Crazy Together

Marcus & Esme O’Kayvius

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

  1. 2d ago

    148. ADHD Under Pressure

    Marcus is flying solo on this episode while Esme practices self-care. Today’s topic: Do people with adhd perform better under pressure? Spoiler alert: Yes, we do. However, this is very much one of those “double-edged sword” issues. Sometimes, being great at something is a real challenge if that talent takes a physical and mental toll on our health and well-being.  So in this episode, Marcus explains why people with ADHD are so good at performing under pressure, discusses the related health risks, and identifies a handful of strategies people with ADHD can use to trigger some of the motivating impulses associated with high stress scenarios without exposing ourselves to actual risks.  Visit our website: crazytogetherpod.com Contact us: https://www.crazytogetherpod.com/contact Sources for this episode include: Cork, Jennifer. “The Need for More Awareness During ADHD Awareness Month.” Psychology Today, 1 Oct. 2026, Psychology Today article. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/neurodivergent-knowledge/202610/the-need-for-more-awareness-during-adhd-awareness-month  Green, Hannah Harris. “Some People with ADHD Thrive in Periods of Stress, New Study Shows.” The Guardian, 26 Oct. 2024, www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/oct/26/adhd-symptoms-high-stress.  Walsh, Jennifer. “Why ADHD Brains Work Better Under Pressure.” In Focus First, n.d.https://infocusfirst.com/why-adhd-brains-work-better-under-pressure/#the-science-behind-the-last-minute-rush  Uche, Ugochukwu U. “Why ADHD Brains Thrive on Last-Minute Pressure.” Psychology Today, 23 June 2025, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/promoting-empathy-with-your-teen/202506/why-adhd-brains-thrive-on-last-minute-pressure.  Lasky, Susan. “A Sense of Urgency: ADHD Productivity Hacks.” ADDitude, 12 May 2025, https://www.additudemag.com/sense-of-urgency-productivity-hack-adhd/  ADDA Editorial Team. “Breaking Free From ADHD Procrastination: Techniques for Success.” ADDA (Attention Deficit Disorder Association), ADDA Editorial Team, 13 June 2024, https://add.org/adhd-procrastination/. Our theme music Midnight—Declan DP [Audio Library Release] Music provided by Audio Library Plus Watch:    • Midnight — Declan DP | Free Backgroun...   Free Download / Stream: https://alplus.io/midnight-declan-dp

  2. Oct 9

    147. HYPERFOCUS BONUS: Book Wins and Football Losses

    Marcus and Esme readily admit they are not perfect parents, but they do feel like they got at least one thing more or less right. They always prized, valued, and enjoyed time spent reading to their daughter. Eventually, their daughter learned to read on her own and, like most voracious readers, began to prize the time she spent reading to herself. While Marcus and Esme were proud of their girl’s reading skills and independence, both of them miss the simple joys of reading to their favorite small-ish person.  However, Esme recently found two books from different series she used to read to their daughter. And, surprise of all surprises, was delighted to learn her daughter wanted to continue the tradition of reading them together. For his part, Marcus is happy for the both of them, but he laments his daughter's lack of interest in completing one of their shared book series: The Baby-Sitters Club. Marcus very much wants to know how it ends and would like to experience that with his daughter, but he’s kept those feelings bottled up inside. He’s such a Mary Anne in that way. For his part, Marcus shares the joys, pains, contradictions, and ethical dilemmas of being a football fan. His favorite team is doing well, which is good, so he should be happy. However, his joy is tempered by the fact that Lane Johnson, one of the league’s best players, suddenly announced he is retiring this week, citing family needs and his own mental health challenges as his rationale. Johnson is someone who has been very open about his struggles with depression over the years, so his decision makes sense. However, Johnson has also had issues with Performance Enhancing Drugs (PEDs) and has had at least four concussions in his career, both of which are strongly associated with an increased risk of developing depression and mood disorders. As such, he is certainly not the first (and he definitely won’t be the last) football player whose career, health, and mental well-being suffered as a result of the extremely high physical demands of the sport.  Visit our website: crazytogetherpod.com Contact us: https://www.crazytogetherpod.com/contact Our theme music Midnight—Declan DP [Audio Library Release] Music provided by Audio Library Plus Watch:    • Midnight — Declan DP | Free Backgroun...   Free Download / Stream: https://alplus.io/midnight-declan-dp

