When Our Children are Sick (S9E19) 4-24-2026When Our Children are Sick (S9E19) 4-24-2026
Mr Joe’s Bipolar Podcast
Mr Joe talks openly about his sons’ medical scares, crushing medical costs and the emotional chaos of parenting with bipolar disorder and an addiction history. He reads powerful listener comments on microdosing, guilt and abuse, and offers practical advice for caring for a sick child while trying to heal past harm and care for yourself.
49:14•24 Apr 2026
Mental Illness, Sick Kids and Crushing Guilt: Mr Joe Keeps It Real
Episode Overview
- Honest, age‑appropriate communication with a sick child helps reduce fear, especially when avoiding false reassurances like “this won’t hurt” if it might.
- Siblings of a chronically ill child need one‑to‑one attention, inclusion in appointments and reassurance that they haven’t been forgotten.
- Parents should keep as much routine and structure as possible for a sick child while resisting the urge to over‑indulge them into “a little child, cute dictator”.
- Lasting amends for past abusive behaviour start with getting proper treatment, changing behaviour over time and allowing relationships to heal naturally.
- People with conditions such as depression, anxiety or bipolar 2 may find psilocybin helpful, but Mr Joe stresses he is not a doctor and refuses to come off his own medication.
“We cannot be held accountable for life for the fact that we were born with this disfigurement of our mind.”
How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety and mental health when their children are unwell? This raw and heartfelt instalment of *Mr Joe’s Bipolar Podcast* centres on a dad with bipolar disorder and a history of substance use trying to cope as both his sons face invasive medical procedures and eye‑watering hospital bills.
Mr Joe talks frankly about the shock of being told his younger child needs a colonoscopy and endoscopy straight after his older child has been scheduled for the same thing, joking darkly about insurance jargon he “still doesn’t know what the hell it means” while staring at estimates around $8,000 per child. The chat swings between humour and heartbreak as he admits, “kids are a rough thing” and reflects on the relentless worry they bring.
A big part of the episode is sparked by Spotify comments from listeners such as Kay Knoxville Kennedy and Todd Stewart. Their questions about microdosing psilocybin, staying on medication, guilt, shame and making amends for abusive behaviour push Mr Joe into brutally honest territory about his own past: emotional abuse, jealousy, drug use and the long road to repentance and accountability.
From there, he turns to practical, everyday guidance for any parent dealing with a sick or chronically ill child: how to talk honestly without terrifying them, why you shouldn’t say “this won’t hurt” when it might, supporting brothers and sisters who feel pushed aside, keeping some kind of routine, and remembering that parents are allowed to look after themselves too.
The tone is messy, human and often funny, but it keeps circling back to one core message: you’re not a monster for having a mental illness or addiction history, and you’re not alone in the fear of having a sick child. The real question he leaves hanging is simple: can you give yourself the same compassion you give everyone else?
Do you want to link to this podcast?
Get the buttons here!
More From This Show
The latest episodes from the same podcast.
Related Episodes
Similar episodes from other shows in the catalogue.