Inside Mental Health

Psychedelics are having a moment in mental health care. Research is showing promising results for conditions including depression, treatment-resistant depression, anxiety, and PTSD. But how much do we actually know — and how much is hype? ADAA member expert and licensed psychologist Jonathan Schettino, PhD, explains how psychedelics went from being viewed primarily as illegal drugs to becoming the...

What if some of the anxiety, depression, and mental health issues we experience aren't simply problems inside us? What if they're actually signals telling us something about the world around us? Psychiatrist and author Dr. Joanna Cheek joins the show to challenge the way we think about mental health, diagnosis, treatment, and self-care. Her argument isn't that mental health disorders aren't real....

Men die by suicide at dramatically higher rates than women, accounting for nearly 80% of suicide deaths. Yet many men who are struggling never seek mental health support — and the consequences can be deadly. On this episode, host Gabe Howard talks with psychiatrist Dr. Sanjay Mathew, board president of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), and Richard Reeves, president of the A...

What happens when you seemingly have everything — and still don't feel OK? TOMS Shoes founder Blake Mycoskie opens up about the severe depression that followed his departure from the company he built. What initially felt like a mild depression gradually became a years-long struggle marked by isolation, shame, loss of purpose, relationship difficulties, suicidal thoughts, and a painful disconnectio...

If you've ever convinced yourself a headache was a brain tumor or spent hours Googling symptoms only to feel even more anxious, you're not alone. In this episode, our host sits down with former Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) president Dr. Karen Lynn Cassiday to unpack the difference between usual concern about your health and clinical health anxiety (also known as illness anx...

Can a relationship survive infidelity? It is possible, but recovery isn't as simple as forgiving a cheating partner, staying together, or deciding to walk away. In this episode, host Gabe Howard talks with licensed professional counselor Dr. Monique Thompson, author of The Infidelity Recovery Workbook for Couples, about what really happens to a relationship — and to a person's sense of self — afte...

Everyone worries. Bills. Family. Health. Work. The future. Anxiety is a normal part of being human—but when does ordinary worry become something more? Something that needs professional intervention? More specifically, when does “everyday anxiety” become Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)? In this episode, host Gabe Howard sits down with ADAA member expert Ben Eckstein, LCSW, therapist, anxiety spe...

Millions of people care for loved ones every day — but who takes care of the caregiver? In this episode, Host Gabe Howard sits down with actress Cathryn Dylan Ortiz, whose powerful portrayal of Brenda in HBO Max's hit medical drama “The Pitt” sparked widespread conversations about caregiver burnout, anxiety, depression, and the invisible mental health struggles that often go unnoticed. Cathryn sha...

Can your smartphone become part of your mental health treatment? Prescription digital therapeutics (PDTs) promise to do exactly that — but what are they, and do they actually work? In this episode, host Gabe Howard is joined by ADAA member experts John Torous, MD, MBI, a digital psychiatry expert, and Michelle A. Patriquin, PhD, ABPP, a clinical psychologist, to separate hype from reality. Togethe...

Does mental health treatment work the same for everyone? The answer is more complicated than many people realize. In this episode, host Gabe Howard is joined by Stephanie Robertson, J.D., Director of Mental Health Equity at NAMI, and Dr. Nicole Washington, psychiatrist and President-Elect of the Black Psychiatrists of America, for an honest conversation about mental health equity, cultural identit...

Many people know the term “bipolar disorder,” but few understand what mania actually looks like, how depression presents, or why recognizing the warning signs can be so difficult. In this episode, host Gabe Howard sits down with ADAA (Anxiety and Depression Association of America) Member expert Bruce M. Cohen, MD, PhD. Dr. Cohen is a psychiatrist, Harvard Medical School professor, and former presi...

Most people can buy a lottery ticket, join an office March Madness pool, or place an occasional sports bet without it becoming a problem. So why do some people lose their savings, relationships, careers, and even homes because they can't stop gambling? In this episode, host Gabe Howard sits down with certified gambling counselor Eric Webber, MA, to explore the realities behind gambling addiction a...

