Crazy Together
If you’re sick and tired of listening to the negative talk track playing in your head, then why not listen to us instead? We are Marcus and Esme O’Kayvius (not our real names), a married, neurodivergent couple with a lot of experience managing our own mental health issues while raising a daughter and navigating the dystopic hellscape that is corporate America. Join us each week as we discuss trending mental health issues and explore how they impact our health and wellness. We’ll also examine the myths and misconceptions associated with mental health and what we can do about them. Visit our website: crazytogetherpod.com
Episodes
In this episode, Marcus and Esme try to answer the question, “how is it that people are capable of being so cruel to one another?” Drawing on philosopher David Livingstone Smith’s groundbreaking work, they explore how political leaders, military institutions, and propagandists have learned to tap into some of our most primal instincts to overcome our sense of compassion and empathy through the process of dehumanization. Smith shows...
In this week’s Hyperfocus Bonus, Esme shares an observation from a recent classroom experience and links it to memories from her past. Marcus, sadly, jumps to offering solutions where none were requested. For his part, Marcus explains how an offhand reference in last week’s Hyperfocus Bonus has lingered in his mind and taken on a life of its own. Will he be able to set these thoughts aside, or will he follow them all the way to Bro...
In this episode, Marcus and Esme explore the concept(?), practice(?), theory(?) of mindfulness. What is it? Why can it be a helpful tool for regulating heightened nervous systems? They discuss its roots as part of the Noble Eightfold Path in the Buddhist religion, how it became popular in Western culture, and then dive into what might be considered the darker side of “Mindfulness”—the co-opted capitalist version that uses it as a l...
In this week’s Hyperfocus Bonus, Marcus and Esme celebrate the dawn of a new era where Irish actors get to use their own accents in sci-fi/fantasy movies and tv shows. Also, Esme shares an update about her own adventures in the real world.
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Our theme music
Marcus and Esme dive into one of the most misunderstood—and emotionally loaded—topics in mental health: going no contact. What is it? Why do people do it? And why is everyone from Oprah to your uncle suddenly talking about it like it’s a generational crisis?
Esme opens up about her own experiences, while she and Marcus break down the difference between self‑isolation and no contact, explore the many forms it can take (from low cont...
In this week’s Hyperfocus Bonus, Marcus and Esme tell the story of Milli Vanilli, a R&B/Eurodance duo who took the world by storm in the late 80s/early 90s, only to lose it all when it was revealed they couldn’t actually sing. Is it a tale of avarice and deception, or a parable about the importance of proportionate accountability? Oh, wait. I’m just now reading the title. Got it – it’s the second one. You should still listen to...
In this episode, Marcus and Esme scratch the surface of AI’s impact on mental health: the wedge of isolation it’s driving between individuals (particularly children) and their families/friends in the name of engagement; the impact of its parroted empathy; its unregulated pervasiveness in our culture; and the risks it poses as a possible “tool” in the mental health space. They reflect on their own past mental health crises, and posi...
In this week’s much delayed Hyperfocus Bonus, Esme is out with a stomach bug, and Marcus details his heroic efforts tending to his sickly wife and daughter. He also proposes a simple solution for freeing up some of the federal funding needed to create a better health care system.
Visit our website: crazytogetherpod.com
Support us on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/C0C216B887
Contact us: https://www.crazytogetherpod.com/contact
Our theme...
While the future is unknown, one thing seems pretty clear - 2026 is going to be a weird, wild, and, quite possibly, very stupid year. To help them manage their own anxious feelings about the near future, Marcus and Esme decided to practice some “positive anticipation” strategies in an effort to have some things to look forward to in 2026. They also share some tips and tricks that can help you identify your own list of things to loo...
In this week's episode, Marcus and Esme celebrate the holiday season by replaying a holiday -themed fan favorite from earlier in the year (episode 9: Gratitude, but not in a woo-woo kind of way). They also share some updates and issue a few corrections related to last Friday’s episode. Are the updates related to biker-gang activity in Delco during the 70s? There’s only one way to find out.
