Mental Illness Happy Hour

30 year-old Mary M. left America for Europe to escape not only an American culture that was wearing on her but a family where she was tired of being the scapegoat to her golden-child brother.  An all-too-common scenario where her parents can only seem to support her financially but not emotionally. She discusses the prejudice she experiences as a queer woman of color, what she has learned by having a fiancee who is a trans man and the subtle politics of skin color within the black community. Other topics: when well meaning but narcissistic parents focus too much on molding their child out of fear rather than listening to what their child wants and the excessive political correctness that she believes is making true communication more difficult between people who need to hear each other, NVLD and OCD. This ep is sponsored by BetterHelp online counseling.  To experience a free week go to www.BetterHelp.com/mental This ep is sponsored by HelloFresh meal kit delivery service.  For $30 off your first week of meals

Panic attacks, agoraphobia, anxiety and depression had brought Sam to a very dark place a few years ago and he decided he needed help. Bit by bit he began to see how his childhood and negative self-beliefs had to be re-examined. A new clarity on the dysfunction in his family (a disinterested workaholic dad and a controlling, angry mother) gave him the hope to began protecting himself from the pain of having them in his life. A great episode on self-care, cutting contact with parents, re-parenting ourselves and the importance of humor and pursuing our dreams and being our authentic selves even if it means disappointing others. Sam's Website:  https://www.sisyphusbrewing.com/ NAMI MN: http://www.namihelps.org/ This ep is sponsored by BetterHelp online therapy.  To try a week of counseling for free go to www.BetterHelp.com/mental  Must be 18 This ep is sponsored by ZipRecruiter.  To post job ads for free go to www.ZipRecruiter.com/mental This ep is sponsored by Audible.  To start your free trial go to www.Audibl

The 32 year-old poet, mental health advocate and daughter of a Nigerian immigrant father and Brooklyn mother opens up to Paul about her emotional and mental turnaround after years of feeling suicidal and several times attempting it. She details the ways her depression, disconnection and fear of taking off her "mask" as the perfect, popular girl played in leading her to believe it was a good idea. She and Paul discuss possible ways loved ones can reach out to someone who is talking about suicide as well as how the person who is in pain can find help and potentially hope. Her relationship with her mother, who is a doctor, is a great example of how someone in the helping profession can still learn ways to communicate with and love someone who is hurting. Follow Kelechi athttps://kelechiubozoh.wordpress.com/https://twitter.com/kubozoh Check out the documentary she appears in called The S Word The book about covert incest that Paul mentioned is called Silently Seduced. This ep is sponsored by BetterHelp online th

Paul's longtime friend, standup (Letterman) and actor (Everybody Loves Raymond) shares about his struggles with OCD, ADD and feeling the need to control people's opinions about his behavior even after lashing out at someone. He talks about his childhood and the negative self-beliefs and self-hatred that he's now understanding have been driving his behaviors and fears. For more on Andy go to www.AndyKindler.comwww.Facebook.com/AndyKindler or www.Twitter.com/AndyKindler This ep is sponsored by BetterHelp online therapy.  To try a week of counseling for free go to www.BetterHelp.com/mental  Must be 18 This ep is sponsored by RXBar protein bars.  For 25% off your first purchase go to www.RXBar.com/mental and use offer code MENTAL This ep is sponsored by Glynn Washington's new podcast about cults entitled Heaven's Gate.  It can be found in Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. To become a monthly donor (and qualify for bonus content and goodies from Paul go to www.Patreon.com/mentalpod To make a one-time donations via Payp

The mortician, TED Talk speaker and author of Smoke Gets In Your Eyes, talks about her childhood OCD and fascination with death as a result of witnessing a tragedy, how she'd like to see the American funeral industry change and how death is viewed/embraced around the world via a read excerpt from her new book From Here To Eternity: Traveling the World To Find The Good Death. Follow Caitlin on Instagram @TheGoodDeath Follow Caitlin on Twitter @TheGoodDeath Check out her website www.CaitlinDoughty.com Buy her new book From Here to Etnernity: Traveling the World To Find The Good Death This ep is sponsored by BetterHelp online therapy.  To try a week of counseling for free go to www.BetterHelp.com/mental  Must be 18 This ep is sponsored by Hello Fresh meal kit delivery service.  For $30 off your first week of deliveries go to www.HelloFresh.com and use offer code MENTAL30 This ep is sponsored by ZipRecruiter.  To post jobs for free go to www.ZipRecruiter.com/mental If you live in the Twin Cities come see a live

