Mental Illness Happy Hour

Author/life-coach April Adams clarifies what an "energy healer" actually does despite it sounding like new-age b.s.  She talks about techniques she has used to deal with her childhood trauma and heal others.  She opens up about her experiences with swinging, sexual fluidity, embracing her attraction to women fairly late in life and possible love addiction/fear of intimacy in her same-sex marriage....

The 34 year-old British writer/comedian/performer shares about the pain of her parents' nasty divorce when she was a kid, especially her father using her as a pawn and poisoning her mind about her mother. She also shares about her depression and only being turned on by men who treat her badly or are in some way unavailable. She talks about her struggle to not equate her self-worth with her career...

The actor/comedian (@Midnight) opens up about his recent suicide attempt, psych ward stay  and how it is motivating him to seek help and try to be a better husband, father and friend.  He shares about trying to break the cycle of bad parenting and untreated addiction/mental illness in his family and learn how to identify and express his emotions instead of coping with his anxiety and depression by...

Only hugged once in her life by her mother, 25 year-old Yohana is the daughter of conservative East African war refugees from Ethiopia & Eritrea.  All her life she has buried her rage by wearing the "good girl" mask to try to placate her narcissistic mother and having to be someone else to survive as a kid growing up in Oakland where there were some fixed ideas of what makes someone an "authentic...

The 31 year-old writer discusses feminism, sexual violence and misogyny in the context of partisan politics, and her personal life. She shares about the complexities of marrying a Muslim, growing up being told "you're too sensitive", avoiding her emotions by achieving, hating her body, fighting the drill sergeant in her head and learning the power of being vulnerable and letting go of shame. Jamie...

Jeff is Paul's friend of 28 years and the son of former guest and Holocaust survivor Kristine Keese. He shares about her recent passing, their deep but complicated relationship, how he made peace with her being "a terrible mom but a great friend" and the book she wrote Shadows of Survival: A Child's Memoir of the Warsaw Ghetto.  Buy Kristine's book here. Follow Jeff on Twitter @Jeff_Rosie Visit Je...

The writer/improviser shares about the mental/emotional breakdown her freshman year of college at NYU that left her living in her car and squatting in empty buildings in New York City.  She looks back on her childhood and the familial love that was so often conditional, based on her weight and appearance.  She opens up about the body shaming women in her family unconsciously modeled for her, her r...

The 33 year-old listener was the woman who comforted Murray Valeriano during our live episode last week.  From a blended family with every kind of abuse imaginable, including her church elder step-grandfather who molested her, her descent into meth and drinking, finding sobriety, and getting therapy for her traumas. This episode is sponsored by Casper Mattresses.  Visit www.casper.com/mental This...

The comedian/writer/podcaster had never talked much about losing his virginity at 15 to a 32 year-old tutor.  Tonight that changed and so did his view of the event and aftermath.  He also opens up about being a preacher's kid (who wasn't even allowed to see Footloose), being a father and the role "forbidden" music played in helping him cope as young man. If you would like to watch video of this ep...

The producer/host of WNYC's Snap Judgment shares about being raised in a fundamentalist Christian cult, strategies he's used to survive racism, what he learned by visiting Japan as a college student, his struggles with bipolar and his family's history of mental illness especially his late brother. This episode is sponsored by Young Health's Probimune.  For your first bottle free (plus $6.75 shippi...

You probably know her as the little girl from Matilda or Mrs. Doubtfire but you probably don't know that's around the time she lost her mom, developed OCD, anxiety, depression and panic attacks and that today she is an advocate for mental health.  She is also a playwright, author (Where Am I Now?) and still occasionally acts. This episode is sponsored by Probimune.  For your first bottle free and...

The psychiatrist and therapist talks about sexual trauma in the military, powerful men who fear intimacy, meds, treating personality disorders, doing therapy via Skype, the therapy process and why insurance companies suck. Check out Dr Dabney's site www.drldabney.com Buy tix to see MIHH at LAPodfest Sept 23-25 www.lapodfest.com  (MIHH is recording Sun. Sept 25th at 9pm) This episode is sponsored b...

