Dr. Gary Bell's Absurd Psychology: Recent Episodes
Dr. Gary Bell
Not for the faint of heart or sensitive spirit, Dr. Gary Bell's Absurd Psychology is about helping our lives in the insane world we exist today. It is a sarcastic, smart and witty view of the lives we cope with, including straight answers, real information and new perspectives to bring LIFE back to our existence. Dr. Bell brings deep insight, common sense and weaves general knowledge of how the brain is operating under various circumstances. Dr. Bell challenges us all to OWN our lives. How do we become change in an ever changing world? If anything, you might sound smarter to your friends. Everyone is an armchair therapist, but now you will know enough to be dangerous. No whining or caterwauling allowed! This is a search for essence, passion and meaning as we exist surrounded by mediocrity, insecurity and insignificance. Take your medication and listen. You might learn something.
Mania can range from mild (known as hypomania) to severe; at its most extreme, mania can trigger delusions, violence, and an increased risk of suicide. Depending on the cause, a manic episode can last anywhere from several days to several months, and will typically increase in severity—and in the level of agitation—as it progresses. Milder mania is more likely to be associated with positive outcomes, like increased productivity or greater feelings of optimism. However, the impulsive behaviors associated with a manic state can lead to substance abuse, unnecessary risks, or poor financial decisions. Tune is an learn all about identifying and resolving mania!
Virtually anyone who has survived sexual assault or experienced sexual harassment knows how painful victim-blaming can be. Survivors are often asked what they were wearing, what they did to “encourage” the perpetrator, or even why they didn’t fight back more.Despite the recent rise of the #MeToo movement, victim-blaming remains a tenacious problem. In fact, it may be more tenacious than any of us imagined. That's because the tendency to blame the victim may be programmed into the human mind at a very basic level. Ask yourself if you've ever wondered whether the victims of a crime or accident had done something to set themselves up for their tragedy? Victim-blaming doesn’t have to involve accusing survivors of directly causing their own misfortune. It can involve the simple thought that you would have been more careful, implying that the tragedy was at least partially their fault. Tune in and learn all about victim blaming and how to confront it!
Body language is a silent orchestra, as people constantly give clues to what they’re thinking and feeling. Non-verbal messages including body movements, facial expressions, vocal tone and volume, and other signals are collectively known as body language.Microexpressions (brief displays of emotion on the face), hand gestures, and posture all register in the human brain almost immediately—even when a person is not consciously aware they have perceived anything. For this reason, body language can strongly color how an individual is perceived, and how he or she, in turn, interprets others’ motivation, mood, and openness. It's natural to mirror; beginning as soon as infancy, a newborn moves its body to the rhythm of the voice he hears. Body language is a vital form of communication, but most of it happens below the level of conscious awareness. When you wait for a blind date to arrive, for instance, you may nervously tap your foot without even realizing that you’re doing it. Similarly, when you show up to meet your date, you may not consciously perceive that your date appears closed-off, but your unconscious mind may pick up on the crossed arms or averted gaze. Luckily, with knowledge and a little practice, it is possible to exert some measure of control over your own body language and to become more skilled at reading others. Tune in and learn how to talk in the world around you!
If nothing else, the conflict in the Middle East has made it clear that identity politics isn’t going away. In fact, many individuals who previously criticized identity politics now embrace their personal identities more strongly than ever.Identity politics refers to political positions and perspectives that focus on the interests and issues pertinent to specific groups defined by characteristics such as race, gender, sexuality, religion, nationality or other markers of identity. It emphasizes the distinct experiences and challenges faced by these groups and advocates for policies and practices that address their specific needs and rights. Tune in and learn how politics is used to dumb down the world!
While American children had once commonly enjoyed the freedom to run around outside with minimal adult interference, they began to spend more time indoors where their parents could watch them. When they did go outside, they were more often accompanied by a grown-up; unstructured roughhousing and roleplaying were replaced by supervised play dates or carefully shepherded trips to the park. Kids began to spend more time in organized activities, like dance or sports, and less time in the kind of disorganized milling-about familiar to generations past. Tune in and learn how childhood is declining and what to do about it!
Why do we hold grudges when they are in fact quite painful to maintain, and often seem to work against what we really want? Why do we keep wounds open and active, living in past experiences of pain which prevent new experiences from being able to happen? What keeps us stuck when we want to move on and let go? Most importantly, how can we let go? Tune in and learn all about managing grudges!
Media especially through portrayals of characters, narratives and scenarios can serve as powerful models for learning behavior. We have seen this in the famous Bobo doll experiment by Albert Bandura. Following a series of child tests, Albert Bandura proposed the social learning theory. The experiments proved that children learn through observation and later imitate similar behavior with the combination of environmental and cognitive factors. We are now at a turning point for the world with state run media brain washing our country, youth and naively ignorant people. Media has been confiscated by elites, corporate agendas and one political party. Tune in and learn how to reclaim our (and our children's) brain, our country and a free world!
It’s always difficult to hear your children yelling or sobbing that they don’t want to go to school. You may be even more sensitive to their reluctance and anxiety because of what an unpredictable place school has felt like for the past two years. So, what do you do when you have scrambled to get all your kids’ school supplies and clothes ready for school only to find that you now must coax them to get there? How do you coach 50 pounds or more of pure resistance to leave the house? Tune in and learn all about how to get your kids back in school!
What makes friendship in marriage a potential benefit is that you will need to have someone you can talk to and fight alongside when life gets tough. And the ideal combination is a spouse with whom you share your life plans and the best buddy all in one. Best friends can talk about everything together, console each other, support one another, and help find solutions. While we are contemplating why one should marry their best friend, it is apparent that you wonder how many people actually end up marrying their best friend? Tune in and learn all about what makes best friends, our expectations and our differences!
What, exactly, is apathy? In a sense, it’s something like falling in love. You can describe it all you want, but until you’ve experienced it, you can only guess what it feels like. Paradoxically, what makes the feeling of apathy unique is that it’s essentially the feeling of not feeling. It’s something that at some point in your existence you’ve encountered. Whenever you feel that something vital is missing from your life, yet lack the drive to pursue it, you’re afflicted with this curiously “emotionless” emotion. Tuen in and learn how to identify and work through the weight of apathy!
When you take things personally, you allow many issues to consume your well-being. This way of thinking exhausts your energy with little good and a lot of stress and anxiety. The amount of worry, anger, and suffering you experience in your life is proportional to your sense of self-importance. Whatever you include as part of “me” or “mine” is part of the ego’s domain. The ego causes you to seek pleasure and avoid pain. It is driven by short-term gratification and avoids long-term fulfillment. Controlled by the ego, you crave the material rewards this world has to offer, and, at the same time, you fear losing what you’ve obtained. The ego in the context of this post refers to a person's sense of self-importance, identification, or attachment. The problem is that when we become attached to who we think we are and then try to convince others that this is who we are as well, we create a prison for ourselves. The ego can present challenges in various aspects of life. Tune in and learn how to manage this delicate source of strength!
People who have borderline personality disorder tend to have more tumultuous, chaotic romantic relationships. Such relationships are often marked by stress, conflict, and dysfunction. Some of the ways that BPD can manifest in a relationship include:Oscillating between excessive demands for attention and a sudden withdrawalSevere fear of abandonment that leads to needy, clingy behaviors Lying and deception, often caused by the distorted perceptions people with BPD may hold. Impulsive sexuality and other sexual problems. The more severe these symptoms are, the more significantly they impact a relationship. This can lead to problems maintaining relationships. Evidence suggests that people who have BPD tend to have a higher number of romantic relationships because their symptoms make it difficult to maintain a healthy relationship. Tune in and learn how to be married to these crazy makers!
While some partnerships are beyond repair—whether it’s due to infidelity or emotional abuse—other couples call it quits at the first sign of conflict, but they miss out on an opportunity to resolve anything. Before making your decision, it’s important to try salvaging the marriage and working through your issues (we recommend seeing a marriage counselor). Since both of you play a role in the relationship, doing the inner work is also a necessary step. That said, if you’ve tried everything to restore your marriage, but still, nothing has changed, a divorce might be inevitable. Regardless of your circumstances, if you’ve been asking yourself if your marriage is failing, there are several telltale signs that signal it’s time to end it. Tune in and learn all about pondering divorce!
Trauma is a person’s emotional response to a distressing experience. Few people can go through life without encountering some kind of trauma. Unlike ordinary hardships, traumatic events tend to be sudden and unpredictable, involve a serious threat to life—like bodily injury or death—and feel beyond a person’s control. Most important, events are traumatic to the degree that they undermine a person's sense of safety in the world and create a sense that catastrophe could strike at any time. Parental loss in childhood, auto accidents, physical violence, sexual assault, military combat experiences, the unexpected loss of a loved one are commonly traumatic events. Tune in and learn how to recognize trauma and work through it!
Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) is a disruptive behavior disorder that emerges during childhood or adolescence and is characterized by persistent angry or irritable mood, unruly and argumentative behavior, and vindictiveness. It frequently manifests in hostility toward authority figures. All children display defiant behavior at some point, especially when tired or stressed. Oppositional behavior is in fact normal in toddlers and in early adolescents. The behavior of a child with ODD is much more extreme and disruptive than normal, however, and occurs much more frequently than the type of childhood stubbornness and rebellion that children may display over the course of development. The oppositional behavior of ODD is not only persistent but occurs across a wide array of situations and interferes with children’s social, family, and educational life. Give yourself a break and tune in and learn how to identify and manage Oppositional Defiance Disorder!
The severity of midlife crisis symptoms can vary from person to person. Gender can also play a role in how a midlife crisis unfolds. Women may be more likely to go through a period of self-reflection as they shift away from tending to the needs of others to tending to their own needs. Men, on the other hand, might be more likely to feel as if their past decisions have limited their future options. Tune in and learn how to navigate this crazy period of life!
They say marriage is a covenant, and keeping that covenant requires two committed people. It doesn’t matter the grand wedding you had, the gifts you received, or the kinds of guests that attended your wedding. It takes more than just a celebration to sustain a marriage union, and there are things to consider before getting married. Before you get married, you must understand the commitment that you are making to your partner. Some relationships lead to marriage. But before venturing into what you will eventually enjoy (or endure) throughout your life, some vital elements of a marriage must be considered. Tune in and learn all the angles on whether or not to tie the knot!
You don’t need a degree in psychology to know that friendships are different, depending on gender. Men have historically bonded by relentlessly deriding one anothers’ haircuts and giving each other nicknames like ‘Sponge’ and ‘Meatball’. Women, meanwhile, will bond by baring little pieces of their souls to one another until one day they’re squeezing four people into the same toilet cubicle because they can’t bear to be apart from each other for even five minutes. This is a generalisation, granted. Obviously, some women will struggle to connect with other women, and some men will have close friendships with other men – some may not feel any relation to these gender categories at all. Tune in and learn all about how men without friends are affected and can change!
Passionate love and compassionate love are both important and tend to take center stage during different relationship stages. Passionate love often emerges during the earliest time in a relationship, when that early spark helps people forge a connection. As a relationship matures, passionate love diminishes somewhat, and more compassionate love takes hold.Tune in and learn all about how to return to passion in your relationship and life!
Starting a relationship is always fun and exciting, but making a relationship last is hard work. Once you’ve gotten settled in your relationship, you have to maintain an honest flow of communication and to continue to cherish your time with your loved one. Making a relationship last isn’t always fun, but the benefits of maintaining a long-term and committed relationship far outweigh the difficulties that you may face. If you want to know how to make your relationship last, just follow these tips. Tune in and learn how to sustain your love!
How do you protect yourself in this world? How do you ensure that the things you care for are protected on a daily basis? One way we protect ourself is by having strict boundaries. Boundaries are extremely important for human beings to maintain. Without boundaries, you are likely to be taken advantage of, manipulated, abused, or “blinded” by the shallow, self-centered people we encounter in our daily lives. As a child, I was often reminded by my parents to maintain appropriate boundaries at all times. I quickly learned that boundaries were a great shield of protection in a world that rarely respects or employs appropriate boundaries. For many of us, we learn in high school and as adults how very important boundaries are to our survival. Sadly, individuals who have traumatic histories or poor emotional attachment often become victims to people who violate boundaries because of their own emotional neediness. Sometimes it is very difficult for these individuals to identify when they need to apply strict boundaries.This article will continue our discussion on poor emotional attachment which often results in poor boundaries. We will also look at7 major signalsthat our boundaries need to be adjusted. Tune in and learn how to take charge of your life!
People feel emotionally safe when they feel free of excessive criticism, free of excessive control by others, free of uncalled for blame or shaming from others, free from fears that others will turn anger on them, seen and heard when they express their thoughts, and free from concerns that others will leave them. They also feel safe to the extent that they receive positive attention from others, for example, affection, interest in what they say, agreement with their ideas, playfulness, smiles, appreciation for what they do, and support in response to concerns that they express. Tune in and learn all about the impact and how to become psychologically safety!
Everyone who chooses to be in a relationship will experience conflict at some point. There may be mismatched expectations about how often partners spend time together or different ideas of what quality time looks and feels like. Or, maybe the conflict is something more significant, like a difference in values or beliefs, the way one partner’s family drama affects the relationship, or intimacy or financial stressors. No matter what kinds of conflicts emerge, developing and practicing healthy communication skills can help us navigate issues that arise in relationships, and find resolutions that work for each partner.When it comes to communicating about challenging issues, everyone has both strengths and growth opportunities. Some communication skills we learn and practice when we are young through interacting with family and friends, and others are learned over time as we experience new relationships and situations. These all play a role in how we react to, and work through, conflict in our relationships. Tune in and learn all about how to improve your relationship communication!
Psychological warfare or mental warfare is the use of techniques and tactics designed to influence the attitudes, emotions, and behavior of an individual or a group of people.This has been used countless times throughout the ages by many armed forces but in this context, we are discussing mental warfare in everyday life between individuals and within an individual themselves. Tune in and learn all about the psychology and how the next war will be fought.
Sexual trauma is exposure to any amount of inappropriate sexual behavior that’s caused intense fear and anxiety. It’s also referred to as sexual abuse or sexual violence. Sexual trauma comes in different forms. There are overt types of sexual trauma such as molestation or rape. But sexual trauma can also be covert such as sexual harassment, and unwanted exposure to sex as a child. Sexual trauma can happen to anyone regardless of age, gender, or socioeconomic background. Additionally, an experience of sexual trauma is subjective. What might have felt okay to one person could be deeply disturbing for another. The effects of sexual trauma can be physical, emotional, or psychological and last for a significant period after the sexual encounter has occurred. Sexual trauma doesn’t necessarily mean you no longer want to have sex. People who’ve experienced sexual trauma may still have regular sex. However, their sexual behavior is undoubtedly changed. The impacts of sexual trauma are not always obvious, especially to other people. Tune in and learn all about working through past trauma in a current relationship!
Good human traits typically refer to qualities or characteristics that contribute positively to individual well-being, interpersonal relationships, and societal harmony. These traits vary across cultures and contexts. Human traits, whether perceived as bad or not, often stem from a combination of biological, psychological, social, and environmental factors. Tune in and learn all about what. we are made of!
There is a growing generation that few people have heard of. Within the next few years they will outnumber the Baby Boomers, and many of them will live to see the 22nd Century.We’re talking about Generation Alpha, the children of Generation Y, and often the younger siblings of Generation Z. Simply put, Generation Alpha are defined as those born from 2010-2024. More than 2.8 million are born globally every week. When they have all been born (2025) they will number almost 2 billion – the largest generation in the history of the world. While they are the youngest generation, they have brand influence and purchasing power beyond their years. They shape the social media landscape, are the popular culture influencers, the emerging consumers and by the end of the 2020’s will be moving into adulthood, the workforce and household formation, ready or not. Tune in and learn all about our future generation!
Gender is related to but distinctly different from sex; it is rooted in culture, not biology. The APA (2012) defines gender as “the attitudes, feelings, and behaviors that a given culture associates with a person’s biological sex. Gender conformity occurs when people abide by culturally-derived gender roles. Resisting gender roles (i.e., gender nonconformity) can have significant social consequences—pro and con, depending on circumstances. Tune in and learn how to navigate this politically charged issue!
The ever-increasing explosion of data puts more knowledge at our fingertips than ever before, but you need to know what to do with it. Otherwise, it is obsolete and ineffective. We see an increasing lack of insight with companies living in an “illusion of knowledge,” drowning in data, insight poor, and failing to turn information into intelligence. Why?The lack of shared understanding of what an insight is, and is not is one reason. An absence of the methodological rigor required for meaningful insight generation to happen is another. We see organizations frequently struggle to arrive at a standard definition of what an insight is, and a repeatable process for finding and articulating them. Most ‘insights’ we see are unfortunately nothing more than mere observations, reporting what has been seen in-field without any overt action or outcome attached. If we do not have a clear understanding of what ‘insight’ is, how can we possibly use it as a guidepost to define what’s next? Tune in and learn how to be married!
Gaslighting is an insidious form of manipulation and psychological control. Victims of gaslighting are deliberately and systematically fed false information that leads them to question what they know to be true, often about themselves. They may end up doubting their memory, their perception, and even their sanity. Over time, a gaslighter’s manipulations can grow more complex and potent, making it increasingly difficult for the victim to see the truth. Turn in and learn how we all are being gaslighted 24/7!
Mental illness in children can be hard for parents to identify. As a result, many children who could benefit from treatment don't get the help they need. Understand how to recognize warning signs of mental illness in children and how you can help your child. Mental health is the overall wellness of how you think, regulate your feelings and behave. A mental illness, or mental health disorder, is defined as patterns or changes in thinking, feeling or behaving that cause distress or disrupt a person's ability to function.Mental health disorders in children are generally defined as delays or disruptions in developing age-appropriate thinking, behaviors, social skills or regulation of emotions. These problems are distressing to children and disrupt their ability to function well at home, in school or in other social situations. Tune in and learn how to identify them and what to do!
Online message boards and communities comprised of incels—men who are involuntarily celibate—have gained notoriety in recent years due to mass killing events that were reported as being inspired by a misogynistic ideology that emerges from this group. However, there has never been a systematic psychological investigation of this population.In a fundamental sense, incels are characterized by their identity being framed around a perceived lack of ability to form and maintain sexual and/or romantic relationships. In the media, they are often portrayed as hating women, harmful online, and misogynistic in their attitudes and behaviors. Tune in and we will take a deep dive into the Incel psyche!
Technology addictions, also commonly known as digital addictions or internet addictions, are often overlooked due to the acceptance that society has placed on using digital devices. Technology addictions often go unnoticed by loved ones because the addicted individual may appear as though they are tending to something important such as work-related tasks on their digital device, when in reality hiding behind the screen is something extraneous. When a technological problem does develop and is noticed it is often not viewed as being an imminent risk akin to an addiction to alcohol or drugs because not only is it more acceptable, but it is also not viewed as being acute or deadly. Despite these beliefs, pathological technology use can indeed be pervasive and detrimental to one’s health and wellbeing. In a growing digital age there is a rapid expansion of digital use and subsequent potential for problematic pathological technology use to ensue. Tune in and learn all about how to recognize and control digital addition!
Talking about a past relationship is a tricky affair. What starts off as a fun round of twenty questions can turn into an icy chill in no time if you aren’t careful. Finding out more about past relationships is never a good thing, and yet, like all inquisitive fools, we go looking for dirt in our lover’s past. And when we do find the dirt, we dirty our hands and are left with a stench that lingers for a long time after the discovery. Talking about exes and past lovers may feel like a bag of bricks lifted off your back, but it may come back to haunt you again through your present lover. If your new lover has popped the past relationship question to you, and you find no way of avoiding it with a smile or a wink, perhaps you should learn how to talk about a past relationship and make sure you don’t find yourself in sticky ground by giving the wrong answers. Tune in and learn all about this resentment and how to heal and deal with it!
The psychedelic experience feels as though this self-referential moment-to-moment updating of the ego has suddenly disappeared. The perception of our familiar self vanishes. The name given to this experience is ego death or ego dissolution. This distortion of our subjective experience of self is central to the psychedelic experience. People describe ego-dissolution as a diminished sense of self and an increase in the feeling of being at one with the universe, an experience felt as enriching. The psychedelic experience also includes an increase in emotional empathy, the ability to respond to another’s mental state. People report a greatly enhanced sociability, as though they have “taken off the mask they wear around others,” or that the personal “wall” that separates them from others has fallen. Because our ego separates us from others, ego-dissolution causes us to feel much closer to other people, whether we know them well or not. Tune in and learn how psychedelics is changing the future of psychology!
Narcissism tends to develop in environments where there's a mix of both overindulgence and under-indulgence. Typically, it's an overindulgence in focusing on status, money, appearance, how things look to others or just to focus on external achievements, and there's an under-indulgence in teaching kids about compassion and empathy, really developing their sense of self and their self-esteem and connection to others. Tune in and learn all about how parents raise narcissists and how to prevent it!
Everybody gets depressed sometimes, typically in response to events or experiences in which goals go unmet and expectations are dashed, but such reactions tend to be short-lived. Depression is regarded as a disorder when low mood and other symptoms persist for more than two weeks. Mood dysregulation revealed by unrelenting sadness may be the sign most associated with depression, but the disorder can be reflected in impaired functioning in almost every system of the body, from sexual desire to pain perception.Because depression is complex and affects so many systems of the body, it has many manifestations, and which ones are most prominent can vary from person to person. According to the latest edition of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, widely used as a roadmap to diagnosis, depression can be considered an illness when at least five symptoms occur together for at least two weeks. tune in and learn how to recognize depression, heal and help people with it!
The Dunning-Kruger effect is a cognitive bias in which people wrongly overestimate their knowledge or ability in a specific area. This tends to occur because a lack of self-awareness prevents them from accurately assessing their own skills.The concept of the Dunning-Kruger effect is based on a 1999 paper by Cornell University psychologists David Dunning and Justin Kruger. The pair tested participants on their logic, grammar, and sense of humor, and found that those who performed in the bottom quartile rated their skills far above average. For example, those in the 12th percentile self-rated their expertise to be, on average, in the 62nd percentile.The researchers attributed the trend to a problem of metacognition—the ability to analyze one’s own thoughts or performance. “Those with limited knowledge in a domain suffer a dual burden: Not only do they reach mistaken conclusions and make regrettable errors, but their incompetence robs them of the ability to realize it,” they wrote. Tune in and learn how pervasive this issue is in our world!
Those in a relationship with an emotionally unavailable partner often find themselves in conflict with the partner, or at the very least frustrated or confused. However, few understand what causes such emotional unavailability, much less how to reach out to connect. The person who is emotionally unavailable rarely realises the pain and confusion caused to the very person they want to hurt the least. But they see their emotions as negative or unnecessary and internalize them to the extent that they become unaware of their own feelings or needs beyond the physical. When this occurs it becomes impossible for them to understand or empathize with what another person is feeling, hence they are emotionally unavailable to those around them. Not surprisingly, emotionally unavailable people can be more interested in the act of sex than sexual intimacy, which in turn can make their partner feel like an object. Tune in and learn all about emotionally unavailable people, how to identify and how to deal with them!
The belief that love is true when it lasts is not an outdated concept. In her 2015 song, True Love, Ariana Grande describes how her relationship grew into true love from kisses to a commitment to last forever. But how can a person know that a relationship will last forever? Lovers don’t expect that even a genuine relationship will consist only of passionate positive emotions. In 1960, Buddy Holly’s song, True Love Ways, was released posthumously. Written as a wedding gift for his wife, Holly’s song predicted: “Sometimes we’ll sigh; sometimes we’ll cry ... Throughout the days our true love ways will bring us joys to share with those who really care.” Looking back on his marriage in his song, Remember When, Alan Jackson recounts the ups and downs over the years: “There was joy, there was hurt ... We came together, fell apart and broke each other’s hearts.” Despite it all, Jackson anticipated: “We won’t be sad, we’ll be glad for all the life we’ve had.” Tune in and learn how ti find or create true love!
A near-death experience (NDE) is the conscious, semi-conscious or recollected experience of someone who is approaching or has temporarily begun the process of dying. An example is a cardiac arrest that is followed by resuscitation. People who recall near-death experiences have described perceiving a variety of surreal phenomena, such as seeing themselves from above or passing through a tunnel of light. Reports of these experiences sometimes include religious or spiritual interpretations and have fueled debates about whether a person’s consciousness can persist after death. Some scientists dispute that NDEs reflect post-mortem consciousness and have sought to explain them in terms of changes in brain function during the process of dying.This show is a dynamic scientific and psychological live in-depth interview with world re-known expert and author on NDE, Dr. Bruce (Charles) Greyson.
I feel dead inside is a statement you might hear people make or something that you may have felt yourself. For anyone who has never experienced it, feeling dead inside can be hard to imagine. And, those who have struggled with it might not always have the right words to explain the confusion, sadness, and numbness that comes with this feeling.The meaning of feeling dead inside is to find it difficult to process emotions like happiness and sadness. When you feel dead inside feelings take on the same dull tone and are hard to appreciate no matter the situation. Feeling dead inside might cause life to seem like a boring event, one that has no purpose or end in sight. It can cause a very detached approach to everyday life. Tune in and learn all about how to work through emptiness!
Groupthink is a phenomenon that occurs when a group of well-intentioned people makes irrational or non-optimal decisions spurred by the urge to conform or the belief that dissent is impossible. The problematic or premature consensus that is characteristic of groupthink may be fueled by a particular agenda—or it may be due to group members valuing harmony and coherence above critical thought. The term “groupthink” was first introduced in the November 1971 issue of Psychology Today by psychologist Irving Janis. Janis had conducted extensive research on group decision-making under conditions of stress. Tune in and learn how group think has taken over our politics, life, education and destiny!
The phenomenon of abruptly disappearing from people’s lives isn’t new–but it seems to be more common today. Technology has made ghosting an easy way to dissolve relationships. According to a 2018 study, approximately 25 percent of men and women reported having been ghosted in a romantic relationship, and 22 percent admitted to having ghosted someone else. The Federal Reserve even recognized the phenomenon, in which employers reported being ghosted by employees in a tight labor market. Today ghosting is more popular and destructive than ever. Tune in and learn all about ghosting and ghosters!
During the early phase of marriage, many couples barely come up for air due to the excitement of falling in love. Unfortunately, this blissful state doesn’t last forever. Scientists have discovered that oxytocin (a bonding hormone) released during the initial stage of infatuation causes couples to feel euphoric and turned on by physical touch. It actually works like a drug, giving us immediate rewards that bind us to our lover. Tune in and learn how to restart your love life with your partner!
If the science of death remains a riddle (we’re still not exactly sure why the human body decides to die), the psychology of it has been one of our greatest conundrums. Others die, not us—or at least, that's what most of us like to think. The difficulty to conceive of our own deaths is perhaps some kind of survival mechanism to prevent it from actually happening. Rather than just being a biological impulse, however, our denial of death seems to be a psychological condition rooted in Freudian theory. Americans repress the idea of death; our fear of it so great that it lies buried deep in our subconscious. (The word itself is a major turn-off, which I quickly discovered when I told friends some years ago that I was writing a book about death.) Fictionalizing death through violent (and wildly popular) entertainment helps us keep it at bay, an over-the-top, stylized version serving as a safe substitute for the real thing. Tune in and learn how to conceive of death and make peace!
Belonging is fundamental to humankind. The pursuit of it is the driving force behind our desire to be a part of groups, and its presence (or absence) has a direct impact on our mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing. Belonging grows from a feeling of connectedness with others, and the sense that you are a part of something. That could be with an individual, a group, or a larger community. But, a social connection doesn’t necessarily equate to belonging. More than just an acquaintance between people or a group, belonging is all about being seen, accepted, and supported by others and doing the same for them. It’s built gradually over time with people that are supportive of us as full, authentic human beings. Tune in and learn all about what is mens to belong!
People tell white lies all the time in their daily lives. But if you’re in a relationship and start a pattern of telling little lies or hiding even the smallest things from your partner, it’s probably not going to end very well. Often times people will hide things from the person they love or claim to be telling these small lies for a few different reasons. One being whatever they are lying about may seem so insignificant, they don’t “feel that they need” to tell them. Or perhaps the “what you don’t know can’t hurt you” mantra comes into play, and they may believe they are saving their significant other from the pain of whatever truth they’re withholding. Or, they may rightfully know they’re doing something that they probably shouldn’t be doing and are taking the coward’s way out by lying or hiding it from their partner. Whatever the case may be, hiding things and lying about even the smallest of things is sincerely damaging your relationship in many different ways. Tune in and learn how to regain your integrity from the life of a liar!
A life lived without forgiveness is a life lived in the past. Living in the past is a conscious or an unconscious choice made through a connection to the past. In simple, the past is a time gone by and no longer exists in the present moment, but we choose to allow this past to occupy our minds, our bodies and our very existence. Living in the past is like choosing to cling to a chronic illness. Would you choose to be plagued with a chronic illness? Would you allow yourself to beinjected with a disease that could take your life? Why then, are you allowing yourself to be injected daily with the memories associated with the past? Why have you chosen to cling to the negative memories associated with your life? Have you found comfort with the negative memories, or do you feel incapable of letting go of the past? Letting go of the past is through purposeful action. The action is the process with which we choose to rid the very essence of our person of the past. The past may be comprised of tragic events, thoughts, or circumstances. Whatever the case, the past is haunting you and it is denying you the freedom of moving forward in this life. Tune in and learn how to overcome being unforgiven!
You feel attraction to someone who’s a hard nut to crack. They exude vibes of mystery and aloofness you can’t get close to. And you can’t help but keep trying to conquer their attention. Or, you seem to have found your soulmate. You both feel emotional and sexual chemistry. And you both see a clear perspective of starting a relationship. But they always avoid talking about their feelings and retract right before the important step.Can you relate to any of these stories? We’ve shared them not to blame or shame you. Many of us draw to emotionally unavailable people and favor them over those who are caring, vulnerable, and easy to get close with. However, this pattern often brings up painful emotions you’re probably familiar with. It can take a toll on your well-being, self-worth, and ability to nurture healthy, lasting relationships in the long run. Meanwhile, building a deep bond based on mutual intimacy and closeness offers many more ways to enrich our lives and make us happy. If you repeatedly fall in love with someone who can’t or doesn’t want to reciprocate, there might be a reason. Let’s explore the concept of emotional unavailability and find out why it can be so attractive. Tune in and learn how emotional unavailable people are formed, how to identify and how to fix it.