Tardive dyskinesia (TD) is often misunderstood, misdiagnosed, or simply ignored — leaving many people feeling isolated, frustrated, and afraid to speak up. In this episode, we share the deeply personal story of Sherland Peterson, a woman living with tardive dyskinesia, while exploring the physical, emotional, and social impact of this complex movement disorder. Whether you are living with TD yours...

Grammy-nominated singer, actress, and mental health advocate Carnie Wilson joins Gabe Howard to discuss one of the most misunderstood conditions in mental health: tardive dyskinesia (TD). In this candid conversation, Wilson opens up about her own experiences with depression, postpartum depression, addiction recovery, and the isolation that often accompanies mental health challenges. She explains w...

No one likes to throw up. But for some, the mere thought of vomiting is a Level 12 emergency that halts life in its tracks. Imagine avoiding bars, concerts, and even the grocery store because a stranger might look "pale." This is the reality of emetophobia—a debilitating fear of vomiting that often hides in the shadows of more common diagnoses like anxiety or eating disorders. In this episode, we...

While many people have heard of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) fewer know about Mentalization-Based Treatment (MBT), an evidence-based therapy that is producing remarkable results for people living with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). In this episode, host Gabe Howard sits down with Robert P. Drozek, LICSW, a teaching associate in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and author of “Ment...

Think working in mental health is just sitting and listening? The reality is a chaotic, high volume front line where workers face severe psychological crises every single day. In this episode, our host sits down with the author of “So You Want To Work in Mental Health?: The Good, the Bad, and the Unforgettable,” Cliffard Mayo, MBA, LAC, to pull back the curtain on what really happens behind closed...

Is our mental health system helping children or simply getting better at labeling them? With some reports suggesting that 70% of adolescents are struggling with mental health issues, host Gabe Howard asks the tough question: Is it possible that the majority of teenagers are truly "sick" or is there a flaw in how we calculate and categorize human distress? Joining the show is Dr. Will Dobud, a soci...

In this thought-provoking episode, host Gabe Howard sits down with child psychiatrist and author Dr. Sami Timimi to challenge some of the most widely accepted ideas in modern mental health care. Drawing from his latest book, “Searching for Normal: A New Approach to Understanding Mental Health, Distress, and Neurodiversity,” Dr. Timimi explores why diagnoses like ADHD, depression, and anxiety may b...

Members of marginalized communities are often told to be "resilient," but how do you bounce back when the system itself is the weight on your shoulders? When policy is the source of the trauma, the burden of healing shouldn't rest solely on the individual. Joining us for this episode is a powerhouse in the field of psychology: the President of the American Psychological Association, Dr. Debra M. K...

Most people think "hearing voices" would be a nightmare symptom of mental illness, but for some, it feels more like a friendship. In the medical world, hallucinations and delusions are symptoms to be eliminated. But for Kit Wallis, the reality of living with schizoaffective disorder is far more complicated. For years, she shared her life with her delusions, including Orion, a "sassy, funny, and su...

In 2012, Jon McCann was sitting in a car weeping and preparing to end his life. He was struggling with a failing marriage, alcoholism, and a recent bipolar diagnosis that he feared was a "death sentence." Fast forward to today, and Jon—better known as "The Philly Captain"—is the subject of the Emmy Award-winning Netflix documentary “The Turnaround,” produced by Barack and Michelle Obama. How does...

Most movies treat mental health like a plot twist—something dramatic, visible, and easily explained. But real depression and anxiety don’t work that way, and filmmaker Olivia Nash is determined to flip the script and show a more realistic portrayal. In this episode, host Gabe Howard sits down with the actor, writer, and director of the indie film “Hi.” to tease out what it really means to portray...

As therapy language floods social media, more people are associating friends, partners, and co-workers with mental health disorders, spotting “red flags” everywhere, and labeling regular human flaws as psychological abuse. In this episode, host Gabe Howard is joined by psychologist and author Dr. Isabelle Morley to unpack how therapy speak, short-form content, and armchair psychology are reshaping...

Narcissism has become one of the most misused words in mental health — and social media hasn’t helped. In this episode, host Gabe Howard is joined by licensed marriage and family therapist Kati Morton to separate clinical reality from internet myth. Together, they break down what narcissistic personality disorder actually is, why confidence and disagreement don’t equal narcissism, and how terms li...