Dysfunction Junkies

Send us Fan Mail We are throwing it back to Season 1 Episode 40: Why are summer family gatherings sometimes easier to handle than winter ones? As we discover in this raw and revealing episode, it might simply be because you can escape to the backyard when things get tense. But even with more exit strategies, Fourth of July celebrations can still produce lasting trauma. Support the show Thank you f...

Send us Fan Mail We are throwing it back to Season 1 Episode 24, which was part 2 of our Funeral Episodes. Death may be universal, but funeral etiquette remains surprisingly complex territory—filled with unwritten rules and unexpected social landmines. We're diving deep into the politics of saying goodbye in this candid continuation of our funeral conversation. Support the show Thank you for...

Send us Fan Mail This week we are throwing it back to Episode 29, which is part 1 of our two-part Funeral Chat.  Death has a way of bringing out the complicated, messy, and sometimes absurd qualities in families – and nowhere is this more evident than at funerals. Kerry and Chrisy take listeners on a journey through the peculiar social dynamics that emerge when we gather to say goodbye to loved on...

Send us Fan Mail HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHRISY!  We are throwing it back to Season 1 Episode 29 where we share how Chrisy and Kerry's Birthdays tend to overlap with Father's Day and Mother's Day.  Be sure to tune in don't forget to give Chrisy a shout out on our Facebook page to wish her a Happy Birthday! #happybirthday #dysfunctionjunkiespodcast #fathersday Support the show Thank you...

Send us Fan Mail Mismatched socks, “inside shoes,” and the moment a shirt becomes permanently cursed after a bad day. If your closet feels like a mental health diary, you’re not alone. We get it. Our clothing rules are unhinged and oddly comforting. Hit play and confess: what item can you never wear again? #dysfunctionjunkiespodcast #mismatchsocks #insideshoes Support the show Thank you for listen...

Send us Fan Mail People don’t have to be “bad” to be wildly disruptive, they just have to be unaware. We’re back on our favorite theme, overpeopling, and we’re tracing the exact moments when public etiquette breaks down and your patience goes with it. We then take the chaos to the pool and hot tub, where shoes piled at the steps become a genuine safety hazard and hot tub culture gets… intense. Lis...

Send us Fan Mail Your birthday is supposed to feel like one day where you matter, so why does it sometimes feel like a test you’re destined to fail? On this Flashback Friday, we pull a thread that starts with Mother’s Day and Father’s Day timing and unravels into something bigger: the sting of being forgotten, the mess of family expectations, and the weird little rules we create to protect ourselv...

Send us Fan Mail A packed shuttle in Zion National Park is not the place to turn your river-soaked hiking shoes into a personal rinse station, but that’s exactly what happens to us and it kicks off one of those stories you can’t believe until you see it. Simultaneously, Parents are discussing wills and guardianship on the bus… while this dude’s wet boots and bare feet are inches away. If you’ve ev...

Send us Fan Mail Cinco de Mayo is supposed to be light, loud, and fun, but sometimes a date picks up a second meaning that never goes away. We talk about why May 5 can feel like a party and a memorial at the same time, and how we’ve learned to make space for both. “Cinco De Mama” becomes our way of honoring loss without losing our sense of humor. Tune in and tell us what’s your ideal Mother’s Day...

Send us Fan Mail It's a new month and a new Dysfunction Junkies C.A.R.E initiative. May is Lupus Awareness Month, we share easy ways to learn more and show support, including wearing purple and recognizing the butterfly symbol. If you want a trustworthy place to start, we point you to the Lupus Foundation of America at lupus.org, including resources that help you understand symptoms and advoc...

Send us Fan Mail A lot of people say they’re “animal lovers,” but love gets real when a pet stops being cute and starts needing structure, money, time, and a long-term plan. We go down the rabbit hole of dysfunctional pet ownership, from ordinary homes with dogs and cats to the risky world of exotic pets, and we ask the question that matters most: is this choice good for the animal or just excitin...

Send us Fan Mail Why do we remember Miss Susie Has A Steamboat forever, but not what we ate yesterday? We dig into classic folklore like Ring Around the Rosy and the plague theory behind its lyrics, plus the way other staples get linked to real events and power struggles. From Three Blind Mice and its grim imagery to Mary Mary Quite Contrary and the Bloody Mary rumors. Then we shift to the schooly...

Send us Fan Mail The map lit up and we are still trying to process it. Over the past month we picked up listeners from 14 new countries, with a huge burst in just 48 hours, and suddenly the Dysfunction Junkies Podcast is showing up in 39 countries and 311 cities worldwide. Thankful Sunday turns into a real time celebration of what it feels like when a small show starts traveling far beyond your ow...

