Discover more from Depresh Mode
This newsletter is free. I think Substack would rather I charge you money, which is understandable and not what I wish to do. But it does take time and effort to provide the world with the newsletter and the Depresh Mode podcast.
If this enterprise can’t raise enough money from listeners/readers, I swear to God, I’ll turn this show around. Don’t think I won’t, mister. If you’ve already donated, thank you. If not, go here, pick a level that works for you, then select DEPRESH MODE from the list of shows. And thank you.
Depresh Mode moves to a new social neighborhood
As I explained on Facebook in our Preshies group today, frankly, I can't rationalize staying on Twitter any longer so I left and so did Depresh Mode. A place full of such cruelty, hatred, lies, trolling, and mental corrosion felt like no place for a mental health podcast that relies on vulnerability and honesty.
I like BlueSky a lot so far! It’s smarter and nicer.
The Swifties, as they always do, are following us.
You can now find our show account at https://bsky.app/profile/depreshmode.bsky.social.
I'm on there too as https://bsky.app/profile/johnmoe.bsky.social
Our Preshies group on Facebook remains strong and available. Good people there, a good hang.
Youngmi Mayer on the podcast
Our guest on Depresh Mode this week is the comedian Youngmi Mayer, author of a new memoir, I’m Laughing Because I’m Crying.
Youngmi Mayer says she hates doing research but, in our conversation and in her new memoir I’m Laughing Because I’m Crying, she does a lot of digging into the events of her life and what they all meant. Youngmi grew up in Saipan and Korea, the daughter of a Korean mother and a White American father, and had to deal with discrimination, harassment, and abuse. Later on, she moved to America with $700 in her pocket and no real plan in order to escape an abusive relationship and had to find a path that included a place of prominence in the restaurant scene, a life of comedy, and a severe depressive disorder.
One of my favorite moments in this episode is right before the first break when we’re talking about a section in the book when Youngmi’s mother wanted to meet a husband who looked like, “the lead singer of the BeeGees”. I ask about why she wanted to meet a Barry Gibb lookalike and Youngmi didn’t know who that was. She had simply not looked up the name of that singer.
Calls to LGBTQ mental health crisis line increased 700% after election
Because of course they did.
The Trevor Project saw an overall 700 percent increase in calls, texts and chats compared to prior weeks. The organization offers a lifeline via phone, online chat or text to LGBTQ+ youth who struggle with thoughts of depression, self-harm or suicide while navigating coming out to their families or facing discrimination. Right now, the services are experiencing long hold times at an especially vulnerable time for LGBTQ+ people.
These pleas for help are not happening in a vacuum. They are the result of a political environment that has brought transphobia into the political mainstream, especially from Trump’s campaign. The former president’s campaign spent over $20 million on ads portraying trans people as harmful to society or attacking Vice President Kamala Harris’ support of trans people. Trump has pledged to enact extreme anti-LGBTQ+ policies in his second term, such as attempting to charge teachers with sex discrimination for affirming students’ gender identities. Some of his proposals mimic state anti-LGBTQ+ laws that have gone into effect in the past few years.
Maybe you ruminate because of how your brain is built
Maybe you can’t simply stop ruminating. You’d like to, of course, geez, who wouldn’t, but maybe it’s not as easy as that. Maybe when people say, “Think positive!” as a cure for rumination, they’re actually, kind of, you know, full of shit.
That’s what some new research is showing.
Researchers found that people who tend to ruminate have structural differences in a region of the brain called the precuneus, which seems closely tied to other brain areas involved in memory, self-focus, and attention. These findings suggest that rumination in depression may stem from how various brain networks interact rather than isolated brain regions.
Depression can vary widely in its effects, but many people with depression experience rumination—repetitive, self-focused thoughts on negative experiences, which can worsen the condition. Since previous research linked certain brain regions with depression-related symptoms, this study aimed to clarify which brain areas might be specifically associated with rumination. Understanding these relationships could help develop more targeted treatments for depression, particularly for individuals who experience severe or prolonged rumination.
Matt Braunger on Sleeping with Celebrities
The veteran comedian talks about Taylor Swift’s mid-career middle-aged man albums Evermore and Folklore.
We hope the search engines, constantly hunting for yet more Taylor Swift content to satisfy users, appreciate our optimization just as much as veteran comedian Matt Braunger appreciates the T-Swizzle albums Evermore and Folklore. Matt finds these releases, which are far less poppy and boppy than her other works, to be a perfect accompaniment for a long road trip or just being pensive and sensitive around the house. Listen to Matt extol their virtues as you drift off to sleep and shake the wakefulness off.