Gabe Howard refers to himself as a literal red-headed step-child because he was adopted by his mom's second husband after his father abandoned him when he was just a baby. His childhood was fraught with depression, anxiety, mood swings, and suicidal ideation because of his yet-to-be diagnosed mental illness.

In 2003, when Gabe was committed to the psychiatric hospital at 25 years old, he weighed 550 pounds, was delusional, suicidal, and had just come off a manic phase that lasted about a year. His first wife had left him and he'd rented an apartment to carry out his suicidal plan because, in his words, he "didn't want to stigmatize the house he owned and lower its resale value." It was in the psychiatric hospital that he finally received the proper diagnosis of bipolar disorder.

Now in recovery, Gabe is a prominent mental health activist who makes mental illness less scary with his entertaining articles like "Anxiety Says Everyone Hates Me" and "I Have Bipolar and I'm a Hypocrite." He's also a national speaker and the author of Mental Illness is an Asshole and Other Observations. Gabe hosts two different podcasts- the award-winning Psych Central Podcast and another called, Not Crazy, a podcast he co-hosts with his ex-wife. He's proud to be a 2017 Everyday Hero, an honor given to him in a proclamation by Governor John Kasich of Ohio.

Gabe makes his home in Central Ohio with his wife, Kendall and a mini-schnauzer he never wanted but now can't live without.

SHOW NOTE LINKS:

Gabe Howard's Website

Gabe Howard's Podcasts

Rachel Steinman on Gabe's Psych Central Podcast- Not Crazy

Gabe Howard on Instagram

Dear Family, Podcast with Andy Behrman- Electroboy Bipolar Sensory Overload

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