Send us Fan Mail Moving, aging, and life changes eventually force almost everyone into a stressful rite of passage: finding a new doctor. On the Dysfunction Junkies Podcast, we talk through why switching providers can feel like dating, complete with first-impression nerves and that uneasy question of whether you can trust someone you just met. The patient experience shifts fast when you leave a fa...

Send us Fan Mail It's Flashback Friday and we are going back to Easter Season 1 Episode 26.  Pantyhose as a rite of passage might be the most unexpected Easter memory, but once we started pulling the thread, everything unraveled into the kind of nostalgia you can practically smell. If Spring Nostalgia Is Your Thing, This One’s For You. Listen And Drop Your Go To Easter tradition.  #dysfunctio...

Send us Fan Mail One bad kiss can end a romance, but what about a bad kiss plus a corner fart confession? We’re laughing through the kind of dysfunctional dating stories that feel too weird to be real, then realizing they’re exactly why so many of us still cringe at the words “first date.”  Listen To The Full Dysfunctional Dating Roundup Then Tell Us Your Worst Date Story? #Dysfunctionjunkiespodca...

Send us Fan Mail We follow the Easter Bunny origin from ancient fertility themes to the American Easter basket tradition.  And why are we putting our kids on a stranger’s lap in a creepy bunny suit? When did we normalize that? We unpack mall bunny anxiety, Easter holiday myths, and the stuff nobody says out loud. Listen, then drop your scariest Easter Bunny photo story? #Easter #Easterbunny #bunni...

Send us Fan Mail April Dysfunction Junkies CARE:  Autism comes up in conversation all the time, but “hearing the word” isn’t the same as understanding the people and families living it every day. For World Autism Month, we’re shining a light on the Autism Society of Greater Akron, a local organization doing practical, life-changing work across Northeast Ohio through advocacy, education, social pro...

Send us Fan Mail Microwaved candy bars in diapers. Toilet paper wrapped around a pregnant belly. A room full of people you half-know watching you open gifts you may not even need. We’ve both been to enough baby showers and bridal showers to admit it: a lot of “traditions” feel less charming with every year, and some of them are downright uncomfortable. We’re unpacking the most awkward traditions a...

Send us Fan Mail Twenty-four countries. That number still doesn’t feel real to us, and we had to hop on the mic for a Thankful Sunday to say it out loud and say thank you. From Wooster, Ohio to St. George, Utah, we’re proof you can build a podcast with friendship, consistency, and a willingness to show up exactly as you are, even when the camera turns on and YouTube becomes part of the plan. It&ap...

Send us Fan Mail Pajamas at a hotel breakfast buffet. Fluffy slippers in the grocery store. Boxer shorts in a public lobby. We’ve been traveling more, and we can’t stop noticing how fast “bed clothes” have become normal clothes. If you’ve ever wondered when public dress codes quietly disappeared, we’re right there with you, and we’re not trying to be fancy. We’re trying to understand what changed...

Send us Fan Mail Leprechaun “traditions” can get unhinged fast: green toilets, green marshmallows, and kid pressure. Our St. Patrick’s Day flashback is equal parts funny and horrifying. Listen and reply: parade or stay home? #dysfunctionjunkiespodcast #stpatricksday #flashbackfriday #blarneystone #irish #cornedbeef #ireland #leprechauns #podcast Support the show Thank you for listening.  Be sure t...

Send us Fan Mail Why do we cling to clutter we don’t even like? We dig into the history of spring cleaning, the emotions behind stuff, and smart ways to make progress without burning out. Ready to try one tiny change today? Which one? #dysfunctionjunkiespodcast #podcast #springcleaning #dysfunction #declutter #openthewindows Support the show Thank you for listening.  Be sure to check out our Faceb...

Send us Fan Mail Ever met a one-upper who turns every chat into a contest? Tired of “I had it worse” and “I knew that already”? We’ve got stories, humor, and practical scripts to spot narcissistic talk and keep your cool. Stream it now and share: what comeback actually worked for you? #dysfunctionjunkiespodcast #oneupper #narcissitictalk #ihaditworse  Support the show Thank you for listening.  Be...

Send us Fan Mail Happy March Dysfunction Junkies! It's time for another episode of Dysfunction Junkies CARE.  This month we are featuring Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah. If you love animals, you must tune in to learn more about this amazing organization. From Angel Canyon in Southern Utah to your couch: meet the sanctuary saving thousands of dogs, cats, and more—and how you can...