The comedian, co-author of He's Just Not That Into You and longtime friend of Paul drops by to lighten his day up. They laugh at their fears, loves and thoughts about mortality and getting older. Check out Greg's PODCAN podcast network Here is the episode with Paul that he talked about Follow him on Twitter @GregoryBehrendt Check out his website http://www.gregorybehrendt.com/ Visit his Facebook Page This ep is sponsored by BetterHelp online therapy.  To try a week of counseling for free go to www.BetterHelp.com/mental  Must be 18 To buy tickets to LAPodfest Oct 6-8 (we're taping Oct 8th 4pm) at the Biltmore Hotel in downtown LA go to www.LAPodfest.com If you live in the Twin Cities come see a live taping of the podcast in the afternoon and a comedy show that night at Sisyphus Brewery (with Paul as the emcee) Sat Oct 14th.  Click here for tix or info. To become a monthly donor (and qualify for bonus content and goodies from Paul go to www.Patreon.com/mentalpod To make a one-time donations via Paypal go to ww

Specializing in treating clients whose self-judgement of their thoughts results in obsession and compulsions, Kimberley sits down with Paul and talks about the different forms OCD can take and how to treat it or support someone you love without enabling their compulsions.  She and Paul also play a game she plays with clients called "One Up" where they try to outdo each other in sharing "disgusting" things that pop into their brains to show we all have thoughts pop into our heads that make us uncomfortable and laughing about it instead of judging it is the healthy response.  Be forewarned, some of the stuff they share might be considered offensive or too intense for some listeners. Links and resources mentioned by Kimberley. KQ links:  Her podcast: Podcast Your Anxiety Toolkit Website: kimberleyquinlan-lmft.com Her Facebook:  Her Instagram     Other links:  Best website and org to help get info and resources Iocdf.org Best book for a family member with OCD Best book to explain Intrusive thoughts/OCD This ep

Paul's support group friend Meredith opens up about being raised by parents who lacked a sense of privacy or sexual boundaries; being sexualized by her father, mother (who has a long history of "accidentally" showing her vagina) and step-mother in covert but damaging ways, being comfortable giving help but not taking it or asking for it; being a perfectionist, self-harm, being attracted to emotionally unavailable men ( #loveaddiction ) and being on both ends of manipulative/coercive sexual experiences.  She also talks about the ways that therapy, support groups and mindfulness have helped her with these issues. This ep is sponsored by BetterHelp online therapy.  To try a week of counseling for free go to www.BetterHelp.com/mental  Must be 18 This ep is sponsored by ZipRecruiter.  To post jobs for free go to www.ZipRecruiter.com/mental To buy tickets to LAPodfest Oct 6-8 (we're taping Oct 8th 4pm) at the Biltmore Hotel in downtown LA or to live stream it go to www.LAPodfest.com If you live in the Twin Cities c

Raised in financial privilege but emotional poverty, the actor/writer/standup reflects on her "don't give a fuck" eating disorder, drug and alcohol years trying to stuff the real feelings of abandonment, not being good enough, anxiety, anger and feeling invisible especially in comparison to her golden-child brother. She gets honest about the "self-centered demon inside me" that drove her actions until sobering up almost 20 years ago and learning to deal with her insecurities, fears and anger by connecting to trusted people in support groups and trying to be of service. Check out her great web series www.BitterHomesandGardens.com and her website www.FieldingEdlow.com This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp online counseling.  To try a free week go to www.BetterHelp.com/mental and fill out a questionnaire.  Must be 18 This episode is sponsored by ZipRecruiter.  To post job ads for FREE go to www.ZipRecruiter.com/mental To take the survey Paul mentioned on the podcast (to help out a graduate student doing a thes

The actor/writer/comedian known for the Netflix show Love, the movie Inglourious Basterds and IFC's Comedy Bang! Bang! opens up about his battles with anxiety, OCD, taking on other people's emotions, people pleasing, wanting attention, shame, fear of letting people down and the role vulnerability and therapy have played in him finding emotional stability and peace. Follow Paul on Twitter @PaulRust Follow Paul on Instagram @PaulRust This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp online counseling.  To try a free week go to www.BetterHelp.com/mental and fill out a questionnaire.  Must be 18 This episode is sponsored by HelloFresh.  To get $30 off your first week of meals go to www.HelloFresh.com and use offer code MENTAL30 To take the survey Paul mentioned on the podcast (to help out a graduate student doing a thesis on how this podcast helps people) click here. To become a monthly donor (and qualify for bonus content and goodies from Paul go to www.Patreon.com/mentalpod Catch the podcast live at LAPodfest Oct 6-8.  T

