A note to our listeners, this episode contains discussions of suicide that some people might find upsetting.

Now, okay, this is the part at the beginning of the episode where it's just me talking for a bit before the guest shows up on the show.

And yeah, the show, it's Depresh Mode. I'm John Moe. I'm glad you're here. Here comes the music.

And the purpose of the me talking part at the beginning of the show is to frame the interview you're about to hear, to point to the overarching

theme of the conversation. It's my job in this stretch to name the thesis, really. Here's what this

episode is about kind of thing. Put it into a sentence or so, an elevator pitch. But sometimes,

not often, but occasionally,

an interview comes along and is so densely packed with so much variety and amazing components

that I can't really put it all into a sentence.

Sometimes all I can do is narrow it down

to a few potential big meanings.

And that's how it is this week with my guest Kate Spear. What's the interview about this week,

John, you ask? Well, it's about dogs and how they can help a person with mental illness

in very practical and perhaps unexpected ways.

The episode is also about how an inaccurate diagnosis can lead one down the wrong track,

and it's about how exposure therapy can put one onto a better track. Oh, the episode,

it's about so many things. It's about relationships with friends.

It's about hallucinations and psychosis and college, a lot about college, and also poison

ivy. It's about a lot of things, like I said. Kate Spear is a writer, entrepreneur, and

mental health advocate.

She has a popular Instagram account and Substack newsletter,

where she often talks about mental illness and recovery,

...