Let’s start with the numbers and get that out of the way. Divorce is common, really common—in fact, according to the CDC, 2.9 out of every 1,000 people get divorced (as of 2017). In case that number seems lower than you thought, here’s some perspective, compare it to 6.9 per 1,000 people who get married. A little silver lining is that while it’s clear that divorce rates increased from 1990 through 2008, particularly for women over the age of 35; the rate is now declining. In other words, young married couples are more likely to stay married than their Baby Boomer counterparts. Tune in and learn how to work through and move on from divorce!
All bitterness starts out as hurt. And your emotional pain may well relate to viewing whoever (or whatever) provoked this hurt as having malicious intent: As committing a grave injustice toward you; as gratuitously wronging you and causing you grief. Anger—and resentment—is what we’re all likely to experience whenever we conclude that another has seriously abused us. Left to fester, that righteous anger eventually becomes the corrosive ulcer that is bitterness. Bitterness is a chronic and pervasive state of smoldering resentment, and regards it is one of the most destructive and toxic of human emotions. If we repeatedly ruminate over how we’ve been victimized, “nursing” wrongs may eventually come to define some essential part of who we are. Take hold of our very personality. We’ll end up becoming victims not so much of anyone else but of ourselves. Tune in and learn how to overcome this emotion destroying your relationships!
Trauma is a person’s emotional response to a distressing experience. Few people can go through life without encountering some kind of trauma. Unlike ordinary hardships, traumatic events tend to be sudden and unpredictable, involve a serious threat to life—like bodily injury or death—and feel beyond a person’s control. Most important, events are traumatic to the degree that they undermine a person's sense of safety in the world and create a sense that catastrophe could strike at any time. Parental loss in childhood, auto accidents, physical violence, sexual assault, military combat experiences, the unexpected loss of a loved one are commonly traumatic events. Tune in and learn how to recognize trauma and work through it!
Every couple’s situation and circumstances are different. So, too, are the reasons they drifted apart, ranging from a lack of communication to cheating. Still, there are certain exercises you can do as a couple and individual, plus small steps you can take with your partner now to increase love, trust, and intimacy in the hopes of keeping you together. When you think you may be on the brink of divorce, you may still have a glimmer of hope that you can save your marriage. You want to stay together. And by putting in the effort, you can do it. Tune in and learn how to do all you can to restore your marriage from a ma's perspective!
Our inner child is a part of ourselves that’s been present ever since we were conceived, through utero and all the developing years after where we were young and developing into tender selves: baby, infant, toddler, young child and middle school year. The inner child can often recall good experiences as well as childhood fears, traumas, neglect or significant loss. It can be hard to pinpoint the exact event that is tugging at us, but we can start to notice our internal patterns that have left us a subconscious “bread crumb trails” when we start to explore our inner world. Each one of us has an “inner child” living inside. You have an inner child. I have an inner child. We all do. Your “inner child” is a part of your subconscious that has been picking up messages way before it was able to fully process what was going on (mentally and emotionally). It holds emotions, memories and beliefs from the past as well as hopes and dreams for the future. Tune in and learn how to identify and forge a relationship with this critical and sometimes self-destructive part of you!
We are becoming a nation of narcissists. We are so focused on superficial personal identity that it makes us obsessed with race, ethnicity, sex, and political ideology. Tattoos, body piercing ornaments, and body enhancement surgery have not been enough to satisfy our self-obsession. Like the legendary Narcissus seeing his reflection in a pool, we see and applaud ourselves because of our superficial external appearance. What matters most to narcissists and society at large, is their personal character, what they do and have achieved, and how they contribute to society. Tune in and learn how to identify narcissism , see it in the world around you and learn to respond!
Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) is a disruptive behavior disorder that emerges during childhood or adolescence and is characterized by persistent angry or irritable mood, unruly and argumentative behavior, and vindictiveness. It frequently manifests in hostility toward authority figures. All children display defiant behavior at some point, especially when tired or stressed. Oppositional behavior is in fact normal in toddlers and in early adolescents. The behavior of a child with ODD is much more extreme and disruptive than normal, however, and occurs much more frequently than the type of childhood stubbornness and rebellion that children may display over the course of development. The oppositional behavior of ODD is not only persistent but occurs across a wide array of situations and interferes with children’s social, family, and educational life. Give yourself a break and tune in and learn how to identify and manage Oppositional Defiance Disorder!
Burnout is a state of emotional, mental, and often physical exhaustion brought on by prolonged or repeated stress. Though it’s most often caused by problems at work, it can also appear in other areas of life, such as parenting, caretaking, or romantic relationships. Burnout is not simply a result of working long hours or juggling too many tasks, though those both play a role. The cynicism, depression, and lethargy that are characteristic of burnout most often occur when a person is not in control of how a job is carried out, at work or at home, or is asked to complete tasks that conflict with their sense of self. Equally pressing is working toward a goal that doesn't resonate, or when a person lacks support. If a person doesn’t tailor responsibilities to match a true calling, or at least take a break once in a while, they could face burnout—as well as the mountain of mental and physical health problems that often come along with it, including headaches, fatigue, heartburn, and other gastrointestinal symptoms, as well as increased potential for alcohol, drug, or food misuse. Tune in and learn how burn out can stop your life in it's tracks and how to heal!
What does it mean to be Spiritual Beings having a human experience and how does it relate to our everyday lives? We are not human beings striving to be Spiritual; we are already Spiritual Beings. Meaning, we existed in spiritual form before we were born into this physical world. First and foremost, we are eternal Souls. In the very quiet moments of our busy lives, we can re-connect with this knowledge. Our Soul, that part of us that observes quietly behind what we do, think, believe, and feel, existed before this human life and will continue to exist after our present physical life transitions. Tune in and learn how life changing it can be to acknowledge and make room for your soul in your life!
Forgiveness is the release of resentment or anger. Forgiveness doesn’t mean reconciliation. One doesn't have to return to the same relationship or accept the same harmful behaviors from an offender. Forgiveness is vitally important for the mental health of those who have been victimized. It propels people forward rather than keeping them emotionally engaged in an injustice or trauma. Forgiveness has been shown to elevate mood, enhance optimism, and guard against anger, stress, anxiety, and depression. However, there are scenarios in which forgiveness is not the best course for a particular person. Sometimes a victim of sexual abuse becomes more empowered when they give themselves permission not to forgive. Tune in and learn the gifts that forgiveness can bring and how to do. it!
Many of us whine for a minute when things don't go our way. We need a little grief time, a little time to gather ourselves back together again, renegotiate our hopes and dreams more in alignment with reality, and then we're back in the saddle again. The time it takes for us to do that varies with each individual. Many people feel a tad embarrassed when they whine this way because, well, it feels to us as if we are on the pity-pot. And, you know, maybe for a minute we are. But really, don't we all just need to go there sometimes? That temporary state of self-pity, however, is a drop in the bucket compared to what happens when we are dealing with someone with a full-blown victim identity. A person with a victim identity is someone who has identified with whatever crises, traumas, illnesses or other difficulties have occurred in their lives, particularly those that began very early in life. They did this as a survival technique. Better to go ahead and just realize that life is a long fight with City Hall that you always lose, than to get your hopes up that you just might win every now and then. Hopes can be smashed and a person can be devastated by such dashing. So, why not just avoid the whole mess altogether by just being a perpetual victim? Tune in and learn how to identify, heal and deal with people with victim mentality!
What do you think you look like? Body image is the mental representation an individual creates of themselves, but it may or may not bear any relation to how one actually appears. Body image is subject to all kinds of distortions from the attitudes of one's parents, other early experiences, internal elements like emotions or moods, and other factors. The severe form of poor body image is body dysmorphic disorder, where dissatisfaction over a slight or undetectable defect in appearance becomes a severe obsession. Tune in and learn how a person can. work with what they've got, change and heal!
We started our relationship with alcohol because it made us less likely to starve to death. Over time we gained the ability to stand upright and, eventually, invent Netftix. Somewhere along that timeline we also started getting drunk from alcohol, and not just fat. Today, alcohol is the most widely consumed intoxicant on earth. We spend well over a trillion dollars a year worldwide to get our buzz on, and for more sacred purposes than mere drunkenness; Christian churches across the world use wine to represent the blood of their god.The ancient Greeks and Romans took the opposite tack, and turned their alcohol into a god, Dionysus. There's absolutely no drug on earth that our species has carried further or invested more creativity into than alcohol. Tune in and learn how to change your relationship with alcohol!
The most important and possibly universal quality for a “good man” is maturity. So many otherwise decent guys never seem to grow up. Maturity is not boring, btw; it basically means someone who is not emotionally stunted, childishly self-centered, or financially reckless. Other aspects of someone’s personality can be important and interesting and charming and irresistible, but maturity is the basis of an adult and long-term relationship. Women are desperately struggling to find a good man. This show will help you discover what is going on, what you need to adjust and how to make it happen!
Though more rare, rage can also be expressed inwards; and instead of external destruction, people who internalise their rage destroy themselves. It can lead to hate and self harm. Eventually though, this too will bubble up and be expressed externally in some way. It is never healthy to keep emotions bottled up; particularly one as extreme as anger and rage. Rage is extreme and scary when experienced from others; but we are all quite capable of it. For many people, they have likely experienced this and felt completely out of control afterwards. Some have described it as “seeing red” where conscious decision making goes out the window, and actions are no longer in your own control. So it is scary even when we experience rage ourselves. What exactly triggers rage is so specific to the individual there’s no way to list down anything specific. Each person has a trigger that can lead to anger and rage; and it is entirely up to them to try to figure themselves out. Maybe you’ve experienced excessive anger and rage. Did you understand why and did you know how to deal with it? Tune in and learn all about rage and how to deal with angry people and manage it yourself!
We have suffered quite a bit over the past few years. Some people in this world, sadly, have suffered more than their fair share, and our hearts should go out to those folks. The unfortunate truth of life is that it is not fair. While I'm not a Buddhist, there is much to be appreciated and learned about how to deal with suffering from Buddhist philosophy and psychology. Tune in and learn all about how important suffering is to our commitments in life!
No couple wants their marriage to be dysfunctional, and yet, many couples live in perpetual dysfunction. They operate like two blind people learning to dance with each other…they keep stepping on each other’s toes! It doesn’t have to stay that way. If you’re one of the millions facing constant struggles in your marriage, your first step is to change your habits. If you’ve taken on any of these 5 common habits below, work to stop them and replace them with more productive practices. Don’t lose hope! Every marriage goes through struggles. You can get through this. Tune in and learn how to turn your marriage around!
Those in a relationship with an emotionally unavailable partner often find themselves in conflict with the partner, or at the very least frustrated or confused. However, few understand what causes such emotional unavailability, much less how to reach out to connect. The person who is emotionally unavailable rarely realises the pain and confusion caused to the very person they want to hurt the least. But they see their emotions as negative or unnecessary and internalize them to the extent that they become unaware of their own feelings or needs beyond the physical. When this occurs it becomes impossible for them to understand or empathize with what another person is feeling, hence they are emotionally unavailable to those around them. Not surprisingly, emotionally unavailable people can be more interested in the act of sex than sexual intimacy, which in turn can make their partner feel like an object. Tune in and learn all about emotionally unavailable people, how to identify and how to deal with them!
Parental messaging in childhood, even without qualifying as a disorder, can strongly impact feelings of inadequacy, leaving in their wake the message of “never being enough.” This is especially true if one or both parents were on the spectrum of narcissisticattitudes and behaviors. Parents with narcissistic traits often cannot adequately provide empathy, unconditional love, and acceptance to their children. Healthy attachment and secure separation and individuation are based on experiencing these same qualities unconditional of the child’s performance. An image-oriented world view based on how things look, especially to others, does not tolerate authenticity and imperfection. It also is intolerant of people associated with these characteristics. Learning, growing, developing children are particularly vulnerable to the fear, shame, and feelings of abandonment of “not measuring up.” A legacy of unmet emotional and developmental needs is often expressed behaviourally by trying to please, looking to others for cues on how to be “good enough,” accepted, and loved, without which the foundation for self-esteem and self-reliance is severely compromised. Tune in and learn how to create the life you want!
Jason Hopcus’s personal mission is to advance human connection by embracing the conversation among fighters; the folks whose journeys from black to light give hope to those that deserve a 2nd or even a 3rd chance to be the ambassadors of conversation. Jason - acts as a motivator and catalyst for powerful cultural change within both for-profit and non- profit organizations. - believes connection to oneself, one’s transparency, and one’s passion allows individuals to live a wholly authentic, full life - creates systems of support for people working to deepen their relationships to their work, their play, and ultimately our world. Tune in and learn from this fantastic new host on VoiceAmerica.com!
For as long as the concept of love has existed, so has the concept of heartbreak. A breakup brings with it a myriad of emotions; rawest of them all being grief. Conventionally, the word grief may be strongly associated with death but it is also a significant part of breakups. A breakup signifies loss. The loss of companionship and expectations about the future. The ‘heartbreak syndrome’, states that grief after a breakup is akin to grief associated with death. A breakup can mimic feelings of bereavement such as intense sadness and intrusive thoughts. Drawing on these similarities, it wouldn’t be too far-fetched to apply the stages of grief to a breakup. Tune in and lean how to recover from a break up!
People whose gender identity or expression does not conform to the sex they were assigned at birth are transgender. While individuals may be assigned to a sex at birth based on how they present biologically, their sense of their gender may differ. A trans man is a man who was identified as female at birth, and a trans woman is a woman who was identified as male. (Transsexual is an older term that referred to trans individuals who sought or undertook intervention to change their bodies.) Many trans people, but not all, take steps, either through surgery, hormone treatments, or cosmetic or fashion decisions, to make their bodies and appearances align with their gender identities—the gender with which they identify—whether male-to-female or female-to-male. These steps, which also may include changing one’s name and/or pronouns, are often referred to as transitioning, or as gender affirmation, although the term gender reassignment is used by some. (Cross-dressers, distinct from transgender individuals, generally identify with the gender label they receive at birth but often wear clothing associated with a different gender.) Tune in and learn all about transgender and gender identity in children!
We all have heard about the law of attraction. It is one of those popular self-growth methods used for personal and professional growth. The Law of attraction is based on the common saying “you attract what you are.” Before beginning, how many of you believe that it’s true “you attract what you are?” Tune in and learn how what we attracts effects who we become!
When it comes to the survival of intimate relationships, no matter how much love there is between you and your partner, there’s no guarantee that you both will be able to make your love last—even if you think you’re soulmates. In fact, without empathy, the love in your relationship will end up like love in tennis—one big zero. If you are questioning whether or not to throw in the relationship towel and call things quits, I am asking you to carefully pay attention to what I am about to share about how crucial empathy is for struggling relationships to heal and thrive. Tune in and learn how to recognize a loveless relationship and maybe even fix it!
Cheating. It’s the ultimate relationship violation, and one of the most notorious relationship killers. But all affairs aren’t created equal. Some of these relationships are brief trysts, others are longer affairs. A partner’s infidelity can end the relationship, but not always. To understand how these different outcomes come about, we have to go back to the beginning. Why are partners unfaithful in the first place? In the quest for answers, the most common culprit is to diagnose what’s missing from the relationship, especially sexually. But that type of blame game is an oversimplification that misses a lot of what’s really taking place. Tune in to understand how affairs happen from a man's perspective and a woman's perspective. Also, how to strengthen your relationship!
A broad term, somatics focuses on body movement as a means to improve mental health. Its history dates back to physical education movements of the 19th century, and included many practices, including yoga, pilates, and judo. Among the most prominent schools of somatics is that created by Thomas Hanna, who, in the 1970s, introduced and named the concept of “Somatics.” He theorizes that for sufferers of chronic pain, a significant amount is a result of “sensory motor amnesia,” in which neurons in the brain have lost their ability to properly control muscle tissue. He believes that through education, mindfulness, and vigorous, intentional movements akin to physical therapy, a patient can reinvigorate their mind-body pathways and relieve chronic pain. Learn how to understand and deal with Somatic Illness!
Is it better to give than to get? Being a giver is an attribute valued by society at multiple levels: in close relationships with a spouse, significant others, family, friends, or co-workers; or in a broad, less personal way, such as giving to charities or volunteering time to help those in need. Giving has many benefits for one’s health, psychological well-being, and spiritual growth. Givers are valued for their prosocial traits, such as selflessness, altruism, or kindness. Yet, there may be a dark side to giving and givers. The altruistic aura of giving may hide the underbelly of the true motivations. Tune and learn how to identify self-worth and reclaim it!
Resentful people are always holding on to the things that hurt them like burning pieces of wood they can’t seem to let go of. They do this to be able to throw those things back at the people who hurt them anytime they please. The funny thing is that, by doing this, they only end up hurting themselves. There’s nothing positive about holding on to that burning hatred and anger for so long. Most of us know a resentful person. However, there’s one thing we must always keep in mind. More often than not, we think that those who experience this deep and self-destructive feeling are people who didn’t learn to forgive others. But this is actually a very complex subject that has many different nuances. It doesn’t really matter what people say about this feeling. The truth is that it’s quite universal and recurrent and that no one is exempt from feeling it. A person who experienced traumatizing events such as abandonment or betrayal is very prone to feeling resentment. Tune in and learn how resentment works, what it does to us and how to turn the volume down!
Emotional abuse is a pattern of behavior in which the perpetrator insults, humiliates, and generally instills fear in an individual in order to control them. The individual's reality may become distorted as they internalize the abuse as their own failings. People who suffer emotional abuse can experience short-term difficulties such as confusion, fear, difficulty concentrating, and low confidence, as well as nightmares, aches, and a racing heart. Long-term repercussions may include anxiety, insomnia, and social withdrawal. Tune in and learn how to identify emotional abuse and fight back!
Anxiety is a feeling of worry or unease about a situation. We all feel anxious at times and we all worry, but sometimes these feelings can become so intense and overwhelming that they consume your daily life and your energy—mentally, physically, and emotionally. Anxiety doesn't live in a vacuum. Even in the most loving relationships, if one partner has anxiety, it can really strain the relationship and dampen the trust and the intimacy, and it can make for frustration when neither gets their needs met. Tune in and learn how to live and love someone with anxiety!
It’s not unusual for a child younger than 4 to have as many as nine tantrums per week. These can feature episodes of crying, kicking, stomping, hitting and pushing that last five to 10 minutes. Most children outgrow this behavior by kindergarten. For children whose tantrums continue as they get older and become something that is not developmentally appropriate, professional help may be in order. Anger issues are the most common reason children are referred for mental health treatment. Tune is and learn some savvy ways to work with willful children!
When you picture a narcissist, you might think of someone who is grandiose, attention-seeking and arrogant—also known as overt narcissism. However, there’s another, less obvious type of narcissism as well—covert narcissism. These types of narcissists may show fewer outward hallmarks of the disorder, making them more challenging to identify, but they still have an excessive need for attention and admiration and generally lack empathy for others. Covert narcissism is also referred to as vulnerable narcissism—has been described as the “more silent and subtle variation” of narcissism. This type of narcissist shares the same overarching traits of the personality disorder—an inflated sense of self, a lack of empathy for others and an excessive need for admiration and attention—but manifests these traits in a less obvious way. Tune in a learn how to identify, work with and heal from covert narcissism!
Mania is a state of elevated energy, mood, and behavior, most often seen in those with bipolar disorder, schizoaffective disorder, or who have taken certain drugs or medications. While the feelings present in mania can be positive, energetic, or even euphoric, they may also manifest more negatively—as emotions like irritation, anxiety, or grandiosity. Mania can range from mild (known as hypomania) to severe; at its most extreme, mania can trigger delusions, violence, and an increased risk of suicide. Depending on the cause, a manic episode can last anywhere from several days to several months, and will typically increase in severity—and in the level of agitation—as it progresses. Milder mania is more likely to be associated with positive outcomes, like increased productivity or greater feelings of optimism. However, the impulsive behaviors associated with a manic state can lead to substance abuse, unnecessary risks, or poor financial decisions. Tune in and learn all about the signs and mania and how to help yourself and others!
A panic attack is a sudden rush of fear and anxiety that causes both physical and psychological symptoms. The level of fear experienced is unrealistic and out of proportion to the events or circumstances that trigger the panic attack. Anyone can have a single panic attack, but frequent and ongoing episodes may be a sign of a panic or anxiety disorder that requires close medical attention and treatment. Tune in and learn all about panic attacks, how to slow them down and end them!
What does the word commitment suggest? It usually evokes a strong sense of intention and focus. It typically is accompanied by a statement of purpose or a plan of action. Very often, we utilize this word in regard to proclamations we may make about the seriousness of our relationships. For example, “I’m in a committed relationship,” or “I’m completely committed to this relationship.” In such circumstances, what exactly are we saying? We take it for granted that the word or the expression means the same thing to all of us. I can assure you that it doesn’t. Tune in and learn the power of commitment!
Happiness is an electrifying and elusive state. Philosophers, theologians, psychologists, and even economists have long sought to define it. And since the 1990s, a whole branch of psychology—positive psychology—has been dedicated to pinning it down. More than simply positive mood, happiness is a state of well-being that encompasses living a good life, one with a sense of meaning and deep contentment. Feeling joyful has its health perks as well. A growing body of research also suggests that happiness can improve your physical health; feelings of positivity and fulfillment seem to benefit cardiovascular health, the immune system, inflammation levels, and blood pressure, among other things. Happiness has even been linked to a longer lifespan as well as a higher quality of life and well-being.Attaining happiness is a global pursuit. Researchers find that people from every corner of the world rate happiness more important than other desirable personal outcomes, such as obtaining wealth, acquiring material goods, and getting into heaven. Happiness is not the result of bouncing from one joy to the next; researchers find that achieving happiness typically involves times of considerable discomfort. Genetic makeup, life circumstances, achievements, marital status, social relationships, even your neighbors—all influence how happy you are. Or can be. So do individual ways of thinking and expressing feelings. Research shows that much of happiness is under personal control. Tune in and learn how to make happiness a part of your life!
Repression is a defense mechanism in which people push difficult or unacceptable thoughts out of conscious awareness. Repressed memories were a cornerstone of Freud’s psychoanalyticframework. He believed that people repressed memories that were too difficult to confront, particularly traumatic memories, and expelled them from conscious thought. This idea launched a long controversy in the field of psychology. The notion that people repress traumatic memories that can be recovered in therapy has been discredited. There is ample evidence that people remember traumatic experiences even if they wish they could forget them and that memory is more malleable than previously believed. Outside of the repressed memory debate, people may refer to repression colloquially, describing the tendency to push difficult feelings down or avoid confronting certain emotions or beliefs. Tune is and explored how repressed desires can creep into our life of denial!
Passive aggression is a way of expressing negative feelings, such as anger or annoyance, indirectly instead of directly. Passive-aggressive behaviors are often difficult to identify and can sabotage relationships at home and at work. Instead of getting visibly angry, some people express their hostility in passive-aggressive ways designed to hurt and confuse their target. Most people will have to deal with passive aggression from others in their personal and professional lives at one time or another: a roommate who leaves a sweet-yet-scolding note about the one cup that was left unwashed, for example, or the report a colleague keeps forgetting to finish. Nagging or getting angry only puts the passive-aggressive person on the defensive—often resulting in them making excuses or denying any responsibility. Recent research shows that there are healthier ways to confront passive aggression and handle relationship conflict. Tune in and learn all about passive aggression and hoot deal with it!
The belief that love is true when it lasts is not an outdated concept. In her 2015 song, True Love, Ariana Grande describes how her relationship grew into true love from kisses to a commitment to last forever. But how can a person know that a relationship will last forever? Lovers don’t expect that even a genuine relationship will consist only of passionate positive emotions. In 1960, Buddy Holly’s song, True Love Ways, was released posthumously. Written as a wedding gift for his wife, Holly’s song predicted: “Sometimes we’ll sigh; sometimes we’ll cry ... Throughout the days our true love ways will bring us joys to share with those who really care.” Looking back on his marriage in his song, Remember When, Alan Jackson recounts the ups and downs over the years: “There was joy, there was hurt ... We came together, fell apart and broke each other’s hearts.” Despite it all, Jackson anticipated: “We won’t be sad, we’ll be glad for all the life we’ve had.” Tune in and learn how ti find or create true love!
Whether or not we are granted a fresh start every year, the world is set up so that we believe it’s possible. But a fresh start doesn’t just involve starting something new, it means letting go of the past – in the form of jobs, relationships, living arrangements, body types, overall health – doing whatever it takes to get out of the rut you’ve been stuck in.Letting go is the flip side of starting over. Most of the time it feels easier to stay with people, places, positions – until forward motion has ceased entirely, and you need a whole new way of looking at your current situation. Diminishing returns are still return on an investment, and hanging on until something becomes unbearable sometimes feels like the only choice. It’s only later, what you shake your head and wonder how you let it go on so long. Knowing when to make a move takes years of experience, and a wide-lens view of where you are in life. The truth is…every day is a new start. Tune in and grab a new ticket to change your life!
Some lucky people are born into families they adore spending time with—their loving mutual bonds make holidays and multi-generational vacations a drama-free joy. But for others, simply seeing an incoming call from a parent triggers an anxiety that dates back to childhood, and they leave family gatherings feeling hurt, angry, or exhausted. Toxic family dynamics can have far-reaching impact on our lives as adults. Tune in and learn how these toxic people can be overcome!
One of the most prevalent—and damaging—themes in our culture is the need to be right. It's one of those essential memes that we take for granted. It is so deeply embedded in our belief system and in the collective psyche that we never even pause to consider it. It would really serve us to inquire why it is so compelling. Before we begin to look at that, let's just reflect on how it impacts our lives. From the more personal and mundane battles over who said what in the midst of an argument to the larger issues of politics, religion, abortion, health care, gun control or climate change, being right is mandated. It quickens our pulse, causes us to shout, and can sever relationships. It is the reason for most acts of hatred, violence, and warfare. Tune in and learn how to be happy!
Psychology has largely focused on the various things that can go wrong with the human mind, including different forms of mental illness and how we react to traumatic events in the world. While positive psychology tries to remedy that by focusing on topics such as happiness and self-fulfillment, the countless research studies exploring what it means to live more fully tend not to be known outside the academic community. Even though the popular media is now bursting with stories and articles describing how to diet effectively, have a better sex life, develop washboard abs, have a successful marriage, etc., they also seem to perpetuate various myths about happiness and how it can be attained. As an alternative to the various quick fixes promised by media sources worldwide, Dozois instead breaks down his advice on living more fully into the following life lessons: Engage in happiness-relevant activities. Tune in and learn how to find great satisfaction in your life!
Many of the people I work with tell me they feel restless, knowing there is “something more” to do with their careers and their lives. They also feel a little sad and maybe resentful. Is this you? As you look back on this year, do you feel grateful for what has occurred or relief that it is finally over?Actually, you can feel unfulfilled when life is good and when it isn’t. You can be busy and successful but sense emptiness inside. Or you can be on the other end where you feel nothing is how you wished it could be and that others are at a better place than you. The restlessness, shallowness, sadness, and resentment can’t be blamed on your boss, friends or family. You feel these emotions because your choices have left you disconnected with yourself. Making life choices based on what eases your fears instead of what fulfills you is an act of self-denial. You miss your passionate, joyful, grateful self. Tune in and learn how to undo the Restless Soul Syndrome!
Unemployment has especially hurt older workers in this recession. Workers 55 years old and older are more likely to be unemployed and spend longer looking for a new job than is the case for younger workers. They also often experience discrimination. This exacerbates the mental stresses associated with unemployment, adding to other health worries in the pandemic and further eroding older workers’ financial security. Unemployment has been more widespread among the oldest workers than among somewhat younger ones throughout much of the recession. From July to November 2020, the unemployment rate for workers 65 years old and older averaged 7.1%, compared to 6.7% for workers 55 to 64 years old and 6.3% for workers 45 to 54 years old. Typically, unemployment rates decline with age for mid-to-late career workers. This is the first recession where older workers experience higher unemployment rates than somewhat younger workers. Unemployment has always posed a unique challenge for older workers, but this problem is more widespread in this recession than in previous ones. Tune in and learn how to scratch your way back to relevance at old age!
Living without passion, positive expectations, or enthusiasm can become painful. But feeling hopeless doesn’t have to be permanent. We all have our own definitions of hope and hopelessness, but the emotions we experience are real and valid. Feeling hopeless may be a natural, universal response to personal and world events that impact our lives. It can also be a symptom of depression, adjustment disorders, and other mental health conditions. Tune in and and learn how to work our way out of hopelessness to joy!
Politics is something that has become inescapable in our social media focused society. We all know a person that uses a social media platform to start arguments with people they disagree with politically. Often spreading misinformation that will heavily sway other people’s beliefs as well. (Strandberg et al. 2018) This behavior has always been a part of our internet culture as social media allows people to reach a larger audience than ever before. (Nelson, 2018) However, this type of behavior has become increasingly common with the influence of a few factors. Due to our media’s representation of political turmoil and indifferences it has caused an increase in polarization over the recent years and the divide continues to grow. Tune in and learn the ins and outs of how people manipulate, especially politicians!
Gluttony is the over-indulgence and over-consumption of food and drink, and it's something pretty much all of us are guilty of from time to time. We all love to eat, and we especially crave rich, calorie-packed foods. Knowing that we “shouldn’t” often makes little difference. How often has your willpowercollapsed at the sight of a scrumptious chocolate cake? Our drive to eat goes way beyond basic hunger. There is a drive within all of us to eat, eat, and eat some more. What’s worse is that this drive seems pretty well focused on foods that are horrible for us. When was the last time you had an intense, mouth-watering craving for brussels sprouts? At our most basic level, we are built to crave high-fat, high-sugar, and high-protein foods. Sure, many of us grow into an appetite for more healthy foods and learn to shun the empty calories of milkshakes and soda, but if you believe that is the result of anything other than conditioning and training, you are kidding yourself. Tune in and learn how to manage this relentless urge!
