Inside Mental Health

We’ve all seen depictions of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in pop culture: characters like Sheldon Cooper from “The Big Bang Theory” or Detective Adrian Monk from “Monk.” Their compulsions are portrayed as annoying, but ultimately it just makes people with OCD appear quirky.However, those depictions don’t even scratch the surface of what OCD really is. Imagine being obsessed with images of violence or death or being worried that you might actually be a bad person and are doomed to hell. Often, there is nothing cute or quirky about OCD in the real world. Join us as Shala Nicely, a woman who lives with OCD, explains the truth about OCD and shares the challenges it has caused in her life.To learn more -- or read the transcript -- please visit the episode page.Our guest, Shala Nicely, LPC, is the author of Is Fred in the Refrigerator? Taming OCD and Reclaiming My Life and coauthor with Jon Hershfield, MFT of Everyday Mindfulness for OCD: Tips, Tricks & Skills for Living Joyfully. She is a counselor and cognitive behavioral therapist in metro Atlanta, specializing in the treatment of OCD & related disorders and anxiety disorders. Shala produces the Shoulders Back! Tips & Resources for Taming OCD newsletter and blogs for Psychology Today, offering an inside perspective on life with OCD. She is currently working on her third book, a murder mystery called In Neptune’s Orbit, about the true price of secrets we keep from ourselves.Our host, Gabe Howard, is an award-winning writer and speaker who lives with bipolar disorder. He is the author of the popular book, "Mental Illness is an Asshole and other Observations," available from Amazon; signed copies are also available directly from the author.Gabe makes his home in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. He lives with his supportive wife, Kendall, and a Miniature Schnauzer dog that he never wanted, but now can’t imagine life without.To book Gabe for your next event or learn more about him, please visit gabehoward.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What do human potential and self-actualization really mean? We hear buzzwords like this often, but how can we use these concepts to better our everyday lives? Can we use them as part of our educational system to help kids who are managing mental health issues to achieve more? Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman, host of The Psychology Podcast, calls in to discuss all this and more on this week’s episode.To learn more -- or read the transcript -- please visit the official episode page.Our Guest, Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman, is a cognitive scientist and humanistic psychologist exploring the mind, creativity, and the depths of human potential. He is founder and director of the Center for Human Potential, and he has taught at Columbia University, Yale, NYU, the University of Pennsylvania, and elsewhere. Dr. Kaufman received a B.S. in psychology and human computer interaction from Carnegie Mellon, an M. Phil in experimental psychology from the University of Cambridge under a Gates Cambridge Scholarship, and a Ph.D. in cognitive psychology from Yale University. He is also an Honorary Principal Fellow at the University of Melbourne’s Centre for Wellbeing Science.Our host, Gabe Howard is an award-winning writer and speaker who lives with bipolar disorder. He is the author of the popular book, "Mental Illness is an Asshole and other Observations," available from Amazon; signed copies are also available directly from the author.Gabe makes his home in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. He lives with his supportive wife, Kendall, and a Miniature Schnauzer dog that he never wanted, but now can’t imagine life without.To book Gabe for your next event or learn more about him, please visit gabehoward.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Does it seem like these days no one can take a joke? Every time you turn around, someone is getting offended and the soul who said the “offensive” thing is canceled, never to be heard from again. But is that true? Has anyone actually ever been truly “canceled”? Join us as today’s guest, comedian and journalist Emma Arnold, explains what cancel culture is – and isn’t – and why she isn’t worried about it because she isn’t a “whiny baby.” (Content warning: sexual assault, suicide)To learn more -- or read the transcript -- please visit the official episode page.Our Guest, Emma Arnold, is an Idaho backcountry-raised comedian, artist, and beekeeper. Her comedy special, “Yes, Please,” has been viewed over a million times and she’s put out four critically acclaimed standup comedy albums with Blonde Medicine Records. In 2019, she was featured in Forbes Magazine, which called her, “one of the hardest-working comics in the industry.” When not touring, Emma lives in Boise, where she enjoys being the much-beloved host of the much-beloved City Cast Boise podcast and keeping bees and children with varying degrees of success.Our host, Gabe Howard, is an award-winning writer and speaker who lives with bipolar disorder. He is the author of the popular book, "Mental Illness is an Asshole and other Observations," available from Amazon; signed copies are also available directly from the author.Gabe makes his home in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. He lives with his supportive wife, Kendall, and a Miniature Schnauzer dog that he never wanted, but now can’t imagine life without.To book Gabe for your next event or learn more about him, please visit gabehoward.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You are walking down the street, having a good day, when suddenly you remember something you did 10 years ago — something you regret. How do you deal with that?  