In this episode, Sarah Fay, an expert on Substack, discusses the unique voice of work on Substack. She highlights the importance of community-building, self-publicity, and the integration of commercial offerings. The chapter also explores the benefits of Substack for writers and the power of memoirs and addressing mental health. Craft advice, content preferences, and reflections on Substack and future goals are also discussed.

In this engaging discussion, mental health advocate Sarah Fay shares her journey of recovering from mental illness. She challenges the current mental health diagnostic framework, spotlighting the risks of self-diagnosis fueled by social media. Fay emphasizes the need for a more nuanced understanding of mental health that transcends conventional labels. With insights on personal recovery strategies, she advocates for embracing empathy and collaboration between patients and clinicians. Her personal anecdotes illuminate the complexities of navigating mental health in today's world.

Sarah Fay is an author and activist.  Her writing appears in many publications, including The New York Times, The Atlantic, Time Magazine, The New Republic, Longreads, The Michigan Quarterly Review, The Rumpus, The Millions, McSweeney’s, The Believer, and The Paris Review, where she served as an advisory editor.  She is currently on the faculty of the English departments at Northwestern University and DePaul University. In this episode, Eric and Sarah discuss her book: Pathological: A True Story of Six Misdiagnoses But wait – there’s more! The episode is not quite over!! We continue the conversation and you can access this exclusive content right in your podcast player feed. Head over to our Patreon page and pledge to donate just $10 a month. It’s that simple and we’ll give you good stuff as a thank you!Sarah Fay and I Discuss the Challenges of Mental Health Diagnoses and…Her book, Pathological: A True Story of Six Misdiagnoses Defining mental illness and how mental health diagnoses come from the book, “Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders” (DSM).  Her many diagnoses of mental health disorders in her lifetimeHow DSM diagnoses lack validity and reliability How chemical imbalance theory has been debunked and cannot be provenThe problems with primary care physicians diagnosing psychiatric conditions and overprescribingHow mental illness diagnoses can often become our identityThe different schools of thought on treating mental health conditions with medicationEmotions are vibrations in our bodies and responses to our thoughtsPathological: The Movement and the three important questions to ask yourselfSarah Fay Links:Sarah’s WebsitePathological: The MovementInstagramFacebookIf you enjoyed this conversation with Sarah Fay you might also enjoy these other episodes:Rethinking Mental Health with Eric MaiselGabe Howard on Mental HealthSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Award-winning author Sarah Fay and former NIMH Director Thomas Insel discuss moving away from simplistic mental health diagnoses, prioritizing self-work for healing, and not letting struggles define identity. They highlight the flaws of the diagnostic process, advocate for personalized care, and emphasize support, hope, and societal perception changes.

Sarah Fay discusses mental pathologies with Dr. Randy James, exploring the diagnosis and treatment of mental health disorders. They delve into the challenges of psychological diagnosis, the importance of self-awareness in managing mental health, and the impact of embracing a diagnosis. The conversation emphasizes the responsibility individuals have in prioritizing positive activities and setting boundaries for mental well-being.