Dysfunction Junkies

Send us Fan Mail A spotless living room, a perfect bow on every problem, and a smile that never cracks—early TV taught us that’s what family looks like. Then the 70s kicked the door open. We trade tidy myths for the glorious mess of All in the Family, Mary Tyler Moore, MASH, Good Times, and the gleeful chaos of The Love Boat and Fantasy Island. By the end, we answer a simple question with layered...

Send us Fan Mail It's Thankful Sunday. The heart of the episode beats in our thank-yous. Moving states takes stamina, and we spotlight the people who made it happen: southern Utah’s Sonya Stauffer and Northeast Ohio–Pennsylvania’s Malinda Koncar, two realtors who navigated details, deadlines, and the unexpected with calm and care. We also shout out Letters by Lantern Light for bringing weekly...

Send us Fan Mail Ever look at a deli case and wonder who actually buys that speckled mystery loaf? We’re taking a no-filter tour through the “dysfunctional” foods that fed our families and shaped our taste buds: the buttermilk sipped straight from a glass, the kombucha and kefir bubbling like science projects, and the deli counter icon we love to fear—Dutch loaf. From pig’s feet in jars to scrappl...

Send us Fan Mail It's Flashback Friday and we flashback to our #1 downloaded episode our first Valentine's Day Episode.  With Love, Enjoy! #dysfunctionjunkiespodcast #loveisintheair #love  Support the show Thank you for listening.  Be sure to check out our Facebook and Instagram pages for additional content. We often post polls and other questions for your feedback.  We would love to hea...

Send us Fan Mail Freeze outside, warm up inside. We take Valentine’s Day back from the crowded prix fixe grind and rebuild it around ease, laughter, and real connection. From indoor picnics on a blanket to a surprisingly perfect date at a local cooking school, we share practical ways to skip the chaos and keep all the romance. If you’ve been burned by limited menus, rushed service, and too-loud di...

Send us Fan Mail What if the place you grew up quietly shaped your quirks, your coping skills, and even the stories you tell about yourself? We dig into city stress, country isolation, and suburban conformity with candid personal stories that reveal how environment becomes behavior. From food deserts and limited green space to long rural bus rides and stained uniforms from well water, we unpack ho...

Send us Fan Mail Hello February!  Junkies you know what that means, a new month, a new Dysfunction Junkies CARE. This month we are supporting the American Heart Association. Since the American Heart Association was founded in 1924, deaths from cardiovascular diseases have been cut in half. But heart disease remains the leading cause of death, and there's still so much more to do. Together, we...

Send us Fan Mail What if your first serious love is still influencing how you fight, forgive, and choose today? We dig into the invisible blueprints early relationships leave behind, the “reason, season, lifetime” lens that reframes past marriages, and the messy, beautiful work of rewriting patterns with intention. Along the way, a long-lost box of wedding photos turns into a masterclass in bounda...

Send us Fan Mail New pins on the map, new stories to tell, and a big life change that’s about to shake up our routine—in the best way. We kick off Thankful Sunday by shouting out a wave of new listeners from Germany to Japan, plus fresh U.S. cities that found the Dysfunction Junkies and hit play. Japan rocketed into our top four overnight, and we unpack why a sudden binge listen can reshape a show...

Send us Fan Mail Ever wonder why some friends fade while others feel like home? We break down reason, season, and lifetime friendships—and how your circle shapes your life. Listen now and audit your friend group with us. Who’s your root friend? #besties #friends #bff #reasonseasonlifetime #yourtribe #mypeeps Support the show Thank you for listening.  Be sure to check out our Facebook and Instagram...

Send us Fan Mail It's Flashback Friday and we go back to Season 1 Episode 13: Naughty or Nice. Enjoy and let us know are you a Chrisy or a Kerry on the Naughty or Nice spectrum. #dysfunctionjunkiespodcast #naughtyornice Support the show Thank you for listening.  Be sure to check out our Facebook and Instagram pages for additional content. We often post polls and other questions for your feedb...

Send us Fan Mail This week on the Dysfunction Junkies Podcast: Static shocks, zipper scars, and a bell-bottom bike crash. We unpack the fashion fails that shaped our childhoods and why some clothes still sabotage comfort and confidence. Listen now and tell us: which outfit haunts your memories? #dysfunctionjunkiespodcast #bellbottoms #mchammerpants  Support the show Thank you for listening.  Be su...

