Inside Mental Health

In this episode of the Psych Central Show, hosts Gabe Howard and Vincent M. Wales discuss loneliness. It’s a very common feeling that most people experience at some point in their lives. Now, medical experts report that the effects of loneliness should be considered to be a major health danger. Our hosts discuss how this is the case. They also explain the differences between being alone and being lonely and between loneliness and solitude. Other information provided in this episode include the different types of loneliness (it’s not all about being without a romantic partner) and what steps one can take to stop being lonely.   SHOW HIGHLIGHTS [1:00]   Loneliness is deadlier than smoking or obesity. [1:39]   How is loneliness so dangerous? [4:27]   The various types of loneliness. [14:31] The difference between being alone and being lonely. [15:30] What you can do to stop being lonely. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of the Psych Central Show, hosts Gabe Howard and Vincent M. Wales welcome guest Dr. Emma Basch. Dr. Basch is a licensed clinical psychologist as well as the author of PsychCentral’s Maternity Matters blog. She joins our hosts (two childless men, it should be noted) to discuss the many aspects of postpartum depression. Listen in to learn some surprising facts and statistics about postpartum depression, including how common it is. Learn how it differs from “regular” depression, the ties it has to anxiety, the known causes of postpartum depression, and several suggestions for how to treat it.   SHOW HIGHLIGHTS [0:45]   What exactly is postpartum depression? [1:23]   Postpartum is more common than you might think. [4:29]   Can men suffer from postpartum depression? [7:04]   What causes postpartum depression? [12:19] What can be done about postpartum depression? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of the Psych Central Show, hosts Gabe Howard and Vincent M. Wales finally tackle a topic they'd been putting off: procrastination. Pretty much everyone puts off doing distasteful tasks, but procrastination can cause a multitude of problems for us, including harming our health. During this show, you'll learn some surprising (and some not-so-surprising) facts about procrastination, including just how many people self-identify as procrastinators, and several of the most common excuses given for procrastinating. You'll also learn what the major reasons behind procrastination really are and [spoiler alert] that you can, in fact, stop procrastinating.   SHOW HIGHLIGHTS [2:15] - What are some things NOT responsible for procrastination? [2:50] - How many people self-identify as chronic procrastinators? [3:47] - What are some things that ARE responsible for procrastination? [4:33] - What are some common excuses given for procrastinating? [10:14] - What are some negative effects of procrastination? [11:56] - What can we do to stop procrastinating? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of the Psych Central Show, hosts Gabe Howard and Vincent M. Wales welcome guest Mike Veny, a mental health speaker with lived experience, creator of Transforming Stigma, and host of the Mike Veny Show podcast. In a serious examination of stigma, Mike discusses exactly what stigma really is and explains how there is a cycle that stigma takes and what we can do to break it. He gives advice on how we can all approach the uncomfortable conversations we are likely to have about mental illness. Mike also shares his story of illness and a rather unconventional path that led to his recovery.   [1:28] The 3 Components of Stigma  [3:23] Is Stigma Really Just Confusion?  [5:51] The Cycle of Stigma – and How to Break It  [13:29] Mike's Unconventional Path to Recovery  [18:31] Why Now Is the Time to Speak Out About Mental Illness  [20:56] How Do We Approach the Uncomfortable Conversations? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of the Psych Central Show, hosts Gabe Howard and Vincent M. Wales examine the many aspects of sleep. It’s a state in which we spend a third of our lives, but many of us have poor sleeping habits. In this episode, you will learn about the amount of sleep we need, which varies with age; the effects of not getting enough of it, both on your physical and mental health; and an explanation of proper sleep hygiene and why it’s important. This episode of The Psych Central Show was produced for a Facebook Live event and the video of the podcast recording can be seen here.   SHOW HIGHLIGHTS [0:39]         How much sleep do we need, anyway? [1:34]         The results of insufficient sleep. [3:04]         How insufficient sleep affects our mental health. [7:12]         What sleep deprivation can do to your physical health. [8:48]         What is sleep hygiene and why is it so important? [16:59]       A few words about sleep disorders. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of the Psych Central Show, hosts Gabe Howard and Vincent M. Wales welcome guest counselor and author Victoria Gigante. Victoria shares the story of how she grew dissatisfied with a life that others would consider to be “perfect,” how she made huge changes by essentially walking away from it all, and in the process developed her life-changing “daily practice” approach to self-care. Victoria explains just want a daily practice is for, the different forms it can take, and how it can help each and every one of us. She gives advice on how to start one, and explores the many reasons why people think they are unable to do so.   Show Highlights: [0:47]         Victoria explains what a daily practice for self-care is. [2:18]         Sharing some examples of daily practices. [3:02]         Why people can’t seem to find the time for self-care. [4:17]         Victoria explains why a daily practice is so important. [10:46]       Victoria shares how and why she broke away from her “picture perfect life.” [13:02]       How to develop a daily practice. [15:01]       The value of maintaining a daily practice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of the Psych Central Show, hosts Gabe Howard and Vincent M. Wales welcome guest Tanara Simpson, a young woman who was diagnosed with schizophrenia in her 20s. In this interview, Tanara shares the story of her diagnosis, including the symptoms that led her from doctor to doctor, landed her in jail, and ultimately led to a physician who helped her get on the road to recovery. She talks about her partnership with Janssen Pharmaceuticals in helping her to get the word out about her story, and she shares how she maintains a positive attitude in spite of having a life-altering disease and works as a certified peer support specialist, helping others who have also been diagnosed with schizophrenia. Tanara's story is truly an inspirational one. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of the Psych Central Show, hosts Gabe Howard and Vincent M. Wales examine the recent case of Michelle Carter, a young woman in Massachusetts who was tried for involuntary manslaughter in the suicide of her eighteen-year old friend, Conrad Roy, based primarily on a series of text messages and phone calls. In what came as a shock to many, Carter was found guilty. The trial focused on extensive messages between the two, especially in the month leading up to Roy’s death, in which it is shown that the then seventeen-year old Carter went from urging Roy to seek help to actively helping him plan for his own death and, finally, to blatantly urging him to take his own life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of the Psych Central Show, hosts Gabe Howard and Vincent M. Wales welcome Katie Dale, a young woman with bipolar disorder who was convinced by a pastor to discontinue her medication and instead put her faith in God to heal her. Unsurprisingly, going off her meds plunged Katie into a serious bipolar episode. She resumed her medications and has been living well ever since. Katie shares with listeners a touching, yet very pointed, letter that she wrote to this pastor, explaining how she understood his motives. But, she cautions, this doesn’t change the fact that his advice was harmful. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of the Psych Central Show, host Gabe Howard interviews his co-host, Vincent M. Wales, about living with persistent depressive disorder (formerly known as dysthymia).  Vincent speaks candidly about how he came to realize that he had chronic depression, the mistakes he made in treating it, his suicidal years in college, and how living with depression affected his writing, especially with regard to the creation of his character, Dynamistress. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices