Not Crazy (Archive)

Is your mind constantly preoccupied with the past or the future? What if you could train your brain to just BE in the present moment? This is the essence of mindfulness -- simply being in the here-and-now (not worrying about that stupid thing you said last week), and gently noticing your surroundings and thoughts without judgment. In today’s podcast, Jackie enlightens a skeptical Gabe of the value of practicing mindfulness and how it can be a very useful tool in his mental health tool box. And she’s armed with scientific facts to break him down.

When was the last time you truly listened to the rain, enjoyed a cup of coffee… or stopped to smell the roses? Tune in to hear how mindfulness can help you get rid of the mental static that causes so much anxiety.

Find us online at:

https://psychcentral.com/blog/notcrazy/

About The Hosts

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 Gabe Howard. To learn more, please visit his website, gabehoward.com.

Gabe also hosts The Psych Central Podcast available on your favorite podcast player or by visiting psychcentral.com/show.

Jackie Zimmerman has been in the patient advocacy game for over a decade and has established herself as an authority on chronic illness, patient-centric healthcare, and patient community building. She lives with multiple sclerosis, ulcerative colitis, and depression.

You can find her online at JackieZimmerman.co,  Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Does your anxiety take over when it’s time to leave the house -- making you stay home more often than not? Do you cancel plans at the last minute due to that feeling of dread in the pit of your stomach? Or maybe YOU are the friend that keeps getting canceled on. In today’s podcast, Gabe and Jackie discuss why this happens and how both parties -- the chronic canceler and the chronically disappointed friend -- can navigate this awkward scenario. 

Tune in to today’s Not Crazy podcast to get specific tips on how you can feel more in control so you can cancel less.

Find us online at:

https://psychcentral.com/blog/notcrazy/

About The Hosts

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 Gabe Howard. To learn more, please visit his website, gabehoward.com.

Gabe also hosts The Psych Central Podcast available on your favorite podcast player or by visiting psychcentral.com/show.

Jackie Zimmerman has been in the patient advocacy game for over a decade and has established herself as an authority on chronic illness, patient-centric healthcare, and patient community building. She lives with multiple sclerosis, ulcerative colitis, and depression.

You can find her online at JackieZimmerman.co,  Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Do you have difficult -- or even toxic -- family members? How does one go about setting boundaries with them ? And is it OK to cut them off? In today’s Not Crazy podcast, Jackie and Gabe tackle these tough questions with Sonya Mastick, a mental health advocate and fellow podcaster of a show called “What Won’t She Say?” Sonya shares her personal story of how she handled her toxic mom and demonstrates how it’s OK, and sometimes even necessary, to set strong boundaries with family members who hurt you. It’s also OK if those boundaries shift and evolve with time.

Tune in for an honest discussion about protecting your mental health from harmful family members.

Find us online at:

https://psychcentral.com/blog/notcrazy/

About The Hosts

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 Gabe Howard. To learn more, please visit his website, gabehoward.com.

Gabe also hosts The Psych Central Podcast available on your favorite podcast player or by visiting psychcentral.com/show.

Jackie Zimmerman has been in the patient advocacy game for over a decade and has established herself as an authority on chronic illness, patient-centric healthcare, and patient community building. She lives with multiple sclerosis, ulcerative colitis, and depression.

You can find her online at JackieZimmerman.co,  Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Day 1,364 of the COVID-19 quarantine (well, at least it feels like it). How are you holding up? If you’re like most people, you’re not having much fun. But if you already struggle with anxiety, depression or another mental health issue, these days of isolation and uncertainty can feel like absolute torture. In today’s Not Crazy episode, Gabe laments the loss of his routine -- those regular activities he clung to religiously to keep his mental health in check.  Now what is he supposed to do?

Tune in for a special quarantine episode. Together, we will grieve our old routines and discuss how to start new ones.

Find us online at:

https://psychcentral.com/blog/notcrazy/

About The Hosts

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 Gabe Howard. To learn more, please visit his website, gabehoward.com.

Gabe also hosts The Psych Central Podcast available on your favorite podcast player or by visiting psychcentral.com/show.

Jackie Zimmerman has been in the patient advocacy game for over a decade and has established herself as an authority on chronic illness, patient-centric healthcare, and patient community building. She lives with multiple sclerosis, ulcerative colitis, and depression.

You can find her online at JackieZimmerman.co,  Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Cannabis, weed, marijuana, pot. It goes by several names, but we all know what it smells like. As weed becomes more mainstream, we on the Not Crazy podcast want to know: Is marijuana really an effective treatment for anxiety? Is it just a coping mechanism? Or a vice? In today’s podcast, Gabe and Jackie look at the research and weigh out the evidence. They also interview Eileen Davidson, a rheumatoid arthritis patient who regularly uses marijuana as a medicine to see what she has to say.

What’s your take? Tune in for an open-minded discussion about weed.

