Inside Mental Health

Dallas Roquemore, aka Lil Dallas, is a personal friend of — and has worked with — famed rapper, Mozzy. While Dallas’s rap career started out very strong, it was derailed when he went to prison at age 16 and was incarcerated for the next 11 years.  Join us as restored citizen and prison reform and reentry advocate Lil Dallas tells us what life in prison is really like, what he thinks might help more people from his community stay out of prison, and the recovery program he is working with now.To learn more -- or read the transcript -- visit the episode page.Guest BioDallas Roquemore, aka Lil Dallas, is 27 years old and has been incarcerated since he was 16. He returned from prison on March 13, 2022. Dallas grew up alongside famous rapper Mozzy. They were incredibly close as children and would rap together as they lived in the same neighborhood. When Dallas wasn’t making music, he was establishing himself as one of the most recognized gang members in his city. At 16, Dallas had made enough bad choices to land himself in federal prison. While in prison, Dallas met his wife and they got married in the Salinas Valley State Prison. While completing his time, he realized that the only reason he and his community committed themselves to a life of gang conflict was because that was the way they were brought up. Gangs and drugs were normalized and easily accessible. He realized all the bad decisions he made were because he was under the influence, so Dallas decided to put his faith in his passions and family. As soon as he returned to his community, he began working with Healthy Life Recovery to tell his story and hopefully inspire others to make better choices. Firsthand experience carries a lot of weight, and Dallas carries his stories to adults and children who also grew up in environments around gangs and drugs. Dallas works with Healthy Life Recovery and is also pursuing his rap career. If he hadn’t gone to prison, Dallas could have risen to stardom alongside his childhood friend Mozzy. Now, Dallas is focused on bettering his career and the world. His album, Permanent Scars, is available on Apple Music.Inside Mental Health Podcast HostGabe 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

Police officers are seldom asked to respond to something positive. The nature of their jobs is to assist when things go wrong. Vehicle accidents, crime, and death are part of the job description for the average law enforcement officer. They are trained to run toward danger rather than away from it.  Yet when it comes to managing their mental health, the general practice is to bury those emotions and “just do your job.” Join us as Sheriff Jay Armbrister shares why this practice must change for not only officer safety but public safety as well.To learn more -- or read the transcript -- please visit the show's official episode page.Guest BioSheriff Jay Armbrister has served the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office for 24 years as a law enforcement officer, and he was elected Sheriff and took office in January 2021. As Sheriff, Jay has committed to ensuring the long-term success of the Sheriff’s Office and improving outcomes for residents with behavioral health needs and public safety in the community. Sheriff Armbrister, who serves on the Board of Directors of the Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center, has worked with community leaders from many sectors to develop a continuum of behavioral health crisis services to serve the right person in the right place at the right time. This includes the development of the Treatment and Recovery Campus of Douglas County that provide services and housing for individuals with serious mental illness, substance use disorders, and addiction challenges.As Sheriff, he has also made it a priority to support the mental health of law enforcement officers and all first responders, by giving DGSO employees access to a culturally competent clinician. The agency’s Peer Support team members are trained to offer support individually and to conduct critical incident debriefings for those who responded to a difficult call. At the state level, he has testified before the Kansas Senate Commerce Committee in favor of a bill that would secure workers’ compensation benefits for first responders with PTSD.Armbrister is involved in numerous community organizations in Douglas County and has received the Sheriff’s Office Medal of Bravery and a Silver Life Saving award from the Kansas Association of Chiefs of Police for his responses to the 2005 Boardwalk Apartments fire in Lawrence and an Operations Commendation Award and Silver Valor Award for rescuing a driver involved in a rollover crash.Armbrister is a graduate of Pittsburg State University as well as numerous law enforcement leadership programs, including the University of Kansas Certified Public Manager (CPM) program.Inside Mental Health Podcast HostGabe 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

