Cryin' & Tryin': The Comprehensive Guide to Cultivating Emotional Intelligence in a F*&%ed Up World

In this continuation of the discussion on psych meds, Lex shares what changes they have made over the past few months and how it has affected them. --- These resources are for listeners in the US: 😭 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Suicide Prevention Hotline⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ : 988 or 1-800-273-8255, call or text 😭 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Crisis Text Line⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ : Text HOME to 741741 😭 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ NAMI National Warmlines⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (text lines and phone lines...

Lexi and their friend Oliver explore the nuance behind the idea that "nobody wants to work." They talk about inhumane working conditions, how capitalism keeps us so busy it makes it difficult to do anything but work, and the idea that we are meant for more than a 40 hour work week. These resources are for listeners in the US: 😭 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Suicide Prevention Hotline⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ : 988 or 1-800-273-...

In this episode, Lexi reflects on an IFS therapy session in which they spent a lot of time noticing their emotions. They introduce an app, linked below, that is helping with these first steps of emotional regulation: recognizing and labeling the feelings. ----- Resources from this episode: 😭 How We Feel App 😭 ⁠RULER Method⁠ 😭 ⁠Mood Meter for Kids⁠ 😭 ⁠Feelings wheel These resources are for list...

In the continuation of the No Bad Parts mini-series, host, Lex, discusses a recent therapy session in which they and their therapist chose to treat work like a relationship. Lex shares what they have had difficulty with in regards to this specific metaphor and how this is only the beginning of their journey through Parts Work. --- These resources are for listeners in the US: 😭 ⁠⁠⁠⁠ Suicide Preven...

In this episode, Lexi and their bestie Sam discuss the basics of medication for depression and anxiety while sharing their personal medication journeys. The friends discuss how medication can help to strengthen neural pathways and how it can help dig you out of your hole. Resources for this episode: 😭 Drug Treatment for Depression on WebMD 😭 Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) by the...

In this episode, Lex does some independent "parts work" regarding their communication patterns with their partner. TW: Childhood sexual assault (CSA) and grooming mention at 21:50. Resources for this episode: 😭 Machismo Definition 😭 Paper on Machismo and Negative Cognitive Emotional Factors These resources are for listeners in the US: 😭 ⁠⁠ Suicide Prevention Hotline⁠⁠ : 988 or 1-800-2...

In this minisode, Lex reflects on how everything feels like it's hitting all at once. A lot of feelings come to the surface including anger, fear, and feeling overwhelmed as they process returning from time off, handling peak season, and physical health in addition to mental health difficulties. If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please get help immediately. The resources...

In the season 5 opener, Lex reflects on a therapy session where they realized that they are in survival mode and escalated all the time, and how that makes it difficult for them to acknowledge and feel multiple feelings at the same time. --- Resources from this episode: 😭⁠⁠ ⁠ No Bad Parts ⁠ : Healing Trauma and Restoring Wholeness with the Internal Family Systems Model by Richard Schwartz (I'...

In this episode, Lexi breaks down their recent breakdown, AGAIN! Lately, they've been feeling overwhelmed and burnt out and their central nervous system is on overdrive, causing Lexi to be more reactive than usual. Lexi walks listeners through the experience, what they were feeling, and the reflection that followed, ultimately realizing that much of their emotional dysregulation comes from a l...

In this episode, Lexi breaks down their recent breakdown! Lately, they've been feeling overwhelmed and burnt out and their central nervous system is on overdrive, causing Lexi to be more reactive than usual. Lexi walks listeners through the experience, what they were feeling, and the reflection that followed. --- If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please get help immediate...

**DISCLAIMER: The audio quality on this episode is less than stellar. We did an impromptu voice memo while it was raining on our camping trip. I have tried to clean up the audio as much as I can, so I apologize if it's difficult to understand. Will include a transcript as soon as I am able!** While camping in the mountains with no service, Lexi and their best friend Sam talk about one reason w...

In today's modern cancel culture, it seems the public is more willing to doxx marginalized folks, specifically Black people whom they disagree with, when white people saying similar things don’t receive nearly the same level of backlash. In this episode, Lexi highlights three specific instances over the past 6 months or so that involved a Black mental health care provider has been dog-piled af...

