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: Trauma and Mental Illness
"I believe like 99.9999% Of people have experienced some type of trauma. You think you haven't. The statistics say that not everybody has, but I disagree with that. Everyone's experienced some type of trauma.
~Michelle Hammer
People with mental illness have almost certainly experienced trauma -- whether they are aware of it or not. Having a life-long serious illness like bipolar disorder, depression, or schizophrenia, can be traumatic.
In this episode, Gabe and Michelle share their personal trauma stories and discuss why people think that only people...
Podcast: Our Take on Gun Violence and Mental Illness
"They say, well, something's got to be wrong with you if you shoot a bunch of people. Yeah, I am not going to argue that point. Something's got to be wrong with you if you shoot a bunch of people, but It's not (NECESSARILY) serious and persistent mental illness."
~Gabe Howard
Whenever there is mass violence in the United States, politicians are quick to blame people living with mental illness. These same politicians are often also quick to the cut mental health budgets and create barriers...
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: 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: 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: 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...
Podcast: To Therapy or Not to Therapy?
"People don't want to see a therapist because they think that means they're crazy. But, who decided that?"
~Gabe Howard
Today, we discuss the pros and cons of therapy. What it is, why it works, why it doesn't work, and every tangent in between. Spoiler Alert: One host loves therapy and the other host doesn't love therapy. Listen in now.
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...
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: 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...