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

I have been hooked on the podcast for months and off - kilter my whole life. I'm a guy in my early thirties. I'm hesitant to go into a litany of symptoms or diagnoses right from the jump. I'm not sure if it's the risk of vulnerability or not wanting to be a show off or both. I see a therapist once a week and I'm currently unmedicated (save copious amounts of coffee here and there).

I play guitar and ride my bicycle for kicks. I love stand up comedy and *cough* pro wrestling. I'm an INFP for all my fellow Myers-Briggs pseudoscientists.

My favorite episode of the podcast is Maria Bamford.

If I don't post this now it will never happen. Thanks for reading! Questions are welcome.

Hey Alarmist! Fellow INFP here...I think the Mario Bamford episode is my favorite too! She was really good at making light of her situation...always funny. I need to see her new special! She might be one of the first comics I've seen who was open about mental illness, love her! Anyways, good to meet you and welcome to the board. I just registered last week. Talk to you later!

Neat! I'm an ENFP if I recall correctly, so we apparently have even moooore things in common

My boyfriend's also a fan of pro wrestling and he's really embarrassed about it for some reason. When he first told me about it he was like, "yeah, I know it's fake..." and I interrupted him to ask if I should be embarrassed that I love reading fiction and watching movies because they're fake. Nobody's told me that I'm not allowed to like Robert Downey Jr. because he's not really Tony Stark yet.

Anyway, don't be shy about liking pro wrestling or listing diagnoses or ranting about whatever it is you've been struggling with in your life. This is the perfect place for all of that. Welcome!

Thanks Jose and Chel for the responses.

You're preaching to the choir about pro wrestling. Still stigmatized because even I can acknowledge it's mostly awful. In those fleeting moments of suspended disbelief and forgotten cynicism it's absolutely sublime. At the same time on those days when I'm unshaven and unshowered and youtubing away the hours it's often trying to recapture that feeling of being a kid and the bad guy actually getting his just desserts. I think of it as a form of dance.

Thanks for the friendly reminder that here is a place we can blow off steam, let the weirdness shine through, etc. I guess I'm just socially phobic and particularly non-trusting and all my woes seem to spring forth from a fountain of isolation. I'm still not sure if I'm incredibly arrogant or have zero self-esteem or the pendulum just swings between the two of its own accord. I wallow in the same paradox I'm sure many people on this forum do "I wouldn't want to be a part of any club that would have me as a member."

I've had drinking and drug problems but not for years. I'm not sure if I was ever a real live addict. My body pretty much rejects booze from the get-go at this point. I haven't had a steady job for years and live at home. I volunteer a little and work random jobs but I don't have any friends in the city where I live. I had a really depressed winter but I'm seemingly coming out of it. On the upside, I'm a good cook and punctual.

I love that you ended your post with positive stuff! I am not only notoriously bad for never praising myself in the least, but also a terrible cook and perpetually running late. Definitely can commiserate about having a depressed winter and coming out of it okay.

I can't say I've ever really been socially phobic or not trusting (I'd even say I'm too trusting...) but I'm not stranger to the Zero Self-Esteem club. I don't understand why anyone puts up with my shit, let alone actually like me enough to be my friend. When I avoid social situations it's because I don't want to bother people with my stupid self.

When I say "lack of trust" I think I mostly mean I don't have faith that people won't turn against me if I ask small favors of them. As if my miniscule personal appeal begins and ends with asking absolutely nothing of people. Or that everyone with whom I have a relationship is a hint of unpleasantness away from tearing into me verbally and severing communications. On the upside, my socks almost always match.

Oh man, you've gotta check out the Fear Off section of the forum -- soooo many people feel that way. I'm also willing to bet that the majority of them have worse sock-matching skills than you.

Alarmist!

You crack my shit up! I am doing what the kids say is "ROFLing"! So far, I would have you be the head of my club because I like your sarcasm. Huzzah! Comedy or being witty is definitely one of the main things that has gotten me to where I function on a daily basis. If I didn't make myself laugh at my own stupid jokes (lord knows nobody else does) I think I would be super depressed and in a very deep hole. What I'm trying to say in a long-winded type of way is thanks for introducing yourself and I hope to chat with ya here and there. You can really write. And who cares what people think?! Period. If WWF/WWE or whatever gives you joy, revel in it. We care too much about what others think and it's crazy making. Do what makes you happy. That's the most important thing to remember.

Don't let Chel convince you that she's not awesome because I've met her and she totally rocks!!! She gives killer hugs and her smile is infectious. I am a better person for having met her and being able to call her a friend.

I'm so OCD I couldn't possibly wear socks that didn't match. Damn. I'd really never thought about that before...

XO-serious_oregon-OX

I got my whole fraternity hooked on wrestling back in the good old days of the nWo. How they laughed at me. At first. Then they got caught up, and next thing you know they're all watching.

Plus I am an ENFP. There are a number of NFPs in this thread, which makes me wonder...

Which is my way of welcoming you to the forum.

You seem like an interesting person, and would be interested to see you thoughts on issues that come up here in the forum.

Whoo!

I feel like such a bastard for bumping my unattended to intro thread. As an aside, swiftkey predicted after "I feel like such a" the words good, great and wonderful. Either swiftkey doesn't know me after all this time or it's trying to cheer me up. I was excited to see Oak and Oregon had posted. Pleased to make your respective acquaintanceships. I just wanted to wait until the only night I should be asleep early to respond.

Oregon - I am usually vigilant about my socks and clothes in general. That day just happened to be the one in a thousand my socks were unmatched. Probably just another in an ongoing series of what alcoholics refer to as 'false bottoms.' They were both white ankle socks but of different brands. Why do I remember this crap?

Oak - Ah the halcyon days of the NWO. I had another friend who was a lifelong wrestling fan during the late nineties renaissance and we dragged in everyone we could. I think you have to love it as a kid to enjoy it as an adult (in a somewhat loose sense of the word).

Not surprised but still pleased to see NFPs about. Now to sleep. I don't believe that for a second.