  3. Oct 8

    146. ADHD Treatment Options

    Marcus and Esme are alive and well and (mostly) disease free! To celebrate their newly recovered health and ADHD Awareness Month (Happy Hard, everyone!) they’ve decided to discuss ADHD treatment options. And not just any treatment options, mind you. They’ve decided to discuss the type of treatment options they usually don’t entertain.  For you see, Marcus and Esme are big believers in the combined powers of therapy and medication when it comes to the treatment of ADHD and other mental health issues. And the reason* they believe in this multimodal approach is because it has worked for them. It has not always been easy, and their progress hasn’t always been forward. However, it has helped them improve their executive functioning capabilities, minimize their impulsivity and distractibility, and most of all, survive in a world that was not designed with neurodivergent people in mind. Nevertheless,there are some compelling arguments out there for non-pharmacological treatments, and so Marcus and Esme have decided to share some of these with you, their beloved listeners, and to do so with an open mind This feat proved easier for their discussions about neurotechnology treatments, and treatments related to diet and gut health. However, their discussion of treatments related to the theory that ADHD is not a real condition was predictably triggering, so they fell short of their “fair and unbiased” goals there.  *Note: Contrary to conspiratorial opinions, Marcus and Esme are not shills for, nor suckling at the teat of, Big Pharma. If they were, they would load their faces up with filler, install a green screen in their basement, and elevate this podcast to video so fast your head would spin. Heck, their heads might spin. There would be no discernable change to their faces though, as they would be packed to the brim with filler (as previously mentioned). Visit our website: crazytogetherpod.com Contact us: https://www.crazytogetherpod.com/contact Sources for this episode include: Wedge, Marilyn. “The Politics of ADHD.” Psychology Today, 17 Mar. 2020, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/suffer-the-children/202003/the-politics-adhd.  Wedge, Marilyn. “Marilyn Wedge Ph.D..” Psychology Today, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/contributors/marilyn-wedge-phd.  Wedge, Marilyn. “Is ADHD Over?” Psychology Today, 13 Oct. 2025, Psychology Today: Is ADHD Over? https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/suffer-the-children/202510/is-adhd-over  “Psychiatrists Shift Focus To Drugs, Not Talk Therapy.” NPR, 22 Oct. 2012, Psychiatrists Shift Focus To Drugs, Not Talk Therapy. https://www.npr.org/2012/10/22/163409863/psychiatrists-shift-focus-to-drugs-not-talk-therapy  University of Southampton. “Largest Study Reveals Best Treatment Options for ADHD.” University of Southampton, 27 Nov. 2025, https://www.southampton.ac.uk/news/2025/11/largest-study-reveals-best-treatment-options-for-adhd.page  EBI-ADHD: Interventions for ADHD | Evidence Matrix. EBI-ADHD, https://ebiadhd-database.org/.  National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. “Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Diagnosis and Management.” NICE, Guideline NG87, 14 Mar. 2018, updated 13 Sept. 2019, https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng87  Chang, Jane Pei-Chen, et al. “Cortisol and Inflammatory Biomarker Levels in Youths with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): Evidence from a Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis.” Translational Psychiatry, vol. 11, no. 1, 19 Aug. 2021, p. 430, doi:10.1038/s41398-021-01550-0. PubMed, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34413283/  Lange, Klaus W., et al. “Nutrition in the Management of ADHD: A Review of Recent Research.” Current Nutrition Reports, vol. 12, no. 3, 2023, pp. 383-394, doi:10.1007/s13668-023-00487-8. PubMed Central, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10444659/  Our theme music Midnight—Declan DP [Audio Library Release] Music provided by Audio Library Plus Watch:    • Midnight — Declan DP | Free Backgroun...   Free Download / Stream: https://alplus.io/midnight-declan-dp

