YOU ARE NOT ALONE - A companion online community discussion board for The Mental Illness Happy Hour podcast with Paul Gilmartin

My therapist suggested noticing when the anxiety happens and sort of deconstructing the circumstances, realizing that what is happening and what I'm thinking aren't necessarily lining up. For example, my body feels pain, my brain says "Oh my God, you have cancer," I start pulling hair. The...

No need to apologize, Oak. It's nice to read through these posts! And thank you both for the supportive comments, oak and kitkat. I was in therapy earlier today. It seems the pulling is wound up in all sorts of anxiety/control/coping issues that go back to childhood. So my therapist gave me a few co...

It's not really OCD, but it is a compulsive disorder, and I didn't know where else to put this...so here it is. Trichotillomania is when you compulsively pull your own hair out. I've had it on some level for as long as I can remember (early on it was just sort of twisting/twirling hair, and progress...

I feel that the surveys are worthwhile. Whenever I listen to an episode for the first time at least, I always listen to the whole thing, because then I can relate to the survey respondents. And the episodes proper are still as long and in-depth as they've ever been. So I don't have any complaints ab...

Jeez, I'm relating to this post a lot. I am that only child "don't do anything that might be a waste" cynic. It's such a fucked up thing, especially factored in with "Don't take unnecessary risks." Between those, I have completely shut myself down before, and will probably do so ...

I have a volatile relationship with Fakebook. I'm on my third profile now, and that one seems to be going well. I barely add anyone, and my only real profile picture this time (aside from the shameless one with a favorite comedian) is one I took of myself just gnawing on an apple. I guess just becau...

I saw this on Tumblr minutes ago. What a powerful video. Sir Patrick Stewart is so wonderful, and to see him speak out about something like that with such force and emotion and clarity is inspiring.

If I had a hat on, it would be off to him.

I used to drink a lot of coffee (3-5 cups a day), and at some point I realized that it wasn't working well for me after a certain point. I think I got to be more prone to being depressed and anxious while drinking it, and I was less able to focus, plus the addiction thing was messing with me, partly...

Thank you for your kind words, oak.

Thanks for the reply, Herself. Today was a better day for rational thinking on my part. I was thinking about your post, and then I figured out that maybe I don't have to go to therapy in my home town: my mom, with whom I still live, works in a nearby city. So, out of curiosity, I looked up therapist...