Depresh Mode with John Moe

Samantha Irby has visualized a lot of scenarios that get more than a little unnerving. The driver behind her gets so impatient with her driving that he runs her off the road, drags her out of her car, and then beats the crap out of her. In another imagining, she’s at an author event and someone has gone to the trouble of buying a ticket just to run up on stage and yell obscenities at her. I mean, these are terrifying scenarios but when she talks about them, you’ll find yourself laughing as much as she is, which is a lot. We talk about Samantha’s imagination, her recent OCD diagnosis, and why she left seventeen dollars in quarters at a highway tollbooth.Samantha’s newest book, Quietly Hostile, is due out on Tuesday, May 16th. Pre-order your copy wherever books are sold. Learn more about Sam and her other books by visiting her website, www.SamanthaIrby.com.Thank you to all our listeners who support the show as monthly members of Maximum Fun.Check out our I’m Glad You’re Here and Depresh Mode merchandise at the brand new merch website MaxFunStore.com!Hey, remember, you’re part of Depresh Mode and we want to hear what you want to hear about. What guests and issues would you like to have covered in a future episode? Write us at depreshmode@maximumfun.org.Help is available right away.The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988 or 1-800-273-8255, 1-800-273-TALKCrisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741.International suicide hotline numbers available here: https://www.opencounseling.com/suicide-hotlinesThe Depresh Mode newsletter is available twice a week. Subscribe for free and stay up to date on the show and mental health issues. https://johnmoe.substack.com/John’s acclaimed memoir, The Hilarious World of Depression, is now available in paperback. https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250209566/thehilariousworldofdepressionFind the show on X @depreshpod and Instagram @depreshpod.John is on X @johnmoe.

You don’t have to listen all that deeply into the song catalog of singer-songwriter Noah Kahan to hear mention of mental health themes. It’s an important topic for Noah in his own life, which has involved struggles with depression, anxiety, and body dysmorphia. And because mental health is important in Noah’s life, it shows up a lot in his intensely personal, vulnerable, and revealing music. Growing up in Vermont, Noah Kahan was heavily influenced by music and, especially, relatable lyrics penned by his favorite artists like Jason Mraz, Counting Crows, and Bon Iver. He hoped his own work would reach people in as deep a way as those artists reached him. Well, his hopes have been answered as Noah’s star has taken off. He’s played venues like Red Rocks in Colorado and Radio City Music Hall in New York City and his songs, such as the huge hit “Stick Season” have been streamed hundreds of millions of times by listeners who appreciate his efforts.   Listen to Noah Kahan's latest album, Stick Season (We'll All Be Here Forever), on the streaming service of your choice. Learn more about Noah Kahan by visiting his website, www.NoahKahan.com.Correction: We mistakenly refer to Noah's song, "Growing Sideways," as "Moving Sideways." Thank you to all our listeners who support the show as monthly members of Maximum Fun.Check out our I'm Glad You're Here and Depresh Mode merchandise at the brand new merch website MaxFunStore.com!Hey, remember, you’re part of Depresh Mode and we want to hear what you want to hear about. What guests and issues would you like to have covered in a future episode? Write us at depreshmode@maximumfun.org.Help is available right away.The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988 or 1-800-273-8255, 1-800-273-TALKCrisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741.International suicide hotline numbers available here: https://www.opencounseling.com/suicide-hotlinesThe Depresh Mode newsletter is available twice a week. Subscribe for free and stay up to date on the show and mental health issues. https://johnmoe.substack.com/John’s acclaimed memoir, The Hilarious World of Depression, is now available in paperback. https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250209566/thehilariousworldofdepressionFind the show on X @depreshpod and Instagram @depreshpod.John is on X @johnmoe.

