Mental Illness Happy Hour

By Paul Gilmartin

Personal Journals Society & Culture Sexuality

What's Mental Illness Happy Hour about?

"A perversely safe place in which he and his guests talk about their fears, addictions and traumatic childhoods." - NY Times

"Normalizes what so many others feel but have been too fearful or ashamed to express...remarkable" - Psychology Today

"A vital, compassionate gem that fills a desperate and under-addressed need in our society." - Esquire

"Gilmartin makes a conscious effort to explore stories that aren’t black and white" - Slate Magazine

"Praised by listeners all over the world" - Atlantic Monthly

www.mentalpod.com mentalpod@gmail.com

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LAST EPISODE

#489 Psychiatrist Dr. Esthe...

05.29.2020

The psychiatrist shares her experience in deciding when it's appropriate to prescribe meds, diagnosing ADD/ADHD, the difference between role and identify, being Korean-American and children who want to transition. Links provided by Dr. Park www.OAK.care www.AACAP.org www.nami.org Support Our Sponsors! ...

Mental Illness Happy Hour episodes:

05.29.2020 #489 Psychiatrist Dr. Esther Park MD The psychiatrist shares her experience in deciding when it's appropriate to prescribe meds, diagnosing ADD/ADHD, the difference between role and identify, being Korean-American and children who want to transition. Links provided by Dr. Park www.OAK.care www.AACAP.org www.nami.org Support Our Sponsors! ...
05.22.2020 #488 Katie Vernoy Answers Your Questions The licensed therapist @KatieVernoy returns to answers listener's questions about a variety of topics but mostly about ways to handle the pandemic emotionally and mentally. More About Our Guest katievernoy.com mtsgpodcast.com social: https://www.facebook.com/KatieVernoyManagementConsultant https://twitter.com/KatieVernoy https://www.instagram.com/katievernoy/ For Modern Therapists: https://www.facebook.com/therapyreimagined/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/therapyreimagined/ ...
05.15.2020 #487 BiPolar I - Graphic Novelist Rachel Lindsay The graphic novelist (Rx) opens up about her battles with Bipolar I, being involuntarily committed, and having been an ad account executive creating a campaign for the very pill she was taking, participating in the "commercialization of my own suffering." ...
05.08.2020 #486 Dr Shaili Jain - PTSD Having studied and worked with thousands of people with PTSD from combat, sexual, physical or emotional trauma, the Stanford faculty psychiatrist shares her 20 years of insights on PTSD. Dr. Jain's website is www.DrShailiJainMD.com Her book is called The Unspeakable ...
05.01.2020 Shame Paul shares some stories of people battling shame (especially around their bodies) and reads from the Loves, Happy Moments and Awfulsome moments surveys. Support Our Sponsors! This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp online counseling....
04.24.2020 Pandemic 4 Paul reads listener experiences around their mental/emotional struggles and victories -some serious some humorous- including the Covid crisis. Support Our Sponsors! This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp online counseling. To get...
04.17.2020 Being Broke & In Debt - Nathan Rabin The blogger/author returns to open up about dealing with the strain of being fired, perpetually broke and in debt while trying to provide for his family. More About Our Guest Check out his podcast Travolta/Cage and buy his books Support ...
04.10.2020 Coping w/the Pandemic 3 Another installment of Paul reading anonymous surveys submitted by listeners about their mental and emotional ups and downs during the pandemic as well as things they love. Support Our Sponsors! This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp online...
04.03.2020 Coping and the Pandemic 2 The second installment of listeners sharing their loves, happy and awfulsome moments and struggles during the pandemic via surveys read by Paul. Support Our Sponsors! This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp online counseling. To get...
03.27.2020 Coping in a Pandemic Listeners share their loves and struggles during the pandemic via surveys read by Paul. Support Our Sponsors! This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp online counseling. To get a free week go to Must be 18. This...
03.20.2020 Things We Love Who couldn't use some positive vibes this week? No guest, just things that people love, submitted via the show's Loves Survey. Support Our Sponsors! This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp online counseling. To get a free...
03.13.2020 Hell's Kitchen Kenny Paul's support group friend recounts his childhood and teenage years growing up in NYC's Hell's Kitchen and the cycles of violence, addiction, crime and poverty that he is struggling to break. Support Our Sponsors! This episode is sponsored...
03.06.2020 Ask a Sex Crimes Detective - Don Howell Returns The retired sex crimes detective and speaker/author answers listener questions about the mentality of serial killers and sex offenders, the legal system, victim rights and famous cases past and present. For more about Don go to Support Our...
02.28.2020 Sleep Deprivation - Teresa Strasser Returns The host/performer @TeresaStrasser returns to talk about her misdiagnosed, involuntary stay in the psych ward after breaking down as a severely sleep-deprived, mother battling shame and perfectionism. She and Paul share their fears and loves. ...
02.21.2020 Secrets & Trust - Sam Dingman The writer/performer (winner of The Moth GrandSlam) opens up about the family secret that harmed his ability to trust and the eventual airing of it that improved his relationship with them. He also shares about his struggles to feel validated,...
02.14.2020 Physically Transitioning - Fallon Chavez Fallon talks about her life as a trans woman; her desire to be "passable", how she feels about her voice, her experiences pre-op and post-op, the fetishizing of trans women, having bottom surgery and the bathroom dilemma. More about Fallon: ...
02.07.2020 Moral Injury - Veteran Tom Voss The Iraq war veteran, author and advocate talks about PTSD and moral injury he battled after returning home and the positive effects meditating has had on his struggles. Tom is the author of For more on his experiences with meditation ...
01.31.2020 Ask A Therapist - Katie Vernoy Returns Therapist Katie Vernoy returns to answer listener questions about therapist/patient boundaries, when to report a client (in response to a very dark survey), what therapists get wrong and how to know when we're overwhelmed. More About Katie: website: ...
01.24.2020 Smothered & Entitled - Al Lubel Al has always been a comedian's comedian, but mainstream success has always eluded him. Raised by a smothering anxious mother, fear and lack of independence have stunted his emotional growth. He talks about the fear of independence, sense of...
01.17.2020 From Chaos to Purpose - Wendy Adamson Despite her traumatic upbringing and becoming the woman (her mom) she swore she'd never be, Wendy went from an alcoholic PTA mother shooting at her husbands mistress to jail to getting sober and finding her life's purpose helping others and ...
01.10.2020 Chronic Health Issues - Karolyn Gehrig Karolyn suffers from Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, a connective tissue disease that affects her joints and internal organs as well as being diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. She rarely goes more than two weeks without a visit to the hospital. ...
01.03.2020 Native American Ellen Blackcloud Ellen (a pseudonym) shares about shares about discrimination, growing up poor, living on a reservation, riding the line between native culture and "white people things" and tells her story of grooming and sexual abuse from her father, being "trapped"...
12.27.2019 Best Of: Hank Adams Prostitution, alcoholism, fetishes, swinging, abandonment and being stabbed by a bayonet. Handyman Hank Adams has experienced them all. Paul’s friend has to literally pause to count how many stepdads he has had. This episode...
12.20.2019 Brian Simpson The standup comic (Lights Out) (aka @BSComedian) and Iraq War vet opens up about his unstable childhood - being lied to and moved from foster home to foster home - and how it has affected him, what he learned about ...
12.13.2019 Being Non-Binary - Gobbie Dixon The 29 year-old Second City writer/performer @GobbieDixon shares about being gender-fluid, growing up believing there was nobody else going thru the feeling of not being in the right body, and their suicide attempt at 13. They share about their...
12.06.2019 464 - Surviving Domestic Violence - Gold Medalist Ruthie Bolton The 2-time Olympic gold medalist and Women's Basketball Hall of Fame inductee shares about surviving domestic abuse and becoming an advocate for other survivors. She also shares about being one of 20 children, being a preacher's kid and learning how...
11.29.2019 Best Of - Paul F Tompkins The talented stand-up comedian, podcaster (The Neighborhood Listen) and writer/actor (HBO’s Mr. Show, Bojack Horseman, Room 104, Comedy Bang Bang) talks about the role therapy played in helping him turn his pain and rejection into being a...
11.22.2019 Body Image & Sexuality - Jessi Kneeland Paul and Jessi talk about the mean voices in our heads - especially towards our bodies; how childhood sexual trauma affects sexuality, self-objectification, difficulty orgasming and being your body's friend. More About Jessi...
11.15.2019 Living With Epilepsy - Alisa Kennedy Jones The writer and NPR contributor @IAmGothamGirl shares about developing epilepsy at 40 (as a single mom), bad doctors, shattering her face during a seizure, the myths around her condition and the hope she has found accepting her new reality. More ...
11.08.2019 LGBTQ Battles & Milestones - Dr Perry Halkitis The public health psychologist opens up about the mental, emotional and political battles both personal and cultural that the LGBTQ community has fought especially since the 1969 Stonewall riots. More About Our Guest Perry N Halkitis, Ph.D., M.S., MPH...
11.01.2019 Wildfire Trauma & Loss - Nick H Nick talks about being a social worker clinician working with victims of the wildfires as well as combat veterans. Topics covered: types of PTSD, vulnerability, how to reach out for help and hyper-masculinity. Support Our Sponsors! This episode...
10.25.2019 What A Body Remembers - Karen Stefano Despite being attacked as a college student, the author of What A Body Remembers went on to become an attorney defending violent offenders. She talks about the various ways trauma ripples thru our later lives and finding her voice despite ...
10.18.2019 Joshua Peck The actor (Josh and Drake) and podcaster (Curious) opens up about being the anxious "fat kid", never knowing his father, being raised by a single mom, getting sober and learning how to cope with uncomfortable feelings. Check out Josh's podcast,...
10.15.2019 Introducing: The Next Big Idea Podcast Ideas are coming at you every day from all directions. How can you process it all? You can start with The Next Big Idea. Host Rufus Griscom and legendary thought leaders Malcolm Gladwell, Adam Grant, Dan Pink, and Susan Cain, ...
10.11.2019 How To Disagree - Oren Jay Sofer The communications trainer, meditation teacher and author talks about his history of stuffed anger and how he learned to use non-violent communication to better his life and relationships. They also discuss Somatic Experiencing for releasing trapped...
10.04.2019 Narcissists & Psychopaths - Dr Ramani Durvasula The clinical psychologist and author shares her insights and the studies on narcissists (and recognizing one in your life) and psychopaths as well as contributing factors like childhood emotional neglect, social media and our culture at large. More...
09.27.2019 James Ransone The actor @JamesRansone (IT: Chapter 2, The Wire, Generation Kill, Ken Park, Tangerine) opens up about his difficult upbringing, searching for a sense of self, and breaking the cycle of dysfunction as a sober dad. Follow James on Twitter @JamesRansone...
09.20.2019 Caitlin Doughty Returns - Death, Anxiety & Workaholism The mortician and bestselling author reads from her new book and opens up about her fascination and fear of death, her battles with anxiety and workaholism and the sense of purpose she gets from her work. Her new book (which ...
09.13.2019 Jamie Tworkowski - To Write Love On Her Arms Jamie aka @JamieTworkowski is the founder of "To Write Lover on her Arms," a non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury, and suicide. Paul and Jamie discuss the power...
09.06.2019 Reclaiming Desire After Assault - Julie Peters Julie explains the steps to recovering desire, passion, and pleasure after her sexual assault. Discuss how being catcalled and sexualized at age 11 informed her value in society, sexual harassment in the workplace, struggles with anorexia and a...
08.30.2019 Zane Helberg - Getting Sober Zane Helberg performs stand-up comedy in an unlikely setting - rehab clinics. He and Paul discuss how getting sober lead to living an authentic life, personal development, and the importance of spiritual progress (not perfection). More About Our...
08.23.2019 Covert Incest - Tony M Sexual abuse and incest can often fly below the radar because there isn't overt touching but as Tony M shares, his being raised in a sexually charged home has impacted his ability to trust and be intimate. Support Our Sponsors! ...
08.16.2019 How Do I Choose A Treatment? - Patient Advocate Adrienne Nolan-Smith The patient advocate who was diagnosed with Lyme disease at 11 offers advice for navigating the complex world of healthcare and mental health. She discusses experimental/non-approved treatments (hyperbaric oxygen therapy and bovine colostrum...
08.15.2019 Introducing We Love You (And So Can You)! Part reality show, part self-love school and the best makeover podcast out there. Hosts Kristen Meinzer and Jolenta Greenberg (from By The Book) draw on their extensive knowledge of self-help to provide guests with a prescription for their next life...
08.09.2019 Mixed Race & Intra-Racism - Daniel Evans Nakamura "Dan From The Internet" aka @DanFromTheWeb discusses intra-race racism, growing up mixed-race (Latinx/Japanese/African-American) and sexually fluid in an emotionally neglectful household with a judgmental and homophobic father, and how he renewed a...
08.02.2019 Behind The Laughter - Anthony & Brigitte The comedian (Anthony Griffith) and doctor of psychology (Dr. Brigitte Travis Griffin) open up about losing their 2-year-old daughter to cancer and how they learned to navigate the grief process through faith, love, and humor. They are the authors of...
07.26.2019 Best Of: Ex-Con "Murph" (2011) From the first season (2011). Paul interviews “Murph”, a retired serial felon who opens up about prison, the guilt of his crimes and leaving it all behind. Six years ago you might have labeled him a psychopath. Paul calls him ...
07.19.2019 Best Of: Jen Kirkman From 2011. Jen @JenKirkman (Chelsea Lately, Drunk History) and Paul have an epic “Fear Off” that leaves both of their souls emptied. Jen shares about her panic attacks and what it was like to be in New York on 9/11. ...
07.12.2019 Best Of: Rob Delaney (2011) From 2011 - actor Rob Delaney (Catastrophe) opens up about his hilariously horrifying alcoholic bottom and how he has adapted to live with what might have killed most people. Follow Rob @RobDelaney or visit www.RobDelaney.com Support Our Sponsors!...
07.05.2019 Best Of: Teresa Strasser Listener-Voted #1 episode of 2011 and for good reason. The Emmy-nominated writer/performer brings it. She opens up about her struggles, insecurities and fear of not being cut out to be a mother. Find her on social media @TeresaStrasser Teresa is ...

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