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- Feed Preview Mental Illness Happy Hour
#696 Best Of: Seeking Oblivion - Paul's Friend Karma
A favorite episode among listeners and from the first year of the podcast (2011). How do you cope when you are convinced your life is constantly in danger as a child? First, you band together wit...
#695 Fentanyl - Dave Manheim
Dave Manheim is a producer and podcaster (Dopey) who shares his story of recovery and what it was like to create a podcast dedicated to addiction stories–and then to suddenly lose his co-host a...
#694 Accident & Deformity Trauma - Marcy Langlois
Marcy Langlois was born with a physical deformity, which required 23 surgical procedures before the age of 18, and was involved in a devastating, life-changing accident at the age of 17. She shar...
#693 Chronic Pain - Erin Williams
Erin Williams is an author, illustrator, and healthcare researcher who joins Paul to discuss chronic pain and how her own struggles with it have served her art. Look for her new book What's Wron...
#692 Foster Parenting - Michael Laurie
Michael Laurie is an actor, a small group facilitator, and a parent. He talks with Paul about his road to recovery and shares his unusual story of becoming a foster parent, with all the love and ...
#691 Nature & The Brain - Dr. Jeff Karp
Dr. Jeff Karp is a Harvard Medical School professor and bioengineer. He works in the fields of drug delivery, medical devices, stem cell therapeutics, and tissue adhesives and has been recognized...
#690 Married To An Addict/Alcoholic - Dana Killion
Dana Killion is an author of mystery and memoir whose work is informed by her own life’s turmoil. She opens up about her marriage to a high-functioning alcoholic and how she has worked on her i...
#689 Raised To Present Well - Dr Kate Truitt
Dr. Kate Truitt is a psychologist and neuroscientist who wants to share her own story of how she came to this work. Armed with her knowledge of the mind, she has worked to process her difficult c...
#688 First Responder PTSD - Therapist Donn Bradley
Donn Bradley is a therapist (LMFT) and a former first responder who shares his journey to discovering how much therapy and emotional processing is needed for EMTs, police, and anyone whose work r...
#687 Sex Work/Addiction/Pain - Margo Steines
Margo Steines is a Dominatrix turned welder turned author. She opens up about her experiences as a sex worker, her battles with addiction, and her attraction to pain. She also discusses her memoi...
#686 Depersonalization/Derealization Disorder - Swamy Gopalsamy
Swamy Gopalsamy is a coach who specializes in helping people recover from depersonalization and derealization. As someone who has lived through it himself, he has first hand knowledge of these co...
#685 Bipolar & Stigma - Dr Devika Bhushan
Dr. Devika Bhushan is a pediatrician and the former acting Surgeon General of California. She is also someone who lives with Bipolar Disorder. She opens up about her personal journey to finding a...
#684 Devastation & Hope - Kendra Petty
Kendra Petty is an author who opens up about her life story, which is full of both devastation and hope. She talks about being raised in a cult, the tragic death of her brother, the abuse she suf...
#683 Sexual Anorexia - Dale
Dale joins Paul to discuss her experience with social, emotional, and sexual anorexia. She opens up about how she’s working on intimacy and connection (when being alone can just be so much simp...
#682 Anger - Ron Placone
Ron Placone is a comedian and writer with anger issues. He opens up about how he realized his anger was a problem and how he works to psychologically unpack it when it arises. He also shares tips...
#681 Topaz Adizes - Human Connection
Topaz Adizes (@the_skindeep) is a filmmaker and producer of the interactive documentary, {THE AND}. For years, he has studied the effect that holding cathartic, intimate conversations can have on...
#680 - Social Work On Skid Row & More - Kaylee Powers
Kaylee Powers is a substance abuse counselor who has worked with various populations, including people who live on Skid Row in Los Angeles. She talks about the challenges that some populations fa...
#679 Postpartum Psychosis & Bipolar 1 - Heather Gonzales
Heather Gonzales is a mental health advocate with a specific focus on postpartum psychosis. Heather was diagnosed with Bipolar 1 as a teenager and, after the birth of her first child, she experie...
#678 Grief & Peace - Levi Meaden
Levi Meaden (@Levi_Meaden) is a friend of Paul’s from his support group and he joins Paul to share about his struggles around the death of his younger brother (as well as relationships and sobr...
#677 Dissociative Identity Disorder - Holly Crumpler
Holly Crumpler joins Paul to talk about living with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). Holly shares her journey to being diagnosed with DID, how she and her family manage it, and her frustrati...
#676 Scarcity Brain - Michael Easter
Michael Easter (@Michael_Easter) is a Professor of Journalism at UNLV who joins Paul to discuss the topic of his new book, Scarcity Brain: Fix Your Craving Mindset and Rewire Your Habits to Thriv...
#675 Codependency (Including Her Own) - Dr Sarah Michaud
Dr. Sarah Michaud is an expert in codependency–in large part because she has dealt with it herself. She discusses how she works through her codependent tendencies. She also discusses her new b...
#674 Spiraling - Leah Rudick
Leah Rudick @Leah_Rudick is a stand-up comedian and sketch performer. She opens up to Paul about the anxiety she’s carried since childhood and her fear of making mistakes. She also shares her e...
#673 Escaping A Religious Cult - Katie Love
Katie Love @KatieLoveWriter is a comedian and author who bares all in this episode. She opens up about the death of her mother when she was young, being drawn into being a Jehovah’s Witness, an...
#672 Trust Issues - Gianmarco Soresi
Gianmarco Soresi @GianmarcoSoresi is a stand-up comedian, actor, and podcast host (The Downside). He reflects on what it’s like to look back on your childhood and realize that not everything wa...
Why I No Longer Endorse BetterHelp
Paul reads allegations by the Federal Trade Commission about the business practices of BetterHelp and how they allegedly misused customer's private information. Based on these allegations (Better...
#671 LGBTQ+ Therapists - LMFT Renae Johnson
Renae Johnson is a MIHH listener and a therapist who specializes in LGBTQ+ patients. They talk about what brought them to this work, which includes discovering their own gender fluidity, struggli...
#670 BDSM And Trauma - LMFT Nicoletta Heidegger
Nicoletta Heidegger is an LMFT who focuses on human sexuality and BDSM for healing. She talks about how we can often deal with our trauma by exploring our kink and mapping out our own erotic blue...
#669 Standing Up For Yourself - Em Schulz
Em Schulz (@TheEmSchulz) is a writer, podcast host (And That’s Why We Drink, Ritual), and paranormal aficionado. Em unpacks their struggles with anxiety, how they learned to stand up for what t...
#668 Leslie Winick - The Interesting, Invisible Woman
Leslie Winick is an MIHH listener who joins Paul to talk about what it feels like, as an older woman, when you start to become invisible to others. She also shares her struggles with depression a...
#667 Regulating Intense Emotions - Elyse Cizek
Elyse Cizek is a writer and a musician who opens up about her journey of self-reflection and change, what it’s been like living with BPD, and how she manages relationships in her life given her...
#666 Darkest Surveys Ever
40 minutes of some of the darkest surveys listeners have ever filled out. No guest. No interview. No theme music. A few have been read on-air previously but the majority have never been read beca...
#665 Aparna Nancherla Returns - Imposter Syndrome
Aparna Nancherla @Aparnapkin is a comedian, writer, and actor (Mythic Quest, Crashing) and today she joins Paul to discuss her new book Unreliable Narrator: Me, Myself, and Imposter Syndrome. She...
#664 Buried Trauma & Panic Attacks - Stevie C
Paul’s support group friend Stevie C shares about growing up in a violent and verbally abusive environment, learning to manage his temper, and discovering that his seemingly-out-of-nowhere pani...
#663 The Quietly Suffering Newscaster - Tiffany Carter
Tiffany Carter is a former newscaster and current podcast host (Project Me with Tiffany Carter on IG @ProjectMe_With_Tiffany) and mental health advocate. She opens up about her unpredictable and ...
#662 Family Silence - Ruth Golden
Ruth Golden is a documentary filmmaker and suicide prevention activist who is in the process of creating a film about her own family. The Silent Goldens explores her family’s reaction to her ow...
#661 Non-Binary & Non-Monogamous - Jessi Kneeland Returns
Jessi Kneeland (@JessiKneeland) is a body image coach who gets real about their own issues and what brought them to this work. In this episode, Jessi's second visit to the podcast, they talk abo...
#660 Releasing Trauma - Felina Danalis
Felina Danalis is a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner and she joins Paul for what is, essentially, an intro to what somatic experiencing is, how it works, and what kinds of issues this trauma the...
#659 Kyle Kinane - Unpacking My Sh*t
Kyle Kinane is a standup comedian and recovering “party guy” who’s started doing some work on himself and his relationships. He talks about growing out of the party scene, shifting his pers...
#658 Childhood Trauma & Self-Perception - Raquel
Paul met Raquel in a group therapy session and just had to hear more of her story. She is an immigrant from El Salvador who is confronting her abusive childhood. She also struggles with two chron...
#656 Josh Peck Returns
Josh Peck is an actor (Oppenheimer, Drake & Josh, How I Met Your Father) and podcast host (Good Guys) as well as an author (Happy People Are Annoying). This is Josh’s second visit to the podcas...
#655 Being Misgendered By A Parent - Eddie
This week’s guest is Eddie, someone who wants to share their rare story in the hopes that it will offer a light to others. Eddie was raised as a boy by her father and as a girl by her mother. S...
#654 Moby - The Cult of More & Loneliness
Paul sits down with musician and animal-rights activist Moby and his podcasting partner Lindsay to talk about the “cult of more” and the illusion of material wealth as a cure for emotional is...
#653 Child of Mixed Marriage - Cat Alvarado
Cat Alvarado @theCatAlvarado is a standup comedian and activist who grew up with a white father and a Latina mother—who fled the civil war in Nicaragua. She talks about what it was like to grow...
#652 Grief - Marc Maron
Marc Maron is an actor, standup comedian, and podcast host (WTF). In early 2020, his partner, Lynn Shelton, died suddenly. He joins Paul to talk pointedly about grief. He shares what it was like ...
#651 The Psychology of Spending/Saving - Christine Lane
Christine Lane is an Accredited Financial Counselor who works at the intersection of money and psychology. She joins Paul to talk about the mental wellness that can come from getting control of y...
#650 Food, Family & Resentments - Will Sasso
Will Sasso (@WillSasso) is an actor (MAD TV, The Three Stooges), comedian, and podcaster. He talks with Paul about his relationship with food, the resentments in his family, and his own mental he...
#649 Bipolar, Mania & Motherhood - Amelia Zachry
Amelia Zachry (@BrownGirlCrazyWorld) is an author and mental health advocate. She shares her experience with a Bipolar 2 diagnosis and how she talks about trauma and mental health with her own yo...
#648 Depression & Responsibilities - Chris Gethard Returns
Chris Gethard (aka @ChrisGeth and @ChrisGethard) is a comedian, writer, and podcast host (Beautiful Anonymous) who talks openly about managing his life with depression. He shares how fatherhood c...
#647 Going No-Contact With A Parent - Rebecca D Returns
Rebecca D returns to the podcast to talk about going no-contact with her mom and reflects on moments in her childhood that she didn’t realize were strange until she was an adult. She also talks...
#646 When A Parent Has Alzheimer's - Steph Jagger
Steph Jagger joins Paul to discuss the grief of loving someone with dementia. She also shares the small moments of beauty that can sometimes come out of this disease. Be sure to check out her boo...
#645 - A Life Of Crime - Miller
Miller is one one of Paul’s support group friends. He joins Paul to talk about being on the other side of a chaotic life of crime. After having spent most of his life in a gang and going in and...
#644 Double Depression - Writer/Critic Bethanne Patrick
Bethanne Patrick is a writer, literary critic, and podcast host (Missing Pages). She talks about her struggles with double depression, her experiences with being a supportive caretaker, and her l...
#643 Body Image & Eating Disorders - Jenny Zigrino
Jenny Zigrino (@JennyZigrino) is a standup comedian from Minnesota who was put on a diet at the age of 5. She talks about how her parents’ reaction to her weight shaped her self-image, how she ...
#642 Institutionalized As A Teenager - Emi Nietfeld
Emi Nietfeld (@EmiNietfeld) is a writer and the author of the book Acceptance, a memoir of her journey through foster care, homelessness, and, eventually, to Harvard. She opens up about a childho...
#641 A "Holy Sh*t" Childhood - Kristine Kimmel
Kristine Kimmel is a writer and a host of the How To Survive podcast (@PodHowToSurvive). She opens up about how therapy saved her marriage and what it’s like parenting teenage twins. She also s...
#640 Remembering Charlie King
A tribute/re-airing for Paul’s friend Charlie who passed away last week after years of battling his demons. Charlie led an astoundingly painful life especially in regard to his mother (schizoph...
#639 Drawn To The Dark Side - Michelle E
Michelle E. is the daughter of Paul’s best childhood friend. Michelle opens up about her struggles with self-worth, her desire to feel seen and appreciated, her time working as an escort, and h...
#638 Addicted To Drama - Dr. Scott Lyons
Dr. Scott Lyons (@DrScottLyons) is a holistic psychologist, educator, author, and a renowned body-based trauma expert. Scott is the creator of The Embody Lab—the largest online learning platfor...
#637 Career Anxiety/Satisfaction - Ashley Stahl
Ashley Stahl (@AshleyStahl) is a counterterrorism professional turned career coach, the author of the bestselling book, You Turn: Get Unstuck, Discover Your Direction, Design Your Dream Career, a...
#636 Your Brain On Art - Ivy Ross & Susan Magsamen
Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross join Paul to discuss their new book Your Brain on Art. They share the science behind how our brains and bodies transform when we participate in the arts. This episode ...
#635 The Brain/Gut Connection - Dr Will Cole
Dr. Will Cole (@DrWillCole) joins Paul to discuss the gut-brain connection and the impact that inflammation can have on all areas of our health. Dr. Cole specializes in clinically investigating u...
#634 Authenticity - Dr Carolyn Kurle
Dr. Carolyn Kurle is a Biology Professor at UC San Diego. When she noticed that her students were coming to her for guidance about their mental and emotional struggles, she decided to write a boo...
#633 - Romance & Mental Illness - Allison Raskin
Allison (@AllisonRaskin & @EmotionalSupportLady) opens up about her struggles with contamination OCD, sensory issues with clothing, anxiety, depression and compulsive thinking since age 4. The m...
#632 "Good" vs "Bad" Perfectionism - Katherine Morgan Schafler
Katherine Morgan Schafler is a therapist and an author who studies perfectionism. She talks about healthy vs maladaptive perfectionism and the ways we can harness this tendency for good. Follow h...
#631 Boundaries W/Parents - Kelly Collette
Kelly Collette is a comedian, writer, artist, and an avid listener of the podcast. She opens up about going low contact with both of her parents and how she’s worked to set boundaries after a c...
#630 Wishing Your Family Would Change
Why, oh why would you choose to go on vacation with your family when every other time it's been a train wreck? Rich, one of Paul’s support group friends (and previous guest), wanted to talk thr...
#629 Paul's Mentor Bill
Yes Bill W. is his real name and he has been helping Paul for 19 years; inspiring him, helping him, making him laugh and giving him the truth when he needs to hear it. They talk about surrenderin...
