Long before Neko Case was known as one of the top singer-songwriters working today, she was a punk teenager running around the streets of Tacoma, having ditched a neglectful and dangerous house. Fortunately for her and her eventual fans, she got her life on track, developed a strong interest in music and threw herself in to making it. We hear about how she got herself together in spite of her parents, how depression came to wallop her, and what she did to get on track once again. Plus, we hear...
Topics: podcast, depression, struggle, mental health, health, psychology, psychiatry, medical,...
Public radio and podcast audiences have been listening to Lulu Miller's storytelling for years on Radiolab and on Invisibilia, a show she co-founded. Her work is generally about other people but on this episode, she shares her own story, which is by turns harrowing and triumphant. Lulu's new book is 'Why Fish Don't Exist' (Link: https://bit.ly/2XNTnq4) and it's about her history with depression, the scientific curiosity that helped get her back on track, and, yeah, why fish don't exist.You can...
Topics: podcast, depression, struggle, mental health, health, psychology, psychiatry, medical,...
Hi, it's John, and I'm sending you this recording from my makeshift office about what's going on for us THWoD-balls during COVID-19, and ideas about how to get through it as best we can.You can pre-order John's book at bit.ly/HilariousWorldBook. Follow us on Twitter: @THWofD. Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/thwod. Support our show today: hilariousworld.org/donateIf you or anyone you know is struggling, there's help available, any time. It's free and you'll reach a trained volunteer. You can...
Topics: podcast, depression, struggle, mental health, health, psychology, psychiatry, medical,...
You can think of Dave Nadelberg's vast Mortified project as The Hilarious World of Embarrassment, Awkwardness, and Redemption. Through stage presentations, film, TV, and books, Dave invites people to share their most mortifying writing. It's very funny, sure, but it's more than that. Dave says the process of dragging your younger self out of that old trunk can provide understanding of who you were and what motivated you. That, in turn, can offer valuable insight into who you are. Also in this...
Topics: podcast, depression, struggle, mental health, health, psychology, psychiatry, medical,...
You know the feeling, right? You finally achieve something -- a new job, a promotion, an award -- and while you know you should be proud, you just feel like a big phony who will soon be exposed. You feel like you don't really belong there and you suspect that someone else should be there instead. It's called Impostor Syndrome and it's more common than you might think. We're joined by Dr. Valerie Young to talk about who it effects and what to do about it. And we're joined by you, our listeners,...
Topics: podcast, depression, struggle, mental health, health, psychology, psychiatry, medical,...
In a whole lot of ways, improv comedy is the opposite of depression. It requires you to be present in the moment, unconcerned about past regrets and future anxieties. It means connecting with other people and taking fun risks. And it's full of laughs. Actors and real-life married couple Jamie Denbo (Orange is the New Black", "Ghostbusters") and John Ross Bowie ("The Big Bang Theory", "Speechless") have plenty of experience in improv, having met twenty years...
Topics: podcast, depression, struggle, mental health, health, psychology, psychiatry, medical,...
True stories of beautiful epiphanies and majestic, horrible disasters. Talk therapy is one of the most popular ways to address depression and it's one of the most effective. Still, at its root, talk therapy is a relationship between two humans -- strangers, mostly -- trying to figure out something complicated together, and that is inherently complicated. Our listeners have stepped up to provide true life tales of therapy gone comically bad and therapy that worked out great. You'll hear about...
Topics: podcast, depression, struggle, mental health, health, psychology, psychiatry, medical,...
The idea was to become an engineer or maybe an architect. Jonny Sun has degrees in both, and he's a dissertation away from a doctorate in urban studies and planning from MIT. But a phenomenally humane, funny, and popular Twitter account has placed him in an unexpected comedy career. Meanwhile, he realized that this dark sad feeling he's had forever has a name.
Topics: podcast, depression, struggle, mental health, health, psychology, psychiatry, medical,...
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Topic: Podcast
Author John Green had one of the best-selling books of the last 10 years with The Fault In Our Stars. The problem is, when you write an acclaimed smash hit, everyone wants you to somehow do it again. In attempting to write that follow-up, Green went off the meds he'd been taking for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, hoping it would bring him to a more vivid and imaginative place. Instead, the crash made him unable to write at all. Hear how Green later used those dark days to craft the protagonist...
Topics: podcast, depression, struggle, mental health, health, psychology, psychiatry, medical,...
