Can you eliminate mental health stigma through TikTok? Obviously not, but you can spark a larger conversation about mental health, or just send a friend something cute to cheer them up. That’s exactly what today’s guest’s “bad animations” are all about.

A self-described “bad animator,” Danny Casale, better known as Coolman_Coffeedan, has built up a huge following of people who love his characters and derive emotional comfort from them. Join us as we chat about his work, mental health advocacy, and hopes for a better future for us all.

To learn more -- or read the transcript -- please visit the official episode page.

Guest Bio

Self-titled “Bad Animator” and Forbes 30 Under 30 nominee Danny Casale (aka Coolman Coffeedan) first went viral when his cartoon titled “Snakes Have Legs” received tens of millions of views. Casale has since turned his humorous and crudely-drawn cartoons into a profession, with an internet following well into the millions and his first book, UR SPECIAL: Advice for Humans from Coolman Coffeedan on sale now.  

Danny grew up getting in trouble for doodling during class. He didn’t see himself as an artist by any means but loved the process of getting the cartoonish visions out of his head and onto paper. As an adult, he’s taken those doodles and turned them into wildly popular animations that bring a dose of positivity to millions of people’s timelines. 

Inside Mental Health Podcast Host

Gabe Howard is an award-winning writer and speaker who lives with bipolar disorder. He is the author of the popular book, "Mental Illness is an Asshole and other Observations," available from Amazon; signed copies are also available directly from the author.

Gabe makes his home in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. He lives with his supportive wife, Kendall, and a Miniature Schnauzer dog that he never wanted, but now can’t imagine life without.

To book Gabe for your next event or learn more about him, please visit gabehoward.com.

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Postpartum psychosis is commonly associated with wanting to harm, or even kill, your newborn baby. But can it present in any other ways? Join us as Sarah Wynter from the acclaimed TV shows "24" and "Flight of the Conchords" shares her personal experience with postpartum psychosis following the arrival of her twins.

Guest Bio

Glamorous and poised, Sarah Wynter has established herself as one of Hollywood’s most precious gems. Having commanded a vast array of characters on both screens big and small, she’s likely most recognized for her role as Kate Warner on the hit series “24.” Other credits include David E. Kelley’s “Goliath” opposite Billy Bob Thornton, NBC’s “American Odyssey,” “Californication,” “Damages,” “Windfall,” “Flight of the Concords,” “Sex and the City,” “The 6th Day” opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger, and “Lost Souls,” opposite Winona Ryder, among numerous others. She also recently executive produced “A Mouthful of Air,” starring Amanda Seyfried, which released theatrically in the fall of 2021 and is now streaming.

A native of Newcastle, Australia, and mom to three young boys, Sarah is certainly just as grounded as she is stunning. Despite her love for the lights of tinsel town, she is first and foremost a mom. As such, it’s no surprise that she’s a tremendous advocate for gun control and is a member of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, which falls under the umbrella of Michael Bloomberg’s Everytown for Gun Safety.  

Sarah resides in New York City with her three boys.

To learn more -- or read the transcript -- please visit the official episode page.

Inside Mental Health Podcast Host

Gabe Howard is an award-winning writer and speaker who lives with bipolar disorder. He is the author of the popular book, "Mental Illness is an Asshole and other Observations," available from Amazon; signed copies are also available directly from the author.

Gabe makes his home in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. He lives with his supportive wife, Kendall, and a Miniature Schnauzer dog that he never wanted, but now can’t imagine life without.

To book Gabe for your next event or learn more about him, please visit gabehoward.com.

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Multiplatinum recording artist Jewel has won many awards and performed at the Super Bowl — but how much do you really know about her? She grew up with no running water, was a homeless teenager in San Diego, and turned all that into music for her album “Pieces of You,” which is one of the bestselling debuts of all time.

In this episode, Jewel discusses her anxiety disorder, her past traumas, and what different song lyrics from her vast catalog of music mean to her.

She also tells us about her work with the Inspiring Children Foundation, a foundation that has spent the past 18 years empowering children who struggle with financial hardship, anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation. 

To learn more -- or read the transcript -- please visit the official episode page here.

Guest Bio

Jewel went from a girl who grew up with no running water on an Alaskan homestead, to a homeless teenager in San Diego, to an award-winning, multiplatinum recording artist who released one of the bestselling debuts of all time. Throughout her career, Jewel has sold over 30 million albums worldwide and has earned 26 nominations for awards such as the Grammy Awards, American Music Awards, VMAs, VH1 Awards, Billboard Music Awards, and Country Music Awards, winning eight times. Jewel has been featured on the covers of TIME and Rolling Stone and has performed on “Saturday Night Live,” at the Super Bowl and the NBA Finals, and for the pope and the president of the United States. She is one of the few singer-songwriters to top the chart in every genre she wrote for: folk, pop, club, country, standards, children's, and holiday music. See more at jeweljk.com.

