Inside Mental Health

Social anxiety is more common than most of us realize. Around 80% of us have experienced it at some point in our lives. In this episode, Dr. Ellen Hendriksen shares her insights into social anxiety, including how it is experienced by different sorts of people, and how we can reduce its impact on us. She explains about safety behaviors and how they can work against us in overcoming anxiety, as well as addresses specific anxious behaviors, such as avoiding eye contact. As she explains, a little social anxiety isn’t anything to worry about. It’s when social anxiety causes us to avoid certain situations or interactions that we should be concerned.   SHOW HIGHLIGHTS [1:37]   What’s the difference between social anxiety and shyness? [4:15]   Social anxiety with introverts & extraverts. [5:58]   The two lies of social anxiety. [9:49]   How do we lessen the impact of social anxiety? [15:23] Writing the book on social anxiety. [21:29] Looking social anxiety in the eye. [26:32] What are safety behaviors? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Keith O’Neil lived with undiagnosed bipolar disorder throughout his NFL career, including his final year with the Indianapolis Colts as they won the Super Bowl in 2006. After his diagnosis, Keith became an advocate, starting the 4th and Forever Foundation, which is dedicated to assisting those living with and affected by mental health conditions, through programs that raise awareness, promote education and fund research to alleviate mental illness. Keith tours the country, speaking to high school students. He shares with us his secret to getting through to them, and the single most frequent question they ask. He also speaks candidly about writing his book and about the people in his life who helped him, both before and after diagnosis.   SHOW HIGHLIGHTS [1:19]   Being bipolar in the NFL. [4:27]   Coming out as bipolar on Facebook. [6:29]   Keith O’Neil’s 4th and Forever Foundation. [7:05]   The secret to getting through to high schoolers. [12:15] Keith’s suicide attempt. [14:40] Keith’s book, Under My Helmet. [17:00] “Beating the Demon.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More and more apps are showing up that are geared toward mental health. One such app is called, simply, “Happy.” This simple to use app allows a user to speak with a “giver” (an emotional support individual) to discuss whatever happens to be troubling the user. In this episode, we speak with the company’s CEO, who explains how the app works, the vetting process of the givers, and plans for the future of the app. The importance of emotional support is also discussed, as are specifics on how the app works, including how a user is matched with a giver.   HAPPY THE APP SHOW HIGHLIGHTS [1:46]   What exactly is this app for? [6:07]   How does a user get matched with a “giver”? [10:16] How important is emotional support, really? [17:50] How does the app work? [19:24] Do the givers get paid? [20:37] How does one become a giver? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pete Earley returns to talk more about mental health advocacy and lots of other things. He tells of how he came to co-author a book with Jessie Close and talks of his days writing his own spy novels and several books with former Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich. He also shares stories from his days as a reporter with the Washington Post, including being part of a “special” squad of reporters. Pete shares some information on some of his forthcoming books and projects, and finally, he advises everyone of what we can do to help advocate for mental health in our own ways.   PETE EARLEY SHOW HIGHLIGHTS [0:35]   Pete speaks about writing a book with Jessie Close. [2:31]   Pete Earley: The Spy Writer [5:59]   Tales from the Washington Post [11:49] Information on forthcoming projects. [19:21] Advice on what you can do to advocate for mental health. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pulitzer finalist and former Washington Post reporter Pete Earley joins for the first of two shows. Pete talks about his popular blog and how he worked to make it more balanced than the average blog. He also speaks of the many obstacles and excuses he encountered in getting treatment for his son’s bipolar disorder, which led him to write the book, Crazy: A Father's Search Through America's Mental Health Madness. Also discussed is how “seriously mentally ill” is such a subjective diagnosis and why it seems that some mentally ill individuals can only receive treatment if they commit a crime.    PETE EARLEY SHOW HIGHLIGHTS [1:42]   Pete talks of creating a “balanced” blog. [6:41]   Why must many mentally ill commit crimes in order to receive treatment? [10:03] What is “Seriously Mentally Ill,” anyway? [12:45] Pete tells how Crazy came to be written. [19:04] The importance of partnership.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Natalie Hampton, Creator of the Sit With Us anti-bullying app, discusses the app's creation and unexpected success. She also shares her views on the prevalence of bullying in some schools. Learn about the app's features, expansion plans, and the importance of parents and educators in preventing bullying.

In this episode of the Psych Central Show, hosts Gabe Howard and Vincent M. Wales welcome Dr. Gleb Tsipursky to look at why some people hold their opinions, despite factual evidence to the contrary. In addition to explaining the reasons why some people ignore facts, the show offers suggestions on how to go about changing the mind of someone who does this, using the EGRIP approach. He also gives examples of how we can become more evolved thinkers, ourselves. Dr. Tsipursky also encourages the hosts to sign the Pro-Truth Pledge, a commitment to truth-oriented behavior. (Spoiler: they both already had!) 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 discuss the potentially disastrous effects of mental illness on romantic relationships, especially those in which one individual has a mental illness and the other does not. Drawing from their own failed marriages (two each), Gabe and Vincent talk about the role mental illness played in the ending of the relationships, including when they were undiagnosed or diagnosed but with little or no treatment. Gabe also shares advice for those in such relationships on how to minimize the impact of mental illness on the relationships themselves, based on his successful third marriage.   MENTAL ILLNESS IN ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS SHOW HIGHLIGHTS [1:40]   What are the difficulties in having a relationship with a mentally ill person? [2:51]   Examining the role of mental illness in Gabe’s marriages. [9:00] Examining the role of mental illness in Vincent’s marriages. [10:41] Honesty and education about mental illness are vital for relationships. [13:43] Making mistakes in the relationships. [14:16] What a potential romantic partner needs to know before becoming involved. 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 talk with Lisa Klein, director of the powerful documentary about suicide, The S Word. Suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in the United States. Nearly everyone has lost someone to suicide, whether a family member, friend, coworker, etc. Despite this, we don’t talk about it enough. In this episode, the director speaks of why she chose to make this film and how it affected her personally. Additionally, she talks about some of the stories that didn’t make it into the movie, the diverse perspectives featured, and more. SHOW HIGHLIGHTS [1:16]   Where the concept for the film came from. [3:25]   Working with the Live Through This project. [7:12]   Some stories not featured in the film. [12:53] In recovery, there are still bad days. [15:55] The diverse perspectives featured in the film. [17:52] How making the film affected the director herself. 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 talk about friendship. Specifically, why we find it so much more difficult to make friends as adults than when we were young. Among the points covered was the fact that not everyone has the same definition of “friend.” Also discussed are the various pools of people available to us as friends and the ways in which we meet them. Most pertinent, though, is the major difference in how children and adults tend to determine who is worthy of being a friend. (Hint: kids might have a better grasp on it.)   SHOW HIGHLIGHTS [1:25]   What do we really mean by “friends”? [5:15]   Do adults focus on different things when seeking friends? [7:05]   How do we change how we disqualify others as friends? [9:52]   Do we fragment our friendships in our personal lives? [10:51] Friends vs. friendly acquaintances. [12:57] The difference in how adults and kids find “groups.” [16:49] The (unrealistic?) expectations of adults. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices