Mental Illness Happy Hour

The singer/songwriter guitarist talks to Paul about being a female guitarist in a male-dominated industry, her negative self-talk, fear of failure, workaholism, and why she stayed with a past boyfriend whose actions betrayed and disgusted her. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The siblings discuss growing up in an affluent but emotionally witholding household, and how their struggles with depression and her eating disorder ultimately brought them closer together.  They talk about the difficulty of connecting with an emotionally shutdown mother consumed with presenting a facade of normalcy to the outside world.  They discuss John's childhood self-harming, Megan's non-purging bulimia and compulsive exercising and starving, and the importance of finally asking for help from people who could emotionally provide it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The podcaster (Indoor Kids) and former licensed therapist opens up about her battle with Adult Onset Still's Disease, her mentally-ill grandmother, rebelling as an adolescent, being a woman in the South, working with schizophrenic patients, and perpetrators and victims of domestic violence.  They also talk about the importance of having emotional support, and how to distance yourself from people who are draining. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Paul's friend opens up about being adopted by a physically and sexually abusive paranoid schizophrenic mother, being a child actor and almost dying from AIDS.  They talk about spirituality, Peter's Christianity, and the importance of surrender. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The writer (I'm Kind of a Big Deal) podcaster (For Cryin' Out Loud) and tv host (Parental Discretion on Nick Mom) opens up about her alcoholism, bulimia, post partum depression, childhood and marriage.  Phew!! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The actor (The Hangover, The Hangover 2) and standup comedian (Comedy Central Presents, Chelsea Lately, TMZ) talks about his very public manic episode in 2011, the blurry line between his onstage persona and his real life demons and how he is learned to live with his diagnosis of Bipolar I.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Paul's friend opens about her chaotic childhood, her abandonment issues, and the struggling to find words to categorize the sex she wanted and got at 12, from a 27 year-old man.  She also talk about the self-doubt of giving up her fledgling comedy career to become a therapist.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The actor (The Sopranos), standup and podcaster (The Self-Help Comedy Hour) talks with Paul about his lifelong battle with anxiety and low self-esteem and the importance of welcoming fear instead of fighting it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The podcaster (Totally Laime and Totally Married) and aspiring writer chats with Paul about her idyllic upbringing, tragedy, loss, Xmas, porn, grieving and the sexualizing of today's youth. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

"Lillith" (not her real name) opens up to Paul about why she chooses to moonlight as an escort/prostitute, even though her day job pays the bills.  She talks about living with a rapid cycling form of BiPolar type I, childhood sexual trauma, how her mania helped her excel academically, and the myths and truths about having sex for money. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.