Inside Mental Health

Men die by suicide at dramatically higher rates than women, accounting for nearly 80% of suicide deaths. Yet many men who are struggling never seek mental health support — and the consequences can be deadly.

On this episode, host Gabe Howard talks with psychiatrist Dr. Sanjay Mathew, board president of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), and Richard Reeves, president of the American Institute for Boys and Men and author of “Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male Is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What to Do About It.”The conversation explores why traditional mental health language and services may not resonate with some men, how anger and irritability can be overlooked warning signs, and why men may be reluctant to seek or continue treatment. They examine the importance of friendship, community, purpose, and feeling needed — and why men may sometimes hold themselves to such high standards that they count themselves out before they even begin.Listeners will learn:


how adjusting the language around mental health may increase engagement among men

why connection and belonging can be critical to men's well-being

how friends and family can help prevent male suicide 

why mental health treatment and therapy are a sign of strength, not weakness


Most importantly, the episode challenges the idea that improving men's mental health means taking anything away from women. The goal, the guests argue, is not either/or — it's helping everyone thrive. Listen now to learn more.

This episode has been sponsored by the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA). 



“I think sending that message to men and perhaps especially to young men, ‘We need you,’ is actually something that as a culture, we're not doing very well now.” ~Richard Reeves, author of “Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male Is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What to Do About It”

Our guest, Richard V. Reeves, is the founder and president of the American Institute for Boys and Men (AIBM). Before founding AIBM in 2023, Reeves was a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. While at Brookings, he focused on policies related to economic inequality, racial justice, social mobility, and boys and men.

Reeves is the author of several books, including “Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male is Struggling, Why it Matters, and What to do About It” and “Dream Hoarders: How the American Upper Class Is Leaving Everyone Else in the Dust, Why That is a Problem, and What to do About It.”

Inspired by his own experiences as a father and policy expert, Reeves founded AIBM to bring awareness to the challenges facing boys and men today and to develop evidence-based solutions.

Our guest, Dr. Sanjay Mathew, is a professor and department head in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences at Texas A&M University’s Naresh K. Vashisht College of Medicine.



Our host, 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. Gabe is also the host of the "Inside Bipolar" podcast with Dr. Nicole Washington.

Gabe makes his home in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. He lives with his supportive wife, Kendall, and a Miniature Schnauzer dog that he never wanted, but now can’t imagine life without. To book Gabe for your next event or learn more about him, please visit gabehoward.com.

What happens when you seemingly have everything — and still don't feel OK?

TOMS Shoes founder Blake Mycoskie opens up about the severe depression that followed his departure from the company he built. What initially felt like a mild depression gradually became a years-long struggle marked by isolation, shame, loss of purpose, relationship difficulties, suicidal thoughts, and a painful disconnection from himself.

Blake also shares his experience of being misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder and taking multiple psychiatric medications before working with a psychiatrist to carefully taper off them. They also explore an uncomfortable question: Have we taught people to expect medication to fix mental health problems in the same way we expect an antibiotic to cure an infection?

Listeners will learn:


Success doesn’t make you immune to depression.

Rock bottom looks different for everyone.

Recovery often requires multiple tools.

Feeling better doesn’t mean you stop doing the work.


Blake ultimately discovered that recovery wasn’t about finding a single solution — it was about reconnecting with himself, finding purpose, and continuing to do the work. Even after feeling better, he still shows up for therapy every week. Listen now to hear Blake’s powerful story of depression, recovery, and learning that there really is no magic pill.



Guest & Host Information:



Blake Mycoskie is best known as the founder of TOMS Shoes and the creator of the One for One movement, which gave over 100 million pairs of shoes to children in need and helped spark a new wave of social entrepreneurship. But behind the global success, he was quietly battling something deeper: the unshakable belief that he was never enough. After selling TOMS, that internal struggle became impossible to ignore. Despite having everything he once believed would bring fulfillment, family, success, community, and financial security, he found himself in a profound depression. At his lowest point, he came close to ending his life. That breaking point led to a life-altering realization: the wound wasn’t external, it was rooted within. And the only way forward was to heal the original lie that he wasn’t enough. From that awakening came his next chapter: ENOUGH. A cultural movement designed to challenge the deeply ingrained belief of “not enough” and reframe how we understand mental health at its core. Through simple but powerful symbols, like the green ENOUGH bracelet, sold in pairs, one to keep and one to give, he invites people to reconnect with a truth that has always been there: I am enough. You are enough. We are enough. Blake is also launching No Magic Pill - a podcast created for those who feel stuck, overwhelmed, or alone. It’s a space for honest, unfiltered conversations about mental health that are both relatable and practical. There’s no agenda, no product to push, and no requirement for a perfect ending. Just truth, shared openly.