When Daniel Bergner’s brother received a bipolar disorder diagnosis, his family was told he needed to adhere to the doctor’s orders or death was a likely outcome. This set off a chain reaction of fear his life while Daniel’s brother was just trying to manage a difficult and persistent illness. The common denominators? Fear and uncertainty. Today’s guest is the author of "The Mind and the Moon: My Brother's Story, the Science of Our Brains, and the Search for Our Psyches." It’s the story of Daniel’s brother’s illness and his family’s quest to understand more about how modern psychiatry works. Join us as Gabe and Daniel discuss why the discussion surrounding medication is so polarized, how we can have a more balanced understanding of the limits of modern psychiatry, and how to move the discussion toward the middle ground.To learn more -- or read the transcript -- please visit the official episode page.Guest BioDaniel Bergner is a contributing writer for the New York Times Magazine and the author of six books of nonfiction — The Mind and the Moon, Sing for Your Life, What Do Women Want?, The Other Side of Desire,In the Land of Magic Soldiers, and God of the Rodeo — as well as a novel, Moments of Favor. Sing for Your Life was a New York Times bestseller and a New York Times and Washington Post Notable Book of the Year. In the Land of Magic Soldiers received an Overseas Press Club Award for international reporting and a Lettre-Ulysses Award for the Art of Reportage and was named a Los Angeles Times Best Book of the Year. God of the Rodeo was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. In addition to the New York Times Magazine, Daniel’s writing has appeared in the Atlantic, Granta, Harper’s, Mother Jones, Talk, and the New York Times Book Review, and on the op-ed page of the New York Times. His writing is included in The Norton Reader: An Anthology of Nonfiction.Inside Mental Health Podcast HostGabe 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

Since childhood, most of us have been socialized to “forgive and forget.” We’ve been told that to do anything else risks our mental health and causes emotional pain. But is that actually good advice? Does forgiving someone actually increase our mental stability?Join us as today’s guest explains why this simplistic idea doesn’t always work for people and how it is absolutely possible to move on with your life in a healthy way without offering forgiveness.To learn more -- or read the transcript -- please visit the official episode page.Guest BioKate Schroeder is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Nationally Certified Counselor, and owner of Transformation Counseling, LLC. With over 25 years in the mental health field, her clinical background includes experience as a school counselor, mental health therapist in an urban university’s counseling center, clinical researcher, and individual, couples, group, and family therapist. Within these settings, Kate has provided dedicated counseling for clients experiencing difficulties in areas including complex PTSD (C-PTSD), depression and anxiety, family and childhood conflicts, interpersonal relationships, grief and trauma, and various other interpersonal conflicts. Through personalized and experiential psychotherapy methods as well as the use of both the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and the Enneagram typology system of personality, Kate works with individuals to identify and address deep, long standing pain points that lead to profound, lasting solutions. Inside Mental Health Podcast HostGabe 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

Despite growing up in Nigeria and the UK, Tobi Bamtefa received the same stereotypical messaging surrounding what it means to be a man: men are strong, handle their responsibilities stoically, and men never cry. Ever. Join us as Tobi shares how living with these societal expectations can be stifling and damage men’s mental health. He shares how becoming an actor and being encouraged to participate in the arts was both a protective and threatening factor.To learn more -- or read the transcript -- please visit the official episode page.Guest BioTobi Bamtefa can currently be seen starring opposite Jeremy Renner in Taylor Sheridan’s MAYOR OF KINGSTOWN. Season 2 is airing now on Paramount+. Brought up between London and Nigeria, after a career as a spoken word artist, Tobi landed the leading regular role of 'Godswill' in Rowan Joffe's series TIN STAR for Kudos Television/ Sky Atlantic opposite Tim Roth and Christina Hendricks. Some of Tobi’s other screen credits include Woody Harrelson’s self-penned, directorial debut feature LOST IN LONDON and HOW TO BUILD A GIRL as well as the BAFTA nominated A CONFESSION (ITV) and the international Emmy winning production RESPONSIBLE CHILD (BBC). Most recently, Tobi did a stunning performance in Inua Ellams’s adaptation of THREE SISTERS directed by Nadia Fall at the National Theatre. Find out more on Instagram @tobibamtefa.Inside Mental Health Podcast HostGabe 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

