Category: Mental Health

Miles and Crawford Variety Hour

Hey guys, Ren here with a podcast review.

I am in love with this podcast! Two amazing women run this podcast. Miles and Crawford take on the topics that many people do not talk about. They use language, terms and words that are needed. They pull no punches. Miles and Crawford have their opinions and share them openly. They have viewpoints they can and do defend.

As a woman, I found this podcast refreshing. Our hostesses tackle everything from women specific medical issues, ICE and politics. They handle these topics with candor and a bit of a comedy (when appropriate). They don’t insult the audience, but they will call people out on there bs.

Onto the episodes I listened to (though I listened to more but picked these)

The first one I listened to and fell in love with was the episode where Miles interviews Rachel Miller. Now, excuse me but this episode changed my life. The ladies discussed many things close to my heart among them domestic violence and being a mom. I laughed with them, nodded a lot and even teared up as these women talked about their lives and past.

How did they change your life? They both talked about how working with and managing teens is a responsibility and not awful. I have a job where I am working with teens more and more, I suffer with the relating to them. I adore kids of all ages, but teens are a whole other species. When they talked of teaching them about respect, time management and taking the time to be there for them it clicked. My favorite book is “On Becoming a Person” by Carl Rogers and he tells us to meet people where they are and that was my motto. I forgot that until these ladies reminded me. Thank YOU!

They talk politics in one podcast and I learned to see things from more angles and to listen. I won’t get into that in this review because I want you to listen and to learn too. Their discussion shows respects and that we as women are complicated beautiful people. The talk about #metoo #timesup and #himtoo had me thinking about my views and positions for a few days. I love when that happens.

This podcast isn’t just doom and gloom. I hope I didn’t make it seem that way. I had quite a few huge laughs about cats, kids and drinking. Listening to Miles and Crawford is a bit like sitting down with your best girlfriends and talking about anything and everything in a non-judgement zone. Go listen!

Yikes! The Podcast

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Yikes! The Podcast is a weekly podcast that talks about “failure in every possible category”. From weird Tinder profiles, to the absolute asshat that was Elliot Rodger.

 

Maddy has a super sweet, upbeat, honest and candid disposition which immediately captures the listeners heart. Maddy is active on Twitter at @Yikes_podcast and is very easy to talk to/get along with if you consider reaching out after listening!

 

My personal favourite episodes, as a true crime buff, were the five installments on Elliot Rodger, the ultimate failure. Now, if you do enjoy true crime, you’ve likely heard about the atrocities he committed but they are only the END of his story. Maddy reads and breaks down Elliot’s massive manifesto to  try to pinpoint the exact moment he became who he was. You get the entire “before” story. It’s definitely much more digestible in podcast form.

 

Every single one of us can relate to experiencing failure or slip ups or set backs. Yikes! Shows you that not only is failure absolutely okay, it is possible to overcome it and let it help you grow. You know, unless like Elliot, you choose not to learn.

 

If you’re looking for a lighter topic, I really enjoyed the Tinder Edition, where we get to swipe left and right with Maddy as she goes through profiles of both gorgeous, intelligent women, and men looking for extramarital affairs, as well as people who have weirdly cropped profile photos. When I say weird, I mean weird. How much can YOU tell about a man from a picture of his ear?

 

Maddy also includes songs at the ends of her episodes which are so unique and beautifully sung by her. They’re a good comfort and pick-me-up after some challenging but entertaining topics.

 

Episodes are each about 20 minutes, so they’re the sweet spot for not-too-long-not-too-short. Great for a ride to work, waiting at the doctors or whenever you get the urge to listen!

 

I definitely recommend giving Yikes! a listen the next time you’re looking for something new.

 

People Are Wild

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How and where do I even start?

 

People Are Wild is a podcast hosted by Kim, a traveling ER nurse with a hell of a lot of stories to tell. You’d be surprised (or maybe not?) what people get stuck where.

 

People Are Wild goes from 0-10 in a minute. You laugh and cringe through some episodes, others you find yourself taking notes on what NOT to do when you get bitten by a snake (I.e. don’t bring it into the ER with you!), and next thing you know, you’re in tears, feeling all the feels and pretending you just have really bad allergies to… your stapler… because you’re at work and you were not prepared.

 

Kim is incredibly well spoken, kind, charming (in the non-serial killer way), funny and intelligent. You’ll find it hard not to binge listen to multiple episodes in a day which would seem overwhelming given some of the topics but, honestly, it’s so engrossing that you won’t want to stop.

 

As you can expect, Kim has a bunch of five star ratings, and from what I can tell her listeners are from all walks of life. ER nurses, true crime fans, people looking to educate themselves, and others looking to be entertained. Whatever your desire, you’ll likely have it filled by this podcast.

 

Episodes are usually 30 minutes to around an hour long, so you’re set for your daily commute or a long work day.

 

Kim is active on Twitter at @peoplearewild and she just got back from Burning Man, so I’m hoping for some war stories to come! She is very interactive on Twitter and always has good advice or a quirky tale so I recommend both subscribing to the podcast and following her Twitter.

 

Comment below with your wildest ER tales or your favourite episode!

 

Daddy-Less Issues

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Hi everyone! It’s Sarah, with another review. I’m so excited to say that reviewing for Promote the Podcasts is helping me to discover so many brilliant podcasts I might not otherwise have found. The one I am about to tell you about is one of those. I hope you’ll give it a shot, as well! 

