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

I am in the field. One of my jobs had me interviewing and meeting therapists to serve as referral sources. I can tell you, unequivocally, there are bad therapists. Many of us are attracted to the profession because of our own demons. It used to be that therapists were required to have therapy, but n...

Rick in Casablanca is one of the greatest characters ever captured on film. He honors his emotions, but does not give into them when they threaten to make him do the wrong thing. I will never tire of watching that film. My eyes water every time I see that scene where the bar drowns out the German dr...

Each state and country does it differently. The only way to find out what the specifics of confidentiality are is to call up your provider or talk to your GP. In most cases, the doctor will not willy nilly tell your parents, unless they specifically ask for the information. How frustrating that your...

It is a common problem. I was SO afraid to date and go up to girls for the longest time. I came upon a really interesting exercise that can help with social anxiety if you are willing to go there. Because most of this kind of thing is due to fear of rejection, the best way to help yourself is to ove...

PS - not anti drugs altogether....I take Adderall for ADHD. Without it I am jittery and unable to organize my thoughts.

But the way many psych drugs are used in our culture is thoroughly irresponsible and harmful in my opinion.

Meds just do not work for some people. Some people have negative reactions. Although meds can be lifesavers for some people, they are not the panacea many make them out to be. In many cases they can extend the life of a disorder because people of side effects, and the fact that many take meds instea...

Everything you wrote makes perfect sense. I got similar treatment from my mother - it wasn't a masculine thing, but it fucked me up in very much the same way. I was afraid of my emotions and sensitivity most of my life.

I think the irony of a lot of mental health difficulties is that the solutions can be simple, albeit time consuming. But the one thing we actually need to do to get help is the exact thing our mental health issues make the most difficult. PS - Caffeine is not good for anxiety. Exercise is. But you k...

Yay! It sounds like you didn't run away. It sounds like you listened to what your authentic self wanted and went with it! How wonderful to find new invigoration! Hope it rubs off on me.

No no no no. You misunderstand. First off, I am no fan of psychiatric medications. They do not work as often as they work, and have terrible side effects. I am VERY happy for you, and grateful to your doctor for suggesting an alternative route. I am not judging you at all, just cautioning you. Sam E...