Inside Mental Health

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Help! My Coworker Is a Narcissist! Nov 09, 2017

Show notes

In this episode of the Psych Central Show, hosts Gabe Howard and Vincent M. Wales welcome back Dr. Ramani Durvasula to discuss narcissism… this time, in the workplace. Everyone believes they’ve got a narcissist as a coworker and, often, they’re correct. In this episode, you’ll learn how to tell if your coworker is a narcissist, how common this is (especially among executives), and how to handle them, even if it’s your boss. You’ll learn about gaslighting and the link between narcissism and low self-esteem. Dr. Ramani also warns what can happen to a person who remains in the sort of toxic workplace environment created by narcissists.

WORKPLACE NARCISSISM SHOW HIGHLIGHTS

[2:02] What exactly is narcissism?

[3:48] How common is narcissism among business executives?

[4:35] What if your boss is a narcissist?

[6:19] What is “gaslighting”?

[8:33] What sort of behavior do narcissists exhibit in the workplace?

[11:57] What’s the connection between low self-esteem and narcissism?

[16:08] Can a person with low self-esteem become a narcissist?

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What Toll Does Texting Take on Us? Nov 02, 2017

Show notes

In this episode of the Psych Central Show, hosts Gabe Howard and Vincent M. Wales welcome Dr. Lori Russell-Chapin, who shares her experiences working in the field of neurofeedback. Specifically, she speaks on how technology – especially the intense use of handheld technology such as texting on smartphones – is affecting our brains. Dr. Russell-Chapin describes the differences that can be seen in the brain waves of a heavy texter as opposed to a “normal” baseline brain, how we seem to be losing our paralinguistic abilities, and offers insight to ways in which we can achieve a better balance in our lives by changing the way in which we use such technology.

TEXTING SHOW HIGHLIGHTS

[1:13] How texting is changing the structure and function of our brains.

[6:41] Are we losing our paralinguistic abilities because of texting?

[11:30] How does one get into the field of studying brain function?

[12:51] What do we mean by “dysregulation” of the brain?

[14:04] How do we know what the proper baseline is for brain function?

[18:47] How do we achieve better balance?

A Graphic (Novel) Twist on the Personal Recovery Story Oct 26, 2017

Show notes

In this episode of the Psych Central Show, hosts Gabe Howard and Vincent M. Wales welcome guest Brent Williams, author of Out of the Woods, a graphic novel that tells the story of his battle with depression. Williams, a human rights attorney in New Zealand, “hit a wall” that derailed his life. It took years for him to understand that depression was the cause and what he needed to do about it. He speaks of how journaling was a great help to him in the recovery process and how it led to the idea of doing a graphic novel. He also speaks of how his battle with cancer was “a breeze” compared to fighting depression.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS

[3:25] Hitting the wall.

[4:02] Why it took years to understand that it was depression that was ruining his life.

[9:01] How journaling helped in his recovery from depression.

[13:43] Brent talks about the graphic novel process.

[16:27] Cancer was “a breeze” compared to depression.

Why Do People Believe Conspiracy Theories? Oct 19, 2017

Show notes

In this episode of the Psych Central Show, hosts Gabe Howard and Vincent M. Wales discuss conspiracy theories with guest Dr. John Grohol, founder of Psych Central. Dr. Grohol explains what exactly is meant by “conspiracy theory” and where they come from. Discussion includes questions of whether they are ways for people to rationalize why horrific tragedies occur, if they are based on distrust of authority figures, and if those who believe them are just attention seekers. Ultimately, the question is raised of how to address them. Can we convince believers that they’re wrong and, if so, how do we do so?

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS

[1:05] What is a conspiracy theory and where do they come from?

[2:19] Are conspiracy theories just a way to “make sense” of horrific tragedies?

[6:50] What’s the connection between conspiracy theories and distrust of authority?

[8:44] Are believers really just attention seekers?

[12:12] The role of cognitive bias in the belief of conspiracy theories.

[13:01] Are conspiracy theories invented just to mess with people?

[14:15] How do we convince believers in conspiracy theories that they’re wrong?

What’s It Really Like Being in a Psych Hospital? Oct 12, 2017

Show notes

In this episode of the Psych Central Show, hosts Gabe Howard and Vincent M. Wales discuss the myths and realities of being admitted to an inpatient psychiatric hospital. Gabe shares his personal experience of voluntarily entering a psychiatric hospital when he was suicidal. He tells of how his expectations of the situation differed from what he actually experienced. He shares what he found to be the most frightening aspects of his stay, as well as how he passed the time while there. He shares how his family reacted to his admission to the psychiatric hospital, and the aspect to the stay that he describes as “life-altering.”

BEING IN A PSYCH HOSPITAL SHOW HIGHLIGHTS

[3:43] The scariest part of being in a psych ward.

[7:48] Gabe’s shocking discovery about psych hospitals.

[10:57] Is it like One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest?

[13:05] How do you pass the time in a psych hospital?

[14:49] Gabe’s expectations vs. reality.

[16:53] The life-altering aspect of Gabe’s psychiatric stay.

[18:45] How Gabe’s family reacted to his admission.

The Challenges of Returning to Work After Mental Illness Oct 05, 2017

Show notes

In this episode of the Psych Central Show, hosts Gabe Howard and Vincent M. Wales discuss the challenges of returning to the workplace after being out for an extended amount of time, such as while recovering from mental illness. Gabe shares his first-hand experience of returning to work after four years, including the difficulties he faced, the resources he relied on, and what he wished he’d done differently. Also discussed are workplace discrimination, advocating for yourself, and the question of whether or not you should disclose your mental illness to your coworkers (and if so, to whom and when).

RETURNING TO WORK AFTER MENTAL ILLNESS SHOW HIGHLIGHTS

[0:59] Gabe shares the story of returning to work after four years.

[4:55] How your therapist can help with your return to work.

[6:37] Skills and resources to make your return easier.

[8:07] Gabe tells of his experience with workplace discrimination.

[9:14] Should you disclose your mental illness to your coworkers?

[11:02] Potential positive results of disclosing your mental illness.

[14:23] What do we mean by “reasonable accommodations”?

[18:36] Tips on being your own advocate.

How Has Mental Health Advocacy Changed? Sep 28, 2017

Show notes

In this episode of the Psych Central Show, hosts Gabe Howard and Vincent M. Wales welcome Andy Behrman, veteran mental health speaker, writer, and advocate who is the author of Electroboy: A Memoir of Mania. Andy shares his views on how mental health advocacy has changed over the past fifteen years and the ways in which our views of stigma have evolved. He also shares the story of his interview with noted actor and bipolar advocate Stephen Fry, his ideas on how to help fund advocacy groups, and his experiences with electroconvulsive therapy and memory loss. And, yes, he tells us how he got the nickname of "Electroboy."

MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCACY SHOW HIGHLIGHTS

[1:48] How has mental health advocacy changed?

[3:15] Is mental illness less stigmatized now?

[9:10] Electroboy talks about ECT and memory loss.

[11:22] Andy Berhman's Stephen Fry experience.

[13:39] Andy shares his plans to help fund smaller advocacy groups.

What's the REAL Link Between Anger and Violence? Sep 21, 2017

Show notes

In this episode of the Psych Central Show, hosts Gabe Howard and Vincent M. Wales discuss mental illness and violence. More specifically, they address the real culprit behind the vast majority of violence: anger. Their discussion dispels the myth that anger is an unhealthy emotion, teaches ways to express anger in a healthy fashion, and addresses the widely held belief that most mentally ill people are violent (and why people hold this belief). The discussion also covers the real factor in predicting whether someone might become violent and ends with suggestions on ways anyone can learn how to get control of anger in their lives.

Show Highlights:

[1:58] Is it okay to get angry?

[2:38] How can we express anger in a healthy way?

[3:57] Anger and the mentally ill.

[10:23] Why are the mentally ill responsible for so much violence?

[12:52] What is the real predictor of violent behavior?

[14:39] Why do we associate violence with mental illness?

[17:50] How can someone take control of their anger issues?

What Does Postpartum Depression Feel Like? Sep 14, 2017

Show notes

In this episode of the Psych Central Show, hosts Gabe Howard and Vincent M. Wales speak with guest Christine Hammond, a licensed mental health counselor who has also suffered from postpartum depression in two of her three pregnancies. She shares her story of why neither she nor her husband recognize postpartum depression in the first pregnancy, how it appeared rapidly during the second pregnancy, and the fears they both had that it would occur in the third pregnancy. Christine also speaks of the shame carried by and stigma against mothers dealing with it, as well as postpartum depression’s biggest lie.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS

[3:15] Christine speaks about her two instances of postpartum depression.

[6:40] How postpartum took her by surprise and the shame that came with it.

[8:12] The stigma of postpartum depression is profound.

[10:06] Christine tells of the fear of postpartum depression during her third pregnancy.

[13:55] What postpartum depression was like for Christine’s husband.

[15:28] The biggest lie about postpartum depression.

How Can You Calm an Agitated Person? Sep 07, 2017

Show notes

In this episode of the Psych Central Show, hosts Gabe Howard and Vincent M. Wales speak with guest Dr. Scott Zeller, renowned psychiatric emergency services physician and expert on agitation. Dr. Zeller explains exactly what agitation means, in the medical setting, and how it differs from other states, such as violence. He dispels a few myths about agitation, and explains how the use of physical restraints and sedation are the wrong approach in almost all situations. Most importantly, he speaks on how common agitation is, even outside the medical setting, and how anyone can learn to de-escalate the emotions of someone in a state of agitation.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS

[1:11] What do we even mean by “agitation”?

[6:45] Aren’t all agitated people violent?

[9:11] Dr. Zeller explains why we should rarely use restraints on agitated people.

[12:47] Simple things to keep in mind when trying to calm an agitated person.

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