Brain vs Me™

Send a text  What looks like responsibility isn’t always responsibility. Sometimes it’s avoidance with better language. In this episode, Josh walks through a familiar pattern: delaying action not because of laziness or confusion, but because starting would make something real. Using performance reviews as the entry point, he explores how intelligent, self-aware people get stuck negotiating with di...

Send a text For months, I told myself I wasn’t avoiding the gym.  I was “preparing.” Because preparation feels productive. Avoidance feels lazy. In this episode of Brain vs. Me , I talk about why walking into the gym was harder than the workout itself — and how anxiety turns simple actions into psychological obstacle courses. This isn’t a fitness episode. It’s a story about uncertainty, visibility...

Send a text For a long time, I thought changing therapists meant something went wrong.  That I failed. That therapy failed. That I was starting over. It turns out, it meant I was paying attention. In this episode of Brain vs. Me , I talk about changing therapists without turning it into a crisis — not quitting therapy, not rejecting the past, but evolving as your needs change. I break down how DBT...

Send a text Depression doesn’t always look like sadness.  Sometimes it looks like numbness, exhaustion, self-doubt, and quietly pulling away from your own life. In this episode of Brain vs. Me , Joshua Erickson talks about the quiet version of depression — the kind that doesn’t announce itself, doesn’t feel dramatic, and often goes unnoticed until it’s already settled in. This isn’t a clinical bre...

Send a text  For a long time, Josh believed that being different meant something was wrong with him. Being too sensitive, thinking too much, reacting differently — all of it got framed as damage instead of wiring. In this episode, he explores how easily difference gets labeled as broken, how diagnoses and assumptions turn into identities, and the cost of trying to be “normal.” This isn’t about fix...

Send a text  Burnout isn’t about being tired — it’s about erosion. In this episode, Josh breaks down what burnout actually feels like once you’re past exhaustion and into numbness. Drawing from years of overwork, content creation, and ignoring his own warning signs, he talks about how burnout hides behind productivity, how passion can mask depletion, and why pushing harder only accelerates the cra...

Send a text You’re listening to the Brain vs Me podcast - A show about the moments your brain gets ahead of you — usually before you’re ready. Here’s your host, Joshua Ericson. Thanks for listening to The Brain vs Me Podcast. If you enjoyed this and want to keep up, follow or subscribe to the show.  You can leave a comment, ask a question, or share the episode wherever you’re listening. If you’d l...

Send a text  Being “on” all the time isn’t confidence — it’s performance. In this episode, Josh talks about the exhaustion that comes from constantly masking, performing, and showing up as a version of yourself you think other people want. From work to relationships to content creation, he explores how wearing masks drains your social battery, distorts identity, and quietly erodes mental health. T...

Send a text  At some point, being dependable stopped being a choice and started becoming an expectation. In this episode, Josh talks about the hidden cost of being “the reliable one” — the person who holds it together, absorbs stress, and never asks for anything back. He explores how reliability turns into a role, how strength becomes a contract, and why people who support everyone else often end...

Send a text  It didn’t start as jealousy. It started as measurement. In this episode, Josh unpacks a subtle but familiar moment: when someone impressive enters the room and curiosity quietly turns into threat assessment. Using an interview as the entry point, he explores how insecurity shows up before behavior ever does, why the brain mistakes competence for competition, and how leadership can shi...

Send a text  For a long time, Josh tried to understand how he felt by thinking harder. But by the time the thoughts showed up, the damage was usually already done. In this episode, he explores the difference between what the body notices first and how the brain rushes in to explain it afterward. From elevated heart rate to shallow breathing, this is a grounded look at how early physical signals ge...

Send a text  We don’t just imagine conversations before they happen — we replay them long after they’re over, refining responses, adjusting tone, and convincing ourselves we’re “preparing.” In this episode, Josh explores how mental rehearsal masquerades as readiness, why our brains use imaginary conversations to avoid uncertainty, and the quiet cost of living in rehearsals instead of real moments....

Send a text  Progress in therapy doesn’t move in straight lines—it loops, stalls, and sometimes backtracks entirely. In this episode, Josh explores the emotional whiplash of doing the work, only to feel like you're starting over again. From breakdowns that feel like failure to breakthroughs that show up disguised as panic, this episode is a brutally honest look at what it means to heal in rea...

Send a text Ever feel like you're still functioning but completely numb inside? This week on Brain vs Me™ , we dive into the quiet version of depression—the one that doesn’t look dramatic, but slowly wears you down. It's the kind where your coping skills stop working, joy feels like a distant memory, and getting through the day feels like emotional quicksand. We talk about: What “high-fu...

Send a text Ever tried to send one email and ended up deep into jellyfish documentaries and reorganizing your sock drawer? Same. This episode of Brain vs Me dives into what it’s really like living with ADHD—the full-body panic, the productivity spirals, the emotional whiplash, and the weird superpower of hyperfocus that never shows up when you actually need it. We’re not here to talk about the “qu...

Send a text Marriage and parenting are full-time jobs—with no training, no pay, and coworkers who are somehow always sticky. In this episode, Josh dives into the messy, beautiful, occasionally soul-crushing chaos of family life. From folding-clothes fights in marriage counseling to kids melting down over “spicy bananas,” nothing is off-limits. You’ll hear: How mental health affects marriages (even...

Send a text Ever been praised at work while secretly falling apart? That surreal moment when someone says, "You're killing it," and all you want to do is cry—because it confirms your worst fear: no one can tell you're drowning. This episode dives into the high-functioning burnout trap —when professional performance becomes a mask for spiraling mental health. You’re answering em...

Send a text You walk into therapy expecting a few tips and tricks… and suddenly you’re crying about something from third grade. Welcome to the weird, awkward, deeply uncomfortable magic of therapy. In this episode, Josh explores the myths, spirals, and quiet breakthroughs that come with finally asking for help. From the emotional whiplash of opening up to a stranger, to the awkward silence that so...

Send a text Welcome to Brain vs Me—a podcast for overthinkers, ADHD minds, and anyone who’s ever spiraled over a text message. In this episode, host Joshua Ericson introduces the show, the chaos behind it, and what you can expect going forward. Part therapy rant, part comedic breakdown, this debut is raw, honest, and occasionally absurd. Inside: Why overthinking can feel like a courtroom drama sta...