If you are having problems with your mental health, please get help. You've heard that before on this show and probably plenty of other places as well. But how do you actually do that? How do you go about finding professional help to get things on a better track? It's a process that can be complicated and overwhelming, which means loads of people don't get the help they need. On this episode, we talk with Dr. Ken Duckworth, Medical Director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, about the...
Topics: podcast, depression, struggle, mental health, health, psychology, psychiatry, medical,...
It's a crossover conversation between The Hilarious World of Depression's John Moe and Ana Marie Cox, host of the podcast With Friends Like These. Both shows traffic in the idea of having more conversations about things that don't get talked about very often. In that spirit, John and Ana Marie open about some events that drive them and that they have never discussed much in public. If you need immediate help, confidential help is available for free in the U.S. at the National Suicide Prevention...
Topics: podcast, depression, struggle, mental health, health, psychology, psychiatry, medical,...
A sneak preview of some of the voices you'll hear on the upcoming season of The Hilarious World of Depression. Host John Moe talks to some of the top names in comedy, who share candid conversations about their experience with depression and have a few laughs along the way.
Topics: podcast, depression, struggle, mental health, health, psychology, psychiatry, medical,...
What if clinical depression was not just a thing in someone's brain but an actual other person entirely? What would they look like? Act like? Who would they be? And how would you interact with such a person? It's a mental exercise that many find helpful in isolating the disease from the self to better manage it. We asked our listeners to describe their depression. Most chose humans, one chose a very confused monster.
Topics: podcast, depression, struggle, mental health, health, psychology, psychiatry, medical,...
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Topic: Podcast
Theo Fleury hit the ice at age five. He was a hockey phenom at 14, a Stanley Cup champion at 20 and an Olympic gold medalist at 33. He was also keeping a terrible secret. As a teen, he was sexually assaulted by one of his coaches. Hockey became an escape, but it couldn't fix everything; he faced addiction and suicidal thoughts. Today, Theo is sober, and he talks with host Chamique Holdsclaw about what it took to get there.Subscribe to the podcast: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts
Topics: podcast, depression, struggle, mental health, health, psychology, psychiatry, medical,...
Having experienced therapy as a patient, a student, and an actual therapist, Lori Gottlieb has a lot of insight into what therapy is, what it isn't, and how to get the most out of it. We hear how she ended up in the profession after repeatedly putting a UPS guy in an uncomfortable spot and how, years later, she needed more therapy herself when her world fell out from under her.You can pre-order John's book on Amazon (amzn.to/THWoDBook) or IndieBound (bit.ly/IndieTHWoD). Follow us on Twitter:...
Topics: podcast, depression, struggle, mental health, health, psychology, psychiatry, medical,...
March is #trypod time all over the podcast world and we're getting in the spirit by offering an episode of another American Public Media program. Terrible, Thanks for Asking explores the sometimes difficult answers that people avoid giving when asked, 'How are you?'
Topics: podcast, depression, struggle, mental health, health, psychology, psychiatry, medical,...
Singer/songwriter Aimee Mann has a reputation for making music that is raw, emotional, and sometimes not all that cheerful. In real life, she's perfectly cheerful ' thank you very much ' and has traveled a long road of depression, anxiety, a difficult childhood, and writer's block. Through it all, she's taken a calm, considered, and creative approach to problem-solving that has served her well. Oh, and one time as a teenager she wrote a terrible song about hobos.
Topics: podcast, depression, struggle, mental health, health, psychology, psychiatry, medical,...
Just about everyone who mattered in the '60s and '70s hung out with Dick Cavett. His talk shows were hilarious, candid, and culturally vital. They were snarky before David Letterman ever hit the air, and sharp before Jon Stewart showed up on anyone's TV. Along the way, he managed to infuriate Richard Nixon such that the President plotted attacks against him, which is when you know you've really arrived. On this episode, Dick talks about his own struggles with depression as well as the struggles...
Topics: podcast, depression, struggle, mental health, health, psychology, psychiatry, medical,...
Although she comes across as confident and happy on her incredibly successful YouTube channel, Hannah Hart has plenty of experience with insecurity and misery in her life. Growing up, she faced severe poverty, hunger, and dealing with a mother who was mentally ill. Still, she made it into a good college where she had to confront issues about her religion and her sexuality on her way to getting two degrees and not being able to be proud of any of it because of depression. Today, she's a star,...
