Singer-songwriter Chelsea Cutler talks depression and the public perception of mental illness on the latest episode of Going There with Dr. Mike. During the conversation, one issue that Cutler raises is what she sees as the risk of the “commodification” of mental illness, where mental illness is represented as part of a product that is sold. Having mental illness represented in the public sphere has the potential to be validating and inclusive, but if it is not represented in a way that feels authentic to people who actually struggle with these issues, it may actually be damaging. Specifically, if the pain of depression gets glamorized for the purpose of selling an image or idea, this can make those who struggle with mental illness feel more alone and less understood. Cutler hopes that as we keep trying and keep having these important conversations about mental illness, we'll be more likely to validate and destigmatize people who struggle. So let's go there with Chelsea Cutler. To make your voice heard our ask a question for our monthly “Ask Dr. Mike” column, use this link to fill out a short questionnaire. Going There is an interview series presented by Consequence and Sound Mind Live. Clinical psychologist and life coach Dr. Mike Friedman talks with musicians about the crossroads where music and mental health meet. Musicians who have stepped up to share their wonderful work with us are now sharing the intimate details of their journey in living with mental illness. Dr. Mike asks the tough questions and has the difficult conversations, so that we can shine a light on the difficult topic of mental illness so we can all come out of the darkness, put an end to the stigma of mental illness, and get the care we need.

Speaking with host Dr. Mike Friedman, the Saddest Factory signee discusses struggling with obsessive compulsive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety, and panic attacks. The Super Monster musician recounts a range of situations in which they experience anxiety. For example, they explain how they experience persistent worry about being late to an appointment, that people are judging them harshly as awkward or weird, or panic while lying in the dark at night. Claud's story makes us realize that there are many of us out there who struggle with anxiety – and maybe we are not so alone or as “weird” as we think for struggling with our fear. So let's go there with Claud as they discuss wrestling with the Super Monster of anxiety. You can also go there with Claud live at their upcoming concerts, with tickets available here. Like and subscribe to Going There with Dr. Mike wherever you get your podcasts, and check out the Consequence Podcast Network for updates on all our shows. To make your voice heard our ask a question for our monthly “Ask Dr. Mike” column, use this link to fill out a short questionnaire. Going There is an interview series presented by Consequence and Sound Mind Live. Clinical psychologist and life coach Dr. Mike Friedman talks with musicians about the crossroads where music and mental health meet. Musicians who have stepped up to share their wonderful work with us are now sharing the intimate details of their journey in living with mental illness. Dr. Mike asks the tough questions and has the difficult conversations, so that we can shine a light on the difficult topic of mental illness so we can all come out of the darkness, put an end to the stigma of mental illness, and get the care we need.

It's common to struggle with anxiety following a difficult breakup, something UPSAHL knows all too well. She joined Dr. Mike Friedman on the Going There podcast to discuss how she dealt with being in her feelings. One of the things that is so difficult about breakups is how central our relationships, particularly romantic ones, can be in our lives. Thus when we have a split, it can feel like our whole being has been undermined. UPSAHL talks about feeling like her sense of self was so rattled that she was having an “identity crisis.” In this episode of Going There, she reveals how she understood and managed her anxiety. Make sure to like and follow Going There with Dr. Mike wherever you listen to your podcasts, and check out the Consequence Podcast Network for updates on all our shows. To make your voice heard our ask a question for our monthly “Ask Dr. Mike” column, use this link to fill out a short questionnaire. Going There is an interview series presented by Consequence and Sound Mind Live. Clinical psychologist and life coach Dr. Mike Friedman talks with musicians about the crossroads where music and mental health meet. Musicians who have stepped up to share their wonderful work with us are now sharing the intimate details of their journey in living with mental illness. Dr. Mike asks the tough questions and has the difficult conversations, so that we can shine a light on the difficult topic of mental illness so we can all come out of the darkness, put an end to the stigma of mental illness, and get the care we need.