This chapter is not just about healing, it’s about rediscovery. Through doing the inner work, Blake reawakened something he thought he had lost - his entrepreneurial spirit. What followed has been a renewed sense of clarity, creativity, and passion. Fueling a level of joy and productivity in his work that surpasses anything he has experienced before. He is now channeling that energy into new ventures as co-founder of Morning Water and Moovlab - brands rooted in wellness, intentional living, and human performance, each reflecting a more aligned and conscious approach to building. Beyond business, Blake is a proud father of two, an avid surfer, and a portrait photographer. He is currently working on a 50th birthday project, traveling to photograph and honor the people who have most shaped his life. Blake lives in Santa Barbara, California, where he continues to build, create, and connect from a place of wholeness rather than lack. His life’s work now sits at the intersection of mental health, creativity, and entrepreneurship, guided by a simple but transformative belief, that embracing our inherent enoughness is the foundation for everything that follows.



Our host, 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. Gabe is also the host of the "Inside Bipolar" podcast with Dr. Nicole Washington.

Gabe makes his home in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. He lives with his supportive wife, Kendall, and a Miniature Schnauzer dog that he never wanted, but now can’t imagine life without. To book Gabe for your next event or learn more about him, please visit gabehoward.com.

If you've ever convinced yourself a headache was a brain tumor or spent hours Googling symptoms only to feel even more anxious, you're not alone.

In this episode, our host sits down with former Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) president Dr. Karen Lynn Cassiday to unpack the difference between usual concern about your health and clinical health anxiety (also known as illness anxiety disorder).

Dr. Cassiday shares practical, evidence-based tools to help you break free from health anxiety, know when self-help is enough, recognize when it's time for therapy, and understand why this condition is highly treatable.

Listeners will learn:


why more medical tests don't always create peace of mind

why online searching often makes health anxiety worse

practical ways to reduce health anxiety without ignoring real medical concerns


Whether you're constantly worried about your own health or watching someone you love manage these fears, this conversation offers reassurance grounded in science — not endless reassurance seeking.

Educational funding for this episode has been provided by the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA).



Our guest, Dr. Karen Cassiday, is a lively, sought-after speaker and commentator on national media such as Nightline, The Today Show, Animal Planet, The Joy Behar Show, Huffington Post, public radio and many more.  She is the host of the Moms Without Worry radio show featured on iHeart Radio. She is a TEDx speaker who shared her personal experience as a mother overcoming her own anxious perfectionism in the middle of Walt Disney World! She is the host of the Moms Without Worry radio show.  She served as the President of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America and is the founder of the Anxiety Treatment Center of Greater Chicago, the longest-running clinic to first use modern exposure-based treatment for anxiety disorders in the Chicago region.  

She is the author of The No Worries Guide to Raising Your Anxious Child and Freedom from Health Anxiety and Helping Children and Teens with Difficult-to-Treat OCD. She has also authored numerous peer-reviewed scientific articles and media articles on overcoming anxiety.

She won the Anxiety and Depression Association of America’s prestigious Clinician of Distinction Award and is a Clinical Fellow of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America.  She is also a Diplomate and Founding Fellow of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy, served as Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Chicago OCD Foundation/Beyond OCD, and has been listed on numerous Who’s Who lists.   She has published numerous scientific articles and articles on parenting and managing anxiety.  She also has a long history training mental health professionals throughout the world.

Dr. Cassiday has five children and two friendly but not so bright dogs.  She loves travel, the outdoors and mental health volunteering.  She attributes her sense of humor to the challenges of being mom, stepmom, and dogmom of a crew of colorful personalities who repeatedly remind her to stay humble.