  4. Sep 30

    144. Whimsy Revisited

    Sickness has descended on the O’Kayvious household again, and this time Marcus and Esme are both down for the count. However, because they felt like they could use a shot of something fun and enjoyable they decided to replay their episode about whimsy from earlier this year.  Join Marcus and Esme as they discuss whimsy, the rare social media trend that doesn’t seem to want to kill us. Marcus and Esme discuss why the trend has taken off, and whether or not there is any hard, scientific evidence to suggest that it might be a good thing (spoiler alert: believe it or not, there kinda’ is). They also share some of the whimsical interests and activities that bring a little fun to their lives, encourage straight guys to give whimsy a chance (it might actually encourage women to choose you and not the bear), and encourage listeners to not overthink whimsy, because then it won’t be whimsical anymore.  Visit our website: crazytogetherpod.com Contact us: https://www.crazytogetherpod.com/contact Sources for this episode include: “Whimsy.” Cambridge Dictionary, Cambridge University Press & Assessment, 2026, https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/whimsy. Caramela, Sammi. “The Surprisingly Powerful Benefits of Adding a Little Whimsy to Your Life, According to Science.” VICE, 30 May 2026, https://www.vice.com/en/article/the-surprisingly-powerful-benefits-of-adding-a-little-whimsy-to-your-life-according-to-science.  Gray, Peter. “The Value of Play I: The Definition of Play Gives Insights.” Psychology Today, 19 Nov. 2008, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/freedom-learn/200811/the-value-play-i-the-definition-play-gives-insights.  Hart, Tori, and Robyn M. Holmes. “Exploring the Connection Between Adult Playfulness and Emotional Intelligence.” Journal of Play in Adulthood, vol. 4, no. 1, Aug. 2022, pp. 28–51. University of Huddersfield Press.  Magnuson, Cale D., and Lynn A. Barnett. “The Playful Advantage: How Playfulness Enhances Coping with Stress.” Leisure Sciences, vol. 35, no. 2, 2013, pp. 129–144. Taylor & Francis Online, https://doi.org/10.1080/01490400.2013.761905.  sagmoonmagic. “Hope this helps  #witch #witchtok #witchcraft #nature #earth.” TikTok, https://www.tiktok.com/@sagmoonmagic/video/7640568255018552589.  Our theme music Midnight—Declan DP [Audio Library Release] Music provided by Audio Library Plus Watch:    • Midnight — Declan DP | Free Backgroun...   Free Download / Stream: https://alplus.io/midnight-declan-dp

  5. Sep 25

    143. HYPERFOCUS BONUS: Church for Broads and the Fate of Principled Irish Musicians

    Marcus and Esme make an effort to watch the same TV shows and movies together whenever possible. However, subject matter sometimes interferes and results in one of them begging out of the viewing experience. Case in point: Esme recently watched a program that Marcus noped out of in the first five minutes of the first episode once it became clear the tragic death of a young child was one of the key plot points. But Esme pressed on (with Marcus’ blessing, of course). She shares her impressions of a new classic British cop drama that, incidentally, is NOT about a church where one might go to pick up women (as its name implies).  Marcus then shares his two cents on the recent controversy singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran has made for himself, and salutes the integrity of the musicians who left his tour. In particular, Marcus calls out Aaron Rowe and the band Beoga –* two Irish acts with a lot more to lose than their American counterparts. He also provides some much needed context for listeners who might not know who Ed Sheeran or Macklemore are because they have managed to craft beautiful aesthetic bubbles for themselves.  Also, Esme provides an update on her continued success with her “watercolor habit” and Marcus identifies the one thing that would make the act of watching football a lot more manly. *NOTE: The em dash in the second paragraph is NOT AI generated. It was put there by a real human being who thinks and writes tangentially and refuses to abandon a useful punctuation mark just because some people think it’s an automatic sign that a piece of content was written by a glorified Google search result. The author in question has been using parentheticals since he was writing term papers on an ancient word processor and he’s not about to stop now. Visit our website: crazytogetherpod.com Support us on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/C0C216B887  Contact us: https://www.crazytogetherpod.com/contact Our theme music Midnight—Declan DP [Audio Library Release] Music provided by Audio Library Plus Watch:    • Midnight — Declan DP | Free Backgroun...   Free Download / Stream: https://alplus.io/midnight-declan-dp

