On Hiatus: Mental Health Challenged

What happens when an eternal optimist and a dedicated pessimist get together for a conversation about their mental health? From suicidal idealization to rediscovering yourself after divorce to dealing with a death in the family to keeping a positive outlook after a medical diagnosis. These two longtime friends discuss it all until they end up... On Hiatus.

The One Where... Grants Mom Finally Visits 11/14/2024

The One Where... Grants Mom Finally Visits "The One Where... Grant's Mom Finally Visits" - Season Finale After countless mentions, one infamous phone call attempt to shame Jay, and years of anticipation, we finally welcome Grant's Mom into the studio for our season finale. But first, a word of caution: while we're known for finding humor in the darkest corners of mental health, this episode tackles some heavy subjects including depression, anxiety, loneliness, suicide, and molestation. Don't worry though – our dynamic duo still manages to navigate these waters with their trademark blend of sensitivity and wit. In what can only be described as a masterclass in elderly interviewing (yes, you read that right), Jason shocks everyone by trading his Angry Ginger persona for that of a surprisingly skilled interviewer. Who knew he could be professional? Certainly not Grant! The episode peels back the layers of Grant's childhood, revealing the complexities of growing up in a home where Dad's presence was measured in weeks away rather than time present. We learn how the family eventually needed therapy just to reintegrate him back into their daily lives – both as a father and husband. Grant's Mom opens up about the challenges of essentially solo-parenting two boys while instilling the values that would shape Grant into the ice-cream-binging, anxiety-managing, deeply empathetic human we know today. In an unexpected turn, a discussion about a recently deceased family friend evolves into a powerful moment when Grant confronts the disconnect between his parents' memories and his own traumatic experiences with this person. It's a stark reminder that sometimes, even our own parents, can forget about our most touching moments. The conversation shifts to parenting tactics, exploring what we inherit from our parents and – in true grandparent fashion – how all those carefully crafted rules go straight out the window once grandkids enter the picture. Because apparently, "What happens at Grandma's stays at Grandma's" is now a legally binding contract. We wrap up with Mom sharing her favorite memories of Grant, proving that even our most sensitive moments can lead Jay to an unexpected tugging on the wrong kind of heart strings of conversation – though Jay's contribution to this touching maternal moment certainly had Grant wishing his mom had packed some extra absorption for the emotional overflow. This season finale serves as a powerful reminder that understanding our mental health often means looking back at where we came from, even if that journey requires a few laughs to get through the years and years of tears. Thank you for joining us on this wild ride through the landscape of mental health, family dynamics, and the occasional inappropriate joke that somehow made it past the editing room. See you next season, where we'll continue our mission to make mental health discussions a little less heavy and a lot more human – one questionably appropriate conversation at a time. Feel like you've found your people? We'd love to hear from you! Shoot us an email at – your story might be exactly what someone else needs to hear (and might temporarily distract Grant from his ongoing love affair with Ben & Jerry's). Join our digital circus over on Twitter/X @Podcast_Hiatus, where Season 4 promises the shocking debut of... While you're there, give our resident sass master, The Angry Ginger, a follow @S7evendaysageek. He promises to only bite on days ending in 'y'. /episode/index/show/onhiatus/id/33936672

The One With... Jay's Cousin Lori 11/01/2024

The One With... Jay's Cousin Lori "The One With... Jay's Cousin Lori" kicks off our two-part season finale with what can only be described as Grant's attempt at investigative journalism – if investigative journalism involved interrogating your co-host's cousin about childhood trauma and angry ginger origins. Enter Lori, Jay's cousin and childhood partner-in-crime, who grew up more like a sister to our beloved Angry Ginger. Grant, armed with the subtlety of a sledgehammer and the determination of a true-crime podcaster, dives straight into the deep end. What was life really like growing up with an alcoholic mother? Who hurt little Jason? And the question burning in Grant's mind like a forgotten Hot Pocket in the microwave: has anyone actually seen Jay cry? This episode peels back 47 years of Jason's life like an onion – marriages, kids, affairs, divorce, dating – the whole enchilada of human experience. From mountaintop moments to valley-dwelling lows, nothing is off-limits. But in classic "On Hiatus" fashion, what starts as Grant's mission to expose Jay's hidden depths ends up revealing something unexpected about himself. (No spoilers here, folks – you'll have to press play to uncover that gem!) Stay tuned for next week's grand finale where the tables turn and Grant brings on a mystery guest. Who could it be? Let's just say Jay's got some questions of his own locked and loaded. Want to join our dysfunctional family? Drop us a line at . Your message might just save Grant from his nightly ice cream binge (results not guaranteed). Follow our shenanigans on Twitter/X @Podcast_Hiatus, and give our resident Angry Ginger a follow @S7evendaysageek. Breaking news: Grant might actually join the digital world in Season 4 to help manage the show's social media. He actually hasn't commited to this nor is he aware that it's something that will be brought up in an upcoming On Hiatus Team Meeting... so we'll see. Thanks for letting us share our mental health journey with you this season. Join us next week for our final episode of the year, where we promise to maintain our tradition of questionable decisions and unexpected revelations! P.S. Grant still wants to know if anyone's seen Jay cry. The investigation continues... /episode/index/show/onhiatus/id/33736242