Our host, 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. Gabe is also the host of the "Inside Bipolar" podcast with Dr. Nicole Washington.

Gabe makes his home in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. He lives with his supportive wife, Kendall, and a Miniature Schnauzer dog that he never wanted, but now can’t imagine life without. To book Gabe for your next event or learn more about him, please visit gabehoward.com.

Can a relationship survive infidelity? It is possible, but recovery isn't as simple as forgiving a cheating partner, staying together, or deciding to walk away.

In this episode, host Gabe Howard talks with licensed professional counselor Dr. Monique Thompson, author of The Infidelity Recovery Workbook for Couples, about what really happens to a relationship — and to a person's sense of self — after an affair.

The conversation also examines what the partner who cheated can do to rebuild trust, why apologies and grand gestures aren't enough, how “living amends” can demonstrate meaningful change, and why past behavior doesn't necessarily guarantee future behavior.

Listeners Will Learn:


Why couples shouldn't rush to stay or leave

Why betrayal can change how you remember the relationship

What the partner who cheated can do to rebuild trust

What forgiveness actually means after an affair

How long infidelity recovery can take


Whether you're trying to recover from infidelity, considering whether to stay, or struggling to understand what happened to your relationship, this conversation offers a compassionate look at healing after betrayal. Listen Now!

Our guest, Dr. Monique Thompson, is a licensed professional counselor, EMDR-trained therapist, and trauma-informed life coach with over 20 years of experience in private practice. She specializes in betrayal trauma, infidelity recovery, depression, anxiety, Bipolar Disorder, and PTSD.

Her work integrates neuroscience, body-based trauma approaches, attachment theory, and parts-based work to help clients restore internal stability, self-trust, and clarity after emotionally destabilizing experiences. Dr. Thompson is known for translating complex psychological science into practical, humane insights that resonate with both clinical and general audiences.

She is the author of a bestselling workbook on infidelity recovery, The Infidelity Recovery Workbook for Couples and is frequently featured as a mental health expert on podcasts, radio, and community education platforms.



Our host, 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. Gabe is also the host of the "Inside Bipolar" podcast with Dr. Nicole Washington.

Gabe makes his home in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. He lives with his supportive wife, Kendall, and a Miniature Schnauzer dog that he never wanted, but now can’t imagine life without. To book Gabe for your next event or learn more about him, please visit gabehoward.com.

Everyone worries. Bills. Family. Health. Work. The future. Anxiety is a normal part of being human—but when does ordinary worry become something more? Something that needs professional intervention? More specifically, when does “everyday anxiety” become Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)?

In this episode, host Gabe Howard sits down with ADAA member expert Ben Eckstein, LCSW, therapist, anxiety specialist, and author of “Worrying Is Optional,” to explain how clinicians distinguish everyday stress from a diagnosable anxiety disorder. You'll learn why worrying isn't the same as problem-solving, why avoiding anxiety often makes it worse, and how evidence-based treatments like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and exposure therapy help people reclaim their lives. 

Listeners Will Learn


The physical symptoms that commonly accompany chronic anxiety

Why avoidance can make anxiety stronger over time

The role of medications like SSRIs and benzodiazepines in treating anxiety disorders

Why worry can feel productive — even though it hardly ever is


Whether you've been diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder, wonder if your anxiety has crossed the line from normal to clinical, or want to better understand someone you care about, this conversation offers practical insights, expert guidance, and hope.

We would like to thank Otsuka for providing educational support for this episode.



Our guest, Ben Eckstein, LCSW, is the owner and director of Bull City Anxiety & OCD Treatment Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.  He's a therapist specializing in the treatment of OCD, Anxiety, and OC-Related Disorders. In addition to his clinical work, Ben is a trainer, speaker, and author of the book, “Worrying is Optional.” 

Our host, 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. Gabe is also the host of the "Inside Bipolar" podcast with Dr. Nicole Washington.

Gabe makes his home in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. He lives with his supportive wife, Kendall, and a Miniature Schnauzer dog that he never wanted, but now can’t imagine life without. To book Gabe for your next event or learn more about him, please visit gabehoward.com.