Mayim Bialik's Breakdown

Oliver Hudson, actor and fellow podcaster, joins us to discuss the nuance and evolution of family dynamics and how he overcame feeling like the black sheep of his famous family with the help of a pillow and a wiffle ball bat. Together, Mayim, Jonathan, and Oliver examine the ways that they give and receive love in the context of their own upbringings and sensibilities. To round off their discussio...

Dan Mathews, Writer and long-time activist with the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), openly celebrates his late mother, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia. Dan regales the audience with tales about his mother’s ability to form lasting and meaningful relationships, in spite of her challenges. Through their discussion of Dan’s mom, Mayim & Dan reexamine the modern conception of...

Alison Desir, athletic activist and counselor, blurs the line between mind and body through the integration of two of her passions: community based mental health and running. Mayim and Alison examine how running has fit into each other’s lives and how it has provided a meaningful coping mechanism to deal with life’s many stressors. Alison ends her segment with an amazing discussion on the black ex...

Moshe Kasher, stand-up comedian and author of Mayim’s favorite memoir ‘Kasher in the Rye,’ talks about his experience through childhood growing up with deaf parents and the mixed emotions of independence, embarrassment, and rage that came with it. Mayim and Moshe explore the idea of the chicken and the egg when it came to his therapy early in life; whether he was exposed to therapy because of exhi...

Hayley Williams, the Grammy Award winning singer and founder of Paramore, shares her personal experience of ‘getting out’ of a traumatic relationship and the mind-body connection she uncovered during the process. Mayim and Hayley connect over their shared choice of combat boots and disconnected enthusiasm in their previous weddings. Hayley opens up on her recent journey through intensive therapy a...

Back again this week with what is quickly becoming a fan favorite, the Bevisode! In this third installment we go a little meta with Bev breaking down her own episode... breaking down other guests’ episodes. Bev goes on to share her admiration for us getting a ‘down to earth’ millennial like Sofia Franklyn on the show along with her lack of enthusiasm for the mindful, philosophical conversation we...

Hunter McGrady, the lovely and talented trailblazer for plus size modeling, shares the ups and downs of her career including her journey to be on the cover of Sport Illustrated’s Swim Suit issue in nothing but body paint! Mayim and Hunter discuss the anxiety and depression that both men and women face in response to unrealistic societal body standards. Hunter opens up a dialogue on the important r...

Bev is back! This week we breakdown our recent episodes with Kunal Nayyar, Ricki Lake & Abby Epstein, Glennon Doyle, and Rick Doblin alongside Mayim’s mother Bev. After contemplating whether or not Kunal was deeply profound or just acting the part of ‘Buddha in Jeans,’ we tackle the idea of ageism in Bev’s critique on our first show addressing women’s health. We also discuss the idea of ‘self...

Wil Wheaton is a well seasoned actor, recognized for his work on The Big Bang Theory, Stand By Me, Star Trek: The Next Generation, and countless other classics. He joins us this week to talk about his lifelong battle with depression and anxiety. Mayim dives into the neuroscience behind depression and explores the importance of social support. Wil shares about growing up in the industry, his tumult...

Salman “Sal” Khan, acclaimed educator and philanthropist describes his journey through the educational system and his plans to change it for the better. Originally an analyst at a hedge fund, Sal decided to leave his cushioned career in order to focus on his true passion, education. This is when https://www.khanacademy.org/ was born. Mayim and Sal discuss his vision of a world where everyone has t...

Mayim and Brian discuss their life experiences and dissect Brian’s transformation from "nerd" to famous comedian and the impact of being a big man. Brian recounts his time working with Mayim on the Big Bang Theory and his excitement playing Dungeons and Dragons with Mayim and other members of the team! Mayim examines recent scientific research on the therapeutic potential of this socially engaging...

Elizabeth Bachner, acclaimed midwife, acupuncturist and healer, explains how her life was seemingly perfect on paper but simply didn’t feel right. By unraveling this thread, she was guided on a path of personal and spiritual transformation that many will relate to. Elizabeth brings her extensive exploration of Easter healing and Mayim and Elizabeth delve into the neuropsychological underpinnings o...