Topics: podcast, depression, struggle, mental health, health, psychology, psychiatry, medical,...
We asked our listeners for books they've read that give an accurate depiction of the reality of depression. Happily, we got enough great suggestions to weigh down a shopping cart at the bookstore or leave a library card smoldering. A name that came up a lot was author Jenny Lawson, who happens to be a friend of the show. On this episode, we talk with Jenny and get audio suggestions from a lot of THWoD-balls. Be sure to visit hilariousworld.org for a complete list of titles.
Topics: podcast, depression, struggle, mental health, health, psychology, psychiatry, medical,...
There's a lot to unpack, John," says comedian, actor, and writer Naomi Ekperigin during the course of this interview and indeed there is. The New York native, now uneasily dwelling in Los Angeles, has dealt with anxiety, depression, a very complicated relationship with her father, as well as problems with alcohol and cutting. Comedy has been in there too both as a respite from mental turmoil and sometimes a source of neurosis. With the help of her fiance' (who is also a rich source of her...
Topics: podcast, depression, struggle, mental health, health, psychology, psychiatry, medical,...
We asked you, our listeners, for the songs that help you most when depression is really acting up, and the stories behind those picks. On this episode hear stories about and music from Leonard Cohen, Bjork, Neil Young, Radiohead and so much more. We even get some peaks behind the songs from Craig Finn of The Hold Steady and former American Idol star Crystal Bowersox.
Topics: podcast, depression, struggle, mental health, health, psychology, psychiatry, medical,...
It's helpful to know that depression lies to you, that it presents the world in a way that is false just to mess you up. It's even more helpful to know exactly what whoppers it tries to pull off. We enlisted our team of world-class investigative reporters, aka our listeners, aka The THWoD-balls, to blow the lid off lies about love, hard work, ignorance, staying alive, and even cookies. We can't stop you from lying, depression, but we can know a lie when we hear it. Also, hey, we have new stuff...
Topics: podcast, depression, struggle, mental health, health, psychology, psychiatry, medical,...
Filmmaker and actor Mark Duplass has been prolific over the course of his career. Along with his brother and creative partner, Jay Duplass, he's made films such as The Puffy Chair" and "Cyrus," as well as TV shows like "Togetherness" and "Room 104." Mark's also an in-demand actor, starring on "The League" on FX and "The Morning Show" on Apple TV+. Depression threw a big wrench into his creative ambitions and he attempted to muscle his way...
Topics: podcast, depression, struggle, mental health, health, psychology, psychiatry, medical,...
Finding and using the right words for something as complex as mental illnesses can be exasperating. And it can take a lot of effort to avoid the wrong words. In this episode, using words, we explore terms like crazy" or "addiction" or "depression" and how they are so often abused, co-opted, and twisted. Guests include Paul F. Tompkins, Aimee Mann, Ted Leo, Ana Marie Cox, as well as licensed therapist Emily Bulthuis, who discusses the benefits of accurate terminology and...
Topics: podcast, depression, struggle, mental health, health, psychology, psychiatry, medical,...
New York comedian Mike Brown is a big fan of objective cause-and-effect scenarios. This drew him into playing video games, studying math and engineering, and ultimately getting on stage to tell jokes and get laughs. The thing is, sometimes you have to face events that are completely senseless.
Topics: podcast, depression, struggle, mental health, health, psychology, psychiatry, medical,...
CPR training has been widely available for many years now and offered in a variety of convenient ways. But what if the problem isn't physical but mental? A new wave of first aid training is rapidly sweeping the world and people are learning what to do and what not to do in a crisis. A driving force in this movement is the pop singer Lady Gaga, whose charitable organization, the Born This Way Foundation, has been offering the training in cities Gaga tours. We talk with that group's co-founder...
Topics: podcast, depression, struggle, mental health, health, psychology, psychiatry, medical,...
Monologist and comedian Mike Birbiglia has always had a mile-long dark streak. Even if he's never been diagnosed with clinical depression, he's recognized his own lack of capacity to feel joy and is constantly aware of a kind of existential dread that haunts him. But rather than shy away from all that, he picks at it. Mike fills us in on how he deals with that darkness and the inner meaning of a lot of his work.You can order John's book on Amazon (amzn.to/THWoDBook) or IndieBound...
Topics: podcast, depression, struggle, mental health, health, psychology, psychiatry, medical,...