#628 Losing Her Preteen To Suicide - Kathleen Hammond
Kathleen Hammond is a mother who lost her child. She sits down with Paul to talk about childhood bullying, a parent’s perspective on losing a child to suicide, and how she manages to survive af...
#627 Give A F*ck Actually - Dr Alex Wills
Dr. Alex Wills is a psychiatrist & therapist who focuses on the importance of ‘radical emotional acceptance’. He discusses how we can accept our emotions and what happens when we ignore them....
#626 The Science Of A Good Life - Dr Robert Waldinger
Dr. Robert Waldinger is a psychiatrist & a professor at Harvard Medical School who worked on an 85-year long study on what it takes to have a good life. His new book The Good Life expands on the ...
#625 The Black Sheep - Evan Schad
Paul’s friend (@Evan_Schad) shares about being the black sheep of the family (and having a “perfect” sibling) and eventually being sent to boarding school where he began to dissociate. He ...
#624 Best Of: Perfectionism - Meghan Daum
Originally recorded in 2011, the critically-acclaimed author of 6 books (most recently The Problem With Everything), columnist and blogger (@Meghan_Daum) talks with Paul about growing up and late...
#623 Best Of - Kerri Kenney-Silver - Codependence
Originally recorded in 2012 and voted a listener favorite, Kerri (@KerriKenneySilver @KerriKenney) is a comedian/actor/musician. She opens up about her childhood, the impact of her parents’ div...
#622 Best Of - OG Iranian Freedom Fighter Nadereh Fanaeian
Originally recorded and aired in 2011 Nadereh’s story is sadly all too timely today. Nadereh (@NaderehShe) is a former Marxist revolutionary who fled her native Iran (while 6 months pregnant) a...
#621 Surviving Depression Hell - Liz E
Paul's support group friend is a 44-year-old single mom whose meds stopped working and before finding another one that worked, spiraled into a depressive episode that had her fearing for her life...
#620 Anonymous Confessions 2
Paul reads listener's surveys describing their demons, dreams, failures, accomplishments, resentments and loves. SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! This episode is sponsored by BETTERHELP online couns...
#619 Neal Brennan's Horrifying DMT Ride
Comedian Neal Brennan (@NealBrennan) shares about his experiences with 5-MeO-DMT, ayahuasca, meds, TMS, and various modes of talk therapy. He also discusses the psychology of the comedy brain and...
#618 What Is A "Good Asian Son"? - Chris Chou
Chris Chou is one of Paul’s closest friends and a member of his support group. Chris shares what it was like moving to the U.S. as a child and how toxic parenting left him struggling with his s...
#617 Anger & Trauma - Thomas Hayes
Thomas Hayes is a modern furniture designer and a friend of Paul’s. He opens up about the emotional incest, violence, and sexual abuse he experienced in his childhood and how he works through t...
#616 Postpartum Bipolar w/Psychosis - Jessica Ekhoff
Jessica Ekhoff is an attorney who, after giving birth to her first child, was diagnosed with postpartum bipolar. She talks about her psychosis which led to a stay at an inpatient facility and how...
#615 - Science Of Stuck - Britt Frank
Britt Frank is a therapist, educator, trauma specialist, and the author of the book The Science of Stuck. She opens up about her addictions, her experience of joining a cult, and the importance o...
#614 Self-Loathing - Jerry Stahl Returns
Jerry Stahl (@SomeJerryStahl) is a novelist and screenwriter working through his own worries, self-sabotage, and depression. He opens up about addiction and his current work with EMDR. He also re...
#613 People Pleasing & Panic Attacks - Liz Miele
Standup comedian Liz Miele (@LizMiele) opens up about panic attacks, people pleasing, her family history of mental illness–and how setting boundaries has changed everything. Be sure to check ou...
#612 Meaning & Purpose - Eric Zimmer
Eric Zimmer(@oneyoufeed) is a Behavior Coach and the host of the podcast, The One You Feed. He shares his story of recovery from heroin addiction & homelessness and how he finally decided to take...
#611 Money & Emotions - Graham Elwood
Graham Elwood (@GrahamElwood) is a comedian and Paul’s long-time friend. He opens up about his struggles with debt and using shopping as a means of escape. He co-produced the L.A. Podcast Festi...
#610 Quality & Types of Therapy - Kati Morton LMFT
Author and LMFT Kati Morton (@KatiMorton) joins Paul for an overview of therapy. She goes over the different types of therapists as well as the therapy modalities and what to expect with each of ...
#609 Attacked By Jan 6 Mob - Winston Pingeon
Former Capitol Police Officer Winston Pingeon opens up about the chaos and the trauma of the insurrection on January 6th, 2021. He also shares his own story of how he became a cop, why he left, a...
#608 BiPolar - Kimi Culp
Kimi Culp is a TV and film producer and the host of the podcast, All The Wiser (@AllTheWiserPod) She opens up about her own bipolar diagnosis as well as her father’s and how being honest and o...
#607 Adoption, Autism, BPD - Lacey
Lacey was adopted by an emotionally abusive family at the age of two. She shares her experience with that pain as well as how she navigates living with autism, ADHD, and BPD. She also shares her ...
#606 Burnout or Depression? Keith Miller LCSW
Keith Miller is a clinical social worker, author, and podcaster (The Soul of Life Show). He shares about caregiver burnout, identifying depression, the physical aspects of emotions, his focus on ...
#605 Anonymous Confessions
Paul reads surveys filled out by listeners (anonymously) sharing the deepest parts of themselves; their struggles, victories, fears, loves, traumas, kinks, memories, hopes, mistakes and dreams. ...
#604 Anxiety & PTSD - Michael Brose
Michael Brose is a former police officer turned recovery counselor. He’s also one of Paul’s support group friends. He talks about what led him to become a cop, how it magnified his anxiety, h...
#603 - Bittersweetness - Susan Cain
Susan Cain is a best-selling author and someone who thinks very deliberately about emotions. She sits down with Paul and shares her journey from attorney to writer and how her appreciation for me...
#602 Best Of - Schizophrenia - Dr Elyn Saks
Originally aired in 2015. The USC professor of law, psychiatry and psychology (in addition to a PhD in Psychoanalysis) talks about her history of schizophrenia, her multiple hospitalizations and...
#601 Best Of - Conflict - Randy Olea
Originally aired in 2013. A father/brother figure to Paul, the high-school teacher reflects on his Mexican heritage, violent upbringing, tour in Vietnam, stints as a bouncer at a Hell’s Angels...
#600 Best Of - Baron Vaughn
Originally aired in 2013, the actor/comedian (Conan, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central) talks about his struggle to feel “authentically black” without betraying who he is, the state of comedy in t...
#599 Best Of - Pedophile Ring Survivor - Anneke Lucas
Originally aired in 2015. Sold by her mother to a pedophile ring led by powerful politicians and aristocrats in her native Belgium, Anneke’s story is about more than just survival. She talks ab...
#598 - Rescuing - Dr. Edward Shahrokh
Dr. Edward Shahrokh is Paul’s support group friend who also happens to be a psychologist. He studies addiction relapse and is well-versed in the psychology of “rescuers”--particularly becau...
#597 Mary Mack Live
Mary Mack (@MaryMackComedy) is a comedian, writer, and actor. Today, she sits down with Paul in an episode that takes place LIVE at Sisyphus Brewing in Minneapolis where she talks about growing u...
#596 Love Avoidance - Rebecca D
Rebecca D is a friend from Paul’s support group. She opens up about her experience with covert incest (a father who treated her like his “wingman” when he was dating or weighing a woman’s...
#595 Terrorist Attack Girl - Meyli Chapin
Meyli Chapin (@MeyliChapin) is a terror attack survivor. She shares her vivid recollection of the 17-hour event that changed her life and how PTSD treatment continues to save her. Check out her b...
#594 Concussions - Ethan O'Brien & Dr B
Dr. Sasha Blaskovich & Ethan O’Brien join Paul to discuss their book Dr. B’s Concussion Breakthrough: Exploring the Hidden Connection to Neck Injuries and a Simple Guide to Naturally Heal You...
#593 Repressed Homes - Beth Lapides
Beth Lapides aka @BethLapides is a writer, a producer, and the creator of UnCabaret–the show that launched the alt comedy revolution. She shares her struggles with growing up in a repressed hom...
#592 BPD & DBT - Jesse Finkelstein
Jessie Finkelstein, a therapist specializing in Emotional Regulation Disorder (BPD) and DBT therapy, shares his expertise. He is the creator of the online portal TheraHive and The Game of Real Li...
#591 - Taboos - Ali Weiss
Ali Weiss (aka @AliWeissWorld) has made a career out of talking about difficult things. In this episode, she reveals her stories of addiction, abortion, and healing from childhood traumas. Be sur...
#590 Adam Ferrara - Anxiety!
Actor and stand-up comedian Adam Ferrara (@AdamFerrara) shares his struggles with panic, anxiety, and unlearning the patterns of his childhood–along with his appreciation for life lessons from ...
#589 Schizoaffective Disorder - Jen W
Paul’s support group friend, Jen W, opens up about living with schizoaffective disorder and her journey to becoming a nurse. She also delves into her experience as the daughter of a Thai immigr...
#588 - Covert Incest - Dr Kenneth Adams
Dr. Kenneth Adams is a therapist and author of Silently Seduced—which you may recognize as a book that changed Paul’s life. He offers insights on how to spot covert incest and enmeshment and ...
#587 Mom the Brawler - Mike Schmidt Returns
Paul’s friend Mike Schmidt @the40YearOldBoy reflects on his mother’s complex life after her recent passing. She was a survivor and a protector–and also someone full of pain that she never o...
#586 Limey
Paul's hockey buddy, Limey, shares how important hockey and his team has been for him as someone who has struggled with depression–an illness that he didn’t realize, for a long time, he actua...
#585 Promiscuity, Swinging & Love Addiction - Hannah
Paul’s guest Hannah opens up about her love addiction, promiscuity, and how she became a swinger. She also reveals the emotional turmoil of someone from her childhood coming back and shaking up...
#584 Envy - Maggie Rowe
Author Maggie Rowe, @ThisMaggieRowe, shares her story of growing up an Evangelical with Pure OCD and an obsessive fear of going to hell. She and Paul also engage in the podcast’s first “Envy ...
#583 BiPolar - Gabe Howard
Gabe Howard is an author, podcaster, and mental health advocate who speaks honestly about living with bipolar disorder. He talks to Paul about his life before diagnosis and how he manages his men...
#582 Sexual Anorexia & Surrogacy - Joe M
Joe M sits down with Paul and opens about his experiences with sexual anorexia and his emotionally chaotic childhood. He also speaks candidly about his experience with sexual surrogacy as part of...
#581 Ali Vingiano
Ali Vingiano (@AliVingiano) is a writer and producer for The Morning Show as well as a variety of wildly-popular short films. She opens up to Paul about her own struggles with anxiety, insomnia, ...
#580 Director Amy Ziering
Amy Ziering is the Emmy award-winning investigative filmmaker behind the groundbreaking documentaries Allen v Farrow, The Invisible War, and more. She talks with Paul about how her films came abo...
#579 FOMO - Patrick McGinnis
Author and creator of the FOMO concept Patrick McGinnis (@PJMcGinnis) joins Paul to talk about his journey from the chaos on Wall Street to a more authentic life. They dive into the psychology of...
#578 Childhood Trauma - Michael Unbroken
Michael Unbroken is a life coach for trauma survivors. This week, he sits down with Paul and opens up about his own traumatic childhood and how he works to overcome his pain through therapy and s...
#577 - Complicated Parents - Zoe Friedman
Long-time studio exec Zoe Friedman shares what it was like to work at Comedy Central & The David Letterman Show. She opens up about her complicated relationship with her parents and what she’s ...
#576 Catfishing, Food, Anger & Sex - Marie
Paul’s support group buddy, Marie, shares her struggles with food addiction, sex addiction, and how she works through her anger. SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! This episode is sponsored by BETTER...
#575 Connor Franta
Author, artist, and entrepreneur Connor Franta @ConnorFranta sits down with Paul and talks about growing up in a small town, becoming internet famous, and coming out to his mother--along with the...
#574 Psychosis & Recovery - Alycia Returns
Paul's friend from his support group, Alycia Schlesinger, shares her experience with an anomalous psychosis and how she's made sense of her trauma by helping to heal others. SUPPORT OUR SPONS...
#573 Art & Trauma - Michael Namkung
Artist, teacher, and Ultimate Frisbee Champion Michael Namkung @MichaelNamkung reflects on what it means to love, to find your own voice, and to work through the pain of your past with art. Be su...
#572 Best Of - Dave Holmes
This episode with @DaveHolmes was voted a listener favorite in 2012. Some people know Dave from MTV's Wanna Be a VJ contest, where he was runner-up, his podcast Homophilia or his work in Esquire,...
#571 Best Of - Laurie Kilmartin
Originally aired in 2012 and voted a listener favorite, @anyLaurie16, The NY Times Bestselling author (of Shitty Mom, and Dead People Suck), tv writer (Conan), standup (finalist on Last Comic Sta...
#570 Best Of - Dave Anthony
Voted a listener favorite when it aired in 2012, the comedian, writer and podcaster (The Dollop) talks about being neglected as a child, his self-sabotaging and the out of control anger that almo...
#569 Best Of - Dr Jessica Zucker #1
Voted as the listener's favorite from the second year of our podcast (2012), Dr. Jessica Zucker graces the show as our first mental health expert and she does not disappoint. We learn helpful tip...
#568 Best Of - Eddie Pepitone
People may know Eddie (@EddiePepitone, @EddiePep), from Old School, Bitter Buddha and his hilarious standup special In Ruins. Paul knows Eddie as a friend and fellow performer able to talk abo...
567 Bipolar Twins Maria & Anna Duke
Twin sisters and hosts of the Bipolar Bicoastal Podcast Anna & Maria Duke (@rhymeswithanna and @themariaduke) talk about childhood and how they each discovered--a year apart--that they are bipola...
#566 Trauma Surfacing - Andrea Ashley
Andrea Ashley, host of the podcast Adult Child, talks about how she got sober as a teenager and discovered that her childhood was filled with a trauma that she never realized. She also shares the...
#565 - Losing a Child - Anne Moss Rogers
Author and speaker Anne Moss Rogers shares the moving story of trying to save, and ultimately losing, her son. She gives personal and professional insights on addiction, mental illness, suicide a...
#564 Rosebud Baker
Comedian and writer Rosebud Baker (@RosebudBaker) shares her experiences with addiction, panic attacks, and overwhelming grief. She opens up about the untimely death of her sister as well as the ...
#563 Ex NHL'er Daniel Carcillo
Ex-NHL player and mental health advocate Daniel Carcillo aka @CarBombBoom13 joins Paul to discuss the dark side of hockey and the side-effects of multiple concussions. He opens up about his own d...
#562 Attention - Dr Amishi Jha
Dr. Amishi Jha is the Director of Contemplative Neuroscience for the Mindfulness Research and Practice Initiative where she studies mindfulness and attention. She shares insights and tips based o...
#561 Non-Binary Sex & Love Addiction - Mica
Mica opens up to Paul and shares their story of childhood abuses, confronting their sex and love addiction, and what it can feel like to be a nonbinary person in the world today. SUPPORT OU...
