

Mental Illness Happy Hour
Paul Gilmartin
"Remarkable" - Psychology Today"A vital, compassionate gem that fills a desperate and under-addressed need in our society." - Esquire "A perversely safe place in which he and his guests talk about their fears, addictions and traumatic childhoods." - NY Times"Gilmartin makes a conscious effort to explore stories that aren’t black and white" - Slate Magazine"Praised by listeners all over the world" - Atlantic Monthly Named To Top Health Podcast List by: NY Times, Esquire, Slate, Oprah Magazine, Women's Health, Onion A.V. Club, Apple Podcast Staff
Episodes
Mentioned books

Nov 14, 2025 • 1h 38min
#774 Hitting A Therapy Wall - Anna Runkle aka The Crappy Childhood Fairy
Anna Runkle, aka @CrappyChildhoodFairy, joins Paul to share her experience of growing up in a commune, living with CPTSD, and finding new ways to heal when talk therapy wasn’t working. Look for her new book Connectability: Heal the Hidden Ways You Isolate, Find Your People and Feel (At Last) Like You Belong.For more about Anna: https://crappychildhoodfairy.com https://www.youtube.com/@crappychildhoodfairy https://www.instagram.com/crappychildhoodfairy/ https://www.facebook.com/CrappyChildhoodFairy/ https://twitter.com/cchildhoodfairy https://www.hayhouse.com/shop-by-topic/relationships/parenting/connectability-hardcover?srsltid=AfmBOop3l4ofaw9DeUdvL23mV2AhKbiznZ3InNUl4I6eKHklyLKNMhAQ https://www.hayhouse.com/re-regulated-hardcover?srsltid=AfmBOoqaOonBYV6agjPSXfIEftToqSPXLocThpF0OcqUmEBB25om6bHHPaul mentioned a book that a listener recommended called A World Made By Hand by James Howard Kuntsler.Paul also mentioned a new podcast called Brain Stories. You can find it at www.BrainStoriesProductions.comThis episode is sponsored Quince. Go to www.Quince.com/mental for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too.This episode is sponsored by NOCD. If you're struggling with OCD or unrelenting intrusive thoughts, NOCD can help. Book a free 15 minute call to get started: https://learn.nocd.com/mentalpodIf you’re interested in seeing or buying the furniture that Paul designs and makes follow his IG @ShapedFurniture or visit the website www.shapedfurniture.com WAYS TO HELP THE MIHH PODCASTSubscribe via Apple Podcasts (or whatever player you use). It costs nothing. It’s extremely helpful to have your subscription set to download all episodes automatically. https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/mental-illness-happy-hour/id427377900?mt=2Spread the word via social media. It costs nothing.Our website is www.mentalpod.com our FB is www.Facebook.com/mentalpod and our Twitter and Instagram are both @Mentalpod Become a much-needed Patreon monthly-donor (with occasional rewards) for as little as $1/month at www.Patreon.com/mentalpod Become a one-time or monthly donor via PayPal at https://mentalpod.com/donateYou can also donate via Zelle (make payment to mentalpod@gmail.com) To donate via Venmo make payment to @Mentalpod See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Nov 7, 2025 • 1h 24min
#773 Poverty, Loneliness & Low Self-Esteem - Derek
Fellow support group member Derek shares about growing up in extreme poverty and isolation. Recently he has been learning how to connect and practice boundaries but is still struggling with being attracted to women who treat him badly.This episode is sponsored Quince. Go to www.Quince.com/mental for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too.This episode is sponsored by NOCD. If you're struggling with OCD or unrelenting intrusive thoughts, NOCD can help. Book a free 15 minute call to get started: https://learn.nocd.com/mentalpodIf you’re interested in seeing or buying the furniture that Paul designs and makes follow his IG @ShapedFurniture or visit the website www.shapedfurniture.com WAYS TO HELP THE MIHH PODCASTSubscribe via Apple Podcasts (or whatever player you use). It costs nothing. It’s extremely helpful to have your subscription set to download all episodes automatically. https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/mental-illness-happy-hour/id427377900?mt=2Spread the word via social media. It costs nothing.Our website is www.mentalpod.com our FB is www.Facebook.com/mentalpod and our Twitter and Instagram are both @Mentalpod Become a much-needed Patreon monthly-donor (with occasional rewards) for as little as $1/month at www.Patreon.com/mentalpod Become a one-time or monthly donor via PayPal at https://mentalpod.com/donateYou can also donate via Zelle (make payment to mentalpod@gmail.com) To donate via Venmo make payment to @Mentalpod See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Oct 31, 2025 • 1h 13min
#772 One Family's Truths About Paralysis - Tyler & Jenny Smith