Find us online at:

https://psychcentral.com/blog/notcrazy/

About The Hosts

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 Gabe Howard. To learn more, please visit his website, gabehoward.com.

Gabe also hosts The Psych Central Podcast available on your favorite podcast player or by visiting psychcentral.com/show.

Jackie Zimmerman has been in the patient advocacy game for over a decade and has established herself as an authority on chronic illness, patient-centric healthcare, and patient community building. She lives with multiple sclerosis, ulcerative colitis, and depression.

You can find her online at JackieZimmerman.co,  Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

How are you handling the coronavirus pandemic? Most people are struggling right now, but for those of us with mental illness, these days can feel truly overwhelming. Fear, depression, isolation and loss of routine are just a few of the difficulties many of us are facing. In today’s podcast, Gabe and Jackie discuss what we can do right now to make things just a little better, and they share their personal hopes and fears for humanity once this pandemic subsides.

You’re not alone -- we’re all in this together. Join us for an important discussion on how we can handle this time of fear and uncertainty.

Find us online at:

https://psychcentral.com/blog/notcrazy/

About The Hosts

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 Gabe Howard. To learn more, please visit his website, gabehoward.com.

Gabe also hosts The Psych Central Podcast available on your favorite podcast player or by visiting psychcentral.com/show.

Jackie Zimmerman has been in the patient advocacy game for over a decade and has established herself as an authority on chronic illness, patient-centric healthcare, and patient community building. She lives with multiple sclerosis, ulcerative colitis, and depression.

You can find her online at JackieZimmerman.co,  Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Men and women experience schizophrenia differently; from the age of onset to symptoms and how society treats those with mental disorders. 

Schizophrenic, Rachel Star Withers and co-host Gabe Howard continue the discussion of the differences from the last episode but change the focus to men. 

Jason Jepson, an author who has schizophrenia joins for a man’s perspective and Dr. Hayden Finch returns to explain the clinical side of the issues.

Do you struggle with abandonment fears? Do you worry your partner will suddenly ditch you even though there’s no real reason to feel this way? In today’s Not Crazy podcast, Gabe opens up about his own deep-rooted fear that his wife will decide she doesn’t want him anymore. After all, he concludes, what does he have to offer her? I mean, surely she can do better. And even though he knows these fears are unfounded and irrational, he feels helpless in stopping them. 

How can Gabe get these thoughts under control? Tune in to hear Jackie give some great advice to her dear friend, and for anyone dealing with abandonment issues.

Find us online at:

https://psychcentral.com/blog/notcrazy/

About The Hosts

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 Gabe Howard. To learn more, please visit his website, gabehoward.com.

Gabe also hosts The Psych Central Podcast available on your favorite podcast player or by visiting psychcentral.com/show.

Jackie Zimmerman has been in the patient advocacy game for over a decade and has established herself as an authority on chronic illness, patient-centric healthcare, and patient community building. She lives with multiple sclerosis, ulcerative colitis, and depression.

You can find her online at JackieZimmerman.co,  Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Are people with mental illness more creative? Jackie believes there may be a link between the two ideas, while Gabe thinks it’s just a bunch of hoopla. Get ready -- they’ve both done their research and are ready to back their claims. Tune in to hear a lively (and friendly) debate on whether the science is valid, the difference between inspiration and creativity, as well as their own opinions and experiences on mental illness and creativity.

What’s your take? Join Gabe and Jackie on this Not Crazy podcast to see whose side you’re on, or if you’re somewhere in the middle.

Find us online at:

https://psychcentral.com/blog/notcrazy/

About The Hosts

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 Gabe Howard. To learn more, please visit his website, gabehoward.com.

Gabe also hosts The Psych Central Podcast available on your favorite podcast player or by visiting psychcentral.com/show.

Jackie Zimmerman has been in the patient advocacy game for over a decade and has established herself as an authority on chronic illness, patient-centric healthcare, and patient community building. She lives with multiple sclerosis, ulcerative colitis, and depression.

You can find her online at JackieZimmerman.co,  Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Do you live in constant fear of losing your job because of your illness? What are your options? In this podcast, Jackie and Gabe tackle this complex topic with real answers. They discuss the exact actions you can take in various scenarios, including who to contact for help. They also share their own stories of being fired when their employers deemed them too sick to be productive.

When should you contact human resources? The ADA? A lawyer? If you struggle with mental illness and job insecurity, tune in for an informative discussion on the ins and outs of getting the complicated, and often unfair, American system to work for you.

Find us online at:

https://psychcentral.com/blog/notcrazy/

About The Hosts

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 Gabe Howard. To learn more, please visit his website, gabehoward.com.

Gabe also hosts The Psych Central Podcast available on your favorite podcast player or by visiting psychcentral.com/show.

Jackie Zimmerman has been in the patient advocacy game for over a decade and has established herself as an authority on chronic illness, patient-centric healthcare, and patient community building. She lives with multiple sclerosis, ulcerative colitis, and depression.

You can find her online at JackieZimmerman.co,  Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.