When we went looking for information on the condition known as seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, one of the first things we noticed was that some people aren’t even calling it that anymore. The website for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), for instance, uses the term “major depressive disorder with a seasonal pattern”, which means an acronym of MDDWASP. Here at Depresh Mode, we’re perfectly fine referring to it as “mud wasp”. On this episode of the show, we talk with NAMI’s chief medical officer, Dr. Ken Duckworth, about how it’s similar to and different from traditional depression and what one could do to deal with it. With Ken, we discuss the less common and less understood spring and summer variety of MDDWASP. We also hear from Joy and Christina from our Preshies group on Facebook about their experiences.Thank you to all our listeners who support the show as monthly members of Maximum Fun.Check out our I’m Glad You’re Here and Depresh Mode merchandise at the brand new merch website MaxFunStore.com!Hey, remember, you’re part of Depresh Mode and we want to hear what you want to hear about. What guests and issues would you like to have covered in a future episode? Write us at depreshmode@maximumfun.org.Help is available right away.The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988 or 1-800-273-8255, 1-800-273-TALKCrisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741.International suicide hotline numbers available here: https://www.opencounseling.com/suicide-hotlinesThe Depresh Mode newsletter is available twice a week. Subscribe for free and stay up to date on the show and mental health issues. https://johnmoe.substack.com/John’s acclaimed memoir, The Hilarious World of Depression, is now available in paperback. https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250209566/thehilariousworldofdepressionFind the show on X @depreshpod and Instagram @depreshpod.John is on X @johnmoe. 

There is no shortage of sad music in the world. Just reference most love songs, a substantial chunk of country music, and the entire genre known as “the blues”. But there’s sad and then there’s DEPRESSING and that’s the bit we seek to dive into with this episode. We talked to three top music critics: Steven Hyden of Uproxx, Craig Jenkins of Vulture, and Ann Powers of NPR and asked them to provide their picks for those songs that are relentlessly depressing but yet have the surprising power to make the listener feel better or at least more understood. Our playlist of dark hits features many feel-terrible classic, a depression-makes-me-feel-nothing jam, and one song so relentlessly happy that it might make you feel genuinely upset. Join us on this emotional and musical rollercoaster.Thank you to all our listeners who support the show as monthly members of Maximum Fun.Check out our I’m Glad You’re Here and Depresh Mode merchandise at the brand new merch website MaxFunStore.com!Hey, remember, you’re part of Depresh Mode and we want to hear what you want to hear about. What guests and issues would you like to have covered in a future episode? Write us at depreshmode@maximumfun.org.Help is available right away.The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988 or 1-800-273-8255, 1-800-273-TALKCrisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741.International suicide hotline numbers available here: https://www.opencounseling.com/suicide-hotlinesThe Depresh Mode newsletter is available twice a week. Subscribe for free and stay up to date on the show and mental health issues. https://johnmoe.substack.com/John’s acclaimed memoir, The Hilarious World of Depression, is now available in paperback. https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250209566/thehilariousworldofdepressionFind the show on X @depreshpod and Instagram @depreshpod.John is on X @johnmoe.

Josh Ritter is best known for his music, with eleven albums released over the past 24 years and concerts all over the world. He’s also an accomplished novelist and painter. In this wide-ranging interview, Josh goes into great depth about his mental health and his evolving understanding of it. He discusses the religious and spiritual crisis of his adolescence and the depression that followed it. Josh also fills us in on the alternating high and low moods he’s experienced in more recent years and how he has come to understand the condition known as bipolar II. On a lighter note, he also talks about the challenge of playing music to tourists in Scotland when “the Braveheart guys” show up.Thank you to all our listeners who support the show as monthly members of Maximum Fun.Check out our I'm Glad You're Here and Depresh Mode merchandise at the brand new merch website MaxFunStore.com!Hey, remember, you’re part of Depresh Mode and we want to hear what you want to hear about. What guests and issues would you like to have covered in a future episode? Write us at depreshmode@maximumfun.org.Help is available right away.The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988 or 1-800-273-8255, 1-800-273-TALKCrisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741.International suicide hotline numbers available here: https://www.opencounseling.com/suicide-hotlinesThe Depresh Mode newsletter is available twice a week. Subscribe for free and stay up to date on the show and mental health issues. https://johnmoe.substack.com/John’s acclaimed memoir, The Hilarious World of Depression, is now available in paperback. https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250209566/thehilariousworldofdepressionFind the show on X @depreshpod and Instagram @depreshpod.John is on X @johnmoe.

