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Inside Bipolar

Inside Bipolar

By: Gabe Howard & Dr. Nicole Washington
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Summary

 Join Gabe, who lives with bipolar, and Dr. Nicole, a board certified psychiatrist, as they explore the spectrum of this misunderstood illness. They tackle bipolar disorder using real world examples, the latest research, and just enough funny to keep you intrigued. Signal Award Gold Winner, 2024. Signal Award Listener's Choice Winner, 2024. Webby Honoree two years in a row -- 2024 & 2025!Copyright 2022-2025 Gabe Howard / Healthline Media. All rights reserved. Hygiene & Healthy Living Personal Development Personal Success Psychology Psychology & Mental Health
Episodes
  • When Joy Goes Missing: Understanding Anhedonia in Bipolar Disorder

    When Joy Goes Missing: Understanding Anhedonia in Bipolar Disorder
    May 4 2026
    Are you no longer experiencing pleasure or joy in day-to-day life? If you are living with bipolar disorder, you know the crushing weight of the “nothingness” — that specific, hollow moment where the things that used to define happiness suddenly feel like chores. This may not be a bad mood or a lack of discipline; it could be a clinical symptom known as anhedonia.In this episode, Gabe Howard (who lives with bipolar disorder) and Dr. Nicole Washington (a board certified psychiatrist) peel back the layers of this often-misunderstood symptom. Together, they share that losing your spark isn't a character flaw, but a biological hurdle that you can overcome. Listener takeaways: Learn exactly what anhedonia is — and is not. Learn how anhedonia can appear in dysphoric or agitated mania. Learn to distinguish between clinical loss of joy and simply “outgrowing” things. Learn how to define — and understand — “normal.” If you’ve ever felt like a “bad” or “lazy” person because you couldn't find the joy in life, this episode is the reality check you need. Learn why “gray is OK” and how to start the climb back to contentment. Listen now! "A lot of people don't recognize that boredom and contentment and blah is not depression. It's not anhedonia. It's not joy or happiness, but it is stability." ~Gabe Howard, Host Our host, Gabe Howard, is an award-winning podcast host, author, and sought-after suicide prevention and mental health speaker, but he wouldn’t be any of those things today if he hadn’t been committed to a psychiatric hospital in 2003.Gabe also hosts Healthline's Inside Mental Health podcast has appeared in numerous publications, including Bipolar magazine, WebMD, Newsweek, and the Stanford Online Medical Journal. He has appeared on all four major TV networks, ABC, NBC, CBS, and FOX. Among his many awards, he is the recipient of Mental Health America’s Norman Guitry Award, received two Webby Honoree acknowledgements, and received an official resolution from the Governor of Ohio naming him an “Everyday Hero.” Gabe wrote the popular book, "Mental Illness is an Asshole and other Observations," available from Amazon; signed copies are available directly from the author with free swag included! To learn more about Gabe, or to book him for your next event, please visit his website, gabehoward.com. Our host, Dr. Nicole Washington, is a native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where she attended Southern University and A&M College. After receiving her BS degree, she moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma to enroll in the Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine. She completed a residency in psychiatry at the University of Oklahoma in Tulsa. Since completing her residency training, Dr. Nicole has spent most of her career caring for and being an advocate for those who are not typically consumers of mental health services, namely underserved communities, those with severe mental health conditions, and high performing professionals. Through her private practice, podcast, speaking, and writing, she seeks to provide education to decrease the stigma associated with psychiatric conditions. Find out more at DrNicolePsych.com. Please, Share the Show! (Tell a Friend!) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    38 mins
  • Can I Stop My Bipolar Meds? Cold Turkey vs Tapering

    Can I Stop My Bipolar Meds? Cold Turkey vs Tapering
    Apr 20 2026
    "Do I have to take these meds forever?" It’s the most common question psychiatrists hear, but the answer is rarely a simple yes or no. In this episode, hosts Gabe Howard (living with bipolar) and Dr. Nicole Washington (board-certified psychiatrist) dive into the risks, the realities, and the honest conversations most doctors avoid when it comes to stopping bipolar medication. They break down why "cold turkey" is a recipe for disaster and explain the equally dangerous "hot turkey" otherwise known as restarting a full medication cocktail after a long break. Gabe shares his own journey of switching doctors to find a specialist in titration, illustrating the difference between "Mercedes Benz care" and trying to navigate a "hoopty" ride on your own. Dr. Nicole explains the science of brain receptors, the logistical hurdles of compounding pharmacies, and why the medical community is often resistant to "deprescribing." Listeners Will Learn: · Instead of "stopping" try reframing the conversation as "decreasing reliance" · Why lowering your medication slowly gives you better results · Finding a psych doctor who understands "deprescribing" may take time · A successful, safe medication adjustment can take a year or more—it is a marathon, not a sprint Whether you’re struggling with side effects like brain fog and sexual dysfunction or you simply want to feel more in control, this episode offers a roadmap for having an honest, data-driven conversation with your treatment team. Learn why "decreasing reliance" on medication is often a more successful goal than quitting entirely, and how to treat bumps in the road as data points rather than failures. "Most people think stopping meds is like flipping a light switch—on Monday you're on them, and on Tuesday you're not. But in reality, it’s a slow, medical taper. It’s more accurate to describe this as 'decreasing our reliance' rather than just quitting, so we can actually see what the data tells us." ~Gabe Howard, Host Our host, Gabe Howard, is an award-winning podcast host, author, and sought-after suicide prevention and mental health speaker, but he wouldn’t be any of those things today if he hadn’t been committed to a psychiatric hospital in 2003.Gabe also hosts Healthline's Inside Mental Health podcast has appeared in numerous publications, including Bipolar magazine, WebMD, Newsweek, and the Stanford Online Medical Journal. He has appeared on all four major TV networks, ABC, NBC, CBS, and FOX. Among his many awards, he is the recipient of Mental Health America’s Norman Guitry Award, received two Webby Honoree acknowledgements, and received an official resolution from the Governor of Ohio naming him an “Everyday Hero.” Gabe wrote the popular book, "Mental Illness is an Asshole and other Observations," available from Amazon; signed copies are available directly from the author with free swag included! To learn more about Gabe, or to book him for your next event, please visit his website, gabehoward.com. Our host, Dr. Nicole Washington, is a native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where she attended Southern University and A&M College. After receiving her BS degree, she moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma to enroll in the Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine. She completed a residency in psychiatry at the University of Oklahoma in Tulsa. Since completing her residency training, Dr. Nicole has spent most of her career caring for and being an advocate for those who are not typically consumers of mental health services, namely underserved communities, those with severe mental health conditions, and high performing professionals. Through her private practice, podcast, speaking, and writing, she seeks to provide education to decrease the stigma associated with psychiatric conditions. Find out more at DrNicolePsych.com. Tell a Friend: Sharing the show with the people we know is how our podcast will grow! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    45 mins
  • BONUS: Headlines of Horror: Schizophrenia Portrayals in News Media