#560 Good Anxiety - Dr Wendy Suzuki
Dr. Wendy Suzuki @wasuzuki shares her expertise: Good Anxiety, which also happens to be the name of her newest book. Wendy and Paul discuss the neuroscience of anxiety and offer ways to manage yo...
#559 Undercover Police Work - Neil Woods
Author and former undercover UK narcotics officer Neil Woods @Wudzee0 talks about the drug war and how it intersects with mental health. He also opens up about the harm he caused and his regrets ...
#558 Not Guilty By Reason of Insanity - Olachi Tiffany Etoh
Writer and mental health advocate, Olachi Tiffany Etoh, shares her experience living with bipolar and how an episode of psychosis landed her in jail. She talks about archaic mental health laws an...
#557 Ex-NFL Player Joe Barksdale
Musician, producer, and comedian Joe Barksdale @JBDale72 joins Paul to share his experiences with autism, abuse, and intergenerational trauma in the Black community. He also dives into his expe...
#556 Sharing Anonymously - Jo Aggarwal
Jo shares about Wysa, the app she developed (which was featured on Google Play as Best App of 2020) that helps people share their feelings anonymously. Wysa website Google Play featured Wy...
#555 Family Schizophrenia - Paolina Milana
Born to Sicilian parents, she opens up about her childhood secrets; her mother’s and sister’s battles with Schizophrenia and the policeman who groomed and violated her when she was 13. Mor...
#554 Don Morgan
Don Morgan, an Emmy award winning cinematographer and Paul's long-time friend, shares his experiences with being stuck in a foreign prison at 13 years old, overcoming alcohol addiction, and navig...
#553 VeryWell Mind's LCSW Amy Morin
Amy Morin is an author, a therapist (LCSW), and the Editor-in-Chief of the popular mental health website Verywell Mind. Be sure to check out her new book 13 Things Strong Kids Do: Think Big, Feel...
#552 Anorexia & Self Harm - Jesse Mangan
Listener and podcaster Jesse Mangan opens up about his struggles with anorexia, exercise addiction, self-harm, and a suicide attempt at the age of eight. Check out Jesse’s podcast about involun...
#551 Grace Miceli - How to Deal
Illustrator and author Grace Miceli aka @ArtBabyGirl talks about what she’s learned so far--including why stuffing down your emotions never actually works, why communicating your feelings is ke...
#550 Best Of - Kathryn Hahn
Originally aired in our first year (2011). You know her from films such as Anchorman, Step Brothers, How Do You Know and A Lot Like Love. Funny, nice and self-deprecating, @KathrynHahnoffical...
#549 Best Of - Danielle Koenig
From 2011, Paul and Danielle @DanielleBKoenig talk about the desire to minimize painful memories, feeling like we’re not enough, writing for Joan Rivers, suicide and the lasting feeling of humi...
#548 Best Of - Greg Behrendt
Originally aired in 2011, Paul and Greg do the very first Fear & Love Off. One of Paul's favorites. Support Our Sponsors! This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp online counseling. To get a ...
#547 Best Of - Karen Kilgariff
Originally aired in 2013, this is a best of ep with Karen Kilgariff, the co-host of My Favorite Murder, years before she started her podcast. This was recorded in front of an audience at the Brid...
#546 Best Of - Jamie aka Jimmy Franzo
A “Best Of” episode from 2013, Paul’s friend opens up about being kidnapped by a motorcycle gang at 13, his success as a South Beach nightclub owner and the effect it had on his ego, the �...
#545 Near Death Experience - Sarah Goff
Sarah Goff opens up about her intense struggles with a mystery illness that caused severe pain and led to a near-death experience--and a complete shift in her mindset going forward. For more...
#544 Andrew Solomon & Juan Acosta
Paul leads a conversation with Andrew Solomon @Andrew_Solomon (author, and mental health activist) & Juan Acosta @JUANACOSTA_ (author and activist) about mental health advocacy, LGBTQ+ advocacy, ...
#543 Codependency - Marissa Esquibel
Therapist Marissa Esquibel (LMFT) and host of the Codependummy Podcast joins Paul to deep dive into codependency and parentification. She also opens up about her own life, including some of the s...
#542 Emotional Neglect - Gillian G
Artist and graphic novel author Gillian G shares her struggles with anxiety, her deep desire to be a prodigy, and how she confronted her father about his emotional neglect. Be sure to check out h...
#541 Narcissistic Partners - Dr Gregory Kushnick
Psychologist Dr. Gregory Kushnick discusses his specialty: Signs you're in a relationship with a narcissist. Check out his website manhattanpsychologist.com for more. The book mentioned in this e...
#540 Therapeutic Writing - Diane Sherry Case
Diane Sherry Case is an author and creative writing instructor with a specific focus on therapeutic writing. She and Paul discuss the power of writing in processing your emotions, including a few...
#539 ADHD - Dani Donovan
Comic artist and mental health advocate Dani Donovan @DaniDonovan joins Paul to unpack all things ADHD--including some surprising and lesser-known symptoms. Check out Dani's ADHD themed comics on...
#538 Sexual Desire - Dr Nazanin Moali
Clinical psychologist, certified sex therapist and host of the Sexology Podcast (@SexologyPodcast ), Dr. Nazanin Moali, joins Paul to discuss the psychology of sexual desires and addictions. More...
#537 Glenn Meehan
Television Producer Glenn Mehan @GlenMee shares intimate portraits of his life including the difficult relationships with his parents and what it was like to be gay and in love in the 80s amid th...
#536 Recovering From Sexual Abuse - Rebecca Rogers Maher
Novelist Rebecca Rogers Maher joins Paul as they unpack the trauma surrounding childhood sexual abuse. They talk about the ways it can show up as an adult, the effects of secondary trauma, and th...
#535 Mohoganey
Mohogany opens up about her struggles with depression, self-harm, and addiction and how she navigated these issues as a young Black woman in a mostly-white community. She also shares moments from...
#534 Psychotic Break & BiPolar - Ethan Warren
Filmmaker and writer Ethan Warren (West of Her, Bright Wall/Dark Room) shares his intense experience with having a psychotic episode and being diagnosed with bipolar disorder. For more about Etha...
#533 Cults - Dr Janja Lalich
Dr. Janja Lalich, former cult member turned cult researcher and expert, joins Paul to discuss the characteristics of cult leaders, psychopathy, narcissism, the Nxivm cult in particular, and how c...
#532 Matt Haig
Best-selling author Matt Haig (@MattHaig1) discusses how he works through his depression, panic attacks, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. Matt has written several books including Reasons to Stay A...
#531 Hot Mess Girls
Comedians Andrea Allan and Emily Lubin (@HotMessComedyHour) sit down with Paul and talk about everything from dealing with divorce and tough breakups to being turned on by your trauma (it’s tot...
#530 Chanel Miller
Writer Chanel Miller @Chanel_Miller joins Paul to discuss her memoir Know My Name. Chanel opens up about the sexual assault at Stanford that gained national attention. She shares how the experien...
#529 Shopping Addiction - Julie K
Paul’s guest this week, Julie K, opens up about her shopping addiction and unhealthy ways that she’s coped with her parents’ emotional neglect. She also shares how hilarious, healthy fantas...
#528 Masculinity - Ted Bunch
Healthy masculinity advocate Ted Bunch sits down with Paul to discuss manhood, misogyny, racism, & raising LGBTQ kids. Ted is the creator of the program A Call to Men and the co-author of The Boo...
#527 Attracted to the Emotionally Unavailable - Gabby
Paul's long-time friend shares her story of emigrating to the U.S. from Afghanistan and overcoming the abuse from her childhood. She digs into her issues with love addiction and shares the things...
#526 The Epidemic of Denial - Dr David Rosmarin
Dr. David Rosmarin, Assistant Professor of Psychology at Harvard joins Paul to discuss the epidemic of people denying reality and how sometimes denial can be useful for us mentally. For more abou...
#525 Doctors Have Issues Too - Dr Rachel Taylor
Primary Care Physician and author Dr. Rachel Taylor reflects on experiencing sexual abuse, being misdiagnosed, being an overachiever, marrying very young, and growing up in the Mormon church. She...
#524 Duncan Trussell
Comedian and actor Duncan Trussell @DuncanTrussell shares his experiences with managing his depression and unpacks his spirituality-- including the significant power that Buddhist philosophy has ...
#523 Dr Lesley Tate Gould
Dr. Lesley Tate Gould talks about Somatic Experiencing as a type of trauma therapy. She shares her insights into this therapy model and the talks about the transformations that can come from lear...
#522 Catie Osborn
Actor, magician, and Shakespeare nerd Catie Osborn @catieosaurus opens up about her ADHD, depression, and living with myoclonus-dystonia. Be sure to check out her new podcast Catie & Erik's Infin...
#521 Tim Minchin
Musician and comedian Tim Minchin, @TimMinchin, talks with Paul about his new, debut studio album "Apart Together". They also dive into the journey that brought Tim to where he is today and discu...
#520 Best Of - Jessie Perez
The former East L.A. gang member has been dodging bullets for years – sometimes literally sometimes figuratively. Though he walked away from his criminal ways years ago, he opens up about the m...
#519 Best Of - Nikki Glaser
From 2012. The standup comedian opens up about hitting bottom with anorexia as a teen, only to discover ten years later, her food issues haven’t disappeared. She and Paul talk about self-medi...
#518 Gabby Lamb
Comedian and actress Gabby Lamb sits down with Paul to talk about intimacy issues, shame, and facing your demons. She also opens up about her struggles with anxiety and how life recently led her ...
#517 Out of Control Sexual Behavior - Jess Levith LMFT
Sex therapist and Paul’s longtime friend, Jess Levith, helps unpack the sexual shame that we can sometimes feel and offers tips on how to be present and feel "in your body". More about Jess Lev...
#516 Rich - Relationship Drama
Paul's support group friend shares about his history of struggling to find healthy partners especially his most recent which involved out of control behavior and gaslighting on her part. The link...
#515 Best of - Dwayne Perkins
Dwayne @funnyDP was born to a fifteen year-old mother in the projects of Brooklyn and he was a fighter. Strong-willed, rebellious and intelligent, he eventually harnessed his temper so it co...
#514 Mara Wilson Returns
Author and actress Mara Wilson @MaraWilson talks about her recent struggles with chronic illness as well as managing her OCD and anxiety. She also answers audience questions and chats with Paul a...
#513 Melinda Hill
Comedian, writer, actress, & podcaster (Let's Process This) Melinda Hill @RealMelindaHill talks about growing up with a parent with untreated bipolar, always being the new kid at school (she move...
#512 Anxiety - Joe List
Comedian and podcaster (Mindful Metal Jacket) Joe List @JoeListComedy talks about how he manages anxiety and panic attacks and what ultimately led him to asking for help and finding sobriety. Be ...
#511 Intimacy Struggles - Monica Padman
Podcaster (Armchair Expert, Monica and Jess Love Boys) and actress Monica Padman @mlPadman sits down with Paul to unpack her struggles with intimacy, self-image, and growing up Indian in a white ...
#510 Virtual Reality & Mental Health - Nanea Reeves
Nanea Reeves is the CEO & Co-Founder of TRIPP, a mobile app focused on creating mood altering experiences in virtual reality. She talks about VR research and her own struggles that led her to whe...
#509 Gabbie Hanna
Writer and musician Gabbie Hanna @GabbieHanna reads excerpts from her powerful book Dandelion and opens up about her struggles with past traumas, insecurities, and anxieties. She and Paul get de...
#508 Neuroscience of Trauma - Dr Erik Won
Neuroscientist and former Navy flight surgeon, Dr. Erik Won, shares his insights into mental health and the brain and talks about the trauma and struggles that come with caring for--and losing--s...
#507 Our Prison Problem - Brandon Stickney
Writer Brandon Stickney (The Five People You'll Meet in Prison), who has spent time in four different prisons, talks about his own experiences as well as the inhumane issues with our profit-drive...
#506 Doyin Richards
The racial justice & mental health advocate discusses what life can be like for Black men in America, shares his expertise on how to be anti-racist and how he manages his depression. For more a...
#505 Poker-Pro-Turned-Therapist Ben Fineman
Therapist-in-training Ben Fineman reflects on his past life as a professional poker player and discusses the mistakes we all make in relationships. He also dives into the topic of his own podcast...
#504 Jameela Jamil
Actor (The Good Place) and activist Jameela Jamil @JameelaJamil chats with Paul about society's influence on self-image, the pitfalls of cancel culture, and what it's like to live with a virtuall...
#503 Dr Jill Stoddard
Psychologist and writer Dr. Jill Stoddard talks about different types of anxiety, how to recognize and unpack your triggers, and how mindfulness is key when it comes to working through difficult ...
#502 Surviving Music & Drugs - Charlie Springer
Paul's long-time friend, Charlie Springer, talks about giving up the seminary to move to San Fran in the Summer Of Love, beginning a career working with music greats while battling his alcoholism...
#501 Dr Menije Boduryan
Clinical psychologist and immigrant Menije Boduryan talks with Paul about perfectionism, imposter syndrome, and generational trauma in the Armenian community. More About Dr. Boduryan website: htt...
#500 Dealing w/Male Culture - Jordan Reid Returns
Author and actor Jordan Reid shares her perspective on marriage, emotional labor, raising feminist boys, and what being in a relationship can mean for modern-day women. More About Jordan Website:...
#499 Brianne Davis
Paul's longtime support group friend shares about her sex and love addiction and how getting help for it helped her learn how to be intimate, stop cheating and using men, and finally becoming a m...
#498 Best Of - Jimmy Dore
A replay from 2011 (our 15th episode) - Paul's friend, comedian Jimmy Dore talks about growing up Catholic in a violent and segregated Chicago neighborhood with 11 siblings. Topics include: depre...
#497 Best Of - Lia McCord
What happens when a naive Texas cheerleader from an abusive home tries to pay for college by smuggling heroin in Bangladesh? Probably not what you think. She also shares about survivor self-bla...
#496 Best Of - Kristine Keese
The Holocaust survivor, mother, teacher and activist reflects on her coping mechanisms, her ability to find joy, feelings unique to motherhood, her childhood in Nazi-occupied Warsaw as a Jewish 7...
#495 Best Of - Greg Cheever Part 2
The second of a two-part interview from 2011 with Paul's sober friend; a former studio projectionist, dealer, fugitive and heroin-addict. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See ...
#494 Best Of - Greg Cheever 1 of 2
Originally recorded in the podcast's first year (2011) Paul sat down with his support group friend; a former fugitive, ex-con drug dealer, heroin-addict 60’s hippie, who has divorced four times...
#493 Listener Struggles
Paul reads submissions from listeners about the challenges in their lives. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Priv...
#492 Susan P
Paul's support group friend shares about her experiences as a black woman in America, her addiction to unavailable men, the wreckage of her acting out sexually and being a child in Atlanta during...
#491 Ted Lyde Returns
Paul's friend and fellow comedian/podcaster (Learning Not To Swear) returns to talk about George Floyd's murder, systemic racism, the police, looting, being a black father in America and the pand...
#490 Best Of - Dr Melanie Watkins
The board-certified psychiatrist answers questions about personality disorders, medication, problems in the mental health system and mental health in the black community. Support Our Sponsors! Th...
#489 Psychiatrist Dr. Esther Park MD
The psychiatrist shares her experience in deciding when it's appropriate to prescribe meds, diagnosing ADD/ADHD, the difference between role and identify, being Korean-American and children who w...
