How Losing a Hand Can Impact Mental Health and the Technology Working to Help - w/ Ryan Goodwin

Description

Trigger warning: this show discusses sensitive mental health topics. Losing a limb can be a devastating experience, but Ryan Goodwin's story is a testament to the transformative power of innovation and resilience. As an ambassador for Psyonic, a company that creates cutting-edge bionic limbs, Ryan joined us today to share his incredible journey and how this revolutionary technology has given him new hope and capabilities. Ryan was invited to the South by Southwest Austin hub in March to talk about the newest technologies and innovations. Ryan shared his story of how he lost his limb and how technology is helping him with his mental health and improving the lives of many. Ryan also talked about his plans to help others with the new technology. They discuss the night that they met and Ryan in particular showed them how the arm worked. Ryan also discusses his mental health, specifically his experience in the hospital when he lost his hand. He was unfamiliar with prosthetics and had to do a lot of research in order to figure out how to take care of himself. He implemented physical activities into his own mental health routine, such as going on walks and hikes with his dog while relearning activities he did beforehand like golf. He had to relearn how to do basic tasks such as using the restroom and showering with only one hand. He was able to use this experience to develop relationships and find joy in his life. Ryan lost his hand 18 months ago. He talks about how he had to learn how to do things differently and how this gave him a confidence boost. He found Psyonic, a company focused on neural prosthetics, while he was in the hospital. They sent a representative from their company who was also an amputee to talk to him, which was a huge help. He found out about the Amputee Coalition and other groups of people he could lean on and learn from. The founder of Psyonic was inspired to create advanced prosthetics after seeing a girl in Pakistan walking around using a tree branch as a limb. The Psyonic arm gives the user