Venus and Her Lover: buy the book here, visit the site here. Rebecca Tzigany returns to Light & Shadows as she says goodbye to Vilcabamba and as we begin releasing our content regularly, every Friday. We hope you continue to get to know us every Friday, leading up to the release of our Pilot Epic (episode) on 20 December, 2024. This is a public epi…

Nykia Herron Ash is a U.S. expat living in England who decidedly answers the call to help people, whether through reiki work or in the nail salon. We discuss the unlearning necessary for relearning authentic ways, Nykia’s empowering perspective on anxiety and our perspectives on fear and faith. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss…

Links: * Wayra Vibra Instagram * Catherine’s Instagram * Please Pass the Bliss * People of the Sun This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit reiman.substack.comAv Reiman Bledsoe

Links: * Zeus the Husky channel and video: * Hofstede Cultural Analysis: the three countries discussed, the general tool. * The Authentic Observer youtube channel. * Cultural Map of the United States. * The book that the map is based on. * Documentary called Quantum Communication / Mind Science Kept Hidden: * Autobiographical stuff.co.nz article se…

Please enjoy this (possibly final) episode of Redeeming Disorder, featuring my first friend in my new home (Vilcabamba, Ecuador), Maya Choi. Maya has lived quite an adventurous life, growing up in Korea, spending over a decade in New York City and living now in Ecuador, where she’s also been for over a decade. Her experiences shifting between cultu…

On this World Mental Health Day, I'm joined by my partner Kailey to reflect on anxieties, bad habits and True Love. ~ Links from the Episode: Video of Our Conversation on YouTube Video of Our Conversation on BitChute Rapper Played in Background for a Minute ~ If you have a story or perspective you’d like to share on the podcast, feel free to tell m…

Phil Larstone has always felt a deep calling to steward the earth, and it's here in southern Ecuador that he ultimately actualized that calling, renewing a hectare of land into fertile, biodiverse and beautiful permaculture. In this interview he takes us through his journey of mental health and connection to nature — from suicidal college student, …

In this special Summer Solstice + Father’s Day solo-cast, I ramble (on and on) about permaculture, my Ecuadorian digs, my life purpose and my spiritual path. Feel free to tune out of this chronicle of unwieldy personal musings, or to stop listening at any time! For those who are interested, I delve into some of the particular challenges, vulnerabil…

Ṣadé Kammen has struggled with neurodivergence all her life, but what she now identifies as depression, anxiety and autism spectrum disorder weren't taken seriously by her family. Though she struggled to feel understood growing up, she went on to become a strong mental health advocate at Yale, and today fights for those dealing with mental disorder…

Frank Ferrare’s mental health struggles began in adolescence, but a combination of stigma and confusion extended them well into adulthood. The death of a close grandparent led to depression, which began a chain reaction of one ramification leading to another — depression medication, shame around medication, misuse of medication, shame around mental…

Nikki Moon has survived a full gamut of severe challenges, including issues with sleep, physical health, mental health and trauma. Specifically, she suffered one of the most devastating traumas a person can face — an incident of sexual assault and rape. Whatever the obstacle, however, Nikki turns pain into power: From her narcolepsy and cataplexy s…

Welcome back to Redeeming Disorder. Happy full "supermoon." May we make it to May. 😊 Jonas Otsuji competed on Survivor: One World a decade ago. The deep depression he recalls, however, became a challenge for him long before reality TV, and continued to challenge him after the show. Jonas speaks to the factors that made the challenge even harder – j…

Nicole Moore survived a devastating 2013 tornado in Moore, Oklahoma (yes, she is Nicole Moore from Moore). Sadly, her childhood home didn't, and a whirlwind of family struggles prolonged the intense stress she was under. The tornado and its aftermath ultimately amounted to a battle with PTSD, the awareness of which Nicole advocates during our inter…

Despite the past month's MIA-ness, rest assured that more Redeeming Disorder is to come. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit reiman.substack.comAv Reiman Bledsoe

Michael McRay came to know shame in early childhood, and it nearly killed him. In this episode of Redeeming Disorder, he bravely shares the story of his close encounter with death, and of the immense outpouring of love he found after attempting suicide. Michael's vulnerability gives me the courage to finally share that I was suicidal for a period o…

Devon VillaCampa returns to the podcast to update us on his artistic and mental health journeys. Not only does he reflect on what he's been through, but he reflects on how reflections themselves change with age — how his perspective evolved in the 1.5 years between appearances on the podcast. Devon finds newfound freedom as he gets older, and newfo…

Today we catch up with another previous Redeeming Disorder guest, AJ Mass, who unfortunately lost both his mother and his mother-in-law in the year before this interview. The discussion of that challenge quickly turns into an abstract and philosophical discussion of life, aging, belief and truth. Connect with Reiman: Redeeming Disorder listeners wh…

