The host of the Terrible Thanks For Asking podcast and author of It's Okay To Laugh (Crying is Cool Too) sits down with Paul before a live audience to talk about how she processed (and still is) the grief of losing family members and dealing with her depression and anxiety. A funny and touching conversation. For more on Nora go to www.NoraBorealis.com Follow her on twitter @NoraBorealis Follow her on Instagram @NoraBorealis Follow her on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/NoraBorealis Check out her po...
Apr 20, 2018•2 hr 30 min
The actor/comedian (Comedy Central Presents: Cy Amundson) opens up in front of a live audience about his OCD, anxiety and how the loss of his teenage sister affected him and his family. For more on Cy visit www.cycomedy.com www.twitter.com/cyamundson Cy's Facebook Page Cy's Comedy Albums This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. To get your first week of online counseling free go to www.BetterHelp.com/mental Must be 18 To become a monthly donor for as little as $1/month (and qualify for bonus con...
Apr 13, 2018•1 hr 15 min
The Harvard Medical School research psychologist's recent TED Talk "The Gift and Power of Emotional Courage" went viral a month or so ago and here she sits down with Paul to talk about the human habit of judging ourselves for our feelings, how it affects us, the science behind it and how we can move away from toxic self-judgement. She also shares some of her personal life; being born and raised in South Africa during Apartheid and losing a parent when she was a child. For more about her check ou...
Apr 06, 2018•1 hr 48 min
Daisy (with Cory for support) shares about her emotionally absent parents, Taiwanese culture, her anxiety, need to control, fear of making mistakes, struggling to find a sense of self and the imprint left on her by pleasing her emotionally withdrawn/critical mother at any cost. They share about the specifics of their polyamorous relationship and agreements/boundaries vs open ones and monogamous ones. Daisy talks about the struggle of being a jealous person in a poly partnership and her need for ...
Mar 30, 2018•2 hr 32 min
The hilarious, self-depreciating podcaster (Jordan Harbinger Show) and ex-lawyer opens up about a recent professional crisis that left him with extraordinary anxiety, insomnia and panic attacks. He talks about often feeling like a fraud, (also known as imposter syndrome), workaholism and difficulty in finding who he is outside of his work. For more on Jordan: Website: www.jordanharbinger.com Twitter www.twitter.com/jordanharbinger Instagram www.instagram.com/jordanharbinger Facebook www.facebook...
Mar 23, 2018•2 hr 15 min
The writer (Lady Parts, The Onion) and dog walker shares about the lifelong battle she has had with her brain and emotions including: Intrusive thoughts, OCD, treatment-resistant depression, procrastination, self-judgment, and anger. She shares how REBT was a game changer for helping her cope. Follow Jessie on Twitter at www.twitter.com/NicCageMatch This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. To get your first week of online counseling free go to www.BetterHelp.com/mental Must be 18 To become a mon...
Mar 16, 2018•1 hr 59 min
Paul's support group friend, recovering heroin addict and author shares about his upbringing on the Isle of Mann (UK) and the shame and anxiety he felt about secrets in his family and within himself. He opens up about his psychosis that convinced him that not only was he the devil he was also James Bond. He touches on his battles with depression, anxiety, panic attacks, codependency, religious delusions and grappling with the idea of what it means to be a man. For more on Michael Website: michae...
Mar 09, 2018•1 hr 49 min
Originally recorded while speaking under the pseudonym "Daisy" to protect her from her abusive ex-fiancee, CC, a successful model, DJ and actress describes the abusive relationship she struggled to leave with a wealthy, powerful and manipulative drug addict/alcoholic who had turned increasingly violent and controlling. She talks about the emotionally difficult Mormon household she ran from at 17 to find herself sleeping in her car on the streets of LA, surviving a rape and using music to express...
Mar 02, 2018•1 hr 33 min
Renowned author & TedTalk speaker Dr. Guy Winch talks about different kinds of heartbreak, especially the ones some people minimize (loss of pets or non-married breakups). He gets into the science of how our brains react to loss, how we experience this emotionally and some tips for coping or supporting someone. More About Guy His new TED Talk about heartbreak: https://www.ted.com/talks/guy_winch_how_to_fix_a_broken_heart How to Fix a Broken Heart book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/How-Fi...
Feb 23, 2018•1 hr 56 min
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. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp.com To experience a free week of online counseling go to www.BetterHelp.com/mental Must be 18. T...
Feb 16, 2018•1 hr 33 min
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 a...
Feb 09, 2018•1 hr 51 min
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, h...
Feb 02, 2018•1 hr 27 min
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. For more on Jay, including his new special "Me Being Me" go to www.J...
Jan 26, 2018•2 hr 26 min
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 hi...
Jan 19, 2018•1 hr 48 min
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 ...
Jan 12, 2018•2 hr 10 min
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...
Jan 05, 2018•2 hr 6 min
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 socie...
Dec 29, 2017•2 hr 10 min
Marc and Sonja Raciti both served in the military; he as a medic, she as a psychologist. They talk about PTSD myths and the PTSD he struggles with from fearing for his life to seeing unspeakable carnage to having survivor's guilt. She weighs in as his supportive partner, a therapist, and an ex-officer who witnessed and experienced both overt and subtle sexism while she served. They also address how Marc has been able to heal thru exposure therapy and EMDR. Buy Marc and Sonja's book about his bat...