Dorothy Martin, namesake and vocalist for the band Dorothy, shares her struggle with addiction, trauma, and suicidality on the latest episode of Going There with Dr. Mike from Consequence and Sound Mind Live. The “What's Coming to Me” discusses the emotional and spiritual issues that often accompany addiction and mental illness in general, including not being comfortable in social situations and feeling disconnected and isolated from others. She also recounts a recent relapse, and the guilt and shame that can surround us when we drink after being sober. Dorothy further talks about how she has coped with addiction in general, as well as this relapse, in particular through spirituality. For her, she finds the concepts of forgiveness and grace as key to her ongoing recovery and sobriety. So let's go there with Dorothy by listening to the episode above. Make sure to like and follow Going There with Dr. Mike wherever you listen to your podcasts, and check out the Consequence Podcast Network for updates on all our shows. Going There with Dr. Mike wants to hear from our audience. Using this link, fill out a short questionnaire and submit questions for our monthly “Ask Dr. Mike” column.

This November, Going There is focusing on stories of substance abuse and addiction, and helping us launch this block of themed episodes is Mötley Crüe member Nikki Sixx. The co-founding bassist and songwriter joins Dr. Mike Friedman to share how traumatic life events contributed to his addiction, and how he has been able to maintain sobriety for 20 years. The Grammy Award-nominated musician describes how he experienced multiple stressful and traumatic events in his life including abuse, neglect, and concussions from football – all of which can have an impact on mental and physical health. He opens up about how traumas like these are a beast with multiple tentacles that can tear us down, leaving us vulnerable to substance use. Sixx, who's new book is called The First 21, explains how traumatic events can create emotional chaos and confusion, making it more difficult and complicated to connect with ourselves and achieve emotional well- being. When we feel so confused, empty, and in pain, we look to simple things that make us feel connected. Sometimes it can be something healthy like music, while others it’s substances like drugs or alcohol that temporarily soothe us. Sixx details how understanding what functional benefits he received from using has helped him understand what needs required fulfilling as he worked on recovery. He also uses this same thought process to help others with their own recovery. We must remember that addiction is still a mental illness, and it is crucial that we treat people who struggle with addiction with dignity and respect, seeing them as a whole human being trying to figure out their lives and how substances have played a role in that journey up until this point. That gives us the best balance of empathizing and being compassionate as we help people in their ongoing recovery. So let's go there with Nikki Sixx and listening to his discussion on substance abuse above.

This week on Going There, pop punk musician and mental health advocate Dan Lambton opens up about managing his bipolar disorder. A member of rationale. and formerly Real Friends, Lambton has long shared his struggles with bipolar disorder, in which he describes a fairly predictable cycle. He will feel more at baseline, where according to him he is able to function with his day-to-day life, and then experience a manic episode that is characterized by racing thoughts and pressured speech in which he is talking very quickly. While he says these times can be creatively productive, they're also damaging to his health, including not being able to sleep or eat. Then comes depressive episodes with their lower moods and lack of productivity. Lambton joins Dr. Mike on Going There to discuss how he manages his bipolar disorder with a regimen of medication and group therapy. We'd love our audience's feedback about the show, so fill out the form at this link to share your thoughts. You can also submit questions for our monthly “Ask Dr. Mike” column. Make sure to like and follow Going There with Dr. Mike wherever you get your podcasts to keep up to date on our weekly episodes, and stay tuned to the Consequence Podcast Network for updates on all our shows.

