The Dark Place: Conversations About Mental Health | Depression | Anxiety

The 23-year-old journalist from Austin, Texas talks about living with anxiety, the experience of having a panic attack, and why "it's better to cry outside than it is to cry inside." Laura runs the newsletter Mental Health Day, which can be found at tinyletter.com/mentalhealthday. She is on twitter @laura__thomp (two underscores). This episode is sponsored by Talkspace, an online therapy company that allows you to send messages with a licensed therapist via text, audio, or video. Visit talkspace.com/DARK and enter the promo code "DARK" to get $30 off your first month.

The co-founder of mental health storytelling organization This Is My Brave joins to talk about her experience with bipolar disorder, postpartum psychosis, hospitalization, and helping others share their own stories. In the episode, Jennifer mentions a guest-post on her blog about a friend who visited her in the hospital. Here is the link: http://bipolarmomlife.com/just-ask-friend-can-make-difference/ Twitter: @BipolarMomLife Website/Blog: http://bipolarmomlife.com/ This Is My Brave: https://thisismybrave.org/ 

The 21-year-old student talks about using success as a mask for her depression, admitting herself into psychiatric hold, and her recent experience of emerging from the darkness of suicidal thoughts.

The 25-year-old talks about living with an addictive pattern of self-harm, realizing what happened to her as a child was sexual abuse, and getting to the point of being able to seek therapy. Plus, an email from listener "Boone."

October 8, 2015: Joel talks with Amanda Rosenberg. She's a comedy writer, and she reminds us how healing it is to laugh. (Yay suicide humor!) She also talks about feeling numb, being falsely diagnosed, wanting friends to just listen, and drawing pictures of the staff while in Stanford psychiatric hospital. We mention a few articles Amanda wrote for Medium. Here's one of them: http://bit.ly/AR_Medium It's also Mental Health Awareness Week. Though shouldn't that be every week?

The 31-year-old tells her first-hand account of her brother's suicide 11 years ago, the unrelenting flashbacks she experienced, feeling suicidal herself, good and bad therapy, and how her current career helps to manage those feelings.

The 38-year-old discusses her lifelong emotional relationship with food, how she's been shaped by having an alcoholic father, and how she has redirected her depression and anxiety to help others. Guest co-host: Julia

The 30-year-old talks about helping himself and others through depression and suicidal thoughts. Plus, he gives us a taste of what it would sound like if depression was an unwanted guest at a frat party.

The 24-year-old producer and creator of the blog givememora.com discusses being honest about her anxiety in the Persian Jewish community and how a career in entertainment can be harmful to mental health. Plus, she goes over things not to say to someone with anxiety.

The 19-year-old comedian and USC screenwriting student talks about being bullied and socially isolated, how his past has influenced his anxiety and depression, and why everyone battling mental illness should seek treatment. Plus, why comedy is so important to him as self-expression.

Joel and Julia share personal stories submitted by listeners. To share your dark place, visit darkplace.joelkutz.com and click "Tell Your Story."

Emily is a motivational speaker. Today, she takes a break from baring her deepest insecurities and fears in front of large crowds to bare her deepest insecurities and fears to us on the podcast. Yet she's not afraid—she's empowered. She talks about growing up and never fitting in, discovering a worldwide community of mental illness survivors, and learning to comfort her inner child. You can't see it, but she's wearing a lot of lime green. More about Emily: https://about.me/LuvMily Twitter: https://twitter.com/emilywspeaks

Joel chats with 31-year-old Cara Santa Maria, host of the podcast "Talk Nerdy." In this episode, hear how Cara has fought through depression to build a career as a host and correspondent for networks including Al Jazeera America, Pivot, The Weather Channel, and Nat Geo. She helps us understand the chemical side of mental illness, then helps us understand how it's changed her own life. Website: http://CaraSantaMaria.com Twitter: @CaraSantaMaria

The 23-year-old talks about the panic attack that prompted him to lose 150 pounds, being by someone's side during their final moments, and the reason we go through life distracting ourselves.

Joel talks with Lucy, who's 28 years old. Lucy talks about her flight anxiety, about how her dad would use drugs in front of her when she was 12, and then about her dad's death when she was in college. At some points, Joel feels like he's going to cry. Lucy does cry. Then they talk about how much they both love to cry. Lucy is a role model.