#488 Katie Vernoy Answers Your Questions
The licensed therapist @KatieVernoy returns to answers listener's questions about a variety of topics but mostly about ways to handle the pandemic emotionally and mentally. More About Our Guest ...
#487 BiPolar I - Graphic Novelist Rachel Lindsay
The graphic novelist (Rx) opens up about her battles with Bipolar I, being involuntarily committed, and having been an ad account executive creating a campaign for the very pill she was taking, p...
#486 Dr Shaili Jain - PTSD
Having studied and worked with thousands of people with PTSD from combat, sexual, physical or emotional trauma, the Stanford faculty psychiatrist shares her 20 years of insights on PTSD. Dr. Jain...
Shame
Paul shares some stories of people battling shame (especially around their bodies) and reads from the Loves, Happy Moments and Awfulsome moments surveys. Support Our Sponsors! This episode is spo...
Pandemic 4
Paul reads listener experiences around their mental/emotional struggles and victories -some serious some humorous- including the Covid crisis. Support Our Sponsors! This episode is sponsored by ...
Being Broke & In Debt - Nathan Rabin
The blogger/author returns to open up about dealing with the strain of being fired, perpetually broke and in debt while trying to provide for his family. More About Our Guest www.NathanRabin.co...
Coping w/the Pandemic 3
Another installment of Paul reading anonymous surveys submitted by listeners about their mental and emotional ups and downs during the pandemic as well as things they love. Support Our Sponsors! ...
Coping and the Pandemic 2
The second installment of listeners sharing their loves, happy and awfulsome moments and struggles during the pandemic via surveys read by Paul. Support Our Sponsors! This episode is sponsored by...
Coping in a Pandemic
Listeners share their loves and struggles during the pandemic via surveys read by Paul. Support Our Sponsors! This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp online counseling. To get a free week g...
Things We Love
Who couldn't use some positive vibes this week? No guest, just things that people love, submitted via the show's Loves Survey. Support Our Sponsors! This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp onli...
Hell's Kitchen Kenny
Paul's support group friend recounts his childhood and teenage years growing up in NYC's Hell's Kitchen and the cycles of violence, addiction, crime and poverty that he is struggling to break. Su...
Ask a Sex Crimes Detective - Don Howell Returns
The retired sex crimes detective and speaker/author answers listener questions about the mentality of serial killers and sex offenders, the legal system, victim rights and famous cases past and...
Sleep Deprivation - Teresa Strasser Returns
The host/performer @TeresaStrasser returns to talk about her misdiagnosed, involuntary stay in the psych ward after breaking down as a severely sleep-deprived, mother battling shame and perfectio...
Secrets & Trust - Sam Dingman
The writer/performer (winner of The Moth GrandSlam) opens up about the family secret that harmed his ability to trust and the eventual airing of it that improved his relationship with them. He al...
Physically Transitioning - Fallon Chavez
Fallon talks about her life as a trans woman; her desire to be "passable", how she feels about her voice, her experiences pre-op and post-op, the fetishizing of trans women, having bottom surgery...
Moral Injury - Veteran Tom Voss
The Iraq war veteran, author and advocate talks about PTSD and moral injury he battled after returning home and the positive effects meditating has had on his struggles. Tom is the author of Wher...
Ask A Therapist - Katie Vernoy Returns
Therapist Katie Vernoy returns to answer listener questions about therapist/patient boundaries, when to report a client (in response to a very dark survey), what therapists get wrong and how to k...
Smothered & Entitled - Al Lubel
Al has always been a comedian's comedian, but mainstream success has always eluded him. Raised by a smothering anxious mother, fear and lack of independence have stunted his emotional growth. He ...
From Chaos to Purpose - Wendy Adamson
Despite her traumatic upbringing and becoming the woman (her mom) she swore she'd never be, Wendy went from an alcoholic PTA mother shooting at her husbands mistress to jail to getting sober and ...
Chronic Health Issues - Karolyn Gehrig
Karolyn suffers from Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, a connective tissue disease that affects her joints and internal organs as well as being diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. She rarely goes mor...
Native American Ellen Blackcloud
Ellen (a pseudonym) shares about shares about discrimination, growing up poor, living on a reservation, riding the line between native culture and "white people things" and tells her story of gro...
Best Of: Hank Adams
Prostitution, alcoholism, fetishes, swinging, abandonment and being stabbed by a bayonet. Handyman Hank Adams has experienced them all. Paul’s friend has to literally pause to count how man...
Brian Simpson
The standup comic (Lights Out) (aka @BSComedian) and Iraq War vet opens up about his unstable childhood - being lied to and moved from foster home to foster home - and how it has affected him, wh...
Being Non-Binary - Gobbie Dixon
The 29 year-old Second City writer/performer @GobbieDixon shares about being gender-fluid, growing up believing there was nobody else going thru the feeling of not being in the right body, and th...
464 - Surviving Domestic Violence - Gold Medalist Ruthie Bolton
The 2-time Olympic gold medalist and Women's Basketball Hall of Fame inductee shares about surviving domestic abuse and becoming an advocate for other survivors. She also shares about being one o...
Best Of - Paul F Tompkins
The talented stand-up comedian, podcaster (The Neighborhood Listen) and writer/actor (HBO’s Mr. Show, Bojack Horseman, Room 104, Comedy Bang Bang) talks about the role therapy played in helpin...
Body Image & Sexuality - Jessi Kneeland
Paul and Jessi talk about the mean voices in our heads - especially towards our bodies; how childhood sexual trauma affects sexuality, self-objectification, difficulty orgasming and being your bo...
Living With Epilepsy - Alisa Kennedy Jones
The writer and NPR contributor @IAmGothamGirl shares about developing epilepsy at 40 (as a single mom), bad doctors, shattering her face during a seizure, the myths around her condition and the h...
LGBTQ Battles & Milestones - Dr Perry Halkitis
The public health psychologist opens up about the mental, emotional and political battles both personal and cultural that the LGBTQ community has fought especially since the 1969 Stonewall riots....
Wildfire Trauma & Loss - Nick H
Nick talks about being a social worker clinician working with victims of the wildfires as well as combat veterans. Topics covered: types of PTSD, vulnerability, how to reach out for help and hype...
What A Body Remembers - Karen Stefano
Despite being attacked as a college student, the author of What A Body Remembers went on to become an attorney defending violent offenders. She talks about the various ways trauma ripples thru ou...
Joshua Peck
The actor (Josh and Drake) and podcaster (Curious) opens up about being the anxious "fat kid", never knowing his father, being raised by a single mom, getting sober and learning how to cope with ...
How To Disagree - Oren Jay Sofer
The communications trainer, meditation teacher and author talks about his history of stuffed anger and how he learned to use non-violent communication to better his life and relationships. They a...
Narcissists & Psychopaths - Dr Ramani Durvasula
The clinical psychologist and author shares her insights and the studies on narcissists (and recognizing one in your life) and psychopaths as well as contributing factors like childhood emotional...
James Ransone
The actor @JamesRansone (IT: Chapter 2, The Wire, Generation Kill, Ken Park, Tangerine) opens up about his difficult upbringing, searching for a sense of self, and breaking the cycle of dysfuncti...
Caitlin Doughty Returns - Death, Anxiety & Workaholism
The mortician and bestselling author reads from her new book and opens up about her fascination and fear of death, her battles with anxiety and workaholism and the sense of purpose she gets from ...
Jamie Tworkowski - To Write Love On Her Arms
Jamie aka @JamieTworkowski is the founder of "To Write Lover on her Arms," a non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, se...
Reclaiming Desire After Assault - Julie Peters
Julie explains the steps to recovering desire, passion, and pleasure after her sexual assault. Discuss how being catcalled and sexualized at age 11 informed her value in society, sexual harassm...
Zane Helberg - Getting Sober
Zane Helberg performs stand-up comedy in an unlikely setting - rehab clinics. He and Paul discuss how getting sober lead to living an authentic life, personal development, and the importance of s...
Covert Incest - Tony M
Sexual abuse and incest can often fly below the radar because there isn't overt touching but as Tony M shares, his being raised in a sexually charged home has impacted his ability to trust and be...
How Do I Choose A Treatment? - Patient Advocate Adrienne Nolan-Smith
The patient advocate who was diagnosed with Lyme disease at 11 offers advice for navigating the complex world of healthcare and mental health. She discusses experimental/non-approved treatments...
Mixed Race & Intra-Racism - Daniel Evans Nakamura
"Dan From The Internet" aka @DanFromTheWeb discusses intra-race racism, growing up mixed-race (Latinx/Japanese/African-American) and sexually fluid in an emotionally neglectful household with a j...
Behind The Laughter - Anthony & Brigitte
The comedian (Anthony Griffith) and doctor of psychology (Dr. Brigitte Travis Griffin) open up about losing their 2-year-old daughter to cancer and how they learned to navigate the grief process ...
Best Of: Ex-Con "Murph" (2011)
From the first season (2011). Paul interviews “Murph”, a retired serial felon who opens up about prison, the guilt of his crimes and leaving it all behind. Six years ago you might have labele...
Best Of: Jen Kirkman
From 2011. Jen @JenKirkman (Chelsea Lately, Drunk History) and Paul have an epic “Fear Off” that leaves both of their souls emptied. Jen shares about her panic attacks and what it was like...
Best Of: Rob Delaney (2011)
From 2011 - actor Rob Delaney (Catastrophe) opens up about his hilariously horrifying alcoholic bottom and how he has adapted to live with what might have killed most people. Follow Rob @RobDelan...
Best Of: Teresa Strasser
Listener-Voted #1 episode of 2011 and for good reason. The Emmy-nominated writer/performer brings it. She opens up about her struggles, insecurities and fear of not being cut out to be a mother. ...
Surviving Prison & Gang Life - Bobby Martinez
The 53 year-old former gang-member has spent most of his life in prison and much of it in solitary confinement. He addresses his shame over the harms he caused, surviving prison, getting sober, g...
Repressed Memories - Aaron Woodall
Repressed sex abuse memories are difficult especially when the perpetrator is a female relative. The comic & podcaster talks about uncovering his memories, leaving Mormonism & trying to erase his...
Finding Our Core Emotions - Hilary Jacobs Hendel LCSW
The certified psychoanalyst, author of It's Not Always Depression:Working the Change Triangle to Listen to the Body, Discover Core Emotions, and Connect to Your Authentic Self and AEDP psychoth...
Alec MacDonald aka @AlecWithPen
The popular cartoonist @AlecWithPen shares his history with depression, anxiety, failed relationships, a wealthy but distant family, his type A Olympian dad, low self-esteem, trying to find his p...
Aging and Happiness - Dr Andrea Brandt
The 77 year-old veteran psychotherapist, teacher and author shares her insights into how we can embrace aging and mortality to deal with feelings of irrelevance and anger and find contentment thr...
Healthy Love - Christina Howard
Her lifelong fear of commitment was masked behind an obsession with emotionally available men - Christina shares how she personally changed and healed her pain to be able to recognize and accept ...
Anxiety & Humor - Jordan Reid
The hilarious blogger/author of Ramshackle Glam and The Big Activity Book For Anxious People shares about her battles with anxiety, relationships and being replaced as the creator and lead actres...
Depression, Fear & Alcohol - Ry Doon
The comedian shares about his battles with depression, fear of failure, huge financial and professional setbacks (he had a huge following on Vine before it was retired), having a mother with BiPo...
Janet Varney Returns - Depersonalization Syndrome
Paul's former Dinner and a Movie cohost and very first guest on the podcast returns to share about fears, loves, panic attacks, people pleasing, hurt feelings and her battles with personalization...
Heartache & Obsession - Elle Huerta
The IT entrepreneur and writer who created the Mend app talks about her struggles with obsessions and letting go especially after breakups or loss, how she is creating a community online to deal ...
Rich But Sad & Video Games - Keith Kingbay
The comedian and podcaster (New Player Has Joined) opens up about his financially privileged but emotionally barren childhood, verbal abuse from youth hockey coaches, and discovering himself thru...
Our Own Worst Enemies - Therapist Lori Gottlieb
The licensed therapist and author of Maybe You Should Talk to Someone shares about common issues people deal with in therapy and ways that we are our own worst enemy. Paul shares about adopting a...
Trust Issues, Ideation & Food - Leo Flowers
The comic, life coach, & ex-athlete shares about his lifelong suicidal ideation, struggles with food, abandonment by his dad who fathered him via an affair, learning trust, self-care, conflict re...
Trading Sex For Love - Marigny Goodyear
The 42 year-old mother reads the open letter she wrote to the men who took advantage of her as a young teen, discussing gray area issues like consent, alcohol, objectification and trading sex for...
Best Of: Adoption & Religious Abuse - Julie J
Funny and vulnerable, Julie was born to a drug-addict teenage mom, was given up for adoption and raised by a stoic military dad and Fundamentalist mom whose obsession with demons comes close to r...
Grief Support Mistakes - Megan Devine LPC
The licensed therapist shares about the well-meaning but misguided "cult of positivity" after tragedies, emotional dissonance, grief support, having difficult conversations and how she dealt with...
Remembering Jenn Golick
Weeks after recording this episode last year, therapist Dr. Jennifer Golick was killed by a combat veteran with PTSD whom she was helping. She talks about her work with vets, covert incest and co...
Remembering Brody Stevens
One of the most unique voices in comedy ended his life last week. Paul shares some thoughts on it, reads a listener email and replays episode 100, an interview with Brody from Feb 2013, in its en...
Catholic Black Sheep - Joe Bill
Paul's longtime friend and improv teacher talk about his violent ex-Notre Dame football player dad, his mentally unstable and sexually abusive mother and how he found his voice in creativity but ...
Religious & Sexual Orientation OCD - Kimberley Quinlan LMFT
Licensed therapist (LMFT) Kimberley Quinlan returns to talk about two types of OCD; Scrupulosity - a fear of sinning or having sinned, and Sexual Orientation OCD - an obsession about one's presen...
Amy G - Male Attention & Safety
Paul's support group friend opens up about being addicted to male attention while also fearing them, feeling unsafe, love addiction, growing up without her bio dad (without explanation) and the p...
Psychiatrist/Writer Dr. Paul Puri
The psychiatrist and tv writer (Chicago Med) shares about his childhood, why some of his peers overprescribe medications, the importance of talk therapy, some info on hypnosis and Paul opens up a...
Feeling Like An Outsider - Glenn Lutz
The author (Go F*%#, I Mean Find Yourself) opens up about being mixed race and battling depression and feeling like an outsider as far back as childhood. He and Paul share things they're grateful...
Bonus Ep - Listener Struggles/Secrets
Some "Shame and Secrets" surveys and some "Awfulsome" and "Happy Moments" surveys as well. This episode is sponsored by StitchFix online personal styling service. Get started at www.StitchFix.c...
Fears & Loves w/Nora McInerney Live
The author (It's OK to Laugh and No Happy Endings) and host of the podcast Terrible Thanks For Asking returns in front of live audience in Minneapolis. She, Paul and the audience share their fea...
Bonus Ep - Maternal Incest - Daniel M
After hearing mens' stories about experiencing incest (overtly or covertly) by their mothers, Daniel reached out to Paul with his story and has come to share it (with his girlfriend for support a...
