Entrepreneur Interview: Cyndii Sinex with Chronic Illness Hotline

We are speaking with Cyndii Sinex, founder of the (new) Chronic Illness Hotline. The hotline provides a listening ear for those with chronic illness during the current pandemic and beyond. Chronic Illness Hotline gives a safe place to vent negatives, celebrate positives, practice advocating, build a journey story, set goals, help identify resources, and much more.

Viewer challenge! Donate via PayPal to [email protected] … Every amount helps small nonprofits like this continue to provide critical services, and I know personally your donation will be put to good use and be responsibly used. Send the cost of a cup of coffee a week!

You can connect with the Chronic Illness Hotline:

Text “care” to 202-596-6520
Visit https://chronicillnesshotline.org/
Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/chronicillnesshotline
Follow on Twitter https://twitter.com/IllnessHotline
Follow on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/chronicillnesshotline

Show notes:

0:20 Introducing Chronic Illness Hotline
1:09 Cyndii’s background, and how one small slip and fall took her down a healthcare rabbit hole
2:10 Diagnosis #1 – fibromyalgia
2:45 Prescribed anti-depressant SSRIs, which put serotonin at a toxic level
3:10 Nerve damage, cardiac arrest, respiratory failure caused by medication were attributed to anxiety
3:50 Medical community was aware of serotonin syndrome but it wasn’t widespread understanding
4:30 Eight years to diagnose serotonin toxicity, several more for additional diagnoses
4:47 The toll it took on her life
5:27 With other hotlines, callers want to take their life, but Cyndii calls because she’s afraid her life is being taken, so she felt like she didn’t fit
7:00 It must be in your head
7:45 Just prescribe medicine
8:30 Why another hotline? How CIH is different and why a specific hotline is important
9:45 Why even our most supportive and loving friends and family can’t always provide the support we need
10:15 Why would a hotline caller want to celebrate?
11:05 Five of the common reasons people reach out to the hotline 12:00 Why it’s hard when someone asks “how are you?”
15:15 Getting the nonprofit started
16:39 What sparked the idea
18:11 Nonprofit work is like 10 full-time jobs (don’t I know this!)
18:42 The impact of Covid-19 on their startup plans – starting early and pivoting marketing
26:55 What it takes to recruit
27:46 Your challenge … even small donations add up – paypal link is above!
30:55 There’s two types of people on social media
33:03 Social media fairy, please visit! How you can help with the hotline’s social media marketing
34:00 The best thing you can do for a friend who has a chronic illness or pain
35:00 One of the best things you can do if you’ve been diagnosed or are going through trying to be diagnosed
37:00 General mental health tip
39:00 Stages of grief when your body is failing you
39:30 How to connect with the CIH
40:30 Why not to share our social posts by tagging a friend – send a private message instead
41:21 All aspects of your life affect your chronic illness
43:04 Information on how you can support the cause
43:53 Cyndii’s question for me about the beast that is SEO