Hardcore Humanism with Dr. Mike

What’s up Hardcore Humans! This week on The Hardcore Humanism Podcast I was thrilled to talk with Jacoby Shaddix – founding member, vocalist and songwriter of the band Papa Roach. Papa Roach has been making great music for over 25 years and have sold over 30 million albums. Papa Roach’s music has been classified as “nu metal” – a sub genre of heavy metal music that combines metal with other genres, including Hip Hop, Emo and Alternative Rock. Not only is Papa Roach considered one of the best nu metal bands of all time, but also their album Infest (2000) is considered one of the greatest nu metal albums of all time, and their song “Last Resort” is considered one of the greatest nu metal songs of all time. Pap Roach is celebrating their career with their greatest hits album Greatest Hits Volume 2 – the Better Noise Years.

One of the core goals of humanistic approaches to psychotherapy is to provide a safe space for an individual to identify the various internal and external forces that interfere with their ability to self-actualize and live an authentic and purpose-driven life. Oftentimes, one such force is the negative judgment that we put on ourselves and that others put on us as we struggle. When we are self-critical, we judge ourselves with harsh negative thoughts that are demeaning rather than supportive. Predictably, this self-criticism can be harmful, in part because people who are self-critical may not feel they deserve the care they need to treat their mental illness. 

Shaddix has been a strong and consistent mental health advocate, challenging the stigma of mental illness and supporting compassionate and kind treatment for people. And in our discussion, he explains his long history of struggling with depression and substance dependence, as well as the harsh self-criticism he engaged in that worsened his condition. Shaddix then also explained an alternative approach that he has been using where he engaged in more acceptance and forgiveness rather than harsh judgment and self-criticism. 

As we struggle to break through barriers on our purpose-driven path, we need to be respectful of ourselves and make sure we don’t lose sight of how difficult that struggle can be. This is what humanistic psychologists referred to as unconditional positive regard – whereby we don’t think of people as less human or less worthy of respect and support during difficult times.

Once Shaddix was able to approach his depression and addiction with kindness rather than judgment and criticism, he was able to then take the next action steps that he needed to take care of himself during this tough time. This includes being open and honest with his bandmates, letting them know he needed some time to take care of himself. And he committed to a self-care routine that included prayer, reading, writing and meditation to help him stabilize.

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Today we are thrilled to be talking with Alan Robert, whom many of you know as the bassist/songwriter for the heavy metal band Life of Agony. And a few years back, Rolling Stone rated Life Of Agony’s River Runs Red album one of the greatest heavy metal albums of all time, which I appreciated as the song River Runs Red is one of my favorite songs of all time. And Alan is also the creator of the best selling coloring book series The Beauty of Horror and just announced the newest edition of the series, The Beauty of Horror 5: Haunt of Fame.

Now at Hardcore Humanism, our goal is to help you apply some of the core principles of humanistic psychology so that you can break free from the conventions and expectations that others may put on you, or that you may put on yourself, find your purpose in life and work hard to achieve it. Alan has dedicated himself professionally to a lifetime of artistic expression and has had great success in different mediums. But one of the themes that cuts across much of Alan’s work is the exploration and embrace of horror.

And so I wanted to talk with Alan about the psychology of horror as a genre and theme. And one of the reasons this concept is so important to Hardcore Humanism is because horror, whether in art, music, or film, is often dismissed as frightening, harmful and ultimately damaging, because it explores terrifying themes. And thus people who enjoy this art form are often stigmatized as somehow being damaged or dangerous. But for fans of horror, it is in fact the extreme nature of the art that ultimately can be a safe and healthy form of emotional validation, exploration and expression. And Alan’s ability to bring the energy and thematic content of horror into a very new medium – coloring books – gives perhaps an entirely new population an opportunity to safely understand and experience challenging emotions, while also challenging the stigma that horror and horror fans sometimes carry.

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This week we welcome singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and visual artist, Mod Sun to the Hardcore Humanism Podcast. Mod has a new solo album out called Internet Killed The Rockstar which can be preordered now and is set to release February 12, 2021.