Our Inner Critic - Cartoonist Lucy Bellwood
The cartoonist (100 Demon Dialogues) delves into her struggles with the mean/critical voice in her head and how she is confronting the lies it tells her about herself. She also shares about her d...
Facing Her Fears - Courtenay Hameister
The writer/performer opens up about her anxiety, panic attacks, OCD, shame and body issues. She also reads excerpts from Okay Fine Whatever: The Year I Went From Being Afraid Of Everything to Bei...
2018 Year Ender - Awfulsome Traditions
No guests, just some of Paul's thoughts on traditions and holidays; how we hide our feelings and some great, very honest (and one very dark) listener surveys including the best holiday Awfulsome ...
Struggles w/Moderation, Identity & Survivor Guilt - Akshay Nanavati
Born in India, raised in Texas, 33 year-old Iraq War veteran, ultra-runner and global philanthropist talks about his lifelong struggles with moderation, getting his identify from his accomplishme...
Dating Anxiety & Reproductive Issues - Becky Feldman
Coming from an anxious family, coupled with not fitting in, being bullied by her ballet teacher (and having red hair), then as a young teen, developing vaginismus, Becky spent her 20s resigned to...
Back in My Parents' F-ing Basement - Live in MN w/Kjell Bjorgen
Recorded live in Minneapolis at Sisyphus Brewing, Paul and Kjell reunite and share stories of bombing onstage, panic attacks, depression, meds, feeling lazy, future tripping, anger at partners, l...
Cartoons & Murder - Tonya McKenzie
One of her first memories is seeing her mother's boyfriend shot dead in front of her at four years-old. The mother she adored was fiercely protective of her except when it interfered with her dan...
LeeAnn Kreischer - Rural Southern Family Trauma
The former screenwriter, mother and podcaster shares about her relationship with her "party-animal" husband Bert Kreischer and her tumultuous childhood split between a mentally-ill narcissistic m...
FOMO, Shame & People Pleasing - Mary Holland
The improviser/actor (UCB's Wild Horses) opens up about her struggles with feeling like a fraud, people pleasing, shame, FOMO, feeling undeserving or that her authentic self is just too much for ...
Chris Mancini - A Buffet of Anxiety
The filmmaker (Earbuds) podcaster (Comedy Film Nerds and Conversations From the Abyss) writer (Pacified: A Handbook For the New Freaked-Out Dad) and comedian sits down to talk about anxiety, depr...
Mania, Cancer, Communism & #MeToo - Sofiya Alexandra
The writer (Danger & Eggs) standup (Comedy Central: This is Not Happening) & podcaster (Reality Bytes) shares about her childhood under communism in the Ukraine, her battles with bipolar (loving ...
Lazy, Scattered & Other ADHD Labels - Jessica McCabe
"Bored", "lazy", "scattered" "hyper"; Are these fair or accurate labels? Is there anything we can do to help our brains or motivation? Jessica shares about her past struggles with these labels an...
It's Okay To Be Weird - May Wilkerson
The standup & cohost of the "Crazy in Bed" podcast opens up about being an only child & a "weird kid" who couldn't appreciate her uniqueness and desire to belong until college. She shares about h...
OCD Rituals, Loss & Empathy - Adam Cayton-Holland
The standup, actor and author shares about familial loss, his lifelong OCD rituals, and growing up in a home where the harsh and often brutal realities of the world were discussed with the kids, ...
Mariel Hemingway
The actress, mental health activist and author (Out Came the Sun: Overcoming the Legacy of Mental Illness, Addiction and Suicide in My Family) and granddaughter of writer Ernest Hemingway shares ...
Dealing With Hopelessness - AFSP Psychiatrist Dr. Christine Moutier
The psychiatrist and chief medical officer for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention shares insights into dealing with hopelessness both personally and with loved ones. The Suicide Hotli...
Paul in Ireland VI - Terror, Hate & Forgiveness - Sponsored by BetterHelp
Belfast native James Murray shares his story of surviving a terrorist attack, spiraling into drinking and anger then getting sober and finding peace & forgiveness and how he maintains it. He also...
Paul in Ireland V - Ex IRA Prisoner Jake MacSiacais - Sponsored by BetterHelp
The former IRA fighter/volunteer shares his people's history, his years of imprisonment & torture by Protestants and the British govt, the responsibility he feels for civilian lives that were tak...
Paul in Ireland IV - Emma - Sponsored by BetterHelp
The English architect (and yoga teacher) talks about navigating relationships being bisexual, finding solutions for her lifelong bouts with anxiety, recurrent depressive disorder, abusive partner...
Paul in Ireland III- Caitlin - Sponsored by BetterHelp
The 29 year-old Dubliner opens up about her struggles with depression, psychosis, cutting/self-harm, alcohol, anger, learning disability (seeing letters mirrored) & spatial/motor control; also he...
Paul in Ireland I - Sponsored by BetterHelp - Bipolar & BDP in Dublin
21 year-old M emigrated to Dublin from China at 8. With a history of abuse and neglect, she learned to stuff her sadness or unleash it thru anger. She battles Bipolar I, BPD, Complex PTSD & co-de...
ECT aka "Shock Therapy" - Beth May
At 27 Beth has had 68 ECT treatments aka "Shock Therapy" and while she attests to it's effectiveness in helping her with her bipolar episodes it has also taken a toll on her memory; including not...
Fetish Shame, Meds & Martial Arts - Dylan Brody
The writer/storyteller discusses the lifelong struggle to make peace with his amputation fetish, his ups and downs with taking meds, inheriting his dad's pomposity, suicidal ideation and the bene...
Dealing With Addicts - Dr Cali Estes
Cali's specialty is speaking the truth to high-profile or wealthy people trying to get sober, especially when they're being enabled by family, hangers-on or the people they make money for. Topics...
Art & War - Vietnam Vet Michael Duffy
He was just a kid who wanted to get into art school but when he was rejected, he instead got sent to Vietnam. Later he would use painting to process the traumas he experienced. Older episodes ca...
Meredith Erin - Trolls & SJWs
Paul and Meredith share their stories and thoughts about encountering internet trolls, Social Justice Warriors gone awry and self-righteous bullies. Older episodes can be found ad-free exclusive...
Brian Huskey - Codependency & Love
The improvisor/actor (Comedy Bang Bang, UCB, Adult Swim - Mr. Neighbor's House) shares about dealing with his co-dependency, urge to fix other people, play the resentful victim and how support gr...
Sexism PTSD & The Body - Elizabeth Menzel
Elizabeth Menzel's life's work is understanding and healing trauma trapped in the body - including her own. Originally a trained physical therapist she became intrigued by the link between client...
Female Domestic Violence Against Males
Daniel looks back at his relationship with his soon-to-be-ex-wife; turning from the woman of his dreams to a dangerously violent and unpredictable stranger. He talks about the myths around female...
Social Anxiety - Dr Ellen Hendriksen
The author of How To Be Yourself: Quiet Your Inner Critic and Rise Above Social Anxiety, and Harvard Medical School Psychologist shares not only the science of Social Anxiety and ways to deal wit...
Jessa Reed - Trailer Park Survivor
Few guests have revealed as much of themselves as Jessa, a comic and podcaster (Mormon and the Meth-Head) We touch on being molested, fear of intimacy, addiction, mending relationships, sobriet...
Clutter, Hoarding & "Stuff" - Tracy McCubbin
Decluttering expert Tracy McCubbin shares about her experiences being raised by a hoarder and how she helps clients part with their stuff. She and Paul get into the topics of materialism, cheap-g...
Unspeakable Trauma to Meth Psychosis - Todd G
Paul's friend shares about the co-dependent relationship with his longtime lover that ended in tragedy & Todd's PTSD, porn & meth binges tailspinning into a showdown on his roof vs a SWAT team, b...
Best Of: Tiffany Haddish
One of our best episodes - recorded in 2015 before she was famous (Girl's Trip, Saturday Night Live) - Tiffany opens up about her horrific family life, being shuttled around the foster care syste...
Singer-Songwriter Chris Smither
The blues-based singer-songwriter who has written for Bonnie Raitt and other artists started out in the epicenter of the NY/Boston folk scene among contemporaries like Bob Dylan and Eric Von Schm...
Melissa Broder aka @SoSadToday returns
The hilarious author and uber-popular Tweeter @SoSadToday delves into subjects covered in her latest book, The Pisces (and reads from it). She and Paul talk about romantic obsession, sexual compu...
Andy Richter
The comedic actor, improviser and longtime Conan O'Brien sidekick opens up about his battles with depression, worry, anxiety and sadness and how he has learned to manage them with talk therapy. H...
Nora McInerny - Live in Minneapolis
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) ...
Cy Amundson Live in Minneapolis
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 ...
Judging Our Feelings - TED Talk speaker Dr. Susan David
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 ...
Polyamory - Daisy & Cory
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 imp...
Workaholism & Anxiety - Jordan Harbinger
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.�...
My Brain Hates Me - Jessie Dean Altman
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, proc...
The Devil & James Bond - Michael Cannan
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 hims...
CC Sheffield - Fame, Money & Abuse
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 ...
Heartbreak - The Science & Coping - Dr. Guy Winch
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 scie...
Horror & Beauty - Witnesses to a Shooting
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 ...
Female Sex Addiction - Erica Garza
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 ...
The Dark Grip of OCD - Dr. Jenny Yip
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 th...
Food Owns Me, Anger & Dad Issues - Jay Larson
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 ch...
Couple Troubles - Jen Elmquist LMFT
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 w...
Network Anchor Panic Attack - Dan Harris
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...
My Fair Junkie - Amy Dresner
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...
Asperger's, Nerd Culture & Anime - Luke Palmer
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 diag...
Born Into A Notorious Criminal Family - Nicole Y.
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 unimagi...
Military PTSD & Sexism - Marc & Sonja Raciti
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 ...
High School Tornado/Author Seamus Kirst
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...
The Absent Father Wound - Daria Polatin
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 ...
Alt Depression Treatments - Shane Mauss
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 uncomm...
Kelly's Shame and Secrets
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, touchin...
Success-Obsessed Parents & The Scapegoat Child
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. A...
#355 Afraid To Leave The House - Sam Harriman
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 se...
#354 Surviving Suicide - Kelechi Ubozoh
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 suic...
#353 Andy Kindler - OCD, ADD, Twitter Fights & More
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 ...
#352 Caitlin Doughty: Death, OCD & Being a Mortician
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 Amer...
#351 Fears, Loves, Filth & Mortality w Greg Behrendt
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....
#350 Intrusive Thoughts OCD aka "Pure OCD" - Kimberley Quinlan LMFT
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 ho...
Manipulative or Coercive Sex
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 "...
#348 Manhattan Party Girl - Fielding Edlow
Raised in financial privilege but emotional poverty, the actor/writer/standup reflects on her "don't give a fuck" eating disorder, drug and alcohol years trying to stuff the real feelings of aban...
#347 Paul Rust - Anxiety, OCD & Embarrassment
The actor/writer/comedian known for the Netflix show Love, the movie Inglourious Basterds and IFC's Comedy Bang! Bang! opens up about his battles with anxiety, OCD, taking on other people's emoti...
#346 Plane Crash Survivor: Carol E Miller
The author (Every Moment of a Fall: Recovery Thru EMDR Therapy) opens up in front of a live audience in Oakland about the years she abused herself through bad relationships, booze and sex before ...
#345 Food, Porn, Shame, Vulnerability & Losing a Sibling - Matt Shepherd
Paul's support group friend shares about recovery and battles with binge-eating, shame, compulsive exercise, not knowing what he looks like, porn addiction, love addiction, fear of leaving relati...
#344 If Only You Knew This Secret
YouTube personality Sarah Sterling is 26 and was obsessed with Harry Potter (and Disney) since day one. At a convention she met a singer who captivated her. He was 24 and she was 16. Looking back...
#343 British Therapist Louise M
Louise (a pseudonym) shares about the moment in her otherwise mostly happy childhood that things changed. She shares about the abuse at a posh Harry-Potteresque school when she was six by a hea...
#342 When Your Trauma Informs Your Turn Ons
Why do some people enjoy physical pain or become aroused by it? For Kal, the discovery came with a lot of complications; he was a young boy and it was at the hands of a powerful and sadistic pedo...
#341 80's Childhood Shitshow! - Dana Eagle
Imagine getting gay hate mail from your own family. Or finding a letter where your parents talk about you in a way that confirms your worst fears. How does Bipolar 2 compare to having somethi...
#339 I Wrote A Hit Now What?!! - Seth Swirsky
He's authored Grammy-nominated hits for the biggest artists, put out his own albums, written best-selling books on baseball, and directed a documentary on the Beatles. And for as long as he can...
#338 Dear Food: I Want To See Other People
Fat-shamed as a child by her mother and classmates, writer-performer Chelsea Frank, now 24, opens up about the complex role food plays in her life. She talks about her struggles with weight, se...
#337 - Raised in Repression & BPD - Anne from Berlin
Creative and sensitive, born and raised in 1980's communist East Germany by a dysfunctional family, Anne's abuse was not dramatic, more like death by 1000 cuts. Bearing the brunt of being a fir...
#336 Jealousy & Internet Affairs - Mila
What goes on in someone when they're jealous, possessive, obsessive or need to create drama? Mila was born into a family where her parents "couldn't live with/couldn't live without each other" ...
#335 From Hostile to Peaceful - JT
19 year-old JT shares about the crippling anxiety, panic attacks and fear of abandonment he tried to alleviate for years through being hostile and controlling (of course it backfired) before fina...
#334 Abused By Her Therapist - Christina L
Christina L (a pseudonym) shares about learning to stand up for herself after an abusive rehab therapist preyed on her as she was getting sober and the confusion of not knowing what he was doing ...
#333 - When Sex Abuse Victims Become Adults & Avoiding Help/Work Burnout - Katie Vernoy LMFT
LMFT therapist Katie Vernoy and Paul respond to listener questions around the topics of 1) How childhood sexual abuse affects the survivors when they become adults and 2) How can people avoid job...
#332 Obsessive & Secret World of Classical Musicians - Ben Turner
The Australian professional trombonist shares about the mental, emotional and logistical rigors of making a living as a classical musician and some insights into what drove him (and his peers) to...
#331 The Worst Day of My Life - Rhonda Britten
Rhonda says "It took me 20 years to get thru that day" as she opens up about the event that changed her life forever when she was 14 years old. She talks about how it changed her view of God, ...
#330 Co-Dep & Boundaries - Dr. Natalie Feinblatt
Dr. Feinblatt shares her experience as a therapist in working with co-dependent clients; how is co-dependency defined, what are some characteristics and how can it be treated or managed? She also...
#329 My Lovely Wife in the Psych Ward - Mark & Giulia Lukach
Rarely do we talk about the spouse of someone battling a serious mental illness. Mark and Giulia had never heard of Bipolar I with psychosis until she broke from reality well into their marriage....
#328 - Crack, Fights & Trying to Find Love - Charlie King
Paul's support group friend has led an astoundingly painful life especially in regard to his mother (schizophrenia, depression), father (workaholic, hoarder), and sister (drug addict). He describ...
#327 Leaving Domestic Violence - Jenna Brister
The comedian/storyteller (The Moth) shares about her whirlwind 86 day romance that led to a Vegas wedding to a man who soon turned into a man she didn't recognize, leaving her in fear for her lif...
