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Tony Mantor: Why Not Me ?

Autism, Mental Health, Advocacy & Human Stories.

Embracing Autism/Mental Health Worldwide.

Autism is a complex neurodevelopmental condition affecting millions worldwide, characterized by challenges in social interaction, communication, and repetitive behaviors. Despite increasing recognition, there remains a lack of understanding and awareness about the condition.

Mental health encompasses a range of conditions impacting emotional, psychological, and social well-being, affecting millions globally. It includes disorders like anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and psychosis. Schizophrenia is marked by symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized thinking, while psychosis involves a loss of contact with reality, often presenting with similar symptoms.

Despite growing awareness, stigma and misconceptions about mental health, particularly schizophrenia and psychosis, persist, underscoring the need for greater understanding and support.

From celebrating neurodiversity to breaking down stigma, we create a safe space for listeners to learn, grow, and feel seen.

Whether you’re on the spectrum, a caregiver, or an advocate, join our global community for inspiring conversations and empowering resources that uplift and unite.

Tune in to embrace understanding, healing, and hope worldwide!

Together, we can create a more informed and compassionate society for individuals with Autism and Mental Illness.

Copyright: 2026 iHeartMedia, Inc. © Any use of this intellectual property for text and data mining or computational analysis including as training material for artificial intelligence systems is strictly prohibited without express written consent from iHeartMedia

Latest Episodes:

Dr. Christopher Khoury:Beyond the Label: Helping Students with Autism Thrive in School and Life Jul 29, 2026

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Show Notes:

What does it really take to help a child with autism succeed in today's school system? In this powerful episode of Why Not Me?, Tony Mantor sits down with Dr. Christopher Khoury, educational diagnostician, and special education expert who has spent more than two decades helping students and families navigate autism, learning differences, and individualized education.

Dr. Khoury shares what happens behind the scenes of the IEP process, why every autistic student deserves to be seen as an individual—not a label—and how schools have evolved in supporting neurodiverse learners. He also opens up about his own journey overcoming a reading disability, earning a PhD without ever reading books in the traditional way, and how that experience shaped his passion for helping others discover their unique strengths.

Together, Tony and Dr. Khoury discuss:

How autism is evaluated within the school system
The critical role of IEPs and individualized support
Why collaboration between parents and educators changes outcomes
The importance of recognizing every student's unique abilities
Bullying, inclusion, and creating supportive classrooms
How schools have improved over the past 20 years
Neurodiversity versus labels
The value of early intervention and family advocacy
Why teachers should focus on strengths instead of limitations
Real-life stories that demonstrate how small changes can make a tremendous difference

Whether you're a parent, educator, clinician, advocate, or someone wanting to better understand autism, this conversation offers practical insights, hope, and inspiration for creating more inclusive schools and communities.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Grandparenting on the Spectrum: Jennifer Kaufman on Autism, Family, Acceptance, and First Responder Training Jul 22, 2026

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What happens when an autism expert becomes the grandmother of a child on the spectrum? In this heartfelt episode of Why Not Me? Embracing Autism and Mental Health Worldwide, Tony Mantor sits down with Jennifer Kaufman—author of Grandparenting on the Spectrum: A Journey from Both Sides of the Desk—to explore autism through the unique lens of both a school principal and a grandmother.

Jennifer shares how her grandson's diagnosis transformed her understanding of autism, challenged long-held assumptions, and reshaped family relationships. The conversation explores the important role grandparents play in supporting both autistic children and their parents while emphasizing empathy, acceptance, and inclusion.

Jennifer also discusses her work training police officers, first responders, and campus security to better recognize and respond to autistic individuals during high-pressure situations. From the Blue Envelope Program to sensory awareness and communication strategies, she explains how education can prevent misunderstandings and improve outcomes.

This episode is filled with practical advice, hope, and powerful reminders that every autistic individual is unique—and that understanding begins by listening.

In this episode:

Jennifer's journey from autism educator to autism grandmother
Why grandparents can be one of the strongest support systems
Common myths and misconceptions about autism
Supporting families without offering unsolicited advice
How autism affects the entire family dynamic
Why inclusion matters more than perfection
Autism and first responder training
The Blue Envelope Program explained
Communication strategies for autistic individuals
Living in the moment and learning from neurodiversity
Creating more accepting schools and communities
The importance of curiosity over judgment

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Weanne Estrada:Mental Health Without Borders: How Compassion, Culture, and Community Transform Lives Worldwide Jul 15, 2026

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Show Notes

What does mental health look like when someone has lost everything?