Now as a child of the 80’s, when I heard about Mod’s album, I immediately harkened back to my youth and watching the first video ever to appear on MTV - The Buggles song “Video Killed The Radio Star.” And what was so compelling about that song was that it was signaling to the world that there was a new era of how we think about and relate to music and our rock stars. Specifically, through the use of visual imagery and story-telling, musicians were now able to think of and present themselves in a more complex, multi-dimensional way. And this was another step in the ongoing evolution of how artists related to the world.

And it was that same revolutionary spirit that drove the conversation Mod and I had, where he talked about how his own artistic path involves deconstructing and reconfiguring the definition of what it means to be a rock star. Specifically, Mod explained how the predominant definition of what it means to be a true “artist” was to push oneself – physically, emotionally – to the very edge in order to explore the outer limits of one’s creativity. As Mod points out, this lifestyle would often be done at the expense of one’s health and well-being, including drug use and working for days on end with little sleep. But Mod then went on to described expanding the concept of what it means to be a “rock star” to one where health and creativity are not at odds but are rather synergistic in building a sustainable and productive artistic career. 

Now at Hardcore Humanism, we try to apply the principles of humanistic psychology to help people find their purpose and work hard to achieve it. And one way of understanding Mod’s path is to consider it in the context of a theory of one of the founders of humanistic psychology – Albert Maslow. Maslow’s motivational theory called the “hierarchy of needs” often depicted as hierarchical levels within a pyramid. From the bottom of the hierarchy upwards, the needs are: physiological (food and clothing), safety (job security), love and belonging needs (friendship), esteem, and self-actualization. Needs lower down in the hierarchy must be satisfied before individuals can attend to needs higher up. Often, artists will bypass “safety” needs such as health and well-being in the pursuit of creativity. And consistent with Maslow’s theory, what Mod is saying is that for him, true self-actualization cannot be attained without first taking care of his safety needs through sobriety, sleep and exercise, as he simultaneously pursues his creative path. 

And just as there are many ways to be a rock star, there are many ways to be a spouse, parent, friend, family member, artist, entrepreneur, athlete or worker. Whatever your authentic path is, don’t let the expectations of others or the limits you may put on yourself dictate who you can be.

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What’s up Hardcore Humans! In this episode, we are thrilled to be talking with John Carter Cash. John is music royalty – the only child of the legendary Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash. John himself has worked for years as a music producer and has his own band, The Cash Collective, which recently put out a new album in 2020 called Hey Crow! Now for many of us, one of the first places from which we draw a sense of who we are as people is from our family. 

There are many ways that our family may influence how we see ourselves. That is because as we are figuring out who we are in the world. We are also figuring out who they are, how we feel about them and how they feel about us. Often, we feel that our parents represent a framework for understanding our own lives. And this framework can be constructive as our parents create the context for us to learn about ourselves, grow and thrive. But our parents can also be the first place where we feel that there are barriers in our life as they may have different ideas about who we should be and how we should live our life. As an example, a discrepancy between how we want to live our lives and what our parents want for us may manifest in criticism or even hostility. These processes can be very damaging and even leave us at risk for relapse if we struggle with mental illness. 

 And so, it’s often a balance to figure out how to appreciate, learn from and emulate our parents while also recognizing the ways that we want to live our lives that may be different from their expectations. Now this process can be complicated enough under more conventional circumstances. But when your parents are music legends it can become confusing as to how you see yourself in the world when they are such a huge part of it. And so, I was curious as to how this process played out for someone like John in his personal development as he explored and carved out his own identity. 

 One of the interesting insights that emerged from the conversation with John was how he feels that his parents helped him balance having humility while striving for success. There has been increasing interest in the role of humility as a construct that is associated with improved well-being. As an example, one nationwide survey of 3010 participants suggested that humility serves as a buffer – protecting us in part against the negative effects of stress on well-being. Now in developing our own identity and sense of purpose, many of us feel like we have to make a choice – be humble and limited in our ambitions or be somewhat arrogant – even if just privately -- and want to take over the world. And John really talks about another option, where one can continue to remain humble and grounded while having aspirations to do great things. In some ways that’s one of the best ways we can connect with ourselves – stay grounded in who we are while at the same time have an eye on using that very humility as an engine for striving to better ourselves and our lives. 

