Inside Mental Health

Our society has a difficult relationship with authority. Many of us were taught as children that it was important to show respect and defer to those above us. We are told to trust people in positions of power — people like doctors, clergy, and police officers.  But we also see daily evidence of these same people making errors or putting their needs above the facts. In that case, what is the averag...

There’s a common misconception that, due to asylum closures, only “dangerous” people get committed to a psychiatric wards and hospitals. We also believe that forcing someone with mental illness into treatment is rare. However, millions of Americans are subjected to psychiatric detention or forced treatment every year.  Often well meaning family members are trying to “help,” but end up traumatizing...

There’s a common misconception that, due to asylum closures, only “dangerous” people get committed to a psychiatric wards and hospitals. We also believe that forcing someone with mental illness into treatment is rare. However, millions of Americans are subjected to psychiatric detention or forced treatment every year.  Often well meaning family members are trying to “help,” but end up traumatizing...

Can you name a millionaire tech mogul with bipolar disorder? Well, you can now. Today’s guest is Paul English, the tech mogul best known as the founder of travel website Kayak.  As more and more celebrities in the arts publicly share their bipolar disorder diagnoses many people in the business world still choose to conceal their illness due to stigma and discrimination.  Join us as Paul tells us h...

Dr. Kay Redfield Jamison believes that medication is an overused option and that many people can make great strides recovering from “mental suffering” using therapy, art, and meaningful hobbies. She also shares that we can learn a lot by understanding the lessons learned from resilient people who came before us. Using numerous historical examples, Dr. Jamison takes us on a journey of understanding...

There is a lot of stigma against people with diagnosed borderline personality disorder (BPD), even within the mental health community. People living with a borderline diagnosis are unfairly characterized as difficult and overly dramatic, and many feel that people with BPD reject needed treatments or interventions because “they don’t want to get better.” In this episode, we ask why people living wi...

We all know that the COVID pandemic has taken a toll on healthcare workers. But how was their mental health before the pandemic?  Today’s guest, Dr. Rola Hallam, has opened 7 hospitals in Syria as part of her humanitarian work. Dr. Hallam shares with us that compassion fatigue isn’t really about compassion or fatigue, it’s more likely trauma from having large amounts of empathy. To learn more -- o...

In honor of mental health awareness month, we want to welcome you to the first ever Inside Mental Health podcast clips show. Listen now to hear some great insights from some of the best guests of the past year. Featuring clips from Jennette McCurdy, Alanis Morissette, Wil Wheaton, Brooke Burke, Dr. Phil and Paul Gilmartin – there is something for everyone. Our host, Gabe Howard, combed through hou...

Most parents (and other adults) want to be able to talk to teenagers and young adults about mental health and mental illness. But, uncertainty and awkwardness often stop well-intentioned people from broaching the subject.  In this episode, we discuss how to have these conversations with the young people in our lives by inviting Dr. Laura Erickson-Schroth, chief medical officer of The Jed Foundatio...

Children and teenagers are expressing unprecedented levels of anxiety and many experts believe there is currently a crisis of anxiety in the United States. If that is true, what can adults — who may also be managing anxiety — do to help young people?     While many experts believe social media and news outlets play a role, we have to accept that these things are here to stay — so what is our next...

12-step programs like Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous dominate the recovery space. In fact, when most people think of someone in recovery, they typically assume they are part of a 12-step program. But, what if the traditional 12-step programs don’t work for you? For example, if you are an atheist, don’t like the idea of a sponsor, or want a program driven by self-empowerment, are ther...

ADD / ADHD are typically discussed as a controversial diagnosis. Some people — including experts — feel that these conditions are over diagnosed, underdiagnosed, or simply don’t exist. ADD / ADHD have been used to attack parents, defend behavior challenges, and seemingly everything in between. But what is the real story? Join us as today’s guest, Dr. Theresa Cerulli, explains the challenges in hel...

Dallas Roquemore, aka Lil Dallas, is a personal friend of — and has worked with — famed rapper, Mozzy. While Dallas’s rap career started out very strong, it was derailed when he went to prison at age 16 and was incarcerated for the next 11 years.   Join us as restored citizen and prison reform and reentry advocate Lil Dallas tells us what life in prison is really like, what he thinks might help mo...