Tyler Smith was paralyzed from the neck down after contracting the West Nile virus. He and his wife, Jenny, join Paul for the second time to open up about the rage, shock, and loneliness of having become paralyzed as well as the stress and emotional toll it takes on Jenny to caretake someone with Tyler’s condition.Tyler & Jenny’s GoFundMehttps://www.gofundme.com/f/support-for-tyler-smith-year-twoFollow Tyler on X @morelessonsCheck out his movie talk website www.morethanonelesson.comThis episode is sponsored Quince. Go to www.Quince.com/mental for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too.This episode is sponsored by NOCD. If you're struggling with OCD or unrelenting intrusive thoughts, NOCD can help. Book a free 15 minute call to get started: https://learn.nocd.com/mentalpodIf you’re interested in seeing or buying the furniture that Paul designs and makes follow his IG @ShapedFurniture or visit the website www.shapedfurniture.com WAYS TO HELP THE MIHH PODCASTSubscribe via Apple Podcasts (or whatever player you use). It costs nothing. It’s extremely helpful to have your subscription set to download all episodes automatically. https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/mental-illness-happy-hour/id427377900?mt=2Spread the word via social media. It costs nothing.Our website is www.mentalpod.com our FB is www.Facebook.com/mentalpod and our Twitter and Instagram are both @Mentalpod Become a much-needed Patreon monthly-donor (with occasional rewards) for as little as $1/month at www.Patreon.com/mentalpod Become a one-time or monthly donor via PayPal at https://mentalpod.com/donateYou can also donate via Zelle (make payment to mentalpod@gmail.com) To donate via Venmo make payment to @Mentalpod See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Oct 24, 2025 • 1h 43min
#771 Growing Up With Hoarders - Amanda Uhle
Amanda Uhle is a journalist and nonfiction writer who shares her story of a loving but turbulent childhood and what it was like to grow up in a house of hoarders. Look for her new memoir, Destroy This House.For more about Amanda:https://www.amandauhle.com/https://www.instagram.com/amanda.uhle/?hl=enThis episode is sponsored Quince. Go to www.Quince.com/mental for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too.This episode is sponsored by NOCD. If you're struggling with OCD or unrelenting intrusive thoughts, NOCD can help. Book a free 15 minute call to get started: https://learn.nocd.com/mentalpodIf you’re interested in seeing or buying the furniture that Paul designs and makes follow his IG @ShapedFurniture or visit the website www.shapedfurniture.com WAYS TO HELP THE MIHH PODCASTSubscribe via Apple Podcasts (or whatever player you use). It costs nothing. It’s extremely helpful to have your subscription set to download all episodes automatically. https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/mental-illness-happy-hour/id427377900?mt=2Spread the word via social media. It costs nothing.Our website is www.mentalpod.com our FB is www.Facebook.com/mentalpod and our Twitter and Instagram are both @Mentalpod Become a much-needed Patreon monthly-donor (with occasional rewards) for as little as $1/month at www.Patreon.com/mentalpod Become a one-time or monthly donor via PayPal at https://mentalpod.com/donateYou can also donate via Zelle (make payment to mentalpod@gmail.com) To donate via Venmo make payment to @Mentalpod See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Oct 17, 2025 • 1h 30min
#770 Imprisoned For Having HIV - Robert Suttle
Robert Suttle joins Paul to share his experience with the criminalization of HIV. He talks about the unexpected arrest related to his diagnosis, his experience in prison, and living with HIV in the modern day.Links/Resources that Robert mentioned:Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation site: https://elizabethtayloraidsfoundation.org/Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation's HIV is Not a Crime initiative site: https://www.hivisnotacrime-etaf.org/Robert Suttle's site: https://www.robertsuttle.com/ETAF HIV is Not a Crime Roundtable Conversation with Don Lemon (featuring Robert): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cC19N3_IrwVideo spotlight on Robert's story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sw-ZvH-aI9Y This episode is sponsored Quince. Go to www.Quince.com/mental for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too.This episode is sponsored by NOCD. If you're struggling with OCD or unrelenting intrusive thoughts, NOCD can help. Book a free 15 minute call to get started: https://learn.nocd.com/mentalpodIf you’re interested in seeing or buying the furniture that Paul