#326 I Was Born Afraid - Jenny Jaffe
The comedic writer/performer and mental health advocate who started www.projecturok.org shares about the tremendous support she received from her family when depression anxiety and OCD had her cl...
#325 I Am The Worst Person Ever: Mike Levine
For most of his life Mike has been wracked with shame and self-hatred, convinced he was the worst person ever and fantasizing about suicide when he was hospitalized at 15. He and Paul talk about ...
#324 Literally Pulling Her Hair Out From PPD - Jennifer Tracy
It wasn't until she began to literally pull chunks of her hair out she knew she might be battling something out of her control; postpartum depression. She talks about her battles with cyclical de...
#323 Family Secrets & Hiding Depression - Patricia McKee
How does a family deal with its secrets? The PhD opens up about the inter-generational rage brewing beneath the surface of her extended family and the difficulty in trying to cope when favorites ...
#322 Being Trans in a Red State: Olivia Haidar
The 29 year-old trans woman dispels myths about what it means to be trans, including those she used to believe. She shares about hormone therapy, gender reassignment surgery, the prejudice and st...
#321 Herpes from Date-Rape: Laura J
Laura J. shares about contracting herpes by being date-raped and how she has navigated managing it logistically, sexually and emotionally with partners, including her husband. She was raised in a...
#320 Fantasy & Love Addiction - Maia Akiva
Paul's fellow support group friend shares about the huge role fantasy has played in her struggle to accept life; especially her love addiction. She talks about being unable to watch lesbian films...
#319 - I Worry I'm Unlovable - Pauly David
The co-host of YouTube's Pauly & Monks show shares about feeling unlovable, not being a good enough partner, trying to always "fix" other people, having to be an adult in his family at nine, lear...
#318 I Can't Stop Worrying! - Giulia Rozzi
The Moth Grand Slam winner, standup and podcaster (Hopefully We Don't Break Up) shares about being raised by Italian immigrant parents who worried a lot and her "high school brain" that still wor...
#317 - Misophonia: Rage at Certain Sounds
35 year-old barista (and listener) Charlynn Schmiedt shares about having misophonia which is a "fight or flight" physical response to certain everyday sounds, such as gum chewing, throat clearing...
#316: Kevin Allison on Owning Your Weirdness & Flaws
The podcaster (RISK!) and sketch actor (The State) talks about learning to "own his weirdness". From being a gay kid in a conservative town to being the black sheep in The State he has battled ...
#315 Jenny R - Raised in Wealth, Sadness & Anxiety
The anxious only child of a drunk/rager mom and a passive dad shares about her family's combination of material wealth and emotional ignorance/poverty. She talks about her fear of "just being" in...
#314 - Working With Sexually Violent Predators: Renee G-M
The 40 year-old public administrator talks about "losing her humanity" being assigned to work on a criminal defense unit on behalf of sexually violent predators and the anxiety, panic and breakdo...
#313 Neal Brennan
The writer and director of Inside Amy Schumer, co-creator of Chapelle's Show and standup comic (3 Mics coming soon on Netflix) talks about being one of ten kids raised by a violent alcoholic fath...
#312 Why Am I A Mess? My Parents Loved Me - Amanda Bloom
The 30 year-old freelance journalist and Pilates teacher doesn't have anything dramatic to point to in her life, yet she has struggled to find her voice in life with bad relationships, eating dis...
#311 Punk Rock, EMDR & Trauma w/Dr Stephen Dansiger
At 16 he was playing drums at CBGB and Max's Kansas City as the punk scene exploded. After destroying his career (Pianosaurus, King Missile) he got sober. The PsyD & MFT explains his extensive wo...
#310 Glamorously Dying: Nikki DuBose
The 31 year-old ex-model (Vogue, Vanity Fair) discusses surviving incest by her mother (who was also an alcoholic with BiPolar and DID aka Multiple Personality Disorder) and a lifetime of battlin...
#309 Mini Ep - Producers of HBO's Every Brilliant Thing
Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato have produced and/or directed some of Paul's favorite documentaries, including Mapplethorpe: Look At The Pictures, 101 Rent Boys and Monica in Black & White. They ...
#308 A Letter To My 16 Year-Old Suicidal Self - Katie Hirshberg
The 19 year-old college sophomore opens with a letter she wrote to her 16 year-old self who was so tired of the years of depression, anxiety self-hate, bullying, co-dependence, perfectionism, Cro...
#307 Basketball Player Royce White live at ITTFest
The 25 year-old professional basketball player opens up to a live audience about mental health issues not only in his life (OCD, panic attacks and anxiety) but societally, especially in the NBA w...
#306 Sexual Fluidity, Energy Healing, & Hypnosis - April Adams
Author/life-coach April Adams clarifies what an "energy healer" actually does despite it sounding like new-age b.s. She talks about techniques she has used to deal with her childhood trauma and...
#305 Daddy Issues - Luisa Omielan
The 34 year-old British writer/comedian/performer shares about the pain of her parents' nasty divorce when she was a kid, especially her father using her as a pawn and poisoning her mind about he...
#304 My Suicide Attempt Wakeup Call - Paul Goebel
The actor/comedian (@Midnight) opens up about his recent suicide attempt, psych ward stay and how it is motivating him to seek help and try to be a better husband, father and friend. He share...
#303 Feeling Invisible & BPD - Celia Finkelstein
The actor/improvisor (Horrible Bosses, American Horror Story) shares about learning to manager her Borderline Personality Disorder, and fears of abandonment or not being enough. She also shares a...
#302 Behind The Good Girl Mask
Only hugged once in her life by her mother, 25 year-old Yohana is the daughter of conservative East African war refugees from Ethiopia & Eritrea. All her life she has buried her rage by wearing...
#301 Sex and Politics - Jamie Varon
The 31 year-old writer discusses feminism, sexual violence and misogyny in the context of partisan politics, and her personal life. She shares about the complexities of marrying a Muslim, growing...
#300 Jeff Rosenthal
Jeff is Paul's friend of 28 years and the son of former guest and Holocaust survivor Kristine Keese. He shares about her recent passing, their deep but complicated relationship, how he made peac...
#299 College Freshman Meltdown: Jen Curran's story
The writer/improviser shares about the mental/emotional breakdown her freshman year of college at NYU that left her living in her car and squatting in empty buildings in New York City. She look...
#298 Lora B
The 33 year-old listener was the woman who comforted Murray Valeriano during our live episode last week. From a blended family with every kind of abuse imaginable, including her church elder st...
#297 Murray Valeriano Live at LAPodfest
The comedian/writer/podcaster had never talked much about losing his virginity at 15 to a 32 year-old tutor. Tonight that changed and so did his view of the event and aftermath. He also opens...
#296 Glynn Washington
The producer/host of WNYC's Snap Judgment shares about being raised in a fundamentalist Christian cult, strategies he's used to survive racism, what he learned by visiting Japan as a college stud...
#295 Mara Wilson
You probably know her as the little girl from Matilda or Mrs. Doubtfire but you probably don't know that's around the time she lost her mom, developed OCD, anxiety, depression and panic attacks a...
#294 Dr Laura Dabney
The psychiatrist and therapist talks about sexual trauma in the military, powerful men who fear intimacy, meds, treating personality disorders, doing therapy via Skype, the therapy process and wh...
#293 Judy Gold
The comedian and actress talks her anxiety and depression, being raised in an incredibly anxious household, being bullied throughout childhood for her height (she was six feet tall in 8th grade),...
#292 NHL Legend Theo Fleury
"My coach raped me over 200 times". The truth that Theo almost died trying to keep to himself. Only when he hit bottom with drugs, sex and gambling could he summon the courage to face what had ha...
#291 Sarah Haufrect - My Mom Had BPD
Sarah shares about her mother's battles with Borderline Personality Disorder, her relationship with such a "beautifully disastrously complicated" woman, Sarah's own battles with bulimia, anxiety,...
#290 Maddy F - Learning to Love Yourself
You hear the phrase "love yourself" a lot. But how do we get there? Maddy's story is a great example. She was molested by a relative (and church leader) but didn't feel safe enough to speak u...
#289 Stephen Brophy
The reality TV producer (Somebody's Gotta Do It) opens up about his depression, social anxiety, history of unrequited love obsessions - especially as a kid, getting sober from prescription opiate...
#288 Social Worker In Training
28 year-old Cynthia Pena ACSW opens up about her life, experiencing skin tone prejudice within the Hispanic community, being the "good child" who gets forgotten, anxiety, triggers, working in an ...
#287 Andrea C
Paul's support group friend and writer talks about weighing 95 lbs at 5 years-old, being in foster homes and psych wards, surviving incest, learning self-love and dealing with addictions to food ...
#286 Stacy Reynolds
The 43 year old teacher and recovering alcoholic talks about being sexualized as a child by her father, having to cut contact with her controlling mother, and trying to heal while dealing with an...
#285 Luke Burbank
The podcaster (Too Beautiful To Live), radio host (Live Wire Radio) and tv host (CBS Morning News) talks about his outbursts of anger that get physical, always feeling uncomfortable in his skin a...
#284 Dr Lauren Costine
The author (Lesbian Love Addiction: Understanding the Urge to Merge and How to Heal When Things Go Wrong) and therapist talks about love addiction especially in the lesbian community, what coming...
#283 Julie L: Covert Incest Survivor
The French Canadian biologist sits down with Paul and talks about experiencing covert incest by her mother who she believes also had Borderline Personality Disorder, and her complex relationship ...
#282 Michael Alexander
Paul's old comedy pal Mike shares about psych wards, not being deemed "black enough", anxiety, depression, experiencing some classic 70's Chicago racism and trying to be a better parent than he h...
#281 Sarah & Zach Goodson Pt 2
Zachary shares his story while his wife Sarah sits in. He talks about losing his mother (actress Diana Hyland) to cancer when he was 3, being raised by an abusive father, learning to numb himse...
#280 Sarah & Zachary Pt 1
Part I of Sarah and Zachary sharing their stories and how they navigate healing while being married. Sarah shares her story which includes sexual abuse, codependency, perfectionism, anxiety & a...
#279 Narcoleptic Codependent Anna W
The 33 year-old research biologist shares about her narcolepsy, PTSD, cataplexy, hypnogogic hallucinations, codependency and life with a partner with bipolar. See omnystudio.com/listener for priv...
#278 At-Risk Youth w/Elie El Habr
MFT Intern Elie El Habr works with at-risk youth in South Central Los Angeles and shares about his successes and failures in trying to reach kids who either want help or are court mandated, as he...
#277 Religious Abuse - Hilary A
The 32 year-old shares about breaking free from her mother (and their religion Christian Science) after years of her using scripture as a weapon to justify her neglectful, unempathetic and narcis...
#276 Tracy E.
Paul's support group friend shares about being raised in a Catholic Italian-American family where attention was hard to get, how her mother's death helped her to grow and her love addiction to me...
#275 Tee-Tee
The 29 year-old Vietnamese-Australian shares about being raised by his refugee, mentally-disabled (OCD & PTSD) single mother, experiencing racism, living in inner city poverty (Melbourne) and try...
#274 Melanie R (DID aka Multiple Personality Disorder)
22 year-old Melanie R. shares about living with DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder which used to be called Multiple Personality Disorder), being bullied, having a perpetrator who is female, inte...
#273 Melissa Broder aka @SoSadToday
Melissa reads excerpts from her book So Sad Today, probes her turn ons, food issues, stint with polyamory, panic attacks, sexting and depression. This episode is sponsored by the meditation app C...
#272 Ex-CHP Officer Kevin Briggs
For many years the ex-highway patrolman's beat was the Golden Gate Bridge. He shares about the encounters he had with people who wanted to jump and how he learned to get some of them to open up a...
#271 Sandra (Sex Nerd) Daugherty
The podcaster (Sex Nerd Sandra) shares some of her struggles (low self-esteem, depression, perfectionism) and shares about sex topics like: swinging, orgies, role play, polyamory and giving good ...
#270 Patti H
The 32 year-old postal employee shares about growing up with an alcoholic mom and stoner dad, her struggles with perfectionism, anxiety, co-dependency and fear of the unknown, and how altruism ha...
#269 Guy Branum
The 40 year-old writer/comedian (Chelsea Lately) and podcaster (Pop Rocket) talks about growing up gay in a small town, losing his father a few weeks ago and trying to deal with a mother who can'...
#268 Laura Kightlinger
The writer/performer (The Minor Accomplishments of Jackie Woodman, Lucky Louie, Will & Grace) opens up about being the product of a secret affair in a small town and being raised by a single mom ...
#267 Wynter Mitchell
The 36 year-old African American tech exec (Reddit) shares about being one of the first victims of online predators in 1995 when she was 14. She shares about her PTSD, anxiety, depression, ang...
#266 Sex Crimes Detective Don Howell
The 25 year veteran shares about sex crime myths, psychopathy, the predator personality and how society can better protect itself, especially how parents can help their children. This episode i...
#265 Monica Hernandez
The 23 year-old shares about hitting an emotional bottom in college after a childhood/adolescence that included cutting, disordered eating, depression and sexual trauma. She shares how therapy ...
#264 Brian Bogosian
The 38 year-old jeweler and support group friend of Paul's opens up about being raised by an addict father in a hyper-sexual environment and his own battles with crack, heroin, alcohol and co-dep...
#263 Therapists Have Issues Too
Therapist Intern Erin Fox Bishop opens up about her struggles (adolescent and postpartum depression, co-dependence, suicidal ideation), and the therapist who inspired her to become one. Follow Er...
#262 Jessie Close
The 62 year-old opens up about living with Bipolar I (with psychotic episodes and rapid cycling), battling alcoholism, being in abusive relationships, being married 5 times, having a son with Sch...
#261 Bipolar Mania w/Andy Behrman
The author (Electroboy: A Memoir of Mania) and divorced father shares about his tumultuous life in the grips of manic episodes, including art fraud, sex work and prison as well as receiving ECT (...
#260 Dr. Jonice Webb on Emotional Neglect
The licensed psychologist and author (Running on Empty) talks about the effects of childhood emotional neglect and how parents can be more attuned to their child's needs. This is a particularly g...
#259 Merritt Stewart LCSW on Sexual Trauma
The LCSW shares her experience in advocating for and counseling survivors of sexual trauma, especially navigating the legal system and helping survivors heal. She is based in NYC. See omnystudi...
#258 Jerry Stahl
The Pushcart Prize-winning writer (Permanent Midnight, I Fatty) shares about the loss of his father to suicide, his mother's belittling of his manhood, his recovery from heroin addiction and alwa...
#257 Dani Fernandez - Hashimoto's Disease
The 27 year-old comedian/writer shares about her battle with Hashimoto's disease; an auto-immune disorder (with depression as one of its side effects) as well as her suicide attempt. See omnystud...
#255 Tim F - Doctors Have Issues Too
The 33 year-old MD opens up about his anxiety, depression, perfectionism, codependency, and his and his father's alcohol struggles. He also shares about the joy and fulfillment in doing volunteer...
#254 Andrea Abbate
The 59 year-old comic/writer shares about being a Scientologist,her eating disorder, drug addiction surviving incest (by her father) and her beautiful but suicidal mother's loose grasp on reality...
#253 Lisa Lawrie
The 39 year-old mother of two opens up about her unhealed PTSD from the domestic violence and stalking she experienced at the hands of a psychopathic boyfriend 22 years ago. See omnystudio.com/li...
#252 Paul Gets Interviewed
Paul's friend, former Dinner and a Movie co-host (and former podcast guest) Lisa Arch asks Paul about his life, his struggles, the podcast and questions posed by listeners, who have been requesti...
#251 Rama I
The 28 year-old Syrian opens up about always being the minority wherever she lives (She was born in Syria, grew up in Brazil and now lives in the US), recovering from sexual abuse, battling depre...
#250 Haydn - Bipolar 1 Psychosis - Supporting a Loved One
The 27 year-old Colombian native shares about his recent hospitalization for Bipolar I psychosis. His girlfriend Rama (next week's guest) sits in to share what it was like for her, trying to supp...
#249 Jackie Kashian Live at Podfest
The writer/comedian/podcaster (Dork Forest) shares about her tumultuous upbringing, and struggles with anger, depression, connecting to people and being perimenopausal. See omnystudio.com/listene...
#248 Dr Jessica Zucker #3
Therapist Dr Zucker shares the harrowing emotional, mental and physical details of her late-term (16th week) miscarriage; how to support a friend or loved one who experiences pregnancy loss, and ...
#247 Danny Hatch
The 23 year-old Oklahoman shares about his depression, cutting, feelings of inadequacy, finding a voice and identify through comedy (Keith & The Girl podcast), feeling some shame for wanting to b...
#246 Kate Spencer
The writer/performer/wife/mother shares about her OCD, anxiety, panic attacks, intrusive thoughts and insomnia. She also talks about the surprising gifts that came from the painful loss of her ...
#245 Pedophile Ring Survivor Anneke Lucas
Sold by her mother to a pedophile ring led by powerful politicians and aristocrats in her native Belgium, Anneke's story is about more than just survival. She talks about the ways her PTSD affe...
#244 Natural Highs - Neuropsychologist Dr. Matt Bellace
The neuropsychology PhD shares natural ways for us to improve our mood and take care of our brains. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/p...
#243 Melissa Villasenor
The 27 year-old comic/impressionist (America's Got Talent) opens up people-pleasing, cutting, isolating, creating, bombing, tattoos, the comfort of solitary hobbies and the struggle to practice s...
#242 Elyn Saks on Schizophrenia & Mental Health Law
The USC professor of law, psychiatry and psychology (in addition to a PhD in Psychoanalysis) talks about her history of schizophrenia, her multiple hospitalizations and how she has learned to man...
#241 Glenn Rockowitz
The comedian, writer (Rodeo in Joliet and Saturday Night Live) and voice actor opens up about his ongoing battles with cancer, how being told 20 years ago that he had "three months to live" chang...
#240 Psychiatrist Dr Melanie Watkins
The board-certified psychiatrist answers questions about personality disorders, medication, problems in the mental health system and mental health in the black community. See omnystudio.com/liste...
#239 Samantha Finkelstein
The registered dietitian shares about the huge importance that was placed on food growing up in her family, how she used it to soothe instead of finding a healthy way to express her emotions and ...
#238 Jason Ickovitz
The Licensed Family and Marriage Therapist opens up about the verbal abuse he endured as a kid from his father who pushed him to excel in baseball, and how therapy not only helped him cope but ma...
#238 Gladys A.
The 26 year-old adoptee (from Paraguay) shares about growing up with an emotionally disturbed sibling and single mom, experiencing racism at her all-white school, and turning to porn and escortin...
#235 Peter Hesen
The 61 year-old talks about loneliness, the painful depths his addictions took him to and the chance he has in sobriety to be the kind of father he never had. See omnystudio.com/listener for priv...
#234 Raised by Hoarders w/Michelle F
27 year-old Michelle F shares about being raised by a shopaholic mom and a father (and grandparents) who hoarded. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Policy at https:...
#233 JoAnn Buttaro
JoAnn shares about her path to recovery after being victimized by serial rapist Jeffrey Marsalis (dubbed the Match.com rapist). She sheds light on how she went from her lowest low to participat...
#232 Mary O'Hara
The first pupil from her inner-city high school to attend Cambridge, the 42 year-old journalist/author shares about the poverty, violence and dysfunction that defined her childhood in West Belfa...
#231 Lisa Richards
The licensed clinical social worker and author of Dear Mallory: Letters to a Teenage Girl Who Killed Herself shares about the loss of her 18 year-old daughter to suicide. See omnystudio.com/liste...
#230 Raised in Scientology: Derek Bloch
The 28 year-old talks about being raised in the Church of Scientology by a narcissistic father and passive mother. He details the abuse inflicted by their "Sea Org" starting when he was 13, how...
#229 Sheila & Kim
The lifelong friends join Paul to talk about supporting each other through their issues which include: alcoholism, food addiction, IBS and codependency. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy in...
#228 Shootout Survivor Dan Smith
The former armored car driver shares about the PTSD that came in the wake of a shootout that almost killed him and what it means to be masculine. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informati...
#227 Cassie Sneider
The writer and graphic artist (and karaoke DJ) talks with Paul about her parents gambling and shopping addictions, being bullied, becoming violent in her 20s and eventually finding therapy and su...
#226 Therapist Kati Morton #2
Therapist Kati Morton returns to answer listener questions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at h...
#225 Joe and June
The Israeli couple talk about their childhoods, how they try to support each other and finding emotional and sexual satisfaction given their individual issues. See omnystudio.com/listener for pri...
#224 Drew Monson
The 19 year-old YouTube entertainer commiserates with Paul about OCD, depression, jealousy, naps, love and internet trolls. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Policy...
#223 Heather Marlowe
The writer/performer opens up about being drugged and raped and the pressure she has been putting on the San Francisco police department to process the thousands of warehoused rape kits whose DNA...
#222 Terri Hartman
The 54 year-old shares about her battles with fibromyalgia, her physically abusive mother, how her illness affects her relationships, her anxieties and how expressing her emotions helped ease the...
#221 Anna David
The author/podcaster opens up about her sexually inappropriate narcissistic father, getting sober from her cocaine addiction, fear of intimacy and vacillating between thinking that she's "the shi...
#220 Matty McVarish
A survivor of childhood sexual abuse, Matty could no longer bear the silence he saw around him, so he started Road to Change and walked 10,000 miles across Europe to raise awareness and in the ...
#219 Kelly M
The 24 year-old shares about identifying as asexual and gender-fluid as well as the hurdle of coming to terms with a childhood that wasn't overtly abusive, just void of connection. They also ta...
#218 Jensen Karp
The writer/ex-rapper/entrepreneur/podcaster talks about living with Obsessive Thoughts Disorder, being molested by a 19 year-old female when he was 13 and the ways his disorder interpreted the tr...
#217 Jeanie Bergen
The 30 year-old writer talks about being parentless at 3 and the complex relationship with her mentally disabled sister whom she now has guardianship of. She and Paul bond over suicidal thought...
#216 John H
The 25 year-old discusses his Generalized Anxiety Disorder, social awkwardness, difficulty making eye-contact, compulsive overeating, abusive ex-wife and the possibility of being on the autism sp...
#215 Roxanne R.
The 57 year-old incest survivor talks about growing up in a family "where being born female was considered a moral failure". She also talks about her struggles with repressed memories and possi...
#214 Therapist Kati Morton
The licensed therapist and Paul talk about eating disorders, emotional intimacy and how to support friends/loved ones while also practicing self-care and establishing boundaries. See omnystudio.c...
#213 Tiffany Haddish
The comedian/dancer/actor shares about her mother's descent into mental illness (schizophrenia), the abuse she suffered at her hands, the year she spent in the foster care system and the strength...
#212 Dean Trippe
The comic book artist and father talks about the role superheroes have played in helping his imagination and creativity heal the trauma he experienced as a child, and trying to break the cycle of...
#211 Maggie Mull
The 28 year-old writer shares about being unemployed and an only child, her fear of abandonment, being born with club feet, body and sexuality shame and the depression that often makes everything...
#210 Arianna C
The 40 year-old shares about her traumatic upbringing (incest, religious extremism, abandonment) and the ways her body and mind learned to cope; hallucinating, going numb and following strangers ...
#208 Renee M.
The Hispanic, 31 year-old PhD shares about the downside of raising herself up by her bootstraps; growing up knowing she couldn't depend on her passive mother or gambler father, and now finding he...
#206 Listener Confessions 2
Listeners share their deepest darkest struggles and darkly hilarious "awfulsome" moments via email and surveys. Also a contemplation on the life and death of transgender teen Leelah Alcorn. See...
#205 Ian Gutoskie
The 37 year-old Canadian comic discusses his two psychiatric hospitalizations, his Bipolar II (with rapid cycling), how sports helped him channel his anger about his abusive dad and what he does ...
#204 Lauren Ashley Bishop (voted #2 ep of 2014)
The 37 year-old comedian shares about the three traumas that led her to finally seek somatic therapy for her disassociating subtype of PTSD, how she's healing and the tools she uses to cope today...
#203 Oliver Sykes
Paul's 41 year-old friend talks (and laughs) about his arrested emotional development and struggle to be an adult after a childhood where he often had to parent his parents because of their addic...
#202 Gillian Callahan Chachere
The therapist intern opens up about the rarely-discussed trauma of miscarriage, the lack of traditional grief support in our culture, and the surprising results she got from seeking an alternativ...
#201 Can't Stop Her Addictions w/Noemi
The 24 year-old first generation Mexican-American is currently unable to stop her anorexia, bulimia or blackout drinking. She shares what her struggle is like and about the abusive ex-boyfriend...
#200 Former NHL Goalie Clint Malarchuk (voted #3 ep of 2014)
The former NHL goalie opens up about his difficult childhood and the OCD that helped him professionally but ultimately almost ended his life. He shares about his anxiety, depression, alcoholism...
#199 Joni G.
"No man ever pleased me like cocaine did." The 60 year-old shares about the drug that helped her with her ADD, feel skinnier, prettier and more powerful especially when she began dealing it by ...
#198 Samantha C.
Born with achondroplasia dwarfism to emotionally unavailable Taiwanese immigrant parents, Sam shares about being a "litte person" and the ways support groups have helped her navigate dealing with...
#197 Chris Gethard (voted #7 ep of 2014)
The actor/writer opens up about his blue collar New Jersey upbringing, and his battles with anger, sadness, self-sabotage, paranoia, addiction, depression and the unorthodox nurse practitioner wh...
#196 Laurenne Sala
What happens when the Homecoming Queen takes off her popularity mask and deals with the pain of her co-dependent mom and the suicide of her gay father? One of the most compassionate and truth-s...
#195 Todd Glass (Voted #1 ep of 2014)
The comedian and author shares about growing up with Dyslexia, OCD, being held back in grade school, his coming out of the closet in his 40s and the politics of language especially in regards to ...
#194 Dr. Peace Amadi
The clinical psychologist shares her insight and experience in working with The Ruby Project, helping girls who have been sexually abused and/or involved in sex trafficking heal though group work...
#193 Laura House (Live @ LAPodfest)
The meditation teacher, standup comedian and writer (Samantha Who?) talks about her struggles with alcohol, food, weight, low self-esteem, relationships and what she gets from support groups and ...
Episode 192: Cheryl Klein
The breast cancer survivor opens up about her lifelong hypochondria, OCD and anxiety. She talks about the emotional toll of infertility, having a miscarriage and the ensuing depression as well as...
Episode 191: Matt Oswalt (voted #8 ep of 2014)
The 43 year-old comedy writer opens up about his idyllic childhood, and a couple of traumatic events he believes contribute to his isolating and fighting the demons of depression while being sing...
Episode 190: Aparna Nancherla
The first generation Indian-American comedian opens up about her low self-esteem, perfectionism, depression, anxiety, eating disorder, the trap of becoming the "good child" and the constant strug...
Episode 189: Lance L
The pansexual Iraqi war veteran talks about his plans to come out to his homophobic family, growing up with a mother who picked terrible men, his deadbeat dad and meeting a half-brother & doing...
Episode 188: Ask Erika Holmes MFT
Marriage and Family Therapist Erika Holmes answers listener questions from Facebook and Twitter. Topics include Eating Disorders, Borderline Personality Disorder, PTSD therapies, Neurofeedback ...
Episode 187: Susanna Lee
The comedian/burlesque dancer talks about the power, pitfalls and rush of performing with and without her clothes on, including being a sex worker at a "jack shack" to make ends meet. She opens...
Episode 186: Jimmy Doyle
The former Second City improviser turned drug & alcohol counselor talks about his mother's suicide when he was 12, coming out at 16 (in 1981), getting physically sober but being emotionally toxic...
Episode 185: Dese'Rae L Stage
The photographer and activist talks about her bookwormish childhood, coming out in high school, the abusive relationship she couldn't bear to leave and her project which documents the stories of ...
Episode 184: Pamela Martin
Is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (Fibromyalgia, ME, etc) a purely physical ailment or is there also an emotional component related to trauma. Pamela shares about being an incest survivor as well as ...
Episode 183: Jason Nash
Recently diagnosed with BiPolar II, the actor and director of Jason Nash is Married talks about his fear of being just like his dad, his inability to fully enjoy what others seem to be able to ...
Episode 182: Pia Glenn
The writer/performer shares about being raised by a violent and mentally unstable mother who refused to take meds, often leading to 911 calls and police. She also talks about her own depression...
Episode 181: Lauren Hennessy
The actor/singer and fiance of past guest Chemda talks about being a trans male (male but born into a female body) and despite his religious upbringing (his father is a minister) coming to embrac...
Episode 180: Jill Morley
At 40, Jilll took up competitive boxing to work through the childhood PTSD caused by her mother's physical abuse. She shares about living with depression, aiding other female fighters and makin...
Episode 179: Tyler W.
The 26 year-old law student talks about his struggles with addiction especially bulimia, assuming the role of caretaker for his alcoholic parents when he was a child, a jarring move to a racially...
Episode 178: Anna Akana
The performer/writer/director best known for her popular YouTube channel opens up about growing up with a Japanese father and Filipino mother where mistakes were not tolerated. She also shares ...
Episode 177: Michael H.
The 25 year-old Taiwanese American shares about his co-dependency, painful breakups and perfectionism as well as the irony that as a trained therapist he knows he should establish boundaries with...
Episode 176: Bernadette
The 36 year-old mother shares about the middle-class version of Cops that was her childhood, her Borderline Personality Disorder, suicide attempts and the drinking problem she can't bring herself...
Episode 174: Andrea Schaeffer
The Canadian listener talks about the masks she feels she had to wear to deal with childhood sadness, being raped at 16, and experiencing postpartum depression. She talks about the support grou...
Episode 173: Julian F
His childhood was a flurry of moving all over Europe and South America, his parents treated him like "Good Cop Bad Cop" and he has no idea why he felt like a "little pervert" as a kid. They tal...
Episode 172: Lynette Carolla
The mother, wife and podcaster(For Crying Out Loud) talks about being pushed to be a child actor, the psychosis that mental illness brought upon her brother and mother, abusing Vicodin in an atte...
Episode 171: Tom Kramer
The writer/director (Fridays, Curb Your Enthusiasm) shares about being sexually shamed, his fear of people and the drug and alcohol battles that took the great career he had been given at 20 and ...
Episode 170: Christina Pazsitzky
The standup/actress shares about being the only child of parents who fled Communist Hungary, and after their divorce absorbing the brunt of her mothers mental illness (Borderline Personality Diso...
