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On the podcast: Devendra Banhart
I had a wide ranging and fascinating conversation with the musician and painter Devendra Banhart for the podcast this week. I knew his music, the style of which has been described as freak folk, psychedelic folk, and new weird America. It’s eclectic and it really sucks you into its world in the best way possible. I knew his latest album, Flying Wig, had elements of depression and sadness in it, maybe even at its foundation, so I was curious to talk with him. But I didn’t know much about Devendra himself.
Turns out there’s a lot to know. We had a great talk about the internal negative voice that he has. You know the one, maybe you have it too. The one that tells you you’re a big sucky loser no matter what you try. We talk about the possible roots that voice has in a traumatic experience with his biological father when Devendra was a baby.
We talk about songwriting quite a bit as well. We discuss Devendra’s decision to burn a career’s worth of notebooks recently rather than save them for posterity. And we talk about me. More than I expected. We talk about the show and my voice and my own trauma, again, way more than I really anticipated going into the interview. So tune in for this one.
The mental health effects of climate change
There have been plenty of studies on the impact of things like hurricanes or fires on the mental well being of people directly affected by them. Now a Harvard professor is digging what happens as a result of slower moving developments in climate.
We already know a lot about the mental health effects of climate-related disasters like hurricanes and wildfires. Now, the most urgent research priority is to understand the mechanisms through which slower-moving aspects of climate change such as temperature variability, ecosystem shifts, and changes in precipitation affect mental health. This is the first step toward understanding when and where we need to intervene with prevention, health care, and policy responses.
Prof. Christy Denckla has a new paper in the journal Nature Mental Health all about this. I wonder if professors also stay up all night finishing their papers.
I can talk to you if you want me to
One of my favorite things to do in the world is travel places to give speeches. I have spoken to community groups, corporations, schools, and just about everywhere else. A fun run, once. Another time at the Carter Center in Atlanta. I give speeches about mental health and wellness, delayed covid trauma, the optimism I have for fighting mental health stigma, and more. The speeches are well-received, judging from the rave feedback I’ve been receiving. Perhaps you would like me to come talk to your group? It’s easy to arrange! Just visit Collective Speakers and get in touch with my friends there.
The silent battles
You always hear the thing about how it’s important to be kind to people because everyone is facing a battle you know nothing about. An article in Psychology Today tries to tell you about some of those battles.
1. To Continue Through Intense Fear
I have treated at least 100 people living with anxiety disorders like panic disorder and generalized anxiety. Often, these fear-based states create invisible barriers. Morning anxiety magnifies the difficulty of leaving home for work or school. Similarly, riding through social anxiety often means facing discomfort. The treatment for anxiety disorders often involves a level of exposure to one's fears. This in and of itself can be a fight. Yet, it is one worth taking on. Through psychotherapy, it is possible to overcome the fences anxiety places on our lives so that we can move toward what matters to us.
On Sleeping with Celebrities: Jason Pargin
Tune in and drop off to sleep!
Jason Pargin has taken care of writing seven novels, including John Dies at the End and the new Zoey Is Too Drunk For This Apocalypse. But he’s only taken care of one pet bunny rabbit and his name was Rico. Rico the rabbit. Jason explains to us, at sleep-inducing length and snoozable levels of detail, some of the myths and facts about bunny husbandry, including that you shouldn’t feed them carrots but you should expect them to be surprisingly furious if you put a paper plate in their cage. Bunny rabbits are good pets, don’t get me wrong, but you just have to know about them and what better time to learn than right now at bedtime?
This week on the podcast was invaluable. I’ve struggled with my father’s suicide and my depression quietly for so long. It was amazing to hear someone else say what I’ve wished I could say. I want what I make to be a celebration and what I hide to be seen and loved. I will be listening again and again because I’ve so much to learn.