Oh boy, let’s see how this goes. Introducing the first of many to come, the Bevisode… where Mayim and her mother sit down to analyze previous episodes and how the topics within them relate to their shared and individual experience in life. This week Bev dissects a few core topics from some of our earliest releases. Namely, anxiety as it relates to Grace Helbig’s episode, honesty about depression s...

Mayim accompanies AJ along his journey from addiction to rehabilitation. Mayim and AJ discuss alcohol and substance use as an ongoing battle between sobriety and relapse. AJ goes into depth on the genesis of the Backstreet Boys and how his bandmates/friends helped him to see he needed help. Mayim and AJ talk about the pressures of growing up in the public eye and the difficulty of switching betwee...

Mayim opens up about her days on Blossom, how she started in the industry, and the huge pressures and expectations she faced. Jaleel discusses the path which led him to fame as a teenager and talks about what it was like to have so much power at a young age. Both experienced a sense of being owned by the industry and the public and share how they were trained to be deferential to adults. While the...

Mayim explains the benefits and historical role of meditation with her former colleague and UCLA PHD graduate buddy Sam Harris. Sam talks about his journey discovering mindfulness through an altered state as a teenager which led him to a life dedicated to encouraging others to get in touch with their base desires through a meditative practice. How do you unlink your thoughts and uncover patterns o...

Mayim brings out the introspective and reflective side of Sofia - one of the podcast world's biggest stars as they breakdown how she became the fierce, independent, and outspoken woman she is today. This spicy episode brings out Mayim's inner millennial as she and Sofia cover anxiety, boundaries, and sexual health. Sofia, an outspoken and at times unabashed spokeswoman for female sexual empowermen...

Mayim explains the neurobiology of trauma and reveals her own experience working to overcome a traumatic event. Rick details the ground-breaking research his lab is doing using MDMA to treat PTSD. Rick and Mayim discuss everything from the ancient cultural origins of psychedelics and explore the "unified mystical experience of oneness" that is often brought on through the use of this medicine. Ric...

Mayim gets starstruck and emotional talking with NYT best selling author, Oprah Book club alum, and featured Goop friend Glennon Doyle. Mayim and Glennon bond about the challenges of being publically vulnerable and the emotional toll it takes to share authentically. We discuss blended families, making relationships work, and how to improve communication when both parts of a couple are in recovery....

Mayim breaks down how the neurochemical basis of women's hormones and the impacts of the menstrual cycle on their bodies and minds. Mayim also covers how our understanding of women's health has changed over time, including a brief overview of what Freud got wrong. Activists Ricki Lake and Abby Epstein discuss their most recent project tackling the misperceptions about women's mental health related...

Mayim's reunion with Big Bang Theory co-star explores Kunal's childhood and path to becoming an actor - including getting punched in the face by Mark Harmon on NCIS. While Kunal is known for his acting, his instagram account Buddha in Jeans shares deep spiritual wisdom which Kunal brings with him to this episode. He discusses the importance of seeing past perception and shares how his experiences...

Cheyenne Jackson's journey began as a closeted musical-loving kid in a tiny town in Idaho. He has gone on to star in 7 broadway shows and a mirriade of film and TV projects.  He's currently co-starring as Mayim's love interest in their new Fox show Call Me Kat.  In this episode, Cheyenne opens up and shares touching stories on how sobriety helped him define his path as he navigated depression, anx...

Mayim Breaks down the chemical and environmental aspects of addiction and The Big Bang Theory actor John Ross Bowie shares his story of being an angry young man who turned to alcohol to numb his pain. This touching exploration of John's journey allows him to share aspects of his sobriety and his struggles as a father and actor which he had not previously explored.  BialikBreakdown.com YouTube.com/...

Bill Prady, co-creator of "The Big Bang Theory," discusses how he came up with the idea to make a show about socially challenged scientists. What many may not know is that Prady himself is on the autism spectrum. Mayim explains "neuro-a typical' and sensory overload, Bill opens up about his quirks and challenges and shares intimately about his journey from awkward child and teen to well-adjusted,...

Mayim breaks down how our overall stress can have real physical impacts and Iliza Shlesinger discusses being a female stand up comedian among men in her profession, how we as a society struggle to communicate, and how her hectic work life caught up with her in the form of debilitating nerve pain. This plus lots of jokes on Ep 3 of the show! BialikBreakdown.com YouTube.com/mayimbialik Learn more ab...