ABOUT INSPIRING CHILDREN FOUNDATION:

For 18 years, Jewel’s Inspiring Children Foundation and Never Broken program have been empowering children struggling with financial hardship, anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation by giving them the ultimate environment to survive and then thrive. With teenage suicide up by 70% and anxiety and depression doubling, they have been at the forefront of solving this epidemic. The program equips at-risk youth with everything they need to be physically, emotionally, and mentally healthy in a fun and inspirational way, online and in person. This ecosystem of excellence includes: emotional intelligence, SEL, mindfulness/meditation, group counseling and mentoring, leadership development, entrepreneur skills, nutrition, yoga, tennis, sleep science, and academics. 80% of the foundation’s operations are run by the children. The children gain know-how, an understanding of themselves, and confidence by earning their way in a real-life “project driven learning” program. The young leaders have been so academically, athletically, and personally developed that 95% have been offered scholarships and admissions into the best colleges in the world, including: Stanford, Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Georgetown, Penn-Wharton, Brown, Dartmouth, Williams, Columbia, Naval Academy, USC, Vanderbilt and 100 more. Most importantly, these children are being armed with a “psychology for life” that helps them generate their own peace of mind and contentment as self-actualized leaders. To learn more about Jewel’s program, visit www.inspiringchildren.org.

Inside Mental Health Podcast Host

Gabe Howard is an award-winning writer and speaker who lives with bipolar disorder. He is the author of the popular book, "Mental Illness is an Asshole and other Observations," available from Amazon; signed copies are also available directly from the author.

Gabe makes his home in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. He lives with his supportive wife, Kendall, and a Miniature Schnauzer dog that he never wanted, but now can’t imagine life without.

To book Gabe for your next event or learn more about him, please visit gabehoward.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One thing the internet especially loves to critique is other people’s parenting — especially mothers. What happens when mom lives with schizophrenia? Do people react differently?

Join us as our host interviews Lauren Kennedy West, a woman who lives with schizophrenia and recently gave birth for the first time. She documented this on her popular YouTube channel, “Living Well with Schizophrenia.”

Lauren tells us what the reaction has been to the birth of her youngest child and the difference in responses to her mothering her older two children, who came in a package deal when she married her husband.

To learn more -- or read the transcript -- please visit the show's official episode page here.

Guest Bio

Lauren Kennedy West is a mental health advocate who lives with schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type. She has worked as a social worker in various capacities, including in the mental health care system. Lauren and her husband Rob started the YouTube channel ‘Living Well with Schizophrenia.’ It’s intended as both an educational resource and a tool to help reduce stigma and connect people living through similar challenges. The channel is a resource for those living with the illness, their loved ones, healthcare professionals, and people who just want to know more. In addition to the YouTube channel, Lauren has delivered talks to various audiences including healthcare professionals, law enforcement, students, etc.

Inside Mental Health Podcast Host

Gabe Howard is an award-winning writer and speaker who lives with bipolar disorder. He is the author of the popular book, "Mental Illness is an Asshole and other Observations," available from Amazon; signed copies are also available directly from the author.

Gabe makes his home in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. He lives with his supportive wife, Kendall, and a Miniature Schnauzer dog that he never wanted, but now can’t imagine life without.

To book Gabe for your next event or learn more about him, please visit gabehoward.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join us as Wil Wheaton, who had leading roles in “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and “The Big Bang Theory,” discusses revisiting his 2004 memoir “Just a Geek,” which he recently re-released as “Still Just a Geek.”

Every page is filled with footnotes and parenthetical comments talking to his younger self, and in many cases decrying his previous racism, homophobia, and misogyny. How did he manage to confront his younger self without dying of shame? Listen now to find out.

To learn more, visit the official episode page here.

Guest Bio

Wil Wheaton, celebrated actor from Stand By Me, Star Trek: The Next Generation, The Big Bang Theory, and more has come out with STILL JUST A GEEK, an updated memoir with all new material as he reexamines his upbringing in Hollywood, and opens up about his life, falling in love, coming to grips with his past work, choices, childhood trauma and family, and finding fulfillment in the new phases of his career. This isn’t your typical celebrity memoir – instead, Wil is in conversation with his past self, engaging with his 2004 memoir through updated annotations. The result is fascinating as present-day Wil gets to confront his past toxic thoughts, hold himself accountable for his problematic behavior, and show what mental illness looks like as well as the path to healing. See more at WilWheaton.net.

Inside Mental Health Podcast Host

Gabe Howard is an award-winning writer and speaker who lives with bipolar disorder. He is the author of the popular book, "Mental Illness is an Asshole and other Observations," available from Amazon; signed copies are also available directly from the author.

Gabe makes his home in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. He lives with his supportive wife, Kendall, and a Miniature Schnauzer dog that he never wanted, but now can’t imagine life without.

To book Gabe for your next event or learn more about him, please visit gabehoward.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many people believe that 6 weeks is the window when new mothers need to worry about postpartum depression. Today’s guest, NBC’s “The Endgame” star Ryan Michelle Bathé, shares how that misunderstanding was devastating to her and her family. 

Bathé shares with us how much she struggled after the birth of her first child, despite having access to — and utilizing — medical professionals. She shares how difficult it was and how no one around her realized anything was wrong because on the outside, everything appeared to be fine. 

To learn more, please visit the show's official episode page here.

Guest Bio

Actor and producer Ryan Michelle Bathé can be seen starring in NBC’s high stakes thriller series "The Endgame", which premiered in February 2022. She portrays the relentless and socially outcast FBI agent Val Turner, who is on the hunt for an international arms dealer. 

In 2020, Bathé launched Down on Maple Productions and signed a first-look deal with ViacomCBS MTV Entertainment Group. The partnership covers content created and/or developed for television and new media, with a focus on identifying emerging talent and underrepresented voices.

Inside Mental Health Podcast Host

Gabe Howard is an award-winning writer and speaker who lives with bipolar disorder. He is the author of the popular book, "Mental Illness is an Asshole and other Observations," available from Amazon; signed copies are also available directly from the author.

Gabe makes his home in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. He lives with his supportive wife, Kendall, and a Miniature Schnauzer dog that he never wanted, but now can’t imagine life without.

To book Gabe for your next event or learn more about him, please visit gabehoward.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

No one disputes that America has a problem with drugs. In 2021 alone there were almost 100,000 overdose deaths. This is why we need the government sponsored war on drugs, right? 

Just imagine how bad things would be if no one was doing anything to resolve the various issues surrounding drug use. But is that true? Is there any data to support that our policies are even working?

Join us as the late activist David Poses explains why we are thinking about overdoses and drug policy all wrong, and how the War on Drugs is actually a war on our own people – a war that is literally killing us.

To learn more -- or read the transcript -- please visit the official episode page here.

Guest Bio

David Poses (1976 - 2022) was a writer, speaker, and activist. After hiding his struggle with depression and opioids for twenty years, he started opening up and challenging conventional addiction wisdom. He has been published by the Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and New York Daily News and has appeared on national TV programs, including The Doctors TV Show, and numerous radio shows and podcasts. With candor, humor, and a unique perspective informed by science and experience, he advocates for evidence-based approaches to drug policy, prevention, and treatment. David lived in New York with his wife and two kids and entirely too many guitars for such a mediocre player. See more at DavidPoses.com. His book, The Weight of Air, can be found on Amazon.

Inside Mental Health Podcast Host

Gabe Howard is an award-winning writer and speaker who lives with bipolar disorder. He is the author of the popular book, "Mental Illness is an Asshole and other Observations," available from Amazon; signed copies are also available directly from the author.

Gabe makes his home in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. He lives with his supportive wife, Kendall, and a Miniature Schnauzer dog that he never wanted, but now can’t imagine life without.

To book Gabe for your next event or learn more about him, please visit gabehoward.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For some, ADHD is a debilitating disorder. For others, it’s seen as a conspiracy designed by lazy teachers, parents, and an aggressive pharmaceutical industry. And many reasonable people believe that ADHD is something that only impacts children and not adults.

What is the truth? Today’s guest, Dr. George Sachs, has written extensively on ADHD in both children and adults and helps us better understand exactly what ADHD is – and isn’t. 

To read the transcript or learn more visit the official episode page here.

Guest Bio

Dr. George Sachs is a licensed child psychologist and adult psychologist, specializing in the treatment of ADD/ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorders in children, teen and adults. Dr. Sachs is the co-founder of Inflow, a science-based app for adults with ADHD. He is also author of The Adult ADD Solution, Helping the Traumatized Child and Helping Your Husband with Adult ADD. Dr. Sachs has appeared on NBC Nightly News, CBS and other major media outlets, discussing his unique holistic approach to ADD/ADHD treatment.  