The One Where... They Read From The Notebook 10/23/2024

The One Where... They Read From The Notebook "The One Where... They Read From The Notebook" isn't your typical tear-jerker (though Grant probably wished it was). In this revealing episode, The Angry Ginger unearths a nine-year-old notebook - and yes, we're absolutely certain about that timeline, as Grant fact-checks it approximately seventeen times. What starts as Jason flipping through old podcast ideas and show concepts quickly turns into an unexpected time capsule of vulnerability. Tucked between creative brainstorms and the early seeds of what would become "Deconstructing Dad," lies something Grant has been hunting for like a truth-seeking missile: evidence that his seemingly unflappable friend once grappled with the same dark questions that keep him up at night. Through pages of raw introspection, we witness Jason's past self wrestling with questions that would make any therapist's notepad weep: "Will I ever be loved again?" and the eternal quest of "What is happiness and how to find it?" The crown jewel of this literary excavation? A one-year plan that begins with the hilariously self-deprecating goal to "do a sit-up because he's a fata**!" (Spoiler alert: He's done at least three since then.) Grant, like a kid who just found out Santa is real (plot twist!), can barely contain his excitement at this glimpse behind the curtain of Jason's comedic armor. His "Where has this book been my whole life!?" reaction perfectly captures the moment when you realize your friend's class clown routine might have been masking some serious soul-searching. But here's the kicker - Jason reveals these thoughts were likely meant for his "Deconstructing Dad" podcast, during a period when Grant was too preoccupied with his own chaos to tune in. In classic Angry Ginger fashion, Jay lands the episode's most pointed jab with a laugh: "Maybe if you were a better friend and listened to my podcast, you would have known all this years ago." Sometimes the best therapy sessions happen when you're reading old notebooks with a friend who's been waiting nine years to say "I told you so." But wait, there's more! Just when you think the vulnerability hour is wrapping up, Grant whips out "The 10 Questions" from his sadly departed but deeply missed "The Stranger Conversations" podcast. Jason, still slightly salty about never receiving an invitation to this apparently prestigious show (no, he's not holding a grudge... much), initially refuses to play along. But Grant, master of selective memory, plays innocent while Jay sees right through it like a freshly Windexed window. What follows is Grant's attempt at serious, soul-searching questions designed to peel back the layers of human nature... met with what can only be described as peak Angry Ginger responses. But we're not giving away the goods here - you'll have to press play to witness this masterclass in question-dodging and sass-mastery for yourself. As always, thank you for spending your valuable time with us. We hope that by sharing our struggles and pain through both serious and decidedly less-serious conversations, we're making your day a little brighter... or at least giving you an hour's worth of distraction from whatever chaos you're currently calling normal. Keep listening, keep laughing, and remember - sometimes the best therapy comes with a side of snark. ***Only Two more episodes left for the season. These are going to be big ones!**** YOU CAN REACH US-and please do: Jason @S7evendaysageek Grant @PodcastHiatus Email the show: [email protected] /episode/index/show/onhiatus/id/33586117

The One About... Rock Tumbling Through A Simulation Theory 10/17/2024

The One About... Rock Tumbling Through A Simulation Theory It's time for another mind-bending episode of "On Hiatus," where we tumble through the rocks of reality and come out... slightly more confused than before. In this week's episode, "Rock Tumbling Through a Simulation Theory," we join our intrepid heroes, Grant and Jason, as they navigate the treacherous waters of mental health, masculinity, and... geology? Yeah, you heard that right. Excited to be off hiatus, Grant, proudly boasts about his year-long tear drought. Congrats, buddy! Nothing says "I'm doing great" like emotional constipation. But hold onto your hand sanitizer, because we're not done taking a nosedive into how Covid turned his world upside down faster than Carol Baskins did to the Tiger King. Now, here's where it gets interesting... (Show code secret time: This whole episode was originally part of the conversation from last weeks episode, but thematically it didn't all work as one coheisive unit so Jay, being the humble superstar editor that he is decided to do his job and this is what you get. Podcasting Gold.) So continuing from last weeks conversation (wink, wink) Grant's questioning his manhood because he's not sure he could survive alone in the woods for a week. Newsflash, Grant: most of us can barely survive a week without WiFi, let alone in the wilderness. But our boy takes it up to eleven, imagining himself as the sole survivor of a plane crash. Spoiler alert: in this scenario, the bears are probably placing bets on how long he'll last. (If you'll recall, Jay would be one of those bears) Jason, ever the optimist, suggests turning this existential crisis into content for season 4. Because nothing says "ratings gold" like watching two podcasters fumble their way through survival scenarios. It's like "Naked and Afraid," but with more clothes and even more fear. But no tears! Never again with that sentimental sewer drainage. In the immortal words of Grant Markham, "But wait, there's more!" We dive headfirst into the rabbit hole of simulation theory. As the Ginger, not yet stimulated to anger, asks "Are we living in my simulation or yours?" The answer might surprise you... or not, because let's face it, if this was Grant's simulation, we'd all be metal detecting through grey matter till a box filled with accountability rocks gets found and immedietly tumbled. Speaking of which, Grant's got a new addiction... to rock tumbling That's right, rock tumbling! But who knew turning rocks into slightly smoother rocks could be so expensive? ...and here is where Jason's inner Angry Ginger makes an appearance. We'll just leave it to the audio. We wrap up with a spicy discussion on SSRIs, numbing effects, and potential side gigs as shopaholics or sex addicts. You know, just your average Sunday morning chat. And here's the kicker, folks: turns out Grant's meds might be turning him into a big spender after all. Who knew polishing rocks could be such a slippery slope? I guess you could say he's really... getting his rocks off. One thing is for sure though... "He's never going to financially recover from this!" Tune in next time when we'll probably be discussing Grant's new addiction to collecting dryer lint or Jason's sudden urge to become a professional financial guru specializing in stupid purchase beat downs. Until then, keep questioning reality and tumbling those rocks! /episode/index/show/onhiatus/id/33506427