About a decade ago I interviewed local radio personality Tom Mischke for the website I curate about his legendary and hilarious career, “The Madness of Mischke.” This was mainly meant to be something fun for fans of his former KSTP-AM radio program, “The Mischke Broadcast.” But part of the interview took on a life of its own. At the time, Mischke was battling severe depression and mental health challenges, which was so debilitating that he missed several months of work. His description of what it’s like to have depression was fascinating and opened my eyes. Like many people I had naively believed that having depression was mostly about being sad. I was stunned, and horrified, to learn what it actually means, which is an all-encompassing debilitation.
And it turns out I wasn’t alone. Through the years several people have mentioned that Tommy’s description is the best they have heard of depression and changed the way they view the illness and the topic of suicidal thoughts. Most gratifyingly, many have also told us that they have shared it with friends and family as a way of explaining what they are going through.
So today I am happy to have the chance to share this interview with a larger audience. Just click on the podcast below and have a listen. And if you have questions on how to treat depression, please contact the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
Thanks again to Tommy. And do make sure to check out his new program, “The Mischke Road Show.” It’s great, as is he.
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