Send us Fan Mail Ever feel trapped by a noisy mind? We unpack mental clutter, sleep struggles, and why letting go creates real freedom. Hear candid stories, practical tips, and a book rec that sparked change. If you’re ready to trade constant rumination for calm focus, this conversation brings empathy, humor, and tools you can use tonight. Subscribe, share this episode with a friend who needs a qu...

Send us Fan Mail A new year calls for grounded action, not just good intentions. This month for Junkies Care we’re shining a light on Samaritan’s Purse—an international relief nonprofit known for getting to crises fast and staying long enough to help families rebuild. From field hospitals after hurricanes to clean water systems in conflict zones, we walk through how readiness, logistics, and trust...

Send us Fan Mail Confetti says “big night,” but our hearts often want something smaller, saner, and kinder. If you’ve ever felt out of step with the countdown culture, you’re not alone. Come for the candid stories, stay for the better ideas: lower-pressure plans, safer choices, and rituals that make the night yours. If this resonates, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs a softer New...

Send us Fan Mail It's Flashback Friday.  We flashback to Big Bertha and the 7 Fishes episode. The sparkle fades, the lights glare, and the house suddenly feels too quiet—so we leaned into the holiday afterglow and compared notes on what actually makes this season work. We kick off with the mood on December 26 and the great decoration debate: keep the glow through New Year’s or pack it up fast...

Send us Fan Mail Snow, lights, cookies… and questions we usually avoid. We pull back the tinsel to explore how the Santa story shapes trust, behavior, and values, and why so many of us remember the joy of belief but not the awkward in-between. The conversation gets real, candid, and funny as we test which parts of the myth build wonder—and which parts quietly train compliance. Things turn intrigui...

Send us Fan Mail A simple idea turned into a wide‑open map: listeners from London to Lima, West Valley City to Riverview, are pressing play and helping this community grow in ways we can see and celebrate. We trace that journey with real places and real names, pausing to shout out the towns that showed up this week, and the countries pushing us forward—17 so far, with the UK rising and South Ameri...

Send us Fan Mail Did Kerry Suffer?  Well, the “perfect” Christmas took a nosedive—three times. We brought home a gorgeous live tree, filled the stand with sugared water, and watched the branches settle like a promise… until gravity introduced itself to our slanted old floors. What followed was equal parts comedy and gut-punch: sticky wood, late-night triage, and heirloom ornaments that didn’t surv...

Send us Fan Mail Holiday chaos feels different when the gift list is short, shipping is smarter, and the advent calendar has whiskey. Listen to this week's episode, come for the laughs, leave with real gift ideas and cookie strategy. Which cookie must make the tray this year? #adventcalendars #holidaybaking #christmascookies #lettersbylanternlight #kolachi #dysfunctionjunkiespodcast Support t...

Send us Fan Mail The holidays promise wonder, but the calendar creep can quietly turn December into a performance. Remember when holidays felt simple? We break down how Elf on the Shelf and early decor timelines hijack our brains, budgets, and sleep. Listen now and tell us: keep the elf or call it quits? #dysfunctionjunkiespodcast  #elfonashelf  #menschonabench #dwarfinadrawer #christmasdysfunctio...

Send us Fan Mail We open the month by focusing on the Akron Canton Regional Food Bank, a regional engine that turns dollars into fresh produce, pantry staples, and lifelines for neighbors across northeast Ohio. With more than 600 partner pantries and programs, 11,000 volunteers, and a facility that runs like a clean, efficient warehouse built for care, this team moves over 40 million pounds of foo...

Send us Fan Mail Stuffing or dressing, real tree or fake, canned cranberry or homemade—choose your fighter. We share fails, fixes, and a must‑watch holiday list. Listen and weigh in: which hill are you dying on this Thanksgiving? #dysfunctionjunkiespodcast #holidays #thanksgiving #familydysfunction Support the show Thank you for listening.  Be sure to check out our Facebook and Instagram pages for...

Send us Fan Mail It's Thankful Sunday! Gratitude meets chaos: we shout out listeners in 15 countries, plot Thanksgiving sanity, and invent a “farmtini.” Hear the sauerkraut love story and a hilarious city‑name struggle.  Support the show Thank you for listening.  Be sure to check out our Facebook and Instagram pages for additional content. We often post polls and other questions for your feed...

Send us Fan Mail Ever doomscroll social media at 3 a.m.? We confess our favorite reels: chaotic fart pranks, baby hippos, Gen X anthems, and cooking roasts. See what we binge then tell us what you binge and what we should make next. Dance? Pets? Pranks? Listen to this week's episode and weigh in—what’s your guilty scroll? #marsthepygmyhippo #rhettandlink #holdernessfamily #gerrybrooks #EZSMB...