Paul is joined by two support group friends, Jonathan & Mukunda, to talk about their experience 3 weeks earlier when a shooting victim stumbled into their meeting and began bleeding out at their feet. Jonathan and Mukunda, both sober and ex-criminals, talk about how they were able to respond differently today than they would have when they were gangbangers.
The Salon contributor and author of Getting Off: One Woman’s Journey Through Sex and Porn Addiction shares about her sex addiction, which began at age 12 after discovering masturbation as a way of soothing her anxiety and not having to deal with her feelings but over time escalated into riskier and more addictive behavior which she eventually sought help for. She shares about the odd relationship shame and pleasure have for her when acting out and how today she can have sexual experiences that are actually intimate and freeing.
She battled OCD as a child but when she gave birth to twins it gripped her again despite being a trained psychologist who specializes in…yes…OCD. A great episode about the power fear, dark thoughts and shame in fueling OCD but also the power of getting help. She tearfully recalls her obsessive monitoring of her newborns despite being exhausted; being gripped by fear, almost certainty of their imminent deaths if she left their side. Dr Yip shares about her postpartum OCD and OCD in general, how it can be treated, how loved ones can be supported without enabling them and the pressure on young mothers to “be perfect” in the eyes of other young mothers.
The writer (HBO’s Crashing) and stand-up (Me Being Me) opens up about his dad abandoning his family when he was 2 years-old and how that has effected his view of the world, himself and now his children. He talks about his struggles with food, anger, making mistakes, letting people into his life for fear of them disappointing him and he also discusses his need as a child to care for his overburdened mother after his father left.
Couple’s therapist Jen Elmquist sits down with Paul and answers questions about the most common mistakes and hurdles couples face and offers advice on how to value your partner and relationship without devaluing yourself. There are no surveys in this episode as Paul will explain in the opening 20 minutes. Moments before he sat to record he was at his usual Thursday night support group meeting when it was interrupted by a shooting outside their building and the bleeding victim taking refuge in his meeting.
Imagine having a panic attack live on-air while anchoring ABC news. That happened to Dan Harris in 2004. The Nightline anchor, Good Morning America Weekend Co-anchor, war correspondent and author (10% Happier) opens up about his history of anxiety, depression, drug abuse (he’s now sober) and witnessing horrific scenes while reporting in conflict zones. He talks about being skeptical at first about meditating but after researching it like a reporter, interviewing scientists and trying it himself he discovered it actually helps his anxiety. Dan is also the host of the 10% Happier podcast.
The author (My Fair Junkie) details her jaw-dropping and often hilarious descent from a nice (but spoiled) Jewish girl from Beverly Hills to shooting coke into her neck, bottoming out on meth and sex and being assigned to a chain gang after threatening her ex-husband with a knife and ultimately having to rebuild her life. She shares on her struggled with self-harm, BDD, depression, anxiety, sex addiction, suicide attempts, psych ward stays, fear of growing up, the danger of relying on her father’s money, their complicated relationship and the abandonment by her mother.
The young writer/director (2 Kawaii 4 Comfort) shares about the intersection of people on the autism spectrum (especially Asperger’s) and nerd culture especially anime. He opens up about his diagnosis as a child, different therapies his parents tried and what it feels like to be on the spectrum. He talks about a lot of the myths and stereotypes of people on the spectrum and how he has changed from an angry, withdrawn non-verbal child to an adult who is able to function easily in mainstream society (aka neurotypical people).
Born mixed-race to a white, prostitute mother and a black, pimp father, Nicole grew up belonging to one of the most notorious families in the Boston underworld. Having seen and experienced unimaginable things, she found an outlet in music and finally gained a sense of self until drugs and alcohol stepped in. She shares about her new path in healing the PTSD, staying sober and trying to realize her artistic dreams. She also touches on being a lesbian, having a nervous breakdown and a dogged belief in science which cracked open the door for her to reimagine a universe that might hold the love and positivity she has found essential to staying sane. Nicole performs under the name Blu Nyle.