Should you dwell and ruminate on it? Should you let it go and never think of it again? Or, as today’s guest suggests, should you try to learn from it and move on? Join us as Robert Leahy, a pivotal figure in the development of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), explains the difference between productive and unproductive regret.To learn more -- or read the transcript -- please visit the official episode page.Guest, Robert L. Leahy, PhD, is Director of the American Institute for Cognitive Therapy in New York City and Clinical Professor of Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College. Dr. Leahy is Associate Editor of the International Journal of Cognitive Therapy and is past president of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, the International Association for Cognitive Psychotherapy, and the Academy of Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies. He is a recipient of the Aaron T. Beck Award from the Academy of Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies. Dr. Leahy is author or editor of 29 books for mental health professionals and the general public, including If Only and The Worry Cure. His books have been translated into 21 languages. https://www.cognitivetherapynyc.com/Our host, Gabe Howard is an award-winning writer and speaker who lives with bipolar disorder. He is the author of the popular book, "Mental Illness is an Asshole and other Observations," available from Amazon; signed copies are also available directly from the author.Gabe makes his home in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. He lives with his supportive wife, Kendall, and a Miniature Schnauzer dog that he never wanted, but now can’t imagine life without.To book Gabe for your next event or learn more about him, please visit gabehoward.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A new survey reports that a whopping 14% (1 in 7) of American physicians note that they have used alcohol or a controlled substance while working. Additionally, 46% mentioned consuming alcohol or a controlled substance up to 12 hours before their shift.We can all guess that healthcare workers have been stressed out since the pandemic started, but what is going on? And, perhaps most importantly, is anyone doing anything about it? Listen as Dr. Philip Hemphill, Chief Clinical Officer and Strategic Board Advisor for APN, shares what the latest findings show.To learn more -- or read the transcript -- visit the show's official episode page.A celebrated expert with 30 years of experience in the behavioral health and addictive service industry, Dr. Philip Hemphill serves as Chief Clinical Officer and Strategic Board Advisor for APN, where he is responsible for maintaining excellent clinical care across the entire continuum of care that APN offers. As a highly respected thought leader, Dr. Hemphill regularly publishes academic research and is sought after by the top industry conferences where he’s provided hundreds of professional papers, posters, and workshop presentations throughout his illustrious career. Before joining APN, Dr. Hemphill served as a full-time professor of Practice at Tulane School of Social Work where he helped train the next generation. Prior to that, he held leadership positions at premier addiction and behavioral health treatment facilities as Chief Clinical Officer, consultant, director, board advisor, manager, and coach. He assisted thousands of legal, mental health, and medical professionals in the wake of hurricanes Katrina and Rita and pioneered the assessment and treatment of professionals based on this work. In 2013, he co-authored “Taming Disruptive Behavior” and Dr. Hemphill’s second book entitled “Integrated Care in Addiction Treatment” was published in 2022. He currently maintains a faculty position at LSU Health Sciences, Department of Psychiatry, where he has taught didactics since 2000.Our host, Gabe Howard is an award-winning writer and speaker who lives with bipolar disorder. He is the author of the popular book, "Mental Illness is an Asshole and other Observations," available from Amazon; signed copies are also available directly from the author.Gabe makes his home in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. He lives with his supportive wife, Kendall, and a Miniature Schnauzer dog that he never wanted, but now can’t imagine life without.To book Gabe for your next event or learn more about him, please visit gabehoward.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Existentialism is a philosophy that emphasizes the existence of the individual person as a free and responsible agent who determines their own development through acts of will. So, what is existential therapy and how can this philosophy be used to better our own lives through counseling? Join us as today’s guest, Dr. Christopher S. Taylor, tells us more about this therapeutic practice and what basis it has in science. It’s a practice that seems new, but has actually been around for a very long time.To learn more -- or read the transcript -- please visit the official episode page.Our guest. Christopher S. Taylor, Ph.D. LPC-S, author of My Digital Practice and host of the For Self-Examination podcast, is an adjunct professor of counseling ethics at Dallas Theological Seminary and Amberton University. Dr. Taylor utilizes existential psychotherapy to provide treatment for individuals struggling with loss of identity. In 2015, he was appointed by Governor Greg Abbott to serve on the Texas State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors as a professional member, and was reappointed to continue serving on the board in 2021. In 2018, he was unanimously voted as vice-chair of the board.Dr. Taylor founded Taylor Counseling Group in 2015 with a mission to provide affordable, accessible, and reliable mental health services. Taylor Counseling Group was founded on five core values: Affordable Care, Transformational Change, Collaborative