We were lucky to catch up with MONNA recently and have shared our conversation below.
MONNA, we are so appreciative of you taking the time to open up about the extremely important, albeit personal, topic of mental health. Can you talk to us about your journey and how you were able to overcome the challenges related to mental issues? For readers, please note this is not medical advice, we are not doctors, you should always consult professionals for advice and that this is merely one person sharing their story and experience.
When I was 11 years old, I received my first clinical diagnosis and began taking an anti-depressant. At 19 years old, I made a psychiatrist appointment and expressed that I felt I may have bipolar disorder. After asking a few questions, I was prescribed Lithium. A few years later, another doctor suggested Borderline Personality Disorder.
I continued struggling throughout my early 20’s and whenever I felt I was not managing, I would make an appointment with a medical professional to be assessed and to see if there was some other medication or treatment that may help me. When you are on lithium, you have bloodwork done every year and after about 8 years of taking 3 pills a day in addition to an antidepressant, my bloodwork reflected that the lithium was beginning to have a negative impact on me physically.
At 27 years old, I was prescribed a medication that interfered with other medications listed in my chart. This error caused me intense physical issues and disrupted my entire life. Frustrated with the lack of care I had been receiving, I created a support system between the people in my home, with my therapist at the time and within my friend group to try and remove medication from my life- not forever, simply to try to establish what my baseline was and to track any instances of dysregulation to see if there may be a pattern we were missing. After a few months of journaling and meticulously gathering data every single day about my physical and emotional states, it became glaringly obvious what the issue was. I brought all of the information to my general practitioner and we began treatment for Pre-Menstrual Dysphoric Disorder- I have not experienced any episodes since adjusting my medication to that diagnosis.
It was an incredibly simple fix that changed my entire life for the better. While I hold a lot of resentment for every doctor in the past who never considered ruling out any other physical issues before prescribing high doses of intense medication, I am incredibly proud of myself for advocating for myself at every point of the process. And I feel very lucky that my mother is in the medical field and was able to help provide me with guidance along the way. After releasing my debut album “UNSTABLE” i began the process of documenting my health and ironically quickly became the most stable I’d ever been which then lead to my project “Miss Diagnosed”.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
Claws Out Comedy and the mental health advoCATS is not just about entertainment- we’re on a mission: to build community, to empower artists and to normalize conversations about mental health. At its core, Claws Out Comedy is a celebration of authenticity and individuality as many of our comedians masterfully tackle dark subject matter. The show embraces diversity and inclusivity, providing a platform for underrepresented voices to shine and be heard.
The organization was started by me! I’m MONNA, a Stand Up Comedian, the CEO of Claws Out Media and Entertainment and the sole PURRducer for Claws Out Comedy Records. I’ve been described as a quick witted stand up comedian and have appeared on MTV and the CW. During the pandemic, I quickly gained a sensational internet following and my comedy has been viewed over 40 million times online. I aim to balance my dark sense of humor with nuanced wordplay and silver linings as I delve into sensitive subjects- ranging from romantic relationships to mental health to grief. My albums “UNSTABLE” (2021) and “UNPRECEDENTED” (2022) both charted #1 on iTunes and are now available to stream on all platforms. “UNFILTERED” drops on 10/27/23 and after the second single “The Fire Joke” was released (a near 10 minute comedy track about my first assault), this full album is a highly anticipated release for all of us during both Mental Health Awareness Month and Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
While it’s no secret that the entertainment industry and the world of comedy specifically can be a predatory space, often exploiting performers in exchange for the idea of exposure- the media branch of Claws Out is intensely focused on creating high quality content for artists while ensuring that they actually own their content and are able to monetize from it. All of the albums are streaming on all platforms and the first full video special “I Know, Right?” by Latrice Wilkerson was released to YouTube on 10/6/23.
Claws Out uses entertainment as a platform to create safe spaces as it focuses on inclusivity and diversity- all while putting on an unforgettable show. Since its inception in 2019, Claws Out Comedy has produced two seasons of The Claws Out Comedy Podcast, 11 albums (with many more on the way), and has been welcomed into clubs and theaters in Houston, Austin, and San Antonio, as well as major comedy clubs across the country and in DFW – including repeat performances at Arlington Improv and Addison Improv. Claws Out proudly holds residencies at many venues in DFW and Denton and also offers private events/corporate services at a high recommendation from previous clients.
The Claws Out Comedy open mic night at Twilite Lounge Fort Worth is the longest running open mic in DFW and has been awarded Best Comedy Night by Fort Worth Weekly by both Readers’ and Critics’ votes for three years in a row.
“Claws Out consistently delivers incredibly produced shows featuring all different types of comedy from observational humor to satirical commentary. The shows are always so different and fun, but I always feel welcomed and can’t wait to see what they bring next.”- Carla, audience member
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Self- Awareness, Resilience and Adaptability.
I believe that self awareness is a superpower. Knowing where you are currently and where you have the potential to get to is the easiest way to create a plan for success and to reach your goals.
However, resilience and adaptability are necessary for when your initial plan might not go exactly as you’d imagined it would.
Advice would be to do what you do to the best of your ability and do it as kindly as possible. Ask for help when you need it and help others when you can. As Jerry Seinfeld once said, “Keep your head up in failure, and your head down in success.”
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
I’ve partnered with many non-profits in the past – mental health charities, animal rescues, local shelters and organizations against domestic violence. I would love to find long standing partners and/or sponsors for Claws Out Comedy. I am certain there are millions of people who would love what Claws Out is and what it stands for- I just need help finding all of them and getting the word out!
Contact Info:
- Website: clawsoutcomedy.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/clawsoutcomedy
- Facebook: facebook.com/ClawsOutComedy
- Twitter: twitter.com/clawsoutcomedy
- Youtube: youtube.com/@clawsoutcomedy
- Other: More articles about Claws Out can be found here- will be updating very soon to include that it was recently announced that we’ve won Best Of for both readers’ choice and critics’ choice for the third year in a row from Fort Worth Weekly! clawsoutcomedy.com/press More about MONNA can be found at monnacomedy.com and all socials are @monnacomedy (tiktok, instagram, youtube, facebook, all streaming platforms, etc.)
Image Credits
Austin Atherton Photography Arnie Diaz Photography Tina Torres Photography
