PODCAST · health
Mental Illness and Me
by Katie Houston Davies
I have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Panic Disorder. When I started publicly sharing my experiences, I learned that it helped people identify their own struggles and gave them courage to seek help. My goal with this series is to give people hope through the stories of others and help them realize they are not alone. You are not weird or broken, and your mental illness does not have to define you. Let’s eliminate the stigma surrounding the mental health conversation by sharing our experiences and learning ways to heal.
Episodes
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Mental Illness and Postpartum with the Houston Women
My mom has one son and three daughters. I gave birth to my first biological son nine months ago. My sister, Christina, has three sons ages two to eight years old. Our younger sister, Anna, is seven months pregnant with her first child, also a son. To help prepare our mom-to-be for what’s ahead…
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Mental Illness and Joe: Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Studies have shown that anxiety disorders are often genetic, as evidenced by my older brother joe and me. Joe has dealt with generalized anxiety disorder his entire life, and now sees similar traits in his own daughter. The anxiety my brother and I both experience was exacerbated as young…
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Mental Illness and Sharing Her Journey: Mental and Emotional Challenges for Women
This episode features the cohosts of Sharing Her Journey, a podcast for women to share their unique stories. Kirsten and Alexis discuss issues from their perspective that women face mentally and emotionally and ways they’ve learned to face these challenges. Kirsten Brockner is an interior…
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Mental Illness and Dr. Kevin Theriot, Part 2: Advice for Teens and Parents
This episode is part 2 of an interview with Dr. Kevin Theriot, a therapist for more than 40 years. He discusses his best advice for teenagers and parents from a the perspective of a mental health professional.
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Mental Illness and Dr. Kevin Theriot: When to See a Therapist
Dr. Kevin Theriot received his doctoral degree in social work from Arizona State University. He spent the majority of his 40 year career working in family services for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in addition to maintaining a private counseling practice. On this episode, Dr....
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Mental Illness and Barbara: Trichotillomania
Barbara Lally, author of The Trichster Diaries, has Trichotillomania. For the past 20 years, she has been compulsively pulling out her body hair. She shares her experiences to help others suffering know there is hope for a happy, shame free life despite the struggles associated with the disorder.
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Mental Illness and Jo: Dermatillomania
The picking me foundation is a non-profit organization devoted to helping people with excoriation, also know as Dermatillomania or Skin Picking Disorder. On their website, picking me.org, they state that dermotillomania is currently classified as an “Obsessive-Compulsive and related disorder” and...
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Mental Illness and Alex and Megan: Schizoaffective Disorder
After more than 8 years of marriage, Alex finally shared a secret with his wife that he kept from everyone in his life for 30 years: he was dealing with major manic and depressive episodes, hearing voices in his head, and seeing images no one else could see. In the five years since his diagnosis...
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Mental Illness and Jason: BFRB
After 10 years of battling an obsessive skin picking, Jason read a Facebook post by someone who faced a similar struggle and learned what a Body Focused Repetitive Behavior was. Now, he runs a podcast entitled Fidget with the author of that Facebook post. They interview other people with BFRB’s…
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Mental Illness and Dr. Scott R. Anderson: Helping Parents Support their Kids
Clinical psychologist Dr. Scott Anderson discusses how parents can best support their kids with mental health disorders. Scott R. Anderson, Ph.D., received his Ph.D. in Psychology (clinical track) from Virginia Tech. Dr. Anderson completed his predoctoral internship with the United States Air…
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Mental Illness and Scott & Jessica: Part 2
This episode is part 2 of Scott and Jessica’s story. Part 1 can be found in episode 4 of this season.
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Mental Illness and Scott & Jessica: Bipolar 1 Disorder and Paranoia
In this two part series, married couple Scott and Jessica talk frankly about the challenges they’ve faced together because of Scott’s bipolar 1 diagnosis. From extended hospitalizations to persistent paranoia, they’ve learned to navigate through extremely difficult circumstances and still manage…
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Mental Illness and Bekah: Bipolar 2 Disorder
Bekah was diagnosed with Bipolar 2 Disorder in high school, and has since been learning everything she can about it. She is passionate about mental health and is on track to go to medical school so she can become a psychiatrist and focus on the more stigmatized mental illnesses like her own.
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Mental Illness and Camille: A Mother’s Perspective
Camille is the mother of five children who deal with a wide range of mental illnesses, including ADHD, OCD, and Bipolar 2 disorder. After her daughter’s suicide attempt, Camille completely shifted her parenting philosophy and hopes to help other parents learn how better to help their children in...
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Mental Illness and Mary: Depression and Anxiety
At 6’2”, Mary often felt separate from her peers growing up. She began dealing with anxiety and depression in middle school and continues to fight for her mental health. She hopes to help others in her situation by sharing her story.
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Mental Illness and Pregnancy: Shauna and Katie
Our friendship began from being the youngest in our grade (our September birthdays are a week apart), a mutual love of the written word, overalls, and the performing arts. 23 years later, we remain bonded over morning sickness, acid reflux, and experiencing the firsts of pregnancy at the same...