Episode 169: Mini Ep - Guilt w/Dr. Guy Winch
Clinical psychologist Dr. Guy Winch shares some insights and tips on how to deal with guilt, plus some listener surveys. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Policy at...
Episode 168: Sexual Confusion - Kira
The 29 year-old shares about the shame of having intrusive thoughts imagining sex with children; getting blackout drunk to the point of violence and making peace with coming out as a lesbian afte...
Mini Ep #167 - Failure w/Dr. Guy Winch
Clinical psychologist Dr. Guy Winch shares some insights and tips for dealing with failure. Guy is the author of the book Emotional First Aid. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informatio...
Episode 166: Tracy Irvine
The 40 year-old corporate recruiter shares about growing up with a sick mother (ALS) whose needs overshadowed hers, losing both her parents in her teens, using food for comfort, surviving an abus...
Mini Episode 165: Low Self-Esteem (voted #4 ep of 2014)
Clinical psychologist Dr. Guy Winch shares some insights and tips on dealing with low self-esteem. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/pri...
Episode 164: Natasha L.
After Natasha's mother died she discovered her diaries. What she read was horrifying to the average person but had the opposite effect on her. She shares about her mother's apparent Borderlin...
#163 Mini-Ep: Loneliness w/Dr. Guy Winch (voted #6 ep of 2014)
Clinical psychologist Dr. Guy Winch shares some insights and tips on dealing with loneliness. Guy is the author or the book Emotional First Aid. Paul also reads some surveys over his dog's...
Episode 162: Monica LIttle
The mother and wife of a combat medic talks about her battles with intimacy, anxiety, drug abuse and the family that turned a blind eye to her pedophile grandfather. She also talks about how be...
Mini-Episode #161: Rejection with Dr. Guy Winch
Clinical psychologist and author of the book Emotional First Aid, Dr. Guy Winch shares some tips and insights on dealing with rejection. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Se...
Episode 160: Parenting Mental Illness
Listener Joy opens up to Paul about raising a child with mental illness, especially her teenage daughter's Reactive Attachment Disorder, depression, the social stigma, the healthcare system and h...
Mini Episode #159 - Rumination with Guy Winch PhD (voted #9 ep of 2014)
Paul reads an email, two surveys then talks with author Guy Winch (PhD in clinical psychology) about practical tips to deal with rumination. Guy is the author of the book Emotional First Aid. �...
Episode 158: Melissa Stetten
The writer/model/actress talks about being raised by dis-interested parents, her battles with depression and the feeling that if she doesn't have a man in her life she feels "worthless". Melis...
Episode 157: Nandi La Sophia
At four years-old he told his mom he wanted to be a lady when he grows up. He shares about the violence inflicted by his complex father and classmates. He talks about managing his PTSD, insom...
Episode 156: Sophie B
The listener discusses hearing voices, dealing with Borderline Personality disorder and/or Bipolar II as well as the abusive "relationship" she had with a 22 year-old when she was 12 and how she ...
Episode 155: Andrew Donnelly
The 46 year-old comedian talks about the frustration and shame of battling ADD and depression while trying to be a good husband and father. He and Paul talk about how to deal with anger when fe...
Episode 154: Dr. Jessica DuBron
The PhD (clinical psychology) shares about working with at-risk youth particularly in the LGBT population and in a Psychiatric Evaluation team, responding to mental health emergencies. She also...
Episode 152: Lindsay
The list of major health issues she dealt with in childhood including brain and spine surgeries pale in comparison to the complicated relationship with her father; an alcoholic with no boundaries...
Episode 151: Listener Confessions
Culled from a month of surveys filled out by listeners. Paul reads their shames, secrets, fears, hopes and beautiful moments. And of course some "awfulsome" moments as well. See omnystudio.co...
Episode 150: Ryan Sickler
The standup comedian (Comedy Central, Late Late Show w/Craig Ferguson) and podcaster (The Crabfeast) shares about the hatred he endured from his mother and the love from his father and other rela...
Episode 149: Cathy Ladman
The writer (Roseanne) and standup (Tonight Show, Late Late Show w/Craig Ferguson) opens up about the controlling environment she was raised in, her professional anxieties especially about her age...
Episode 148: Matthew Walden
Although the writer/listener grew up in Hawaii, his childhood was far from paradise; enduring a cornucopia of PTSD, leaving him wondering what is real and what isn't. He also shares his obsessi...
Episode 147: Listener Amelia & Postpartum Depression
Amelia discusses her "nuclear" PMS (called PMDD), her first pregnancy and the pressures she felt for everything to be perfect and the crushing Postpartum Depression that followed. She also talk...
Episode 146: Chemda
The podcaster (Keith and the Girl) was raised in NY but born in Israel to a mother of Iraqi heritage and an Iranian father, both of whom had traditional expectations for their daughter, none of w...
Episode 145: Dr. David Lisak
Born in Montreal to a WWII widow, the clinical and forensic psychologist talks about the sexual abuse he experienced as a boy, the stigma and confusion adult male survivors grapple with and ultim...
Episode 144: Listener Seth
Raised by parents who talked about God a lot, the 29 year-old opens up about the hypocrisy he saw in a mom who couldn't parent him and a trucker dad who was either disappearing for months or deal...
Episode 142: Scott Thompson Live in Toronto
The comedian/actor/writer (Kids in the Hall, Larry Sanders, Hannibal) opens up about his childhood in Brampton Ontario, coming to terms with his sexuality and the bullying that eroded his self-es...
Episode 141: Susanna Brisk
Borderline Personality Disorder is often misunderstood. The blogger, author, performer and mom explains what it's like to live with, how to manage it and when it's most challenging. She also ...
Episode 140: Paraphilia & Self-Abuse - Listener "D"
The 28 year-old listener opens up about his familiy's history of avoiding emotions, his cries for help, struggling to live on $8/hour, his cutting and self-abuse and his shame over his paraphilia...
Episode 139: Adoption w/listener Julie J
Born to a drug-addict teenage mom, Julie was given up for adoption and raised by a stoic military dad and Fundamentalist mom whose obession with demons comes close to resembling the mother from "...
Episode 138: Johnny O
Paul's friend shares about being committed to a psych hospital at 17 over a breakup, discovering drugs (crack) and how to hustle money to feed his habit. Hitting bottom in the desert and the do...
Episode 137: Aisha Tyler Live at LAPodfest
The actress/writer/standup/podcaster/tv host joins Paul at LAPodfest in front of a live audience and discusses her outcast status as a child, where her drive comes from, growing to understand her...
Episode 136: Listener Juan Medina
The 26 year-old shares about emigrating to the U.S. from Mexico at 8, his fear of his father, "passing" for white, his body dysmorphia and the trouble feeling his feelings rather than shutting do...
Episode 135: Christina Jasberg
She was raised by a father with Schizo-Affective Disorder who would often break from reality. By her twenties she was battling the same disorder along with bulimia, anorexia and cutting. Hosp...
Episode 134: Transgender Listener "Pidgeon"
He is still physically female but has always identified as a male. He talks about what it means to be genderfluid or genderqueer as well as pansexual and the diffiult road in discovering who he...
Episode 133: Adrienne Selbert
Raised by attentive, loving parents she neverlheless grew up with a pervasive feeling of emptiness that she sought to soothe through relationships with men. In her words she, "Burnt her life t...
Episode 132: Listener Tom Seiniger
The 22 year-old opens up about the guilt and anxiety of growing up feeling like it was his duty to keep his mother out of her depression, even though she was emotionally incestuous with him, how ...
Episode 131: Co-Narcissism (a mini episode)
Paul reads an article written by Alan Rappoport PhD about Co-Narcissism, which he describes as a result of being raised by one or sometimes two narcissistic parents. See omnystudio.com/listener...
Episode 130: Cameron Esposito
The standup comedian (Late Night with Craig Ferguson) opens up about her conservative Catholic upbringing and coming to terms with being lesbian. She and Paul talk about bad porn, being turned ...
Episode 129: David Hirohama on Counseling Predators
The 3rd generation Japanese-American psychologist shares his experience and observations counseling sexual predators (rapists and child molesters) at Coalinga, a lockdown mental hospital in centr...
Episode 128: Alison Baziak
The 31 year-old listener ponders her low self-esteem, food issues, history of self-mutilation, compulsive spending and suicide attempts when her parents were "nothing but supportive". See omnystu...
Episode 127: Offspring of Holocaust Survivors
Two sons of Holocaust survivors, Michael Rozbruch and Amir Tiles sit down with psychotherapist Joel Schwartz whose grandparents are also survivors and they discuss the ripples of PTSD still felt ...
Episode 126: Therapist Susan Hagen Helps Paul & Listeners
The therapist who is also in recovery helps Paul and some listeners (via surveys) navigate their discomfort and confusion about their current issues. They discuss the cliched but effective too...
Episode 125: Vietnam Vet Randy Olea
A father/brother figure to Paul, the high-school teacher reflects on his Mexican heritage, violent upbringing, tour in Vietnam, stints as a bouncer at a Hell's Angels bar, and a Club Med guide, h...
Episode 124: Amber Tozer
The comedian (Last Comic Standing, Twitwits) talks her own alcoholism, her dad's awkward foray into lingerie photography, craving her mother's acceptance and understanding her own fluid sexuality...
Episode 123: Baron Vaughn
The actor/comedian (Conan, Jimmy Fallon, Comedy Central) talks about his struggle to feel "authentically black" without betraying who he is, the state of comedy in the black community, honing his...
Episode 122: Giving Up Her Baby - Valerie
Valerie, a listener talks about the painful decision she made to give her only son up for adoption years ago when she was 18 and living with her Catholic, divorced mother. See omnystudio.com/list...
Episode 121: Christian Finnegan
The standup comedian (Comedy Central Presents, Chapelle's Show, Best Week Ever, Countdown with Keith Olberman) opens up about the tragedy and parental mental illness that shaped his childhood and...
Episode 120: Aspergers - Listener Louise
Her childhood marked with social stress, being bullied, aggressiveness and severe digestive issues (including Barrett's Esophagus a condition involving acid reflux usually only found in adults) L...
Episode 119: Raped By His Sister - Tom
Raised by a Baptist preacher who frequently got run out of town and raped by his older sister starting when he was 4, "Tom" has had a lot to work through. A great episode about working through ...
Episode 118: Kulap Vilaysack returns!
The actor and podcaster (Who Charted?) returns to the podcast to talk about the struggle to keep a relationship with her mother whose gambling addiction has wreaked havoc on her family's life. Se...
Episode 117: Paul's Best Friend Dr. Mike Sebahar
The Intervential Pain Specialist has been Paul's best friend since 1982. They recount the evolotuion of their relationship, especially both dealing with the effects their father's alcoholism ha...
Episode 116: Listener Meghan P. Returns
Listener Meghan P. returns to talk about being diagnosed with "Psychotic Disorder Not Otherwise Specified" and the hospitalization that resulted from going off of her meds in anticipation of losi...
Episode 115: Ashly Burch
The writer and actress (Hey Ash, Whatcha' Playin?) and VO artist (Tiny Tina of Borderlands 2) opens up about the recent accidental overdose death of her boyfriend and the struggle to put her life...
Episode 114: Listener Michael D. and Breaking the Cycle of Abuse
Michael opens up about his teenage struggle to avoid dealing with his chaotic and abusive childhood by being extremely regimented, resulting in an eating disorder, punching himself, compulsive ex...
Episode 112: Child Protective Services Social Worker "Ray"
What is it like to be the government agent that has to physically investigate allegations of abuse or neglect and sometimes even remove children from a home? "Ray", a 3rd generation social work...
Episode 111: Karen Kilgariff Live in Portland
The actress (Mr. Show) and writer (The Ellen DeGeneres Show) shares about struggling to fit in, body shame, her alcoholism, her mother's Alzheimers, learning to accept her body and become vulnera...
Episode 110: Greg Behrendt Returns
The podcaster (Walking the Room), author (He's Just Not That Into You) and guitarist (The Reigning Monarchs) returns to discuss the mania, depression and paranoia that left him considering suicid...
Episode 109: Listener Claire Laffar
Claire shares about her bullied upbringing outside London with a neurotic mom and a mysterious, stoic dad prone to explosive fits of rage and how escaping into fantasy worlds, especially books, b...
Episode 108: Greg Fitzsimmons
The writer (The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Lucky Louie) comedian (Comedy Central, The Howard Stern Show) and podcaster (Fitzdog Radio) opens up about his tumultuous relationship with his late father, ...
Episode 107: Sara Benincasa
The writer (Agorafabulous!, XOJane.com, Vice.com) and performer (Comedy Central, MTV) talks about a popular friend's suicide in high school that informed much of her later life, her families hist...
Episode 106: Robert Patrick Lewis
The former Green Beret talks about his childhood in Texas, the loss of his adoptive mother, his tours in Afghanistan, Iraq and Africa, the injury that resulted in his getting a Purple Heart and l...
Episode 105: Ali Handal
The singer/songwriter guitarist talks to Paul about being a female guitarist in a male-dominated industry, her negative self-talk, fear of failure, workaholism, and why she stayed with a past boy...
Episode 104: Siblings/Listeners John & Megan Brehman
The siblings discuss growing up in an affluent but emotionally witholding household, and how their struggles with depression and her eating disorder ultimately brought them closer together. The...
Episode 103: Emily Gordon
The podcaster (Indoor Kids) and former licensed therapist opens up about her battle with Adult Onset Still's Disease, her mentally-ill grandmother, rebelling as an adolescent, being a woman in th...
Episode 102: Peter T
Paul's friend opens up about being adopted by a physically and sexually abusive paranoid schizophrenic mother, being a child actor and almost dying from AIDS. They talk about spirituality, Pete...
Episode 101: Stefanie Wilder-Taylor
The writer (I'm Kind of a Big Deal) podcaster (For Cryin' Out Loud) and tv host (Parental Discretion on Nick Mom) opens up about her alcoholism, bulimia, post partum depression, childhood and mar...
Episode 100: Brody Stevens
The actor (The Hangover, The Hangover 2) and standup comedian (Comedy Central Presents, Chelsea Lately, TMZ) talks about his very public manic episode in 2011, the blurry line between his onstage...
Episode 099: Jess
Paul's friend opens about her chaotic childhood, her abandonment issues, and the struggling to find words to categorize the sex she wanted and got at 12, from a 27 year-old man. She also talk a...
Episode 98: Ed Crasnick
The actor (The Sopranos), standup and podcaster (The Self-Help Comedy Hour) talks with Paul about his lifelong battle with anxiety and low self-esteem and the importance of welcoming fear instead...
Episode 097: Elizabeth Laime
The podcaster (Totally Laime and Totally Married) and aspiring writer chats with Paul about her idyllic upbringing, tragedy, loss, Xmas, porn, grieving and the sexualizing of today's youth. See o...
Episode 96: Escort/Prostitute Lillith
"Lillith" (not her real name) opens up to Paul about why she chooses to moonlight as an escort/prostitute, even though her day job pays the bills. She talks about living with a rapid cycling fo...
Episode 95: Maria Bamford
The groundbreaking comedian (Comedy Central Presents:, Comedians of Comedy, Sarah Silverman Program) and voiceover artist (Wordgirl, Adult Swim) talks about her lifelong battles with OCD, Unwante...