Mental Illness Happy Hour

Author/life-coach April Adams clarifies what an "energy healer" actually does despite it sounding like new-age b.s.  She talks about techniques she has used to deal with her childhood trauma and heal others.  She opens up about her experiences with swinging, sexual fluidity, embracing her attraction to women fairly late in life and possible love addiction/fear of intimacy in her same-sex marriage. April's book is Essence: Ending Emptiness, Finding Fulfillment Her websites are www.AprilAdams...

The 34 year-old British writer/comedian/performer shares about the pain of her parents' nasty divorce when she was a kid, especially her father using her as a pawn and poisoning her mind about her mother. She also shares about her depression and only being turned on by men who treat her badly or are in some way unavailable. She talks about her struggle to not equate her self-worth with her career ups and downs and overcome her fear of not being enough. This episode is sponsored by MVMT watches...

The actor/comedian (@Midnight) opens up about his recent suicide attempt, psych ward stay  and how it is motivating him to seek help and try to be a better husband, father and friend.  He shares about trying to break the cycle of bad parenting and untreated addiction/mental illness in his family and learn how to identify and express his emotions instead of coping with his anxiety and depression by getting high...

The actor/improvisor (Horrible Bosses, American Horror Story) shares about learning to manager her Borderline Personality Disorder, and fears of abandonment or not being enough. She also shares about her weight struggles , depression, suicidal ideation, and being in a psych ward but hiding it from her mom. Post-interview Paul reads surveys and shares his thoughts on the intersection of our new political reality and mental health, especially for survivors of sexual trauma...

Only hugged once in her life by her mother, 25 year-old Yohana is the daughter of conservative East African war refugees from Ethiopia & Eritrea.  All her life she has buried her rage by wearing the "good girl" mask to try to placate her narcissistic mother and having to be someone else to survive as a kid growing up in Oakland where there were some fixed ideas of what makes someone an "authentic African-American"...

The 31 year-old writer discusses feminism, sexual violence and misogyny in the context of partisan politics, and her personal life. She shares about the complexities of marrying a Muslim, growing up being told "you're too sensitive", avoiding her emotions by achieving, hating her body, fighting the drill sergeant in her head and learning the power of being vulnerable and letting go of shame. Jamie's links Facebook: facebook.com/jamievaron Twitter: twitter.com/jamievaron Instagram: instagram...

Jeff is Paul's friend of 28 years and the son of former guest and Holocaust survivor Kristine Keese. He shares about her recent passing, their deep but complicated relationship, how he made peace with her being "a terrible mom but a great friend" and the book she wrote Shadows of Survival: A Child's Memoir of the Warsaw Ghetto.  Buy Kristine's book here. Follow Jeff on Twitter @Jeff_Rosie Visit Jeff's Facebook page This episode is sponsored by Meundies.  For 20% off your first order go to www...

The writer/improviser shares about the mental/emotional breakdown her freshman year of college at NYU that left her living in her car and squatting in empty buildings in New York City.  She looks back on her childhood and the familial love that was so often conditional, based on her weight and appearance...

The 33 year-old listener was the woman who comforted Murray Valeriano during our live episode last week.  From a blended family with every kind of abuse imaginable, including her church elder step-grandfather who molested her, her descent into meth and drinking, finding sobriety, and getting therapy for her traumas. This episode is sponsored by Casper Mattresses.  Visit www.casper.com/mental This episode is sponsored by Criquet Shirts.  For 20% off your first purchase visit www.criquetshirts...

The comedian/writer/podcaster had never talked much about losing his virginity at 15 to a 32 year-old tutor.  Tonight that changed and so did his view of the event and aftermath.  He also opens up about being a preacher's kid (who wasn't even allowed to see Footloose), being a father and the role "forbidden" music played in helping him cope as young man. If you would like to watch video of this episode, it will be archived at www.lapodfest...