My Sh*t Therapist

Jen is a content creator and a sh*t-hot bartender. She hasn’t has a formal diagnosis for bipolar or ADHD, but in this episode you’ll hear about how she came to that conclusion, and how claiming that identity has helped her manage her mental health.  We also cover why she defines and names separate identities for the voices in her head, the cultural dissonance between her upbringing in a Korean-American household and the dog-eat-dog hustle-centric hedonist of New York, self medicating with booze, and how to stop negative self- talk in its tracks.

You can find Jen on Insta @thedorkweb  
Don't forget: If you have a mental health story you'd like to share on this podcast, email me at myshittherapist at gmail.com or find me on twitter @myshittherapist

Are you ready? Good, let’s get into it.  

TW: Child sexual assault, suicide, gender dysphoria. Today I’m going to be chatting with a very nice man who isn’t really called Rob. I just want to warn you that in this episode we’re going to talk about child sexual assault, gender dysphoria, and suicidal thoughts. If you’re not feeling up to it today, just give it a miss.  Rob got in touch with me last year to tell me that listening to my audiobook with his 13 year old son helped them both deal with the trauma of his son’s sexual assault by an older boy three years ago.  And while he does share some extremely painful experiences with me, what I’m struck by more than anything is not only the bright shining unconditional love  and support that Rob shows his son, but how clearly and fearlessly they both communicate with each other about their feelings and their needs, and not just about this frightening and traumatic event. I’ve followed Ofcom rules and disguised Rob’s voice. 

Bonjour! In this episode I’m chatting with Dave Birss. Dave is an expert on creativity and innovation -  a consultant, keynote speaker and author of A User Guide to the Creative Mind and How To Get Great Ideas.  25 years ago Dave experienced a profound mental health crisis, after which he was retro-diagnosed as being bipolar.  Today Dave thinks of his bipolarism as a superpower which helped him forge his extraordinary career. Listen as we discuss the use medication vs overmedication, how to improve mental health in the workplace (in the advertising industry in particular), how conformity makes us ill, whether or not corporate mental health schemes actually make any difference, and the possibility of the 4 day work week. Let’s get into it shall we? 

What's the relationship between spirituality, spiritual practice and mental health? 

Marcella Kroll is an LA-based artist, intuitive and metaphysical teacher. She also describes herself as a guide, an oracle, and medium. She started reading tarot cards at 18 in rehab, and she describes it as an invaluable tool for recovery.  
Marcella opens up about being diagnosed as autistic in her early forties, her experience with homelessness and drug and alcohol abuse, the cost of framing community as a commodity through social media, empathy, sobriety, masking, and the importance of staying vigilant against “what’s the point?” thinking. 

Sian Harris is one of my favourite comedy writers (Tourist Trap, Man Down) and the co-host of The Froth podcast with her husband Rhod Gilbert. In this chat we cover endometriosis, EMDR, boundaries and Wales, Welshness, and how the systemic undermining of the Welsh culture and  language could impact mental health. I loved this talk, I hope you do too.  

Hiya, Michelle here. In this episode I’m chatting with David Chipakupaku, a brilliant young journalist from the Scottish borders. On the day we recorded, he’d published his first exclusive with Sky news, and he’s still only 20. But life hasn’t always been easy for David. I want to let you know that in this episode we’re going to discuss childhood abuse, PTSD, suicide, and David's experiences with the police and in psychiatric wards. If you’re not in the right headspace, just come back another time. Caroline the cat also pops up in this episode, and we chat about Tumblr, 24 news, coming out, youtube rabbit holes and brilliant British comedy. 

I chat with my pal, comedian and theatre-maker Amy Mason, about her experience with depression before and after the birth of her children, and about the TERRIBLE family therapy session she endured with two psychotherapists who refused to introduce themselves. We discuss booze, pastries, and lockdown sads and Amy talks about help she's received from PANDAS, a UK nationwide charity for parents suffering from perinatal mental illness. Find out more about them here: http://www.pandasfoundation.org.uk

What to expect from the MST podcast, and how to get in touch and share your stories.