  6. Sep 23

    142. A Mostly Good News Story About Person-Centered Therapy: Part 2

    MKULTRA, Human Potential Movement-inspired sex cults, and “The Troubles” in Northern Ireland . . . these are just some of the topics Marcus and Esme make passing reference to in this week’s episode, so don’t get your hopes up. Or, maybe you should get your hopes up! Because Marcus and Esme continue their discussion from last week about Carl Rogers, humanistic psychology, and person-centered psychotherapy. They discuss the highs and lows of the back half of his career, and the factors that eventually led to the decline of interest and influence of Rogers’ work in the psychological community. However, they also identify recent efforts by members of the positive psychology movement to re-engage with humanistic psychology traditions in an effort to inject some much-needed compassion and social awareness in their theories and treatments. And they actually do make more than just passing reference to “The Troubles,” MKULTRA, and sex cults, so you can revel in those stories as well.  Visit our website: crazytogetherpod.com Contact us: https://www.crazytogetherpod.com/contact Sources for this episode include: Demanchick, Stephen and Howard Kirschenbaum. “Carl Rogers and the CIA.” Journal of Humanistic Psychology, October 2007. https://www.scribd.com/document/203007846/Carl-Rogers-and-the-CIA  Joseph, Stephen. “How Humanistic Is Positive Psychology? Lessons in Positive Psychology From Carl Rogers' Person-Centered Approach—It's the Social Environment That Must Change.” Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 12, 28 Sept. 2021, article 709789. Frontiers Media, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8510647/. McLeod, Saul. “Person-Centered Therapy (Rogerian Therapy).” Simply Psychology, 28 Apr. 2025, https://www.simplypsychology.org/client-centred-therapy.html.  Rogers, Carl R. The Clinical Treatment of the Problem Child. Houghton Mifflin Company, 1939. Internet Archive, https://ia801902.us.archive.org/2/items/in.ernet.dli.2015.166832/2015.166832.The-Clinical-Treatment-Of-The-Problem-Child_text.pdf.  Rogers, Carl R. On Becoming a Person: A Therapist’s View of Psychotherapy. Houghton Mifflin, 1961. PDF file. Rogers, Carl. “Dealing With Breakdowns in Communication.” ListeningWay, https://www.listeningway.com/rogers1-eng.html.  Thomason, Timothy C. “The Shadow Side of the Great Psychotherapists.” Counseling & Wellness: A Professional Counseling Journal, vol. 5, 2016, PDF via OpenKnowledge@NAU.  Yao, Lucy, and Rian Kabir. “Person-Centered Therapy (Rogerian Therapy).” StatPearls, StatPearls Publishing, 9 Feb. 2023, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK589708.  “Carl Rogers, PhD: 1947 APA President.” American Psychological Association, June 2021, https://www.apa.org/about/governance/president/carl-r-rogers.  Our theme music Midnight—Declan DP [Audio Library Release] Music provided by Audio Library Plus Watch:    • Midnight — Declan DP | Free Backgroun...   Free Download / Stream: https://alplus.io/midnight-declan-dp

5
out of 5
10 Ratings

About

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

You Might Also Like