Happy New Year from Unhinged! Let’s hope 2018 brings us much hope, love, and joy! We will be back with a new show on Tuesday, January 9th. Stay tuned!
Unhinged Addendum to #053: Meeting Your Monster
Our last episode, Episode #53: Hey Brother, was a powerful one for Doug. His mood was pretty low when we started recording, but by the end of the show, his mood had improved greatly, especially after a conversation he had with his sister Laurie. After hearing that episode back, he got to hear what he sounds like when his mood is very low, and meeting his monster directly led to a breakthrough.
In this addendum to that episode, we wanted to end the year with a positive note about what we have learned about psychology, neurology, and how each plays a part in your mental well-being. Everything Doug said in episode #53 was coming from a place of cognitive distortion. This is the monster that blocks out the reasoning parts of the brain and is a relentless beast of negativity.
Confronting that monster from a different, more positive perspective made Doug realize how closed-minded and stubborn that beast can be. Seeing how his mood improved so quickly after social interactions also brings to light how looking outside of yourself in trying times can help bring back positivity and hope.
This is a short 20 minute discussion that tries to make sense of all this, and, more importantly, gives us much renewed hope for a more positive and happy 2018!
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 20:42 — 47.4MB)
Unhinged Episode #053: Hey Brother
We’re back for our final show of 2017 (we’ll be back in January). This episode is a little bit different since the bulk of it is an actual recording of our typical pre-show planning discussion. Doug had mentioned in the past that we should probably start recording these talks, and this week that’s just what I did. Since that conversation got pretty personal and fairly deep, we decided to just play it as the main topic of this week’s show.
What follows below is a timeline of how the episode is structured. We start with a song clip and a discussion of the past two weeks. The full pre-show discussion starts nearly 19 minutes in.
0:00 – 00:57
Clip of original song “Hey Brother”
00:58 – 01:20
Unhinged Intro
01:21 – 18:55
We explain a bit about why we were absent for the last two weeks. Doug talks a bit about his struggles this holiday season so far, and we briefly chat about traumatic brain injuries in sports and the death of a UFC fighter.
18:56 – 01:07:02
Recording of pre-show discussion. This is the meat of this episode where Doug and I talk freely, usually to prepare the show for the day, but this time we discussed Doug’s slight downturn in mood in the last two weeks. He starts the conversation in a pretty low state, upset about his lot in life and feeling insecure about his future. We go back and forth for a while on feelings, distortion, and socialization. The conversation gets interrupted by a call from Doug’s sister. We ended our pre-show discussion after Doug talked to Laurie, and at that point recorded the opening to the this show.
01:07:03 – 01:08:25
I explain how Doug’s mood had shifted noticeably after our discussion and his interaction with his sister. The social interaction had improved his general state greatly. This is good data.
The next day (Monday), Doug and I talked again and his turnaround was even more pronounced. He even admitted how he felt better after hearing his sister’s voice the day before.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:08:26 — 156.7MB)
UPDATE:
We just posted an addendum to this episode! Check it out!
Rerun: Holiday Episode 2016
Hello listeners! The holiday season is upon us, and this is typically a hard time for a lot of people, especially those who suffer from mental illness. Depression can easily set in while being surrounded by celebrations, festive lights, and commercialism. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a real thing and can be very serious. Last year, in episode #33, we discussed SAD and some ways to help overcome some of its symptoms.
This year, as the season creeps in, both Doug and I have had some personal challenges. My dental work has not been particularly fun, but more importantly, Doug has been taking on a lot recently and has definitely felt the energy drain. He’s been volunteering more often at the MDAO… this time of year is tough for many and peer support is crucial. On top of that, he’s had his own mood struggles.
All this has made getting a show done very difficult this month. Again, this week we cannot find the time or the mental wherewithal to do a show justice, so instead we decided to put out our first rerun! This is episode #33, from December 13th, 2016, titled “Don’t Be SAD”. In it we discuss the challenges of the season and try to offer some ways to help get through it unscathed. Our recommendations and opinions about SAD are still the same as last year, so this episode is still very relevant.
Please enjoy last year’s SAD episode. We hope to be back next week with a holiday episode for 2017!
