Paul’s friend (@Evan_Schad) shares about being the black sheep of the family (and having a “perfect” sibling) and eventually being sent to boarding school where he began to dissociate. He talks about bottoming out with a felony DUI and a trip to jail before finally asking for help. He also shares about learning to overcome his numbness, identify his emotions and eventually express them, especially in group therapy.
Originally recorded in 2011, the critically-acclaimed author of 6 books (most recently The Problem With Everything), columnist and blogger (@Meghan_Daum) talks with Paul about growing up and later rebelling in a household where music and academia were everything. She talks about the pressure of starting a writing career in Manhattan and living a real-life Devil Wears Prada nightmare, where the idea of even living in a rundown building in a bohemian neighborhood became unattainable. They talk about the epiphany of realizing her dreams were shallow, materialistic and unattainable, her move to Nebraska and the perspective and novel (The Quality of Life Report) that resulted. A great episode for people who have a critical inner voice that never shuts up. Meghan has written for The New Yorker, Harper’s and Vogue and has contributed to This American Life. She also hosts the podcast The Unspeakable and is a co-host on another called A Special Place In Hell. She recently launched a new project, creating an intellectual community for freethinking women called The Unspeakeasy.
Originally recorded in 2012 and voted a listener favorite, Kerri (@KerriKenneySilver @KerriKenney) is a comedian/actor/musician. She opens up about her childhood, the impact of her parents’ divorce, her obsessive worrying, her aborted engagement to a crack addict and what she learned about herself. People know Kerri from Reno 911, MTV’s The State, Bob’s Burgers, and the indie rock band Cake Like.
Originally recorded and aired in 2011 Nadereh’s story is sadly all too timely today. Nadereh (@NaderehShe) is a former Marxist revolutionary who fled her native Iran (while 6 months pregnant) after the capture and execution of her husband in the 1988 prisoner massacre where over 5000 were killed regardless of time served. Nadereh and her husband were the first wave of the killing, oppression and displacement that continues to this day in Iran by the same government that is in power today killing those battling for basic women’s rights. She eventually settled in San Francisco and became a nurse at a psychiatric hospital. The fact that we never even discuss what she has experienced as a nurse in two hours speaks to the amount of drama she has endured. Survivor’s guilt, betrayal, loss, discrimination and poverty have not stopped her. A truly incredible story that is still unfolding.
Paul’s support group friend is a 44-year-old single mom whose meds stopped working and before finding another one that worked, spiraled into a depressive episode that had her fearing for her life while also feeling unmotivated to change things or reach out for help. Liz also shares about her family’s history of enmeshment, addiction, a dad with creepy boundaries and breaking her lifelong pattern of always needing one or more men to date for conquest and validation.
Paul reads listener’s surveys describing their demons, dreams, failures, accomplishments, resentments and loves.
Comedian Neal Brennan (@NealBrennan) shares about his experiences with 5-MeO-DMT, ayahuasca, meds, TMS, and various modes of talk therapy. He also discusses the psychology of the comedy brain and how the mean voice in his head distorts reality.
Chris Chou is one of Paul’s closest friends and a member of his support group. Chris shares what it was like moving to the U.S. as a child and how toxic parenting left him struggling with his sense of self, the high expectations of his Asian parents and facing his anger and intimacy issues.
Thomas Hayes (@ThomasHayesStudio)is a modern furniture designer and a friend of Paul’s. He opens up about the emotional incest, violence, and sexual abuse he experienced in his childhood and how he works through the anger that it’s left him with as an adult.