Flow state isn’t just a “creative high.” It can be nervous system regulation. When your brain is loud — anxiety, intrusive thoughts, stress spirals — flow gives you a lane where your attention finally locks in and your body can settle.
In this episode of Beat The Mental Health Out Of It! (AKA “BTMHOOI!”), host Nicholas Wichman (“The DEFECTIVE Schizoaffective”) and co-host Tony Medeiros (“IndyPocket”) talk flow state, drumming, creativity, and practical micro-routines that help you regulate stress without needing perfect conditions or motivation.
Nicholas shares a core truth from lived experience: the closest he ever feels to asymptomatic with schizoaffective disorder is when he hits flow state behind the kit. Tony and Nicholas both describe what flow feels like for them — different experiences, same outcome: it’s the most balanced, peaceful state of mind either of us ever reaches.
If you need a way to escape, reset, and find real peace in a chaotic world — without self-destructing — this episode is for you.
We break down flow state in plain language (challenge vs. skill), why “process over product” matters for mental health, and how low-friction reps can make hard days survivable. We also talk drumming as grounding: steady rhythm, body anchoring, tempo breathing, and using the kit (or any creative practice) as “psych first aid” when your thoughts won’t shut up.
This isn’t about being a great musician. It’s about building a repeatable way to interrupt spirals, reduce perfectionism, and give your brain somewhere safe to land.
In this episode, we talk about:
Post your 10-minute flow check-in in our Discord, “The Struggle Bus” — what you did, how you felt before/after, and what helped you lock in. (link below)
Beat The Mental Health Out Of It! (AKA “BTMHOOI!”) is a candid mental health podcast rooted in lived experience: schizoaffective disorder, schizophrenia spectrum psychosis, BPD, PTSD, trauma recovery, coping skills, and dark humor that helps make serious mental illness more understandable and human.
Hosted by Nicholas Wichman (“The DEFECTIVE Schizoaffective”) with frequent co-host Tony Medeiros (“IndyPocket”), we cover psych wards, psychiatric medication, disability, religious trauma, good therapy, bad therapy, and practical real-world coping — plus the societal and relationship issues that shape mental health every day. The goal isn’t just “fighting stigma.” It’s education, clarity, and honest conversation.
We interview everyone from everyday people to public figures, clinicians, and professionals, because mental health struggles don’t care who you are. If you’re willing to share your story or expertise, we aim to offer a safe, judgment-free space where you can speak openly — and still have some fun while doing it.
New episodes drop every other Monday at 6am EDT.
Want community and support? Join our Discord, “The Struggle Bus”: https://discord.gg/emFXKuWKNA
All links (TikTok, YouTube, Streaming, etc.): https://linktr.ee/BTMHOOI
Podcast cover art by Ryan Manning