The comedian and actress talks her anxiety and depression, being raised in an incredibly anxious household, being bullied throughout childhood for her height (she was six feet tall in 8th grade), and raising two boys in a same sex marriage. This episode is sponsored by Young Health's Probimune. For 50% of your first order go to www.probimune.com and use offer code MENTAL at checkout.  This episode...

"My coach raped me over 200 times". The truth that Theo almost died trying to keep to himself. Only when he hit bottom with drugs, sex and gambling could he summon the courage to face what had happened when he was a rising 14 year-old phenom. He talks about his childhood, his hockey career, getting sober and his post-career mission of raising awareness and trying to change outdated sentencing laws...

Sarah shares about her mother's battles with Borderline Personality Disorder, her relationship with such a "beautifully disastrously complicated" woman, Sarah's own battles with bulimia, anxiety, and co-dependency and the role exercise has played in helping her moods. This episode is sponsored by Blue Apron.  For your first 3 meals free (with free shipping) go to www.blueapron.com/mental Follow Sa...

You hear the phrase "love yourself" a lot.  But how do we get there? Maddy's story is a great example.  She was molested by a relative (and church leader) but didn't feel safe enough to speak up about it for years.  Then she got help and everything changed. This episode is sponsored by Casper Mattresses.  To find out more go to www.casper.com/mental To buy tickets for the In This Together Festival...

The reality TV producer (Somebody's Gotta Do It) opens up about his depression, social anxiety, history of unrequited love obsessions - especially as a kid, getting sober from prescription opiates and smoking speed thru a broken light bulb! This episode is sponsored by BlueApron. To get your first three meals free (with FREE shipping) go to www.blueapron.com/mental This episode is sponsored by Squ...

28 year-old Cynthia Pena ACSW opens up about her life, experiencing skin tone prejudice within the Hispanic community, being the "good child" who gets forgotten, anxiety, triggers, working in an overloaded county system helping children with severe or persistent mental illnesses and her dream of expanding the role of mental health in athletics. Follow Cyndi on Twitter @Ms_Cyndi_Pena For more infor...

Paul's support group friend and writer talks about weighing 95 lbs at 5 years-old, being in foster homes and psych wards, surviving incest, learning self-love and dealing with addictions to food and abusive men. This episode is sponsored by Blue Apron.  To see this month's menu and your first three meals free (including free delivery) go to www.blueapron.com/mental See omnystudio.com/listener for...

The 43 year old teacher and recovering alcoholic talks about being sexualized as a child by her father, having to cut contact with her controlling mother, and trying to heal while dealing with anxiety, panic attacks and PTSD. Get info on Paul's upcoming appearances in Oakland July 20 & 21. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and Cali...

The podcaster (Too Beautiful To Live), radio host (Live Wire Radio) and tv host (CBS Morning News) talks about his outbursts of anger that get physical, always feeling uncomfortable in his skin and being hyper vigilant to avoid criticism. This episode is sponsored by SquareSpace. For a free trial and 10% off your first purchase go to www.squarespace.com and use offer code MENTAL Get info on Paul's...

The author (Lesbian Love Addiction: Understanding the Urge to Merge and How to Heal When Things Go Wrong) and therapist talks about love addiction especially in the lesbian community, what coming out what like for her, myths about lesbians and what makes a good therapist. For more about her or her book go to www.lesbianloveaddiction.com Follow her on Twitter @DrLaurenCostine This episode is sponso...

The French Canadian biologist sits down with Paul and talks about experiencing covert incest by her mother who she believes also had Borderline Personality Disorder, and her complex relationship with her safer but extremely codependent father.  Julie shares about her struggle to share intimacy with her husband and the progress she's making in releasing some of the trauma thru somatic therapy. See...

Paul's old comedy pal Mike shares about psych wards, not being deemed "black enough", anxiety, depression, experiencing some classic 70's Chicago racism and trying to be a better parent than he had. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Zachary shares his story while his wife Sarah sits in.  He talks about losing his mother (actress Diana Hyland) to cancer when he was 3, being raised by an abusive father, learning to numb himself with sex and after bottoming out, finding help.  They also talk about how they navigate marriage and work on intimacy while working through their individual issues. Zachary is a writer and is working on...