'll delay accepting payment for a few months. You know there are different options. There are departments. A manager asked to speak to a manager if you feel like the initial person is not being as helpful but that conversation, you will be respected. And if it comes to a point where you can't pay anything, you will have that record and those notes in the system of all those phone calls where you show that you were a person of integrity that wanted to honor your debt and it's just beyond you at that point.
Speaker 1:Yeah, because if you don't address that the way that you just mentioned, then you will have to deal with debt collection. You know where all those credit card companies will call you and, believe it or not, you're going to feel like you know if they were harassing you. It's another pressure, you know. So it's like now, so you don't have the money, and they calling your phone every day. So it's like you owe this amount. You owe that amount because the minute that you fail to make that phone call when you needed to make that phone call, now it's. It's a different ball game, correct, correct, but you never had to experience that. I did.
Speaker 2:I did experience that, but I tried to stay ahead of it by initiating the phone calls. The phone calls, yeah. And then it gets to a point if they decide to stalk you and you can't do anything about it, at that point you know you did the best you could and whenever you are in a position to give something, when you initiate that small payment, it still shows good faith on your part.
Speaker 1:Okay, so in that situation, did they offer to kind of lower the interest and everything, or did you still have to pay your bills, considering the same interest rate?
Speaker 2:In some cases, lowering the interest or lowering the minimum payment were options, like I talked about forbearance, where they would stall, you know, for a finite period of time where you don't have to pay, just to try to give you some time, or options where just pay what you could. You know, yes, it might still be racking up on the bill on the tail end of it, but it's showing they appreciate that show of integrity. And then, if it gets to a point where you absolutely can't, you may get to the situation where they will take it to court or but you just, it's just part of that process, right, they have to do what is in their legal disposal, but it's nothing personal, right, but your main things is food, shelter, covering yourself those are obviously the priorities. And then you get to the other things.
Speaker 1:Okay, so now let's consider some systematic hardship like poverty, living below the poverty line. Did you ever experience that during that period of time being below the poverty line.
Speaker 2:Well, I didn't have dependents, so what would be considered below the poverty line? Sometimes for just one person it was hard Believe it or not like maybe just my $405 per week was sometimes would put me over that threshold of not being considered because I don't have, didn't have kids. So it was a little bit different for me specifically. You know, and in your mind you know, you can't survive based on the money that, but it would be considered too much money for a single person to qualify for certain resources.
Speaker 1:Okay, that's very good to know, and I really like the mental component aspect of it, so it's very important when you deal with situations like that, before you even know it, your mental health is going to be affected.
Speaker 2:It's going to take a hit. Hit.
Speaker 1:It's gonna be eroded so, and I'm glad that you were able to make it today to share your story I want to give you the platform to talk about some specific component from your book. Okay, you know, do your own marketing. Okay, you have the power.
Speaker 2:Thank you, I appreciate it. So for me, I realized that the book. There are obvious groups of people who think see a title like this and they think, okay, that book is for me. So the unemployed is just one group, but there are many people that are working every day and they still feel like this book applies for them. They still feel like they're in the category of somebody who's facing financial hardship. You might have somebody fresh out of college with limited resources and trying to find a job, and it becomes a prolonged period of unemployment and this book could be for them. You may have somebody who lost a financial status through a divorce or a death of a loved one and they're in this situation, believe it or not.
Speaker 2:Right when I was trying to publish the book, my own situation was impacted by an emergency that made me consult the book, you know, for reminders, 10 years later, so that the book is something that I feel like you can feed on over and over. You could read it chapter by chapter, which becomes a quick read. Like you said, you read it within like one day, one day, right, and that's how it's intended to be for somebody who, in that situation, they don't need 500 pages. You know they need something to be concise and clear direction. Or you could just look at the chapter that applies to your current situation this past week as I was going through it. Sometimes there are chapters that come to mind very easily, but I forgot about the chapter about fraud, like how to navigate fraudulent scams during that time, because there's so many people and networks that prey on the unemployed and the vulnerability. So debt consolidation scams, even how to identify job ads that are fraudulent. You know things that are constantly trying to ask you for money, money to train, money. You show up and some way to to get some sort of resource from you. Just how to spot certain things in the ads, like work from home programs. There are a lot of legitimate ones, but some of them also they want you to get a whole training kit and things like that. So how to spot those kinds of scams? And so I realized even something like that.
Speaker 2:I wanted to treat the unemployment situation and the hardship in a holistic way. So you have food, you have thrifting, you have government resources, you have mental health, you have navigating the emotions, but you also have things like the the fraud chapter about how to protect yourself. So please go ahead and recommend the book to anybody that you think could benefit from it and even when you think it doesn't apply to you right now just like my own situation it's something that you could go to and have on hand for when you are in that situation.
Speaker 2:I just spoke to a co yesterday. She's working, her husband's working, and she says I'm making the recipes. I was like what I knew. She bought the book just to support me, but now she's telling me she's trying out the recipes and I'm like they were designed as $5 recipes. But you don't know. You know how the book could impact you and what could be resonate with you deeply. So thank you for your support, thank you for having me here and thank you for the space that you have, because even just in preparation of coming here, I've benefited so much from seeing your other episodes. So thank you for allowing me the platform to be here.
Speaker 1:The pleasure is all mine. Bear in mind. So it's like all the resources that you share in this book. As a social worker, when I have a client come to me in social work, they say every client has strength, every community has resources. Correct? I cannot have a client come to me and say I don't know. I may not know at this moment, but I know where to go.
Speaker 1:I still have to look correct to provide a client with the resources she or he may need. That's right and I think you know that's another book. You just had it. Yes, you know, that's right you know to my pals of books, you know in terms of references to provide you, you know to my clients. I beg everybody, please get your copy. It's a well-written book and it's a book that you know. I strongly encourage everybody to buy with it and you will not regret it, ms Gump. So where can people find this book?
Speaker 2:It's found on Amazon and it's three formats. Right now it's the e-book, the paperback and the hardcover on Amazon, and Amazon worldwide would be able to supply it. Okay, and can you please tell us the name of the book one more time? The Day After the Unemployment Runs Out A Survival Guide to those Surviving Financial Hardship. Okay, get survival guide to those surviving financial hardship.
Speaker 1:Okay, get your copy. I already get mine. Thank you, with all that said, it was a pleasure to be with you one more time. It was Dr Beatrice Ippolite, with your World.