In preparing for our interview with Roxane Gay, we noticed that she had been talking a lot about the shared traumas we have been experiencing as a society in recent years, both epidemiologically and politically. She shares some insight on that with us. We also talk about her own personal trauma, how she manages the depression that she has carried since, and what she’s learned about boundaries.Roxane Gay is a writer, social commentator, editor and university professor. She’s the author of numerous books, both fiction and non-fiction, including Bad Feminist and Hunger. Her latest is Opinions: A Decade of Arguments, Criticism, and Minding Other People's Business, which collects many opinion pieces she’s written for the New York Times and other publications.Thank you to all our listeners who support the show as monthly members of Maximum Fun.Check out our I'm Glad You're Here and Depresh Mode merchandise at the brand new merch website MaxFunStore.com!Hey, remember, you’re part of Depresh Mode and we want to hear what you want to hear about. What guests and issues would you like to have covered in a future episode? Write us at depreshmode@maximumfun.org.Help is available right away.The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988 or 1-800-273-8255, 1-800-273-TALKCrisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741.International suicide hotline numbers available here: https://www.opencounseling.com/suicide-hotlinesThe Depresh Mode newsletter is available twice a week. Subscribe for free and stay up to date on the show and mental health issues. https://johnmoe.substack.com/John’s acclaimed memoir, The Hilarious World of Depression, is now available in paperback. https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250209566/thehilariousworldofdepressionFind the show on X @depreshpod and Instagram @depreshpod.John is on X @johnmoe.

Author Cheryl Strayed discusses her wise inner sage voice and her negative inner voice. They talk about her new TV series, hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, turning points in life, and more.

Originally, Kevin Drew set out to put together some songs, maybe even an album, of children’s music, featuring songs about stuff like not being afraid of the dark. As he worked on the songs, however, he found that they pointed to some heavier issues, including love, loss, and the deterioration of his mother’s body and mind. In this interview - and it is an interview despite Kevin wondering if it’s actually a therapy session - we explore mental health, music, and why Kevin had to do this show once he heard it was called Depresh Mode.Thank you to all our listeners who support the show as monthly members of Maximum Fun.Check out our I’m Glad You’re Here and Depresh Mode merchandise at the brand new merch website MaxFunStore.com!Hey, remember, you’re part of Depresh Mode and we want to hear what you want to hear about. What guests and issues would you like to have covered in a future episode? Write us at depreshmode@maximumfun.org.Help is available right away.The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988 or 1-800-273-8255, 1-800-273-TALKCrisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741.International suicide hotline numbers available here: https://www.opencounseling.com/suicide-hotlinesThe Depresh Mode newsletter is available twice a week. Subscribe for free and stay up to date on the show and mental health issues. https://johnmoe.substack.com/John’s acclaimed memoir, The Hilarious World of Depression, is now available in paperback. https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250209566/thehilariousworldofdepressionFind the show on X @depreshpod and Instagram @depreshpod.John is on X @johnmoe.

At 30, comedian Gabe Mollica realized he didn’t have friends. He only had bros, dudes with whom he could hang out in a kind of shallow way. He hadn’t had a close friend since Tim in his young adulthood. It wasn’t a romantic love, it was a brotherly platonic love but nonetheless Gabe was in love with Tim. They met in college, moved in together, volunteered at the same places, and even spent summers working together. Inseparable. Tim introduced Gabe to Kate, they dated for a while, then that ended, breaking Gabe’s heart. Then Tim got together with Kate, announced this to Gabe and that he wasn’t sorry about it, and that friendship was over, breaking Gabe’s heart all over again. Hear about the anxiety that followed and the loneliness and the isolation and ultimately the new and stronger friendship Gabe formed with one of his bros.Thank you to all our listeners who support the show as monthly members of Maximum Fun.Check out our I’m Glad You’re Here and Depresh Mode merchandise at the brand new merch website MaxFunStore.com!Hey, remember, you’re part of Depresh Mode and we want to hear what you want to hear about. What guests and issues would you like to have covered in a future episode? Write us at depreshmode@maximumfun.org.Help is available right away.The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988 or 1-800-273-8255, 1-800-273-TALKCrisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741.International suicide hotline numbers available here: https://www.opencounseling.com/suicide-hotlinesThe Depresh Mode newsletter is available twice a week. Subscribe for free and stay up to date on the show and mental health issues. https://johnmoe.substack.com/John’s acclaimed memoir, The Hilarious World of Depression, is now available in paperback. https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250209566/thehilariousworldofdepressionFind the show on X @depreshpod and Instagram @depreshpod.John is on X @johnmoe.

In this engaging discussion, Dr. Pooja Lakshmin, a psychiatrist and author known for her work on women's mental health, challenges the misguided notions of self-care as mere consumerism. She presents her four principles of authentic self-care: boundaries, compassion, values, and power. Listeners learn about the importance of genuine self-discovery over superficial practices, the necessity of setting personal boundaries, and the power of aligning actions with true values. Dr. Lakshmin emphasizes collective well-being and the quest for inner peace as integral to redefining wellness.