Growth, Community Support and Human Capital. With 9 locations in Dallas, Galleria Dallas, Coppell, Southlake, Fort Worth, Waxahachie, Houston Memorial Park, The Woodlands, and San Antonio, the affordable counseling provider has plans for rapid growth throughout Texas. Working with various state and private organizations such as Child Protective Services since 2008, Dr. Taylor has experienced the lack of community support for broken homes in both urban and rural communities. In an endeavor to alleviate this issue, Dr. Taylor served as the court coordinator and program developer for Legacy Family Court in Dallas County from 2013 to 2016. In 2015, Legacy Family Court was recognized as “An Agent of Change” by the Council on Drug and Alcohol Abuse and was awarded an official resolution by Dallas County. In 2016, the Agricultural Commissioner appointed Dr. Taylor to serve on the Rural Health Task Force to assist in developing solutions for the expansion of mental health programs in rural Texas communities. Dr. Taylor completed his Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy with a concentration in existentialism at Texas A&M University. He continues to research and write on the subject of identity and existential development.Our host, Gabe Howard is an award-winning writer and speaker who lives with bipolar disorder. He is the author of the popular book, "Mental Illness is an Asshole and other Observations," available from Amazon; signed copies are also available directly from the author.Gabe makes his home in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. He lives with his supportive wife, Kendall, and a Miniature Schnauzer dog that he never wanted, but now can’t imagine life without.To book Gabe for your next event or learn more about him, please visit gabehoward.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A lot of people don’t want to volunteer. Who wants to give up a Saturday and not get paid for it? But what if volunteering and being of service to your community could not just improve the world, but also your mental health? Join us as today’s guest, Travis Van Winkle, talks about how being of service led him to a profound emotional transformation.To learn more -- or read the transcript -- please visit the official episode page.Travis Van Winkle’s career has seamlessly transitioned between both television and film for over two decades. He can currently be seen as one of the leads in the Netflix/Skydance action-comedy “FUBAR,” which premiered on May 25, 2023, co-starring opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger. Most recently, he played Cary Conrad on season 3 of Netflix’s acclaimed “You.” The hit series, which began streaming season 3 on Friday, October 15, 2021, quickly became the #1 program on the global streamer, taking down “Squid Game.” For his role as “the King of the cul de sac,” the actor received both critical and fan acclaim.Previously, Van Winkle had a starring run on Michael Bay/TNT’s high-concept drama “The Last Ship” for five seasons and a series regular role alongside Alan Cumming on the CBS drama “Instinct.” Some of his previous memorable television roles include recurring on CW’s “Hart of Dixie” and ABC’S “Happy Endings.” Feature film roles include a lead roles in Paramount’s Friday the 13th remake, “Transformers,” “Meet the Spartans,” and Universal’s comedy “Accepted” with Justin Long, Jonah Hill, and Blake Lively.Van Winkle has been a proud mentor within the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles youth empowerment organization since 2011 and hosted two of their galas that raised just over $1 million. He is also currently a member of their Junior Board. He serves as a Global Ambassador to the nonprofit organization buildOn. Through his work with buildOn, he has engaged and inspired his creative network to help raise over $470,000 and has led on-the-ground teams to build eight schools: three in Malawi, two in Senegal, and one in Haiti, Nepal, and Nicaragua.Travis Van Winkle was born in Victorville, California; his parents’ Air Force responsibilities would bring him to both Michigan and Georgia before he eventually made his way to Hollywood at the age of 20.Our host, Gabe Howard is an award-winning writer and speaker who lives with bipolar disorder. He is the author of the popular book, "Mental Illness is an Asshole and other Observations," available from Amazon; signed copies are also available directly from the author.Gabe makes his home in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. He lives with his supportive wife, Kendall, and a Miniature Schnauzer dog that he never wanted, but now can’t imagine life without.To book Gabe for your next event or learn more about him, please visit gabehoward.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Movie and TV star Romina D’Ugo shares what life is like for a woman in Hollywood. She also shares a deeply personal story of how a nude scene was sprung on her without her consent.  Society often paints people who identify as feminists as frigid or man hating. But, is that truly what the term means or has it been hijacked? Join us as Romina shares why feminism became important to her.To learn more -- or read the transcript -- visit the official episode page.CSA Best Actress nominee Romina D'Ugo is a first-generation Canadian and proud daughter to Italian immigrant parents. Originally from Toronto, Romina grew up dancing and trained since the age of 9 at one of the most competitive dance schools in the country. Performing has been a natural extension of Romina’s being since a young age but her career began when she landed a supporting role in the Universal Pictures film “How She Move.” Romina became a household name when she earned a spot as one of the Top 20 dancers on season 1 of the hugely popular series “So You Think You Can Dance.” She went on to star opposite