A Little Help For Our Friends

Message us here! Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a challenging syndrome of difficulty paying attention, staying organized, or controlling impulses. ADHD can cause a lot of problems in romantic relationships, both for the person diagnosed with ADHD and his or her partner without ADHD. In this episode, we discuss what ADHD is and how it's diagnosed, as well as the common issu...

Message us here! Panic attacks are some of the most intense, frightening emotional experiences and can make everyone involved feel completely helpless. They are overwhelming moments of intense anxiety that can make you feel like you are losing your mind or having a heart attack. In this episode, we discuss what panic attacks and panic disorder are and how to treat them. Dr. Paul Seli, professor of...

Message us here! ​We often think of anger as a huge problem, making us lose control and destroy our relationships. Although the ways we may express it can be problematic, anger is an important emotion that can protect us. In this episode, we discuss the reasons why we have anger, how anger can cause problems in our relationships, and how we can better manage it. Kibby and Jacqueline share our pers...

Message us here! Social anxiety is the hidden struggle of being terrified of making a new friend, going on a date, attending a party, or interviewing for a new job. Social interactions are a ubiquitous part of a life, so having a loved one who is anxious of meeting or talking to less familiar people can often be challenging. In this episode, we talk about what social anxiety disorder is and how it...

Message us here! We might think of psychedelics as the inspiration behind Flower power or Steve Jobs' visionary insights, but we would never guess that it would be the promise of new treatments for mental health. In this episode, we talk to Dr. Paul Seli, a cognitive psychologist from Duke University, about the new efforts to understand how psychedelics like psilocybin and LSD can improve dep...

Message us here! How do we know if we're in a codependent relationship? In this episode, we discuss what is codependency and how you can tell if you are in a codependent relationship or in a normal relationship with a healthy amount of dependency. Jacqueline shares a friend's description of her codependent family and we discuss how to identify and remove yourself from such relationships....

Message us here! In this special episode, Zac Clark from ABC's "Bachelorette" joins us for an in-depth interview on recovery from alcohol and drug abuse. He shares stories and lessons from his journey through addiction to recovery, especially the important role his loved ones played in this process. He also shares his passion for helping others struggling with addiction through his...

Message us here! Many of us have had the terrifying experience of talking with a loved one who is considering suicide and not knowing how to help. Some of us have even lost friends and family to suicide and felt a staggering range of emotions from despair to anger to intense anxiety. Often these reactions leave us feeling guilty and ashamed. Kibby discusses her own recent experience of losing some...

Message us here! Instead of setting New Years resolutions, we're learning how to live in line with our values for 2021. In this episode, we discuss how we understand "values" in contemporary cognitive behavioral therapies and how to get back in touch with them. Kibby helps Jacqueline clarify her values to show how we would approach this topic with our therapy clients. For more info,...

Message us here! In this pandemic winter, loneliness has weighed more heavily on all of us this holiday season. In this episode, we discuss coping with feeling lonely, whether it's because of a temporary state of being socially isolated, a recent loss of important relationships, or a more long-standing pattern of disconnection from others. Jacqueline and Kibby talk about their experiences tre...

Message us here! Are you dating someone who simultaneously draws you in yet keeps you at arms length? Thinks the world of him/herself yet crumbles at any criticism?  Puts themselves on display yet hides themselves? You might be with someone who has pathological levels of narcissism. Having an ego and self-esteem is normal and healthy, but some loved ones struggle with them so much that it can be c...

Message us here! Depression is one of the most common psychiatric disorders, but it continues to confuse, frustrate, and elude the people around those who suffer from it. In this episode, we talk about how depression is not just a mood, but an illness that affects the way people engage with their goals, relationships, and themselves. Jacqueline shares her personal struggles with depression. We als...

Message us here! Requested by our lovely audience, we delve deeper into the topic of setting boundaries with our loved ones struggling with mental health issues. In the past few episodes, we have emphasized the need to use empathy/validation (check out episode 5) while setting boundaries to manage these difficult relationships. But how do we even do that? In this episode, we discuss the nuances of...

Message us here! Recent events like the Me Too Movement, Black Lives Matter, and the pandemic have brought awareness to the many faces of trauma and its ripple effects on our lives. Although we may feel compassion for our loved ones who are trauma survivors, it can be a uniquely challenging experience to be close to someone struggling with symptoms of trauma. In this episode, we describe what trau...

Message us here! In this time of social distancing and national divisions, empathy is needed more than ever. Empathy is the ability to perceive, understand, and react to other people's emotions. In this episode, we talk about the different types of empathy and how lacking empathy in relationships can relate to mental health problems. We share tips from clinical science (e.g. Kibby's diss...

Message us here! Quarantining with our romantic partners has been a gift for some of us, a challenge for others. What kinds of relationships have thrived in the pandemic and which ones have suffered? In this episode, we will draw upon attachment theory to discuss how to understand and navigate the unique challenges romantic relationships face during this pandemic. For more info, check out: www.ali...

Message us here! Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a serious psychiatric illness that can be especially challenging for loved ones suffering from this disorder. In this episode, we share insights from the BPD literature to understand what this disorder is and how it develops in the first place. This episode features a special guest speaker, Dr. Zachary Rosenthal from Duke University who is...

Message us here! Some of us have noticed that our roommates, loved ones, or friends have started drinking or using drugs more during COVID-19. Has it become a problem? If so, what do we do? In this episode, we outline the DSM criteria for substance abuse and discuss our own struggles with loved ones who suffered from severe alcoholism. We discuss the importance of boundaries, managing expectations...

Message us here! COVID-19 and resultant quarantine have led to job loss, separation, boredom, and a whole lot of uncertainty about the future. In this episode, we discuss Dialectical Behavioral Therapy's IMPROVE skills as a way we might help your friends who are suffering from COVID-related anxiety and depression. We end with a focused discussion on meaning, especially through the work of Hol...