In the third installment of Scout’s breakdown of vis favorite tracks from Sufferer’s self titled EP, Lexi and Scout talk about track #7, “Nocturne.”

In this episode, Lexi reflects on the burdens that society has placed on their shoulders in regards to lifetime milestones. They struggle with feelings that they are unloved and a failure because they haven't checked the boxes of buying a house, getting married, and having kids. These feelings have come back with a vengeance around Lexi and Alex's 7 year anniversary, and Lexi shares a recent anecd...

Internal Family Systems is the modality of therapy that Lexi and their therapist use, and it's mantra is that all parts are welcome and there are no bad parts. In this episode, Lexi explores bringing attention to the different parts of their whole self and the feelings and emotions they bring with them. Lexi shares a poem that was impactful in their own healing, and shares a post-therapy sessi...

This music therapy minisode is a continuation of the last one, where Lexi and their friend Scout talk about, "Ache," the sixth track on Sufferer's self-titled album. This minisode ended up being an hour long as two autistic buds gushed about one of their favorite pieces of art. As a result, this is part of a minisode series. ----- Would you like to be part of the show? Do you have a...

The internet was in full debate mode recently when Sarah Brady, Jonah Hill's ex girlfriend, shared text message exchanges between her and Hill that she labeled as "emotionally abusive." A lot of people saw these texts as what they were and called it out as emotional abuse, while many others responded incredulously that this behavior was normal in a relationship. In the episode, Lexi...

Capitalism is designed to keep the poor poor, while making the rich richer. One of the tenets of capitalism is keeping the lower class in debt as a way to unequally distribute power. In America, wealth directly correlates to power, and when an entire generation is fed the lie that "going to college will make you successful," only to come out the other end in crippling student debt in a s...

There are so many things we should be doing to be considered successful adults: working, socializing, saving for the future, work on relationships, among other personal responsibilities. Personally, I'm trying to build some small businesses and get back in touch with what I want to be doing, not what society says I should be. But I am always exhausted. I work long days just to get home in time...

In this minisode, Lexi's friend Scout shares an album that holds a special place in vir heart - Sufferer's self titled album. This minisode ended up being an hour long as two autistic buds gushed about one of their favorite pieces of art. As a result, this will be a minisode series. In the first part, Scout and Lexi discuss the album in general. ----- Would you like to be part of the show?...

In this minisode, Lexi explores feelings of inadequacy and demotivation when they're still depressed despite "doing all the right things" to help them get out of their funk. ----- Would you like to be part of the show? Do you have a Menty B or some music therapy you want to share? Submit your own minisode idea at this link or send a voice message, email, or DM! ----- If you or someon...

We all turn to friends for advice and venting. How do we discern when we've crossed the line, or are close to, and are relying on our friend solely for their free emotional labor? In this episode, Lexi and their best friend Sam discuss how they navigate being the "therapy friend" and setting boundaries while still helping their friends as much as possible. ___ Resources from today&#3...

In the Season 3 finale, Lexi shares some analogies that they've used to help change the way they look at their mental health and taking care of themselves. Resources from today's episodes: ⁠⁠⁠ 😭 ⁠Lexi's plant app 😭 "Emotional Growth: A Gardening Analogy" by John Mathews ___ These resources are for listeners in the US: 😭 ⁠⁠ Suicide Prevention Hotline⁠⁠ : 1-800-273-8255 😭 ⁠...

The world is dying, catastrophic weather events are happening constantly, and the future is scary. Even though climate change could be significantly impacted if major corporations did their part, they pass the buck to the individual over and over again. Over time, we start to internalize that it's our fault if the environment gets worse... but is that true? In this episode, Lexi shares how the...

In this minisode, Lexi practices some metacognition in the moment when they have an intense reaction to a very mild response from their therapist. ----- Would you like to be part of the show? Do you have a Menty B or some music therapy you want to share? Submit your own ⁠minisode idea at this link⁠ or send a voice message, email, or DM! ----- If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts,...