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Mental Illness and Chad: Anxiety and Depression
Navy mechanic Chad was 17 years old when he suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI) that left him with increased anxiety and depression. Combined with his experiences in the military, mental illness is part of Chad’s daily life. He shares his experiences and why he believes it’s important to tell...
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Mental Illness and David: Major Depressive Disorder and Generalized Anxiety Disorder
College student David started noticing serious symptoms of mental illness when he was a senior in high school. Soon after, he was diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder and Generalized Anxiety Disorder. These illnesses eroded his self-esteem and left him very lonely. Still on the path to…
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Mental Illness and Amanda: Harm OCD
At 18, Amanda is the youngest guest we’ve had on Mental Illness and Me. She is finishing her senior year of high school and bravely shares her struggle with harm OCD, a form of OCD that causes intrusive, irrational thoughts about hurting oneself or others.
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Mental Illness and Melody: Bipolar Disorder with Hypomania
35 year old Melody learned she had bipolar disorder with hypomania when she was in her twenties. She also deals with trichotillomania and anxiety, dating back to her childhood. In Monday’s episode, she eloquently shares her thoughts about mental illness from the lens of her own experiences as a...
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Mental Illness and Sam: Anxiety and ADHD
Samuel remembers suffering from anxiety as early as elementary school age. His anxiety progressed to full-blown panic attacks by the time he reached high school. He was diagnosed with anxiety, and later with ADHD as a young adult. As a naturally extroverted person, Samuel met particular…
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Mental Illness and Mer: Bulimia Nervosa
Mer was in college when she first entered a treatment center for Bulimia Nervosa, after battling depression and anxiety previously. This physical and mental illness is characterized by binge eating followed by one of a few different purging rituals (not just throwing up, as many people think).…
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Mental Illness and Michael: Seasonal Affective Disorder
Seasonal Depressive Disorder (SAD) is a form of depression that is initiated by the change in seasons. Michael is a father, teacher, author, and composer and he struggles with SAD during the winter season. Through the years, he learned to prepare for the inevitable difficulties that come each…
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Mental Illness and Stacey: Depression
As a graduate student and soon-to-be mom, Stacey was overwhelmed to the point of debilitating depression. She sought treatment to help her navigate through this difficult time; yet, the depression returned during pregnancy and postpartum. In the years since, Stacey has learned ways to manage her...
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Mental Illness and Vanessa: Skin Picking Disorder
Though it started in her teenage years, it wasn’t until she was an adult that Vanessa realized she suffered from Skin Picking Disorder, also known as Dermatillomania. Since connecting with others with similar struggles, Vanessa found ways to manage it and live her life without shame. In this...
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Mental Illness and Nisha: A Therapist’s Perspective
Nisha Sathiyanathan graduated from Weber State University with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice. She then went on to graduate from the University of Utah with a Master of Social Work. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Nisha has experience working with OCD, Anxiety...
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Mental Illness and Tatiana: Suicide Loss
In March of 2020, Tatiana’s little sister died by suicide at the age of 20 after a long battle with mental illness. Consumed with grief, Tatiana scoured books and the Internet, looking for resources for loved ones dealing with suicide grief. She shares her story in hopes of helping others find...
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Mental Illness and Genesis Eve: Depression
Genesis Eve deals with severe depression that began in her youth. On Monday’s episode, she shares how it affects many aspects of her life, including her relationships, career, and her involvement in theater arts.
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Mental Illness and Jane: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
At age 20, Jane survived an unexpected and very dangerous ectopic pregnancy. In the aftermath of her traumatic experience, Jane suffered from PTSD. She shares her road to healing.
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Mental Illness and Halcyon: Skin Picking Disorder
Halcyon discusses her battle with skin picking disorder, a Body Focused Repetitive Behavior (BFRB). This is an area of mental health that doesn’t often get discussed, and Halcyon addresses it with poise and courage.
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BONUS EPISODE: Mental Health and the Holidays
Sound editor Daniel Sowards and host Katie Houston Davies discuss why the holidays take a toll on mental health in this bonus Thanksgiving episode.
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Mental Illness and My Sisters: Living with Someone with OCD
For our season finale, my two younger sisters join the show to talk about having a relationship with someone with OCD and what they’ve learned through that experience. Daniel Sowards guest hosts.
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Mental Illness and Katie: OCD
On this episode, I share my story. I’ve struggled with OCD my entire life, though I didn’t receive and official diagnosis until I was a young adult. I’ve primarily dealt with a form of OCD called scrupulosity that often distorts religious beliefs. I am still an active Christian. I am not a...
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Mental Illness and Daniel: Situational Depression
Daniel is the other half of the two person production team for Mental Illness and Me. Daniel shares why mental health is a topic that is important to him and what motivated him to volunteer his time for this podcast. He reflects on episodes that resonated with him during the editing process, and...
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Mental Illness and Andrew: ADHD
In high school, Andrew had a hard time focusing, unless it was something that sparked his interest. In that case, he would deep dive in to the subject and voraciously read whatever he could find about the subject. When he learned about ADHD in a health class, he recognized himself in the…
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Mental Illness and Julia: Generalized Anxiety Disorder
As a high school student, Julia suffered from debilitating anxiety. Any form of presentation in front of her peers led to frequent emotional breakdowns, and she struggled with codependency. She began seeing a therapist and learned ways to cope with her anxiety. Now, as a young adult, she had more...
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Mental Illness and Christina: PTSD and OCD
Christina started life in the foster care system. Adopted at a young age, she struggled with mental illness as early as elementary school. Over two decades, doctors tried to identify her mental illness and sought the best treatment for her symptoms. After living through a controlling first...
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Mental Illness and James: Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Bipolar Disorder
As early as 5th grade, James suffered from panic attacks and extreme anxiety. He was diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder and a child and was eventually diagnosed with bipolar disorder as an adult. On Monday, James describes his gratitude for the advocates in his life, both as a child and…
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Mental Illness and Kate: GAD
Meet Kate. Anxious from a young age, Kate started experiencing panic attacks in high school. When she left home for college, her anxiety intensified and became debilitating. 20-year-old Kate reflects on what she is learning about herself as she navigates life with Generalized Anxiety Disorder and...
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Mental Illness and Allan & Katie: Situational Depression and Anxiety
Seven years ago this month, Allan’s father tragically died when a driver under the influence of an illegal substance hit his car head on. This traumatic experience triggered intense depression and anxiety in Allan that he never before experienced. Allan and his wife Kattie join me on Monday’s...
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Mental Illness and Brielle: Depression and PTSD
Brielle works as a doula helping women through birth and post partum. She started noticing symptoms of depression years ago in college and began treatment. After an abusive relationship relationship, she was surprised when her therapist diagnosed her with PTSD. She shares her story with us on...
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Mental Illness and Stephen: Bipolar 2 Disorder
Stephen considers himself, first and foremost, a father. He also struggles with Bipolar 2 Disorder and ADD. When his young daughter was diagnosed with cancer in 2018, he faced an intense physical, emotional, and mental battle. Listen to his story where he describes how his daughter’s courage, his...
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Mental Illness and Kristen: Antenatal Anxiety, PPD, Depression
Kristen always knew she wanted to be a mom. After struggling to get pregnant, she and her husband finally got the happy news that they were expecting twins! Anxiety and depression, however, robbed her of much of the joy she hoped to experience through pregnancy and life postpartum.
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Mental Illness and Paul: CEO of the OCD and Anxiety Treatment Center
Paul Peterson, MSW, started working as a therapist in 1998. He was intrigued by OCD from the beginning of his career, and it became more personal to him when several family members were diagnosed. In 2008, he received training from the National OCD foundation that changed the path of his career.…
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Mental Illness and Codee: Antenatal Depression, Post-Partum Depression
Postpartum depression is a phrase commonly understood; antenatal depression, however, is much less recognized. Codee didn’t experience mental illness until it came on with a vengeance during her first pregnancy. She suffered from severe anxiety and panic and desperately sought treatment safe for...
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Mental Illness and Lea: Bipolar 1, PTSD, Anxiety
As a young adult, Lea was diagnosed with PTSD, Bipolar 1, and severe anxiety. For years, she took medication and went to therapy while simultaneously suffering from brutal headaches and other strange side-effects. After a brain scan that should have been ordered 20 years earlier, the doctors...
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Mental Illness and Steve: Depression and Anxiety
Steve discusses how anxiety and depression have affected his self-esteem, his family, and more; yet, he also describes how he found his “core” through his music community.
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Mental Illness and Christina and Jeremy: Anxiety
Jeremy and his wife, Christina, talk about his battle with anxiety and how they’ve learned to confront it in their relationship.
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
I have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Panic Disorder. When I started publicly sharing my experiences, I learned that it helped people identify their own struggles and gave them courage to seek help. My goal with this series is to give people hope through the stories of others and help them realize they are not alone. You are not weird or broken, and your mental illness does not have to define you. Let’s eliminate the stigma surrounding the mental health conversation by sharing our experiences and learning ways to heal.
HOSTED BY
Katie Houston Davies
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Mental Illness and Me have?
Mental Illness and Me currently has 48 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Mental Illness and Me about?
I have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Panic Disorder. When I started publicly sharing my experiences, I learned that it helped people identify their own struggles and gave them courage to seek help. My goal with this series is to give people hope through the stories of others and help them...
How often does Mental Illness and Me release new episodes?
Mental Illness and Me has 48 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Mental Illness and Me?
You can listen to Mental Illness and Me on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Mental Illness and Me?
Mental Illness and Me is created and hosted by Katie Houston Davies.
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