Daddy-Less Issues is hosted by Chanel and Amber, two female comedians who happen to be orphans. Daddy-Less Issues discusses what is still a somewhat taboo or uncomfortable topic for a lot of people, growing up without one or both parents. 

This podcast is best started at episode one, where the hosts introduce themselves and tell their stories. They speak so honestly with each other, and you can feel the connection between these women. A lot of the material is pretty heavy, because living as an orphan is a pretty heavy deal. Both of my parents grew up without fathers, my Dad lost his father at 3 and my mother at about 11, and while it doesn’t define who they are, it is a BIG part of who they are and how they grew into the people they are today. This is something that the hosts reiterate throughout the show. Being an orphan doesn’t define you, like in fiction and film, it doesn’t turn you into a villain or a hero, it isn’t your entire life, but it does shape you. 

Chanel and Amber share tales of how they persevered, how they overcame, and how they dealt with their losses. I guarantee you will cry but you will laugh and you absolutely will relate. 

On a more technical side, the sound quality slays from the first episode. How do people manage that?! It took me a few goes to get it right, personally, but these women have it locked down. Their reviews are positive, their reach is vast and the purpose is apparent. 

This is an incredibly important podcast. Whether you’re an orphan, you know an orphan, or you just want to understand other peoples’ experiences and hear some real-life content, you will love this podcast. 

Oh, they also have an ending segment where they speak to their younger selves, or ask guests what they would tell their own younger self. And they talk about their favourite fictional orphans. Harry Potter is one of my favourites, as well, personally. #orphanmagic 

I can’t wait to continue seeing these women thrive and grow throughout the podcast and in life outside of entertainment. 

Keep on keeping on, ladies!

Pretend Radio

Hey guys! Ren here with another podcast review:

This week I have had the pleasure of listening to “Pretend Radio”. This podcast is amazing. It combines two of my favorite things: True Crime and Documentaries. Our fearless host, Javier, goes out of his way to be fair and thorough with his topics. He also does a wide array of topics. Now, let’s talk about some episodes!

His first episode I listened to is his first. This episode is part of a three part series about a self-proclaimed Prophet entitled “The Prophet”. Javier talked with someone who “escaped” the religion which has several hallmarks of a cult. The story was sad and frightening, but our host handled it with care and intelligence. The last part he talked with and played sound bites of people still in the religion. Javier even tried to talk to the Prophetess herself. Sadly, she didn’t acquiesce to his requests.

After enjoying those episodes immensely I tuned into his latest podcast episode, “The Jolly Roger Social Club”. I cannot put into words what a wild ride that story is to listen to and realize it’s a true story. Tune in for yourself. It is shocking tale of criminality run wild. I think you’ll be on the edge of your seats when you realize what exactly happened.

The next podcast episode is another multi episode podcast this time a two parter…”The Gambler”. If “Jolly Roger” makes you wonder about the world today, this one will break your heart. This story had me cheering for a child that suffered such a horrible experience then crying about this amazing story ended. I wanted to hug the woman who was used and basically abused. You will smile and probably cry, but it’s worth it.

I normally only list three episodes(I listen to many more). In this instance I am making an exception for “The Reporter”. This episode is about the on-air shooting of a reporter, her camera person and the person she was interviewing. You may remember this story as it was all over the news when it happened.

Javier worked with the shooter years before he decided to kill two people and wound another on air and using Facebook as a way to share his own story of murder. This episode is the one that made me realize that our host cares about all his stories. This was a personal story, yet he was professional and let the listener come along as he tried to reconcile the man he knew with the one who killed two people and then himself. Javier didn’t take advantage nor did it feel like he was using this episode to get reviews or downloads. As a listener, I felt he was trying to bring a new angle to this story.

All in all, this is an amazing podcast that I highly recommend. The episodes are usually around twenty minutes so it’s easy to binge and catch up!

We’re All Mad Here

Whoo, first post! Let’s do this.

Today, I’m going to talk about a podcast that is very near and dear to my heart. It’s a newer podcast – We’re All Mad Here. There are several reasons I really love this podcast, so let’s get into that, shall we?

We’re All Mad Here is a podcast about the history of mental health and the practices around treating disorders such as depression, the history of mental institutions, and more interesting information pertaining to the psychology field.

Rachel is very well spoken and articulate in the delivery of this information, and it shows that she really does her research and cares about this podcast. Her delivery of the information and the inflection in her voice is also both intriguing and soothing – it’s not stressful to listen to, but it’s still going to capture your attention and hold you there.

My particularly favorite episode is episode number nine: Rosemary Made All the Difference. I was amazed at all of the background about Rosemary Kennedy that I didn’t know. People don’t really discuss much of the (mis)treatment of Rosemary. Rachel provides a pretty detailed look into Rosemary’s life, for better and for worse.

We’re All Mad Here has ten five-star ratings/reviews on iTunes. There are also a plethora of reviews from other places, such as Twitter and Facebook, all sporting very positive ratings.

I myself have left a five star rating as well, because I am enamored by this podcast, the topics, and how wonderful Rachel is. Not only is the podcast itself really great, but the interaction with listeners is also frequent and delightful. I honestly cannot say enough good things about this podcast, and that says a lot, because I don’t really find a lot of things this enjoyable.

Keep doing what you’re doing, because it’s working. And it’s working well!

Visit the website, allmadpod.com. Follow the podcast on Twitter. Support the podcast by donating to the Patreon page.