Our Exclusive Chat with Hannah Rad

TV Personality/DJ Hannah Rad is exploring her experience with mental illness while exploring California, in her weekly YouTube series, “Sorry to Keep You Waiting”. The series will be released through October, she is taking over our Instagram in four days (9/8), and we got to talk to her on it all.

What inspired you to be so open about mental illness? I myself have anxiety and I know it took time to be willing to even verbalize that.
My anxiety has been wildly rampant for years. I thought I had a handle on it, but with therapy and lots of beach time (water is essential for my mental health), I have a better understanding of how I operate when feeling anxious and how best I can use my creativity and support system to power through.

Why is therapy so important to you?
I know that speaking to an impartial party is what works for me. It took me some time to be truly honest with my therapist, but that’s the only way to begin feeling healed and helped… by being vulnerable and opening up genuinely.

What do you hope the audience takes away from the series?
I hope that people see these sides of me I’d been unwilling to share for so many years. I loved being perceived as someone who “had it all together” and was successful, but now realize success can still be attained in spite of and because of all the challenges we go through.

What advice would you give to someone who thinks they have a mental illness or was just diagnosed?
It’s easy to say “speak up and get help!” but I know that’s not always easily done. If you feel vulnerable or alone and are having trouble admitting you need help, online resources are invaluable. You may never have to physically voice what you’re dealing with, but online communities and resources found on sites like NAMI, RAINN, and NIMH have so much to offer.

What are some of your favorite CA hotspots that were not included?
If I had more time, I’d have gone further north in CA, into the redwood forests, or even further south into the national parks and forests.

How do you balance radio, being a DJ, and content production?
I think I’ve always dealt well with multitasking… formerly, I would just do it all at once. But as I’ve progressed in my career, I realize I can still do it all, but I can spend more time dedicated and focused to one of those things at a time and deliver the best result possible without feeling overwhelmed and exhausted by my own hustle.

What have you been watching, reading, and listening to during quarantine?
“I May Destroy You” is influential in so many ways… Episodes 3 and 4 of “Sorry to Keep You Waiting” were some of my toughest to film, but Michaela Coel’s honesty and truths were big inspirations and motivation to help me get through. Listening, it’s a tie between three albums: Pop Smoke’s “Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon”, Lady Gaga’s “Chromatica”, and Jessie Ware’s “What’s Your Pleasure?”. All have been equally spun on repeat!