designs and makes follow his IG @ShapedFurniture or visit the website www.shapedfurniture.comWAYS TO HELP THE MIHH PODCASTSubscribe via Apple Podcasts (or whatever player you use). It costs nothing. It’s extremely helpful to have your subscription set to download all episodes automatically. https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/mental-illness-happy-hour/id427377900?mt=2Spread the word via social media. It costs nothing.Our website is www.mentalpod.com our FB is www.Facebook.com/mentalpod and our Twitter and Instagram are both @Mentalpod Become a much-needed Patreon monthly-donor (with occasional rewards) for as little as $1/month at www.Patreon.com/mentalpod Become a one-time or monthly donor via PayPal at https://mentalpod.com/donateYou can also donate via Zelle (make payment to mentalpod@gmail.com) To donate via Venmo make payment to @Mentalpod See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Oct 10, 2025 • 56min
#769 Darkest Listener Confessions 2
Our second installment of the darkest surveys filled out anonymously by listeners. This episode is sponsored Quince. Go to www.Quince.com/mental for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too.This episode is sponsored by NOCD. If you're struggling with OCD or unrelenting intrusive thoughts, NOCD can help. Book a free 15 minute call to get started: https://learn.nocd.com/mentalpodIf you’re interested in seeing or buying the furniture that Paul designs and makes follow his IG @ShapedFurniture or visit the website www.shapedfurniture.com WAYS TO HELP THE MIHH PODCASTSubscribe via Apple Podcasts (or whatever player you use). It costs nothing. It’s extremely helpful to have your subscription set to download all episodes automatically. https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/mental-illness-happy-hour/id427377900?mt=2Spread the word via social media. It costs nothing.Our website is www.mentalpod.com our FB is www.Facebook.com/mentalpod and our Twitter and Instagram are both @Mentalpod Become a much-needed Patreon monthly-donor (with occasional rewards) for as little as $1/month at www.Patreon.com/mentalpod Become a one-time or monthly donor via PayPal at https://mentalpod.com/donateYou can also donate via Zelle (make payment to mentalpod@gmail.com) To donate via Venmo make payment to @Mentalpod See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Oct 3, 2025 • 1h 6min
#768 The Difficulties (And Gifts) Of Bipolar - Rick Cleveland
Rick Cleveland is a playwright and television writer (The West Wing, Six Feet Under) who shares the difficulties--and the gifts--of living with Bipolar disorder.This episode is sponsored Quince. Go to www.Quince.com/mental for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too.This episode is sponsored by NOCD. If you're struggling with OCD or unrelenting intrusive thoughts, NOCD can help. Book a free 15 minute call to get started: https://learn.nocd.com/mentalpodIf you’re interested in seeing or buying the furniture that Paul designs and makes follow his IG @ShapedFurniture or visit the website www.shapedfurniture.com WAYS TO HELP THE MIHH PODCASTSubscribe via Apple Podcasts (or whatever player you use). It costs nothing. It’s extremely helpful to have your subscription set to download all episodes automatically. https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/mental-illness-happy-hour/id427377900?mt=2Spread the word via social media. It costs nothing.Our website is www.mentalpod.com our FB is www.Facebook.com/mentalpod and our Twitter and Instagram are both @Mentalpod Become a much-needed Patreon monthly-donor (with occasional rewards) for as little as $1/month at www.Patreon.com/mentalpod Become a one-time or monthly donor via PayPal at https://mentalpod.com/donateYou can also donate via Zelle (make payment to mentalpod@gmail.com) To donate via Venmo make payment to @Mentalpod See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sep 26, 2025 • 1h 23min
#767 Self-Harm - Matthew Broussard
Matthew Broussard is a comedian (Hyperbolic) who shares his struggles with mental health and opens up, for the first time, about his experience with self-harm.For more about Matthew, including his most recent standup special. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UECGG-CD88The New York Times called it a "pleasingly punchy debut hour" and said "His precisely timed and rarefied jokes are polished to a sheen. These are comedy-nerd bits about subjects you don’t tend to hear comics at clubs ranting about."This episode is sponsored by NOCD. If you're struggling with OCD or unrelenting intrusive thoughts, NOCD can help. Book a free 15 minute call to get started: https://learn.nocd.com/mentalpodIf you’re interested in seeing or buying the furniture that Paul designs and makes follow his IG @ShapedFurniture or visit the website www.shapedfurniture.comWAYS TO HELP THE MIHH PODCASTSubscribe via Apple Podcasts (or whatever player you use). It costs nothing. It’s extremely helpful to have your subscription set to download all episodes automatically. https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/mental-illness-happy-hour/id427377900?mt=2Spread the word via social media. It costs nothing.Our website is www.mentalpod.com our FB is www.Facebook.com/mentalpod and our Twitter and Instagram are both @Mentalpod Become a much-needed Patreon monthly-donor (with occasional rewards) for as little as $1/month at www.Patreon.com/mentalpod Become a one-time or monthly donor via PayPal at https://mentalpod.com/donateYou can also donate via Zelle (make payment to mentalpod@gmail.com) To donate via Venmo make payment to @Mentalpod See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sep 19, 2025 • 1h 42min
#766 Navigating Sex After An Assault - Katie Simon
Katie Simon is a journalist and sexual assault survivor. They talk about the impact that sexual assault can have on your sex life and share resources for how to manage and discuss this complex situation. For more info, look for their new book, Tell Me What You Like: An Honest Discussion of Sex and Intimacy After Sexual Assault.This episode is sponsored by NOCD. If you're struggling with OCD or unrelenting intrusive thoughts, NOCD can help. Book a free 15 minute call to get started: https://learn.nocd.com/mentalpodBuy Katie Simon’s book here: https://www.kensingtonbooks.com/9780806542782/tell-me-what-you-like/Katie’s List of Resources:National Domestic Violence Hotline https://www.thehotline.org/ Dial 1-800-799-HOPEWomen’s Law: https://www.womenslaw.org/Veterans Affairs: https://www.ptsd.va.gov/National Sexual Violence Resource Center https://www.nsvrc.org/Planned Parenthood: https://www.plannedparenthood.org/The Trevor Project: https://www.thetrevorproject.org/1in6: https://1in6.org/Kinsey Institute: https://kinseyinstitute.org/OMGYES: https://www.omgyes.com/Google “sexual assault help + [name of nearest city]” for more local optionsIf you’re interested in seeing or buying the furniture that Paul designs and makes follow his IG @ShapedFurniture or visit the website www.shapedfurniture.com WAYS TO HELP THE MIHH PODCASTSubscribe via Apple Podcasts (or whatever player you use). It costs nothing. It’s extremely helpful to have your subscription set to download all episodes automatically. https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/mental-illness-happy-hour/id427377900?mt=2Spread the word via social media. It costs nothing.Our website is www.mentalpod.com our FB is www.Facebook.com/mentalpod and our Twitter and Instagram are both @Mentalpod Become a much-needed Patreon monthly-donor (with occasional rewards) for as little as $1/month at www.Patreon.com/mentalpod Become a one-time or monthly donor via PayPal at https://mentalpod.com/donateYou can also donate via Zelle (make payment to mentalpod@gmail.com) To donate via Venmo make payment to @Mentalpod See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

21 snips
Sep 12, 2025 • 2h 6min
#765 Ali Siddiq - Grief, Incarceration & Friendship
Ali Siddiq is a comedian and writer who shares his stories of abuse, incarceration, grief, and the importance of friendship. Find all of his powerful stand-up specials, including the newly released standup special Rugged (on YouTube). This episode is sponsored by NOCD. If you're struggling with OCD or unrelenting intrusive thoughts, NOCD can help. Book a free 15 minute call to get started: https://learn.nocd.com/mentalpodIf you’re interested in seeing or buying the furniture that Paul designs and makes follow his IG @ShapedFurniture or visit the website www.shapedfurniture.com WAYS TO HELP THE MIHH PODCASTSubscribe via Apple Podcasts (or whatever player you use). It costs nothing. It’s extremely helpful to have your subscription set to download all episodes automatically. https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/mental-illness-happy-hour/id427377900?mt=2Spread the word via social media. It costs nothing.Our website is www.mentalpod.com our FB is www.Facebook.com/mentalpod and our Twitter and Instagram are both @Mentalpod Become a much-needed Patreon monthly-donor (with occasional rewards) for as little as $1/month at www.Patreon.com/mentalpod Become a one-time or monthly donor via PayPal at https://mentalpod.com/donateYou can also donate via Zelle (make payment to mentalpod@gmail.com) To donate via Venmo make payment to @Mentalpod See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.


