Yeah No, I’m Not OK
Yeah No, I'm Not OK is a mental health podcast created in collaboration with LAist Studios, hosted by someone who grew up never being able to talk openly about mental health. The show aims to open up the conversation for young people, especially people of color, who are disproportionately affected by mental health issues yet often lack resources. Each episode features conversations with friends, activists, artists, and healthcare professionals about topics like addiction, depression, anxiety, suicide, and radical self-love. The podcast seeks to start a mental health revolution, encouraging listeners to share how they really feel without shame. What begins as casual conversation becomes a deeper narrative about the challenges young people face today.
Episodes
Imperfect Paradise: Affordability, immigration & the DSA. Diving into LA mayor & CA governor races
The midterm elections are nearly here and the stakes are high for two particular races: the California gubernatorial race and the L.A. mayor race. In the first episode of our Voter Game Plan series, fill-in host Josie Huang sits down with KQED’s Marisa Lagos and LAist’s Frank Stoltze to dive into affordability, immigration and other top issues for voters, as well as the rise of the Dem
Imperfect Paradise: What went wrong with the Lineage warehouse fire in Boyle Heights?
It took days to put out the Lineage warehouse fire in Los Angeles this summer. Once the flames were out, the cleanup of rotting food took weeks. Residents suffered health problems, businesses lost customers and many questions are still unanswered. Who should be held accountable and what’s being done to prevent a similar disaster in the future? On this episode of Imperfect Paradise, Boyle Hei
Imperfect Paradise: Why some chefs are trading high-end dining for home kitchens
In the infamously cutthroat industry of restaurants, some chefs are finding untraditional paths towards success. LAist food writer Gab Chabrán dives into the state of restaurants through the story of one chef who traded in his high-end dining job for a home kitchen operation. Grow your business – no matter what stage you’re in. Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month tria
Imperfect Paradise: President Trump says ‘Hollywood is dead.’ What’s being done to revive it?
In 2025, California majorly boosted its film and TV tax credit program for the first time since 2014 in an effort to keep jobs in the Golden State. One year out, is it working as planned? And why is President Trump now calling for a national incentive program? On this episode of Imperfect Paradise, we explore these questions with veteran entertainment journalist Dawn Chmielewski, and hear from loc
Imperfect Paradise: Is your smoke-damaged home safe? The toxic aftermath of LA’s 2025 fires
Many of the homes that survived the Palisades and Eaton fires are still not habitable because of contamination from smoke damage. Residents have been left battling with insurance companies over who is responsible for post-fire cleaning and testing. LAist’s David Wagner dives into where we are with rebuilding, the new rules around safety-testing and what they might mean for the future o
Imperfect Paradise: Is LA becoming a public transit city?
Los Angeles has long been considered a “car-centric” city, but is that changing? On this episode of Imperfect Paradise, LAist transportation correspondent Kavish Harjai joins to talk about the history of transit in L.A., the backstory behind the much-delayed People Mover train at LAX, and whether there’s enough time for L.A. to deliver what organizers have said will be a “t
Imperfect Paradise: How one man rebuilt his life, 100 miles at a time Redux
This episode originally aired on January 8, 2025. Struggling with addiction and reentry after multiple stints in prison, Cesar Quijano discovers ultrarunning, a hobby that turns into his addiction and salvation. Through Cesar’s story to complete a 100-mile race, Imperfect Paradise host Antonia Cereijido and producer Lucy Copp explore urgent questions around what support people need to
Imperfect Paradise: Most Californians don't own a home until 47. What that says about the CA Dream
Is homeownership falling out of reach for millennials and Gen Z in the Golden State? LAist housing correspondent David Wagner joins Imperfect Paradise to examine this trend, the obstacles to homeownership and why we may need to shift our conception of what housing looks like in California. Grow your business–no matter what stage you’re in. Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial
Imperfect Paradise: More than an internet star. The life & legacy of Big Bear’s famous eagle Jackie
The death of Jackie signals the end of her story with Shadow – as well as for Big Bear Lake, and for millions of fans who followed the eagles’ saga on livestream for years. LAist reporter Makenna Cramer joins Imperfect Paradise to examine how the eagles turned the tides for a fight against luxury housing development in the San Bernardino Mountains, as well as what celebrity animal cult
Imperfect Paradise: After two years of progress, homelessness went up in LA. Why?
Homelessness increased in Los Angeles this year following two previous years of declines, according to the recently released 2026 “point-in-time” homeless count. It’s a setback for the region, and for L.A. Mayor Karen Bass who’s touted prior declines as evidence that her approach to addressing the homelessness crisis is working. But is it really? On this episode of Imperfec
Imperfect Paradise: Can a city built by the oil industry stop drilling for good?
The city of Los Angeles is home to over two thousand active oil wells, many concentrated in communities of color where residents have long reported serious health issues. On this episode of Imperfect Paradise, LAist’s Erin Stone takes us inside one neighborhood’s fight to shut down a drill site, and explores what a broader effort to phase out drilling could mean for a region whose econ
Imperfect Paradise: Who gets due process? Inside the fight over immigration bond hearings at Adelanto
Immigration bond denials have jumped sharply under the second Trump administration — nowhere more than at the Adelanto ICE detention center in Southern California. On this week's Imperfect Paradise: LAist's Jared Bennett follows the case of a 70-year-old L.A. street vendor held at Adelanto for six months, what it took for his family to get him released, and what immigration advocates say is
Listener Stories
Diane plays some of the messages we’ve received from listeners. If you are having thoughts of suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline in the United States at 1-800-273-8255 (TALK). You can find a list of additional resources at SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources For more resources on addiction or to get help, please visit: https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline. More
Dr. Carl Hart on Drug Use in the Pursuit of Happiness
Talking with psychologist and neuroscientist Dr. Carl Hart, author of Drug Use for Grown-Ups: Chasing Liberty in the Land of Fear. For more resources on addiction or to get help, please visit: https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline. More mental health support (via text) can be found at: https://www.crisistextline.org/ Subscribe to our newsletter to stay on top of new episodes with a no
Cristela Alonzo on How You Can’t Buy Self Care
Cristela Alonzo talks about getting a show, losing a show, getting help and moving forward. More mental health support (via text) can be found at: https://www.crisistextline.org/ Additional Information on depression and anxiety can be found here: https://www.nami.org/About-Mental-Illness/Mental-Health-Conditions/Depression For more resources on addiction or to get help, please visit: https://www.s
Jermaine Fowler Is A Fun Dad
Jermaine Fowler (“Judas and the Black Messiah,” “Coming 2 America”) talks about how his curiosity is his superpower. More mental health support (via text) can be found at: https://www.crisistextline.org/ Additional Information on depression and anxiety can be found here: https://www.nami.org/About-Mental-Illness/Mental-Health-Conditions/Depression For more resources on addi
Byron Bowers On Freedom Through Acceptance & Bad Acid
The actor and comedian on developing his uniquely dark style of comedy and how standup has helped him develop a healthy outlook on life. More mental health support (via text) can be found at: https://www.crisistextline.org/1 If you are having thoughts of suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline in the United States at 1-800-273-8255 (TALK). You can find a list of additional resources
Janaya Future Khan On What Comes Up In The Ring
The Black Lives Matter International Ambassador on the power of trusting that you are doing the thing that's right over doing the thing that’s popular. More mental health support (via text) can be found at: https://www.crisistextline.org/ Additional Information on depression and anxiety can be found here: https://www.nami.org/About-Mental-Illness/Mental-Health-Conditions/Depression Resources
Residente on How He Quiets the Noise
René Pérez Joglar AKA Residente tells Diane how he stays centered and creative during even the hardest of times. For more resources on addiction or to get help, please visit: https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline. More support (via text) can be found at: https://www.crisistextline.org/ Additional Information on depression and anxiety can be found here: https://www.nami.org/About-Men
Demi Lovato on ‘Dancing With The Devil’
Demi is revisiting her nearly fatal overdose in a new documentary, Dancing With The Devil, telling the story on her own terms. She tells us what gets her up in the morning and explains the importance of self-care and how it might also help you. For more resources on addiction or to get help, please visit: https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline. More support (via text)
Eric Andre Wants You to Take Care of Yourself, Silly
Diane and Eric talk about therapy, meditation and making sure that you put your mental health first. For more on Transcendental Meditation, visit: www.tm.org More information on Dr. John Sarno’s book “Healing Back Pain” here: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/144873.Healing_Back_Pain If you are having thoughts of suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline in the Uni
Dascha Polanco on her Bodyodyody
Dascha and Diane talk about what it meant to come up together as actors and Latinx artists. They also discuss their personal experiences with body image and what it means to continuously choose to embrace what is uniquely yours. For more information and support for eating disorders, please visit: https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/help-support/contact-helpline If you are having thoughts of su
Karla Cornejo Villavicencio on Being the King of New York
Karla shot to fame when she wrote an essay about being an undocumented student at Harvard. But instead of book deals, she looked for more meaning in writing and exploring her identity. Along the way, she learned more about herself and tells Diane how the correct diagnoses, therapy, strict personal boundaries, and self-acceptance have all changed her life for the better. If you are having thoughts
Let Me Explain
Who is Diane Guerrero and why is she talking about mental health? In this episode, we learn more about Diane’s personal experience and her commitment to making mental health a priority in communities nationwide, especially communities of color. Then for the very first time, Diane sits down with her big brother Eddie to have an honest conversation about their family history of addiction, anxi
Introducing Yeah No, I'm Not Ok
Introducing Yeah No, I'm Not Ok – A new podcast from LAist Studios and Diane Guerrero about mental health, healing, and the conversations we should all be having about addiction, depression, anxiety, suicide, radical self love, and much more. This LAist Studios podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp and our listeners get 10% off their first month of online therapy at BetterHelp.co
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