Researcher and clinical psychology PhD Amanda Rabinowitz returns to Redeeming Disorder to talk psychiatry, dive deeper into therapeutic techniques (especially CBT and its behavioral activation offshoots) and contemplate a number of murky dichotomies within her field: Nature vs. Nurture Categorical vs. Dimensional Thinking Suppression of vs. Identif…

Eric Maisel is a psychotherapist, a PhD in counseling psychology, a creativity coach, and the author of over fifty published books. While I first discovered him through his “Rethinking Mental Health” blog for Psychology Today, his education and work in the field span back far before that — far before I was diagnosed with depression at ten years old…

We're back to interviews on Redeeming Disorder! Guided meditations 1-12 will remain up on the podcast for your use whenever you like, and in the meantime, it feels good to get back to real stories of mental disorder. Today's story is a special one whose subject matter hits home for me: Todd Herzog's struggle as an alcoholic. Todd shares the unsung …

You did it! Congrats on graduating from this 12-day meditation challenge. Review what you learned anytime through this final meditation tying it all together. I’m wishing you love and well-being in both practice and life. Support Redeeming Disorder by contributing to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/redeeming-disorder This is a public e…

This meditation’s opening quote is from the Pirkei Avot of the Rabbinic Jewish tradition. It is also the last opening quote of the meditation series, as tomorrow's final episode will be 'practice-only.' Turning the page to 2021, I'm wishing you the best in practice, and the best in life! Support Redeeming Disorder by contributing to their Tip Jar: …

Today we deepen our practice into one of open, "choiceless" awareness. As you’ve learned in 10 days, attention is a wildly unstable force, and we don’t always get to choose where it goes. In life and in practice, the light of our attention will shine unpredictably on object after object. Can we "choicelessly" accept whatever emerges from the dark? …

Begin coming into your own practice and making your own choices! You will choose 1) your primary object of attention; 2) your use of mental noting techniques; and 3) the degree of openness in your practice. Today I guide you into guiding yourself; tomorrow we take your self-directed practice to a new frontier: Open Awareness. This meditation’s open…

Where, in your body, do you feel like the ‘you’ is? Your head? Heart? Gut? We continue deeper into embodied practice today, working with exercises of touch points, precise attention and body scans. This meditation’s opening quote is from Luke 17:21 of the Holy Bible. Support Redeeming Disorder by contributing to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast…

When you're with a physical sensation, you're with the present moment. Today we start working with a new and simple (but powerful) technique: Body Scanning. This meditation’s opening quote is from the Bhagavad Gita. Support Redeeming Disorder by contributing to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/redeeming-disorder This is a public episode…

This challenging meditation marks the halfway point in our 12-day meditation challenge. For the first time, we use primary objects of attention (a.k.a. "anchors" of attention) other than the breath! The opening quote is from the 17th century French mathematician, philosopher and Catholic theologian, Blaise Pascal. Support Redeeming Disorder by cont…

Mental Notes: ~ Feeling, Hearing, Seeing, Smelling, Tasting. ~ Thinking (including "analyzing," "remembering," "imagining," etc.). ~ In (or "rising," or alternative). ~ Out (or "falling," or alternative). ~ This meditation’s opening (and closing) haiku is from the 17th century Zen monk and poet, Matsuo Basho. Support Redeeming Disorder by contribut…

In the practice of Metta, or Loving-Kindness, we wish goodwill toward ourselves, toward others, and ultimately toward all beings. This meditation’s opening quote is from Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, a Hindu guru of nondualism. May all beings be happy. ❤️ Support Redeeming Disorder by contributing to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/redeemi…

Can you see a thought as a thought? Today we introduce the technique of “mental noting” to create some space from our thoughts. This helps us see a thought for what it is — an ephemeral something-or-other that comes and goes, and doesn’t need to be a problem! This meditation’s opening quote is from a film called the Samadhi Movie, which I tweeted o…

Learn a basic but powerful concentration technique: Counting Breaths. By counting the breaths, we can cut off the momentum of the trains of thought that pull us away, invite a sense of calm, and establish the conditions necessary for insight. Support Redeeming Disorder by contributing to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/redeeming-disord…

Begin your journey with this simple 10-minute meditation about being here, now, with this — the breath. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit reiman.substack.comAv Reiman Bledsoe

There has never been a better time to start meditating than right now. It's no panacea cure for mental disorder, but meditation can transform your consciousness and your experience of the world. In this 12-Day Meditation Challenge, we start from square one; Guided Meditation 1 is an easeful 10-minute introduction. The lengths of our meditations wil…

A teacher’s true impact on the world isn’t seen directly, and isn’t measured. It exists instead abstractly, as a butterfly effect projecting through the lives of students they’ve guided. In Cullen’s and my case, this guidance was in sophomore year U.S. History. Yet, it also extended beyond the classroom, in large part thanks to the unconventional c…

