Not As Crazy As You Think Podcast

In the episode, "Journeys Beyond the Frontier: On Treating and Interacting with Psychosis, A Conversation with Psychiatrist Mark Ragins (S5, E17)" I connect with Mark at the ISPS Conference at the University of Delaware where he was giving a talk, on the subject of psychosis and how those who suffer with it are treated by the medical field. Mark has a humanistic and compassionate approach when dealing with those who are s...

In the episode, "The New Language of Neurodiversity, Decolonization, Depathologization: On Location at the ISPS Conference with Six Voices on a Mission (S5, E16)," I go on location to connect with The International Society for Psychological and Social Approaches to Psychosis (ISPS), which is a pioneering organization with almost 70 years of advocating for transformative psychosocial understandings and approaches to psycho...

In the episode, "An Interview with Tanya Frank, Author of Zig-Zag Boy: A Memoir of Madness and Motherhood (S5, E15)," Tanya lends her powerful voice to the show, sharing her insight and experience with the mental health industry.  Tanya’s association with the mental health system began in 2009 when Zach, Tanya’s son, was diagnosed in 2009 after his first episode with hearing voices.  Both Zach and Tanya were not happy wit...

In the episode, "The Vision and Voice of Janet Werner: The Documentary, the Movie, the Movement (S5, E14)," Janet joins the show to share her message on spiritual emergencies shedding light on the spiritual side of mental health, and specifically, the spiritually transformative experiences that often get misdiagnosed as mental illness.

Forty-four years ago while in her master’s degree program Janet had an astonis...

In the episode, "On the Polycrisis with Mark McCormack: Psychiatric Coercion, Hegel, A.I. and Saving Humanity (S5, E13),"  Mark begins with sharing his intimate experience with psychiatry and its oppressive structure. A peaceful protestor of 20 years, while on a hunger strike protesting the polycrisis, Mark describes how the institution overtook his life through forced hospitalization and a list of human rights violations...

In the episode, "On Location in NYC: Believing in Yourself with Ballet Dancer and Podcaster Michelle Williams (S5, E12)," Michelle and I reconnect to do another podcast on location in NYC. Born and bred in California, Michelle hits the streets of NYC to reclaim her original dream of living as a professional dancer. She shares what kept her believing in herself and how she stayed the course toward manifesting her dream.

In the episode, "Exploring the Healing Power of Laughter with Barry Taylor, Founder of Laugh Therapy (S5, E11)," Gelotologist and accredited Laughter Therapist, Barry Taylor joins the show and shares the beneficial healing benefits laughter can produce. Using techniques in the area of laughter therapy, Barry pulls from his background as a former English and drama teacher to bring play into programs and workshops that faci...

In the episode, "Global Sustainability Through Healing Our Collective Trauma with Benjamin Casteillo, founder of New World Together (S5, E10)," Benjamin begins with sharing his spiritual emergency beginning in 2004, which involved the forcible, inhumane treatment of the psychiatric institution. After going deep into inner realms, Benjamin realized he needed to change his direction.  In 2017, Benjamin Casteillo made the bo...

In the episode, "On Nutrition, Exercise, and Emotional Fitness with Author and Fitness Expert  David Greenwalt (S5, E9)," David shares his wisdom on overall health after being in the business for over 30 years . David discusses how along with nutrition and activity, emotional fitness is a crucial component to maintaining your fitness goals long term. Involving self-awareness, self-regulation, social connections, and feeli...

In the episode "A.I. News: Open Letter To Pause, Existential Risks to Humanity, Its Supporters & Deniers (S5, E8)," I discuss the recent Open Letter to Pause Giant AI Experiments recently composed by the Future of Life Institute, and present the arguments for taking the risk analysis more seriously. With signers of the letter including Elon Musk, Emad Mostaque, Steve Wozniak, Max Tegmark, Tristan Harris and Aza Raskin...

In the episode, "An Interview with Author Rob Wipond on His Book, 'Your Consent Is Not Required: The Rise in Psychiatric Detentions, Forced Treatment, and Abusive Guardianships'" (S5, E7), I have the chance to explore my most esteemed topics of psychiatric coercion and forced treatment with one of the major players right now in the field, journalist Rob Wipond.

Rob Wipond is a freelance journalist and ...

In the episode, "The A.I. Future is NOW: Job Loss, Adaptation, Immersion, & Reorganizing Human Society (S5, E6)," I share how the AI Future is upon us and there is no stopping it. I cover a spectrum of material from Vernor Vinge's essay "Technological Singularity" to the inaccuracies of Chat GPT 4, to machine learning failing to identify depression based on neurobiology. As lead researcher Nils R. Winte...

In the episode, "Normalizing the Conversation on Mental Health with Kateryn Ferreira, host of Geminme Podcast (S5, E5)," Kateryn joins the show with the message that the power is within each one of us. She gives advice on how to become our best selves, and delivers her encouraging point of view with good sense and a compassionate edge.  Having overcome personal lived experience with mental distress, she believes that ment...

In the episode, "Tapering Off Antipsychotics: Avoiding Withdrawal, Practicing Self-Care(S5, E4)," I share my journey I started 2 years ago when I decided to officially remove psychiatry from my life and get off their forced meds for good. Most psychiatrists have no interest in helping a bipolar get off their meds, so I went out on my own, assembled a support group around me, did the research, and invested in my healing. N...

In the episode "A.I. Art & Its Implications Part 2: A Chat with NYC Artist G. Romero On the Coming Disruption (S5, E3)," I had the pleasure of interviewing NYC Brooklyn artist G. Romero about all coming changes regarding A.I. --especially the A.I. art revolution and the possible ensuing human art renaissance. After reviewing what these A.I. generative art systems are accomplishing, we take a deeper look at the role of...

A.I. Art & Its Implications Part 1: Lost Narratives, the Time Element & Process (S5, E2)

With the explosive popularity and beauty of the newest AI art entering the scene under Stable Diffusion, I decided to share the A.I. controversy so that others can join in the conversation. I talk about my own personal experience to making art and what it means to me. After attending a Native American Historical Landscape exhib...

In the episode, "Psychosis Outside the Box & Chapter 7: Back in New York"-- A Reading from My Memoir" (S5, E1), in opening up about my own first episode psychosis, I start with a description of the project "Psychosis Outside the Box" under the authors Shannon Pagdon and Nev Jones, which can be reviewed here: https://ps.psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.ps.20220488.
I point to how other traditio...

In the episode, "A Review of PBS's Mysteries of Mental Illness & a Second Anniversary Recap (S4, E17)," I recall much of what led me to doing Not As Crazy As You Think Podcast and share my current status in my tapering journey from psych meds. I also review the 4-part 2021 series broadcasted by PBS titled, "Mysteries of Mental Illness." Offering a summary of each episode, I also give my point of view th...

In the episode, "The Untold Perspective: Writer Lynn Rogoff Discusses Bird Woman, Her Audio Drama Creation On Sacajawea (S4, E16)," Lynn joins the show to share her latest project. Lynn Rogoff works as a writer, director, producer, and an Adjunct Professor at the NY Institute of Technology. She is currently producing a shape-shifting Bird Woman®, audio drama multi-episode series based on the Lewis and Clark Native America...