The author (Every Moment of a Fall: Recovery Thru EMDR Therapy) opens up in front of a live audience in Oakland about the years she abused herself through bad relationships, booze and sex before therapy and EMDR helped her confront her true feelings about her predatory father, passive mother, abusive step-father and the plane crash she survived as a 16 year-old. Visit Carol's website www.Carol-E-Miller.com Buy her book Every Moment of a Fall: Recovery Thru EMDR Therapy This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp online counseling.  To try a free week go to www.BetterHelp.com/mental and fill out a questionnaire.  Must be 18 This episode is sponsored by Warby Parker Glasses.  To try some on free at home go to www.WarbyParker.com/mental This episode is sponsored by the men's personal clothes styling service Bombfell  To get $25 off your first purchase go to www.Bombfell.com/mental To become a monthly donor (and qualify for bonus content and goodies from Paul go to www.Patreon.com/mentalpod Catch the podcast live at

Paul's support group friend shares about recovery and battles with binge-eating, shame, compulsive exercise, not knowing what he looks like, porn addiction, love addiction, fear of leaving relationships, feeling like he "is enough", growing up in a family where one sibling takes up all the parents' attention and energy, surviving the suicide of his brother and the huge impact learning to be vulnerable has had on his healing and life in general. Find out more about Matt at: Youtube: www.youtube.com/meetmattshepherd Instagram: www.instagram.com/meetmattshep Twitter: www.twitter.com/meetmattshep website: www.meetmattshep.com This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp online counseling.  To try a free week go to www.BetterHelp.com/mental and fill out a questionnaire.  Must be 18 To become a monthly donor (and qualify for bonus content and goodies from Paul go to www.Patreon.com/mentalpod Catch the podcast live at LAPodfest Oct 6-8.  To learn more go to www.LAPodfest.com To make a one-time donations via Paypal go to 

YouTube personality Sarah Sterling is 26 and was obsessed with Harry Potter (and Disney) since day one. At a convention she met a singer who captivated her. He was 24 and she was 16. Looking back, she sees it as statutory rape and is processing that. What's possibly even harder to process for her is that she still hasn't told her overly-protective easily-overreactive mom. Sarah talks about how she has always felt the need to protect her mom from information that would set off her anxiety and the dynamics of having a parent that loves her but sometimes just doesn't understand her or accept her as an adult. For more about Sarah visit: Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/sarahsterling_ YouTube- http://www.youtube.com/sarahsterling Instagram - http://www.instagram.com/sarahgsterling This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp online counseling.  To try a free week go to www.BetterHelp.com/mental and fill out a questionnaire.  Must be 18 To become a monthly donor (and qualify for bonus content and goodies from Paul go to

Louise (a pseudonym) shares about the moment in her otherwise mostly happy childhood that things changed.  She shares about the abuse at a posh Harry-Potteresque school when she was six by a headmaster who walked the dark halls with a torch; her mom's drinking, letting go of childhood shame, fear of conflict, how parents can support an abused child, when kids sexually abuse other kids, inner child work, Britain's NHS, and trying to cope with past trauma thru drugs and sex. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp online counseling.  To try a free week go to www.BetterHelp.com/mental and fill out a questionnaire.  Must be 18 This episode is sponsored by Casper Mattresses.  To learn more go to www.Casper.com/mental   Listeners can use offer code MENTAL  To become a monthly donor (and qualify for bonus content and goodies from Paul like the upcoming raffle for a free hotel, lunch with Paul, weekend passes for two and front row seats for the MIHH taping at LAPodfest Oct 6-8) go to www.Patreon.com/mentalpod Monthly

Why do some people enjoy physical pain or become aroused by it? For Kal, the discovery came with a lot of complications; he was a young boy and it was at the hands of a powerful and sadistic pedophile Rabbi (Heshy Brier) who is now a fugitive living in Israel. Kal shares about his years of self-destruction and bottoming out before eventually getting sober and starting the process of healing and advocating for other survivors. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp online therapy. To try a week for free go to www.BetterHelp.com/mental  Must be 18. This episode is sponsored by BlueApron. To get your first 3 meals free with FREE delivery, go to www.BlueApron.com/mental To become a monthly donor (and qualify for bonus content and goodies from Paul like the upcoming raffle for a free hotel at LAPodfest Oct 6-8) go to www.Patreon.com/mentalpod To learn more about LAPodfest go to www.LAPodfest.com  To help fund Paul's next trip to record international guests, especially in Ireland, go to https://www.gofundme.com/pa