Dec 15, 2017•2 hr 43 min
In a live show recorded in Oakland, the 26 year-old writer (Shitfaced) discusses the loving but strained atmosphere growing up and his teenage years attempting suicide, drinking his way to rehabs and an eating disorder. He shares about making peace with being gay, therapy and the importance of writing and using other emotional tools today to keep him sane. Buy ‘Shitfaced’ on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Shitfaced-Musings-Former-Seamus-Kirst/dp/069282281X Follow Seamus on Twitter and Instagram ...
Dec 08, 2017•2 hr 4 min
The award-winning playwright, t.v. writer (Jack Ryan)and author (Devil in Ohio) opens up about feeling abandoned by her father and the effect it has had on how she views herself, her place in it and the conscious decision she has made to become the hero of her own story by dealing with her fears of not being enough or taking chances. She shares about the catharsis of putting dark parts of herself in some of her characters and she and Paul talk about the awful feelings of jealousy or envy towards...
Dec 01, 2017•2 hr
The standup/podcaster (Here We Are podcast) shares about taking unconventional approaches to his battles with depression and hopelessness. He opens up about his kind but very religious and uncommunicative parents and the hometown where things weren't questioned and getting help was considered weak or weird. For more about Shane and his A Good Trip tour go to www.ShaneMauss.com Follow Shane on Twitter at @ShaneComedy Listen to his podcast at www.HereWeArepodcast.com or on Apple Podcasts here This...
Nov 24, 2017•2 hr 15 min
Growing up Kelly McCarron's home life wasn't chaotic or abusive but she still struggles mentally and emotionally. After filling out the show's Shame and Secrets survey she reads it aloud, touching on the issues of self-esteem, the aftermath of being sexually assaulted by a co-worker at 18, binge eating, social anxiety, BiPolar, loneliness, being bullied in middle school and giving up on a painful relationship with a sibling. Follow Kelly on YouTube Check out her standup on Open Comedy Follow her...
Nov 17, 2017•2 hr 9 min
30 year-old Mary M. left America for Europe to escape not only an American culture that was wearing on her but a family where she was tired of being the scapegoat to her golden-child brother. An all-too-common scenario where her parents can only seem to support her financially but not emotionally. She discusses the prejudice she experiences as a queer woman of color, what she has learned by having a fiancee who is a trans man and the subtle politics of skin color within the black community. Othe...
Nov 10, 2017•2 hr 21 min
Panic attacks, agoraphobia, anxiety and depression had brought Sam to a very dark place a few years ago and he decided he needed help. Bit by bit he began to see how his childhood and negative self-beliefs had to be re-examined. A new clarity on the dysfunction in his family (a disinterested workaholic dad and a controlling, angry mother) gave him the hope to began protecting himself from the pain of having them in his life. A great episode on self-care, cutting contact with parents, re-parentin...
Nov 02, 2017•1 hr 44 min
The 32 year-old poet, mental health advocate and daughter of a Nigerian immigrant father and Brooklyn mother opens up to Paul about her emotional and mental turnaround after years of feeling suicidal and several times attempting it. She details the ways her depression, disconnection and fear of taking off her "mask" as the perfect, popular girl played in leading her to believe it was a good idea. She and Paul discuss possible ways loved ones can reach out to someone who is talking about suicide ...
Oct 27, 2017•2 hr 22 min
Paul's longtime friend, standup (Letterman) and actor (Everybody Loves Raymond) shares about his struggles with OCD, ADD and feeling the need to control people's opinions about his behavior even after lashing out at someone. He talks about his childhood and the negative self-beliefs and self-hatred that he's now understanding have been driving his behaviors and fears. For more on Andy go to www.AndyKindler.comwww.Facebook.com/AndyKindler or www.Twitter.com/AndyKindler This ep is sponsored by Bet...
Oct 20, 2017•1 hr 36 min
The mortician, TED Talk speaker and author of Smoke Gets In Your Eyes, talks about her childhood OCD and fascination with death as a result of witnessing a tragedy, how she'd like to see the American funeral industry change and how death is viewed/embraced around the world via a read excerpt from her new book From Here To Eternity: Traveling the World To Find The Good Death. Follow Caitlin on Instagram @TheGoodDeath Follow Caitlin on Twitter @TheGoodDeath Check out her website www.CaitlinDoughty...
Oct 13, 2017•2 hr 13 min
The comedian, co-author of He's Just Not That Into You and longtime friend of Paul drops by to lighten his day up. They laugh at their fears, loves and thoughts about mortality and getting older. Check out Greg's PODCAN podcast network Here is the episode with Paul that he talked about Follow him on Twitter @GregoryBehrendt Check out his website http://www.gregorybehrendt.com/ Visit his Facebook Page This ep is sponsored by BetterHelp online therapy. To try a week of counseling for free go to ww...
Oct 05, 2017•1 hr 31 min
Specializing in treating clients whose self-judgement of their thoughts results in obsession and compulsions, Kimberley sits down with Paul and talks about the different forms OCD can take and how to treat it or support someone you love without enabling their compulsions. She and Paul also play a game she plays with clients called "One Up" where they try to outdo each other in sharing "disgusting" things that pop into their brains to show we all have thoughts pop into our heads that make us unco...
Sep 29, 2017•2 hr 7 min
Paul's support group friend Meredith opens up about being raised by parents who lacked a sense of privacy or sexual boundaries; being sexualized by her father, mother (who has a long history of "accidentally" showing her vagina) and step-mother in covert but damaging ways, being comfortable giving help but not taking it or asking for it; being a perfectionist, self-harm, being attracted to emotionally unavailable men ( #loveaddiction ) and being on both ends of manipulative/coercive sexual exper...
Sep 22, 2017•3 hr 8 min
