Unhinged

Unhinged Episode #054: Open Your Presence

by Ed 3 Comments
Unhinged Episode #054: Open Your Presence

In our first episode of 2018, we start with a short and fun guitar jam, which highlights the mood for the new year. Doug is feeling much better, and after receiving the love and generosity from some of our friends and listeners, he’s entering the new year on a wave of positivity.

The bulk of this episode was recorded on January 2nd, which happened to be my birthday. Doug contacted me and said he had some things to say that should be recorded for the show, so I went ahead and recorded our conversation. For Christmas, I got Doug a Fender Squier guitar and a Fender amp. His acoustic guitar, though a beautiful instrument, was not totally filling his void for musical expression, and his last electric guitar had to be sold last year for financial reasons (plus it ended up not being the guitar he thought it would be anyway). In any case, getting a Fender back in his hands was enough to trigger a positive psychological change.

We mostly talk about music and guitars in this episode, but the underlying tone is one of hope. Doug talks about self-care and how to try to stay positive by surrounding yourself with a strong support system.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 29:05 — 66.6MB)

Unhinged Episode #053: Hey Brother

by Ed 0 Comments
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!

Holiday Gifts

 

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.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 52:43 — 120.7MB)

GoFundMe’s #GoBeyondGiving Gives $1,000

by Ed 0 Comments

This is amazing. As you saw from my previous post just eight days ago, I started a GoFundMe campaign called “Saving Doug”. This is an effort to help Doug with basic living expenses since he is on disability and living under the poverty line. Every month, he runs out of his disability money and can go days without eating. This, of course, does not help with his depression.

Well, we had an outpouring of donations from friends, family, and listeners! This morning we reached 50% of our goal, all in just a week’s time. But just as I was celebrating reaching this milestone, GoFundMe took it to a whole other level…
gfm-1000
Our campaign was chosen as one of 100 campaigns (tagged with #GoBeyondGiving) that GoFundMe felt was inspiring or touching, and on #GivingTuesday (today), they donated $1,000 to our campaign! I just stared at the donation notification for what seemed like minutes before I was able to fully grasp the fact that we were selected.

So just a huge shout out to everyone who donated (listeners, friends, and family), and a special shout out to GoFundMe for recognizing Doug’s struggles and for the generous donation!

Unhinged Episode #026: Baby Steps

by Ed 0 Comments
Unhinged Episode #026: Baby Steps

Though Doug’s mood continues to improve from the new DBS setting, the end of the month financial struggle rears its ugly head again. In desperation, he started a crowdfunding campaign, only to suspend it early since we both felt uncomfortable with a plea for money with nothing in return.

From this, we decided to add a donate button on our website as a means to help keep the podcast going. Every month, when Doug’s disability money runs out and he goes days without food, his mood is understandably low, which makes recording the podcast a much lower priority than finding his next meal. So if you’re a listener and want to make sure we can continue doing the podcast, please donate however much you feel comfortable donating. No one with a mental illness should have to worry about basic sustenance.

On the betterment front, Doug is considering doing peer support for others who struggle with mental illness. Having been through it himself, he can provide a unique perspective that can help others going through similar issues.

Lastly, we discuss how real progress is made one step at a time. Looking forward too far makes tasks seem insurmountable, but focusing only on the small steps currently in front of you produces more wins and will lead to accomplishing what seemed impossible.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 51:25 — 117.7MB)

Unhinged Episode #023: Helplessly Hoping

by Ed 0 Comments
Unhinged Episode #023: Helplessly Hoping

We’re back! In this episode, Doug talks about the results of his MEG scan and how he’s feeling after weeks of unbearable anxiety. His scans show that there are three DBS settings that were showing activity, so at least now, when adjusting the DBS, it can be done with some intelligence behind it rather than trial and error guessing. This new setting holds some promise, and we’re hoping it sticks.

We also talk a bit about the pros and cons of socialized medicine, and how quality healthcare should be available for all, not just those who can afford it. Doug’s life was saved by Canadian healthcare, but at the same time, there are struggles when it comes to long waits for appointments, and finding doctors who will treat patients as humans and not lab rats.

Lastly, we mention that Doug and I are collaborating on some music that we plan to release in the future as an album available for purchase from our website. We provide a small taste of something we’re working on (hint: see the title of this episode).

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 52:31 — 120.2MB)

Unhinged Episode #014: Texting Truths and Brain Facts

by Ed 1 Comment
Unhinged Episode #014: Texting Truths and Brain Facts

Another month’s end, another situational downward turn. In our 14th episode, we discuss how living under the poverty line puts any mental illness recovery in danger. Doug’s situation is no exception as he struggles to survive for eight days with a zero balance. We re-enact a texting conversation we had in preparation for the show that outlines just how negative, sarcastic, and angry one can get when control over normal, mundane things is lost.

On the lighter side, we present another round of interesting facts about the brain.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 38:35 — 51.8MB)

Show resources:

Unhinged Episode #010: Money, Magic, & Murray

by Ed 0 Comments
Unhinged Episode #010: Money, Magic, & Murray

Another rocky start this week as Doug’s money troubles due to being on disability nearly derailed the show. So we decided to discuss the issue as our opening topic. How does someone with a mental illness, who cannot work, survive on only $15k per year in a city where the poverty line is at nearly $20k? Hint: It’s not easy.

We also welcome a very special guest to the show, hypnotherapist, motivational speaker, and magician Murray Goldsmith, who happens to be Doug’s uncle. Besides entertaining audiences for decades with his stimulating and humorous talks, he has written books and held seminars on “The Power of Your Belief System”. We discuss hypnotherapy, psychology, and even magic with Murray in a very entertaining and enlightening interview.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:04:13 — 88.2MB)

Show resources: