Unhinged Episode #049: Fear: The Halloween Special

by Ed 0 Comments
Unhinged Episode #049: Fear: The Halloween Special

It’s Halloween, which brings us to our special episode on FEAR. What scares us, and why? We talk about the horror movies that scared us growing up, and why we enjoy them. What is it about a good horror movie that gets our hearts racing? Why do we enjoy being scared? There’s science behind that and we talk about some of the theories.

Besides scary movies, we also discuss other fears of ours, including heights, speed, public speaking, insects, and more. Through the study of fear, scientists can now identify what areas in the brain are responsible, hopefully leading to more accurate and successful treatments of anxiety.

We all have fears. Sometimes they might seem irrational, but we know what scares us. Some fears are debilitating, and some can be fun. Our brains decide that for us, but with more research, we can hope to one day be able to reliably control the volume knob of our anxieties.

Show resources:

Unhinged Episode #048: Sweet Dreams

by Ed 3 Comments
Unhinged Episode #048: Sweet Dreams

In this episode, we discuss dreams and dreaming. What are dreams? Can they give us insights into our subconscious? Doug’s recent nightmare ultimately had a cathartic effect for him, bringing him closer to family. It was immediately followed by a very positive dream where his mother was a focal point. Each dream had a profound effect on his mood, but are these dreams just thoughts being processed randomly by the sleeping brain with no set intention?

We also touch on lucid dreaming and binaural beats. Being able to control your dreams is an often sought after experience, and some binaural recordings are meant to help your brain reach that state. But can this be dangerous? Anecdotal evidence shows that some of these recordings can trigger intense nightmares in some people, which can lead to psychological trauma. One has to wonder if “brainwave entrainment” is worth it.

Lastly, we discuss recurring dreams and Ed talks about one recurring dream he had as a child and what it might mean.

Unhinged Episode #047: Steppin’ Into The Twilight Zone

by Ed 2 Comments
Unhinged Episode #047: Steppin’ Into The Twilight Zone

It was a long day of recording when we did this episode. But the reason is because we were having too much fun putting together a little song clip for the show’s intro. What song? Hint: see the title of this episode 🙂 After 8 hours of fooling around on guitar and trying to make remote music recording work (latency is not your friend), we finally got to talking.

The good news is that spirits are still high and Doug is still on the positive side of things. Of course, he is still concerned about relapsing, and treads lightly to try to avoid known triggers. The even better news is that the healing process between Doug and his family has started! He had two very good talks with his brother and sister, and the newly opened lines of communication promise to be the bridge that reunites them fully. Hooray for family!

We also discuss the importance of refocusing one’s energies into the right channels. By changing negative patterns into actions that advance the good in one’s life, normalcy can slowly creep its way back. It takes work and is not easy, but it is a powerful tool in the arsenal of anyone with a mental illness.

Unhinged Episode #046: I Just Want To Celebrate

by Ed 4 Comments
Unhinged Episode #046: I Just Want To Celebrate

This week, we first discuss how Doug’s mental state has improved and what he has been doing personally to make sure he can stay in a good place. This includes proper diet and supplements that help replenish the brain of important nutrients. His donated guitar has also helped bring music back into his life.

Yes, we return to the topic of music and music therapy as we each go on to list our top 10 favorite songs of all time. We go through each one and explain what it means to us, why it’s on our list, and how it makes us feel. With Doug’s great knowledge of musical artists and rock history, he even goes into some details about each artist, many of which had to deal with their own mental issues or dependencies.

We learn that many songs we discuss are rooted in past experiences, which is why we love to listen to them when times are good, but also why they can sometimes be hard to listen to when our mood is down.

Doug’s Top 10 Songs:
  1. Matte Kudesai by King Crimson
  2. Let Go The Line by Max Webster
  3. Wooden Ships by Crosby, Stills & Nash
  4. Fantasy by Earth, Wind & Fire
  5. Time by Pink Floyd
  6. After the Love Has Gone by Earth, Wind & Fire
  7. Hammer to Fall by Queen
  8. Europa by Santana
  9. Woman of the World by Michael Hedges
  10. Still of the Night by Whitesnake
Ed’s Top 10 Songs:
  1. Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Part I-V) by Pink Floyd
  2. Pride & Joy by Stevie Ray Vaughan
  3. Cats in the Cradle by Harry Chapin
  4. 5:15 by The Who
  5. I Just Want To Celebrate by Rare Earth
  6. Aguas de Marco by Elis Regina & Antonio Carlos Jobim
  7. With a Little Help From My Friends by Joe Cocker
  8. 25 Or 6 To 4 by Chicago
  9. Wooden Ships by Crosby, Stills & Nash
  10. Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd

Unhinged Episode #045: The Nearly Perfect Storm

by Ed 1 Comment
Unhinged Episode #045: The Nearly Perfect Storm

This week we discuss Doug’s recent one-word Facebook post, “Goodbye”, and how that cry for help showed him just how much support he really has. The struggle for mental health is best fought with loved ones who can support the sufferer when they need it most. A single word to show that no one is alone in this struggle can save a life. Thank you to our listeners and our friends on Facebook for all the love, encouragement, and concern. It means everything.

Some outside factors came together all at once to form a nearly perfect storm of bad news that helped spiral Doug down the staircase to severe depression. Starting at 3 minutes and 24 seconds into the show, Doug gives some details about how close he really came to ending it all.

WARNING: Possible Trigger Alert! If anyone listening is particularly sensitive right now, please know that this discussion might contain possible triggers, so please be cautious and either save this episode for another time, or skip the section between 3:24 to about 7:30.

The good news is that Doug is currently feeling much better, partially due to the outpouring of support, which included the donation of a used acoustic guitar. This will help bring music back into his life, which is some of the best therapy a suffering musician can get.