Mental Health

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Just the Funny Parts

Written by Puzzlehead, in Depression, Mental Health, Relationships

Look, we know that THWoD can get a little, I guess, intense at times. Depression is a heavy topic and stories about it are often packed with bummers. So in this special episode, we rounded up some of the funniest moments from our three seasons and packed them all together for a hilarity highlight reel. […]

Solomon Georgio Is Doing Better

Written by Puzzlehead, in Depression, Mental Health, Relationships

It’s not easy to pinpoint where L.A.-based comedian Solomon Georgio is “from.” His family is Ethiopian but he was born in a refugee camp in Sudan. The family traveled to St Louis, then on to Fresno, where he was bullied so much in 2nd grade that he threatened suicide in the middle of class. Then […]

Jonny Sun Ended Up Here Somehow

Written by Puzzlehead, in Depression, Mental Health, Relationships

The idea was to become an engineer or maybe an architect. Jonny Sun has degrees in both, and he’s a dissertation away from a doctorate in urban studies and planning from MIT. But a phenomenally humane, funny, and popular Twitter account has placed him in an unexpected comedy career. Meanwhile, he realized that this dark […]

Naomi Ekperigin Brings In Her Baggage, Unpacks It

Written by Puzzlehead, in Depression, Mental Health, Relationships

“There’s a lot to unpack, John,” says comedian, actor, and writer Naomi Ekperigin during the course of this interview and indeed there is. The New York native, now uneasily dwelling in Los Angeles, has dealt with anxiety, depression, a very complicated relationship with her father, as well as problems with alcohol and cutting. Comedy has […]

Check-Ups on Gary Gulman, Linda Holmes, Janelle James, and “Steve.” Plus, Sock Opportunities

Written by Puzzlehead, in Depression, Mental Health, Relationships

Mental health is a journey. Rarely does someone have a problem, fix it completely, and never worry about it again. On this episode, we touch base with three popular guests we’ve had on the show to see how they’re doing today. Gary Gulman has a new lease on life and a new lease on an […]

Creeping up on the end of 2018…

Written by Puzzlehead, in Entertainment, Featured Articles, featured post, Mental Health

Good gravy, i haven’t posted or forever. It’s the end of November and I have decided that I’d like to resurrect my blog – make it mine again and make this extension of myself alive again. Make it a part of me again. As such, I’m going to dedicate the time to post at least […]

Aparna Nancherla Is Having a Harder Time Doing Something She’s Great At

Written by Puzzlehead, in Depression, Mental Health, Relationships

It’s pretty easy to be a fan of Aparna Nancherla. Not only does she create incredibly funny, smart, relatable comedy, she does so in a variety of formats. You can catch her standup on Netflix or Spotify and you can see her acting work on shows like “Bojack Horseman” and “Corporate” as well as movies. […]

John Ross Bowie and Jamie Denbo Don’t Need Your Suggestions For Their Life Improv

Written by Puzzlehead, in Depression, Mental Health, Relationships

In a whole lot of ways, improv comedy is the opposite of depression. It requires you to be present in the moment, unconcerned about past regrets and future anxieties. It means connecting with other people and taking fun risks. And it’s full of laughs. Actors and real-life married couple Jamie Denbo (“Orange is the New […]

Adventures in Therapy

Written by Puzzlehead, in Depression, Mental Health, Relationships

True stories of beautiful epiphanies and majestic, horrible disasters. Talk therapy is one of the most popular ways to address depression and it’s one of the most effective. Still, at its root, talk therapy is a relationship between two humans — strangers, mostly — trying to figure out something complicated together, and that is inherently […]

Guy Branum Goes to Minnesota, Gets Good Internet, Finds Self

Written by Puzzlehead, in Depression, Mental Health, Relationships

Comedian and writer Guy Branum was expected to be a construction worker his whole life. Maybe a football player. He was large, strong, and grew up in a town more known for agriculture than metropolitan sophistication. After scoring good grades and pining for places usually seen in the movies or magazines, he moved on to […]

The Hilarious NIGHT of Depression

Written by Puzzlehead, in Depression, Mental Health, Relationships

Our show took to the stage recently for a live event packed with laughter, insight, and music. We were joined by Paul F. Tompkins, Aimee Mann, Ted Leo, and Ana Marie Cox, who all shared their experience with mental illnesses as well as what it’s like to be out and about in the world with […]

Words: Am We Uses Them Good At Mental Health?

Written by Puzzlehead, in Depression, Mental Health, Relationships

Finding and using the right words for something as complex as mental illnesses can be exasperating. And it can take a lot of effort to avoid the wrong words. In this episode, using words, we explore terms like “crazy” or “addiction” or “depression” and how they are so often abused, co-opted, and twisted. Guests include […]

Scott Thompson Keeps Getting Back Up Again

Written by Puzzlehead, in Depression, Mental Health, Relationships

He’s a writer, a stand-up comedian, and an actor, but Scott Thompson will likely always be best known as one of five members of The Kids in the Hall, one of the best sketch comedy groups ever. Scott has made a lot of people laugh, but his life has been filled with events that aren’t […]

Chris Gethard Does Not Avoid the Collision

Written by Puzzlehead, in Depression, Mental Health, Relationships

Comedian and actor Chris Gethard has a lifetime of experience with depression. Chris has turned moments of his life dealing with the illness into an off-Broadway show and an HBO special, which is more than one might expect from a fight-prone, often manic, kid from West Orange, New Jersey. We cover a lot of ground […]