In this inspiring episode of Why Not Me?, Tony Mantor sits down with Weanne Estrada, Mental Health Specialist with ADRA International (Adventist Development and Relief Agency), to explore the realities of humanitarian work in more than 120 countries around the world.

Together they discuss how mental health extends far beyond therapy, why culture matters in treatment, the resilience of refugees, and how communities recover after unimaginable loss. Wynne shares powerful stories from disaster zones, refugee camps, and conflict areas while offering hope through compassion, dignity, and human connection.

This conversation challenges common misconceptions about refugees, humanitarian aid, serious mental illness, and recovery while reminding us that every person deserves to be seen first as a human being.

Whether you're passionate about mental health, humanitarian work, autism advocacy, or simply understanding the human experience, this episode will leave a lasting impression.

In This Episode

What humanitarian mental health really looks like
Why trauma is only part of the story
The Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) model explained
Supporting refugees with dignity and respect
Cultural differences in mental health care
Serious mental illness and psychosis around the world
Building resilience after disaster and displacement
Fighting stigma through education and lived experience
The importance of community, hope, and purpose
Why recovery is often found in ordinary moments

Learn more about ADRA International at:
https://adra.org

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Adi Jaffe: The Truth About Addiction, Trauma, Shame, and Breaking Free Jul 08, 2026

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(Show Notes)

What if addiction isn't the real problem?

In this powerful episode of Why Not Me? Embracing Autism and Mental Health Worldwide, Tony Mantor sits down with psychologist, TEDx speaker, and bestselling author Dr. Adi Jaffe to challenge everything we've been taught about addiction, recovery, trauma, and personal transformation.

Drawing from both his professional expertise and his own remarkable journey from addiction and prison to becoming a UCLA-trained psychologist, Dr. Jaffe explains why destructive behaviors often begin as attempts to survive emotional pain—not moral failures.

Together they discuss:

• Why addiction is often a response to trauma, pain, and unmet emotional needs

• The powerful role shame plays in keeping people trapped

• Why willpower alone rarely creates lasting change

• How habits are formed in the brain—and why changing them takes time

• The connection between anxiety, depression, addiction, and self-worth

• Why healing begins with understanding instead of judgment

• The importance of self-compassion during recovery

• How changing your mindset can transform your life

Whether you struggle with addiction, love someone who does, or simply want to better understand human behavior, this conversation offers practical wisdom, compassion, and hope.

If this episode speaks to you, please follow the podcast, leave a review, and share it with someone who may need encouragement today.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Meg LeDuc: Journey Through Serious Mental Illness:Living Beyond the Diagnosis Jun 26, 2026

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What happens when the diagnosis changes, the struggle feels endless, and hope seems impossible to find?

In this episode of Why Not Me?, Tony Mantor sits down with writer and journalist Meg LeDuc to discuss her personal journey through depression, anxiety, psychosis, suicide attempts, self-harm, recovery, and ultimately healing.

Meg shares how years of misdiagnosis, hospitalization, and mental health challenges shaped her life—and how determination, faith, support, and the right treatment helped her rebuild it.

This honest conversation explores what it feels like to live with serious mental illness, the realities of psychosis, the impact of stigma, and why recovery is possible even after the darkest moments.

Whether you're living with mental illness, supporting someone who is, or simply looking to better understand the human experience, this episode offers insight, compassion, and hope.

In This Episode:

Meg's journey through anxiety, depression, and psychosis
The challenges of diagnosis and finding effective treatment
Living with suicide ideation and surviving multiple attempts
Self-harm, shame, and learning to heal
The role of faith during recovery
Relationships and mental illness
How stigma affects people living with serious mental illness
The difference between receiving help and choosing healing
Recovery, resilience, and rebuilding a meaningful life
Why psychosis is not a life sentence

Memorable Quote

"It's a piece of the puzzle. It's not the entire puzzle. There's so much more to me than illness."

About Meg LaDuke

Meg LaDuc is a Detroit-based freelance journalist, creative writer, and contributor to mental health publications. Drawing from both lived experience and professional reporting, she writes about mental health, disability, recovery, and resilience. She is currently working on a memoir chronicling her journey through serious mental illness and recovery

.

