Mental Illness Happy Hour

Latest Episodes:

#759 Why No Episode This Week? Aug 01, 2025

Show notes

I'll tell you why. Oh, and would love it if you would take an anonymous audience survey for potential advertisers. We did some a while back but they need a new one. You can take it at Gum.Fm/mental. It would really help!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#758 First Responders - Joe Smarro Jul 25, 2025

Show notes

Joe Smarro is a Marine Corps combat veteran who trains first responders on how to properly manage and de-escalate mental health crises. He talks about the path that led him to this work, why the current system is so broken–for both civilians and first responders–and what can be done to fix it.

For more about Joe:

www.JoeSmarro.com

www.Instagram.com/JoeSmarro

If 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 PODCAST

Subscribe 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=2

Spread 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/donate

You 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.

#757 Chronic Pain - Vanessa Blackstone Jul 18, 2025

Show notes

Vanessa Blackstone is a therapist specializing in chronic pain and the Executive Director of the Pain Psychology Center. She outlines the success she’s found in the Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT) modality. She also shares her personal journey to this work, growing up in foster care and learning to manage her chronic pain. Look for her book, The Pain Reprocessing Therapy Workbook.

More about Vanessa:

Instagram: @that.therapist

Linktree: linktr.ee/that.therapist

Website: www.blackstonewellness.com

Center: www.painpsychologycenter.com

If 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 PODCAST

Spread 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/donate

You 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.

#756 Clutter, ADHD, OCD - Kayla Hurt Jul 11, 2025

Show notes

Kayla Hurt is a professional organizer who aims to work with deep empathy and a soft approach. She opens up about her journey to decluttering, including her struggles with ADHD, OCD, and her mother’s mental health issues.

More about Kayla:

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@organizingwithkayla?_t=ZP-8vSNa0TsBcV&_r=1

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/organizingwithkayla?igsh=MThlYmNrZzVlNHd2MA==

Website: www.organizingwithkayla.com

Email: writeowk@gmail.com

If 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 PODCAST

Spread 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/donate

You 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.

#755 When The Trauma Dam Breaks - Stevie G Jul 04, 2025

Show notes

Listener (and MIHH Zoom hangout member) Stevie G opens up about her repressed childhood trauma memories and needing outpatient psychiatric care, learning new coping skills and walking thru the grief of the passing of her best friend and most recently, her sister.

If you’re interested in seeing or buying the furniture that Paul designs and makes follow his IG for his woodworking which is transitioning from @MIHHfurniture to its new handle @ShapedFurniture

WAYS TO HELP THE MIHH PODCAST

Spread 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/donate

You 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.

#754 Anorexia and OCD - Andrea Jones-Rooy Jun 27, 2025

Show notes

Andrea Jones-Rooy is a data scientist, speaker, and stand-up comedian. They join Paul to share their struggles with anorexia and OCD, and how they have managed them over the years.

For more about Andrea:

Behind the Data (podcast): https://shows.acast.com/behind-the-data

Her site: https://www.jonesrooy.com/

WAYS TO HELP THE MIHH PODCAST

Spread 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/donate

You 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.

#753 Myths About The Disabled Parent - Jessica Slice Jun 20, 2025

Show notes

Author and speaker Jessica Slice joins the pod to share her parenting story as a disabled mother. She discusses misconceptions about disability and parenting, and how so many parents are underestimated. Look for her book Unfit Parent: A Disabled Mother Challenges an Inaccessible World

Purchase Jessica’s book Unfit Parent here https://www.amazon.com/dp/0807013242#detailBullets_feature_div

WAYS TO HELP THE MIHH PODCAST

Spread 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/donate

You 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.

#752 Pure O - Dillon Tucker Jun 13, 2025

Show notes

Dillon Tucker is an actor and filmmaker who shares the challenges and advantages of his various iterations of OCD and shares his process for the movie, Pure O, which he wrote and directed.

To find places to stream Pure O https://www.pure-o-movie.com/

Follow him on IG www.instagram.com/DillonTucker

WAYS TO HELP THE MIHH PODCAST

Spread 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/donate

You 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.

#751 Best Of: Counseling Predators - Dr David Hirohama Jun 06, 2025

Show notes

This “Best Of” episode originally aired in 2013 and was voted a listener favorite. David Hiroshima is a 3rd generation Japanese-American psychologist. He shares his experience and observations counseling sexual predators (rapists and child molesters) at Coalinga, a lockdown mental hospital in central California and how he used Buddhism to help him cope.

WAYS TO HELP THE MIHH PODCAST

Spread 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/donate

You 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.

#750 Surviving A Shooting - Allen Strickland Williams May 30, 2025

Show notes

Allen Strickland Williams is a standup comedian who shares his struggles with the stress of perfectionism and ADHD tendencies. He also opens up about the trauma of surviving a random shooting. Check out his comedy special, Ran Through, and his podcast, Finding My Audience.

More about Allen

www.AllenStricklandWilliams.com

WAYS TO HELP THE MIHH PODCAST

Spread 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/donate

You 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.

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