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This week on The Hardcore Humanism Podcast, we talk with Jake Luhrs, vocalist of the band August Burns Red. August Burns Red has a new album out called Guardians. In their review of the album, Kerrang! raves, “An explosion of airtight technicality gouged with deceptively infectious grooves … every moment maintains a pulse-pounding high. And they just dropped a brand-new video for the song “Standing in the Storm” which Loudwire called “hard hitting but heartfelt.”

In addition to his music, Luhrs has launched YourLife Gym. It’s the first I’ve ever heard of this concept, which is a gym that focuses on both physical and mental health. So, in addition to the equipment, classes and trainers found in traditional gyms that focus on physical fitness, there are classes and trainers that focus on mental health including mindfulness classes and mental health coaching sessions. This is a really exciting innovation because we know that exercise is effective in helping to improve both physical and mental health. But we may be missing more of an opportunity to improve one’s well-being by not giving people who come to a gym the opportunity to work out their mind as well as their body. 

There is so much to take away from the conversation with Luhrs. One of the main issues that Jake discusses is that struggling with a mental health issue such as depression can spark a spiritual crisis. We can lose faith in everything – in ourselves, our friends, our family, the world around us and our higher power because nothing feels right and we have no hope that it ever will get better. And we lose faith in a world that could allow us to be in such severe emotional pain. As an example, one study of 122 participants from a sample of adult patients in an urban primary care clinic found that lower levels of spirituality such as belief in a higher power and importance of prayer were associated with higher levels of depression. 

And it was really inspiring how with all of the stressors that Jake faced in his life, he never gave up trying to find his path to spirituality and purpose. He looked to music and his faith in a higher power and these helped him during his dark times. And he’s now living out that purpose with the YourLife gym where he helps people who also may be struggling. Jake’s path is consistent with a growing focus on the potential benefits of adding spiritual components to more conventional treatments for depression.

A practical takeaway from Luhrs’ story is that sometimes when we feel that we are consumed by darkness, a way to let in a little light is to do one tangible kind thing for ourselves. Maybe talk with a trusted friend about our struggles, listen to music that helps us feel better or take up exercise to strengthen our body and boost our mood. And we can also look outside ourselves to be kind and helpful to others. That kindness may be what gets us through and what keeps our faith in ourselves and humanity.

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Dr. Mike talks with Heidi Shepherd and Carla Harvey of Butcher Babies about how they overcame marginalization in the form of sexism and racism. They also discuss overcoming the judgments of others about who they were and who they should be. Check out their new song, “Sleeping with the Enemy,” to be included in their fourth studio album scheduled for release in early 2021.

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Dr. Mike talks with Dennis DeYoung, solo artist and former front man of the progressive rock band Styx. Dennis recently released a new album 26 East Volume 1, and pandemic permitting will be touring to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the classic Styx album The Grand Illusion. Dennis talked about the hard realities of becoming a professional musician, how he was driven by a fear of failure, and whether success ultimately cured him of that fear.

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This week on The Hardcore Humanism Podcast we talked with singer, songwriter and musician Des Rocs. Des was originally in a band Secret Weapons, which was signed to Epic Records. Secret Weapons put out an album in 2016 and toured with bands such as Panic at the Disco, Fall Out Boy and Weezer. Des has now gone out on his own as a solo artist and has already toured with bands such as The Struts and Muse. And Des has a new EP out called This Is Our Life released on the 300 Entertainment record label.

One of the most prominent themes of the conversation with Des was the transformative power of music in people’s lives. Des talked about how important music has been to him both on a personal level throughout his life, and more recently on a professional level in his chosen career path. And it’s not just any music; Des unabashedly embraces the power of big stadium rock music to inspire and motivate people.

