Pickles and Vodka: a Mental Health Podcast

Christina interviews mental health writer Becca about her plethora of problems, including a recent discovery that turned her head upside down. Topics include familial trauma, eating disorders, addiction, maladaptive daydreaming, raw vulnerability, and finding the silver linings. It's Christina's last week in Seattle, so the podcast will take a short break while she moves across the country. Follow...

It's Christina's birthday weekend, so we're taking a break from our normal content. This short yet emotional minisode covers fear of recovery, what to say when people ask how they can help, podcasting faux pas, retiring your twenties, and why you deserve to f*cking eat. Content warning for bulimia and suicidal ideation. Jacqueline's bulimia recovery course: www.bingebreakers.com Follow Pickles and...

For the first time in this podcast's history, Christina brings her ex-boyfriend on as a guest! Listen to hear Andrew Stevens talk about his nonverbal learning disorder, living in Seattle with anxiety, being in a relationship with someone who struggles with their mental health, and much more! So sit back, relax, and get ready for a fun (and sometimes incredibly awkward) ride. Follow Andrew on Twitt...

This episode features Jacqueline Davis, host of the Binge Breakers podcast, bulimia coach, and Christina's not-so-secret role model. Tune in to hear Jacqueline reveal how she became a coach, the years of eating disorders she endured prior, how to tell your partner your secret, the correlation between bulimia and substance abuse, what it means to be "normal", and so much more. Christina gushes abou...

Joining the podcast for our final episode of Pride Month is Micah Roldan, a trans activist, educator, mentor, and YouTuber. He shares all about his rocky childhood descent into manic depression telling his wife he was trans, being socialized as a woman of color and then being thrust into a male world, dealing with mental and emotional ramifications of transitioning, and how our identities can put...

Bea is a juvenile mental health education speaker, recovering from an eating disorder that started when she was 14, and queer advocate who talks about her recent explorations into the world of polyamory. She and Christina discuss casual puberty things, starting your sexual experiences early, how to respond to comments about your body, telling your parents about your multiple partners, talking to k...

Get ready to feel all the feelings with me and my guest today! Kye Plant is a Canadian artist, musician, mental health advocate, and host of the Feelin Weird podcast. In this episode, they share the events that led up to creating the podcast, their views toward mind-altering substances, what it's like to feel like an alien in a human capitalist society, and how they choose to exist in the world. T...

HAPPY PRIDE MONTH! Joining Christina on air this week is Rachel Lynn Taylor, a self-identifying queer fat woman who just got out of treatment for atypical anorexia. Topics covered include starting over in your late 20s due to mental illness, the fat liberation movement and what it means to have an eating disorder in a larger body, chronic pain and disabilities, coming out as bisexual in the church...

Buckle up for a rocky drive as Christina reconnects with fellow motorcyclist and artist Adele Ball, who joins the podcast to talk about her life-changing journey through grief, vulnerability, and healing. Adele shares about the devastating loss of someone close to her, driving across the country in a van she built with her former partner's dad, suppressing emotions through self-harm and eating dis...

This episode features Marconi, internet comedian and host of suicidelogs, a podcast about distracting yourself from suicide by talking about every topic under the sun. He and Christina get into why he chose that name for his show, anxiety and cannabis as a coping skill, how podcasting changed him, and his random phobia of babies. Christina spends the intro revisiting the theme of relapse and why w...

Chas Neal of Man. Kind Counseling chats with Christina about why he started a psychotherapy practice for men, the dangers of toxic positivity, what growing up in the South taught him about priorities and why it was problematic, the truth about addiction in the therapy world, and more! Listen to Christina talk about mental health awareness and why her cat may be taking over the podcast. Enjoy! Find...

Joining the podcast is Lauren, a 41 year-old eating disorder sufferer and treatment veteran. She and Christina talk about the struggles of paying for treatment, what happens when your insurance fucks you over, the stimulating world of laxative abuse, and The Best Little Girl in the World. Christina admits to messing up and describes how to avoid a full relapse. Enjoy! Follow Pickles and Vodka for...

