Podcast Episodes
Scott Thompson Live in Toronto
The comedian/actor/writer (Kids in the Hall, Larry Sanders, Hannibal) opens up about his childhood in Brampton Ontario, coming to terms with his sexuality, especially the bullying that eroded his self-esteem and the lack of support from many in the gay community when he came out in the early nineties. He also shares about a traumatic and violent even at his middle school that he considers seminal and his past battle with cancer. This episode was recorded at the Rendezvous With Madness Film Festival.
Susanna Brisk
Borderline Personality Disorder is often misunderstood. The blogger, author, performer and mom explains what it’s like to live with, how to manage it and when it’s most challenging. She also shares about her emotionally volatile childhood with her Russian Jewish relatives who emigrated from Estonia to Australia and being the mother of two boys. She also shares about living with the idea that her performing dreams may never come true.
Self-Abuse & Paraphilia – Listener “D”
The 28 year-old listener opens up about his family’s history of avoiding emotions, his cries for help, being sexually assaulted by a male friend at 13, struggling to live on $8/hour, his cutting and self-abuse and his shame over being aroused by dressing and acting like a baby.
Adoption w/listener Julie J
Born to a drug-addict teenage mom, Julie was given up for adoption and raised by a stoic military dad and Fundamentalist mom whose obsession with demons comes close to resembling the mother from “Carrie”. There is much more to her story including her humor and resilience.
Johnny O
Paul’s friend shares about being committed to a psych hospital at 17 over a breakup, discovering drugs (crack) and how to hustle money to feed his habit. Hitting bottom in the desert and the dog that might have saved his life.
Aisha Tyler Live at LAPodfest (Voted #5 ep of 2013)
The actress/ writer/ standup/ podcaster (Girl on Guy)/t.v. host (The Talk, Talk Soup) joins Paul at LAPodfest in front of a live audience and discusses her workaholism and anxiety, her outcast status as a child, where her drive comes from, growing to understand her intimidating, blunt father and appreciate the challenges of her long marriage.
Listener Juan Medina
The 26 year-old shares about emigrating to the U.S. (Las Vegas) from Mexico (Puruandiro in Michoacan) at 8, his fear of his hard-drinking and volatile migrant-worker father, “passing” for white, his body dysmorphia and the struggle today to feel his feelings rather than shutting down.
Christina Jasberg
She was raised by a father with Schizo-Affective Disorder (whose symptoms can include delusions and paranoia) who would often break from reality. By her twenties she was battling the same disorder along with bulimia, anorexia and cutting. She has had over 80 psychiatric hospitalizations and she shares about coming out the other side, including the people, support and therapies that helped her.