Imagine getting gay hate mail from your own family.  Or finding a letter where your parents talk about you in a way that confirms your worst fears.  How does Bipolar 2 compare to having something like cancer?  Comedian and author (How To Be Depressed: A Guide) Dana Eagle opens up about being a lonely kid in the 80s whose parents couldn't relate to her perhaps b/c her dad was alcoholic or her mom was thriving in her corporate job.  Or is it genetic?  Paul and Dana talk about art, comedy, shame, money, puberty, homophobia, abandonment, moving and apes!   Buy Dana's book How To Be Depressed: A Guide Visit her websites www.DanaEagle.comhttp://howtobedepressed.comhttps://www.facebook.com/DanaEagleComedy/https://twitter.com/DanaEagleTweetshttps://www.instagram.com/danaeagle/ This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp online counseling.  To try a free week go to www.BetterHelp.com/mental and fill out a questionnaire.  Must be 18 This episode is sponsored by Bombas socks.  For 20% off your first purchase go to www.Bomb

He's authored Grammy-nominated hits for the biggest artists, put out his own albums, written best-selling books on baseball, and directed a documentary on the Beatles.  And for as long as he can remember he has struggled with anxiety, panic attacks and feeling disconnected.  What happens when you're achieving your dreams but you haven't dealt with the feelings underneath the drive to be recognized?  Seth got his masters in clinical psychology.  He opens up about his life and his approach to dealing with mental illness -especially depression and anxiety-, making art, raising kids and finding peace through a life lived with authenticity and meaning. For info on or to purchase his book 21 Ways to a Happier Depressionclick here.   To see all the books, music, documentaries and art he's done visit Seth's personal website: Seth.com   To learn more about him as therapist in Los Angeles visit Seththerapy.com   This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp online counseling.  To try a free week go to www.BetterHelp.com/ment

Fat-shamed as a child by her mother and classmates, writer-performer Chelsea Frank, now 24, opens up about the complex role food plays in her life.  She talks about her struggles with weight, self-hatred, bingeing and restricting, going to "fat camps", life inside an eating disorder rehab and cutting contact with her abusive mother. Follow Chelsea on Twitter @ChelseaSFrank and on Instagram @ChelseaFrank This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp online counseling.  To try a free week go to www.BetterHelp.com/mental and fill out a questionnaire.  Must be 18 This episode is sponsored by BoredWalk. an artist-owned and operated graphic apparel company.  To get 10% off your first purchase go to www.IloveBoredWalk.com and use offer code MENTAL  To become a monthly donor and qualify for bonus content and goodies from Paul (including the upcoming raffle for a free hotel at LAPodfest Oct 6-8) go to www.Patreon.com/mentalpod To learn more about LAPodfest go to www.LAPodfest.com To help fund Paul's next trip to record inte

Creative and sensitive, born and raised in 1980's communist East Germany by a dysfunctional family, Anne's abuse was not dramatic, more like death by 1000 cuts.  Bearing the brunt of being a first child and resented for her intelligence, she developed BPD (Borderline Personality Disorder) but has always turned the anger inwards, rarely if ever lashing out.  She talks about the benefits of learning DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy) as well as her struggles with anorexia, bingeing, cutting and being passive aggressive as well as the greater context of her personal battles taking place alongside her country's people fighting for freedom and independence from a regime that shot its own citizens for trying to leave the country. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp online counseling.  To experience a week for free go to www.BetterHelp.com/mental and fill out a questionnaire This episode is sponsored by BlueApron.  To get your first 3 meals free with free shipping go to www.BlueApron.com/mental This episode is s

What goes on in someone when they're jealous, possessive, obsessive or need to create drama?  Mila was born into a family where her parents "couldn't live with/couldn't live without each other"  and she found herself as an adult becoming like them, She also began snooping on her partners and engaging in online and in-person affairs despite knowing better and wanting to stop but unable to leave her cold and uninterested husband. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp online counseling.  To try a week for free go to www.BetterHelp.com/mental  Must be 18. This episode is sponsored by Audible's Binge Listening Event which lasts until June 28.  Get $50 off the price of an annual membership as well.   www.Audible.com/binge Help Paul keep this podcast going.  It's not possible without donations and help from listeners like you.  You can help by: Becoming a one-time (PayPal) or monthly (Patreon) donor for as little as $1/month and qualify for bonus content and personalized stuff from Paul.  www.mentalpod.com/donate