Inside Mental Health Podcast Host

Gabe Howard is an award-winning writer and speaker who lives with bipolar disorder. He is the author of the popular book, "Mental Illness is an Asshole and other Observations," available from Amazon; signed copies are also available directly from the author.

Gabe makes his home in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. He lives with his supportive wife, Kendall, and a Miniature Schnauzer dog that he never wanted, but now can’t imagine life without.

To book Gabe for your next event or learn more about him, please visit gabehoward.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When you say, “The Pill” there is no debate about what pill you are talking about. Birth control pills have been a tool of the women’s liberation movement for over 60 years.

Birth control in general is as ubiquitous in our society as aspirin – and seems as harmless. But what do we really know about how hormonal contraception works and impacts our bodies? Today’s guests, Ricki Lake and Abby Epstein, have a new documentary, “The Business of Birth Control,” which examines the complex relationship between hormonal birth control and women’s health and liberation. 

Weaving together the stories of bereaved parents, body literacy activists, and femtech innovators, the film reveals a new generation seeking holistic and ecological alternatives to the pill while redefining the meaning of reproductive justice.

Guest Bios

Abby Epstein started her career as a theatre director with her own production company, Roadworks Productions, which is based in Chicago. Roadworks Productions was founded in 1992, and the company had seen much success in the mid 1990s. After directing a few productions in Chicago, Abby moved to New York to be an assistant director on the production of Rent. She then worked on The Vagina Monologues with Eve Ensler. Epstein directed her first documentary Until the Violence Stops, a film about the impact of The Vagina Monologues on a global scale. Five years later, Abby Epstein released The Business of Being Born in 2008. Much of Abby Epstein's film career deals with birth and sex. Her film Until the Violence Stops premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2004 and won an Emmy after its screening on Lifetime. The Business of Being Born debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2007 and was released theatrically in 2008. In October 2018, Epstein released Weed the People, a documentary buoyed by hopeful experiences with medical marijuana, that she worked on for 6 years with Ricki Lake as an executive producer.

Pop culture icon Ricki Lake has built an extraordinary career. 

The world first met Ricki in 1988 as Tracy Turnblad in John Waters’ beloved film Hairspray. Ricki went on to appear in other films such as Cry-Baby, Cecil B. Demented, Serial Mom, and Gemini. She also starred on television in China Beach and King of Queens. 

At the impressive age of twenty-four, Ricki became the youngest talk show host in history. For 11 years, her long-running show was met with unprecedented success and changed daytime television forever. She went on to win an Emmy for Best Talk Show Host for her work on the reboot of The Ricki Lake Show. 

In her intimate book, “Never Say Never: Finding a Life That Fits,” Ricki took readers behind the scenes of her troubled childhood—filled with food issues, abuse, and an unabashed yearning for a better life outside of her suburban home. She pulled back the curtain on her talk show and her early days as a “fat actress.” 

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Are you curious about autism? Do you wonder about its relationship to mental health conditions? You are not alone, as autism is one of the top search terms on PsychCentral.com. 

Common questions people ask are “Is autism a mental illness?” and “Are people with autism more likely to be violent or aggressive?” Today’s guest lives with autism spectrum disorder and has children who are also on the spectrum. Learn the answers to these questions — and more — on today’s episode with Juli C. Liske.

Guest Bio

Juli C. Liske is the president of Red Door Nonprofit Consulting, LLC, and consults with local nonprofits on improving their autism-related programs and services. She also currently serves on the Tennessee Governor’s Council for Autism Spectrum Disorders, as well as the national SPARK for Autism Advisory Council. As a highly capable individual with autism, Liske has worked in the field of autism for over 19 years. She is also the author of “In the Eye of the Hurricane: Finding Peace Within the Storm of Autism.” From 2008 to 2017, Liske worked as the founder and executive director of The Brown Center for Autism in Nashville. The mission of The Brown Center was to provide comprehensive early intervention to young children with autism, as well as intensive parent training, support, and community education. Additionally, Liske is an authorized facilitator for Stewards of Children. She resides in Brentwood, TN with her husband, Jim, and has two exceptional sons, ages 31 and 21, both of whom are on the autism spectrum, and one amazing daughter, age 30.

Inside Mental Health Podcast Host

Gabe Howard is an award-winning writer and speaker who lives with bipolar disorder. He is the author of the popular book, "Mental Illness is an Asshole and other Observations," available from Amazon; signed copies are also available directly from the author.

Gabe makes his home in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. He lives with his supportive wife, Kendall, and a Miniature Schnauzer dog that he never wanted, but now can’t imagine life without.

To book Gabe for your next event or learn more about him, please visit gabehoward.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices