Numb Metal, Part 3: How to Soothe the Burn

Summary

In the 3rd installment of her 4-part mini-series on the band HEALTH, Doctor BeepBoop reflects on the year she spent obsessively listening to HEALTH and working inward on her personal through mental health, metal music, and self-discovery, illustrating how art and metacognition can aid in understanding and healing emotional wounds. She is now in Nashville.

Resources & Links:

Hyperactive Ghost on Substack

Listen to Feel Nothing by Health on Bandcamp (but also check out the entire Rat Wars album, the song "The Drain," and their Death Magic album)

Go see HEALTH live!

Connect with Dr. BeepBoop:
Instagram
Facebook

X
TikTok
YouTube
Spotify
Donate once on Ko-Fi

Photo taken by Doctor BeepBoop at Addition Arena in Orlando in October 2025

Sound Bites

• "I started to listen to the entire Rat Wars album"
• "We have to feel numb at some point"
• "Am I operating this train or is it driving me?"

Keywords

heavy metal, mental health, music therapy, self-discovery, emotional resilience, band health, personal growth, anxiety, independence, self-awareness, healing

Key Topics

• Music as a tool for emotional processing
• The journey of hyperindependence and trust issues

Chapters

00:00
Introduction to the Series and Numb Metal

01:54
Personal Reflections on Music and Behavior

04:55
Hyper-Independence and Trust Issues

09:35
The Impact of Insomnia and Anxiety

10:27
Resignation and the Need to Feel Numb

13:11
Concert Experiences and Emotional Connections

17:46
Job Dissatisfaction and Life Reflections

22:28
Processing Pain and Emotional Release

25:49
Choices Rooted in Lack and Seeking Belonging

28:45
The Cycle of Pain and Self-Discovery

Title: Numb Metal: My Year of HEALTH, Part 1. "How I Became Undone"

In this episode of the Hyperactive Ghost podcast, Doctor BeeBoop explores the emotional landscape of grief, loss, and resilience through the lens of music, specifically the song "Feel Nothing" by Health. She shares personal reflections on mental health, identity, and the healing power of music, all while inviting listeners into her thought process...and into the story where she plays with metaphors of emotional numbness and resilience. Is there life after ego death?

Resources & Links:

• Hyperactive Ghost on Substack
• Listen to Feel Nothing by Health on Bandcamp
• Go see HEALTH live!

Connect with Doctor BeepBoop:

Instagram
Facebook
TikTok
YouTube
Spotify
Donate once on Ko-Fi

Photo taken by Doctor BeepBoop at The Basement East in Nashville in May 2025, show is in part 2.
Theme song is NOT "Feel Nothing," as Beep doesn't wanna get sued. It's:
"Tenebrous Brothers Carnival - Act Three" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction to Dr. Beeboop and the concept of Numb Metal series
02:23 - The process of transforming three episodes into four, ongoing development
03:36 - The significance of long drives as a mental and emotional space
05:39 - The moment when the song "Feel Nothing" by Health hits emotional nerves
06:58 - The symbolism of metal and the metaphor for emotional states
08:54 - The impact of losing a career in academia and personal trauma
10:27 - The feeling of being made of metal and the self-experimentation metaphors
12:04 - Missing shows due to political conflicts and later regret
13:20 - Confusions of recalling locations and unresolved feelings of the past
14:48 - Longings for a life that's no longer part of present reality
17:13 - The importance of perceived safety and continuity in life
18:38 - The mundane yet profound moments of driving and emotional processing
19:37 - Visualizing emotional pain through metal and scientific metaphors
21:52 - The sensation of resignation as a response to pain and numbness
23:07 - The song "Feel Nothing" as a repeated, almost hypnotic life soundtrack
24:54 - The meaning behind obsession with songs and their personal significance
26:42 - The healing power of music in times of pain
28:03 - Planning and organizing around music, shows, and emotional needs
29:51 - The emotional toll of recent travels and the feeling of letting go
31:02 - Reflection on the anonymity at shows and the freedom in feeling unseen
32:30 - The encouragement to embrace numbness temporarily for productivity and mental health

Season 2 of Hyperactive Ghost isn't the same as Season 1. It's scripted and dramatic; it might be your guide to survival if you need it.

For those who are curious, check out the “Absolution Fest 2023” tab on the website. I’ll have more trailers and clips for you in the coming weeks until we land.

Background soundscape is:

"Crypto" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Season 2 of Hyperactive Ghost isn't the same as Season 1. It's scripted and dramatic; it might be your guide to survival if you need it.

For those who are curious, check out the “Absolution Fest 2023” tab on the website. I’ll have more trailers and clips for you in the coming weeks until we land.

Background soundscape is:

"Crypto" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

For the final episode of season 1, Beep discusses the Dadi Freyr show at Eastside Bowl on March 4, 2024. Showing up feeling weird and vulnerable, she knew she would have to make very different choices going forward if she was going to change her life--but why? Was it really just the loss of a relationship....or was that relationship part of decades of a crappy pattern that needed to end? It's the latter, but.....this leads us into season 2 of Hyperactive Ghost, where attending a 3-day music festival would plunger her into a dark memory of the worst relationship she ever had.

Length: ~46 minutes

This adaptation of my "When I Hear Music: Latin Freestyle Heavy Hitters at Amway Arena," alternatively titled "We Wanted Immediacy," I start with a little more information about how my EMDR sessions lead to reviving my love of Latin Freestyle.

It reminded me that I can't just throw my difficult life away because there is good music to be had, and I have to remember what deserves to thrive within me by remembering the music.

And, to some degree, I understand what I'm revealing is that this whole project began as part of my journey toward writing about the parts of my life worth living for so that I could write about why I didn't want to live at one time.

This music is made for immediacy and it's a reason to remember what my hometown gave me as I record what it took.

Image is me at my 9th grade prom. Don't laugh, I was CUTE.

The Shaky BeepBoop playlist is on Youtube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUQEmXcu6q8&list=PLyNg8ZfB2cckO1EH61a6vOVXKY7B-AsfX

Length: ~46 minutes

I saw Two-Door Cinema Club in The Social in Orlando in 2011 and at Brooklyn Bowl Nashville in 2024, inspiring a conversation about the upgrade in quality with the problematic element of playing a venue too small for your success and a chaotic audience.

The result is an entry into a conversation about the very real issues around parking and safety when an audience arrives chaotic and disrespectful to each other.

Two-Door Cinema Club is an excellent band with savvy performers, but sometimes, you just need to rethink your show strategy when you hit that level of success.