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:12:10 — 165.2MB)
Another Podcast Delay This Week
Hi again, listeners! Sorry to say we were not able to produce a show again this week, for a couple of reasons. First, I finally got my tooth extracted and I’m still recovering. My jaw is sore and talking doesn’t help. Secondly, Doug has been facing a few challenges of his own this week, both in mood and in his day-to-day life. We hate to cancel two weeks in a row, but hopefully by next week, we will both be fully recovered and ready to go.
Thanks for understanding!
Podcast Delayed This Week
Howdy, Unhinged listeners! Ed here, just letting you know that we will not be recording a podcast this week due to the fact that I had some dental work done and can’t really talk that much without some pain. I am also coming down with a bit of a cold, so it’s a bit of a double whammy.
We are still planning to do a show for next week. I do have more dental work that will be done on Friday, so hopefully that won’t interfere with our plans for the next show. We’ll have to play it by ear for now, but the plan is to forge ahead! Thanks for understanding, and see you next week!
Unhinged Episode #052: Undun
We start this episode with some interesting documentary suggestions and more discussions about curcumin, the wonder supplement. But more importantly, we welcome another special guest this week. In Episode #37, we talked to Doug’s nephew Mitchell Drew. This week we welcome Mitchell’s mother, and Doug’s sister, Laurie Drew.
Listeners will know that Doug has recently started the healing process with his family. Laurie is a big part of that and she explains how it all went down. An open line of communication is the key to a healthy and loving family relationship, and now that the line has been opened, the healing can begin.
Laurie also gives us good insight into how Doug and his siblings grew up and how each dealt with their own challenges. We also discuss how this disease can take a toll on friends and family, especially back when much less was known about mental illness. Now it’s about awareness and education. The more people know about it, the better equipped they become to interact with sufferers in non-damaging ways.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 58:31 — 134.0MB)
Show resources:
Unhinged Episode #051: Rambunctious
We start this episode with a short improvised jam we call “Rambunctious”. The word popped into Doug’s head while recording, so we decided to add a weird vocal track repeating the word, just for fun. Interestingly, in this episode we welcome back special guest Nurit Adler, our favorite psychotherapist and clinical social worker, and discuss Attention Deficit Disorder. You know, that thing the doctors say your “rambunctious” child has.
What Nurit is bringing to our attention is the problem of undiagnosed childhood A.D.D., which ultimately emerges as adult A.D.D., but only after having done other psychological damage along the way. When it’s undiagnosed, it can lead to other mental issues, such as depression and anxiety, not to mention the toll it takes on one’s self worth and confidence. Diagnosing early is key, but it’s never too late to explore the possibility that it might be lurking inside. Nurit talks about how to look for patterns of behavior that point to A.D.D.
The idea of all this is to bring awareness to the issue so that ultimately more people will be diagnosed early. Early detection can save someone from a long life of suffering.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 47:55 — 109.7MB)
Show resources:
Unhinged Episode #050: We Are Finding Who We Are
For our 50th episode, we start off with a clip of us singing the King’s X song “We Are Finding Who We Are”. In a way, it’s very relevant to what our show is all about. We look to the unknown future, with pain we have yet to experience, but know is coming. Those challenges can be overcome with the help of others. No mountain is too big to climb if you do it together.
This is evident in the mere fact that we are on our 50th episode. It’s a milestone that took us nearly a year and half, with many ups and downs, including a 5 month hiatus. But we keep coming back to record another episode. Why? Because we’ve heard from some of our listeners that our show has made them feel like they’re not alone, that somehow we have provided just a little bit of comfort to a suffering mind. That gives us purpose, which is validating to both of us, but especially to Doug, who can turn his lifelong battle into something positive for other sufferers.
This is a journey for both of us… an exploration of our fears, wants, and needs. We don’t have the answers, but we’re discovering them along the way. We are finding who we are.
Forever is a mountain we’ve yet to climb
Tears are a part of what is yet to leave behind
Strength in numbers, all you need is two
Everyone’s a winner, while still so many loseThe volume of emotion erupting in our souls
A quiet revelation quickly takes a hold
Patience is a virtue, but she won’t always wait
Dissension is the tension, it’s what we’ve learned to hate
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 48:35 — 111.2MB)
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.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 58:13 — 133.3MB)