Scream Therapy

Kansas singer/songwriter Yasmin Nur comes onto the podcast for Episode 75. She talks to host Jason Schreurs about how music helps her control her self-harming thoughts and actions. Yasmin had her eyes opened by 90s alt rock and punk bands featuring powerful women. The music changed her life and helped her find a healthier and more stable path. http://yasminnur.bandcamp.com Featured song clips: Yas...

Host Jason Schreurs is joined by Bill Wilson of Blackout! Records, an influential creative force in the New York hardcore scene. Bill struggled with physical and mental health issues throughout his life and found a support system in loud, heavy, aggressive bands like Sheer Terror and Breakdown. Bill says the hardcore scene got him through his toughest times. http://blackoutrecords.com Featured son...

Host Jason Schreurs and lowheaven guitarist Alex Pley talks about his experiences with support groups and how they are so important to a mental wellness plan. Alex has attended and facilitated support groups and is also a a mental health professional who works in group therapy. The punk scene and support groups have a lot in common, according to Alex, in that they provide a place where people unde...

Host Jason Schreurs and Chamber vocalist Jacob Lilly talk about the many benefits of heavy music like hardcore, punk, and metal on emotional and mental stability. Jacob recounts finding bands like the Acacia Strain and Rotting Out when he was in his teens and how it formed his identity and gave him the community he needed. He's been putting on shows and playing in bands ever since. http://chambert...

Host Jason Schreurs brings registered psychologist Bobbi Ballard onto the podcast to talk about the struggles that musicians and other creative types face in their art. She explains how burnout and creative block are connected and what plays into performance anxiety. http://ballard-phd.com Featured song clips: The Raincoats - "Fairytale in the Supermarket" from The Raincoats (Rough Trade, 1979) No...

On Flex Your Head episode 16, host Jason Schreurs welcomes back Donald Kennedy to try and understand the enigmatic album Do Dallas by Welsh pranksters Mclusky. We talk about how band leader Andy Falkous swears the band was never popular, and we kinda agree. It didn't stop the unhinged trio from making better albums than the Pixies. christianfitness.bandcamp.com/album/mclusky-do-dallas Featured son...

Host Jason Schreurs recaps episodes 61-70 of Scream Therapy. If you missed any of these episodes, it's time to catch up! THE SCREAM THERAPY BOOK is now available! Scream Therapy: A Punk Journey through Mental Health is a memoir-plus that has been heralded by New York Times best-selling authors. Like the podcast, it links the community-minded punk rock scene with the mental wellness of the punks wh...

Host Jason Schreurs welcomes Brutal Youth screamer Patty O'Lantern to the podcast to talk about finding authenticity. Patty has attended many weekend retreats where he's been able to discover the direction he wants to take in his life. From there, he's become a life coach and mentor to help other people shift out of "default mode" and bring their true selves to their day-to-day interactions. http:...

Host Jason Schreurs and Casey Cavaliere of The Wonder Years discuss the relationship he and his band have with their listeners, including fielding intense conversations about mental health and drug and alcohol misuse. Casey talks about setting boundaries with fans while providing the best support he can given the circumstances. http://thewonderyearsband.com http://caseycavaliere.com Featured song...

On this episode, host Jason Schreurs welcomes Tina Rushing of Punk Rock Saves Lives, a non-profit organization that provides mental health and harm reduction resources at punk shows and festivals, as well as community events. Tina talks about how doing mental health advocacy work within the punk scene has been mutually enriching between her organization and the punks it provides resources for. htt...

On this episode, Karen Marie Hernandez of Cosmic Kitten joins host Jason Schreurs to talk about the struggles she faced as a youth in foster care and living in group homes. Karen spent her childhood in a neglectful household, and a teen in the government care system, all the while dealing with mental health struggles and medication side effects. Playing her guitar and writing music helped lead her...

Rock 'N Healthy Lifestyles podcast host and chiropractic doctor Jennifer Palladino comes on the podcast for episode 66 to discuss the glory days of the New York and London punk scenes and her formative years within them. Jennifer discusses how mental health and addiction issues were or weren't talked about and addressed during a time when the subjects were taboo, even amongst open-minded punks. ht...

Scream Therapy welcomes Annie Kuchenmeister, vocalist and guitarist of Loki's Folly, to talk with host Jason Schreurs about living on the autism spectrum and its effects on her mental health. Annie discusses why punk rock has helped her find calmness in her life, and how she loves to scream, of course! http://lokisfolly.com Featured song clips: Loki's Folly - “The Love Song” from Sisu (Kitten Robo...