Visit our website: crazytogetherpod.com
In this week’s Hyperfocus Bonus, Marcus and Esme pay tribute to Rob Reiner. They discuss how unfortunate it is that we often don’t take time to appreciate the impact some artists have on us while they’re still alive, and they reflect upon how the peak of Reiner’s career aligned so perfectly with their formative years.
Visit our website: crazytogetherpod.com
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Contact us: https://www...
It’s time for another Movie Night! Marcus and Esme, having recently rewatched the romantic-ish comedy Punch-Drunk Love (2002), sit down to discuss its depiction of mental illness and social anxiety. They also attempt to answer the question, “What happens when a fancy pants director (Paul Thomas Anderson – Magnolia, There Will Be Blood, One Battle After Another) joins forces with an actor (Adam Sandler) who, at the time, seemed bett...
In this week’s Hyperfocus Bonus, Marcus and Esme bemoan the time management and merchandising requirements imposed upon them by a seasonal decorative item. Marcus explains how having a BA in English often interferes with one’s ability to just enjoy things, and Esme shares a few more examples of sanity-saving content she turns to when the news gets too heavy.
Visit our website: crazytogetherpod.com
Support us on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi...
In this week's episode, Marcus and Esme revisit the male loneliness epidemic from a very unique angle. What if men didn’t have to choose between “traditional” and “positive” masculinity. What if the solution to developing a healthy identity is to simply be . . . weird? From the dangers of the manosphere to the radicalization path algorithms push young men down, they explore why weirdness—unique passions, abilities, and character tr...
In this week’s Hyperfocus Bonus, Esme takes a victory lap as she describes how she has recently demonstrated mastery over many neurodivergent people’s greatest foe: time itself. Then, Marcus is relieved to learn Debbie Harry is okay, but is embarrassed to see how she is depicted in a random AI slop video.
Visit our website: crazytogetherpod.com
Support us on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/C0C216B887
Contact us: https://www.crazytogether...
In this week's episode, Marcus and Esme take time to issue some corrections and contend with one very specific piece of feedback about the religious practices of biker gangs in Delco during the 1970s.
Marcus and Esme then share some perspectives they learned at a recent parent group meeting in their daughter’s school district, and reflect on how different families experience the maze of mental health resources available to them. Wh...
It’s that magical time of year when many of us travel to our points of origin to enjoy the warm fires of home, break bread with loved ones, and contend with those other family members whose untreated mental health challenges always make dinnertime interesting.
In this Thanksgiving-themed episode, Marcus and Esme take time to recognize that the season can be overwhelming—especially for neurodiverse folks navigating crowded rooms, n...
In this week’s Hyperfocus Bonus, Marcus makes an unusual case for appreciating his favorite position on an American football team. Esme reminds us of the importance of taking breaks from the never-ending anxiety factory that is the news and shares a few of her favorite sanity saving tv shows.
Visit our website: crazytogetherpod.com
Support us on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/C0C216B887
Contact us: https://www.crazytogetherpod.com/cont...
Marcus and Esme dive headfirst into the bane of many a neurodivergent person’s existence: overstimulation. From the chaos of department stores to the “wet, unholy cacophony” of the breakfast table, they unpack how sensory overload shows up in real life, describe their own experiences battling unwanted sensory input, and discuss coping strategies and treatment options that can actually help.
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In this week’s Hyperfocus Bonus, Esme takes us along on her adventures learning how to use her sewing machine as part of her quest to craft the perfect pair of pants. Meanwhile, Marcus takes an ADHD-fueled plunge deep into the rabbit hole that is the Isley Brothers legendary story and back catalog.
Visit our website: crazytogetherpod.com
Support us on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/C0C216B887
Contact us: https://www.crazytogetherpod.com...
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