Justin Chatwin in the feature film, “Funkytown.” In 2010, Romina also starred in MTV’s original movie “Turn The Beat Around,” for which she was nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role at the Canadian Screen Awards.Romina has appeared in a plethora of TV series including “Godfather of Harlem” (EPIX), “Coyote” (Paramount), “Designated Survivor” (NBC/Netflix), “12 Monkeys” (SYFY/NBC), “Rookie Blue” (ABC/Global), “Nikita” (CW), and “Nurses” (NBC/Global). Romina also choreographed for Margot Robbie and Cara Delevingne in the DC Comics film “Suicide Squad.” Most recently, she starred in the coming-of-age dramatic comedy “I Like Movies,” making its world premiere at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival. The film is currently making the festival rounds and will be released in select theatres in Canada in March.Passionate about artistry in all its forms, Romina is also the designer and creator of the eco-conscious jewelry line, WILYMI Jewelry Co. WILYMI stands for "Wear It Like You Mean It” and was created as a way of imbuing her life lessons into wearable art. Each piece holds a unique and purposeful intention and is an expression of this intimate process. Romina spends hours dreaming up designs, and relishes in the journey of sourcing materials to bring her visions to reality, meticulously handpicking stones and crafting each luxe, limited edition piece. A champion of women's empowerment movements, a portion of the proceeds go to the GIRLS INC charity, which equips girls to navigate gender, economic, and social barriers, and advocates for legislation and policies to increase opportunities and rights for all girls.Our host, Gabe Howard is an award-winning writer and speaker who lives with bipolar disorder. He is the author of the popular book, "Mental Illness is an Asshole and other Observations," available from Amazon; signed copies are also available directly from the author.Gabe makes his home in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. He lives with his supportive wife, Kendall, and a Miniature Schnauzer dog that he never wanted, but now can’t imagine life without.To book Gabe for your next event or learn more about him, please visit gabehoward.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our society has a difficult relationship with authority. Many of us were taught as children that it was important to show respect and defer to those above us. We are told to trust people in positions of power — people like doctors, clergy, and police officers. But we also see daily evidence of these same people making errors or putting their needs above the facts. In that case, what is the average person to do? Is it OK to question authority? Join us as today’s guest, The Punk Rock Doc, explains where we go from here.To learn more -- or read the transcript -- please visit the shows official episode page.Dr. J.J. Kelly, The Punk Rock Doc, is a licensed clinical psychologist, emotional intelligence skills training expert, and bestselling author of The Holy Shit Series. J.J. is also the CEO & Founder of UnorthoDocs, Inc., a punk alternative to traditional psychotherapy. Dr. Kelly and the unortho “docs” live their lives with the belief that global healing is achieved by teaching people the skills to like themselves. “Happy People Act Right!”Our host, Gabe Howard is an award-winning writer and speaker who lives with bipolar disorder. He is the author of the popular book, "Mental Illness is an Asshole and other Observations," available from Amazon; signed copies are also available directly from the author.Gabe makes his home in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. He lives with his supportive wife, Kendall, and a Miniature Schnauzer dog that he never wanted, but now can’t imagine life without.To book Gabe for your next event or learn more about him, please visit gabehoward.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There’s a common misconception that, due to asylum closures, only “dangerous” people get committed to a psychiatric wards and hospitals. We also believe that forcing someone with mental illness into treatment is rare. However, millions of Americans are subjected to psychiatric detention or forced treatment every year. Often well meaning family members are trying to “help,” but end up traumatizing and permanently damaging their loved ones. Join us as investigative journalist Rob Wipond explains how most states have broadened their criteria for psychiatrically detaining someone far beyond “imminent harm” and that as a practical matter, this could happen to almost anyone. Join us for a special two part episode of Inside Mental Health. (Part 1 of 2)To learn more -- or read the transcript -- please visit the official episode page.Rob Wipond is a freelance investigative journalist who writes frequently at the interfaces between psychiatry, civil rights, policing, surveillance and privacy, and social change. His articles have been nominated for 17 magazine and journalism awards for writing in medicine, science and technology, business, and law. He has taught journalism and creative nonfiction at the University of Victoria and Royal Roads University and also works and volunteers with non-profit groups that do neighborhood community building.Gabe Howard is an award-winning writer and speaker who lives with bipolar disorder. He is the author of the popular book, "Mental Illness is an Asshole and other Observations," available from Amazon; signed copies are also available directly from the author.Gabe makes his home in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. He lives with his supportive wife, Kendall, and a Miniature Schnauzer dog that he never wanted, but now can’t imagine life without.To book Gabe for your next event or learn more about him, please visit gabehoward.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices