Beneath the Noise
Beneath the Noise is a podcast about mental illness—the raw, disorienting, and sometimes darkly funny reality of living with a brain that doesn’t always cooperate. Hosted by Emily Jatcko, it’s part memoir, part cultural analysis, and entirely uninterested in the sanitized, feel-good version of mental health.
This isn’t a self-help podcast. There are no five-step plans or platitudes about positive thinking—just an honest look at psychosis, medication, work, relationships, and the ways neurodivergence shapes our lives. It’s about the contradictions: wanting to succeed in a system you fundamentally resent, feeling like both too much and not enough, learning to live with a diagnosis that rewrites everything you thought you knew about yourself.
Mental illness is absurd. It’s heavy. It’s frustratingly difficult to explain. But it’s also deeply human.
So if you’ve ever stared at a hospital showerhead having an existential crisis or tried to convince yourself you were fine while clearly unraveling—well, you’re in good company.
Let’s talk about it.
Beneath the Noise
Deep Dive Diagnosis: Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder isn’t just mood swings—it’s a lived experience that can shape everything from careers to relationships. In this episode of Beneath the Noise, I take a deep dive into what it’s like to live with bipolar disorder, from hypomania’s deceptive highs to the terrifying reality of full-blown mania. With a mix of personal storytelling, humor, and hard-earned insight, I explore my journey from undiagnosed chaos to hospitalization and, eventually, treatment. I talk about the messy reality of managing medication, the impact on friendships, and the relentless trial-and-error process of therapy. This isn’t a clinical breakdown—it’s a raw, honest look at what it really means to navigate life with bipolar disorder. If you’ve ever wondered what it feels like from the inside, this episode is for you.