Police officers are seldom asked to respond to something positive. The nature of their jobs is to assist when things go wrong. Vehicle accidents, crime, and death are part of the job description for the average law enforcement officer. They are trained to run toward danger rather than away from it.   Yet when it comes to managing their mental health, the general practice is to bury those emotions...

When Daniel Bergner’s brother received a bipolar disorder diagnosis, his family was told he needed to adhere to the doctor’s orders or death was a likely outcome. This set off a chain reaction of fear his life while Daniel’s brother was just trying to manage a difficult and persistent illness.  The common denominators? Fear and uncertainty.  Today’s guest is the author of "The Mind and the Moon: M...

Since childhood, most of us have been socialized to “forgive and forget.” We’ve been told that to do anything else risks our mental health and causes emotional pain. But is that actually good advice? Does forgiving someone actually increase our mental stability? Join us as today’s guest explains why this simplistic idea doesn’t always work for people and how it is absolutely possible to move on wi...

Despite growing up in Nigeria and the UK, Tobi Bamtefa received the same stereotypical messaging surrounding what it means to be a man: men are strong, handle their responsibilities stoically, and men never cry. Ever.  Join us as Tobi shares how living with these societal expectations can be stifling and damage men’s mental health. He shares how becoming an actor and being encouraged to participat...

"The TV is talking directly to me" is a common delusion nowadays. But delusions have existed throughout history, so what did people in the Middle Ages have delusions about when there was no TV?   Join us as historian Victoria Shepherd tells us about the King of France who thought his body was made of glass, a woman who believed her husband and children had been swapped by imposters, and the man wh...

Have you seen all the amazing stuff your friends’ kids are doing while scrolling through social media? Are you worried that your kids aren’t keeping up and that maybe it is your fault? Or that maybe it’s because you are a terrible parent?  Join us as today’s guest, Dr. Carla Naumburg, explains why you are not as bad at parenting as you think. Dr. Naumburg shares why parents may think this way and...

Laurie Dhue appeared to have it all — a successful career as a broadcast journalist, a beautiful apartment over Central Park, a great family, and lots of friends. But she had what she thought of as a “naughty and thrilling” secret — a cocaine addiction.  Join us as she shares with Gabe her motivation for getting clean, how she did it, and what she is up to now. To learn more -- or read the transcr...

Today’s guest experienced a “trifecta of trauma” when three experiences of death and illness affected her family within just 10 months. These experiences led her to a revelation and the discovery of her life’s purpose. Join us as Lisa Honig Buksbaum, the author of “SOARING Into Strength,” shares her personal story as well as thoughts on how trauma can actually foster resilience. To learn more --or...

Veteran and double bronze star recipient shares how military culture might contribute to suicidality — or at least a lack of willingness to get help — and how the American Legion is trying to fix that. Every day, 17 U.S. military veterans die by suicide. How can we even begin to stop this tragedy? The American Legion, a 107-year-old organization dedicated to serving veterans, has a plan. To learn...

Of all the people on a hockey team to have anxiety, the last one you would expect would be the goalie. They have to be so cool and collected, have nerves of steel, and always be at the top of their game. Right?  In today’s episode, Stanley Cup-winning goaltender Corey Hirsch talks about his battle with anxiety, OCD, and thoughts of suicide — and his efforts to keep it secret from those around him....

How can you tell the difference between anxiety as an emotion and a disorder that needs medical intervention? Join us as today’s guest, Dr. Tracey Marks, explains the difference between being nervous about an upcoming event and something more serious like generalized anxiety disorder. She also shares tips and tricks that almost anyone can try at home to reduce the impact of anxiety. To learn more...

What does it mean to give up or surrender? Today’s guest, Kute Blackson, is an expert on the topic, having written “The Magic of Surrender.” Join us as Kute explains that surrendering doesn’t mean lying down, pulling the covers over your head, and giving up. Rather, surrender can give us the power of relinquishing control and no longer trying to put conditions on our lives. To learn more -- or rea...