In this segment, Janet reflects on her lifelong struggle with intimacy and the emotional walls built from trauma, exploring the complex relationship between Female Sexual Interest/Arousal Disorder (FSIAD) and sexual anorexia—two conditions often conflated but profoundly distinct. Perfectionism as Protection: Janet shares how perfectionism, an unhealthy coping mechanism, became her shield from past trauma, providing control while distancing her from deeper emotional wounds. Terror of Intimacy: Ja...
Jul 08, 2025•7 min
Kyle sits awake at 2 AM, the glow of his laptop revealing a single word in the search bar: “avoidance.” He scrolls past harsh phrases like fear of intimacy and sexual withdrawal that feel like accusations. Then one term stops him— “sexual anorexia.” For the first time, he wonders: What if I’m not broken, but scared? And what if scared has a name? This episode of Mental Health Rewritten explores the little-discussed realm of sexual anorexia , a term for fear-driven intimacy avoidance often rooted...
Jul 02, 2025•52 min•Season 1Ep. 4
In this special reflection episode of Mental Health Rewritten , host Dominic Lawson celebrates 40 days of the podcast's journey with over 1,000 subscribers and nearly 13,000 downloads. Dominic shares heartfelt gratitude for listeners' impactful messages, highlighting how powerful storytelling can transform conversations about mental health. Listeners discover the deliberate use of the gentle chime within episodes—a signal indicating insights grounded in respected clinical texts, DSM-5 and ICD-11...
Jun 27, 2025•8 min
In this segment from episode 103, Rewriting The Conversation Around Sexual Assault , psychotherapist Havi Kang explores how societal perceptions around trauma, sexual assault, and mental health are evolving, highlighting the influence of movements like #MeToo and increased online dialogue. Dr. Justin Dodson joins the conversation to discuss the significant impacts when education about sexual health and trauma is suppressed, illustrating consequences from personal and professional perspectives....
Jun 26, 2025•9 min
In this segment, host Dominic Lawson pauses the narrative to ground the discussion in clinical reality. With the term "trauma" now widely used in cultural and digital discourse, this segment brings clarity to its true clinical definitions, as outlined in the DSM-5 and ICD-11. The conversation reframes trauma not just as catastrophic events but also as chronic, cumulative experiences—what clinicians call "small t trauma. Why It Matters: This segment reinforces our mission to rewrite mental health...
Jun 23, 2025•4 min
In this segment of Episode 103, "Rewriting the Conversation Around Sexual Assault," Mental Health Rewritten explores the often-overlooked experiences of men who have survived sexual violence. With poignant insight from Havi Kang and Dan Woerheide , the episode challenges pervasive myths that silence male survivors and hinder healing.
Jun 20, 2025•6 min
In this segment, hosts Dominic Lawson and Dan Woerheide explore the enduring psychological toll of sexual assault, turning their focus to Complex PTSD (C-PTSD) . Dan reflects on the harrowing process of forensic exams for survivors—a clinical necessity that often reactivates trauma. Despite the compassion of SANE (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner) professionals, the experience underscores how systemic procedures can inadvertently retraumatize those they've been designed to help. Dominic introduces ...
Jun 19, 2025•5 min
In this powerful and necessary episode of Mental Health Rewritten , we open with a deceptively simple question: “Is this sexual assault?” From that moment forward, we begin a journey that challenges long-held beliefs about consent, trauma, and silence, especially when the abuse doesn’t look the way we expect it to. At the heart of this episode is Maria , a fictional composite of real stories. We explore the types of harm that don’t come through force, but through the absence of consent, emotiona...
Jun 17, 2025•1 hr 12 min•Season 1Ep. 3
In this excerpt from Episode 101: Rewriting the Conversation Around Sex Addiction , Havi Kang joins host Dominic Lawson to explore the evolving understanding of compulsive sexual behavior. The episode introduces CSBD (Compulsive Sexual Behavior Disorder) as recognized by the ICD-11, highlighting its absence from the DSM-5 and what that reveals about ongoing clinical hesitation. Havi breaks down the shift from the “classic sex addict” to today’s screen-based, often younger “contemporary sex addic...
Jun 14, 2025•10 min
In this bonus episode of Mental Health Rewritten , host Dominic Lawson takes listeners on a captivating journey through the history of pornography, exploring how desire has been depicted, suppressed, and preserved across centuries. From ancient Egyptian satire to the digital age’s pornographic explosion we uncover the cultural, technological, and political forces that shaped the evolution of explicit imagery. Source List Diver, K. (2005, April 4). Archaeologist finds 'oldest porn statue' . The G...
Jun 11, 2025•5 min
In this introspective and educational Mental Margin segment, we explore how trauma isn't always loud. Sometimes it whispers through our adult decisions, shaped quietly and powerfully by Adverse Childhood Experiences—ACEs. With the expertise of Dr. Justin Dodson, we trace how witnessing violence, enduring emotional wounds, and growing up without safety all carve paths into who we become. 🧠 Key Themes The Foundation Matters: Dr. Dodson reminds us that healing starts with understanding our beginni...
Jun 04, 2025•6 min
**POST CREDIT CONTENT ALERT** Welcome to Episode 2 of Mental Health Rewritten — “Pornography: Rewiring Reality” In this powerful follow-up to our season premiere, we confront one of the most polarizing issues in modern mental health: pornography. Through the dual narratives of Gio and Maddie, we navigate secrecy, shame, and compulsion — we dive into the psychological impact of porn consumption on young minds, relationships, and emotional development. We illustrate how digital intimacy can morph ...
May 30, 2025•1 hr 18 min•Season 1Ep. 2
About Mental Margins Mental Margins is a short-form segment from full Mental Health Rewritten episodes—designed to be a more accessible entry point into the show’s deeply emotional, cinematic approach to mental health. These snippets, usually under 15 minutes, distill powerful moments from the full-length episodes to create quick, impactful, and meaningful listening experiences. So if you're new to the podcast, Mental Margins gives you something valuable to reflect on without the emotional overw...
May 21, 2025•9 min
Welcome to Episode 1 of Mental Health Rewritten ! In our season-opening episode, we confront one of the most misunderstood and stigmatized topics in mental health: sex addiction . Through the story of Daniel — a man whose professional success masks a deep internal struggle — we explore how compulsive sexual behavior impacts relationships, careers, and personal identity. Along the way, we challenge misconceptions about sex addiction, examine its clinical roots, and highlight the hidden pain it ca...
May 14, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 1
🎙️ Mental health conversations often involve a lot of terms, diagnoses, and classifications — but where do they come from, and why do they matter? I'm Dominic Lawson, creator of Mental Health Rewritten . Throughout this show, we'll be referencing two major diagnostic tools that shape our understanding of mental and behavioral health: 🔹 DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition) Published by the American Psychiatric Association, it’s the primary diagnostic guid...
May 07, 2025•3 min
🎙️ Welcome to Mental Health Rewritten — hosted by multi-award-winning podcaster and mental health advocate Dominic Lawson. In a world flooded with conversations about mental health, not all information is helpful — and some can even cause harm. The most important battles often begin in silence, hidden by stigma and shame. But it’s time for that to change. Mental Health Rewritten is a bold, narrative-driven podcast where we confront the difficult, the uncomfortable, and the necessary. Each seaso...
Apr 29, 2025•3 min