You might know Pete Holmes from his many standup specials, his talk show, or Crashing, the HBO series he created and starred in. You might not know the long and varied spiritual path he's traveled in his life. Pete was an incredibly devout Christian, living by the Bible and obsessed with avoiding eternal damnation. Following traumatic life events, he arrived first at atheism and finally at a consciousness-based worldview influenced by thinkers like Ram Dass and Joseph Campbell. Sticking around...
Topics: podcast, depression, struggle, mental health, health, psychology, psychiatry, medical,...
Young people can be morose, angry, withdrawn. It's often chalked up to being a phase," a natural initiation ritual to adulthood. What if it's not? What if it's a mental disorder in need of help? We hear from the always-entertaining comedian and writer Jen Kirkman about her efforts to understand her head. We also talk with Jennifer Rothman, NAMI's Sr. Manager for Youth and Young Adult Initiatives and Dr. Sue Swearer of the University of Nebraska. Plus, a montage of past guests trying to...
Topics: podcast, depression, struggle, mental health, health, psychology, psychiatry, medical,...
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Topic: Podcast
Before she was the host of NPR's popular Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast, Linda Holmes was an attorney working at the Minnesota Legislature. Before that, she was a student living in squalor. And before that, she was the victim of some seriously messed up mean kid behavior. We hear about her unusual path to a better life, the older and very recent struggles she has had, and how the written word proved redemptive. We also hear about how Linda's weight was seen as a symptom of her depression when...
Topics: podcast, depression, struggle, mental health, health, psychology, psychiatry, medical,...
We are delighted to announce a brand new show coming your way from the THWoD team. Tremendous Upside is a series of interviews with athletes who have been at the top of their game and struggled with mental illness. In this mini-THWoD episode, John Moe talks with Tremendous Upside host Chamique Holdsclaw, winner of national championships, player of the year awards, and an Olympic gold medal. Hear how athletes like Metta World Peace, Briana Scurry, Suzy Favor Hamilton, Theo Fleury, and more open...
Topics: podcast, depression, struggle, mental health, health, psychology, psychiatry, medical,...
Max Heller's life was falling apart. He was drinking heavily, using every kind of pill he could get his hands on, and isolating from society. He was swimming in New York's East River, walking through subway tunnels, and hooking up with whomever he could find. Then he met Bob the Drag Queen who, after weeks of cajoling, gave Max a complete drag makeover. Thus was born Miz Cracker, a confident and healthier self who looked beautiful in the mirror and who would rise to fame on RuPaul's Drag Race....
Topics: podcast, depression, struggle, mental health, health, psychology, psychiatry, medical,...
Before she was a successful LA comic with a new Netflix special, Jen Kirkman was a somewhat confused kid growing up in Boston. Hear how she got screwed up by nuclear war anxiety, found her calling in comedy, and ultimately learned to leverage her creativity and imagination to take on depression and anxiety.
Topics: podcast, depression, struggle, mental health, health, psychology, psychiatry, medical,...
Growing up, actor and writer Julie Klausner was too busy battling depression and daydreaming about an imagined Merlot-sipping cosmopolitan adulthood to really engage in the world itself. It wasn't until she entered the world of comedy and improv as an adult that things really started to click into place. That led to creating Difficult People, a show on Hulu, where she plays a much bolder, brassier, and more oblivious version of herself.
Topics: podcast, depression, struggle, mental health, health, psychology, psychiatry, medical,...
It's not exactly normal for a 5-year-old kid to listen to Simon & Garfunkel's 'Bridge Over Troubled Water' over and over and over, but Andy Richter didn't know that. It felt natural to him. The actor and longtime comedic accompanist to Conan O'Brien relates his childhood in Illinois, the impact of divorce on his nascent depression, and how he plugged away at finding both an effective treatment and who he really was. Also, are ALL people who go into comedy at least a little twisted? Here...
Topics: podcast, depression, struggle, mental health, health, psychology, psychiatry, medical,...
She's the author of bestselling books and an incredibly popular blog, but Jenny Lawson showed up to our interview wondering, at least a little, if her appearance on this show and her whole career, really, was part of some delusion. It's not. She's the real thing: an incredibly funny and honest writer with a legion of fans, a very old decapitated and stuffed boar's head named James Garfield, anxiety, depression, and a clear-eyed view of the world.
