Is Brainspotting Therapy Legit?
There is a newer type of psychotherapy called brainspotting that is gaining momentum among some therapists. Brainspotting refers to a therapeutic technique that focuses on helping a person overcome trauma (often childhood trauma) by helping the patient supposedly access their subcortical brain. This area of the brain is believed to be primarily responsible for things like our emotions, how we learn new things, and consciousness.
Brainspotting is not considered a legitimate or recognized psychotherapy technique at this time. It has very little scientific research...
Podcast: Women v Men: Who Has More Stigma From Mental Illness?
Today's discussion explores the challenges men and women face in managing mental illness, examining societal expectations, medication, and support systems. What disparities exist? What similarities emerge? Who triumphs in the battle of the sexes?
Michelle and Gabe also delve into the question of whether it truly matters who suffers more (spoiler alert: it doesn't) and why society perpetuates a competition of suffering. Join us for a thought-provoking conversation rooted in the timeless debate of men versus women. Listen Now!
About the Hosts of A Bipolar,...
Balancing Support and Boundaries: Navigating Mental Health Challenges in Friendship
In today’s episode, Gabe and Michelle discuss the challenges Michelle faces with her friend who exhibits erratic and aggressive behavior, likely due to untreated mental illness. Despite Michelle's continued efforts to support her friend, including texting her mom and trying to be there, she struggles with the constant verbal abuse and feels unable to help effectively. Gabe suggests setting firm boundaries and considering intervention via 988 when her friend's behavior becomes dangerous, but both recognize the difficulty and complexity of the situation.
About the Hosts of A Bipolar,...
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...
Podcast: Crazy Outtakes from the Edge (The Bonus Episode)
"Gabe & Michelle are mentally ill and crazy. It's a rare combination."
~Lisa Kiner
Bonus episode filled with outtakes and additional information. Put together by the show's producer and editor, Lisa Kiner. Tune in if you want to learn more about how the show is made and how much work goes into the back-end.
Plus, it's hilarious.
This podcast is proudly sponsored by Betterhelp. Save 10% on your first month with the discount code "BSP22" or by clicking here.
About the Hosts of A Bipolar, A Schizophrenic, and a...
Podcast: Is Mental Illness Trendy Now?
"Have we gone so far that the actual definition of mental illness has been lost and it has been sort of retconned to mean different?"
~Gabe Howard
"Hauntingly beautiful," "ride the lightning," and even famous quotes like "we're all mad here" are often used to positively describe mental illness. It's the "every cloud has a silver lining" mentality.
But is it true? Does mental illness have a positive side that is used to create things like incredible art and great literature? In this episode, our hosts...
Online Support Communities: Quality is About People, Not Posts
The popularity of online communities has never been stronger, with the growth of new groups (such as YouTube) skyrocketing past those of old. But sometimes people and companies confuse what makes a popular community, well, popular. They mistakenly point to traffic numbers, confusing quantity of people (or unique visitors) over why the people are coming in the first place – for other people.
As online communities continue to grow with virtually everyone who is online belonging to at least one such community, communities start...
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...
Podcast: Challenging the Stupidity Stereotype in Mental Illness
Can people with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia be intelligent, or are they dumb? Tune in as Gabe and Michelle navigate the intersections of intelligence, creativity, and mental health, challenging the stereotypes that people with mental illness are somehow less than other people. Our hosts also address the concepts of genius and the enigmatic "spark of madness."
But that's not all – buckle up for a rollercoaster of tangents, including a deep dive into Mayim Bialik's role as a host on Jeopardy and the surprising misrepresentation...
Podcast: Handling Money with Mental Illness
So it's like spend your money, have less money, get on Medicare or have more money, have no health insurance. . .
It doesn't make any sense. You're stuck in an endless cycle.
~MIchelle Hammer
Bipolar and schizophrenia can make handling finances challenging -- to say the least. Even famous pop stars like Britney Spears have had well documented issues managing money.
In this episode, our hosts discuss some common issues, ponder some solutions, and vent about the obstacles people living with mental illness face while trying...