New York comic Janelle James never even imagined being a comedian. She had grown up in the Virgin Islands, worked in fashion PR, had two kids, and was living in Illinois when she first walked on stage at an open mic night. She was 30 years old. But as soon as she hit the stage, […]

At 32 weeks pregnant, Cat and Jim find themselves planning for their son’s death while hoping for his birth. This is a story of a life and a death, extraordinary in every way. Listen to this podcast Author: American Public Media You know how every day someone asks “how are you?” And even if you’re […]

She’s the author of bestselling books and an incredibly popular blog, but Jenny Lawson showed up to our interview wondering, at least a little, if her appearance on this show and her whole career, really, was part of some delusion. It’s not. She’s the real thing: an incredibly funny and honest writer with a legion […]

TTFA is live from the historic Fitzgerald Theater in downtown St. Paul, MN! Featuring conversation with writer/rapper/entrepreneur Dessa, who took to science to overcome a bad love. And with comedian Alyssa Limperis, whose father died of glioblastoma. So funny! Plus, music from the amazing composer of our theme song, Geoffrey Wilson. Listen to this podcast […]

We’ve gathered up a whole lot of tips, tricks, ideas, and stories to help you get through this time of year when merriness and jolliness aren’t always in abundant supply. Hear holiday thoughts from Wil Wheaton, Margaret Cho, Jenny Lawson, John Green, Aimee Mann, and more. Plus, a story about a slobbering zebra. Listen to […]

Lauren’s brother died at Thanksgiving. And her mother at Christmas. So… this time of year it’s not all Ho Ho Ho for her. Or for a lot of other people. Because the Holidays can really and truly suck for some. So we’re back with our second annual Holiday radio extravaganza that will once again bedazzle […]

You know those things that happened but that you don’t talk about very much? Or even at all? Because they’re too upsetting? In this episode, host John Moe and guest Ana Marie Cox put those things on the table. Ana is a journalist, pundit, and podcaster; she talks about the lowest point in her mental […]

Malena is 10 years old, and she worries a lot. About her grades. About her procrastination. About her dad. Especially about her dad. Kids are the best. They’re smart and funny and deeply empathetic. And they – and their thoughts and feelings – deserve to be taken seriously. Why are we saying this? Because we […]

Growing up, actor and writer Julie Klausner was too busy battling depression and daydreaming about an imagined Merlot-sipping cosmopolitan adulthood to really engage in the world itself. It wasn’t until she entered the world of comedy and improv as an adult that things really started to click into place. That led to creating Difficult People, […]

Amee doesn’t have a dad. But she used to. He was the best. He was the worst. And he claims that he doesn’t remember any of it. Listen to this podcast Author: American Public Media You know how every day someone asks “how are you?” And even if you’re totally dying inside, you just say […]

Long before Jeff Tweedy was the founder and leader of the enormously popular band Wilco, he was a kid in Illinois with severe migraines and a tendency toward anxiety and depression. He cycled through alcohol, marijuana, and, finally, opioids to try to get to the point of feeling normal and okay, even relying on a […]

Dead sister. Dead grandma. Dead grandpa. Dead uncle. Dead mom. Dead dad. Dead brother. The list of loss goes on and on for Jaamil, and so does his list of professional accolades and accomplishments as he moves from trauma to post-traumatic enlightenment. Listen to this podcast Author: American Public Media You know how every day […]

With one recent appearance on The Tonight Show, Patti Harrison went from being a well-regarded alternative comedian in New York to being a de facto spokesperson for transgender people. She’s proud of who she is and proud to give a voice to that community. But she wants to make it clear that her sense of […]

What if clinical depression was not just a thing in someone’s brain but an actual other person entirely? What would they look like? Act like? Who would they be? And how would you interact with such a person? It’s a mental exercise that many find helpful in isolating the disease from the self to better […]

If you are having problems with your mental health, please get help. You’ve heard that before on this show and probably plenty of other places as well. But how do you actually do that? How do you go about finding professional help to get things on a better track? It’s a process that can be […]

Depression can be really hard to define, making it difficult for anyone who doesn’t have it to be understand it. And that can make the people who do have it feel that much more alone. We asked our listeners what movie, TV show, artwork, or other piece of culture gets depression right. The answers range […]

When Lea Thau’s fiance left her, she felt all the feelings. Then she had their baby, and decided to start dating again. But, despite going out, nothing seemed to be clicking. Over and over. And eventually, she wanted to know why. Why didn’t men want to keep dating her? So she asked them. And recorded […]

When Lea Thau’s fiance left her, she felt all the feelings. Then she had their baby, and decided to start dating again. But, despite going out, nothing seemed to be clicking. Over and over. And eventually, she wanted to know why. Why didn’t men want to keep dating her? So she asked them. And recorded […]

When we asked listeners about their favorite songs to listen to while battling depression, The Mountain Goats’ music kept coming up. We caught up with the band’s founder, singer, and songwriter, John Darnielle, to learn about what goes into his process. We also find out about the music he listens to and the other ways […]

You know, there are a lot of things that go on in your head when you’re unemployed and the rug has been pulled out from under you. I’m currently going through a really bad stretch (I guess you could say that, yes, it did get worse?!) and I’ve been contemplating my next steps. As I’ve […]

There are many ways to address depression: therapy, meds, exercise, music. And then there are our own thoughts. We learn the mantras, reminders, and rituals that some of our listeners use to get through it when Clinny D flares up. Listen to this podcast Author: Chip Walton The Hilarious World of Depression A show about […]

It looks like I’m back from my long hiatus. Things have still been really tumultuous in my life and it has been really difficult trying to deal with it. In fact, if a Dagwood sandwich was made of crap that would be my life right now – one layer of crap on top of another and […]

When clinical depression, the ol’ Clinny D, starts getting the best of our listeners, a lot of them reach for the headphones to fire up some choice tunes. We take another spin through the therapeutic playlist and hear from The Beach Boys, the Grateful Dead, and a Taylor Swift cover you simply must listen to. […]

What do you wish your grown-ups had said to you when you were a kid? Especially while dealing with really hard stuff? We wanted to know, so we asked the Terrible Club – listeners who support the show – and they had some thoughts. Geez da wheeze, did they have some thoughts. You can join […]

Khaleel Thompson is an 18-year-old who loves music, reading, and his cat, Domino. Naomi is his mother, asking why four police officers fired more than 12 rounds at her son in a public park two weeks ago, leaving him in critical condition. The two of them are the humans behind a news headline – caught […]

We asked our listeners to tell us about the songs they use when depression is hitting hard. Take a listen to some of the responses, both the songs themselves and the stories behind them in this highly musical trip through the jukebox that is Clinny D. You won’t often find mix tapes with Doris Day, […]

More ideas from listeners for unusual methods they used to address their depression that actually worked. We’ve heard a wide variety of ideas from all over the world, including Jonna Nummela of Helsinki, Finland who tells about her clown alter-ego who takes lumps so Jonna doesn’t have to. We also hear about what Jonna brings […]