Is Mental Illness a Made up Disorder?

Explicit content warning

08/05/19 • 31 min

In this episode, our hosts discuss whether or not mental illness is a real disorder or if it's just something that medical and pharmaceutical companies just made up to make a profit.

Highlights from ‘Mental Illness Made Up?’ Episode

[2:00] Is mental illness real?

[4:00] Yoga doesn’t cure all mental illnesses, just like it wouldn’t cure cancer.

[16:00] Dealing with people who think mental illness is not real.

[19:30] Eating disorders are such a stigmatized mental illness.

[20:00] Cigarettes used to be a health food (true story!).

[27:00] You can still live a great life with a mental illness.

In this episode, our hosts discuss whether or not mental illness is a real disorder or if it's just something that medical and pharmaceutical companies just made up to make a profit.

Highlights from ‘Mental Illness Made Up?’ Episode

[2:00] Is mental illness real?

[4:00] Yoga doesn’t cure all mental illnesses, just like it wouldn’t cure cancer.

[16:00] Dealing with people who think mental illness is not real.

[19:30] Eating disorders are such a stigmatized mental illness.

[20:00] Cigarettes used to be a health food (true story!).

[27:00] You can still live a great life with a mental illness.

Previous Episode

Sexual Side Effects Caused by Psychiatric Medications

It’s common knowledge that psychiatric medications are prone to sexual side effects. It’s often referenced in the advertising. Since most people living with mental illness want to be both happy and have a satisfying sex life, this creates a bit of a quandary

Are the two things mutually exclusive? What does a person on psychiatric medications do when the cure seems worse than the illness? Listen in to find out now!

Highlights from ‘Medication Sexual Side Effects” Episode

[1:25] Let’s talk about masturbation. [4:00] The frustrations of psychiatric medications and our sex lives.

[10:00] How to resolve sexual side effects.

[13:30] Gabe’s unmedicated sex drive versus his current sex drive.

[17:00] Should you talk to your partner about sexual issues caused by medication?

[19:30] Michelle says, women should not be embarrassed to talk to their doctors about sexual side effects.

[22:00] Women vs. men when it comes to handling sexual issues.

Next Episode

How Money Impacts Mental Illness

In this episode, our hosts discuss how the amount of money and resources a person has influences their mental health care. Listen now to hear how Gabe and Michelle tackle this difficult social discussion -- and have a couple laughs along the way.

“It’s so hard to get help with mental illness if you have no money, and that’s not ok.” - Michelle Hammer Highlights from ‘Money and Mental Illness’ Episode

[1:00] How does money impact people with mental illness?

[3:00] Michelle’s epiphany on the subway.

[5:30] The difference between mental health and physical health.

[9:30] Insurance and the price of psychiatric medications.

[15:00] Michelle’s past job failures.

[18:30] Disability: does it help people?

[22:00] How can you recover from mental illness when you can’t afford healthcare?

[27:30] Michelle and other people living with schizophrenia in NYC.