Figuring Out Regular Adolescent Behavior vs. Alarming Disorder with Jen Kirkman

Written by Puzzlehead, in Depression, Mental Health, Relationships

Young people can be morose, angry, withdrawn. It’s often chalked up to being a “phase,” a natural initiation ritual to adulthood. What if it’s not? What if it’s a mental disorder in need of help? We hear from the always-entertaining comedian and writer Jen Kirkman about her efforts to understand her head. We also talk […]

Neko Case Leaves Bad Places, Goes to Better Places

Written by Puzzlehead, in Depression, Mental Health, Relationships

Long before Neko Case was known as one of the top singer-songwriters working today, she was a punk teenager running around the streets of Tacoma, having ditched a neglectful and dangerous house. Fortunately for her and her eventual fans, she got her life on track, developed a strong interest in music and threw herself in […]

Your Amazing Therapeutic Jukebox

Written by Puzzlehead, in Depression, Mental Health, Relationships

We asked you, our listeners, for the songs that help you most when depression is really acting up, and the stories behind those picks. On this episode hear stories about and music from Leonard Cohen, Bjork, Neil Young, Radiohead and so much more. We even get some peaks behind the songs from Craig Finn of […]

Mortified’s Dave Nadelberg Presents Your Shame Live On Stage

Written by Puzzlehead, in Depression, Mental Health, Relationships

You can think of Dave Nadelberg’s vast Mortified project as The Hilarious World of Embarrassment, Awkwardness, and Redemption. Through stage presentations, film, TV, and books, Dave invites people to share their most mortifying writing. It’s very funny, sure, but it’s more than that. Dave says the process of dragging your younger self out of that […]

Open Mike Eagle Goes Outside And Meets People

Written by Puzzlehead, in Depression, Mental Health, Relationships

A lot of rappers are heavily influenced by the rough and real streets where they grew up. Mike Eagle grew up on those streets too but he was always inside, reading books and watching TV. He loved comedy, cartoons, and especially the wide range of music available on cable, everything from N.W.A to Spin Doctors. […]

Impostor Syndrome: True Tales, Tricks, and Tactics for When You’re Feeling Fraudulent

Written by Puzzlehead, in Depression, Mental Health, Relationships

You know the feeling, right? You finally achieve something — a new job, a promotion, an award — and while you know you should be proud, you just feel like a big phony who will soon be exposed. You feel like you don’t really belong there and you suspect that someone else should be there […]

Thom Tran Is a Regular Standup Comic Except for the Part About Being Shot in the Head in Iraq

Written by Puzzlehead, in Depression, Mental Health, Relationships

Yeah, you don’t hear a lot of on-stage material from Chris Rock or Sarah Silverman about the time they were on a mission with their unit in Iraq and they took a bullet to the back of the skull. But you hear about that from Thom Tran, a US Army veteran and Purple Heart recipient […]

Andrew Zimmern Wrecks His Life, Rebuilds His Life, and Eats Weird Food

Written by Puzzlehead, in Depression, Mental Health, Relationships

Celebrity chef and Travel Channel host Andrew Zimmern has made a reputation as a culinary expert with an adventurous streak, traveling the world and sampling tree grubs, shark meat, tarantulas, and horse rectums among many other cuisines. But before his current fame, he was on the street, stealing handbags to fuel his alcoholism, which existed […]

Special Episode: Mental Health First Aid and Lady Gaga’s Mom

Written by Puzzlehead, in Depression, Mental Health, Relationships

CPR training has been widely available for many years now and offered in a variety of convenient ways. But what if the problem isn’t physical but mental? A new wave of first aid training is rapidly sweeping the world and people are learning what to do and what not to do in a crisis. A […]

How to Get Help

Written by Puzzlehead, in Depression, Mental Health, Relationships

Here’s a repeat of an episode originally aired last year. We’re offering this repeat because some things need repeating, such as how to get help for your mental health when you really need it. It’s a conversation with Dr. Ken Duckworth, Medical Director for the National Alliance on Mental Illness, and it’s practical advice. A […]

Highlights From A Hilarious Night of Depression

Written by Puzzlehead, in Depression, Mental Health, Relationships

The show busts out of studios and quiet intimate spaces for an on-stage performance at the Dakota Jazz Club in Minneapolis. Comedian Mike Brown joins us for plenty of comedy and conversation. We even bust out a few games where you can play along and see if you can tell a Pokemon from an antidepressant […]

Hannah Hart Gets Drunk, Tries To Make Grilled Cheese, Gets Famous, Tries To Enjoy It

Written by Puzzlehead, in Depression, Mental Health, Relationships

Although she comes across as confident and happy on her incredibly successful YouTube channel, Hannah Hart has plenty of experience with insecurity and misery in her life. Growing up, she faced severe poverty, hunger, and dealing with a mother who was mentally ill. Still, she made it into a good college where she had to […]

Ted Leo Stops Beating Up File Cabinets, Songs, Self

Written by Puzzlehead, in Depression, Mental Health, Relationships

It’s hard to settle on a musical description for Ted Leo. We ended up going with “if The Beach Boys were ’80s skateboarders” to summarize his melodic intense post-punk sound. Similarly hard to nail down is whether Ted’s longtime issues with depression and anger stem from his brain’s built-in wiring or from abuse he suffered […]