Don’t reduce Gen Z students to zombies on smartphones. Eighty-three percent prefer face-to-face communication versus texting, phone, or email, but many feel they’ve lacked adequate socialization or training for in-person conversation. They struggle with small talk, and hiding behind their phones is a crutch they turn to when they feel intimidated by the situation. Also, just because they’re comfortable with technology doesn’t necessarily make them tech savvy. Especially germane in this time of remote learning, Gen Z students don’t magically know how to use every new platform or application; they require instruction and support just like anyone else. Tune in and learn about the Gen Z generation and what their world will look like!
Sexual self-esteem influences almost every sexual decision you make, from who you engage with and when to whether you constrain yourself and how. However, very little is known about sexual self-esteem and who has more or less of it. This is particularly important because sexual self-esteem and sexual satisfaction are closely related. Several studies suggest that lower sexual self-esteem negatively impacts sexual satisfaction. Another study reported the results of an experiment to test the effects of low sexual self-esteem and showed that male participants’ sexual arousal was significantly and negatively affected by poor sexual self-esteem. Tune in and learn how dynamic the influence of our self-narratives have to do with our libido!
Just as psychology studies pretty much everything a human could ever partake in, it also studies religion. The science of psychology is an attempt to analyze every part of the human experience and behavior. The psychology of religion aims to uncover the impact of relationships in religion in order to predict behaviors. It is meant to connect religious consciousness with religious patterns and behaviors. While many psychologists have defined religion in their own ways throughout the years, it is safe to say that religion and spirituality are deeply engrained in psychology. Tune in and learn how religion and psychology can work together and pull apart!
Psychological warfare involves a mental or emotional type of battle, as opposed to practicing physical combat. Psychological warfare utilizes specific designs, including propaganda and menacing statements, that aim to adversely affect an enemy's rationale and actions. Several intended effects of psychological warfare may include the control, pressure, or weakening of the enemy, in both mind and body. Today our media uses psychological warfare to gaslight America. We live in a dishonest majority in our country with a dishonest media. The world is watching. Tune in and learn how, when and how to defend against this crisis of our world!
Just as definitions of happiness change, so too does our ability to handle adversity. Numerous tales exist of people undergoing tremendous hardships -- cancer, losing a job, a bad breakup -- and finding themselves in the end as happy as or happier than ever. Despite the difficulty in pinning down what happiness is and how to achieve it. Tune in and learn how to boost your happiness!
Parents are intentionally left in the dark about the harmful ideas on gender being peddled to their kids. Gender identity” was once just a fringe concept of postmodern philosophy. Today, it’s regularly causing real-world harm to children and teenagers (particularly girls) across the country in sports, schools, and even youth camps. The blatant promotion of transgenderism has infiltrated schools without parental consent and at the expense of academic learning. Gender-identity school policies and practices are becoming widespread. And curricula, books, videos, and activities promoting the transgender ideology are used with students as young as five. It’s common, moreover, for these materials used with students to contain sexually explicit content. We will explore both the mental health and developmental aspect of Gender Identity exposure to our young children!
Psychological abuse is common and yet few understand the psychological abuse definition enough to spot it. Without the visible signs of physical abuse, psychological abuse can stay hidden for years. Psychological abuse, though, can be just as devastating as physical abuse. Psychological abuse can affect your inner thoughts and feelings as well as exert control over your life. You may feel uncertain of the world around you and unsafe in your own home. Psychological abuse can destroy intimate relationships, friendships and even your own relationship with yourself. Psychological abuse also applies to children and may impair their development into a healthy adult. Tune in and learn how to identify and stop psychological abuse!
Living alone is a modern phenomenon. For most of history, very few people lived alone. In the U.S., even as recently as 1960, only 7 million people lived alone; they accounted for just 13 percent of all households. By 2020, more than five times as many Americans were living alone, 36.2 million. Of course, the entire population was growing, but even as a proportion of all households, the rate of living alone had more than doubled, to 28 percent. Now, if you were to knock on any door at random in the U.S., you would be more likely to find a person living alone than a nuclear household of mom, dad, and kids. Studies of dozens of countries all around the world show a similar trend. In the decades since 1960, the proportion of people living alone has been on the rise. That’s in part because of another global phenomenon—the rise of single people and the decline of marriage. But it’s not only that; historically, unmarried people (widowed, divorced, or always single) were more likely to live with other people than to live on their own. Tune in and learn all about being single!
We all make mistakes, and we do so with regularity. Some errors are small, such as, “No, we don’t need to stop at the store; there’s plenty of milk left for breakfast. Some are bigger, such as, “Don’t rush me; we have plenty of time to get to the airport before the flight leaves.” And some are crucial, such as, “I know it was raining and dark, but I’m sure that was the man I saw breaking into the home across the street.” No one enjoys being wrong. It’s an unpleasant emotional experience for all of us. The question is how do we respond when it turns out we were wrong—when there wasn’t enough milk left for coffee, when we hit traffic and missed the flight, or when we find out the man who sat in jail for five years based on our identification was innocent all along? Tune in and learn how to deal with these crazy makers!
Debates over how to parent are as old as parenting itself. The truth is Good Enough is all we can strive for. In the recent past, we've seen the Tiger Mom, who threatened to burn her daughter's stuffed animals if she didn't play a piano piece correctly. American parents' overindulgence, she said, was why Chinese mothers are superior. Here in the U.S., advocates of attachment parenting recommend co-sleeping and baby-wearing, while others believe babies need to learn how to self-soothe (that is, cry alone) once they are 4 months old. But attitudes, values, and work ethic - arguably just as important—are more closely tied to parenting. At the very least, parents (especially mothers) know they will be blamed if their kids don't turn out right. Tune in and learn what not to do to mess up. your kids!
Sometimes the stressors of the modern world make us just want to scream. The constant bombardment of negative news and our continual connection to our technological devices can make us feel trapped, with a strong desire to escape. Perhaps we just need some time alone to heal and nurture ourselves. When we have this feeling, it might be that our minds and souls are sending us messages. We’re being reminded that it’s time to step away and indulge in some self-care. Tune in and learn healthy and unhealthy escapism and all the benefits it brings us!
It’s impossible to go through life without causing hurt to those people we love. We may have to do this for their own good—for instance, when we need to be firm with a child who we believe is engaged in destructive behaviours. We may inflict pain on another person when we need to do what is right for us, such as leaving a relationship. Most of us feel bad about inflicting hurt and might stay in situations way too long for fear of hurting our loved ones. But some people go through life causing a great deal of hurt to other people, including romantic partners and even their own children. They might fall under the label of narcissistic or borderline personality types. But putting the labels to one side for a bit, why do people repeatedly hurt other people in this way? Tune and and learn how to deal with and understand these sick lost souls who use love as a place to torture their loved ones!
Many female psychopaths seek to destroy others however they can. A female psychopath may undermine your self-esteem using innuendo, or bully you and turn friends and family against you by poisoning your reputation behind your back. There is no end to what she might do to shatter your life. Many female psychopaths are pathological liars who are more cunning and manipulative than male psychopaths. The female psychopath desires to be the center of attention and demands center stage. Listen closely to her style of speech—how she also manages to play the victim. She may shed crocodile tears to play on your sympathy, and the next moment her tears can transform into raucous laughter. Her personality turns on and off like a neon sign. Tune in and learn how to spot them and deal with them!
Suicide often stems from a deep feeling of hopelessness. The inability to see solutions to problems or to cope with challenging life circumstances may lead people to see taking their own lives as the only solution to what is really a temporary situation, and most survivors of suicide attempts go on to live full, rewarding lives. Depression is a key risk factor for suicide; others include psychiatric disorders, substance use, chronic pain, a family history of suicide, and a prior suicide attempt. Impulsiveness often plays a role among adolescents who take their life. (To learn more about risk factors, see Mental Health or Social, Economic, and Genetic Influences.) If a person deemed at risk due to any of the above exhibits sudden mood changes—even a suddenly upbeat mood—or completely new behaviors, they may be actively suicidal. Those who speak about being a burden to others, having no reason to live, feeling trapped, or in unbearable pain may also be contemplating suicide. (To learn more about warning signs of suicide, see Signs That Someone Is Contemplating Suicide.) Statistically, suicide occurs most frequently among people ages 45 to 54. Women are more likely than men to attempt suicide; men are more likely than women to complete the act. TUne in a figure out where you stand on the suicide spectrum and what the consequences are for those who love you!
When your marriage is in trouble, you don't have any options without pain or sacrifice. You can divorce, separate, stay in the marriage, or get creative and change the marital rules. Each option has trade-offs. Everyone knows that divorce is extremely difficult on many fronts. Not only is it a tremendous loss (loss of stability, loss of a partner, loss of a dream, loss of a sense of family), but it can be quite challenging financially and socially. This is especially true when the couple has children. For this reason, many couples choose to avoid the drastic disruption and drop off in the standard of living of breaking up. Instead, they stay together and tough it out. This alternative has its own set of consequences such as having to suffer in an unhappy—or sometimes even unbearable—situation, feeling like a fraud, not being true to yourself, and having a sense that life is simply passing you by. Tune in and learn how to process through this gigantic emotional decision!
Because narcissists operate in an ‘all about me’ fashion, the world revolves around them, their needs and desires. They continue to be selfish and expect others, including their children, to cater to them. So, when their child does well, they take credit and brag about the child, and when the child struggles, they blame the child or others for it. They are controlling and they readily induce guilt in their children. They tend not to offer much by way of emotional support and validation, and the child quickly learns that the parent’s goals are important whereas their own goals are not. This is frequently because the parent is living their own lives through the child and the child’s accomplishments.” Tune in and learn what it is like to raise yourself and the impact!
Images of child sex abuse have reached a crisis point on the internet, spreading at unprecedented rates in part because tech platforms and law enforcement agencies have failed to keep pace with the problem. But less is understood about the issue underlying it all: What drives people to sexually abuse children? Science in recent years has begun to provide some answers. One thing most pedophiles have in common: They discover, usually as teenagers, that their sexual preferences have not matured like everyone else’s. Most get stuck on the same-age boys or girls who first attracted them at the start of puberty, though some retain interest in far younger children.“People don’t choose what arouses them — they discover it,” said Dr. Fred Berlin, director of the Johns Hopkins Sex and Gender Clinic. “No one grows up wanting to be a pedophile.” Over the past generation, psychologists, forensic specialists and others have studied pedophilia, a disorder characterized by “recurrent, intense arousing fantasies, urges or behaviors involving sexual activity with a prepubescent child,” according to psychiatry’s diagnostic manual. These experts have interviewed patients in depth, piecing together life histories and performing a variety of psychological and anatomical measures. While no study offers a complete picture, a portrait is emerging — one that helps elucidate the mental dynamic behind the surge in abuse images and the deepening depravity they depict. These findings also defy common stereotypes about what pedophilia is, and what the risks are for engaging in physical abuse. Tune in and learn about the profile of these horrible abusers!
Much of my professional career has involved speaking, writing, and interpreting research about how to handle relationships that have gone wrong: partnerships that are controlling or toxic, for instance, or where trust has been broken. I'm often asked how to handle infidelity, betrayal, or emotional upheaval within a relationship — and it can be heartbreaking how widespread those issues tend to be.
But just as important is learning to identify when a relationship is going well. Many people are unsure of what to look for, or worse yet, they don't know all the positives that they truly deserve to have within a relationship. If someone grew up watching their parents or other family members act out chronically toxic patterns, then that person may very well come to define those patterns as normal and have difficulty understanding the baseline of what a good relationship looks like.
]Tune in and learn how to make your relationship healthy finally!
the word ‘responsibility’ and how often it gets confused with blame, which of course implies that someone or something is at fault for a given situation. And it always has a pejorative flavor to it; no one opens up their arms and says, ‘bring on the blame!’ Quite the contrary… while many love to give it, we’re loathe to get it and will do almost anything to keep the hot potato of fault as far away from ourselves as possible. Responsibility, on the other hand, to me is something vastly more powerful, as well as empowering. As the language suggests, it is a ‘response ability’: the ability to choose our response in every moment to all that is going on around us. A choosing that allows us to claim ownership of the circumstances of our lives, and thereby, to contribute to making them better. Tune in and learn how to take responsibility for your life!
It's hard to empathize with someone who carries out a school shooting. The brutality of their crimes is unspeakable. Whether the shootings were in Uvalde, Columbine, or Parkland, they have traumatized students and communities across the U.S. Someone went out of their way to target and kill children who look like our children, teachers who look like our teachers — and did it for no other reason than to hurt them and that's very personal. Law enforcement agents as well spend a lot of time thinking about what it's like to be one of these school shooters. Understanding who the shooters are, they say, is key to prevention. Tune in and learn about the profiles of these monstrous killers.
Rejection is a bitter pill to swallow. And most of us have had a good dose of it. Whether we didn’t get a job we applied for, weren’t admitted to our top choice college, didn’t make it to the team we tried out for, or didn’t score a second date with the person we were sure was going to become our soulmate, many of us have experienced rejection first hand. Hearing “no, not interested” doesn’t feel good. Regardless of how hard you want to look at the bright side of it, rejection doesn’t build character. It breaks hearts, it brings tears, and it raises fears. And that fear can stick and become a hard-to-remove stain. Fear of rejection, or rejection sensitivity, as it is often referred to in the psychology literature, can become an obstacle to success and happiness. Research shows that fear of rejection can have a negative impact on emotional well-being, interpersonal relationships, and psychological functioning. It affects the way we feel about ourselves, the decisions that we make, and the goals we choose to pursue. Fear of rejection can make us think small and act even smaller. Tune in and learn how fear can dictate your life!
Confidence in one's value as a human being is a precious psychological resource and generally a highly positive factor in life; it is correlated with achievement, good relationships, and satisfaction. Possessing little self-regard can lead people to become depressed, to fall short of their potential, or to tolerate abusive relationships and situations. Too much self-love, on the other hand, results in an off-putting sense of entitlement and an inability to learn from failures. It can also be a sign of clinical narcissism, in which individuals may behave in a self-centered, arrogant, and manipulative manner. Perhaps no other self-help topic has spawned so much advice and so many (often conflicting) theories. Tun e in and learn how a be healthy and grow your self esteem!
Anxiety is both a mental and physical state of negative expectation. Mentally it is characterized by increased arousal and apprehension tortured into distressing worry, and physically by unpleasant activation of multiple body systems—all to facilitate response to an unknown danger, whether real or imagined. The cognitive feelings of dread in anticipation of some bad outcome, and physical sensations such as jitteriness and a racing heart are designed for discomfort. Anxiety is meant to capture attention and stimulate you to make necessary changes to protect what you care about. Occasional bouts of anxiety are natural and can even be productive. Anxiety can be considered the price we humans pay for having the ability to imagine the future. When anxiety becomes a disorder But persistent, pervasive, or outsize anxiety can disrupt daily life, whether at school, work, or with friends—the mark of an anxiety disorder. Nearly one-third of adults in the U.S. will grapple with out-of-control anxiety at some point in their life. Anxiety is often accompanied by depression, and the two share many symptoms and involve many of the same brain pathways. Biology can contribute to vulnerability to anxiety, as can childhoodexperiences such as early trauma and parenting practices such as overprotection. Tune in and learn how to overcome anxiety!
Though our need to connect is innate, many of us frequently feel alone. Loneliness is the state of distress or discomfort that results when one perceives a gap between one’s desires for social connection and actual experiences of it. Even some people who are surrounded by others throughout the day—or are in a long-lasting marriage—still experience a deep and pervasive loneliness. Research suggests that loneliness poses serious threats to well-being as well as long-term physical health. Whether a person lives in isolation or not, feeling a lack of social connectedness can be painful. Marriage can be the loneliest place in the world. Given the potential health consequences for those who feel like they have few or no supportive social connections, widespread loneliness poses a major societal challenge. But it underscores a demand for increased outreach and connection on a personal level, too. Loneliness is as tied to the quality of one's relationships as it is to the number of connections one has. And it doesn’t only stem from heartache or isolation. A lack of authenticity in relationships can result in feelings of loneliness. For some, not having a coveted animal companion, or the absence of a quiet presence in the home (even if one has plenty of social contacts in the wider world), can trigger loneliness. Tune in and learn how to win the battle of loneliness!
Keeping the brain engaged is key to building resilience. By seeking out new challenges and activities, people can take their resilience to the next level by developing wisdom. Wisdom is more strongly associated with life satisfaction than physical health, finances, socioeconomic status, social involvement, physical environment, and age. Among older hospice patients and nursing home residents, wisdom is more connected to their sense of wellbeing. One way to understand wisdom is to observe it as a 3-dimensional model that incorporates cognition, reflection, and compassion. The cognitive dimension refers to a person’s need to understand the deeper truths of life, including its positive and negative aspects. The reflective dimension paves the way to this understanding by pondering events from many perspectives rather than blaming others or circumstances. The compassionate dimension brings a broad awareness of human nature and suffering that motivates people to help others with sympathy and compassion. Tune in and learn how wisdom can improve your life!
When making a decision, we form opinions and choose actions via mental processes which are influenced by biases, reason, emotions, and memories. The simple act of deciding supports the notion that we have free will. We weigh the benefits and costs of our choice, and then we cope with the consequences. Factors that limit the ability to make good decisions include missing or incomplete information, urgent deadlines, and limited physical or emotional resources. When people are put in a familiar situation, their decisions are often fast and automatic, based on longtime experience with what works and what doesn’t. However, when encountering a situation they’ve never been in before, they have to take time to weigh the potential benefits and risks when choosing a course of action. They are more likely to make mistakes and face negative consequences. Tune in learn the art of making good decisions!
For centuries scientists, science writers and philosophers have encouraged us to trust our common sense (Lilienfeld et al., 2010; Furnham, 1996). Common sense is a phrase that generally implies something everyone knows. One of the definitions of common sense given by Wikipedia is, “good sense and sound judgment in practical matters.” Common sense psychology is a myth. What appears to be common sense is often common nonsense. Scott Lilienfeld, co-author of 50 Great Myths of Popular Psychology, says we should mistrust common sense when evaluating psychological claims (Lilienfeld et al., 2010).Some examples of common sense psychology include: Working while in high school will help students build character and value money. Children who read a lot are not very social or physically fit. People with low self esteem are more aggressive. The best way to treat juvenile delinquents is to get tough with them. Most psychopaths are delusional. We know what will make us happy. Tune in and learn how to access your own common sense!
Behavior is said to be self-sabotaging when it creates problems in daily life and interferes with long-standing goals. The most common self-sabotaging behaviors include procrastination, self-medication with drugs or alcohol, comfort eating, and forms of self-injury such as cutting. People aren't always aware that they are sabotaging themselves, and connecting a behavior to self-defeating consequences is no guarantee that a person will disengage from it. Still, it is possible to overcome almost any form of self-sabotage. Behavioral therapies can aid in interrupting ingrained patterns of thought and action while strengthening deliberation and self-regulation. Motivational therapies can also help reconnect people with their goals and values. Tune in and learn how self-sabotage manifests and how to heal it!
There is a great deal of information available about depression. But when you live with a depressed person, it can be painfully difficult. Anti-depressants are the number-one prescribed medication in this country, but they are not a panacea. Many with depression continue to suffer, or at least have symptomatic periods. This, in turn, affects those who love them. It can be especially difficult when the person with depression is your child or a partner. Many parents feel it is their duty to rescue their adult children. But the feeling of helplessness often prevails when you live with a depressed individual. It may not be healthy to feel it is your duty to rescue a partner, and it's also not healthy to take responsibility for his or her feelings. For men who have depressed partners, feeling helpless is especially common. Generally, men are fixers. When they hear of a problem, their reaction is to fix it. But depression is not so easily fixed, therefore the result is helplessness and frustration. This can complicate the helping process. For women who have a depressed partner, it is common to feel like the connection between partners is missing or inhibited. If the depressive symptoms lead to withdrawal, the female partner may feel shut-out. The feelings and thoughts of a depressed person may be difficult to share, which might compound the problem and leave the partner feeling there is a lack of communication. Worse, some men turn depression into anger and may be easily irritated with their partner, thereby further exacerbating the problem Tubne in and learn how to recognize and deal with a depressed partner.
When children are raised with chronic loss, without the psychological or physical protection they need—and certainly deserve—it is most natural for them to internalize incredible fear. Not receiving the necessary psychological or physical protection equals abandonment, and living with repeated abandonment experiences creates toxic shame. Shame arises from the painful message implied in abandonment: You are not important. You are not of value. This is the pain from which people need to heal. Tune in and learn all about healing from childhood abandonment!
Relationship scientist Raymond Knee coined the terms “destiny beliefs” and “growth beliefs” to describe an individual’s general approach to seeking and maintaining romantic relationships. People with destiny beliefs assume there is one person out there who they are meant to be with (a soulmate). They believe once they find the right person, the relationship will be relatively smooth and easy. In contrast, people with growth beliefs go into relationships assuming they will need to get to know each other and grow together through shared experiences. Their relationships aren’t “meant to be” but rather are “made to be.” Whether we have destiny beliefs or growth beliefs predicts how we think, react, and behave in relationships. For example, people with destiny beliefs tend to be more rigid in thinking about their partners. If relationships are either “destined to be” or not, there is little room to approach problems with flexibility and openness to change. However, people with growth beliefs generally expect that challenges will arise, and their relationship will grow as they address those challenges together. Tune in and learn if you can make that Soul Mate love connection!
For anyone whose life revolves around caregiving, including the parents of special-needs children, there are inherent risks that can jeopardize both their own well-being and that of the people they care for. Insufficient management of one’s own stress as one cares for others can lead to emotional burnout and feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, and paralysis. Experts advise parents to find a practice that works for them, whether therapy, exercise, mindfulness, or another approach. It may bring on feelings of guilt, but caregiving parents need to redirect some of their energy to self-care and remind themselves that these efforts will directly benefit their child. Tune in for all kinds of tips and information of how parents can take care of their children and themselves!
Delusional disorder, previously called paranoid disorder, is a type of serious mental illness — called a “psychosis”— in which a person cannot tell what is real from what is imagined. The main feature of this disorder is the presence of delusions, which are unshakable beliefs in something untrue. People with delusional disorder experience non-bizarre delusions, which involve situations that could occur in real life, such as being followed, poisoned, deceived, conspired against, or loved from a distance. These delusions usually involve the misinterpretation of perceptions or experiences. In reality, however, the situations are either not true at all or highly exaggerated. People with delusional disorder often can continue to socialize and function quite normally, apart from the subject of their delusion, and generally do not behave in an obviously odd or bizarre manner. This is unlike people with other psychotic disorders, who also might have delusions as a symptom of their disorder. In some cases, however, people with delusional disorder might become so preoccupied with their delusions that their lives are disrupted. Tune in and learn how pervasive and detrimental this disorder is!
The Covid-19 pandemic led to a prolonged exposure to stress. As a consequence, researchers showed an increased interest in measuring social and community uneasiness in order to psychologically support the population. This increased attention might help in managing the current situation and other possible epidemics and pandemics. The security measures adopted in managing the pandemic had different consequences on individuals, according to the social role invested. Some segments of the population seem to be more exposed to the risk of anxious, depressive, and post-traumatic symptoms because they are more sensitive to stress. Tune in and learn how COVID has changed our psychology!
There is a downside to being in control when it involves trying to control other people, because other people don't want to be controlled by you any more than you want to be controlled by other people. In therapy, we often hear that if we do not like the way in which others are behaving, we are better off changing our own feelings about their behavior than trying to change their behavior. The reason for this is that behavioral habits are notoriously difficult to change, even when a person really wants to change his or her own habits; if people are not interested in changing their behavior, it is almost impossible to make them change. Tune in and learn about the consequences of our obsessions for power and control!
Destructive behavior takes various forms: from subtle self-sabotage and self-defeating patterns to passive hostility to severe self-destructive symptoms, violent aggression and, sometimes, evil deeds. Commonly, destructive behavior in adults bears the impetuous, impulsive quality of childish petulance or narcissistic temper tantrums. Or an infantile neediness, dependency, and dread of abandonment. Or an irresponsibility and angry refusal to be an adult: the Peter Pan syndrome, or what Jungians refer to as a puer or puella complex. The archetypal Jungian notion of the puer aeternus (male) or (female) puella aeterna--the eternal child--provides the basis for what has come in pop psychology and self-help movements (see, for example, the writings of Dr. Eric Berne, Dr. Alice Miller, or John Bradshaw) to be known as the inner child. What exactly is this so-called inner child? Does it truly exist? And why should we care?
To begin with, the inner child is real. Not literally. Nor physically. But figuratively, metaphorically real. It is--like complexes in general--a psychological or phenomenological reality, and an extraordinarily powerful one at that. Indeed, most mental disorders and destructive behavior patterns are, as Freud first intimated, more or less related to this unconscious part of ourselves. We were all once children, and still have that child dwelling within us. But most adults are quite unaware of this. And this lack of conscious relatedness to our own inner child is precisely where so many behavioral, emotional and relationship difficulties stem from. Tune in and learn about this incredible experience all of us have!
Regret is a negative emotion that occurs when a person believes his or her past actions or behaviors, if changed, may have achieved a better outcome. Regret is often closely associated with feelings of guilt and shame. We often express the emotion of regret to others in the form of an apology. The emotion of regret can be broken down into two components A negative emotional state Cognitive construction of an alternative behavior or decision Even if the alternative decision or behavior was highly improbable or impossible, it can cause the person experiencing regret to apply a degree of self-blame. Regret may be characterized by negativity about the past in general, or about a particular incident in the past. For example, a person might feel badly about the way he or she has spent his or her life and be plagued by regret. Alternatively, the person might just feel badly about a particular incident—such as yelling at his or her mother the last time he or she saw her—and feel regret about it. Regret tends to be a long-lasting emotion, and people might say that they are plagued by feelings of regret that they cannot eliminate. However, regret can also be a short-lived feeling. For example, a child might regret tripping his or her sister and then quickly move past these feelings. The fact that regret is associated with the past, though, can make it particularly difficult to process because the actions that led to the regret cannot be changed. Tune in and learn how regret can dictate your life!
Being vulnerable with each other can also be a mutual endeavor, and it doesn't just involve revealing parts of yourself. It can also involve a joint effort toward something rewarding — an adventurous experience on a vacation, a joint lifestyle change toward healthier habits, an attempt to expand your mutual social circle, or even just expanding your minds together with new ideas in the form of thought-provoking books or movies. This puts you both outside of your comfort zone with the possibility of reward in the form of increased trust — like two comrades who were in the trenches together. And if it's a romantic relationship you're looking to increase your connection within. Tune in and learn more about how trust and integrity effect our entire lives!
Stalking is defined as repeated and unwanted attention, harassment, contact, or any other behavior directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to feel fear. In 2006, psychologist Brian Spitzberg at San Diego State University conducted large-scale representative studies of stalking behavior across three continents. He reported that 2–13% of males and 8–32% of females are victimized by stalking at some point in their adult lives, and in the majority of such cases, the person is stalked by someone they know. The relentless neurotic nature of the stalker can take the form of harassing their targets, calling them repeatedly, as well as sending letters and gifts. If these are ineffective, the individual may escalate to more intrusive behaviors such as spying on, and unexpectedly confronting their victims. Research tends to focus on how violating it is to bear the brunt of stalkers’ obsessions, but there is little to explain what exactly motivates the stalker, and further, how to therapeutically treat these offenders. Tune is and learn the psychology of these deeply psychotic people!
Humor, the capacity to express or perceive what's funny, is both a source of entertainment and a means of coping with difficult or awkward situations and stressful events. Although it provokes laughter, humor can be serious business. From its most lighthearted forms to its more absurd ones, humor can play an instrumental role in forming social bonds, releasing tension, or attracting a mate. Tune in and learn how powerful humor is and the healing it offers!
Gender is related to but distinctly different from sex; it is rooted in culture, not biology. The APA (2012) defines gender as the attitudes, feelings, and behaviors that a given culture associates with a person’s biological sex. Gender conformity occurs when people abide by culturally-derived gender roles. Resisting gender roles (i.e., gender nonconformity) can have significant social consequences—pro and con, depending on circumstances. Tune in and learn how to navigate these difficult decisions from being, parenting and supporting!
A divorcee is not a supernatural being who needs to be kept at bay and never considered for marriage. Nevertheless, there are a few problems in marrying a divorcee that needs to be taken into account before you plunge into a relationship. Tune in and learn how to navigate this complex union!
t has become increasingly clear to me that at the basis of most divorces are problems of sexual connection. Two people may think that they are fighting about the kids or the in-laws or about whether to renovate the kitchen, but underneath it all is that unspoken tension related to the pressure of establishing a satisfying sexual relationship for both parties. I will explore what happens when a woman’s body shuts down and is no longer receptive to her husband’s touch. I’m looking at women who have no history of sexual trauma. This “shut down” typically appears a few years into the relationship, often after the kids are born. Whereas in the past, they used to have a fun, relaxed time in bed, now it has become a psychological wrestling match, with her avoiding and him bewildered and unsure how to proceed. This leads to her closing up and him feeling rejected and angry. And because she doesn’t understand and can’t explain what’s happening, it’s impossible to talk about. Tune in and learn about this vast virus to marriage issues!
Some lucky people are born into families they adore spending time with—their loving mutual bonds make holidays and multi-generational vacations a drama-free joy. But for others, simply seeing an incoming call from a parent triggers an anxiety that dates back to childhood, and they leave family gatherings feeling hurt, angry, or exhausted. Toxic family dynamics can have far-reaching impact on our lives as adults. Tune in and learn how these toxic people can be overcome!
It’s normal for us to need time to ruminate and go over a romantic break-up in minute detail when we feel like we were the one who was dumped. Break-ups can definitely qualify as traumatic events and telling and re-telling the break-up story is a relatively normal reaction if it was traumatic for you. However, if you’re telling the same story two or three months after the break-up to the same friends; feeling that you're more depressed than just sad; experiencing emotional pain that is keeping you from engaging in your normal routine, it’s likely going to qualify as “too long.” Unfortunately, there’s not a magic number for how many weeks or months it takes to get over a bad break-up, but if you find your thoughts are getting in the way of you moving forward and your friends are tired of hearing you complain, then those are two signs it’s time to get yourself together and move forward. Tune in and learn how to overcome a broken heart!
For as long as America has been a country, the straight white American man has been king of the hill. But as society changes and culture evolves, the ground beneath that hill is growing shaky. Economically, physically and emotionally, many American men are fighting to maintain a foothold.What it means to be a man today is different than what it meant 20 years ago, says James O'Neil, PhD, a psychologist at the University of Connecticut who studies gender role conflict. There's a paradigm shift occurring in our country regarding what it means to be masculine, and many men have had difficulty adjusting to that transition. That shift might have been a factor in the 2016 presidential race. President Donald J. Trump's vow to make America great again seemed to resonate with the nation's male voters: Exit polls showed the widest gender gap among voters since exit polling began in the 1970s, with men favoring Trump over Hillary Clinton by 12 percentage points and women favoring Clinton over Trump by the same margin—for a total gender gap of 24 percentage points. Tune in and learn about what is dramatically happening to men!
Loneliness is often defined as the distressing feeling generated by a lack of meaningful, intimate, and reciprocal interactions. One might describe it as emotional isolation. Exacerbated by its gross under-recognition, loneliness is rapidly emerging as the great public health crisis of our time, especially after COVID. Academic research and an onslaught of headline news reveal that loneliness is to suicide, addiction, bullying, obesity, gastro-intestinal disease, metabolic syndrome, type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hematological conditions, and more, as poor hygiene is to infection. While loneliness is not the only cause of these and other consequences, it is a highly significant one. Loneliness can be, in a word, deadly. Just as the loss of millions of lives to infection in the 14th and 19th centuries required combating terrifyingly poor hygiene, today we must battle loneliness to prevent a public health catastrophe, both economically and personally. While many organizations throughout our country are deeply dedicated to preventing and battling the consequences of loneliness and supporting our communities. Tune in and learn the impact of loneliness!
There are two paths we can take in any given situation: one is the path of avoiding pain in the moment, and the other is the more difficult path of delaying pleasure for a bigger purpose. Our cultural norms encourage us to seek Band-Aid solutions and temporary comforts—basically, whatever it takes to ease our discomfort now. This is apparent in the prevalence of casinos, commercials for psychiatric medications, and get rich quick schemes in our culture. Some people don’t see the value in having patience during difficult times or working toward a goal; they want to lose the weight now and would rather buy the latest, greatest cell phone than save for retirement. We often make our life choices according to how we can avoid pain in the moment and, in doing so, fail to see that the path of delayed gratification is sometimes where the real solutions to our problems lie. Tune in and learn what causes this enormous emotional issue!
Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is more than simply feeling sad, experiencing grief, or being super drained of energy. Those feelings are totally valid, but like most feelings, they’ll eventually pass. MDD is an often-debilitating mental illness that presents as a cluster of depressive symptoms. For most people, clinical depression won’t go away on its own and you can’t “just snap out of it.” While melancholy and exhaustion are part of depression, there are other symptoms to look for, including losing interest in things you once enjoyed, trouble sleeping, sudden crying spells, withdrawing from others, hopelessness, thoughts of self-harm or suicide, and more. Depressive episodes vary in severity and duration, but they must last for two weeks or more to qualify for an MDD diagnosis. Many people with clinical depression do their best to conceal symptoms from the people around them. They may feel vulnerable and embarrassed for showing “weakness,” or worry that their friends and colleagues might judge them or just plain ghost them. Remember: MDD is not a negative attitude, a character flaw, or a sign of weakness. Tune in and learn how to recognize Major Depressive Disorder!
When it comes to narcissism, there is a spectrum of severity. While many people have narcissistic traits, some people have personalities that are highly narcissistic. Others have full blown narcissistic personality disorder. It’s well known that narcissistic exposure can damage an adult badly enough. But the traumatizing effects of being raised by a narcissist leaves psychic scars which drive many into therapy later in life. These scars can be thought of as common traits of children with narcissistic parentsEvery parent-child relationship involves some amount of occasional conflict, stress and confusion. This is not exactly breaking news and has been the premise of many a pop culture offering. We expect it, accept it, and, for the most part, manage it.However, there are instances where things go far past the normal family pitfalls. A particularly dangerous example involves the presence of a highly narcissistic parent. In this case, family life and it’s inevitable conflict looks nothing like a T.V. sitcom. And the harm done is not easily undone. Tune in and learn how to identify and move on from narcissistic parents!
Every marriage has its ups and downs. But if you're reading this, chances are yours has been down for a while now. Maybe you’ve been dealing with an intensely stressful situation like a job change, a new baby, or having to care for an aging parent. Or maybe you’re arguing over money, or someone cheated, or your sex life has gone kaput. There are lots of different scenarios that have the potential to send a relationship into a downward spiral. When a marriage starts to falter, one thing’s for sure: Each partner starts putting their personal needs over the needs of their relationship. That can make working through a tough situation almost impossible. And instead of being on the same page, it can feel like you’re almost always talking past each other. Tune is and learn how to save your marriage!
Psychological factors are responsible for about 10%-20% of all cases of erectile dysfunction, or ED. It is often a secondary reaction to an underlying physical cause. In some cases, the psychological effects of ED may stem from childhood abuse or sexual trauma. However, the most common psychological causes of ED include: Stress: Stress can be job-related, money-related, or the result of marital problems, among other factors. Tune in and learn how to deal with ED!
We should start by saying that there is no meaning in life outside of that which we can find by ourselves as a species. There isn’t any kind of objective meaning written in the stars, in a holy book or in sequences of DNA. What seems to prompt people to complain that life lacks meaning are particular varieties of unhappiness. Let’s consider some central examples:– You’re in a relationship, but the intensity you experienced at the start has long gone. You don’t seem to talk about anything important any more or share vulnerable feelings and ideas. It feels, as you put it, ‘meaningless’. Or else you’re single and, though you have many friends, every time you see them, the conversation seems shallow and trivial.– You are at university studying for a degree. You signed up for the course in part because you often feel confused about who you are and what you want. You thought that reading books and going to lectures would shine a light on things, but the topics are dull and disconnected from your confusion. You complain it feels meaningless. Let's discover the meaning of life!
Have you ever noticed how we often argue about the same things over and over again? How pointless, isn’t it? Nothing is ever accomplished by hashing over these identical and repetitive points. No one convinces anyone else, and both parties remain entrenched behind their emotions and the arguments that cover them. So what if we simply skipped the subject, let the provocation ( which it usually is) go by and talked about something else, something more positive? Of course this is easy to suggest and not always as easy to do, but it is possible to lift the discourse, find a subject that is perhaps not quite as personal, or doesn’t seem as personal. We can easily talk about what is happening in the wider world: there’s plenty of that to talk about; or talk about a book or a favorite moment in the past when there has not been discord? Or talk about something you are looking forward to in the future or a moment at work. Tune in and learn how to end circular arguments!
While intelligence is one of the most talked about subjects in psychology, there is no standard definition of what exactly constitutes intelligence. Some researchers have suggested that intelligence is a single, general ability. Others believe that intelligence encompasses a range of aptitudes, skills, and talents. Intelligence has been a controversial topic throughout psychology's history. Despite the substantial interest in the subject, there is still considerable disagreement about what components makeup intelligence. In addition to questions of exactly how to define intelligence, the debate continues today about whether accurate measurements are even possible. Tune in and learn about the dynamics of our our human intelligence!
We’ve all been impatient—and we’ve all made rash decisions when impatience got the better of us. We’ve left lines that were barely moving, only to get into an even slower line. We’ve taken the pizza out of the oven two minutes early because we just couldn’t wait. Or we’ve blown up a perfectly good relationship because we weren’t sure where it was going, and couldn’t stand the uncertainty. On the other hand, we’ve also been overly patient at times, sticking with projects, jobs, or relationships long after it made sense to do so. Tune in and learn about what makes patience important and why we become impatient!
Modern psychologists often use the word volition in preference to “Will”. Volition is the cognitive process by which an individual decides on and commits to a particular course of action. It is defined as purposive striving, and is one of the primary human psychological functions (the others being affection [affect or feeling], motivation [goals and expectations] and cognition [thinking]). Volitional processes can be applied consciously, and they can be automatized as habits over time. Most modern conceptions of volition address it as a process of action control that becomes automatized (see e.g., Heckhausen and Kuhl; Gollwitzer; Boekaerts and Corno). Willpower is the colloquial, and volition the scientific, term for the same state of the will; viz., an “elective preference”. When we have “made up our minds” (as we say) to a thing, i.e., have a settled state of choice respecting it, that state is called an immanent volition; when we put forth any particular act of choice, that act is called an emanant, or executive, or imperative, volition. When an immanent, or settled state of, choice, is one which controls or governs a series of actions, we call that state a predominant volition; while we give the name of subordinate volitions to those particular acts of choice which carry into effect the object sought for by the governing or “predominant volition”.Willpower is a concept that assumes we are under rational control, and the reduction of the same results in a lack of willpower. The fact is that we turn our rationality to serve our impulses or wishes, and sometimes have great willpower in pursuing them. Thus an alcoholic can be very cunning in achieving his determination to drink, and may display great willpower in achieving this goal. Tune in and learn how to re-activate. your personal will!
Just about every week we see the same story. Someone takes a jittery smartphone video of a white person caught in the act of doing something that's labeled racist. An army of online commentators mobilizes. The video goes viral. And the person in the video is publicly shamed, often losing a job or being ostracized by the community. His or her name becomes a hashtag for hate. During the COVID-19 pandemic, no other social phenomenon has been as widely writte about, discussed, and argued over as cancel culture. Everyone uses their own definition, contradicting others, sowing confusion, arousing anger, scorn, and moral outrage, and stifling debate. Many psychology researchers view cancel culture as synonymous with social media activism, but this doesn't fully explain the psychology behind it. Tune in and learn how to understand cancel culture and the stress it awakes!
Transhumanism] promotes an interdisciplinary approach to understanding and evaluating the opportunities for enhancing the human condition and the human organism opened up by the advancement of technology. Attention is given to both present technologies, like genetic engineering and information technology, and anticipated future ones, such as molecular nanotechnology and artificial intelligence. The enhancement options being discussed include radical extension of human health-span, eradication of disease, elimination of unnecessary suffering, and augmentation of human intellectual, physical, and emotional capacities....Transhumanists view human nature as a work-in-progress, a half-baked beginning that we can learn to remold in desirable ways. Current humanity need not be the endpoint of evolution. Transhumanists hope that by responsible use of science, technology, and other rational means we shall eventually manage to become posthuman, beings with vastly greater capacities than present human beings have. Tune in and learn what trans-human means and the trajectory of our future!
Children often make friends seamlessly; the settings in which they spend time, such as school, camp, and sports teams, naturally spur fast friendships. It can be harder to make new friends without those built-in mechanisms as an adult, but there are still plenty of ways to create new, enduring relationships. Adult friendships don’t happen automatically—they require intention, time, and effort. Take initiative by researching a local running group or inviting a coworker to coffee. Throughout the process of getting to know someone, affirm who they are by showing enthusiasm about their interests or complimenting them. Be consistent and reliable, so that the connection solidifies. Push yourself out of your comfort zone in small ways, such as by asking one question during a meeting or starting one conversation at a party. Reflecting on the discrepancy between how bad you thought past gatherings would be and how bad they actually were can help, too. These ideas and others can soothe the stress of being shy. Maintaining lifelong friendships provides deep fulfillment and meaning. A few key practices can ensure that those bonds don’t fade over time. Friendships require that both people invest time into the relationship, cultivate trust and honesty, and work through disagreements when they arise. Tune in and learn how to make real friends!
People often equate freedom with having a lot of control over things. We think we would rather be the boss who has control over other employees than the subordinate or follower who is under the control of the boss. Psychologists reinforce the idea that control is a good thing. Research on locus of control indicates that people with an internal locus of control (people who believe they are in control of the rewards they receive in life) are psychologically healthier and more successful than people with an external locus of control (people who believe their fate is in the hands of external, uncontrollable factors). Yet there is a downside to being in control when it involves trying to control other people, because other people don't want to be controlled by you any more than you want to be controlled by other people. In therapy, we often hear that if we do not like the way in which others are behaving, we are better off changing our own feelings about their behavior than trying to change their behavior. The reason for this is that behavioral habits are notoriously difficult to change, even when a person really wants to change his or her own habits; if people are not interested in changing their behavior, it is almost impossible to make them change. Tune in and lets do a deep dive on the need for control and power. The consequences are ourwhelming!
Everyone puts things off sometimes, but procrastinators chronically avoid difficult tasks and may deliberately look for distractions. Procrastination tends to reflect a person’s struggles with self-control. For habitual procrastinators, who represent approximately 20 percent of the population, I don't feel like it comes to take precedence over their goals or responsibilities, and can set them on a downward spiral of negative emotions that further deter future effort.
Procrastination also involves a degree of self-deception: At some level, procrastinators are aware of their actions and the consequences, but changing their habits requires even greater effort than completing the task in front of them.
Procrastinators are often perfectionists, for whom it may be psychologically more acceptable to never tackle a job than to face the possibility of not doing it well. They may be so highly concerned about what others will think of them that they put their futures at risk to avoid judgment.
Some procrastinators contend that they perform better under pressure, but while they may be able to convince themselves of that, research shows it is generally not the case; instead, they may make a habit of last-minute work to experience the rush of euphoria at seemingly having overcome the odds. Tune in and learn about how procrastination can destroy your life!
Many people confuse polyamory, polygamy, polygyny, and polyandry — and this confusion is unsurprising, considering that those terms are new to most of us! While these are all different relationship styles that involve more than two people, there are some key differences between them. In short, polyamory is the act of having intimate relationships with more than one person at the same time. A polyamorous person might have or might be open to having multiple romantic partners. Polygamy, on the other hand, involves being married to multiple partners.
Some polyamorous people are married and have partners outside of their marriage. However, polygamy exclusively describes relationships where people are married. Polyandry and polygyny are both forms of polygamy (in other words, they involve marriage too).Polyamory and polygamy might sound similar, but in practice, they’re quite different.
Polyamory and polygamy are both gender-neutral terms. They can refer to women having multiple partners of any gender, men having multiple partners of any gender, or nonbinary people having partners of any gender. Polygyny specifically refers to a man who has multiple wives. Polyandry refers to a woman who has multiple husbands.In practice, polygyny is far more common than polyandry.Tune in a figure out the pros and cons of both Polyamory and polygamy!
Many people feel trapped by aspects of their life: trapped in an unhappy relationship, at an unfulfilling job, or generally unhappy with their life despite their basic needs being met. The quest for the American dream has left them wanting, and more so, they are tied to ideas that are not providing happiness. Tune in a learn how to free yourself from your internal prison!
Many female psychopaths seek to destroy others however they can. A female psychopath may undermine your self-esteem using innuendo, or bully you and turn friends and family against you by poisoning your reputation behind your back. There is no end to what she might do to shatter your life. Many female psychopaths are pathological liars who are more cunning and manipulative than male psychopaths. The female psychopath desires to be the center of attention and demands center stage. Listen closely to her style of speech—how she also manages to play the victim. She may shed crocodile tears to play on your sympathy, and the next moment her tears can transform into raucous laughter. Her personality turns on and off like a neon sign. Tune in and learn how to spot them and deal with them!
The field of psychology is a big capitalist business, whether it is helping capitalists with advertising, finding new consumers, selling self-help books to an anxious public, or helping psychiatrists or counselors make a living off of people’s misery. There are six schools of psychology – psychoanalysis, behaviorism, humanistic psychology, cognitive psychology, physiological psychology and evolutionary psychology. While all these schools are different from each other, they all have in common they stripping individuals from their social and historical identity and either ignoring it, suppressing it or are unaware of it. They then present this isolated, alienated individual of capitalist society as ground zero, as normal.Tune in and figure out how socialism works and how it influences our individualism!
Often, narcissistic parents perceive the independence of their child as a threat. What distinguishes the narcissistic parent is a pervasive tendency to deny their child's independent selfhood. Biggest telltale signs of a narcissistic parent include emotional manipulation, lack of empathy, and neglect. Tune in a learn how to identify and deal with care-taking a narcissist parent!
Critical race theory (CRT), initially created as a body of legal theory, is an organizing framework useful in understanding human behavior and social processes relevant to racial group categorizations and racial stratification. Critical race theory examines the oppressive dynamics of society to inform individual, group, and social transformation. Rather than embracing a colorblind perspective, CRT places race at the center of the analysis and provides a critical perspective on how racial stratification continues to influence the lives of racial/ethnic minorities in the United States. In this context, color-blindness refers to the minimization or denial of a substantive role for race in the understanding of life outcomes for different racial groups. Critical race theory provides a framework consistent with multicultural psychology and is useful in the conceptualization and practice of counseling and psychotherapy in cross-cultural contexts. Mental health professionals working in cross-cultural contexts can use CRT to facilitate a deeper understanding of how racial stratification is manifested in everyday experience and the enduring role that race plays in the lives of individuals, families, and groups, as well as in the therapeutic process. Tune is and learn why this theory is so controversial. Also, how to understand the psychology behind it.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental disorder in which people experience unwanted and repeated thoughts, feelings, images, or sensations (obsessions) and engage in behaviors or mental acts (compulsions) in response. Often a person with OCD carries out the compulsions to temporarily eliminate or reduce the impact of obsessions, and not performing them causes distress. OCD varies in severity, but if left untreated, it can limit one's ability to function at work, school, or home. Tune in and learn how OCD can occupy your life and prevent you from living!
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder that involves impairments in social interaction and communication, challenges with sensory processing, and repetitive behaviors. The term spectrum reflects the fact that symptoms vary across different individuals, ranging in type and severity. ASD is an umbrella diagnosis in the DSM-5, replacing the four pervasive developmental disorders described in the previous edition — autistic disorder, Asperger's syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified. Individuals display ASD symptoms on a continuum, or spectrum, showing ranges of mild to severe symptomatology. Those on the mild-to-moderate end of the spectrum are sometimes colloquially referred to as having Asperger's syndrome, though this is no longer a formal diagnostic category. People with autism may appear indifferent and remote and can have difficulty forming emotional bonds with others. They may have unusual responses to sensory experiences — the noise of a leaky faucet, for example, might become extremely disruptive. Tune in and learn how to identify and live with Autistic Spectrum Disorder!
Behavior is said to be self-sabotaging when it creates problems in daily life and interferes with long-standing goals. The most common self-sabotaging behaviors include procrastination, self-medication with drugs or alcohol, comfort eating, and forms of self-injury such as cutting. People aren't always aware that they are sabotaging themselves, and connecting a behavior to self-defeating consequences is no guarantee that a person will disengage from it. Still, it is possible to overcome almost any form of self-sabotage. Behavioral therapies can aid in interrupting ingrained patterns of thought and action while strengthening deliberation and self-regulation. Motivational therapies can also help reconnect people with their goals and values. Tune in and learn how self-sabotage manifests and how to heal it!
Behavior is said to be self-sabotaging when it creates problems in daily life and interferes with long-standing goals. The most common self-sabotaging behaviors include procrastination, self-medication with drugs or alcohol, comfort eating, and forms of self-injury such as cutting. People aren't always aware that they are sabotaging themselves, and connecting a behavior to self-defeating consequences is no guarantee that a person will disengage from it. Still, it is possible to overcome almost any form of self-sabotage. Behavioral therapies can aid in interrupting ingrained patterns of thought and action while strengthening deliberation and self-regulation. Motivational therapies can also help reconnect people with their goals and values. Tune in and learn how self-sabotage manifests and how to heal it!
Irritation, frustration, anger, rage: these are all forms of anger. And they are feelings first. But when a person’s rage becomes behavior even before thought has a chance to plug in, it is usually because of one of two reasons: 1) it’s been repressed for a long time, and when someone drops the proverbial straw, it explodes; 2) it works for manipulative purposes. Either way it has something to do with maturity. I said at the end of the last blog that I’d talk about maturity, and so I am. Maturity is the result of having faced and overcome obstacles by gathering deeper and deeper aspects of self. In other words, when faced with a challenge we don’t repeat a rote behavior, or do what someone else taught us to do, or just do what we’ve always done. Rather, we dig deeper into ourselves to create something original as a solution to the problem or to overcome the obstacle. In the process we learn something about ourselves and/or about life in general. Tune in and learn how to manage your anger before it turns to rage.
Belief in miracles is widespread. According to recent surveys 72% of people in the USA and 59% of people in the UK believe that miracles take place. Why do so many people believe in miracles in the present age of advanced science and technology? Let us briefly consider three possible answers to this question. The first possible answer is simply that miracles actually do take place all the time. If they take place all the time it is not a surprise that many people witness them and believe in them. However, philosophers widely agree that miracles always involve a violation of the laws of nature. Such acts as healing a fatal injury instantly or turning water into wine are considered miracles primarily because they violate the laws of nature—they cannot be performed without defying the laws of physics, chemistry, biology and so on. Yet nature is a uniform and stable system. If the laws of nature were regularly violated, we would not be able to speak, walk, or even breathe. Hence, even if miracles can occur in principle, they simply cannot occur regularly. Tune in and learn how miracles work their way through our daily lives!
Defense mechanisms are rooted in Freud’s theory of personality. According to his model, the mind has three dueling forces: the id (unconscious and primitive urges for food, comfort, and sex), the superego (a partly conscious drive toward moral and social values), and the ego (a partly conscious force that moderates the id and superego). Anxiety, in this paradigm, emerges when the needs of the id clash with the needs of the superego. To mitigate the tension, the ego deploys strategies of self-deception to avoid the discomfort. The unacceptable thought or emotion may be denied, for example, or rationalized or projected onto someone else. Tune in and learn how destructive it is to be defensive!
Pornography use is a widespread means of dealing with one's sexual drives. More than 90 percent of young men report watching porn videos with some regularity, particularly in the United States. Many of these videos depict acts that they might never engage in themselves—in other words, erotic fantasies. On Pornhub, the world’s largest porn website, alone, well over 90 billion videos are viewed daily by more than 64 million visitors, 26 percent of them female. Although viewing erotica is nearly ubiquitous among males, some men and women regard watching internet porn as pathological and believe that time spent doing so may be a sign of “porn addiction,” although such a diagnosis is rejected by many psychologists, as are treatment approaches based on addiction models. Pornography, or porn, is any sexually explicit material—written, visual, or otherwise—intended to sexually arouse. Lets work through this topic and get to healing and solutions!
Why, then, do we find the basic narrative so appealing? What is the underlying psychology behind apocalyptic prophecies, both religious and secular? The answer lies in the emotional and cognitive processes of our brains. Emotionally, the end of the world is actually a renewal, a transition to a new beginning and a better life to come. In religious narratives, God smites sinners and resurrects the virtuous. For secularists, the sins of humanity are atoned through a change in our political, economic or ideological system. Environmental prognostications of calamity are usually followed with reproaches and recommendations for how we can save the planet. Marxists projected communism as the liberating climax of a multistage process that requires the collapse of capitalism. Proponents of liberal democracy proclaimed the end of history when the cold war was won by democracy and liberty. Tune in and learn more about why believing in the Apocalypse gives comfort!
Adolescence is the transitional stage from childhood to adulthood that occurs between ages 13 and 19. The physical and psychological changes that take place in adolescence often start earlier, during the preteen or tween years: between ages 9 and 12. Adolescence can be a time of both disorientation and discovery. The transitional period can raise questions of independence and identity; as adolescents cultivate their sense of self, they may face difficult choices about academics, friendship, sexuality, gender identity, drugs, and alcohol. Most teens have a relatively egocentric perspective on life; a state of mind that usually abates with age. They often focus on themselves and believe that everyone else—from a best friend to a distant crush—is focused on them too. They may grapple with insecurities and feelings of being judged. Relationships with family members often take a backseat to peer groups, romantic interests, and appearance, which teens perceive as increasingly important during this time. The transition can naturally lead to anxiety about physical development, evolving relationships with others, and one's place in the larger world. Mild anxiety and other challenges are typical, but serious mental health conditions also emerge during adolescence. Addressing a disorder early on can help ensure the best possible outcome. Tune in and learn how to identify with your teenagers!
Persistent depressive disorder, known as dysthymia or low-grade depression, is less severe than major depression but more chronic. It occurs twice as often in women as in men. Persistent depressive disorder (PDD) is a serious and disabling disorder that shares many symptoms with other forms of clinical depression. It is generally experienced as a less severe but more chronic form of major depression. PDD was referred to as dysthymia in previous versions of the DSM. Tune in and learn how this disorder has set fire during COVID all over the world!
A stroke occurs when the blood supply to part of your brain is interrupted or reduced, preventing brain tissue from getting oxygen and nutrients. Brain cells begin to die in minutes. A stroke is a medical emergency, and prompt treatment is crucial. Early action can reduce brain damage and other complications.The good news is that many fewer Americans die of stroke now than in the past. Effective treatments can also help prevent disability from stroke Symptoms. If you or someone you're with may be having a stroke, pay particular attention to the time the symptoms began. Some treatment options are most effective when given soon after a stroke begins. Tune in and learn how to create hope through a stroke and support those who have them!
People with panic disorder often experience negative thoughts with self-defeating beliefs. This is especially the case during a panic attack when your inner voice may amplify your fears and anxiety. For example, when panic takes hold, you may believe that you really are going to stop breathing or that you truly are going crazy. In order to change your thinking, you must first become aware of these thought patterns that are an underlying part of your panic. Tune in an learn how to better understand and manage Panic Attacks!
As a marriage dissolves, some parents find themselves asking questions like, “Should we stay together for the kids?” Other parents find divorce is their only option. And while all parents may have many worries on their mind—from the future of their living situation to the uncertainty of the custody arrangement—they may worry most about how the children will deal with the divorce. So what are the psychological effects of divorce on children? It depends. While divorce is stressful for all children, some kids rebound faster than others. Tune in and learn about how children are impacted by divorce!
One of the mysteries puzzling human mind since the origin of mankind is the concept of “reincarnation” which literally means “to take on the flesh again.” As the civilizations evolved, beliefs got discriminated and disseminated into various religions. The major division manifested was “East” and “West.” The eastern religions being more philosophical and less analytical, have accepted reincarnation. Tune in a learn from world famous author Dr. Walter Semkiw (M.D.) discuss reincarnation with me!
Fear and anxiety may not be anyone’s favorite emotions, but these powerful sensations go a long way in keeping us safe. If the dog down the street bites you, the fear that results when you next see the dog will help you avoid another bite. But what about when the response goes too far? If you instead come to fear all dogs, not just the one that bit you, that fear might drastically change where you go and with whom you spend time, becoming a detriment, not a benefit. Tune in and learn about how fears operate our lives and prevent us from being alive!
Impostor syndrome (IS) refers to an internal experience of believing that you are not as competent as others perceive you to be. While this definition is usually narrowly applied to intelligence and achievement, it has links to perfectionism and the social context. To put it simply, imposter syndrome is the experience of feeling like a phony—you feel as though at any moment you are going to be found out as a fraud—like you don't belong wheryou are, and you only got there through dumb luck. It can affect anyone no matter their social status, work background, skill level, or degree of expertise. Tune in and learn how to face and overcome this disabling issue!
To say that the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has changed the world would be an understatement. In less than a year since the virus emerged — and just over 6 months since tracking began in the United States — it’s upended day-to-day lives across the globe. The pandemic has changed how we work, learn and interact as social distancing guidelines have led to a more virtual existence, both personally and professionally. Tune in and learn how to recover!
For those who do wind up divorced, there seems to be a magic number for when. No matter where in the world you’re from or in what culture you’ve been raised, you’re most likely to get a divorce…drum roll…four years into your marriage. Even more fascinating is why our human brains have evolved to hone a drive for love and partnership that lasts just long enough to raise a single child through infancy.Partnering allowed women to raise children and their male partners to provide for and protect them while the children was young. After that? We are, as mammals, driven to procreate with more than one partner in order to have the strongest genetic legacy. “If you’re having children with two or three men rather than just one, you’re creating more genetic variety in your babies. In other words, for millions of years, some primitive form of divorce was probably an adaptive mechanism to create more genetic variety Tune in!!
The Oxford English Dictionary defines “oppression” as “the state of being subject to unjust treatment or control.” However, this does not mean that those subjected to unjust treatment or control are aware of it. This is an aspect of oppression that is largely missed in popular culture when we consider whether we or others are being oppressed. Indeed, when living day to day in concert with the constraints of a given cultural milieu, we seldom consider whether we are actually being oppressed. Instead, we tend to think that one who wants to live according to the constraints of her culture is making a free choice. In contrast, the usual scenario we think of when we think of oppression is that of someone who is captured, confined, tortured, or otherwise unjustly treated or controlled against his or her protests and pleas for freedom. Those who organize rebellions, or who would do so if they could, are thought to be oppressed. Tune in and learn about how oppression effects us all!
Resenting somebody isn't as simple as disliking them, or finding them annoying; it's a feeling that is actually related to the repetition of painful patterns relating to unaddressed difficulties. Yep, I know that may sound hideously complex, but it's a relatively simple concept once you unpack it. And you should take the time to unpack it — because the truth is that resenting your partner (even if you don't realize that you're doing it) isn't great for your love life. But there is a bright side: Your relationship isn't doomed if you realize that you've been feeling resentful; you can notice and resolve your resentment. Tune in and learn how to cure the damage resentment brings your life!
If you are worried about the future of your marriage or relationship, you have plenty of company. There's no denying that this is a frightening time for couples. More than half of all first marriages end in divorce; 60 percent of second marriages fail. What makes the numbers even more disturbing is that no one seems to understand why our marriages have become so fragile. In pursuit of the truth about what tears a marriage apart or binds it together, I have found that much of the conventional wisdom--even among marital therapists--is either misguided or dead wrong. For example, some marital patterns that even professionals often take as a sign of a problem--such as having intense fights or avoiding conflict altogether--I have found can signify highly successful adjustments that will keep a couple together. Fighting, when it airs grievances and complaints, can be one of the healthiest things a couple can do for their relationship.
Existential angst not only derives from the human inability to think, feel, and act in the world or experience a love for life, but also from the fear of the possibility of nonexistence and/or death. It can be lonely, isolating, and outright terrifying if one’s very existence is in question. Psychologist Carl Jung and philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre had similar thoughts about existential angst in that both focused on achieving meaningful existence through the development of inner resources, creative exercise of freedom, and overcoming self-deception. In essence, those who experience existential angst feel lost, think they have a purposeless existence, and believe they have been abandoned by life. Tune in and learn about Existential Despair and how to overcome it!
How to stop eating emotionally? Emotional eating (sometimes called stress eating or comfort eating) is difficult to control partly because we have no control over its biological determinants (e.g., genes). But what if other factors, ones that are easier to modify, were of greater importance to emotional eating? These other determinants—according to an article in the November 2018 issue of Appetite—are psychological and situational: Restrained eating and stress level. What is emotional eating? Emotional eating refers to consumption of food for the purpose of regulating one’s emotional states. Eating palatable foods—commonly, foods that are sweet, fatty, or high in carbs—may improve our mood temporarily, but that short-lived comfort comes at the cost of weight gain and other health issues. Tune in and learn how to overcome this horrible habit!
Burnout is a state of emotional, mental, and often physical exhaustion brought on by prolonged or repeated stress. Though it’s most often caused by problems at work, it can also appear in other areas of life, such as parenting, caretaking, or romantic relationships. Burnout is not simply a result of working long hours or juggling too many tasks, though those both play a role. The cynicism, depression, and lethargy that are characteristic of burnout most often occur when a person is not in control of how a job is carried out, at work or at home, or is asked to complete tasks that conflict with their sense of self. Tune in and learn how to overcome this massive barrier to life!
Regression therapy is an approach to treatment that focuses on resolving significant past events believed to be interfering with a person's present mental and emotional wellness. Therapists who practice this approach believe people seeking treatment for phobias, depression, intimacy issues, and a range of other concerns can see improvement in their state of mind by revisiting and reliving the early experiences that influenced the development of these issues. However, the approach is somewhat controversial, due to limited research supporting the method and the potential for false memories. Tune in and learn how our past lives may effect our future.
Human beings need to trust. Trust allays anxiety, helps lift depression, and makes it possible to consistently invest interest and enjoyment in one another. There could be no civilization, enduring health, or mental wellness without trust. The most ordinary interpersonal, commercial, medical, and legal interactions would be impossible without some degree of trust.In contrast, distrust is fraught with anxiety and resentment. No loneliness is lonelier than distrust.Intimate betrayal—abuse, infidelity, deceit, financial manipulation—fractures the ability to trust anyone who gets close to us, including friends, relatives, even children. Yet the human need to trust persists, creating an internal storm of wanting to trust while being terrified of it. Tune in and learn how to cope with betrayal and move past it.
When we take the time to celebrate love and the people who are meaningful to us. Love — which could be defined as a field of resonating, often oscillating, and sometimes synchronous energy — is more than just a biological imperative to procreate. Tune in and learn more about Love.
A miscarriage is a real loss that can affect you physically, emotionally, and spiritually. But those who haven't experienced a miscarriage may not understand how deeply it is affecting you because people rarely talk openly about pregnancy loss. Often people don't view pregnancy loss as significant because the pregnancy was short. But the duration of a pregnancy does not determine the bond that you can feel with a baby you have lost. Tune in while we go through healing, dealing and understanding miscarriages.
Stress generally refers to two things: the psychological perception of pressure, on the one hand, and the body's response to it, on the other, which involves multiple systems, from metabolism to muscles to memory. Some stress is necessary for all living systems; it is the means by which they encounter and respond to the challenges and uncertainties of existence. The perception of danger sets off an automatic response system, known as the fight-or-flight response, that, activated through hormonal signals, prepares an animal to meet a threat or to flee from it. Tune in and learn how to restore order to your life!
We all have to face it at some point; an event of such enormity that it can make everything else in our lives seem insignificant: death, the end of our existence, our departure from this world.We live in a culture that denies death. We’re taught that death is something we should shy away from, and try to forget about. If we start contemplating our own mortality – so this traditional wisdom goes – we’ll become anxiousand depressed. And there’s no doubt that this is often the case.In psychology, Terror Management Theory suggests that a large part of all human behaviour is generated by unconscious fear of death. This fear generates a fundamental anxiety and unease, which we try to offset with behaviour such as status-seeking or strongly defending the values of our culture. We feel threatened by death and so seek security and significance to defend ourselves against it. Tune in about facing death!
One of the fundamental laws of social psychology is the reciprocity principle. When we pay back what we receive from others in social situations, we are engaging in reciprocity. If I do you a favor, there’s a reasonable probability that you’ll do me a favor in return. Social-emotional reciprocity is the back and forth interaction that takes place in communication. We take a social approach to have conversations with others, and we share our interests in our discussions. Part of that social-emotional reciprocity is knowing how and when to initiate or respond to others’ social interactions. Tune in and learn how important emotional reciprocity is to balancing our lives.
There are two types of people, those who contribute and those who detract. You must learn that the best way to build your career and your life is through your own achievements, not by attacking the achievements of others. People will always remember what type of person you are, and they will trust or distrust you accordingly. Seldom have I heard words that were truer or more genuinely wise. People who have only criticism to offer are soon forgotten—those who contribute in a constructive way become part of history. This admonition applies not only to how we conduct ourselves, it has important implications for how we choose our friends and those we choose to trust. In planning the course of your life, surround yourself with those who are kind and supportive in presence and possess a good heart. Above all things, avoid those people with toxic personalities. Tune in a learn how to identify and deal with toxic people.
A person who steals things that he already owns, can easily afford, or does not want or need can be baffling. Mental health professionals may think that his stealing can be explained by a psychological disorder. The habitual thief may appear to suffer from a compulsion (“kleptomania”). He may be seen as resorting to stealing as a way to “feel better” while coping with depressionor adverse circumstances over which he has no control. Perhaps a person steals to boost his self-esteem. Cheating is a pattern of behavior, but it also comes along with certain thought patterns. And while infidelity is talked about so often, it can feel like there isn't much insight invested into the psychology behind why people stray outside of their relationships. But discovering how cheaters think can provide insight into much more than their desire for sex, and can answer some questions about why so many people can break a promise. Tune in and learn all about Liars, Cheaters and people who Steal!
Developmental psychology is the branch of psychology that focuses on how people grow and change over the course of a lifetime. Those who specialize in this field are not just concerned with the physical changes that occur as people grow; they also look at the social, emotional, and cognitive development that occurs throughout life. Change is inevitable. As humans, we constantly grow throughout our lifespans, from conception to death. Psychologists strive to understand and explain how and why people change throughout life. While many of these changes are normal and expected, they can still pose challenges that people sometimes need to manage. Developmental psychologists work with people of all ages to address roadblocks and support growth, although some choose to specialize in a specific age group such as childhood, adulthood, or old age. Tune in and learn how changes in development can tear our lives apart later on.
From eccentric and introverted to boisterous and bold, the human personality is a complex and colorful thing. Personality refers to a person's distinctive patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving. It derives from a mix of innate dispositions and inclinations along with environmental factors and experiences. Although personality can change over a lifetime, one's core personality traits tend to remain relatively consistent during adulthood. Tune in and learn how personality turns to character!
If you’re like most people, you figure you’ll get married once—maybe twice—in your entire life.However, if you’re a serial monogamist (a person who engages in repeated serious relationships, one after the other), you might marry three, four, five or more times during your life.But what drives someone to become a serial monogamist? Do they begin with psychological issues, or do they simply end up with them?As several studies have shown, people who marry several times in rapid succession are more likely to experience psychological distress, regardless of gender, age or ethnicity. Statistics show that across the United States, 5 percent of people who have been married at least once have actually been married three times or more.
When we think of people being dramatic – or in this case, overly dramatic - we think of them making much of their appearance before others. They enjoy feeling and displaying emotions. They have a taste for tension-filled scenes. They want others to know how they are interpreting a situation and how it is affecting them. The only thing that matters, or so it seems, is what is happening now. Dares, tantrums, and ultimatums reign. Life becomes operatic. Certain situations can magnify these inclinations. So can certain stages of life. Young people have what Erik Erikson called gangling minds and bodies. They have not worked out the countless behavioral strategies they will need for successful social functioning. Physical and emotional challenges sometimes overwhelm them. They commonly occupy low social positions that make them victims of much that happens. They face many issues and challenges for the first time. Tune in and learn!
Although many people use the two words guilt and shame interchangeably, from a psychological perspective, they actually refer to different experiences. Guilt and shame sometimes go hand in hand; the same action may give rise to feelings of both shame and guilt, where the former reflects how we feel about ourselves and the latter involves an awareness that our actions have injured someone else. In other words, shame relates to self; guilt to others. I think it's useful to preserve this distinction, even though the dictionary definitions often blur it.b Tune in and learn how to put these unhealthy traits into place!
Unfortunately, we’re often taught that being an outsider is a “bad” thing, and no wonder — biologically we are made to stay within the safe confines of our species’ groups. But there comes a moment in life where “playing by the book” is seen to be a miserable and unfulfilling absurdity. Just look at all those people who followed the rules, got a good career, wife, children, solid salary, socially-approved status … and ended up miserable, empty, lonely, killing themselves, or dying prematurely due to stress-related illnesses. I’m sure you know one, or a dozen. So while being an outsider may seem isolating, it is actually profoundly beneficial for your life. I wish everyone had the opportunity to feel like an outsider because being an outsider is a catalyst for self-fulfillment, self-mastery, and self-realization. Tune in and figure out how to be an outsider and comfortable with that!
Rabbi Abraham Heschel stated that “Racism is man’s gravest threat to man – the maximum of hatred for a minimum of reason.” Racism is a system of power and privilege based on perceived race and/or ethnicity that defines one group as dominant to and more deserving than all other groups. In this system, there is a dominant group (e.g., whites) and there are subordinate groups, including Native Americans, Black Americans, Latinx and Asian Americans. Racism is rooted in historical oppression (e.g., genocide of Native Americans, enslavement of Africans) such that subordinate groups were and are defined as “inferior” to the ”superior” dominant white group. The dominant group created and currently maintains societal privilege through values, behaviors and institutions. This privilege results in subordinate groups lacking access to power, status and resources. Tune in and learn how we all can improve and bring peace to our lives!
Wisdom is one of those qualities that is difficult to define—because it encompasses so much—but which people generally recognize when they encounter it. And it is encountered most obviously in the realm of decision-making. Psychologists tend to agree that wisdom involves an integration of knowledge, experience, and deep understanding that incorporates tolerance for the uncertainties of life as well as its ups and downs. There's an awareness of how things play out over time, and it confers a sense of balance. Wise people generally share an optimism that life's problems can be solved and experience a certain amount of calm in facing difficult decisions. Intelligence—if only anyone could figure out exactly what it is—may be necessary for wisdom, but it definitely isn't sufficient; an ability to see the big picture, a sense of proportion, and considerable introspection also contribute to its development. Tune in and learn what make our life meaningful!
As cities across America grapple with people living on the streets, homelessness is becoming impossible to ignore. More than half a million Americans are homeless each night, including a staggering 2.5 million children who are homeless in any given year. Children are homeless in every city, county, and state. Tune in and lets examine what is driving all of this mess!
The defining characteristic of asexuality is never feeling sexually attracted to anyone, but asexuals vary in other ways. Romantic attraction, for example, is distinct from sexual attraction, and asexuals vary in the degree to which they experience it. Some asexuals engage in sexual relations, probably because they have a romantic partner who wishes to do so. Asexuals also differ in the frequency with which they masturbate, and in the accompanying fantasies. There are even some qualifications to the key characteristic of never feeling sexually attracted to anyone. “Demi-sexuals” identify as asexual “until they form a strong emotional connection with someone” and “gray-sexuals” are those “who fall somewhere in the spectrum between asexual and sexual.” Tune in a learn more about this fascinating topic. Is it a diagnosis or a sexual preference?
Some of us are in the habit of using the same negative words over and over again out of habit. The problem is that the more we hear, read, or speak a word or phrase, the more power it has over us. This is because the brain uses repetition to learn, searching for patterns and consistency as a way to make sense of the world around us. Only after being burned a few times can we understand that fire is always hot. You may not remember the exact end date of the Civil War, but odds are you still know what 8 x 9 is because you had to repeat your multiplication tables over and over again, drilling it into your consciousness. I’m sure you’ve experienced having a song stuck in your head all day long, and try as you might, you just can’t get the melody out of your head. Repetition is the most powerful tool to imprint something into our minds and keep it there. Tune in and learn how words can determine our life!
Eating disorders are complex psycho-physiologic challenges that require much more than simple determination and a strong will to conquer. One of every fifty children in the United States will deal with them at some point in their lives. And while eating disorders are generally seen as a form of mental illness, here at the Institute for the Psychology of Eating we see them as much more than that. We view eating disorders as powerful opportunities to look deeper into our lives at the underlying issues that inevitably have nothing to do with food. Eating disorders are a doorway into our life, our culture, our family system, and our world. Tune in and learn how to overcome this suicidal issue!
The Enneagram is a powerful tool for personal and collective transformation. Stemming from the Greek words ennea (nine) and grammos (a written symbol), the nine-pointed Enneagram symbol represents nine distinct strategies for relating to the self, others and the world. Each Enneagram type has a different pattern of thinking, feeling and acting that arises from a deeper inner motivation or worldview. Learning about these patterns fosters greater understanding through a universal language that transcends gender, religion, nationality and culture. While we are all unique, we share common experiences. Tune in as we dig deep into each type!
In the case of depersonalization, the individual may feel detached from his or her entire being (e.g., “I am no one,” “I have no self”). He or she may also feel subjectively detached from aspects of the self, including feelings (e.g., hypoemotionality: “I know I have feelings but I don’t feel them”), thoughts (e.g., “My thoughts don’t feel like my own,” “head filled with cotton”), whole body or body parts, or sensations (e.g., touch, proprioception, hunger, thirst, libido). There may also be a diminished sense of agency (e.g., feeling robotic, like an automaton; lacking control of one’s speech or movements). Dissociative disorders involve problems with memory, identity, emotion, perception, behavior and sense of self. Dissociative symptoms can potentially disrupt every area of mental functioning. Examples of dissociative symptoms include the experience of detachment or feeling as if one is outside one’s body, and loss of memory or amnesia. Tune in and learn more!
While humans seek solace in conspiracy theories, however, they rarely find it. For one thing, conspiratorial thinking can incite individuals to behave in a way that increases their sense of powerlessness, making them feel even worse. The negative and alienated beliefs can also promote dangerous behaviors in some. Tune in and learn all about conspiracy theory and how to rec agonize and deal with it!
While persuasion is a science, it’s also an art. If a person pushes too hard, he will risk being aggressive. If he nudges too lightly, he will get nowhere. If she grips too loudly, she's just a jerk. Many things can influence the decisions of others. For example, people pay attention when an attractive salesperson is talking. Plus, people perk up if that individual uses powerful words such as progress, liberty, and value. Considering what other people want can also help, as this will inform one to devise a plan that benefits all. A thoughtful, persuasive argument can lead to getting what is wanted.
Groupthink is a phenomenon that occurs when a group of well-intentioned people make irrational or non-optimal decisions spurred by the urge to conformor the believe that dissent is impossible. The problematic or premature consensus that is characteristic of groupthink may be fueled by a particular agenda—or it may be due to group members valuing harmony and coherence above critical thought. Tune in to understand how pervasive Groupthink is in our lives and how it effects us!
Groupthink is a phenomenon that occurs when a group of well-intentioned people make irrational or non-optimal decisions spurred by the urge to conformor the believe that dissent is impossible. The problematic or premature consensus that is characteristic of groupthink may be fueled by a particular agenda—or it may be due to group members valuing harmony and coherence above critical thought. Learn all about people;e who have problems with authority.
The term “toxic masculinity” has become ubiquitous over the past few years after lingering in obscurity for the better part of three decades. Coined by Shepherd Bliss, the Mythopoetic Men’s Movement activist who spent the 1980s exhorting men to reconnect with their “preindustrial” emotions, the phrase became popular in academic settings well before emerging as the catchall description of gendered crappiness. Tune in and learn what makes toxic masculinity.
An emotional caretaker is someone who looks out for the feelings, needs and wants of an emotional manipulator. The caretaker defers to the manipulator’s wants, giving up their own wants and even their own health and well-being needs. They give in to “keep the peace” and to please the other person—all with no improvement in the relationship.Tune in and learn how to deal with this toxic relationship!
Something isn’t right. It could be the job, the place you live, the relationship you are in, or the hobbies that consume your time. Day in and day out, you just don’t feel happy. A research report found that as many as 1 out of every 3 people are unhappy most of the time. Unfortunately many people just live with their unhappiness. It’s often the easiest route of least resistance to blame others, or your life conditions, or the weather, or the politicians, or the tax code, or your public school teacher who didn’t encourage or engage you enough. The problems you may have or could have are probably endless. Your unhappiness is real. Tune in and learn how to hit the reset button in your life!
As with many things, husbands and wives differ on when or how often to have sex. Men rarely see impediments to love-making and most think it’s a good idea at almost any time. The condition of their marriage doesn’t interfere, nor do other issues they’re coping with. That’s possibly because men tend to be good at compartmentalizing; the circumstances in one part of their lives won’t necessarily spill over into the other parts. If they have financial problems, face difficulties on their jobs, or are angry at their wives, sex can still be a viable option. In fact, many husbands will gauge the overall quality of their marriage by how often they do it. Tune in and learn how to overcome this nightmare!
Resenting somebody isn't as simple as disliking them, or finding them annoying; it's a feeling that is actually related to the repetition of painful patterns relating to unaddressed difficulties. Yep, I know that may sound hideously complex, but it's a relatively simple concept once you unpack it. And you should take the time to unpack it — because the truth is that resenting your partner (even if you don't realize that you're doing it) isn't great for your love life. But there is a bright side: Your relationship isn't doomed if you realize that you've been feeling resentful; you can notice and resolve your resentment. Tune in and learn how to cure the damage resentment brings your life!
Shyness is a sense of awkwardness or apprehension that some people consistently feel when approaching or being approached by others. Shyness is a response to fear, and research suggests that although there is a neurobiology of shyness—the behavioral repertoire is orchestrated by a specific circuit of neurons in the brain—it is also strongly influenced by parenting practices and life experiences. Tune into a show all about the psychology of shy people!
Everyone has an idea of what passion means, but when we start talking with others about our understanding, it often turns out that different people mean different things when they say “passion”. Most people would agree that passion refers to a strong motivation mixed with intense emotions. Less clear is whether these intense emotions are positive or negative, as both have been linked to passion. For some people, passion refers to sexual attraction and passing limerence of one person for another, which is described as a transient state likely to fade away after a while. For others, passion refers to a long-term interest or commitment of a person for a topic or activity that this person pursues through life no matter what obstacle comes in the way. Nowadays, many people seem to agree that passion is important and impactful, although there is some disagreement about the question of whether passion should be pursued or ignored, or even avoided. Tune in and find yours!
When we take the time to celebrate love and the people who are meaningful to us. Love — which could be defined as a field of resonating, often oscillating, and sometimes synchronous energy — is more than just a biological imperative to procreate. Tune in and learn more about Love.
Clearly, most of our daily decisions are not earth-shattering, but you can imagine how paralysis in the decision-making process would render us virtually incapacitated every day if we let it. We are called upon to be courageous, reliable, and trustworthy with regard to the outcome of our decisions (i.e., to make decisions consistent with our core values and beliefs). Tune in and learn about how to make decisions and define your life.
Experts suggest that the negative feelings and experiences associated with prolonged isolation will come for us all. Humans are social creatures—yes, all of us. While the coronavirus pandemic is an extreme, largely unprecedented moment, the kind of seclusion that’s been eating at people over the last few weeks is not as uncommon an experience as you might imagine. The impacts of social isolation on our bodies and minds have been felt and studied in a variety of different groups, from astronauts to incarcerated people to immunocompromised children to Antarctic researchers to the elderly. The patterns that have emerged from their experiences with radical aloneness illuminate ways to understand and improve your own. Tune in and learn how to turn isolation into a health you!
Sleep paralysis can be a terrifying experience that is surprisingly common. It can involve the inability to move, auditory and visual hallucinations, a strong sense of presence, difficulty breathing, sensations of movement, and intense emotion. The causes and interpretations of sleep paralysis are described in this show, as well as some practical suggestions for coping with it. Tune in and learn about these frightening human occurrences.
Are you anxious or are you depressed? In the world of mental health care, where exact diagnosis dictates treatment, anxiety and depression are regarded as two distinct disorders. But in the world of real people, many suffer from both conditions. In fact, most mood disorders present as a combination of anxiety and depression. Surveys show that 60-70% of those with depression also have anxiety. And half of those with chronic anxiety also have clinically significant symptoms of depression. Tune in and learn how these disorders work and how to heal from them.
Though our need to connect is innate, many of us frequently feel alone. Even some people who are surrounded by others throughout the day—or are in a long-lasting marriage—still experience a deep and pervasive loneliness. Feelings of loneliness and isolation affect all types and ages of people. Tune in and learn how to improve your life!
In anticipation of an never-seen-before birth crisis after October 2020, a whole new set of zombies are about to inherit the earth. Robin LaCross is an absolute expert in birth control, women's health and the host of Holistic Sex Ed Radio on Voice America's Empowerment channel. I will interview her live about all topics SEX. Tune in and learn from Robin's dynamic expertise.
When a health problem like Ebola or coronavirus comes from abroad, we have poor information about it than we do about health problems in this country. Often foreign places have poorer surveillance capability, so they just gather poor information. Sometimes they have authoritarian regimes who suppress the information. We have greater uncertainty about things that come from places with poor information. Tune in and learn about the psychology of panic!
One thing is certain about coincidence. The phenomenon fascinates believers and skeptics alike. It's a porthole into one of the most interesting philosophical questions we can ask: Are the events of our lives ultimately objective or subjective? Is there a deeper order, an overarching purpose to the universe? Or are we the lucky accidents of evolution, living our precious but brief lives in a fundamentally random world that has only the meaning we choose to give it? Tune in and learn about coincidence and God.
The awareness of death is the downside of human intelligence. Life must end for all living beings, but only humans may grasp its existential meaning. Intellectually we may acknowledge our mortality, but deep down, we deny it. The fear of death is so overwhelming that we keep this knowledge unconscious. The repression of information about mortality results in several cognitive strategies that people use to avoid existential fear of death. Tune in and learn more about coping with death anxiety!
Despite popular opinion, anger issues aren't only of the loud/screaming/throwing things variety. Sometimes the signs are a lot more subtle, and may even go mostly unnoticed. Recognizing them, however, can mean saving your relationships, having an easier time at work, and even improving your health. All anger is a problem or a sign there is an issue to be addressed. If you work through and recognize this anger it could be very useful and lead to resolution. Conversely, if unrecognized, the ongoing anger will undoubtedly lead to a host of physical, social, professional, and psychological complications. Clearly, it's worth it to recognize subtle signs of anger in yourself, so you can get back to feeling better.
Ghosting means suddenly discontinuing all contact with another person to end a relationship. Ghosting can be failing to respond to a text exchange with someone you’ve never met, cutting off contact with someone you’ve dated a few times, or even refusing to return someone’s calls after a sexual involvement. Tune in and learn about how to work through the ghosting betrayal!
We all live a constant battle of pride vs humility, which is really just a war against two half’s of the same person. It’s you verses you. You are the only opponent against your inner greatness—against your humility. A person might consider their ego a great part of them, but the true greatness of a person is found in what motivates them and how they conduct themselves. Tune in and learn about pride and humility and how we shape ourselves!
Each of us tries to erect a boundary around the parts of ourself we want to keep private, or at least shielded from those with whom we’re not intimate. Some people are more vigilant about raising those firewalls than others, however, which can lead to discomfort, if not open conflict, because it’s harder to keep others’ revelations out than it is.
In healthy relationships, romantic or otherwise we attune ourselves to others’ boundaries by making gradual “bids of trust.” For example, on a first date you might confess that you’d had a tough day at work because your boss was snippy to you. If the other person doesn’t say anything back, chances are you wouldn’t further extend bids of trust are lessened when there’s no reciprocity. You’re suddenly not safe with this person.
Although we might use the term in a different way in our everyday life (e.g., “Hey, he’s really got an attitude!”), social psychologists reserve the term attitude to refer to our relatively enduring evaluation of something, where the something is called the attitude object. The attitude object might be a person, a product, or a social group . Tune in and learn how attitude and behavior influence our lives!
No matter what their reasons or how they approach the question, agnostics and atheists are fundamentally different, but also non-exclusive. Many people who adopt the label of agnostic simultaneously reject the label of atheist, even if it technically applies to them. In addition, there's a common misconception that agnosticism is somehow a more “reasonable” position while atheism is more “dogmatic,” ultimately indistinguishable from theism except in the details. This is not a valid argument because it misrepresents or misunderstands everything involved: atheism, theism, agnosticism, and even the nature of belief itself. Tune in and learn about how more about non-belief.
Political uncertainty can be challenging, regardless of your beliefs or where you might fall on the political spectrum. For many Americans, the transition of power and the rapid speed of change may cause stress and anxiety about the political environment and the future of our nation. APA’s Stress in America™ survey revealed that 69 percent of Americans say the future of our nation is a significant source of stress, and 62 percent say that they are stressed by the current political climate. Symptoms of stress can vary from person to person but often include a combination of emotional (worry, tension, irritability) and physical (headaches, insomnia, stomach problems) reactions. Tune in and learn how to cope with this divided world.
Pornography, often colloquially referred to as porn, is any sexually explicit material—written, visual, or otherwise—that is intended to sexually arouse. While pornography has existed in some form for millennia, today it’s most readily available online—though it continues to be widely available in literature, audio, magazines, and more. The increasing presence of the Internet in daily life has led to a rapid spread of porn: The world’s largest such site claims that in 2018, it had a daily average of 92 million unique viewers, the vast majority of them males. What effect does the ubiquity of porn have on individuals and relationships? Is it a harmless pastime or a pernicious addiction? Is it a fun way to add spice to a couple's sex life, a relationship destroyer, or potentially both? Tine in for better insight as to how pornography effects our lives!
The ancient Greek philosophers were pretty much obsessed with the idea of a good life. Their whole way of life was organized around ideas about what makes a human life “good” or “noble” or “worthwhile.” While others pursued commerce, politics, or war, the philosophers tried to figure out why these things mattered. Each philosophical school had its own answers, but Aristotle’s was one of the most influential. His philosophy was successful in part because it showed the unity of all these pursuits: a merchant, a politician, and a soldier were all, Aristotle argued, doing more or less the same thing–chasing some kind of Eudaimonia.
We’re constantly taking in information about our social world, and this can involve judging people. These judgments can be super quick and automatic. Some research has even shown that we can form pretty accurate impressions of people in just a few seconds.Tune in for a deep dive on why we judge and how to stop.
Borderline personality disorder is a chronic condition that may include mood instability, difficulty with interpersonal relationships, and high rates of self-injury and suicidal behavior. Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is characterized by pervasive instability in moods, interpersonal relationships, self-image, and behavior. This instability often disrupts family and work life, long-term planning, and an individual's sense of identity.
The brains of children raised in violent families resemble the brains of soldiers exposed to combat, psychologists say. They're primed to perceive threat and anticipate pain, adaptations that may be helpful in abusive environments but produce long-term problems with stress and anxiety. Tune in and learn about the impact of abuse and how to heal!
When daylight hours start to decrease and it gets colder outside many people may find themselves experiencing symptoms resembling depression. For some the symptoms are relatively brief. Tempers may seem shorter for parents stuck inside with cranky or sick children and an increased sense of lethargy is not uncommon on a dreary winter day. For others, however, these symptoms can be quite disabling.
One of the biggest relationship challenges that people struggle with is emotional flooding. It’s something that happens to everyone sometimes, and if you don’t know how to respond to it, it can escalate conflict and create disconnection. Fortunately, many of the steps you can take to resolve it are pretty simple. Not necessarily easy, but simple. Think back on a time when you were surprised by bad news. Maybe your partner told you that they wanted to break up. Maybe you got fired from a job. Maybe you got word that a loved one was in the hospital. Try to recall how that felt. Did you feel a rush of adrenaline in your body? Did your face get warm? Did you hear a ringing in your ears? Or maybe your pulse quickened and your breath got shallow. On an emotional level, perhaps you felt waves of anxiety or panic or rage. In that moment, your body was saturated with adrenaline and emotion. That’s flooding.Tune in and learn how to close the dam!
Adversity is a fact of life. Resilience is that ineffable quality that allows some people to be knocked down by life and come back at least as strong as before. Rather than letting difficulties or failure overcome them and drain their resolve, they find a way to rise from the ashes. Resilience is not some magical quality; it takes real mental work to transcend hardship. But even after misfortune, resilient people are able to change course and move toward achieving their goals. There's growing evidence that the the elements of resilience can be cultivated. Resilience is about getting through pain and disappointment without letting them crush your spirit. While it isn't always easy, research continues to uncover what resilient people do as they persist after missteps, accidents, and trauma. Tune in and learn how to take on resilience as a part of you!
Although memories seem to be a solid, straightforward sum of who people are, strong evidence suggests that memories are actually quite complex, subject to change, and often unreliable. Memories can be reconstructed as people age and also as their worldview changes. They can falsely recall childhood events, and through effective suggestion, can even create new false memories. They can be tricked into remembering events that never happened, or change the details of things that really did happen. Tune in and learn how false memories and manipulation operates in our lives!
You may have a pretty good idea about what it is you’re attracted to: hair color, eye color, height, smell… Smell? Believe it or not, your subconscious has quite the strong opinion when it comes to finding others attractive. From the depths of the human brain, here are 10 fascinating facts about the psychology of attraction. Tune in and learn how attraction operates!
Stupidity is in all of us. However, the degrees of stupid varies. . We are influenced by various cognitive biases that we are not aware of. The music we are listening to influences our opinion of the wine we drink, the weight of the spoon influences how creamy we find the yoghurt and our moral assessment of strangers depends on what movie we have just watched. Tune in for a wild ride examine stupid and it can run parts of our lives!
Bipolar disorders, or manic-depressive illness, is a group of disorders characterized by the presence of pronounced high-energy phases known as manic episodes. Typically, unusual shifts in mood and energy manifest in increased activity levels and impair ability to function. The impairment created by bipolar disorder can be severe and can result in damaged relationships, poor job or school performance, and even suicide. Tune in a learn about this complex disorder!
The emotional bond that typically forms between infant and caregiver is the means by which the helpless infant gets primary needs met. It then becomes an engine of subsequent social, emotional, and cognitive development. The attachment experience can have an influence on the ability to form additional stable relationships. We will explore all that makes attachment and how what we emotionally attach to shapes who we are. Tune in and learn how attachment works!
Self-entitlement is when an individual perceives themselves as deserving of unearned privileges. These are the people who believe life owes them something; a reward, a measure of success, a particular standard of livinA sense of entitlement brings with it an uncompromising attitude. There is a lack of understanding of others’ needs and of certain social situations, accompanied by an expectation that you should be far more interested in their life than they are in yours. Narcissism is at the very heart of this trait; the over-exaggerated sense of self-importance accompanied by fantasies of power, beauty and brilliance. Compromises, that require one to meet others halfway, don’t exist in the world of the entitled. Everyone else is either competition – threatening their own success – or irrelevant. Tune in and learn about this every growing destructive trait and how to stop it!
For some people, persistent sexual desires, thoughts, and behavior can become problematic. Such individuals may become preoccupied with sexual fantasies and urges, and a subset will act on these impulses while feeling that they have no control over their actions repeatedly sending explicit texts and images, for example, or attempting to fondle others without consent. This pattern of behavior is often referred to as hypersexuality or sex addiction.
There is wide debate over whether the problem stems from a lack of impulse control, a greater than average sex drive, some combination of the two, or a moral code that proscribes sexual activity. With no clear definition of sex addiction, or agreement on its validity as a diagnosis, it is impossible to say how many people are affected, but some literature reviews have estimated the prevalence as between 3 and 6 percent of adults. Tune in and learn more about this unofficial diagnosis
We are all despicable in various forms of despicableness. If we all could come to grips with that, than we understand that what makes us despicable are often triggered as coping or defense mechanisms that display our personal insecurities. The highest ranking mechanism is dishonesty, followed by cruelty, self centeredness, attention seeking, violent, mean and so much more. Tune in and learn about what emotion scars make us flawed and desperately fragile humans!
Truth tends to lead to successful action. In that much, truth has instrumental value. But truth also has intrinsic value. Given the choice between a life of limitless pleasure as a brain in a vat and a genuine human life along with all its pain and suffering, most people opt for the latter. We will explore the depths of truth and the value it brings to our lives. As hard as its is, the truth will set you free from the emotional turmoil of living in lies and secrets. Tune in and learn!
ESP has been defined as ‘anomalous processes of information or energy transfer, processes such as telepathy… that are currently unexplained in terms of known physical or biological mechanisms.'
Magical thinking is defined as believing that one event happens as a result of another without a plausible link of causation. For example: I got up on the left side of the bed today therefore it will rain. The problem with this definition, however, is that exactly what constitutes a plausible link of causation can be difficult to pin down.. On the other hand, rejecting the use of any and all criteria with which to judge cause and effect leaves us vulnerable to believing that anything can cause anything—or even worse, that an effect can occur without a cause at all.
Tune in and get a psychological perspective on these powerful influencers!
People victimized by violent hate crimes are more likely to experience more psychological distress than victims of other violent crimes. Specifically, victims of crimes that are bias-motivated are more likely to experience post-traumatic stress, safety concerns, depression, anxiety and anger than victims of crimes that are not motivated by bias.This show is about how to cope with hate crimes and identify potential killers. Tune in and learn!
By 2030, the number of Americans age 65 and over is projected to be about 71.5 million, of which nearly 10 million will be at least 85. As more people are living longer, more individuals can expect to spend more time in retirement than those in previous generations did. Research has established the physical and mental advantages of a consistent exercise regimen. Screening programs can lead to preventive measures and early treatment interventions, which can substantially reduce the later impact of illnesses. We will explore aging with a sense of humor and help us all cope with getting older. Tune in and make peace with aging!
Ironically, before romantic love became the basis for marriage—a game-changer that historian Stephanie Coontz dates to the 1700s—marriage was based on talk because it was a contractual binding of individuals, property, and families. (And marriage is still a contract, as anyone who has ever gone through a divorce knows.) Marriage is complicated because we are complicated. Each of us brings into marriage a boatload of unarticulated thoughts about what it means to be married based on what we’ve seen, heard, experienced, or formulated in contrast to our parents’ example—those unconscious thoughts influence our behavior and reactions. Tune in a learn how to navigate those pitfalls!
A microaggression is a subtle, often unintentional, form of prejudice. Rather than an overt declaration of racism or sexism, a microaggression often takes the shape of an offhanded comment, an inadvertently painful joke, or a pointed insult. In a world that is changing dynamically socially, micro aggression is called out as real and harmful. Experiencing microaggressions on a daily basis can be deeply stressful. The experience can also be unsettling, because the marginalized person may struggle to understand if the comment was intentional and how to respond.Tune in and learn how to identify microaggression, it's impact, adapting and responding.
For many, beer, wine, and spirits conjure up thoughts of social gatherings and tipsy fun. But alcohol is a nervous system depressant and is also associated with damaging behavior, as well as the emotional pain and physical disintegration of alcohol addiction, known as alcoholism. Experts continue to debate the benefits and risks of drinking and passionately argue over whether moderation or complete abstinence is the best option for those who struggle with alcoholism. Tune in as we take a deep dive into identifying the struggle, the consequences, options to stop and how to deal with someone who is an alcoholic!
Emotional and psychological effects following abortion are more common than physical side effects and can range from mild regret to more serious complications such as depression. The emotional side effects of having an abortion are just as real as physical side effects. Tune in and learn how to discuss prior, how to deal after, how to support someone who has gone through it and what toll it can take on the psyche and women's bodies.
Schizoid, Paranoid and Schizotypal Personality Disorders are the most commonly seen personality disorders in the World. They are considered Cluster A in the DSM V. These disorders are called the odd, eccentric cluster. The common features of the personality disorders in this cluster are social awkwardness and social withdrawal. We will examine how these disorders are differentiated, what they look like and how they can be dealt with by people around them and helping themselves. Tune in and learn!
In the contemporary culture of speed, how many of us have developed the sensory capacity to hear the world, or for that matter, to truly hear what others are saying to us? This show will cover all bases when it comes to learning how to and practice deep listening. The better we hear with all our senses the richer and more meaningful our life becomes. Tune in and learn how top harness deep listening skills in your life and bring your relationships with everyone meaningful to life!
It is past time that we rethink what we mean by the words normal and abnormal as those words apply to the mental and emotional states and behaviors of human beings. Indeed, it is a real question as to whether those words can be sensibly used at all, given their tremendous baggage and built-in biases and the general confusion they create.This is not an idle question without real-world consequences. The treatment of every single mental disorder that mental health professionals diagnose, from depression and attention deficit disorder on through schizophrenia, flows from how society construes normal and abnormal. This matter affects tens of millions of people annually; and affects everyone, really, since a person's mental model of what is normal? is tremendously influenced by how society and its institutions define normal.Tune in and learn if YOU are NORMAL and the consequences!
What will make the most important difference in the lives of our children? One way of assessing the future impact of our efforts is to consider what people remember best about their childhood relationships with their parents. The most memorable childhood experiences reflect critical qualities of the relationship formed between child and parent. Relationships develop over time as products of the ordinary interactions that become special by virtue of their ordinariness. When extraordinary experiences take on life changing attributes, it is often because they culminate from or reveal the meaning of the less dramatic interactions that comprise a life together. Tune in and learn how to empower a more meaningful relationship with your children!
It is certain that being insensitive is an undesirable trait, but does that mean that the opposite, ‘being sensitive’, is a desirable one? Apparently, in our Western society we cannot make up our minds: We consider either being insensitive or being sensitive to be unfavorable. Society demands that sensitive people develop thicker skin, and that insensitive people be more considerate. Tune in and learn about who they are and how to understand them!
The Honeymoon Phase (beginning of a relationship) is so powerful chemically and emotionally that we often fall into the negative outcome of making commitments with the promise of what it brings. A desperate leap of faith. We are designed only to see the best and forget all the other signs that others may see. Getting to know someone who may be your partner is so exciting and new. We are reminded how lonely we truly are as we dump countless energy into this new venture. Infatuation is as if the Great Depression has lifted and we are finally feeling alive! This stage is needed so people will procreate our species. However, anyone can breed, yet not everyone can be a partner or parent.This show is about learning what love is and how you know if it is just infatuation. Tune in and learn!
All of us will feel trapped at some point, whether that be in a job, house, neighborhood, financial circumstance, religion, family or relationship. Usually feeling trapped can be easily remedied by simply doing something new … but it’s not always that easy. When feeling trapped becomes a persistent problem, one that makes you feel hopeless, then it’s time to take a serious look at your life. Tune in a learn how to beat this overwhelming anxiety and turn your life into your dream come true!
Regret is a negative cognitive/emotional state that involves blaming ourselves for a bad outcome, feeling a sense of loss or sorrow at what might have been or wishing we could undo a previous choice that we made. For young people, regret, although painful to experience, can be a helpful emotion. The pain of regret can result in refocusing and taking corrective action or pursuing a new path. However, the less opportunity one has to change the situation, the more likely it is that regret can turn into rumination and chronic stress that damages mind and body. Tune in a learn about how regret can run your life and stop it!
The age we live in has the fattest and greediest people ever. With too much stationary time sitting in front of phones, televisions and computers people eat and plot and scheme how to make more money. These are both survival rated and deep into our genetic make up. Are we human enough to take control of these impulses or will they drive our life? Tune in and learn how to channel our energies and get the results we desire at the same time and for the right reasons!
What is the purpose of life? Is there a God? What on Earth are we doing here? Among life's big questions, the one that has always interested me the most is: Who am I? I imagine that other people find this question to be very interesting and meaningful as well. Human beings are hyper-social creatures. We care a lot—at times, too much—about what other people think of us. As such, it seems natural that we should care about who we are and what we think of ourselves. But how does one get to the bottom of who am I? TUne in and find out as we explore this eternal topic!
Why do people believe in God? For most people in the world, the answer seems obvious: Because it’s self-evident that God exists. From the point of view of the believer, the really puzzling question is how anyone could not believe. There was once a time in the prehistory of our species when nobody believed in a god of any sort. Our evolutionary ancestors were all atheists, but somewhere along the way they found religion. Tune in and explore this life changing topic from the outside in and the inside out!
One of the greatest Human challenges we all face is ourselves. Lack of Self Control and moving that to Self Discipline makes our lives productive, memory filled and healthy. Anything hard makes our lives easier. This show is about change and grabbing those tools needed to make the unattainable attainable. Self love is learning how to say No to anything that will hurt you. Self control curbs our impulses to act without thinking. Self Discipline is the process to make our dreams happen. Tune in and learn how to change your life!
The Honeymoon Phase (beginning of a relationship) is so powerful chemically and emotionally that we often fall into the negative outcome of making commitments with the promise of what it brings. A desperate leap of faith. We are designed only to see the best and forget all the other signs that others may see. Getting to know someone who may be your partner is so exciting and new. We are reminded how lonely we truly are as we dump countless energy into this new venture. Infatuation is as if the Great Depression has lifted and we are finally feeling alive! This stage is needed so people will procreate our species. However, anyone can breed, yet not everyone can be a partner or parent.This show is about learning what love is and how you know if it is just infatuation. Tune in and learn!
Reading people in this day and age can be hard. Many of our relationships are now on-line, over the phone and rarely in person. However, our meta-communication (non-verbal) can give us answers to many things most would never admit. There are also verbal clues and word choices that can complicate and contradict what a person is saying with their words. By improving our ability to read people, we naturally will improve our communication, our lives, relationships and hopefully read people well enough to quickly weed out the unproductive. Tune in and enhance the skills you already have!
Quality of life is a general term that simply infers stability, health and consistency. However, most of this world operates paycheck to paycheck, indebted up to our ears, owning little of value and rent. Some people have some of these areas covered, but the quality part is missing. We are going to take a deep dive into how to make better choices for our peace off mind and more stable mental health. We will look at how a lack of quality of life can determine how we think and how healthy we are.
When a baby comes into a couple’s life, extra stress and strain is understandable. In a healthy relationship, the couple tends to pull together and is aware that any tension and discord are a result of adding new responsibilities and demands. In general, when it is “just” new baby stress, the situation tends to improve dramatically when the couple is able to get more sleep and spend time together that restores a sense of loving marital closeness. Signs of deep relationship trouble are indicated by more dramatic and lasting shifts in behaviors. Such warning signs include constant fighting and avoidance of home life (e.g., not coming home, keeping late hours, refusal of co-parenting duties, substance abuse, etc.). Tune in and learn how to make it work!
Apathy is the opposite of love. People who pass around apathy as their go to emotion are extremely hard too deal with. Their biggest issue is that they think that protects them from being hurt. These folks are deeply insecure and apathy consumes them until they are in the presence of something they enjoy. This show is about how to deal with them and hopefully change them. Tune in and learn.
Metrosexual is a blend of metropolitan and heterosexual, coined in the 1990's describing a man (especially one living in an urban, post-industrial, capitalist culture) who is especially meticulous about his grooming and appearance, typically spending a significant amount of time and money on shopping as part of this. It is somewhat of a turn on what European men from France and Italy are characterized as. However, the love a Metrosexual mostly have is more about themselves than men or woman. Also, not all Metrosexuals are heterosexual. They are frequently all over the place sexually. Tune in and learn about how they have evolved into all facets of our lives!
Financial issues (especially long term) are one of the top issues relationships and families break apart. When people live paycheck to paycheck they are vulnerable to any and every unpredicted event that requires finances to dig themselves out. Whether it is fixing their old Hoopty (car), credit card spending or losing their job. Life is hard as it is, but having your main means of survival to be at risk, puts people on edge and at their worst. Tune in and learn the psychology of how finances effect our mental stability!
At some point in our lives, many of us end up with neighbors from Hell. If it be noise, trash, smelly food, dog poop, party animals, fighting, drinking, etc...This causes enormous emotional and mental damage on anyone. It might even takes years off your life. This show is about how to deal with them and how to heal yourself. We will take the high road, road in-between and the low road as the ultimate may of taking care of the situation. Tune in and learn how to get your life and home back!
Parenting can be so challenging in the day and age where technology grows faster than our emotional development. Are are children are little marketing tools to be ideas with ideas, behaviors and values that they see on the internet, television or radio by any given program. In our fast, two parents (or worse one) busy lifestyle, keeping up with this can be overwhelming to the point of giving up. This program is about establishing patterns of parenting that, if consistent, will imbed your children with what you believe sets the pace for their adult life. Tune in and learn! It might be easier than you thought!
A family is dysfunctional if they regularly experience conflict, misbehavior, or abuse in a way that causes some members of the family to accommodate such inappropriate actions. Dysfunctional families are often the result of one overtly abusive parent and one codependent parent who turns a blind eye to the misbehavior. Dysfunctional parents may learn their behavior from their own parents.Sometimes children grow up in these families believing that the situation is normal. Tune in and learn how to work through it all!
Millennials are, arguably, the most reviled generation in recent history, and tons of consultants are working to decipher them. Called the Trophy Generation, notorious for receiving prizes simply for showing up, they are thought to be entitled, narcissistic, self-promotional, coddled, opinionated, whiny, and needy, especially at work (when they're not complaining about unemployment, that is). They seek constant feedback and immediate gratification. They multitask and can't focus. They're sensitive to criticism and unable to work alone. They refuse to pay their dues. Don't even mention their (limited) verbal and writing skills. Enough with the negativity. Let's dig a little deeper and learn about the Millennial brain. Tune in!!!
A paraphilia is a condition in which a person's sexual arousal and gratification depend on fantasizing about and engaging in sexual behavior that is atypical and extreme. A paraphilia can revolve around a particular object (children, animals, underwear) or around a particular act (inflicting pain, exposing oneself). Most paraphilias are far more common in men than in women. The focus of a paraphilia is usually very specific and unchanging.Tune in and learn about these freaky attractions!
Mind games are often subconscious patterns people use to get what they want. Most of these games are learned in childhood and often become assimilated as automatic defense mechanisms. In addition, people who are controlling often subconsciously seek out people who are most responsive to their mind games as a sense of attraction and friendship.This episode is about unpacking those games, learn how to respond to them and extinguish them from your life. Tune in and learn!
Every day, we are met with intuitions that appear to provide the answers to questions in our lives. We step outside on a sunny day, and a nagging feeling in our gut urges us to go back in and fetch our umbrella. We watch the big fight and develop a powerful hunch early in the contest that the hometown boxer will prevail. Within 60 seconds of interviewing a candidate, we just know, beyond a shadow of a doubt — she’s the one. While the common wisdom is that we should “trust our gut,” smart decision makers know it can’t be that simple. Surely there are times when intuition guides us accurately, and other times when it leads us astray. But how are we to tell the difference? In order to answer that question, we need to, first, demystify intuition and understand precisely how it works. We’ll learn that the process that delivers these gut feelings to us, while on the surface appearing simple and crude, is quite complex and sophisticated. Tune in and learn about this powerful human tool!
Depression and Anxiety can become you. Over 70% of people with Depression also suffer from Anxiety and vice versa. Both will stop you in your tracks and gradually (sometimes immediately) destroy your soul. They turn your decision making into emotional reactiveness. This lack of control puts you into an insecure state where you feel vulnerable and afraid. You are either Depressed because you are anxious or anxious because you are depressed. They feed on one another. This show is about climbing out of both and taking control of your life. Getting back to living and connecting with the world, rather than coping. Tune in and let's take charge of them both!
The philosopher Richard Rorty talks about people’s “final vocabulary” words and phrases we use when we’re done wondering about something. Will, Faith and Trust can be the most influential thoughts, actions and beliefs a person can have. If the fundamental premise of all our thoughts came through these words on a consistent, if not automatic, process, then our lives would thrive. Dreams would come to life, creativity would thrive and we as people would evolve to a higher form of being. Tune in and learn how to change your thinking!
The unconscious is sometimes referred to as the “shadows of the mind,” but it is not some black hole of unacceptable impulses waiting to trip you up. It can, however, be a source of hidden and often disturbing beliefs, fears, and attitudes that affect your everyday thinking and behavior. We may hold these thoughts down because they feel threatening, yet we know suppression isn’t a long-term solution. Alcohol, drugs and abused medication can make the unconscious conscious and bring forward much of the negative processing we normally hold back. Tune in and learn about what lurks within us all!
Groupthink happens when a group of well-intentioned people make irrational or non-optimal decisions that are created by the urge to conform or please. This problematic and premature consensus is fueled by a particular agenda or simply because group members value harmony and coherence above rational thinking. Now that we are grounded in social media, Groupthink is epidemic and eroding the trust of any information people share around the world. Radical baseless people are using the media to make people believe their baseless thoughts are the norm. People are listen, watch and follow. Tune in and learn about the future Groupthink is creating!
Life is a continuous adjustment to events and incidents we can not control. Adjustment Disorder comes from poor or no coping skills around these situations in regards to a person's reactions. All of us struggle with adjustment and Adjustment Disorder is a diagnosis that nearly 100% of the population of the Earth will have at one point in life. I will take on the thoughts, process and getting back to a healthy balance for people who struggle with this. Tune in and learn how to take control of your life and get your joy back!
All the different flavors of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders will be covered. From Body Dysmorphic (unrealistic view of one's body), hoarding, hair pulling, skin-picking to other body- focused disorders. Most of these folks don't even think they have a problem. Many are also good at hiding them. Others turn their obsessions (zip-pickers) on other poor victims in their friends and family. Tune in an learn about the world variations of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders!
Histrionic personality disorder is a personality mental disorder characterized by inappropriate attention-seeking behavior, rapid emotional shifts, and exaggerated expression of emotion. Put them in a position of power such as a manager, parent, teacher, owner and then you have chaos with a capital C. They view themselves as fun and fun loving, yet often misunderstood. Histrionic comes from hysterical. They are high maintenance people and highly dependent people on others acceptance. They can be the life of a party and then destroy it. Tune in and learn about identifying, healing and dealing with histrionics!
Whether you're firstborn, middle child, last-born, or only child, birth order can have a big effect on your personality and behavior. Simply by virtue of being a couple's first child, a firstborn will naturally be a sort of experiment for the new parents, a mixture of instinct and trial-and-error. Perhaps this will cause the parents to become by-the-book caregivers who are extremely attentive, stringent with rules, and overly neurotic about the minutiae. This in turn may cause the child to become a perfectionist, always striving to please his parents. In contrast, if the couple decides to have a second child, they might raise their second-born with less of an iron first due to their experiences raising their firstborn. Tune in and learn how we've all been shaped and change!
Our lives are shaped by our successes, failures and breaks. As we live our life in hope and expectations for good to come our way, we have to continually plant seeds in relationships, investments, jobs, family and life. Success is a psychology built on consistency, integrity and trust. If we are open to the process of learning, suffering bears great wisdom that guides us towards enlightenment. One of the greatest gifts I have reaped from being a psychotherapist is the collective wisdom of my clients. It's a high honor to intimately accompany them as they overcome life challenges, embrace their gifts and strengths, and move towards self-actualization. Anything hard makes life easier. It is not how you start that is important. It is how you finish! Tune in and learn some new tools on how to shape your life for success!
Life can go wrong in a heart beat. Amazingly, we often are not prepared for it. Losing a job, sudden illness, death of a loved one, no justice, no fairness, etc...These are tests of who we are and what we are made of. We have good and evil in us all. This challenge alone can lead to life changing errors in our finances, family, job and all of the above. How to be resilient? Tune in and learn! I will give you the tools you need to turn bad into opportunity!
We’ve all been impatient—and we’ve all made rash decisions when impatience got the better of us. We’ve left lines that were barely moving, only to get into an even slower line. Or we’ve blown up a perfectly good relationship because we weren’t sure where it was going, and couldn’t stand the uncertainty. On the other hand, we’ve also been overly patient at times, sticking with projects, jobs, or relationships long after it made sense to do so. Which has cost you more in your life—patience or impatience? impatience has led us when changing course made sense, and we’d stay the course when that made most sense. Tune in and learn how to manage your impatience and keep the weight of your choices clear!
Abusive relationships have been a worldwide epidemic since the dawn of man. In the day and age we are in, people have created all new ingenious ways to be shittier than before. Women and men are nearly equal on the abusive scale. Unfortunately, we as people are often too stupid to recognize it (look at the state of our education system and lack of role models). When idiots get angry (especially under the influence), baaaad things can happen. We will examine how to indentify an abuser and an abusive relationship (all sexual identities) and why people stay. Underneath the abuser is a set of patterns in childhood. We will examine this and drive home the solutions of how to make it stop or save your life. Tune in. We will try to have a little fun while diving into this horrific world.
Deep inside all of us is a yearning to be understood and accepted for who we are. Friendship is a source of our soul's nourishment and growth. Finding a true friend offers openness, trust, support, laugh, love, tease, and bond with others who love us. Finding a friend is tough as finding the love of your life. As life gets busy with work, family, bills and the needs of life, friendship may be be lost in our priorities. Unless your give your friendship a commitment of time it will wither and die. Sadly, when we need that friend for support they are often not their anymore. Trust is where the friendship grows into healthy. Listen and learn how to fill the emptiness that only friendship can give you. Tune in!
People confront feelings of emptiness in life for many reasons.. A sudden change in life circumstances may also produce such feelings. A common symptom of emptiness is the feeling that life lacks meaning. Emptiness can leave a person feeling emotionally numb, despondent, isolated, and anxious. People attempt to fill that void in a number of ways, often engaging in activities that are ultimately unfulfilling, such as compulsive shopping, eating, or the use of substances. Unfortunately, our consumer culture capitalizes on feelings like emptiness, promising fulfillment with this or that product.Tune in and learn how to fill your life and soul's meaning!
Over 2% of the known population of the entire earth experience panic attacks on a regular basis. Panic attacks are a deeply primitive reaction to the minds projections of danger and fear. This debilitating reaction is to something internal (conscious or unconscious) and leaves the person feeling vulnerable and empty. The next question is WHY...which traumatizes them further often leaving them Googling medical symptoms and predictions of death. There are many things that can be done to treat Panic Attacks. We will break it all down. Tune in and learn!
Higher Conscious is a term that came out of religion and has manifested itself into philosophy, meditation and people striving to discover their true self. It is the connection our spirit has with life around us. It is there to guide us and help us find peace and happiness. The Higher Conscious is the backbone of where we have to make decisions that align with who we are. Most people are followers and do what is easiest. Living with Higher Conscious allows one to be fully alive and in the moment. People have taken hard drugs, years of alienation and meditation just to get a glimpse of what it is. We will learn how to find it and live it. Tune in and learn!
Words and phrases that stick in our minds as repeated self-talk can define parts of who we are. These tracks have either been said to ourselves, said by others or our loved ones. As a constant part of our thoughts, they become self-fulfilling prophesies that end up shaping our devotions and life. Listen and learn how to eliminate these damaging words and phrases from your life. Take your life back and define your own path. Tune in!
Laughter is a reflection of our state of mind. It communicates hope, faith and many good things. Humor is always best directed at ourselves and not to hurt others. We will look into the construction of humor, its mindset, health contribution and the joy of healing it can bring our life. Listen in and lets have a good laugh!
The Honeymoon Phase (beginning of a relationship) is so powerful chemically and emotionally that we often fall into the negative outcome of making commitments with the promise of what it brings. A desperate leap of faith. We are designed only to see the best and forget all the other signs that others may see. Getting to know someone who may be your partner is so exciting and new. We are reminded how lonely we truly are as we dump countless energy into this new venture. Infatuation is as if the Great Depression has lifted and we are finally feeling alive! This stage is needed so people will procreate our species. However, anyone can breed, yet not everyone can be a partner or parent.This show is about learning what love is and how you know if it is just infatuation. Tune in and learn!
In life, we all become victims in small ways daily and sometimes largely. Being a victim is to have lost all sense of security to people or a circumstance. It can change who we are and how we live. Unfortunately, when you surrender your life to being a victim, you give the power back to the people or circumstances that hurt you.
People who live as victims never subconsciously escape their fears. Endlessly, they live on the defense ready to react or respond to predicted outcomes. Depression and anxiety are the Gods of their lives, while they drive everyone whoever could love them away either physically or mentally.
Tune in and learn how to deal with a Victim Personality or stop being one!
Narcissistic rage is the inability to accept rejection and forcing people to be labeled by their vulnerability or mistakes. There is no such thing as forgiveness in their world. It is about proving they are right and establishing enough fact to justify their position. Narcissistic people can not accept their own faults and vulnerabilities. They spend their life believing they are speaking to some very small magical audience who believes their delusional ideas and blaming others for what they alone are more capable of doing than the accused (ever watch the news we use to trust). The truth is they are sick little people who will die and no one will really care. Their legacy dies in this life because they refuse to accept the fact we are all flawed. This show will give you the hope and insight to overcome their vast stupidity (despite their IQ). Tune in and learn!
Every day, we are met with intuitions that appear to provide the answers to questions in our lives. We step outside on a sunny day, and a nagging feeling in our gut urges us to go back in and fetch our umbrella. We watch the big fight and develop a powerful hunch early in the contest that the hometown boxer will prevail. Within 60 seconds of interviewing a candidate, we just know, beyond a shadow of a doubt — she’s the one. While the common wisdom is that we should “trust our gut,” smart decision makers know it can’t be that simple. Surely there are times when intuition guides us accurately, and other times when it leads us astray. But how are we to tell the difference? In order to answer that question, we need to, first, demystify intuition and understand precisely how it works. We’ll learn that the process that delivers these gut feelings to us, while on the surface appearing simple and crude, is quite complex and sophisticated. Tune in and learn about this powerful human tool!
Diversity in sexual orientation—whether gay, straight, bisexual, or somewhere in between—has sparked long-standing controversies across the globe. In the United States, recent debates have centered around the civil rights for same-sex couples. In many other countries, homosexuality is considered illegal; in some, it's punishable by death. Tune in and learn about sexual orientation and how our view on it impacts our lives!
Shyness is the awkwardness or apprehension some people feel when approaching or being approached by other people. Unlike introverts, who feel energized by time alone, shy people often desperately want to connect with others, but don't know how or can't tolerate the anxiety that comes with human interaction. We will lean how to identify it and how to solve it!
At the heart of binge eating, we find men and women who seem to lack any and all control surrounding their food consumption. An entire episode of binge eating really centers around eating past the point of being full. More often than not, binge eaters will start eating, even when they are not hungry. They simply lack control when it comes to consuming food.The time frame for a binge eating session can last about a couple of hours each day; however, some binge eaters are known to also eat on and off, all throughout the day. As such, an individual suffering through this disorder may show desperate signs of needing to control their weight, and dietary habits. This is suicide by food. Tune in and learn how to stop it!
Gaslighting is an insidious form of manipulation and control. The victims of gaslighting are mislead and forced to doubt what they know to be true, even about themselves. Victims end up doubting their memory, perception, and sanity. Over time, the gaslighter’s manipulations grow more complex and potent, making it difficult for the victim to avoid. Gaslighting can occur in personal or professional relationships and gaslighters target their victims where it hurts: their sense of identity and self-worth. Tune in to learn how these Narcassistic Personalities work and how to manage them!
People all across the world who exercise free will to pick whomever they choose to have a relationship with. Mostly, it is based off of looks, impulse, sex and how well they initially get along. Unfortunately, that is what is called the honeymoon phase which is like taking a high dose antidepressant. Depressed and anxious people usually jump in with both feet because they feel so good. Then they discover they are with someone who is performing and not showing their true self. Delusion and high hopes create a deeper commitment and then they find themselves trapped. This show is created to help you pick the right person for you and teach you how. Dump the turd and get something better for your life!