Topics: podcast, depression, struggle, mental health, health, psychology, psychiatry, medical,...
Celebrity chef and Travel Channel host Andrew Zimmern has made a reputation as a culinary expert with an adventurous streak, traveling the world and sampling tree grubs, shark meat, tarantulas, and horse rectums among many other cuisines. But before his current fame, he was on the street, stealing handbags to fuel his alcoholism, which existed to deaden his long-held depression. We hear about hitting bottom, redemption, and Andrew's friend, the late Anthony Bourdain.
Topics: podcast, depression, struggle, mental health, health, psychology, psychiatry, medical,...
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Topic: Podcast
Look, we know that THWoD can get a little, I guess, intense at times. Depression is a heavy topic and stories about it are often packed with bummers. So in this special episode, we rounded up some of the funniest moments from our three seasons and packed them all together for a hilarity highlight reel. The laughs tend to come from unexpected places and within the context of the chat so you can be sure that none of it is corny and there are no jokes you've heard before outside the show. In the...
Topics: podcast, depression, struggle, mental health, health, psychology, psychiatry, medical,...
Some people don't have short job titles. Dave Holmes is, among other things, a writer, MTV VJ (despite losing the contest that landed him the job), TV host, actor, and even a former advertising executive. He has dealt with anxiety, depression, and a thorny time coming out as a gay man. Just before our conversation, he received a new diagnosis of ADHD and suddenly a lot of things made a lot more sense.You can pre-order John's book on Amazon (amzn.to/THWoDBook) or IndieBound (bit.ly/IndieTHWoD)....
Topics: podcast, depression, struggle, mental health, health, psychology, psychiatry, medical,...
During this long stretch of just staying home, we decided to reach out to some friends of THWoD, hear their voices, and find out how they're holding up. Writer Ana Marie Cox is drawing strength from her sobriety, actor John Ross Bowie is balancing work and fatherhood, and comedian Solomon Georgio has found a soothing new hobby of driving to the airport and then turning around and going home again.You can pre-order John's book on Amazon (amzn.to/THWoDBook) or IndieBound (bit.ly/IndieTHWoD)....
Topics: podcast, depression, struggle, mental health, health, psychology, psychiatry, medical,...
Comedian and writer Guy Branum was expected to be a construction worker his whole life. Maybe a football player. He was large, strong, and grew up in a town more known for agriculture than metropolitan sophistication. After scoring good grades and pining for places usually seen in the movies or magazines, he moved on to college and then law school in Minnesota, where he was able to come out as gay and realize that his interests were way more tilted toward comedy than the practice of law. What's...
Topics: podcast, depression, struggle, mental health, health, psychology, psychiatry, medical,...
Our show took to the stage recently for a live event packed with laughter, insight, and music. We were joined by Paul F. Tompkins, Aimee Mann, Ted Leo, and Ana Marie Cox, who all shared their experience with mental illnesses as well as what it's like to be out and about in the world with people knowing what they've gone through. We spin through the hilariously depressing world of Google Reviews in Google Review Theater, take a visit to an O. Henry marriage therapist, and even hear a little...
Topics: podcast, depression, struggle, mental health, health, psychology, psychiatry, medical,...
Whitney Cummings has had a lot of success in Hollywood as a comedian, actress, writer and director, and now she's finally having success in figuring herself out. She's been making connections between the addiction and mental illnesses in her house growing up, the eating disorders she developed, the depression that has persisted, and the codependency that emerged. Turns out when you are able to take a good hard look at things, you can get a pretty good view.You can pre-order John's book at...
Topics: podcast, depression, struggle, mental health, health, psychology, psychiatry, medical,...
There are many ways to address depression: therapy, meds, exercise, music. And then there are our own thoughts. We learn the mantras, reminders, and rituals that some of our listeners use to get through it when Clinny D flares up.
Topics: podcast, depression, struggle, mental health, health, psychology, psychiatry, medical,...
With one recent appearance on The Tonight Show, Patti Harrison went from being a well-regarded alternative comedian in New York to being a de facto spokesperson for transgender people. She's proud of who she is and proud to give a voice to that community. But she wants to make it clear that her sense of humor is much darker, odder, and occasionally more disgusting than one might expect from someone at the forefront of a social cause. Hear about her journey to figure out who she is and who she's...
Topics: podcast, depression, struggle, mental health, health, psychology, psychiatry, medical,...
