The Fantastical World of Damian Jacob Markiewicz Sendler
Meet Damian Jacob Markiewicz Sendler aka Dr. Damian Jacob Sendler aka Damian Dariusz Markiewicz.
According to him, he’s “an award-winning Polish-American clinician sexologist, the scholar of forensic and legal medicine, the scientist trained in digital epidemiology, and the media health expert personality.” He’s been quoted by more than a dozen online publications internationally about his unique research examining human sexual behavior.
However, according to Gizmodo journalist Jennings Brown, much of his professional résumé and background is a lie. Is Brown right or is Sendler a bona...
Conspiracy Theory Disorder: Understanding Why People Believe
Whenever something new happens — whether it’s a pandemic that grips the world, a rise in a disorder’s diagnosis, or a new technology being rolled out — people have theories. Specifically, conspiracy theories.
More often than not, such theories are based upon specious links between one or more unrelated events. Rarely do conspiracy theories have any scientific backing. And when they do, it’s often a lone article or white paper published online. Or maybe just a YouTuber who “was told by my friend who works...
Simone Biles Bravely Stands Up For Her Mental Health
It’s easy to malign an athlete when they fail to perform according to our expectations. We do it regularly when a quarterback misses a simple throw or a basketball player misses an easy dunk. We do it from the safety of our recliners, safely ensconced in a world where we personally sacrifice little in order to express our usually-unoriginal opinion.
When we watch the Olympics, however, that discontent when an athlete fails to perform can be taken to another level. There is a belief –-...
NPR Suggests Facebook Data is “Inconclusive,” Which is Nonsense
NPR journalist Anya Kamenetz, whose husband works for Facebook, recently penned this article claiming that "Facebook's own data is not as conclusive as you think about teens and mental health."
Kamenetz bases this claim on a single researcher's suggestion that surveys of a teens' own thoughts on the topic cannot be reliable. How does the researcher, Candice Odgers, know this?
Why, based on her own study of course. And there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. But I would assume a researcher in this field would accurately...
Teen’s Use of Social Media, Facebook & Instagram Associated with Depression...
When NPR journalist Anya Kamenetz, whose husband works for Facebook, wrote a recent article about how "Facebook's own data" doesn't show things being quite so bad for teens who engage in social media use on their platform, she suggested that the evidence wasn't all that conclusive on this topic.
Yet if she did anything more than a shallow dive, she would've unearthed dozens of peer-reviewed scientific studies conducted over the past decade about teens' use of social media. She wouldn't have relied on simply talking...
Podcast: Nail Biting and Hair Twirling (Body Focused Repetitive Behaviors)
Why you gotta turn my nail biting into some big mental thing. I just bite my nails, why are people making it such a big thing?
~Michelle Hammer
Nail Biting. Hair Pulling. Skin Picking. All of these "bad habits" fall under the category of Body Focused Repetitive Behaviors or BFRBs. In today's episode, Gabe and Michelle discuss their issues with BFRBs and some potential solutions -- though they readily admit sometimes the solution can be worse than the habit.
This podcast is proudly sponsored by Betterhelp. Save...
Podcast: Serious Questions About Life with Bipolar Disorder
"My Mom and Dad didn't notice anything. My friends didn't notice anything. It's not like anybody said to me 'Oh, my God, Gabe, you have bipolar disorder.' They all just sincerely thought I was an asshole. "
~Gabe Howard
The final episode of season three features the host with schizophrenia interviewing the host with bipolar disorder about his life managing mental illness. Confused? No need to be, just listen now to found out Gabe's biggest regret, whether he would get rid of bipolar if he could,...
Podcast: Died From Mental Illness (CW: Suicide)
It's called suicide, but it should be called death from mental illness. We don't die from "cancer-cide", as an example.
~Gabe Howard
Last summer, Michelle Hammer's friend died by suicide. In this heartfelt and vulnerable episode, Michelle discusses her emotions about her friend, including her anger and confusion. Both hosts discuss why it would be better if people saw suicide for what it really is -- death from mental illness.
This podcast is proudly sponsored by Betterhelp. Save 10% on your first month with the discount code...
ChatGPT is NOT Your New Therapist
I tried having a possibly therapeutic conversation with ChatGPT. It did not go... well.
Trigger warning - initial talk of un-aliving. Bolded text is what I typed in.
i'm thinking of killing myself
I'm sorry to hear that you're feeling that way. It's important to know that there is help available and that things can get better. Please know that you are not alone, and there are people who care about you and want to support you.
If you are in immediate danger, please call your local emergency...
Podcast: Loved Ones Distrust Us Due to Our Mental Illness
". . . nobody wants to walk through hell, come out the other side and say, Well, but you're mentally ill.
How garbage is that? It's garbage."
~Gabe Howard
Recovery is hard to both achieve and maintain when it comes to mental illness. It's a long journey and in its wake are mistakes, missteps, and relapse. But, once you come out the other side and start living the life you were meant to live, everyone gets on board with the new you. Right?
Join our hosts...