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intro/outro music bed written by T. Wild
Why Not Me the World music published by Mantor Music (BMI)

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Dr Aaron Meyer and Ann Marie Council part 2: Breaking the Cycle: Why Serious Mental Illness Deserves Better Than Jail or the Streets Jun 24, 2026

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What happens when the systems designed to help people with serious mental illness become the very barriers preventing care?

In Part 2 of this important conversation, Tony Mantor welcomes Dr. Aaron Meyer and Anne Marie Council for a candid discussion about the failures and possibilities within America's mental health system. Together, they explore why so many individuals spend years cycling through emergency rooms, jails, homelessness, and crisis without ever receiving the long-term treatment they truly need.

The conversation examines the gap between policy and practice, the importance of housing with wraparound support, and why accountability—not simply creating more laws—may be the key to meaningful change.

This episode challenges listeners to rethink assumptions about involuntary treatment, homelessness, public safety, and compassion while offering practical ways communities can advocate for a better behavioral health system.

If you've ever wondered why so many people fall through the cracks, this conversation provides insight, hope, and a call to action.

In This Episode

Why the "10-year loop" delays treatment for countless people living with serious mental illness
How emergency rooms and jails have become default mental health providers
The importance of continuous support instead of one-time stabilization
Why existing mental health laws are often not fully implemented
The need for more psychiatric beds and comprehensive treatment options
How housing combined with wraparound services can change lives
The role families and caregivers play in advocating for better care
Why stigma continues to prevent people from receiving help
The importance of investigative journalism and public accountability
Practical ways listeners can become advocates for change in their own communities
Why empathy and person-centered care must become the foundation of mental health policy

Key Takeaway

Serious mental illness is not a moral failing or a criminal issue—it is a healthcare issue. Until communities invest in accessible treatment, supportive housing, and systems that prioritize people over bureaucracy, too many individuals will continue cycling through crisis instead of recovery.

Connect with Why Not Me?

If this conversation resonated with you, please follow, rate, and share the podcast. Every listener helps expand understanding, reduce stigma, and create meaningful conversations about autism and mental health around the world.

https://tonymantor.com
https://Facebook.com/tonymantor
https://instagram.com/tonymantor
https://twitter.com/tonymantor
https://youtube.com/tonymantormusic
intro/outro music bed written by T. Wild
Why Not Me the World music published by Mantor Music (BMI)

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr Aaron Meyer and Ann Marie Council: Bridging the Mental Health Gap: Policy, Psychiatry, and the Fight for Early Intervention Jun 17, 2026

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In this important episode of Why Not Me? Embracing Autism and Mental Health Worldwide, Tony Mantor sits down with Dr. Alan Meyer, psychiatrist and Behavioral Health Officer for the City of San Diego Fire-Rescue Department, and Ann Marie Council, retired Senior Deputy City Attorney and mental health policy advisor, for an in-depth discussion about the challenges facing today's mental health system.

Together, they explore why so many individuals with serious mental illness fall through the cracks, the disconnect between policy and real-world implementation, and how communities can better support those in crisis before tragedy strikes.

The conversation covers assisted outpatient treatment, California's CARE Act, healthcare burnout, homelessness, autism, schizophrenia, and the urgent need for earlier intervention and stronger collaboration between healthcare providers, lawmakers, first responders, and community organizations.

This is the first of a two-part series that shines a light on the people working to create meaningful change in mental healthcare.

In this episode you'll learn:

Why mental health and physical health must be treated together
The barriers preventing people from receiving timely care
How policy often fails frontline healthcare workers
The role of cities, counties, and states in behavioral health services
Why assisted outpatient treatment remains difficult to access
How technology and AI could improve mental health access
The importance of prevention instead of waiting for crisis
Why community partnerships are essential for lasting solutions
How burnout is affecting healthcare professionals and first responders
What changes could transform the future of mental healthcare

Our Guests

Dr. Alan Meyer

Psychiatrist at the University of California, San Diego
Behavioral Health Officer for the City of San Diego Fire-Rescue Department
Specialist in complex behavioral health and high-utilizer emergency response systems

Ann Marie Council

Retired Senior Deputy City Attorney for the City of San Diego
Founding Partner and Mental Health Policy Advisor at Quarter Turn Strategies
Advocate for legislative reform and improved mental health policy

Key Takeaway

Real change begins when healthcare, government, first responders, and communities stop working in silos and start working together. Early intervention, compassionate care, and practical policy reforms can save lives and restore hope for individuals and families navigating serious mental illness.

If this conversation inspires you, follow the show, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who believes mental health deserves greater understanding and action.

#MentalHealth #Autism #BehavioralHealth #Psychiatry #HealthcarePolicy #EarlyIntervention #SeriousMentalIllness #WhyNotMePodcast #TonyMantor #MentalHealthAwareness #Homelessness #CommunityCare

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intro/outro music bed written by T. Wild
Why Not Me the World music published by Mantor Music (BMI)

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

John Rolls: What If Inclusion Worked Better Than Quotas Jun 10, 2026

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We talk with John Rolls about the Gremlin Club’s Sunday open mic in Camarthen and how it grows from a rehearsal night into a welcoming community where people leave their troubles at the door.

We dig into what real inclusion looks like for autism, mental health, and disability when the room treats everyone as equal and still makes space for what people need.
• how the Gremlin Club open mic starts as a Welsh Factor practice night
• why the night becomes about community building over competition
• John stepping in to run it after Elise’s bowel cancer diagnosis
• building confidence for nervous newcomers through crowd support
• making space for autistic singers and people with mental health challenges
• handling disability and access needs while keeping the same respect for everyone
• why the event is not branded as karaoke and how the format keeps it fun
• filming for nostalgia and feedback while choosing not to live stream
• word-of-mouth promotion and small grassroots marketing efforts
If this kind of conversation matters to you, follow the show so you don't miss what comes next.

https://tonymantor.com
https://Facebook.com/tonymantor
https://instagram.com/tonymantor
https://twitter.com/tonymantor
https://youtube.com/tonymantormusic
intro/outro music bed written by T. Wild
Why Not Me the World music published by Mantor Music (BMI)

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jerri Clark: Ambiguous Loss and When Mental Illness Steals Someone You Love Jun 03, 2026

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We sit with author Jerri Clark as he explains how severe mental illness can create a “gone but not gone” grief that families carry in silence.

We talk about ambiguous loss, why closure often never comes, and how to keep living with love and meaning even when the outcome is out of our control.
• Jerri’s story of losing his son through psychosis, system failures, and suicide
• What ambiguous loss means and why the ambiguity is unfixable
• The guilt families feel when they grieve someone still living
• Naming the losses: relationship, future, safety, predictability
• Coping as a nonlinear process that does not deliver resolution
• Learning to live with grief without letting it become your only identity
• “This is not my fault” as a practical starting point
• Adjust mastery and revising attachment when you cannot control outcomes
• What readers can expect from the book’s “do now” reflections and exercises
• Why community, empathy, and support networks matter for healing
If this kind of conversation matters to you, follow the show so you don't miss what comes next.

https://tonymantor.com
https://Facebook.com/tonymantor
https://instagram.com/tonymantor
https://twitter.com/tonymantor
https://youtube.com/tonymantormusic
intro/outro music bed written by T. Wild
Why Not Me the World music published by Mantor Music (BMI)

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Patrick Kennedy: Part 2 : A Real Mental Health Strategy May 29, 2026

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We sit down with former U.S. Representative Patrick Kennedy to get specific about what a real national mental health strategy looks like and why the current system wastes money while people end up isolated, hospitalized, incarcerated, or living on the streets.

We dig into integrated care, schools-based prevention, telehealth, and the rising risks of AI so listeners walk away with practical policy ideas and a clear sense of what needs to change next.
• the need for a national blueprint that links housing, healthcare, and community supports
• aligning financial incentives so integrated care becomes the default
• why siloed budgets drive higher costs in ER use, incarceration, and homelessness
• reducing stigma by integrating mental health into standard medical care
• building mental health literacy through routine screening and early help in schools
• expanding effective therapy access through telehealth and proper reimbursement
• fixing cross-state licensure barriers to match patients with the right clinicians
• rebuilding social connection as a core mental health intervention
• using AI for personalized care while guarding against isolation and lost agency
• preparing for AI-driven job disruption and the mental health impact of lost purpose
If you know someone who has a story to share, tell them to contact us at why notme.world.

INTRO/OUTRO Music: T. Wild

Mantor Music BMI

https://tonymantor.com
https://Facebook.com/tonymantor
https://instagram.com/tonymantor
https://twitter.com/tonymantor
https://youtube.com/tonymantormusic
intro/outro music bed written by T. Wild
Why Not Me the World music published by Mantor Music (BMI)

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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