BatShit: Living with Mental Illness

Brad and Adam explore how diet and exercise impact your mental health and whether it can combat mental illness. Getting swole. The manosphere. Keto, paleo, 4 Hour Body. Calf veins. Veggies. Weightlifting. Running. Vitamin supplementation. Getting in shape and going manic. Pick one thing you're good at.

Guest host Jessica Wall joins Brad in interviewing voice actor Carlos Larkin (World of Warcraft) to discuss his Narcissistic Personality Disorder and ADHD. Oh, and he’s also bipolar. Carlos traces the origins of his own unholy trifecta of illnesses. How NPD impacts his relationships and career. Jessica tells the true story of a severed hand. Fill your cracks with gold (not those cracks, you perver...

Anthropologist Ayden Cox joins us to discuss the latest research into masculinity and men’s mental health. AUDIO CORRECTED - apologies! What is masculinity? Toxic masculinity versus positive masculinity. Masculinity from a feminine perspective. The researcher who was referenced, Ronald Levant, has a podcast with the American Psychological Association about masculinity (his research focus). https:/...

Adam and Brad explore the minefield that is dating when you’re bipolar or suffering from another mental illness.

Who's a badass? You are. Another celebration of our listeners as we go through comments and messages.

Brad and Adam tackle the hard questions from our listeners. If you’re dating someone mentally ill and they break-up with you, is it the illness? How do you deal with the guilt and shame following an episode? Batshit Badasses meet-up group. A Halloween surprise.

Adam and Brad discuss why time off is necessary for your mental health. Toxic work ethic. Why vacations are needed. Practicing self-care, especially when you have a mental illness like bipolar, anxiety, or schizophrenia.

The Bipolar Boys take a look into how mental illness can be passed from one generation to the next. We can't pronounce this word. Ari Aster's "Hereditary." Adam's parents start listening to the show. Internalized stigma. People don't want to talk about the "bad" parts of their family history. Brad's Dad on coke. Brad discovers he has a sister he never knew about. Adam's Dad takes weapons away from...

Adam and Brad talk about the obsession and anxiety that comes with mental illness. Brad sings (unfortunately). The place didn't even have a basement. Brad texts too much. Adam called her way too much. Body dysmorphia. All she could talk about were her breasts. Murph. Obsession and success. Fan culture. Don't be obsessed with us individually, just the show.

Adam and Brad dive into what delusions are and some of the more common ones in mental illness. Successful delusions. Steve Jobs. Defining delusions. Erotomania. Dangerous delusions. John Hinkley and Jodie Foster. Brad's paranoid delusion that made him call the cops. "If things were different between us, would you date me?" Adam's dozen roses. Romance or stalking? Politicians and...

Adam and Brad look at how mental illness can present as you being an asshole. Where do I end and my mental illness begins? Manic irritation. Do you use mental illness as a crutch? Conspiracy theories. Schizophrenia. Road rage. Bite your lip. What about the supplement industry? Got that shit mania. Those who refuse help. Treating being an asshole like sneezing.

In addition to calling out this week's badasses, we share several of our poll results for the first time.

Cover model Jessica Wall joins the bipolar boys to discuss eating disorders. Jess is funny, charming, and insightful about all aspects of mental health and you don’t want to miss this one. Getting started in modeling. Losing weight. The model housing scam. The mental effects of starving. Jess is going to Hell. Bad photographers force unrealistic weight loss. Beans crashes the interview. A 14-Day w...

Adam questions Brad about what drove him to check into a mental hospital, how the experience was, and what’s wrong with our current mental health system. Britany Murphy. We thought we had this shit under control. Mania usually feels good, but this time did not. Our mental health system is fucked. Insurance issues. Mental health urgent care. Does porn still use that music? Seroquel. Memory gaps. Gu...

The bipolar duo dive into how so many people with mental illness self-medicate with recreational drugs and alcohol. Food as a drug. Burrito-chucks. Edibles versus smoking. Marijuana and mania. Brad tries MDMA. Grown men with pacifiers is not a look. Taking cocaine before a flight. Nicotine. Vape me, bro. Alcohol and depression. The need for chemical assistance when mentally ill.

Adam and Brad discuss the minefield that is sex for the mentally ill. That overhead lighting really makes Brad look bald. The pizza is here. Nibbling Adam's ear. Penetrative sex and masculinity. The Madonna whore complex. Being a bottom in Rome. Sex as self-medication. Brad's a cuddler. Touch-starved and how that comes out in episodes. Body conscious during sex. The Soup of Sexuality. Let&...

Poet and film & television journalist Lauren Milici joins the bipolar boys to discuss her struggles with Borderline Personality Disorder, PTSD, and OCD. What is Borderline Personality Disorder? EMDR as treatment. Childlike behavior during episodes. Hyper vigilance and abandonment issues. The body really does keep the score. Comedy as a coping mechanism. Horror movies as catharsis. Religion and men...

Next round of super awesome supporters of the show. They're going through their own battles and are brave enough to share their stories with us. We just wanted to give you all a shout out and remind you that we see you. You are not alone

In this follow-up to their most popular episode, Adam and Brad discuss why it’s so difficult for bipolar patients to maintain friendships. Childhood friendships. The machines have taken over. When did your bipolar develop? Acting like a child while manic. Brad runs Micah off while manic. Pistachio crumbs. It's difficult to be vulnerable with another man. Brad runs DeVon off while manic. And Jo...

Adam and Brad look at social media's impact on mental health. Social media is exhausting. Kids with cell phones have worse mental health. Presenting a fabricated life. Doomscrolling. Ignorance about mental illness spreading. Arab Spring. Rage-aholics. Keeping up with the Joneses. Finding communities online. A British court blames social media for suicide. Kaley Cuoco. Dating apps. Manic posting on...

Our intrepid hosts tackle why sleep is important for mental health and how a lack of it impacts mental illness. Sleep deprivation's effect on hormonal responses. Depression's impact on sleep. Revenge free-time. Sleep studies and the monkey. Working hard and not sleeping. Chekov's "The Potato Farmer." Daylight Savings Time and surgeons. Medication for mental illness and sleep...

Adam and Brad once again tackle listener questions. Talk to your doctor. How long until your medication kicks in? Tweaking your brain's chemistry. Brad learns to read. Revisiting your diagnosis. Why do depression and anxiety seem to pair so often? Robin Williams. Mood journaling. Losing a friend to bipolar. How much your support means to those of us suffering. Joyce Carol Oates and arrogant ignora...

Highlights from the first 6 episodes of Batshit. Curious if the show is for you? Or just want to re-listen to some of our funniest moments? Or revisit your favorite topics? Give it a listen! Topics covered are Arrogant Ignorance, Mania, Depression, Relationships, and Batshit itself.

Round 2 of us recognizing the Badasses. In these episodes, we take a few minutes to call out our Badass listeners who are fighting mental illness and have reached out to us to share their struggles. Just Adam on this one....God I miss Brad's dulcet tones. Don't you? Psychology Today has a great search tool to find therapists and you can filter by EMDR. There is also a directory of licensed...

The Bipolar Duo talk about how their mental illness has impacted current and past jobs, as well as how the corporate environment has little compassion for mental illness. Bullshit small talk. Sit and watch movies all night. Movies Anywhere and barbell curls. How the work environment creates mania. Brad punches a steel door off the hinges. Bonjour! George Costanza. We define ourselves by our jobs....