Negative Blast screamer Raineir Pesebre joins me on episode 64 to talk about how his life changed when he discovered punk as a Filipino army base kid. Raineir discusses how writing and playing punk rock allows him to articulate his anger, frustration, and vulnerability and come out the other side with positive energy. http://negativeblast.bandcamp.com Featured song clips: Negative Blast - “Echo Pl...

On episode 63, I talk to writer B. Sonenreich about how she has returned to the punk scene after psychotic episodes because it's a place where she's understood and validated. B. talks about using the punk rock ethos as inspiration to find her authentic writing voice and be present in her art and life. merigoldindependent.com/bsonenreich Featured song clips: Small - “Crumbs” from Decathexis (2022)...

On episode 62, Mark Bouchard, comic book writer and curator of Everything Is Going Wrong anthology, joined podcast host Jason Schreurs to talk about the importance of spreading messages of mental health through stories of lived experience. Mark explains the responsibility he felt being entrusted with other people's experience through the making of the anthology. http://barkmouchard.com Featured so...

On episode 61, host Jason Schreurs talks with Shannon Eoff of Pacific Northwest hardcore/punk band Knelt Before on the importance of positive mental attitude (or PMA, as it's known in punk circles). Shannon also discusses being an ally for folks with mental health issues and supporting loved ones when they need it most. http://kneltbefore.com Featured song clips: Knelt Before - "Choices" from Be N...

Host Jason Schreurs recaps episodes 51-60 of Scream Therapy. If you missed any of these episodes, it's time to catch up! SUPPORT SCREAM THERAPY: BUY SOME MERCH! teepublic.com/user/scream-therapy About this podcast: Scream Therapy explores the link between punk rock and mental health. My guests are members of the underground music scene who are living with mental health challenges, like myself. Int...

On episode 60, host Jason Schreurs talks with Lauren Anzaldo of 309 Punk Project about her history living in punk houses and her work in preserving what's considered the oldest standing punk house in the southern US. Lauren explains how punk houses have been such an influential part of her life and the transformation of 309 to a community archive, event venue, and artists' residency. http://309pun...

On Flex Your Head episode 15 host Jason Schreurs welcomes back Nelson from Nelson to examine the crossover hardcore classic, Corrosion of Conformity's Animosity. From '80s political lyrics (not a far cry from current events) to Mike Dean's unbelievably weird, harsh vocal style, we dig into an album that help create a punk/metal amalgam that continues to this day. https://corrosion-of-conformity.ba...

On episode 59, host Jason Schreurs welcomes Craig "Gregorio" Lewis to the podcast to talk about how he was wrongfully and intentionally diagnosed when he told the truth that his parents were abusing him. Later in life, Gregorio was able to have his diagnoses removed from his health file, but life without a diagnosis was an epic struggle he wasn't prepared for. http://sanityisafulltimejob.org Featu...

On episode 58, host Jason Schreurs talks to Ian Holubiak a.k.a. K!lly !dol about his addiction and bipolar comorbidity. Ian has battled his bipolar and addiction symptoms since youth, and over the years, he has discovered how closely they are linked and feed off each other. http://soundcloud.com/killyidol Featured song clips: K!lly !dol - "WANNABE!" (2022) SUPPORT SCREAM THERAPY: BUY SOME MERCH! t...

On episode 57, host Jason Schreurs talks to Ottawa/Halifax punk scenester Matty Grace about the gender dysphoria that fuelled her depression when she was growing up. Later in life, the punk scene gave her hope in her mental health struggles and a place where she felt comfortable coming out as trans. http://mattygrace.bandcamp.com http://cluttered.bandcamp.com Featured song clips: Cluttered - "Dysp...

On episode 56 of the podcast, host Jason Schreurs talks to Chris Cresswell, guitarist and vocalist of The Flatliners and Hot Water Music, about balancing his life on the road with his home life. Chris has spent the majority of his adult years on tour and discusses the challenges he faces in maintaining mental health in a non-stop, high-energy environment. http://chriscresswell.net http://theflatli...

On episode 55 host Jason Schreurs welcomes Derek Zanetti, lead singer and guitarist for The Homeless Gospel Choir. Derek talks about the importance of routine for folks with mental health conditions, specifically bipolar, and how he maintains a healthy balance on the road. Touring can be a disaster cocktail for some punks, a fact Derek has learned from over the years. http://thehomelessgospelchoir...