    BONUS: Headlines of Horror: Schizophrenia Portrayals in News Media
    Apr 18 2026
    Bonus Episode of "Inside Schizophrenia" podcast from Healthline Media. “Paranoid schizophrenic admits to attacking dog walker.” When we watch a horror movie, we know the “madman” on screen is a work of fiction. But when the nightly news leads with a diagnosis to explain a tragedy, the fear it creates is very real — and often permanent.Why does the media lead with schizophrenia only when the story involves violence, yet remain silent when it comes to stories of recovery, hope, and humanity? In this hard-hitting episode, host Rachel Star Withers (who lives with schizophrenia) explores the Lead with Fear phenomenon — the dangerous journalistic trend of linking a diagnosis to a crime before the facts are even in — and why schizophrenia seems to have the worst PR team in the world. Later in the show, we sit down with two media heavyweights who are using their platforms to overhaul how the world views mental health.: Janet Yang, an Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning producer and former President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Frank Kosa, an Emmy-nominated documentary filmmaker for National Geographic, the History Channel, and A&E. Listener Take-A-Ways: why "paranoid schizophrenia" is an obsolete clinical term that journalists refuse to let go of the startling statistic that fewer than 20% of news stories about schizophrenia include themes of recovery practical ways you can hold news outlets accountable and promote stories of hope Our guest, Frank Kosa, is an award-winning documentary producer-writer-director, and a journalist. He produced National Geographic’s “The Story of God with Morgan Freeman,” wrote the inaugural season of Travel Channel’s hit show “Booze Traveler,” produced the award-winning “The Revolutionary War,” a mini-series for A&E, “Christianity: The Second Millennium” and multiple shows of TV’s most engaging documentary series including “Life Without People,” “The Universe,” and “Game Changers.” His shows have aired on The Science Channel, The History Channel, Discovery, A&E, TLC, Animal Planet, The Travel Channel, The Weather Channel, Lifetime, Bloomberg TV, HGTV, and National Geographic. His print journalism has appeared in The LA Times, USA Today, Sacramento Bee, The Christian Science Monitor, and numerous magazines. He has also worked for films and TV shows produced by Universal, Warner Bros., & Sony. He is Emmy-nominated, has won a Cable Ace and other awards, and strives to tell stories that deeply connect with audiences. Our guest, Janet Yang, is an Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning Hollywood producer, former President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and has been named one of the “50 Most Powerful Women in Hollywood” by the Hollywood Reporter. Yang’s extensive film and television credits include “The Joy Luck Club,” “The People vs. Larry Flynt,” “The Weight of Water,” “Shanghai Calling,” “High Crimes,” “Zero Effect,” and “Over the Moon.” Yang began her career by running the first distribution company to market Chinese films into North America. She also brokered the reintroduction of American studio films to the Chinese marketplace after a decades-long hiatus. This, in turn, led to joining Steven Spielberg on the historic production of “Empire of the Sun.” This was followed by long-term partnership with multiple Academy-Award winning writer/director, Oliver Stone. Our host, Rachel Star Withers, (Link: www.rachelstarlive.com) is an entertainer, international speaker, video producer, and schizophrenic. She has appeared on MTV’s Ridiculousness, TruTV, NBC’s America’s Got Talent, Marvel's Black Panther, TUBI’s #shockfight, Goliath: Playing with Reality, and is the host of the HealthLine podcast “Inside Schizophrenia”. She grew up seeing monsters, hearing people in the walls, and having intense urges to hurt herself. Rachel creates videos documenting her schizophrenia, ways to manage, and letting others like her know they are not alone and can still live an amazing life. She has created a kid’s mental health comic line, The Adventures of ____. (Learn more at this link: https://www.amazon.com/Adventures-Fearless-Unstoppable-Light-Ambitious/dp/B0FHWK4ZHS ) Our cohost, Gabe Howard, is an award-winning writer and speaker who lives with bipolar disorder. He is the author of the popular book, "Mental Illness is an Asshole and other Observations," available from Amazon; signed copies are also available directly from the author. He also hosts the twice Webby honored podcast, Inside Bipolar, with Dr. Nicole Washington. To learn more about Gabe, please visit his website, gabehoward.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    40 mins
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