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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

Navigating Shadow Work | Safe Expression Vs. Exploitation In Managing Dangerous Urges

June 09, 2025 • Nicholas Wichman - Mental Health Advocate • Season 1 • Episode 17

In this episode, we delve into the complexities of navigating shadow work and managing dangerous urges through safe expression and guided exploration, while staunchly opposing exploitation. We openly discuss themes of consent, boundaries, and the importance of seeking professional help when faced with overwhelming feelings—highlighting that glamorizing such urges is not an option.

Tune in for insights on our 2-E framework: Expression & Exploration, aimed at reducing risk by promoting safe, legal outlets and professional support. We establish bright lines to illustrate why exploitation is never acceptable. Gain a deeper understanding of how judgment can spike risks while containment can lower them, plus how to build authentic guardrails for navigating sensitive topics.

Discover the pitfalls of social media hot takes compared to the benefits of careful and supervised work, and why quick-fix solutions often fall short compared to qualified care.

Post one safe, legal outlet you’ll use this week AND the professional step you’ll take (e.g., schedule with a licensed therapist, group counseling, etc.). Our Discord "The Struggle Bus" is ONLY for support—we are NOT therapists, but we can point you in the right direction. (link below)

REMEMBER: You are NOT a bad person if you take responsibility for your urges and seek professional help if you can't control them.

If you’re struggling (U.S.): Call/Text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, 24/7).

If anyone is in immediate danger, call 911

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