So Is Des right? Can big stadium rock change our lives for the better? Well for starters, Des describes how big rock star dreams have inspired him personally and professionally. For example, Des described how even when he was a new artist playing small venues, he approached the shows “thinking that I'm Bruce Springsteen playing to 80,000 people.” And that big stadium mentality seems to have paid off; none other than The Rolling Stones tapped Des to open for them at one of their shows on their stadium tour in 2019.

To be sure, the power of music seems to be that it can be appreciated across many genres and in different ways. You can connect with music by listening to it, playing it, dancing to it, even talking or writing about it. So, what value does big stadium music have to offer? One possible line of research that may help elucidate the answer to that question is research on “awe.” Awe has been defined as a feeling of reverence and respect, mixed with a feeling of wonder. Research is investigating whether awe suggests that it might improve one’s sense of well-being.

As stadiums are often described as “awe-inspiring,” we can begin to wonder whether the sense of awe that comes from large shows mimics the feeling that people have with experiences of nature and spirituality. 

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What’s up Hardcore Humans! This week on The Hardcore Humanism Podcast we talked with Shaun Morgan, founding member, singer-songwriter and guitarist of the hard rock band Seether. Seether has been rocking for over two decades and just released their eighth studio album, Si Vis Pacem Para Bellum-- which translates to mean, “If You Want Peace, Prepare for War.” This is a perfect title to capture the discussion with Morgan, who talked about his struggle with his mental health and self-concept during the pandemic.

Morgan explained that he has suffered from depression and has struggled with his self-concept over the course of his life. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated depression and poor self-concept worldwide. One meta-analytic review of 12 community-based studies found that as many as 25% of people suffer from depression during the COVID-19 pandemic, as compared to roughly 5% prior to the pandemic. And one study of two random samples of adolescents taken prior to and during the pandemic found a significant drop in overall self-concept in participants assessed during the pandemic.

There are several reasons why self-concept and overall mental health may be suffering during the pandemic, including fear of sickness or death for oneself and others, disconnection from loved ones and lack of access to enjoyable activities. Further, during the pandemic many people do not have access to individual one-on-one therapy that helps them manage their mental health. 

But Morgan talks about how he is coping with his depression through therapy and readjusting his thinking about his life and priorities, particularly in terms of having more time to spend with his family. 

Listen to the conversation to hear more of what Morgan has to say about coping with his mental health and self-concept during the pandemic. 

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What’s up Hardcore Humans! On this week’s episode of The Hardcore Humanism Podcast, we talk with Lzzy Hale – founding member, guitarist and singer-songwriter of the rock band Halestorm. Halestorm has been playing hard hitting rock music for the last twenty years, earning a Grammy Award in 2012 for Hard Rock/Metal performance for their song “Love Bites,” and snagging another Grammy nomination in 2018 for Rock Performance for their song “Uncomfortable.” And now Hale is breaking out into television by being a judge on a new music competition show called No Cover.

Which brings us to the focus of the conversation, which is how Hale understood and coped with marginalization. Marginalization can be defined as a group of people who are treated as though they are insignificant or trivial in a given sociocultural context. And Hale has faced down the history of marginalization that women experience in the music industry. Anecdotal evidence of women facing sexism and discrimination in music has been mounting for years. But now research is starting to quantify the problem. For example, one recent study of country music stations found that only 13-15% of records played were by female or female-male ensembles between the years 2000 and 2018. Research examining gender bias in the Australian music industry found similar trends, with female artists earning less money for their songs. Further, the percentage of songs played on the radio by female solo artists (21%) was much lower than the percentage played by male artists (52%).

Unfortunately, the evidence is overwhelming that what we witness with women in music is just part of the bigger societal trend of marginalization of women in society. The prevalence and potential damage of marginalization of women in the form of bias and discrimination is severe and demands attention and change. This is why it is so important when people like Hale step up and share their story of how they have confronted and overcome this type of bias. Hale will be taking this fight to a bigger stage when she hosts the 2021 She Rocks Awards that celebrate the achievement of women in the music industry. And during our conversation she discusses how she is determined to take her experience and use it to inform and empower all people who feel marginalized so that they can cope with bias and discrimination.

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