Rhythm & Cognition | How Drumming Boosts IQ & Learning w/ Chris Brien Artwork

Beat The Mental Health Out Of It! | Dark-Humor Conversations On Serious Mental Illness & Trauma

If you live with mental illness—or love someone who does—and you’re tired of sugar-coated wellness talk, this show is for you!

"Beat The Mental Health Out Of It!" blends dark humor with real recovery so you feel seen, steadied, and a little lighter. We tell it like it is, so you don’t have to.

Hosted by Nicholas Wichman (“The DEFECTIVE Schizoaffective”) and often joined by co-host Tony Medeiros ("IndyPocket"), this is a brutally honest mental health podcast about what it’s actually like to live with serious mental illness on the schizophrenia spectrum. We talk schizoaffective disorder, schizophrenia, psychosis, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, BPD, PTSD, addiction, religious trauma, bad therapy, psych wards, meds, disability, and trying to build a life in a system that isn’t built for us. You’ll get:

– Lived-experience truth from someone who hears voices, dissociates, relapses, parents, plays music, and still shows up.

– Grounded insight from a mental health professional who has sat across from hundreds of clients and worked inside the system.

– Edgy, stigma-smashing, sometimes controversial conversations about mental illness, relationships, family dysfunction, religion, work, creativity, and survival.

– Challenging takeaways and coping ideas you can actually try—along with laughs that punch up, down, left, right… everywhere.

This show is for people juggling therapy, meds, trauma, and everyday chaos who want honest talk, gallows humor, and zero judgment. Whether you’re schizoaffective, living with schizophrenia or psychosis, dealing with PTSD, supporting a loved one, or just trying not to lose your mind, "Beat The Mental Health Out Of It!" gives you language, community, and brutally honest hope.

We’re not your therapists—we’re fellow passengers on “The Struggle Bus,” sharing what we’ve learned the hard way and refusing to suffer in silence.

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Beat The Mental Health Out Of It! | Dark-Humor Conversations On Serious Mental Illness & Trauma

Rhythm & Cognition | How Drumming Boosts IQ & Learning w/ Chris Brien

May 12, 2025 • Nicholas Wichman - Mental Health Advocate • Season 1 • Episode 13

In this episode, we explore how drumming shapes cognition by improving attention, learning, and neuroplasticity—alongside the fascinating concepts of synesthesia and authentic ASMR.

Join us for a candid discussion on practice systems, teaching mindsets, and discover why rhythm training can sharpen your cognitive abilities both on and off the kit.

You will learn about rhythm as a form of brain training: from subdivisions and steady time to deep practice techniques. We also delve into how synesthesia allows us to hear in color and how it has implications in music and learning. Additionally, we discuss the neurological calm that true ASMR delivers in contrast to internet gimmicks, and how effective teaching fosters curiosity through deep practice and meaningful repetitions.

This episode is perfect for anyone interested in the intersection of music, learning, and cognitive development, while also providing insights that can enhance your teaching or practicing journey.

HEY DRUMMERS! Try 5 minutes of steady subdivisions (quarters → 8ths → triplets → 16ths at one tempo). Post your focus rating before/after on our Discord "The Struggle Bus." (link below)

Beat The Mental Health Out Of It! is a candid mental health podcast with lived experience—schizoaffective disorder, schizophrenia spectrum psychosis, BPD, PTSD, trauma recovery, coping skills, and dark humor that fights stigma.

Hosted by Nicholas Wichman (“The DEFECTIVE Schizoaffective”) with frequent co-host Tony Medeiros, ("IndyPocket"), we talk serious mental illness, psych wards, religious trauma, bad therapy, meds, disability, and messy real-world coping.

New episodes drop every other Monday at 6am ET.

Want community and support? Join our Discord, “The Struggle Bus”: https://discord.gg/emFXKuWKNA

All links (TikTok, YouTube, Streaming, etc.): https://linktr.ee/BTMHOOI

Podcast cover art by Ryan Manning