I am a huge fan of podcasts. I think it’s so fascinating to listen in on a conversation between two people (usually) for an hour. How often do we get the chance to really chat with someone for an hour, whether we know them or not? I remember being in college and having the most random and interesting conversations with my roommates. The conversations would always veer about haphazardly but would always be engaging and helped me feel closer to them and honestly, to humanity as a whole. Podcasting does that for me now in its own way. So I listen to a lot of them.
Recently, I heard about The Mental Illness Happy Hour when the host of that show was a guest on another podcast I love, Girl on Guy. What I love about MIHH is the sense of humanity I feel when I listen to the stories people tell about their lives. We’ve all had terrible things happen in our lives, and it’s important to acknowledge that and work through it, if we’re ready. They say it multiple times in the podcast but it’s still true: taking care of your mental well-being is just as important as your physical well-being. The stigma which surrounds treating mental health issues is antiquated and ignorant. We don’t beat ourselves up over breaking our arm, even if it’s because of something stupid we did to ourselves, we just go to the ER and treat it. But people are still cautious or resistant to seeking help because of a mental illness. That’s sad and it needs to stop.
Keep in mind that the host and the guests are not trained professionals (which a few exceptions). They are simply speaking of experiences and giving their interpretations from their own lives. Take a listen to an episode or two of The Mental Illness Happy Hour. Since I’ve just discovered it I’ve only listened to about 3 myself, but it’s made enough of an impression on me to recommend it. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
Lunacy and Letters 