I met Nate Schorr right after Redeeming Disorder’s first episode; he reached out after hearing me on RHAP (Rob Has a Podcast) because, for him, it was something like two worlds colliding — he was a Survivor fan who also happened to work for one the largest grassroots mental health organization in the world: NAMI. NAMI stands for the “National Allia…

Laura Bocianski was my co-host at the start of Redeeming Disorder, and in this 2018 conversation, she returns to the podcast to share her story in greater depth. Be sure to check out Laura's brand new podcast, Invisible Lions! Invisible Lions Podcast: https://www.lauraboach.com/invisible-lions-podcast "Monkeys Pay Per View" Research Paper: https://…

Olivia joins me on the podcast to combine two powerful perspectives ― that of a psychiatric nurse, and that of a young woman who's seen mental disorder around her since childhood. She speaks to the struggles of her patients, of her family and of herself, and covers a multitude of topics: Mental health in the LGBTQ community, media depictions of men…

Since even before her 2016 TED talk (link below), Lauren has been on a journey of self-discovery, awareness and acceptance. She has built a resilience and introspection through struggles with self-harm as a teenager and with her mental health in general. She's gained a lot of perspective through the difficulty, and now shares her journey ― relives …

“I’m not against medication; I’m against medication being positioned as a commercial where there’s a dark cloud over you, you take a pill, and then the sunlight comes out and it’s this miracle pill. Because of those commercials, I spent two and a half years lying in a bed. I wasted two and a half years of my life in hell, chasing a new pill.” — Eri…

Lindsay Bebout has been navigating identity, amidst mental disorders and diagnoses, from a young age. Her parents divorced when she was eight, and the mental health journey that followed saw her go to therapy (by force as a child and by choice as an adult) and contend with many labels: Impulsivity, hyperactivity, ADHD, anxiety, panic attacks, mood …

"All disease starts in the Gut." — Hippocrates, the 'father of modern medicine.' Whether you're curious about fasting and crazy life-on-mars experiments, or looking for an opportunity to revamp your diet and improve your health, there's something for everyone here. Steven Gundry, per his bestselling book "The Plant Paradox," is a cum laude graduate…

Brice Izyah has brightened the mental health of countless people in social work, at a psychiatric hospital and on the national suicide prevention lifeline. In this conversation we discuss human connection, Brice’s people-first approach to his work and the mental health challenges of social media and Survivor. The episode begins with Brice interview…

Welcome to the living room! This candid, vulnerable conversation with Erika De La Cruz covers the many unique challenges Erika has faced and overcome on her journey. From childhood depression / anxiety, to coping with her mom's homelessness, to living through anxiety attacks and breakdowns, Erika has weathered severe mental health storms. She becam…

Join me for this unwieldy conversation about intensive meditation, spiritual paths, the history of medicine, psychiatry, psychedelics, psychedelics-gone-wrong, metaphysics, epistemology and essentially everything. To make it just a little more 'wieldy,' check out the time stamps at the end of the show notes. If anyone is up for such a wild conversa…

"You are not alone, and this is not the end of your story."These are words that the nonprofit, TWLOHA, and its founder, Jamie Tworkowski say over and over to their audiences. Since beginning his journey with mental health advocacy in 2006, Jamie has learned a thing or two about how to share hope with others and how to get help when you need it. Lis…

Stigma, is a word that Nick Becker has dealt with most of his life, especially surrounding mental illness. As a spoken word artist, Nick leads his audience through this stigma to raise awareness and empathy around mental disorders. Listen in as Nick shares about his life, and performs some of his most popular works. This is a public episode. If you…

Is the medical world correct to diagnose and treat mental illness? As controversial as this question is, this week's guest, Eric Maisel tackles this subject head on, and his views might surprise you. Eric is a former family and marriage therapist, frequent Psychology Today contributor, and renowned creativity coach. Suffice it to say, he's an exper…

We all know that signing up for a reality show is pretty crazy. But signing up for the CBS Survivor reality show takes it all to another level- something that Hannah Shapiro of Survivor Season 33 has in common with our very own, Spencer Bledsoe. Not only did Hannah make it far into her season, she was also vulnerable and talked about her anxiety. L…

Feel misunderstood? At some point or another, we all do. And that’s why Suzanne Stabile, an author, teacher, and Enneagram master is so passionate about helping people do internal work. This interview is a little different because we talk less about specific mental disorders, and more about the complexity of human beings. You won’t want to miss Suz…

"Shame never works," says Ian Cron when asked about self-awareness and inner-transformation. As an Episcopal priest, psychotherapist, Enneagram expert, and a person who's openly dealt with addiction, Ian speaks from a long list of life experiences. How can we learn to accept ourselves and others in the midst of pain and suffering? How can we use me…