My special guest Lauren Nile (author of RACE: My Story and Humanity's Bottom Line) is also on Voice America's Variety Channel with her show The Fate of Humanity: Crucial Conversations for Our Survival. We will discuss how we are and need to evolve into a world without prejudice. Personal philosophical change is required of many to meet the world at where we are at. See how the subtle reactions to race, culture, affiliations cloud the view of who we are. Lauren is an expert and a very powerful and insightful guest. Tune in and learn the benefit of a world without prejudice.
Sexual Misconduct is and has been rampant in our work force and day to day life. From unwanted passes, rape, touching and groping, the list goes on and on. Mixing genders, sexual preferences and cultures into the work force has taken many years. Habits have been formed and hidden and unspoken secrets understood. Integrity is everything to a persons ability to have relationships. However, daily people are willing to sacrifice career, integrity and family to satisfy their basic animal impulses. We will go deep into the psyche and discuss sexual misconduct from the inside out and the outside in. Tune in and learn!
Hoarders make up about 5% of the known US population and nearly 9% of the worlds population. People who develop emotional attachments to objects have a hard time attaching to anything else. Shop-a-Holics have enormous amounts of debt and spending filling their homes, storage and garage with crap they will never use (But I got a good deal!!!). These folks have issues with depression, anxiety, attachment and obsession. Tune in and learn about how these people operate, the damage they do to the people who love them and how to fix it!
Conversion Disorder (DSM V- Somatoform Disorder) is nearly 60% of all medical conditions that enter the doctor's office for treatment. All of this is pain that can not be detected by any medical doctor or technology. Sigmond Freud was a medical doctor who turned to practicing psychology in order to understand this phenomenon in people. Stomach pain, seizures, heart palpitations, migrains, panic attacks and all types of internal pain can be caused by stress. We will dive deep into this facinating issues and hopefully find some relief!
Truama happens every day with big life threatening events to little ones. Depending on the person, the reaction to having your life be out-of-control and dangerous can be life changing. The brain changes and all coping skills are gone. Memory comes through whatever sense (hearing, seeing, feeling, etc.) will get you through it. Some people completely freeze and others react immediately. If you are intoxicated or on something, survival is minimal and the damage is far greater in most cases. Tune in and learn how to move trauma out of your life and get your life back!
Psychopaths have been around since the inception of mankind. We constantly challenge ourselves with the question of why they kill. This show will answer that. Psychopaths walk among us as CEO's, Politicians, Lawyers and many who seeks power and fame. Not all are a psychopath, but that type of work fits their motives. Not all psychopaths kill or commit crimes. As a matter of a fact, the overwhelming amount function as people who have families and function as a part of our lives. Tune in as I profile psychopaths!
Redefining Divorce is a flat fee concept that Attorney Zina Gleason has created. She has teamed up with therapists, mediators and herself as an attorney to drive a respectable outcome turning divorce into an opportunity to learn new ways to communicate. Through the process (whether it ends in divorce or not), the children are protected, assets and finances are preserved and a truly peaceful working outcome can be accomplished. Tune in while I interview Zina to shed light on the future of divorce!
Indecisive Crazy-Makers make up a huge majority of people in this world. They are insecure, incomplete people who have little character or clue about who they really are and what they want. Retailers go nuts with their constant buying and returning.Constantly questioning their trust in their own decisions, Indecisive Crazy-Makers refuse to accept a choice if they are afraid it might not meet their expectations. They are passive-aggressive by nature and drive the more decisive people to the end of their ability to cope. Yet they constantly see themselves as powerless victims in a world full of fear. Here is one clue you are dealing with one: Where do you want to eat? I don't know, what do you want? How about....No. Well what do you want?... Tune in and learn about this developmental disorder!
Cognitive Dissonance is the darker side of who we are. It is our Inner-Hypocrite that is rarely allowed to speak because our beliefs would be so contradictory to who we represent ourselves to be. Sadly, these beliefs can come out in indirect or secret ways and situational ways where others catch a glance and wonder. Some examples would be people who hide behind a religion and yet their decisions and lifestyle away from the religion do not reflect it. Tune in and learn about cognitive dissonance. It gets to the core of what it is to be human!
Becoming a widow(er) is a life changing event that happens to nearly all people who marry or remain in long term relationships. To fall in love, make deep commitments, sacrifice, compromise and depend deeply on one another, leaves a widow(er) in a very lonely and empty place. If the death of a partner comes unexpectedly, the recovery is even harder. We all face death, to face it while you are alive together and discuss the desired outcomes after is a great idea. However, this show is about recovery and we will go deep to give some healthy change for a widow. Tune in and learn!!!
Self-Sabotage is something all of us do at some point in our lives. Some people do it purposely and others as a subconscious way of life. Self-Sabotage has everything to do with how you feel about yourself. It is a way of rejecting yourself before others reject you. It is a self fulfilling prophecy. So many responsible adults destroy their homes, families, jobs, integrity and lives through destroying all that is good. This episode is about damage control, recovery and change. Tune in and learn!
For many years the media has brainwashed the globe by establishing hypothetical identity politics in order to label any person by attaching their perceived values to negative events. This show will crack open and reveal their techniques and ultimate goals. Instead of informing and holding itself to a higher fact based standard, the media has entered and aligned with politics influencing and radicalizing a population of Millennials who have not experienced anything but identity politics. On top of this, Social Media now is in full bloom using accusations and conspiracy theories to rule the day and stress out our world. People form radical opinions and fear based philosophies and turn to violence and hate. The people in media have been doing it so long, they believe and justify their own load of crap. Tune in and get some perspective!
There are some highly effective alternatives to Mental Health medications. Especially around depression, anxiety and many other stressed based disorders. Most alternatives are not meant for pervasive and more serious cases. However, they can certainly turn mild to moderate cases around. Tune in and learn! I will discuss not only supplements, but stimulators and other FDA approved techniques.
Gratitude is the most magnetic human quality we share. However, to be negative and critical is what the vast majority of people in this world focus on critical judgements and black and white thinking. To be negative is easy. To be consistently grateful is a skill most must develop. To be grateful does not mean we are blind to truth. It means that we are looking to bring out the best in everyone. I will teach you how to be more grateful than you already are. You will learn how to integrate that quality into your very spirit. Tune in and improve your life!
Opioid (a form of heroin) addition is taking off like wildfire all over the world. Doctors often introduce opioids when they perscribe them as a pain killer. Just one pill can begin the addiction. It masks pain both physically and mentally. Therefore, people with a mental health diagnosis like depression, anxiety and bi-polar will crave the effects of an opioid. Opioid addiction (once started) takes hold immediately and then the body craves since it takes more to feel the effect. There is a 92% relapse rate once stopped. Listen and learn how to deal with this monster.
Cliques have been around since the inception of humankind. There are harmless cliques and cliques that destroy people of all ages sense of identity. The influence cliques have over young children, teenagers and insecure adults can lead them into all kinds of social dilemmas that cause enormous anxiety, alienation and grief to relationships lost and gained through loyalty. Loyalty is stupidity at its worst. To thoughtlessly do things because it makes us belong has a far more negative potential than positive. Rugged individualism is the American Dream. Tune in and learn about cliques of all ages and at work!
The need for closure is an issue that many people are obsessed with when something happens to them they do not fully understand. This drive to have answers can be consuming and obsessive for them. Some get driven to experience deep depression, anxiety, PTSD and even panic attacks. Often sleep is continuously disrupted. The need to control what we can not control is the root of all psychosis. Tune and learn!
To become suddenly disabled is one of the most traumatic events any human can endure both physically and emotionally. There are physical disabilities and mental disabilities we will explore. In addition, we will look at the legal classifications of being disabled. I will dive into coping with being disabled and the ability to dig deeper into the opportunities they can provide. We will also go into how to support someone who is disabled with love and care for you at the same time. Tune in and learn!
Self-Sabotage is something all of us do at some point in our lives. Some people do it purposely and others as a subconscious way of life. Self-Sabotage has everything to do with how you feel about yourself. It is a way of rejecting yourself before others reject you. It is a self fulfilling prophecy. So many responsible adults destroy their homes, families, jobs, integrity and lives through destroying all that is good. This episode is about damage control, recovery and change. Tune in and learn!
Rape is experienced by people of all genders, ages, gender identity and sexual preferences. Statics are not clear because so many people don't report it and die with the secret. I will discuss its aftermath, the types of rapists, types of rape and how to move on after it has happen. Between 1 in 6 women alone in the US have been raped. I will do all I can to help you recognize features and techniques of how rapists operate and manipulate. Tune in and learn!
Cults are a problem to societies all around the world. With this show I will break out how to define a cult, how they work, their techniques and goals to suck people into their nasty little world. Millions of children and adults through the years have been brainwashed and destroyed by these organizational monsters. They put themselves before their followers. We will also look into the similar mechanisms that mainstream and social media and some political parties use. Tune in and learn!!!
With a child that defies adult authority, hits, kicks, steals, starts fires, you have a very stressed out life. Where and how these disorders get their roots comes from their genetics, potential mental diagnosis along side and how they are raised. Oppositional Defiant and Conduct Disorder children are well on their way to becoming an Anti-Social Personality at 18 (ie...prison). This show is about how to identify these childhood disorders and stop them in their tracks. Homes, schools and other children's lives are at stake, as well as the child with the disorder. Tune in and learn about how to deal with these critters!
The oldest profession sadly still exists in this day. This episode explores how human trafficking and prostitution are conducted. I will expose the type of people who frequent them and discuss how these people promote such a crime. Mostly, using young people (some who are voluntary and some who are enslaved) for their sexual fantasies. Many of these prostituted people often have mental illness and broken families.They have a 78% chance of being murdered or hurt compared to the average person. Tune in and get a 360 degree view this dark world!
Like the Salem Witch trials, hysteria has struck our nation fueled by the media and the delusional people who believe it. Since nearly the beginning of the 2016 election cycle, the US population and the world have been stressed to the breaking point. This is a show about putting perspective on our once trusted media so that we do not get caught up in their drama. It is a mental health perspective. Sadly, accepting the fact that we have the most effective and non-traditional president ever in the US is not going to be in the cards for the media and their delusional followers. So now we must find ways to cope for our own good and find a way to be safe from their hysteria. The newest trending divorce cause is political fights between spouses. Tune in and learn how to make it through the next four years.
Forensic psychology and criminal profiling are two modern means by which local and Federal law enforcement find criminals. In our killer profiles we will be examining modern cases like Casey Anthony and Scott Peterson. However, we will examine how profiling and forensics were used to find multitudes of Sociopaths and Psychopaths throughout modern history. Also, we will break out how Forensic psychology works and how to become a Forensic psychologist or Criminal Profiler. Both are some of the most valuable assets to criminal investigation. Tune in and learn about these fascinating highly complex jobs and how it is done!
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder -PTSD- is a silent killer of quality of life, family, jobs, relationships and sometimes the people themselves who have it. The good news is that there are many effective ways to heal if not completely cure PTSD. The first victim is the one who experiences acute anxiety with no way to cope with it except stuff it and deny. After 30 days untreated, PTSD takes over and starts to take over the victims emotional intelligence and eventually their personality. Drugs, alcohol, constant irritability and bouts of rage are triggered by anything that reminds the victim of the event(s) and pushes all of the people they love away. They turn inward and continue to close their life off until they have enough and decide to be treated (often never happens). Tune in and learn about this lethal diagnosis and how to end it!
Parenting in this day and age is deeply complicated and requires enormous energy and communication. Living in a digital life along with juggling jobs, daycare, babies, finances, one parent family, step families, divorce, arguments, little time for you, school, drugs, apathy, child narcissism and launching them into life is an act of Congress for everyone. There is a balance that can be struck in order for all to be healthy. We will look at parenting children at all ages and how you can help couples and single parents get a life back. First you must accept that good enough is about all you can do and boundaries are critical. Tune in and listen!
Child molestation turns into all kinds of horrible scars mentally and physically for many of its victims. Issues of grief, shame, fear, guilt, body image, confusion, secrets, deep insecurities and trauma battle with the victim their entire life in a struggle to overcome it. One in six people admit to experiencing child molestation. However, if the truth were known, the number would probably double or triple. Often the pedophile is someone they know and their family is close to. If the child says anything, they are frequently not believed by their own parent or told it is their fault. We will go deep into identifying pedophiles and their grooming process. Also, the impact their crime has on peoples lives. Tune in and learn!
The world is full of narcissistic personalities. Deeply insecure and unable to form healthy relationships, the narcissist demands loyalty through fear and charm. A deep lack of empathy is their most pervasive qualities and need to be right. Unable to apologize most of the time, the narcissist uses people to manipulate for their own ego driven needs. Often disposing of them after. Tune in and learn about this sick personality, how they operate and how you can deal with them.
Fear of failure consumes the life of nearly 25% of all people in the world. It is a depressed lifestyle that stops the enjoyment of life in all areas. To only do what is safe, means one is coping with life rather than living. How can anything ever be discovered, invented, innovated or evolve when the desire to take a leap of faith is not there Fear of failure means one sits back and watches the rest of the world live. Tune in and learn how to grab a passionate life and let go of fear!
Bi-Polar and Borderline Personality Disorder have so much in common. They both create chaos in everyone's life they touch, especially when untreated. Both often look for a co-dependent partner to project all their complex madness on. Coping instead of living is their way of life. Riding on total exhilaration in one moment and drastic depression the next. Partners always confused if they are crazy or is it who they are with. One disorder is genetic and the other from on-going child neglect or abuse. Both disorders are hard to distinguish or understand. I will break it all down for you. Listen and learn!!!
Control Freaks are among us everywhere in the world. You can not escape them, so you have to learn how to adapt to them. From work to relationships we will identify control freaks, give coping skills to deal with them and help them from being one. Do yourself a favor, tune in and learn how to make more peace in your life! Time well spent!
Positive communication done consistently will rewire your brain out of depression and impact your span of influence broadly. The world is starved for people who bring good energy and happiness. Nothing is more magnetic than a person who is optimistic and sees the good. Tune in and learn how to change your life and all those who you communicate with! It is not about being fake, it is about changing your perception to bring out the most in yourself and others.
A suicidal life is a life where one is unspeakably committing suicide by their habits, addictions and choices. For some it may be as simple as how they drive, others alcohol or drugs. For most it is obesity and how they maintain their health. From managing diabetes to cigarettes, we will span the topic of committing suicide through lifestyle right in front of their families eyes. Tune in and learn how to work to end these horrible choices.
Schizophrenia itself effects 1% of the population of the world. Many are in prison and on our streets everywhere. Some are lucky enough to live in adult care or with their families. Some are savvy enough to maintain their medication, therapy, facing the disorder straight on and managing to live a somewhat normal life. With boys it usually blossoms around 18 and women around 28. It can be spotted many years before that. We will examine schizophrenia from all sides. Tune and and learn how to understand, recognize, live and work with Schizophrenia.
Secrets can be deep and hurtful. They infect your integrity and require enormous energy and sophisticated coping skills to continuously hide your true self from anyone in your life. Impulsive, curious and unexplainable emotional decisions and mistakes are a part of life. To maintain and image will catch up with you eventually. Listen and learn how to take a chance and reveal hard truths to those who need to know. Stop spending your life hiding.
Memories are the only thing we leave behind in this life that last. However, only if we make them meaningful to the people we love. In order to do that, we have to be fully present in the moment. It is like the difference between a vacationer and a traveler. Travelers study and dive into the cultures they visit, while vacationer take pictures in front of what they think is important. Tune in while I take a hard look at how we can leave our legacy behind.
Smell can change a person's impression in an instant. From being a calming factor to the most agitated and disgusted. The laws of attraction are deeply tied to smells. As is the ability to attract people to buy. In psychology smell can be of the greatest influence to manage emotions and set the stage for how people socialize. Tied to memory, smell is one of the most powerful subconscious influencer of all. Tune in and learn how managing smell can change your life.
Givers and Pleasers fill their lives with people who they train to have their needs come before the Giver on an ongoing and expected basis. Givers and Pleasers are often insecure, depressed and hopeless in a trap they have built for themselves. Let's learn how to shake their lives up and reset some boundaries. Let's see them grab their lives and find out who they really are. Tune in and learn!
Paranoia can be a way of life or state of mind. It can be a symptom of a much bigger diagnosis or stand alone an completely disrupt your life. Living in fear is not living at all. It is coping. Even some cultures around the world are inherently paranoid. We will take a real look at how to deal with paranoia and even eliminate it. Tune in and learn!
Teenage sex is a very complicated situation for teens and their parents. Bottom line, if you have no income, home, means of transportation and a solid future ahead, you have no business breeding. However, logic often does not win the day here. Over 40% of all teens before 16, admit to having either oral or intercourse. With sexting, texting, snap chat, facebook and all other social media sex is on the rise again with teenagers. Tune in and learn how to work through this complex issue!
Marriage communication is very different then regular communication. In life we use many of the same tools, but the consistent obligation to be responsible for what we say to our partner can create big consequences in quality of life when we lie, are aggressive or disrespectful. Marriage communication requires us to listen, validate and be open to our perceptions. Tune in and learn!!
Humanism is both a philosophy and way of life. Instead of living under religious doctrine. Humanism is about living for each other. Life is to have purpose beyond ourselves and taking full responsibility for ourselves. No cope outs about God doing for or to us. We will deeply explore this living philosophy and unravel how important, healthy and effective it can be in this complicated world. I am not condoning Humanism but exploring how it can contribute to a better life. Tune in and learn!!
The human race is one of the most social creatures in the world. We bond together in clicks, cultures, races, religions, parties, nations and organizations. These connections tend to influence and dictate how we operate as people. Behaviors and thoughts are shaped to conform with social consequences if not followed. When you are living in the middle of these influences it is hard to comprehend how much of us is free will and how much is the need to be accepted. Tune in, listen and learn! Who knows? You might begin to discover yourself.
People who self injure most often have one thing in common...the need to avoid emotional pain. Self Injury has been a part of the human race for thousands of years. The neurotic need to have a tangible injury overlay a internal struggle. Often times the medical community shuns people who self injure. Treating them poorly while tending to their wounds. We will take on this dynamic topic straight on and hopefully change some lives while we are it. If you are someone who self injures or know someone who does, this is the show for you. Tune in!!
2016 has been one of the most stressful election seasons in the history of our country. Change is hard for many people and having faith in an elected official of any kind is even more stressful. I am taking on this election from a mental health perspective and give you some tools (no matter your candidate) to rebalance your life. This show is about evolving and directing our energy into our purpose. Listen and learn!!!
Multiple personalities has thousands of years of history in the existence of mankind. Usually caused by harsh abuse or major trauma in childhood, this disorder is very real and pervasive. I have treated Multiple Personalities (Dissociative Identity Disorder) on several occasions. Used most often as a coping skill triggered by stress, Multiple Personalities can be managed or co-exist in a healthy way. Listen and learn this incredibly complex world of Multiple Personalities!
For decades we have watched cartoons laughing, dramatic, and seemingly mindless. Mellow drama in our superheros and loony tunes. We will diagnose and shed light on to cartoon character mental illness. To watch the extremes of what we all know exists in life not only entertains but teaches. Lets have some fun. Listen and learn!!!
Sexless Marriage arrives in many ways, shapes, forms and fashion. The statics are astonishing. The definition of a sexless marriage is couples who have sex less than 10 times a year. Some are agreed to be this way, others are medical and some are just downright complicated. I see sexless marriage in therapy nearly every day. Sadly, it does not need to be this way. We will focus on how a marriage arrives at this and reveal how to reopen the love and fill your reopen your sense of completeness. Listen in and learn!
The creation of Facebook turned our society upside down. Combined with Twitter, Snap Chat and all the other means of communication, people don't even have to leave their house to have friends. Amazingly, social media creates a virtual life and takes over relationships and families. Children and personal lives get exposed to the world, affairs are at your finger tips and all of the self destructive impulses can be met. Trust is a continuous battle. Tune in and learn how to balance!
Multiple marriages are as common as a Facebook page. Sadly, people's desire to be never satisfied, fully commit, desire to learn how to be married is a vast minority of the people who take the vows. With social media in full play, people tend to reinforce negatives in their lives, project them on their partners and build support systems around them. Multiple marriages is a red flag, but not a death sentence to relationships. We are all a work in progress. Some people enjoy marriage, but have bad pickers. Some like to save everyone else but themselves. Tune in and learn!!!
You never know who you married until you divorce them. Sadly, people who have bred and had children, often decide that they can't be adults and talk so they put their kids in the middle. This act forces a child to align with one or the other causing life long emotional damage. We are going to help co-parents either learn how to co-parent or deal with the immature piece of crap they have to work with. Tune in and listen!
Loneliness is a very complex emotion. People can be married, in a relationship, surrounded by people that love and care about them and feel lonely and empty. Marriage can be the loneliest place on Earth when it is not working. We will explore loneliness, its desperate impact and find remedies. Tune in and learn!!!
It is common sense that stress leads to nearly every serious major health event in our lives. Cancer, heart disease, flu, diabetes, addiction and the list goes on. This episodes explores what stress does, how to manage it and extend years upon your life. Tune in and learn!!!!
Throughout the history of mankind, we are one of the few species who actually preys on our own. The weak, young, old, vulnerable, naive and ignorant are systematically targeted by predators for either personal gain or pleasure. Predators can be charming, attractive,successful, intelligent and many times can be a friend or family member. They often groom or stalk their prey creating confusion and deep mental scars -sometimes death- for their victims. We will go into great depth around this dark world to identify and learn how to make our lives and our loved ones lives a little more safer. Tune in and learn!
Imagine a world without prejudice. Someday it will be, to some degree, as we move towards one global economy. We will explore the roots of prejudice and what it accomplishes. We will take a deep dive into how it manifests and why people fall back on it to shape their views, In a world that is grey, people love to simplify and judge black and white. Please join me. Listen and learn!
Abuse in relationships are passed down in families generation after generation. Sadly, many times it goes unacknowledged or the victims are blamed. Once abuse enters a family's history, rarely does it leave. Abuse comes in all forms. The majority is verbal, physical and emotional. This episode will explore each and give you the tools to know what to do and to heal. First, you must recognize what abuse is. Listen and learn to improve your life!
Gender Identity is a lifetime struggle when you were born one gender but completely feel like you are the other. Millions of people around the world identify with this issue. Amazingly science has found a way to help these people who can afford it. We will explore the confusion and pain for a person, their family, partners and friends to adapt to Gender Identity problems. Tune in and learn!!
To be married to or be a hypochondriac or a neurotic person can literally suck the life out of you. To not have insurance with a hypochondriac can cost millions over a lifetime in medical expenses with no answers. Googling every odd sensation a person can have at any given moment, has more than tripled the hypochondriac population across the globe. Healthcare is the most secure occupation due to this. Being a hypochondriac or neurotic is no joke. One could be having a perfectly normal day destroyed by paranoid ideology that suddenly takes over. Listen and learn about how these disorders can be managed!
Conflict avoidance is one of the key identifiers that a person has not transcended into adult life. Relationships, employment, raising children and anything calling for compromise requires conflict. All that is required is to have the willingness to be an active listener to another person's perception. Whether you agree or disagree is irrelevant. You have to be willing to hear. Tune in and learn how to identify someone who avoids conflict -maybe you- and work through the issue into a peaceful life.
Unemployment looms over anyone who works for someone else. The almighty dollar is king and people are the means to more, if it is thought you are not a quick goodbye is coming. No company or business is completely loyal to their employees. The values that once push the United States to the top is gone. We must be rugged individuals faced with the prognosis that on the average the majority of adults will go through at least 4 career jobs before retirement -if that is in the cards-. Tune in and learn how to survive!!
Bi-Polar and Borderline Personality Disorder have so much in common. They both create chaos in everyone's life they touch, especially when untreated. Both often look for a co-dependent partner to project all their complex madness on. Coping instead of living is their way of life. Riding on total exhilaration in one moment and drastic depression the next. Partners always confused if they are crazy or is it who they are with. One disorder is genetic and the other from on-going child neglect or abuse. Both disorders are hard to distinguish or understand. I will break it all down for you. Listen and learn!!!
Facial similarities, body shape, feelings, attitudes, scents, communication styles, energy, sexual presence, flaws and all kinds of complicated features shape what attracts one person to another. We will simplify and focus on what can turn ugly into hot and sexy. Loneliness lies beneath people's deepest fears and most disturbing thoughts. If we don't feel attractive, we don't feel we belong. We feel like an obligation and someone who is used for their goodness, rather than a desired person. We will explore that laws of attraction in depth and hopefully it will help improve your attractiveness!!!
Raising children on it's own is the most difficult job in the world, but having a difficult child can push any parent to utter insanity. Difficult children come in all flavors of attitudes, narcissism, dangerous behavior, destructive behavior and complete stupidity. I will go into how to work with all types of children and explore potential mental issues and how to cope with them too. Tune in and learn to make your life more peaceful!!!
Cross Cultural Relationships can be highly complex. Forming a relationship with someone of a different culture can be highly enchanting. Then one discovers a vast amount of differences in our expectations, areas of compromise, views of finances, religion, family blending, family responsibilities, communication, gender differences and traditions. These fragile relationships sometimes take more than a therapist to fix. They also require an anthropologist. We will explore cultures around the world and see how a global economy is creating complex global relationships.
Pornography has fueled the sex drives of the human race for 10,000 years or more. Some cultures have prided themselves on it's role in their everyday lives. However, pornography can be a secret addiction and can destroy a monogamous relationship in so many countless ways. We will examine the brain's response, the biological outcomes and how it impacts our everyday lives. Pornography has it benefits and its downfalls. The dehumanization of human sexuality is the biggest. Listen in and explore this multi-Billion dollar industry and its impact!
The transition to adulthood for many children can be challenging for them and their entire family. What we once thought was an adult at 18 years old is now developmentally 32. Some go to college and never make a life, some never leave and others move on and make it. There are true developmental factors that define an adult. By clarifying what an adult is, maybe some will understand how to transition.
Less than 10% of all people in long term relationships claim they have found their most suitable partner. Most are gigantic compromises with poor communication, selfish partnering skills, short bursts of love, respect and the ability to cherish. Couples often seek counseling after they have crashed the apple cart hundreds and thousands of times using the examples their parents passed down to them of true love. If people would seek professional help early, they would have better tools. However, the biggest obsticle is jumping into bed with someone and then trying to build a relationship. Finding the right partner for you is what this show is about. Listen and learn! You may want to improve what you have or trade it in for a new model.
Self-Sabotage is something all of us do at some point in our lives. Some people do it purposely and others as a subconscious way of life. Self-Sabotage has everything to do with how you feel about yourself. It is a way of rejecting yourself before others reject you. It is a self fulfilling prophecy. So many responsible adults destroy their homes, families, jobs, integrity and lives through destroying all that is good. This episode is about damage control, recovery and change. Tune in and learn!
Abuse and Addiction effect more 18% of the people on our planet, not to mention the people impacted by their lives. Alcohol, drugs, prescription drugs, marijuana, sex and so many other diversions can literally become the people who for habits around them. People sacrifice, love, family, children, spouses, friends, jobs and all other pleasures life offers just to consume their choice of addiction or abuse. Integrity is out the door. Listen and learn how to overcome many of the most popular habit forming addictions!
From Humanism to Dialectic reasoning, philosophy is the holding grounds of many perspectives and universal truths that align with our very nature and existence. Wisdom of the ages is often used in psychology along with many other ingredients which form the basis of theory used to treat the entire spectrum of mental disorders. We all have philosophies on life which make up our values and character. Those philosophies are found in the most consistent parts of our characters and habits. Listen and learn! Socrates would be proud of you!
Co-Dependency is a struggle for the entire human population. Like dogs, co-dependents happily look past the habitual tragic life's of people they love and support who are alcoholics, drug addicts, abusers and so on. Co-dependency comes in many flavors. Denial is their main coping skill. Their role in supporting self-destructive people is tragic in itself. The very act of looking past the devastation caused by destructive people in their lives elongates the damage caused to all who enter their lives. Most co-dependents are looked at as angelic in their nature for their ability to deal with a habitual narcissitic person. However, their life is their co-dependency and their lack of boundaries is just as bad. Tune in and learn how to end co-dependency!
Adoption of children can be a very complex issue for both the adopted children and their new parents. We will do a deep dive into how the process works, the emotional impact and how families bond and adjust. Each adoption is unique and comes with many complex human issues. I will lay out many of the common issues ad offer solutions for all. Listen and learn!!!
Adrenaline junkies are everywhere. They are never satisfied with the simple risk of driving a mile an hour over the speed limit. Their life is one death defying traffic ticket after another. From jumping off cliffs to diving into shark infested water, adrenaline rules and when it is released is the only time they feel truly alive. We will explore how adrenaline works, effects relationships, sex and much more. Listen and learn!!!
Impulsiveness can destroy a person's life in a heart beat. Anywhere from committing a crime, gambling your home away to quitting your job without plans for an income. People self destruct on a continuous basis. As you are reading this, there are multitudes of people acting on immature thoughts. ADHD is a greatly misunderstood genetic disorder. Once the most valued people in the world were ADHD (hunters). Now they are left in the ashes of technology and forced to live as gatherers (despite that their instincts never changed). We will explore all of these issues in many directions. Listen and learn!!!
Phobias are experienced by nearly 4 million Americans. Highly treatable, though many choose to suffer with them their entire lives. From Social Phobia to Arachnophobia, I will do a deep dive into the insane fear, the biology of the brain and break out some of the most pervasive phobias to the most detrimental. For some, phobias rule their lives.This handicap of choice is one that can be ended. To live with them and live with someone who has them is a life of Hell on Earth. Listen in and learn!!!!
Sports Psychology is a fairly young field, but is growing like a wildfire. The reason is that it is effective in helping athletes and teams be mentally prepared for all of the issues and barriers they must overcome to become a champion. For an athlete to perform at their very best, they have to learn to tame their biggest obstacle first, their own brain. Tune in as we unveil the difference sports psychology makes. Also, how to avoid dealing with or becoming a psychotic sports parent,. Tune in and learn!!!
