Mental Illness Happy Hour

A weekly hour-long conversation between host Paul Gilmartin and a guest (often a fellow artist) about their mental and emotional struggles, large and small. Listeners describe it as " entertaining, comforting, honest, helpful and funny".

486 - Dr Shaili Jain MD - PTSD 05/07/2020

486 - Dr Shaili Jain MD - 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 Her book is called The Unspeakable Mind. Support Our Sponsors! This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp online counseling. To get a free week go to Must be 18. WAYS TO HELP THE PODCAST ______________________ Subscribe via iTunes and leave a review. It costs nothing. ————————————————————————— Spread the word via social media. It costs nothing. Our website is our FB is and our and are both @Mentalpod -------------------------------------------------------- Become a much-needed Patreon monthly-donor (with occasional rewards) for as little as $1/month at Become a one-time or monthly donor or (make payment to [email protected]) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Try Our Sponsor’s Products/Services --------------------------------------------------- /episode/index/show/mentalpod/id/14330792

485 Shame 05/01/2020

485 Shame Paul shares some stories of people battling shame (especially around their bodies) and reads from the Loves, Happy Moments and Awfulsome moments surveys. /episode/index/show/mentalpod/id/14230151

484 - Pandemic 4 04/24/2020

484 - Pandemic 4 Paul reads listener experiences around their mental/emotional struggles and victories -some serious some humorous- including the Covid crisis. /episode/index/show/mentalpod/id/14123993

483 - Being Broke & In Debt - Nathan Rabin 04/17/2020

483 - 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. /episode/index/show/mentalpod/id/14022488

482 Coping with the Pandemic 3 04/10/2020

482 Coping with 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. /episode/index/show/mentalpod/id/13927739

481 Coping in a Pandemic 2 04/03/2020

481 Coping in a Pandemic 2 The second installment of listeners sharing their loves, happy and awfulsome moments and struggles during the pandemic via surveys read by Paul. /episode/index/show/mentalpod/id/13826579

480 Coping in a Pandemic 03/27/2020

480 Coping in a Pandemic Listeners share their loves and struggles during the pandemic via surveys read by Paul. /episode/index/show/mentalpod/id/13720997

479 - Things We Love 03/20/2020

479 - 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. /episode/index/show/mentalpod/id/13621628

478 - Hell's Kitchen Kenny 03/13/2020

478 - 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 and poverty that he is struggling to break. /episode/index/show/mentalpod/id/13531127

477 Ask a Sex Crimes Detective - Don Howell Returns 03/06/2020

477 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. /episode/index/show/mentalpod/id/13434275

476 - Sleep Deprivation - Teresa Strasser Returns 02/28/2020

476 - Sleep Deprivation - Teresa Strasser Returns The host/performer 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. /episode/index/show/mentalpod/id/13333652

475 - Secrets & Trust - Sam Dingman 02/21/2020

475 - 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 finally confronting a family member. He shares about his struggles to feel validated, respected and seen. /episode/index/show/mentalpod/id/13239914

474 - Physically Transitioning - Fallon Chavez 02/14/2020

474 - 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. /episode/index/show/mentalpod/id/13147973

473 Moral Injury - Veteran Tom Voss 02/07/2020

473 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. /episode/index/show/mentalpod/id/13049567

472 Ask A Therapist - Katie Vernoy Returns 01/31/2020

472 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. /episode/index/show/mentalpod/id/12960770

471 - Smothered & Entitled - Al Lubel 01/24/2020

471 - 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 and ability to be intimate & independent. /episode/index/show/mentalpod/id/12871742

470 From Chaos to Purpose - Wendy Adamson 01/17/2020

470 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 eventually finding her life's purpose. /episode/index/show/mentalpod/id/12774488

469 Chronic Health Issues - Karolyn Gehrig 01/10/2020

469 Chronic Health Issues - Karolyn Gehrig Karolyn suffers from Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, a connective tissue disease that affects her joints and internal organs and an inoperable brain tumor. Topics discussed: health care system, patient support, sexism, PTSD and chronic pain. WAYS TO HELP THE PODCAST /episode/index/show/mentalpod/id/12685058

468 - Native American Ellen Blackcloud 01/03/2020

468 - 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" in her own bedroom for years to avoid him, and how getting sober herself was the catalyst for healing and forgiveness. /episode/index/show/mentalpod/id/12601781

467 Best Of: Hank Adams 12/27/2019

467 Best Of: Hank Adams Prostitution, alcoholism, fetishes, swinging, abandonment and being stabbed by a bayonet; Hank has experienced them all. Paul’s friend has to pause to count how many stepdads he has had. This episode originally aired in 2011. /episode/index/show/mentalpod/id/12538769

466 - Brian Simpson 12/20/2019

466 - Brian Simpson The standup comic (Lights Out) 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, battling Major Depressive Disorder & cultural appropriation /episode/index/show/mentalpod/id/12474179

465 Being Non-Binary - Gobbie Dixon 12/13/2019

465 Being Non-Binary - Gobbie Dixon The 29 year-old Second City writer/performer shares about being gender-fluid, growing up believing there was nobody else like them, and their suicide attempt at 13. They share about using public restrooms & dysphoria during sex /episode/index/show/mentalpod/id/12387386

464 - Surviving Domestic Violence - Gold Medalist Ruthie Bolton 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 learning to stop trying to "fix" partners. /episode/index/show/mentalpod/id/12299807

Episode 95: Maria Bamford 12/02/2019

Episode 95: Maria Bamford The groundbreaking comedian (Comedy Central Presents:, Comedians of Comedy, Sarah Silverman Program) and voiceover artist (Wordgirl, Adult Swim) talks about her lifelong battles with OCD, Unwanted Thoughts Syndrome, BiPolar II, and the recent hospitilization that probably saved her life. Sounds pretty hilarious huh? /episode/index/show/mentalpod/id/2174062

463 Best Of - Paul F Tompkins 11/29/2019

463 Best Of - Paul F Tompkins The talented stand-up comedian and writer/actor (HBO’s Mr. Show, Bojack Horseman) talks about the role therapy played in helping him turn his pain and rejection into being a happier person and a better artist. He opens up about the shame of having parents who didn’t find him funny or necessarily interesting, and the beauty of being given a second chance by a peer who was ready to write him off for his past bitterness. Originally aired in 2011. /episode/index/show/mentalpod/id/12215096

462 - Body Image & Sexuality - Jessi Kneeland 11/22/2019

462 - 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. /episode/index/show/mentalpod/id/12135206

461 Living With Epilepsy - Alisa Kennedy Jones 11/15/2019

461 Living With Epilepsy - Alisa Kennedy Jones The writer and NPR contributor 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. /episode/index/show/mentalpod/id/12043319

460 Fighting For LGBTQ Equality - Dr Perry Halkitis 11/08/2019

460 Fighting For LGBTQ Equality - 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. /episode/index/show/mentalpod/id/11954882

459 - Wildfire & Loss Trauma - Social Worker Nick H 11/01/2019

459 - Wildfire & Loss Trauma - Social Worker 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. /episode/index/show/mentalpod/id/11862491

458 - What A Body Remembers - Karen Stefano 10/25/2019

458 - What A Body Remembers - Karen Stefano Despite being attacked as a college student, the author went on to become an attorney defending violent offenders. She talks about the ways her trauma affected her and finding her voice despite anxiety, hyper vigilance, PTSD & shame. /episode/index/show/mentalpod/id/11774456

Mental Illness Happy Hour

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