"The TV is talking directly to me" is a common delusion nowadays. But delusions have existed throughout history, so what did people in the Middle Ages have delusions about when there was no TV?  Join us as historian Victoria Shepherd tells us about the King of France who thought his body was made of glass, a woman who believed her husband and children had been swapped by imposters, and the man who thought magnetism was controlling the British Parliament. Victoria tells us how all delusions are products of their time and culture and how they hold the key to our collective traumas and anxieties.  To learn more -- or read the transcript -- please visit the official episode page.Guest BioVictoria Shepherd is an award-winning producer of history documentaries for BBC radio. She has a masters in creative writing and has just completed her first book, "A History of Delusions: The Glass King, a Substitute Husband and a Walking Corpse."Inside Mental Health Podcast HostGabe 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

Have you seen all the amazing stuff your friends’ kids are doing while scrolling through social media? Are you worried that your kids aren’t keeping up and that maybe it is your fault? Or that maybe it’s because you are a terrible parent? Join us as today’s guest, Dr. Carla Naumburg, explains why you are not as bad at parenting as you think. Dr. Naumburg shares why parents may think this way and what you can do to stop.To learn more -- or read the transcript -- please visit the episode page.Guest BioCarla Naumburg, PhD, is a clinical social worker and mother. She’s the author of four non-fiction books, including her international bestseller, “How to Stop Losing Your Sh*t With Your Kids” (Workman, 2019), as well as “You Are Not a Sh*tty Parent,” and the forthcoming “How to Stop Freaking Out,” the (completely swear-free) middle-grade adaptation of “How to Stop Losing Your Sh*t With Your Kids.” Carla’s writing has appeared in a variety of online and print publications, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, Mindful Magazine, Slate.com, Psychology Today, WBUR’s Cognoscenti Blog, Brain, Child, Motherwell, Parents.com, PsychCentral, and Today Moms. Carla completed a bachelor’s degree in psychology at Middlebury College, a master’s degree in social work from Smith College, and a PhD in clinical social work from Simmons College in Boston. Carla grew up in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and the Bay Area of California and she currently lives outside of Boston with her husband and two daughters.Inside Mental Health Podcast HostGabe 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

Laurie Dhue appeared to have it all — a successful career as a broadcast journalist, a beautiful apartment over Central Park, a great family, and lots of friends. But she had what she thought of as a “naughty and thrilling” secret — a cocaine addiction. Join us as she shares with Gabe her motivation for getting clean, how she did it, and what she is up to now.To learn more -- or read the transcript - -please visit the official episode page.Guest BioLaurie Dhue is Chief Brand Officer at Recovery Education and Applied Learning (REAL).One of the nation’s leading recovery advocates, Laurie is in long-term recovery from alcohol misuse and drug addiction. She has worked closely with the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Faces and Voices of Recovery (FAVOR) and the National Council on Alcohol and Drug Dependence (NCADD). Laurie has spoken on behalf of many national recovery organizations including the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation and the Caron Foundation.  Laurie has had the distinct honor of speaking at the White House in 2014 and 2017 on behalf of ONDCP. She was also a featured speaker at the inaugural UNITE to Face Addiction national rally in Washington, DC in 2015. Laurie appeared in the award-winning 2013 documentary “The Anonymous People” and the Emmy-nominated 2017 documentary “Reversing the Stigma,” produced in conjunction with OASAS (New York State’s Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse).Prior to her work in the recovery field, Dhue enjoyed a distinguished career as an award-winning national news anchor who hosted shows on all three major cable news networks: CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News Channel. Her 25 years in news has included interviews with numerous world leaders, politicians, entertainers, and prominent newsmakers as well as extensive reporting from the Middle East during the War on Terror.Dhue joined forces with REAL to give addiction a face and voice, helping crush the stigma surrounding the disease, further proving that long-term recovery is possible. She travels coast to coast giving speeches, emceeing events, and moderating panel discussions, as well as offering commentary in national media.Inside Mental Health Podcast HostGabe 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

Today’s guest experienced a “trifecta of trauma” when three experiences of death and illness affected her family within just 10 months. These experiences led her to a revelation and the discovery of her life’s purpose.Join us as Lisa Honig Buksbaum, the author of “SOARING Into Strength,” shares her personal story as well as thoughts on how trauma can actually foster resilience.To learn more --or read the transcript -- please visit the episode page.Guest BioLisa Honig Buksbaum, MAPP, MBA, is an author, social entrepreneur, and Positive Psychology thought leader. Lisa is a passionary: a visionary driven by great passion and action. An intuitive healer, well-loved inspirational speaker, and expert workshop leader and facilitator, Lisa has shared her wisdom with thousands of people throughout the world. Three experiences with death and illness in her family during a 10-month period motivated her to launch Soaringwords, a nonprofit organization devoted to inspiring children, families, adults, seniors, and healthcare professionals to take active roles in self-healing to experience greater physical, emotional, and mental well-being.She is the author of “SOARING into Strength: Love Transcends Pain,” her debut memoir. Lisa graduated with honors from The University of Pennsylvania and holds an MBA in Marketing from Columbia University Graduate School of Business and a Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) from The University of Pennsylvania. She has a certificate in Narrative Medicine from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and a certificate from the American Institute for Mental Imagery.Lisa is President-Elect of the International Positive Psychology Association’s (IPPA) Health and Wellbeing Division, is on the Advisory Board of the Global Positive Health Initiative, and serves on the Board of the Coincidence Project. She’s been featured as an expert on ABC News, Fortune’s Small Business, USA Today, Delta Sky magazine, and CEO to Watch in The Chronicle of Philanthropy. Lisa was a columnist for Inc. magazine. She was the non-celebrity winner of the Lives That Make a Difference Award from A&E Television Networks, and won a National Mothering That Works Award from Working Mother Media. She was inducted into the YMCA Academy of Women Achievers Hall of Fame. She was on the board of Advertising Women of New York, the leading organization for executive women in communications; board of directors of The New York Women’s Agenda; board of the Alumnae Committee for Columbia University Graduate School of Business; and the advisory board for the Center for Business Womens’ Research in Washington, D.C.She has led professional development workshops at dozens of Fortune 500 companies such as Accenture, Cigna, Cisco, Deloitte, Lilly, Meta, Google, Johnson & Johnson, JPMorgan Chase, New York Life, SONY, Verizon, and Viacom. Lisa lives in New York City with her husband Jacob. Her pride and joy are her two grown sons, Jonathan and Joshua, daughter-in-law Evelyn, and adorable grandbaby Charlotte. She gets her energy from swimming each day and connecting with people in fun and meaningful ways. Inside Mental Health Podcast HostGabe 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

Veteran and double bronze star recipient shares how military culture might contribute to suicidality — or at least a lack of willingness to get help — and how the American Legion is trying to fix that.Every day, 17 U.S. military veterans die by suicide. How can we even begin to stop this tragedy? The American Legion, a 107-year-old organization dedicated to serving veterans, has a plan.To learn more -- or read the transcript -- please visit the official episode page.Guest BioDave Berkenfield leads the Chip Ganassi Racing, GMC HUMMER EV, Extreme E competition group as well as the broader Chip Ganassi Racing Teams, developing Human Performance Initiative on both the IndyCar and US / Global Sports Car Teams. Prior to joining Chip Ganassi Racing Teams, Berkenfield completed a 25-year career serving in the U.S. Military Special Operations community focusing on building and leading small teams in dynamic and austere combat environments. During his military career, Berkenfield helped implement and apply cutting-edge and emerging technologies in tactical ground Mobility operations. He created advanced & performance driver training and curriculum development in addition to overseeing the engineering, development, and testing from conception through to validation of many unique and advanced two- and four-wheeled military off-road platforms. Serving with distinction during numerous combat deployments, SOCS (SEAL) Ret. Berkenfield was awarded two Bronze Stars with the Valorous devices, one Joint Commendation medal with Valor device, the Purple Heart medal, three combat action ribbons, two National Intelligence Meritorious Unit Citations among many Presidential unit citations, and a multitude of other qualifications and awards. Berkenfield retired after a successful Troop Chief tour with 25 years of service in May of 2021 as a Senior Chief Special Warfare Operator (SEAL). Berkenfield graduated summa cum laude from Norwich University with a Bachelor of Science in Strategic Studies and Defense Analysis.Inside Mental Health Podcast HostGabe 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