Not Crazy (Archive)

Fan favorite, Two Truths and a Lie, is back again. In this edition, our hosts share past mistakes they’ve made because of the symptoms of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Listen in now!

Many people believe that violence & mental illness are linked in such a way that all mentally ill people will – eventually – be violent. Some people go as far as to believe that violence is only perpetrated by people with mental illness. 

They discuss why society is so quick to believe that mental illness and violence are intrinsically linked. But, ultimately, they discuss how these beliefs make them – as people living with bipolar & schizophrenia – feel.

In this episode, Gabe and Michelle share stories of what they were like before they received treatment for their mental illnesses. They are told that they may have “a mild case” or are “high functioning,” without acknowledging their past struggles.

In many ways, our hosts understand why people feel this way. They weren’t advocates with a podcast when they were at their sickest. They were hidden away in their homes or hospitalized, not even understanding that they were sick.

In this episode, Gabe interviewed Susan Hammer and Michelle interviewed Susan Howard about their child's illness. 

Each was asked the same 5 questions and given the opportunity to answer in their own words. Then our hosts came together and quizzed each other about how they thought their moms replied.

Is Michelle's mother the detached woman Michelle fears? Is Gabe's mother as clueless and he often says she is? Find out all this and more!

As anyone who leaves their house already knows, going outside means you have to endure some level of ignorance. Women and minorities have spoken for years about the stupid comments they’ve had to put up with from the public. We are not talking about blatant sexism or racism either, just little irksome comments that would otherwise go unnoticed – if they weren’t so damn annoying.

After having way too much fun at the HealtheVoices conference, Gabe and Michelle welcomed two of their fellow advocate conference-goers to join them on the show to continue talking about the ups and downs of their advocacy efforts. They recount some of the unusual methods they use to spread the word, from riding around in Herbie the Love Bug, to airing YouTube videos of being set on fire, to standing in the streets of New York City selling clothing. Listen Now!

Haters gonna hate and don’t feed the trolls are common phrases anyone who has an internet following has heard – or said – a dozen times. For reasons that aren’t entirely clear, Gabe and Michelle decide to discuss some of their ”favorite” less-than-positive feedback.

They discuss how the comments made them feel, what they learned from them, and what they honestly think of the people who wrote them. Suffice to say that mental health advocacy isn’t for the weak.

Listener favorite Two Truths and One Lie returns, but with a twist. Gabe and Michelle each share three stories about specific symptoms they have of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder (respectively). All six of these examples are believed to be factual by many people, but only four of them are accurate. After sharing the examples, Gabe and Michelle challenge each other to guess which two of their symptoms are real and which one is a lie.

More and more famous people are coming out about their own mental health issues. Everything from bipolar, depression, OCD, and anxiety. In the wake of all this media attention, Gabe and Michelle wonder if this has had a positive or negative impact on their cause.

They discuss celebrities like Mariah Carey and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. The conversation meanders around positives, negatives, and they dive deep into whether celebrities are the heroes in mental health advocacy or a distraction.

We answer listener questions in this episode of A Bipolar, a Schizophrenic, and a Podcast.

When does Michelle tell the people she dates that she has schizophrenia? A listener wants to know why Michelle doesn’t act like the stereotypical schizophrenic. Michelle has the most fantastic response, according to Gabe.

Finally, the age old question is asked: How can I get my loved one to be doing as well as you?