Settle in for a tumultuous tale of familial trauma, relationships gained and lost, the cycle of addiction, and an epic search for identity! Javaughn of Decent Takes Podcast shares his ongoing mental health struggles and how he comes to terms with being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Christina talks about depression and has some strong opinions about Burger King. Content warning for drug use...

We’ve got another minisode for you! This week, Connor is back to talk about attachment theory, coffee shops, and why he’s taking a break from social media. Christina spills some hot tea and gets vulnerable as always. Stay tuned for a full length episode later this week! Get full access to Pickles and Vodka at picklesandvodka.substack.com/subscribe

This week, Rob Kalwarowsky is here to talk about performance anxiety, being a self-professed psycho high achiever, what to do when told you’re just not “depressed enough”, and lots more! Christina gives another life update and is a general hot mess. Content warning for suicide. Find Rob’s projects at www.robsreliability.com or by following his mental health podcast @highperformancenarrative on Ins...

In lieu of a guest this week, Christina turns to some of her old audio journal entries in order to reflect on just how much she's changed in the last 6 months. Listen to hear brutal honesty, raw emotion, some crying, and maybe a brief catfight. Content warnings for mentions of bulimia and substance abuse. Follow Pickles and Vodka for more updates: Instagram: @picklesandvodkapodcast Facebook: Pickl...

It's the first episode of 2021! This interview--recorded before Christina went to treatment--features Rachel, a formerly incarcerated mother of two and survivor of relational trauma. Their conversation is about having too many feelings, being honest with yourself, the catharsis of vulnerability, escaping a toxic relationship, how to give yourself true freedom. (There may or may not be sad music in...

It's the last episode of 2020 and have we got an action-packed hour for you! We kick it off with some big news from Christina, then jump to an interview with Connor in his cat-free apartment. Listen as they reflect on social isolation, starting a new job during COVID, accepting help, what they're never going to take for granted again, and why it's ok to be a little bitch. Connor opens a Christmas...

2020 strikes again! In this minisode, Christina explains her recent break from the podcast and reflects on the last few months in hell. Topics include breakups, audio journaling, losing memories to mental illness, the importance of saying how we really feel, and realistic ways listeners are dealing with seasonal affective disorder. If you're struggling with mental health and want to talk about it...

Grab your favorite beverage, put on your fancy headphones, and join us for this week's episode featuring musician Cody Anderson! He and Christina chat about men's mental health, social anxiety, addiction, escape, and the healing power of music. Bonus song recommendations included! Outro music: Claire de Lune by Claude Debussy Cody's rec: Deacon Blues by Steely Dan Get full access to Pickles and Vo...

Christina's guest this week talks about her drive to meet expectations and the affects it has had on her self-perception. Listen to hear on growing up with a toxic parent, the intersection between eating disorders and pleasing others, the unique struggle of facial dysmorphia, and COVID romance. Get full access to Pickles and Vodka at picklesandvodka.substack.com/subscribe

We interrupt the podcast's normal schedule to bring you the first ever minisode featuring Connor, Christina's friend and previous guest! Listen to their chat about a bizarre incident that happened on Christina's roof, recommendations for holding up during a world crisis, what's become important to them, and a surprise appearance from a kitten who just wants to be a guest on the podcast. Enjoy! If...

This episode is a meaty one! Christina chats with Key, her old RA from Bible school, and they discuss topics such as spiritual abuse, reconstructing your life after years of being told what to believe and how to act, when and how to educate your friends on social media, health scares, and more. Sensitive topic warning for suicide and PTSD. Get full access to Pickles and Vodka at picklesandvodka.su...

The podcast is back from hiatus with its timeliest episode yet! This week's episode features Dr. Rachel Zoffness, a pain & health psychologist with 2 published books and a column in Psychology Today. She and Christina talk about the concept of anxiety contagion, the science behind emotions and pain, conspiracy theories, self-care for the end of the world, and more. Stay safe and enjoy!   Find out...

Joining Christina this week is Lucysarah, founder of the Fox Run and longtime sufferer of endometriosis. We talk all how her mental health and physical health are intertwined, why she started a collective of womxn empowering womxn, and how she keeps the light from going out in the face of unrelenting hardships. Follow Lucy on Instagram @lucysarahh and find out more about the Fox Run at @thefoxrun...