So many people journey through life without direction, passion, desire or concern for purpose. Sadly, mediocre is all some strive for. The evolution of our brain's potential is not realized with these people who are the vast majority people of the world. Get a Life is a show about finding your souls journey and listening to your inner voice. Discovering who you are at any age is better than never. Tune in and learn how to discover yourself!!!
Fear of attachment and loneliness are some of the deepest struggles many people have. Often times the things that cause attachment issues are subconscious programs that we learn very early. To overcome a fear of attachment requires the courage and desire to change. Exposing oneself to being hurt again and again. That is life. Pain is a reminder we are still alive. Listen and learn how to overcome the destruction of attachment issues!
Molestation and Rape take place in the childhood of more than 65% of the population of the world. Amazingly, many of these people pull their lives back together in all kinds of ways and find a way through it on their own and never tell a soul. Yet carry the scar of emotions and trauma left behind and in some ways take it out on the people who love them the most and themselves. We will explore this epidemic and find new ways to heal. Listen in and learn!
Our Body Image can effect everything from our self-esteem, sexual prowess, social interactions, health, limitations on what to do with our children and even how well we perform at work. The acceptance our the body or life was giving is a challenge for everyone. Some spend their life worshipping their body to the detriment of their mind. Others spend their life doing the opposite. Most of us just meander in the middle trying to make the best of what we got. However, that mind-body connection has a healthy balance which must be maintained for any quality of life. Listen in and learn how to improve yours!
Insecurity operates some peoples lives and in parts of the rest. It is utterly a life lived in fear. People who suffer from chronic anxiety, depression, panic attacks and phobias are plagued with insecurities like a cancer. This show is about revealing insecurities, what they do, how they operate and how to cure them or even cope with them. It is sad to see how vulnerable and scared people live in this world. Taking a leap of faith is how life is best lived. It is literally the only way to live and I am not talking about religion itself. Tune in and improve your life. Listen and learn!!!!
The Inner Child refers to periods of our life where we felt fear and things were out of control. These periods stick with us through the coping skills we learned to get through them as children. Throughout or adulthood these coping skills can be continuously triggered and become a part of how we act and who we are. Usually, these coping skills are immature and fear based. This show is an exploration of the damage our Inner Child can do without our awareness. Learn how to Parent that little monster right here! Tune in and learn!!
Moving on is one of the most difficult emotional life choices we are forced to make. It takes incredible fortitude to move on, let go and continue our journey. Some people can never do it. They simply look back and compare everything to what their life was. We will talk about tragedy, divorce, loss of children, loss of job and countless other heart-wrenching situations that life offers us. I will provide new coping skills, philosophies and outlooks that will hopefully give every listener the skills to MOVE ON. Listen and learn!!!!
This episode is designed to identify, reveal and help cope with the various psychotic people we have to interact with on a daily basis. They walk among us, exist in our families and function as normal people while inside is a hidden explosion that could happen with any trigger. Their outlets vary, but their goals are the same. To exist in a psychotic's world is absolutely Hell on Earth. It starts in childhood and we will begin there. Listen in and learn about this fascinating dark inner world.
Throughout the cultivation of mankind over millions of years there are primal instincts, genes and learned behavior which remains in our functioning life today. From the choice of who we marry, how we raise our kids to how we relate to the world. There are much more predictable common links between all of us that research and anthropology has acknowledged and proven. Charles Darwin intended for his theory of evolution not only to provide a map of our ancestry but also an understanding of human thought. Evolutionary psychology is taught at some of the most renown universities in the world (Oxford, UC Fullerton, UT Austin, Harvard, etc.). We will dive deep into evolution and see what it offers as far as understanding of how we function in our daily lives. Tune in and learn!!
Guilt and Shame have been the pervasive motivators of our human existence. They are the most meaningful tools of all religion, parenting, social rules and personal values there are. The episode is about exploring life without them. What would our moral compass be? What would stop us from becoming evil and completely narcissistic. Find out as we unhinge our lives from guilt and shame evolving to passion and empathy. Tune in and change your life!!!!
This episode is an absolutely crazy and candid journey into the ludicrous world of dating. We will span the ages looking at how people meet, first dates, middle age dating, internet dating, dating websites, social media and the deep dark world of deception. I will pull no punches and call out how the super creeps operate. Give you quick ways to access if you are dating a dog turd. Dating can be a very scary and difficult process for anyone. There are ways to do it and enjoy it safely. There are also ways to go from a values based person by day to a sex crazed player by night. Join me and find yourself lost in the world of absurd psychology. If you listen live, call me with your questions.
Changing how we think is a life long challenge. We are so influenced by the conditions that we were raised, that often time people can not break free of the patterns created. This episode is about how to actually change your outlook of life, the people in your life and how to over come our greatest flaws and challenges. We are going to learn to dig a little deeper for the best that we are. I am going to pull out all the stops to help. Listen in and change your life!!
Emotional IQ is often forgotten in regards to measuring a person's ability to function and communicate. Emotional IQ is how we read people and learn how to make relationships. Intelligence is not the only measurement that make a person. Emotional IQ effects relationship communication, leadership, productivity, parenting and relating to the world. Without a highly developed Emotional IQ, we lack what is called common sense. Tune in and learn how important Emotional IQ is to your ability to have a full life. Learn how to improve it. Tune in!
Marriage is the one thing over 93% of all people will do in their lives. However, it is not taught in school and the models provided by our parents are not reflective of the time we live. It is amazing how child like coping skills creep into a marriages daily life. This episode is about teaching you how to be married and keep it. Children and spouses all over the world will thank you for finally taking a moment to learn how to become a better role model and partner. If you are engaged, this episode is also for you. Listen and learn how to make a marriage full of joy!
Psychotics and Manics come in many flavors. Anyone who has lived a small span of years has likely lived with one or had to deal with one for an extensive amount of time. There are genetic, biological, environmental and psychological reasons for such beings to exist. Sadly, drugs can only calm them down a bit. This show is about how to deal with the drama they dish out on a continuous basis. Tired of living in a circus. Listen in and find some peace in your life!!!
Setting boundaries is the one thing all of us must do to establish our presence in this life. Without boundaries, we are nothing. No character, no respect and no life. Yet...the biggest issue most people have is the inability to set healthy boundaries and keep them. This episode is about putting a stake in the ground for your life. Creating peace by establishing a simple and safe process to handle conflict. We will discuss setting boundaries in relationships and with kids, in-laws, parents, bosses, family, work and so much more! Tune in and find out how to grab your life back!!
JournalLife.com is an online organization designed to help you reclaim your life and get those New Year's Resolutions back on track. Scott Hay, Life Coach will join me in a dynamic look into the science of changing your life. Scott is an expert in motivating and creating actual life changes. This will be a fantastic opportunity to learn from the very best at how to become the best you can be. Raise that self esteem greater than it has even been! Here is your chance! Join us!
This is an exploration into the world of Gay life. Though many of us are not Gay, we interact daily with Gay life in all shapes and manners. I will be examining the differences in relationships, desires and motives. We will view the different choices that Gay people make in maintaining their life with peace and joy. Children and raising a family are also a growing factor in Gay people's lives and we will look at how those families can be stable and healthy for all.
Honesty is something that eludes many people. All people lie. How they lie and to the degree they lie is the measuring stick of their personal integrity. This ep[isode is about personal choices and building you self esteem and person integrity. How to cultivate trust in all relationships. How to make your life's memories effect many people and your legacy far beyond you. Listen in and learn!!
Divorce is in the majority with over 56% of the humans in the free world. Children are the true victims of their parent's choices. Many of their parents have never been married. Family courts are flooded with cases as angry bitter parents are left to divide up their children's time with the most evil person in the world (the one they chose to breed with). This show is about knocking down those walls and getting to constructive attorney free communication and compromise with your children's other parent. We will get to the heart of it. In the end, I will do my best to give you the tools to work with even the most selfish idiot asshole co-parent in the world. Tune in and learn!!
Clinical depression is pervasive in over 18% of our world population. It is genetic, environmental and a thought disorder that is the most easy to manage among all mental health issues today. Depression can take you from feeling whole and complete to empty and psychotic in a very short time. The signs and symptoms are there for all to see except often the one who actually suffers from it. Why spend another day in sadness leading to madness? Lets take Depression head on make this the best holiday season ever!!! Tune and and learn!!
So many people who need therapy choose the path of self-help. Arm chair psychologists live among us and within us. I have decided to do a show just for you. Teach you a little about theory to make you even more dangerous than you are. From Freud to Jung, Rogers, and even good old Beck and Ellis. All these wonderful theorists shaped the minds of all of us who practice professionally in this field. I will take you on a quick tour and give you a level of understanding that can take many semesters to acquire. Take a listen. You might learn something and become a better person for it!
Autism is a disorder that has mystified the medical and mental health community alike. There is no real understanding of how it manifests, but this consuming disorder becomes the person. The lives of families who exist with this disorder are also consumed and forced to adapt to over-stimulation, temper tantrums, schedules, arguing and continuous exacting rituals that must be followed. Forget empathy and compassion from an autistic person. Though they look normal, they are incapable of so many things we expect from normal. Listen in as I try to help us all understand and identify autistic along with helping the people who support them!
Growing up in Hollywood is not a life for a child that we all imagine. Nels Van Patten (son of Dick Van Patten) will take us through the romantic images and into the real murky world of growing up on center stage with the entire world as your audience. True to his father's talent, Nels will give us incredible insight to how the real side of Hollywood has effected his life and many of the Hollywood elite's children he grew up with. While his father prospered in the Golden Age of television, Nels continues to experience the evolution of Hollywood first hand. Hollywood has influenced all of our lives in more ways that we can imagine.
As we grow older and take on more responsibilities, our personal needs begin to quickly slide away. They are replaced by children, money, jobs, family, needy spouses, home, friends and the hope for a moment of peace. This show is about reclaiming and discovering our soul's purpose in life. Where is our passion? Who are we? What is our meaning? We will analyse and solve how we get lost in our life without really living. Steadily we put ourselves last until we nothing more to give. GET READY TO DISCOVER THE HIDDEN YOU!!!
Get ready to have your mind blown! Laughter, like music, is a universal language. There is no better relief of stress and restoring a a healthy mind than the use of laughter. Yakov Smirnoff will join me in this unbelievable episode on how to create it. Not only is he a world renown comedian and actor, but has a masters in psychology. Yakov has made a life study of the creation of laughter compared to a joke. To come home to a happy home makes a happy family full of possibilities. This show is about how to resurrect the dead and bring laughter back into your life. Tune in to our last show of the season!
Low self esteem is suffered by the vast majority of the human population. Whether it be around body image, race, gender, culture, education or a million other topics, low self esteem diminishes the quality of life for anyone who suffers from it. The challenge is to put our warped perspectives in focus and clear our view of the world around us. Low self esteem is attributed to so many issues around trust, chaotic relationships and passive aggressive behavior. Without understanding what is healthy self esteem, people go through life spreading misery and self destruction of personal integrity. Tune in as I take on this overwhelming issue!
This episode is designed to identify, reveal and help cope with the various psychotic people we have to interact with on a daily basis. They walk among us, exist in our families and function as normal people while inside is a hidden explosion that could happen with any trigger. Their outlets vary, but their goals are the same. To exist in a psychotic's world is absolutely Hell on Earth. It starts in childhood and we will begin there. Listen in and learn about this fascinating dark inner world.
This episode will explore how our daily lives have interacted with Paranormal Activity, Ghosts, Hauntings and even Poltergeists from the beginning of mankind's recorded history. Professor Loyd Auerbach is a world renown expert on Paranormal Psychology. He will bring us enormous insight into how, why and where Paranormal activity manifests itself. We will explore how we can make peace and co-exist with a world beyond our own time. This riveting interview will bring insight and understanding to our human psyche and Paranormal encounters.
In life, we all must endure a gauntlet of trust and betrayal violations. These violations can turn a normal healthy relationship into a psychotic chapter of conflict, depression and horrible insecurities. Every argument in any relationship revolves around a trust issue. Sorting through the inevitable journey through trust and betrayal while moving into forgiveness and peace is what this episode is about. Listen in and learn how move through emotional roller coaster and survive!
The need for obsessive compulsive behavior has given civilization a great advantage in the areas of science, math, house cleaning, health and even factory work. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder refers to when the compulse to obsess takes over your life and turns it into one long ritual. We stop living and only cope with life. Defend our rituals and box out opportunities for relationships to take place in our lives by not making time. We become engrossed in the need to avoid life and pain. This show is about taking this disorder by the roots and creating a window to join the living! Listen in to this highly dynamic show! As stress rises, the Obsessive Compulsive becomes further lost in their own little world.
The world is full of bullies and butt-holes. The real issue is how to deal with them when you can't avoid them. So many of our children are subjected to bullies causing some to alienate themselves, become severely depressed, self-injure and even decide to injure others. Many adults are subjected to the same issues at work, at home and as they go about their lives. The episode takes on the butt-holes of the world straight on and works through how to change our thinking and take the power away from these sad little people. Listen in and learn!
As we grow older and take on more responsibilities, our personal needs begin to quickly slide away. They are replaced by children, money, jobs, family, needy spouses, home, friends and the hope for a moment of peace. This show is about reclaiming and discovering our soul's purpose in life. Where is our passion? Who are we? What is our meaning? We will analyse and solve how we get lost in our life without really living. Steadily we put ourselves last until we nothing more to give. GET READY TO DISCOVER THE HIDDEN YOU!!!
Dealing with the role reversal of being the decision maker for your parents and elderly can be a life changer for all involved. The fact that the elderly do not often want their free will imposed on is even more challenging. There are so many options in this circumstance. The communication that must be done carefully and with very important boundaries and contracts. For those who are faced with these life choices, the episode will empower you and clear the way through this jungle of issues. Tune in and learn!
Over 3.3 million Adult children remain or have returned to their parent's home. This complex situation can create enormous stressors for both the parent(s) and their children. Relationships shift, people are taken for granted and often the ugliness of watching an adult child not move on with their life is a gigantic disappointment. Some parents want to try to fix what they can't. Some parents nag their adult children to the point they no longer can stand each other. Others just sit back and let their adult children suck their finances, life and yearning to live straight out of their bodies. These scrubs are an ever increasing problem. We will work through solutions and options in this program. Tune in!
Affairs can be physical, emotional, deep, unending and almost always secretive. They are the most hurtful and destructive thing anyone can do to committed monogamous relationship. It is the ultimate betrayal of trust. Yet the vast majority of people in a committed relationship are not monogamous throughout the course. Relationships can be the loneliest places in the world when they are not working. Many will avoid the conflict of ending it and sneak around to fill latent desires that are not being met or they can not get enough of. We are all complex beings continuously faced with choices. Even the most upstanding value driven human being is still vulnerable to an affair under the right conditions. Being wanted is always sexy. This show will reveal that dark work and work to give you the tools and the hope to keep your relationship vital or survive through the tsunami of an affair.
Forgiveness is such a beautiful word, but so few in this world are truly capable of giving it. Many live their lives harboring a mountain full of bitterness and trust issues. Every relationship, mood, event and life experience is grossly hindered by the burden of anger and the incapacity to fully forgive others. As humans, we all fail, do stupid things, violate each other and completely betray those we claim we love. However, the ability to forgive is the opportunity to heal through it and grow our love. It opens our life up to living rather than coping. Forgiveness comes from a personal strength that only the most evolved souls can give. It is not wisdom, it is the acceptance that we are all journeying through life without a script to follow. Join me and discover what you may have never given yourself. The ability to forgive.
Obesity is at epidemic levels in most evolved countries around the world. People are eating their way into death, loss of self and quality of life. Fat consumes and replaces everything including sex, libido, self image, hope, health and happiness. No all people have these issues, but I can guarantee someone in your life does. I am on a journey to fix my fat ass, so join me. This show is about reclaiming our lives and doing what it takes to make the most of every minute we are on this planet. We need our passions to have a chance to thrive and not cope with life. With fat, it is always a fact to be considered with everything we do in life. It is like living life tied to an unwanted partner. Set yourself FREE and listen in!!
Growing Apart happens to nearly every relationship. However, growing back together does not. The real victims are the children, if the relationship has them. This episode is about the loss over love, intimacy, trust, feelings, desire and the emptiness that follows. It is about how to stop coping and start thriving in the stale, beaten down tired relationship you have. The commitment and energy it takes to do this can be overwhelming without a honeymoon phase. I will explore how to turn this situation around and make a relationship of a lifetime. Let's get back up and make it happen! Tune in!
We will dive deep into the world of couples who marry partners of different races, cultures and values. This show is explosive! We all are interracial in our make up from over 150,000 years of recorded human history. However, our insecure nature drive us into places where we can identify and hide behind hidden boundaries differentiating our value from others as a group. Couples who rise to the challenge of being with someone of a different race, culture or creed can find their lives turned upside down. All friends, family their own race or social culture and even their partners friends and family redefine their place in life completely. Interracial Relationships are unique in their challenges and require skills beyond the average relationship to remain stable. Listen in and learn about these pioneers of the world to come!
Divorce is detrimental to every person involved. However, as parents choose to move on children carry the scars of divorce the rest of their lives. The way parents conduct themselves has everything to do with how a child survives. Children are the true victims. Parents move on, often put children between them, choose new partners and drag their children through an entire childhood of change, adaptation and a sorting of the parents new priorities. Over 32% of all children going through divorce are subjected to moving to poverty from a stable life. They have no control of the situation and choices their parents make. This episode is about children of all ages experience in divorce and how to make that experience better for them. Tune in and learn about how we can heal the scars and move on.
The universe is made up of energy. We humans emit all kinds of energy as way to communicate subconsciously with each other. I am fortunate to be joined by internationally acclaimed authors and psychic psychologists John Freidlander (psychic) and Gloria Hemsher (clairvoyant). We will discuss how psychic healing factors can be found within all people and how the psychic world can help people find a way through their issues. Becoming self-aware of how we interact and see ourselves can start a life changing process opening our mind to free our personal psyche. Do not miss this episode. It is powerful insight and could be life changing for you!
Molestation is the single most common form of child abuse there is. It happens each day, in each moment of our lives, all over the world. The continuous damage molestation causes will alter one's personality, soul and direction of nearly every child it comes in contact with. I will profile molesters, give ideas how to identify and teach you what signs show up in children after. We will discuss communication with your children and how to prevent this horrible tragedy from infesting your family's life. We will discuss the symptoms in adult life and how adults who were molested how to improve their lives and leave this horrible memory behind. Tune in!
Whether you are a parent, step parent, grandparent, uncle or aunt, you will at some point have to deal with a nasty teenager. By nature, all teenagers are nasty. The period of life they are in is nasty and it effects everything and everyone they come in contact with. This show will explore the teen brain, motives, communication, sexuality, process and life's purpose. To cope with that, I will provide the parenting techniques that work and may help you all rejoin the human race once they reach adulthood. This will be an exciting show filled with fun and tools. Take notes!
The Mind-Body connection is what keeps us in balance. When we are going through health issues with our body, the attitude and perception of the health issue has everything to do with how well we heal. Stress is our biggest enemy. It can tear down our immune system (white blood cell count) and make us vulnerable to every kind of illness. When our body is not taken care of, our mind becomes insecure and takes on enormous guilt and shame. To no longer fit into what we once wore, is a wake-up call that we are unfit from the inside out. We will reveal how this balance works and how to restore balance to our lives. We will get right to the point and have some fun doing it.
Anger is just an emotion. Emotional Intelligence is required to manage it. Some people have ZERO to a toddlers Emotional Intelligence. It must be managed before it grows into rage. Rage is the reason we need Anger Management. It is the most destructive and psychotic emotion we have. Rage is where a human being is no longer human, just an uncaged animal lashing out of fear and the deepest insecurity. In raged, we are a brain stem with a body. Nothing more. Sadly, many people spend their life in this state and pass it on to their children, entrap their spouses and sdcar their family beyond their life. For some, it will be the only thing people remember about them. I will take on Anger Management with all I have to give you the tools you need to deal with an anger ass or manage your angry ass. Get ready for 52 weeks of Anger Management in one show! Lets have some fun!
If you think getting caught masturbating as a kid is embarrassing, try witnessing someone trapped in their Mid-Life Crisis. Suddenly, without anyone seeing it coming, people burst out of their traditional lives and turn into beasts of passion ripping the fabric of their lives into shreds. It happens like clockwork all corners of the world every day of our lives. We will explore this predictable phenomenon and open up the triggers, intentions and desires that drive people into this madness. We will put forth remedies and coping skills to help control the impulse and get the desired result without destroying the integrity of your life. This funny episode is explosive. Listen in!
Abusive relationships have been a worldwide epidemic since the dawn of man. In the day and age we are in, people have created all new ingenious ways to be shittier than before. Women and men are nearly equal on the abusive scale. Unfortunately, we as people are often too stupid to recognize it (look at the state of our education system and lack of role models). When idiots get angry (especially under the influence), baaaad things can happen. We will examine how to indentify an abuser and an abusive relationship (all sexual identities) and why people stay. Underneath the abuser is a set of patterns in childhood. We will examine this and drive home the solutions of how to make it stop or save your life. Tune in. We will try to have a little fun while diving into this horrific world.
This episode is an absolutely crazy and candid journey into the ludicrous world of dating. We will span the ages looking at how people meet, first dates, middle age dating, internet dating, dating websites, social media and the deep dark world of deception. I will pull no punches and call out how the super creeps operate. Give you quick ways to access if you are dating a dog turd. Dating can be a very scary and difficult process for anyone. There are ways to do it and enjoy it safely. There are also ways to go from a values based person by day to a sex crazed player by night. Join me and find yourself lost in the world of absurd psychology. If you listen live, call me with your questions.
Over 63% of our US population admit to having or had secret lives. Those secret lives run anywhere from fulfilling kinky sex cravings, having affairs, wearing dirty women's panties under suits at work, drugs and alcohol and more than your current imagination can envision. I remember as a child passing a farmers barn and hearing very stressed out sheep behind the door. However, I can absolutely assure you that while this show is playing in some corner the world someone will be actually doing what we are talking about. Secret lives can destroy marriages, drive a person to a mid-life crisis and destroy the integrity a person has earned once revealed. This show is about understanding and confronting a secret life. Integration of the secret life and setting a person free of it's hold on them. The absurd choices of our warped human potential will be explored. Lets have some fun laughing at ourselves.
Children with mental issues will push any parent to absolute hysteria. Raising a normal child is hard enough. I will cover as broad a spectrum of childhood disorders and give you insight, indicators and tools to help all parents. Understanding how these children operate and their intentions is key. You can spend your life on the internet trying to figure it out or we can get down finding the answers right here. No one raising a child challenged with a mental disorder can do it thinking a child is good or evil. We are not trained to parent them. Lets get down to it. Get ready to open your mind and make a difference in your child's life.
Suicide, Death and Grieving are issues nearly every individual will come in contact in their life. I am taking a sharp and direct approach to challenging the thinking behind these issues and how to work through them. The weight of these issues can either take over your life or you can move through them. The choice is yours. The legacy of people's lives are so much more important than how they die. Do you want to ONLY be remembered for how you die? Is that why you wake up and do what you do for others? Step up and listen. You might find a new motivator for your existence. This is my last show of the 13 episode pilot!
Wellness has everything to do with how we conduct our lives, are mindful of our health and manage stress. Dr. Nancy Bohl-Penrod is my special guest discussing incredible techniques and insight into how we can heal and improve. We will take a deep dive into stress, nutrition, spirituality, relationships, exercise and medication. Wellness impacts our coping and ability to work. Instead of living as a stressed out and irritable person, listen and learn. This episode takes on mental and physical health in a straight forward and impactful way.
Walking among us are millions of functional people with jobs, families and relatively normal lives, but leave a shadow of destruction and chaos everywhere they go. Personality Disorders are people who are driven by odd and eccentric behavior; dramatic and erratic behavior; and/or anxious and fearful behavior. Their lives consume and destroy the peace in everyone they encounter. When you first meet them, the impression is usually...I don't like this person and don't know why. Their soul's journey unfortunately was usually stopped by a childhood environment of neglect, abuse or completely unsafe. How they cope is how they live their lives from that period forward. They know no other way. We will explore this deep and destructive world. With compassion, I will provide insight and tools to help people stop walking on eggshells around a Personality Disorder. Grab your note pad and let's learn something.
Critical Incident Stress is trauma that is so overpowering it is beyond our ability to cope. We have nothing that has prepared us to face its aftermath. Critical incidents can be come from conflict, abuse, war, natural disasters, man made disasters, death, witnessing trauma, near death, threats, extreme fear and the list goes on. The aftermath is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder if not treated immediately. Dr. Nancy Bohl-Penrod and I will explore the complex world of treating during, after and beyond the Critical Incidents. Dr. Nancy Bohl-Penrod and I have worked together for more than ten years on hundreds of incidents. She is a pioneer in the field of trauma and one of the highest sought after experts on Critical Incident Impact in the world. This is a show for the ages. Make sure to tune in and learn how to change a PTSD life back to reclaiming our lives.
With the Divorce rate rising well above 64%, the prospect of having to go through a world of trauma is likely. Also, the prospect of having to deal with a new partner's untrained thankless hoodlums is likely in the cards. Many people attend counseling over the conflict of step-parenting and having to deal with being married repeatedly. Of course, the kids are the real victims. No one can save them from change or being caught in the middle. Though complex, I come from a life of experience and understanding. Old relationship patterns can be changed and learning to step parent is possible. Listen and learn while I give you real tools to work through these gut wrenching ordeals.
Children with mental issues will push any parent to absolute hysteria. Raising a normal child is hard enough. I will cover as broad a spectrum of childhood disorders and give you insight, indicators and tools to help all parents. Understanding how these children operate and their intentions is key. You can spend your life on the internet trying to figure it out or we can get down finding the answers right here. No one raising a child challenged with a mental disorder can do it thinking a child is good or evil. We are not trained to parent them. Lets get down to it. Get ready to open your mind and make a difference in your child's life.
Committed relationships and SEX can be the only thing people enjoy together, is the same every time OR completely non-existent. Lets face it, as we get older we don't get any prettier. The honeymoon phase dies and what is left is stress, lonely people, flabby adult bodies, bad breath, too sweaty, financial and work issues, kids, health issues, power struggles and no sex drive what-so-ever. Lets not forget NO TIME or TOO TIRED for Sex. This show is about how to turn it all around. Cut the crap and lets improve the sex life. All the elements going into a healthy sex life will be explored. What women want and what men want. How to break the ice and get out of destructive habits. How to rejuvinate your feelings and communicate about sex. How sex can be a ongoing non-verbal dialog where you feel open and free. Lets get that blood moving, muscles pumping and find the animal within you. Clean up those dusty whips and chains, grab a pen and get ready for straight talk about SEX.
The days of retirement, benefits and a job you will work your whole life are gone. Employer loyalty is a thing of the past. No employer wants to pay retirement and benefits until someone dies. Our economy is global and moving at the speed of light. Dr. Wayne McAfee will take on the hard questions of how a business and employee can survive and thrive. From the Executive on down through all employees of a business, Dr. McAfee and I will explore the dynamics and motivations of any employer. We spend more hours at work than with our own families. To have passion for what one does to survive is critical. Sit back, take notes and get ready for some new tools to arm you for your future.
We are not taught how to be parents. If you want to stop the legacy of disaster that has been passed on and give your child a chance to thrive, then take a listen. Beware, you may decide to change your parenting and have a relationship with your child when you are destitute and decrepit. I will come from many angles. Including, child development, parenting styles, discipline, values, structure and communication. Get a babysitter or late night glass of wine, sit back and take notes. We are going to step through your children's needs by growth stages and parent in the day and age we live.
A lively and adventurous discussion with Pastor Chuck Booher of Crossroads Christian Church and author of Great and Mighty Things about the parallels psychology and faith share in helping people become whole. Crossroads is one of the fastest growing churches in the world. It is considered a mega-church. No one area of life has all of the answers. Our life is a journey. Some comes from faith in ourselves, faith in God, and faith in each other. To have peace, one must fight to maintain it. It calls for saying No to the things in life that hurt us. Pastor Chuck and I have a shared goal to give you new tools and new ideas from both Religion and Psychology that can give your life more purpose, passion and peace. Grab your note pad, sit back and get ready to have some revelations.
In this episode we will explore the depths of depression. The heights of (Bi-Polar) mania and the complete and utter psychosis of anxiety. Depression and anxiety are some of the most successfully treatable mental issues. All people experience and anxiety in this world. The problem is how intrusive is it and how long has it been there. I will give you a truly human perspective on depression, bi-polar and anxiety from the screwed up thinking to the chemical imbalance in the brain. Take your Prozac, get a note pad and lets learn how to manage these issues.
From the mania of the honeymoon phase to the depths of loneliness and despair, I will teach you how to be married in today's world. I will provide concrete common-sense tools that will lift the cloud over your lives and move you into the next phase of peace. I will teach how men and women think and what their needs are (not wants). Take notes, listen and learn. Fixing a marriage takes people who are committed to change and will take action.
I don't have time for the Waiting for you to change and the I'll Try people. Also, we don't need those who go to therapy to say I Did Everything before they divorce. I invite them to read a self-help book about the Life of a Turd. If you never did marriage right, then you now have a chance. Get over yourself and join if you wish. What the heck, it is not actual therapy.
I will discuss all the elements that make marriage work from communication, trust, love, sex, finances, love languages, patterns, listening and respect.
This is the first episode of thirteen. In this episode I will define my goal of changing the course of psychology to match the insane lives we live. I will speak to and demonstrate many of the concepts, philosophies and psycho-education that I use to work with the average person, couple or family on life issues that are real and meaningful. I practice what I teach. I will give you what my clients seek. Though this show is not therapy, I am direct, attempt to be witty and give you something you can apply to your life today. Have An Insignificant Life: It's Important will touch on ideas we go deep into throughout each episode. I will attempt to kick yo' ass, motivate change, provide powerful knowledge and give you insight as to how your brain actually operates. I am not a Neurologist. I am a Counseling Psychologist and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist practicing in the beautiful mecca of Corona, California.