Musician Mary Lambert shares her struggle with bipolar disorder on the latest episode of Going There with Dr. Mike. The Grammy Award-nominated singer-songwriter speaks with Dr. Mike Friedman about how she experienced both manic episodes -- in which she seemed more elated, energized or grandiose -- and depressive episodes where she had no energy and was unable to do even basic tasks. These episodes often felt like they come out of nowhere, leaving her feeling trapped by a biological process over which she had no control. The singer-songwriter has been a long-time mental health activist. Talking with Dr. Mike, she explained she is trying to make mental health "legible" to reduce the stigma of mental illness. We need to focus on understanding our mental health rather than shaming and judging ourselves so we can help ourselves cope and heal. We'd love our audience's feedback about the show, so fill out the form at this link to share your thoughts. You can also submit questions for our monthly “Ask Dr. Mike” column. Make sure to like and follow Going There with Dr. Mike wherever you get your podcasts to keep up to date on our weekly episodes, and stay tuned to the Consequence Podcast Network for updates on all our shows. 

Musician Sarah Barthel of Phantogram joins Dr. Mike Friedman on the Going There podcast to share her struggle with devastating and traumatic loss in her life. The Phantogram singer has been a fantastic mental health advocate over the years, and has been very forthcoming and outspoken about how she not only lost her sister, Becky, when she committed suicide, but also had previously lost her father to cancer, and coped with her mother and other friends having the disease. What the “You Don’t Get High Anymore” artist describes is years of different devastating losses one on top of another and how this repetitive loss can be traumatic to us. Such loss can be overwhelmingly horrible, not only because we lost people close to us, but also because it undermines our fundamental belief that we live in a safe and predictable world. And our sense that we are safe and that we have some level of control over our lives is critical to our own mental health and well-being. One of the things that Barthel talks about is how in the face of this loss, she tries to be a “superhero” who needs to be the one who says everything is ok, and tries to make it so. The problem is that often when we try to be strong for others, we inadvertently close off our own emotional processing, avoiding or suppressing the intense feelings that come from facing the suffering of others, or our own suffering. Barthel explains how she turned to music as a way of understanding, processing, and expressing her feelings in the face of devastating and traumatic situations. So let’s go there with Phantogram's Sarah Barthel by listening to the full episode above.

Singer-songwriter Aimee Mann joins Dr. Mike Friedman on the Going There with Dr. Mike podcast to share her struggle with anxiety and depression. The "Suicide Is Murder" singer explains how her obsessive thoughts can be so powerful and overwhelming, that her depression is almost a response to keep the intensity of her thoughts in check – like a “lid” that keeps her anxiety in check.  The Superego Records co-founder also discusses how just as mental illness is devastating when we experience it ourselves, it is also devastating when someone close to us struggles with their own issues. This episode is part of our National Suicide Prevention Month series. Sound Mind’s partners at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention also have a number of events throughout aimed at helping you start the conversation about mental health. So check out #RealConvo to follow those events and discussions. And for more information and resources, head to AFSP's National Suicide Prevention Week website. Going There with Dr. Mike and Sound Mind also want to hear from you, our listeners! Use this link to submit your own question for the “Ask Dr. Mike” column, and give us some feedback on the series in general by completing a quick survey.

Singer Jesse Leach of Killswitch Engage joins Dr. Mike Friedman on the Going There podcast to share his struggle with anxiety and depression. Also a member of Times of Grace, the musician explains that while he faces depression, anxiety is the “beast” with which he most struggles. Despite years of success, Leach says he often experiences “impostor syndrome,” which both contributes to and worsens his anxiety. The “Far from Heavenless” singer talks about how he sees building his mental health as an ongoing process, and how he's put in so much time and effort that he can no say, "OK, I can do this. This does get better.” And for many of us, just being able to hang on for a bit longer, working at our mental health just a little more, will give us that opportunity to get to the other side and feel like we can do this. We can live, we can cope, we can feel better. This episode kicks off National Suicide Prevention Week. Sound Mind’s partners at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention also have a number of events throughout the week aimed at helping you start the conversation about mental health. So check out #RealConvo to follow those events and discussions. And for more information and resources, head to AFSP's National Suicide Prevention Week website. Going There with Dr. Mike and Sound Mind also want to hear from you, our listeners! Use this link to submit your own question for the “Ask Dr. Mike” column, and give us some feedback on the series in general by completing a quick survey.