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: 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...
Podcast: One of us Was Naked! Truth or Lie?
"I zone out on a train and I talk to myself on the trains and I was out of it on the train. I kind of left that part out, didn't I?"
~Michelle Hammer
For the final episode of season 2, we play Two truths and lie. Gabe covers eating disorders, inappropriate behavior, and his hatred of language policing. Michelle covers zoning out, disclosing her diagnosis, and takes us back to her freshman year in high school.
Two stories are true, one is a lie. The rules...
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...
Podcast: Packing for a Psychiatric Inpatient Hospital Stay
"Isn't a pool cue like extremely dangerous in the psych ward? Like, you can't have any hooks on the walls. But here's a pool cue?"
~Michelle Hammer
Being in the psychiatric ward is not the ideal way to spend a night, weekend, or longer. However, sometimes we find ourselves there.
What should you pack? What should you ask your friends and family to bring? What is generally allowed versus never allowed? Learn all this -- and more -- on the season three premier of A Bipolar, A...
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...
Rod Martin Ph.D.
Dr. Martin is a Professor of Clinical Psychology. He has been studying humor and its relationship to psychological well-being since 1979. He has authored more than 50 scholarly journal articles and book chapters on this topic, and has recently published a book entitled The Psychology of Humor: An Integrative Approach, which provides a comprehensive review of humor research in all areas of psychology. He has developed several humor measures, which have been translated into numerous languages. In his recent research, he has focused on the...
Podcast: Deep Q’s For an NYC Woman with Schizophrenia
"When I was at home, I'd be talking to myself and they're like, What are you laughing at? What is so funny? And I'd be like, Oh, nothing, nothing at all. But yeah, they figured it out. They all figured it out."
~Michelle Hammer
Sometimes people think our hosts, Gabe and Michelle, are actors just playing a role for the show. We can assure you, they are real people managing severe and persistent mental illness. In this episode, Gabe interviews Michelle about her life in New...
Podcast: Moving Past Depression (and Other Musings)
Why don't we ever talk about how despite our best efforts, we are depressed? Now, let's figure out how to move forward.
~Gabe Howard
We've all heard the adage, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." When it comes to depression, however, this expression holds even more significance. For one thing, there is no "cure" for depression, so prevention is obviously deserving of our efforts.
But how do you prevent something when you're already suffering from it? Moving forward with depression is the best most...