Inside Mental Health

Dating apps are the most popular way to find romance in America. However, many people believe they cause more issues than they resolve. Some experts have opined that apps can exacerbate feelings of loneliness and rejection, for example. Also, a contingent of people have not tried them and are suspicious about how they work. Join us as Michael Kaye from OkCupid shares some tips for success and what...

In 1980, about 1 in 100 children in the US were taking psychiatric medications. Today, that number is 1 in 10. Even more shockingly, 1% of 3-year-olds in the US are taking psychiatric medications. Across the board, 1 in 5 Americans takes daily psychiatric medications, including antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, mood stabilizers, and sleeping pills — and these numbers continue to rise.  Pr...

In 1980, about 1 in 100 children in the US were taking psychiatric medications. Today, that number is 1 in 10. Even more shockingly, 1% of 3-year-olds in the US are taking psychiatric medications. Across the board, 1 in 5 Americans takes daily psychiatric medications, including antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, mood stabilizers, and sleeping pills — and these numbers continue to rise.  Pr...

Is your child acting entitled and selfish? Are you worried they are showing signs of narcissism? Some warning signs can include constantly wanting to be the center of attention, never compromising, and continually insisting that things can only be their way.  However, as a parent, how can you tell the difference between a budding narcissist and a child throwing a tantrum? After all, healthy childr...

Everyone wants to be happy, but reaching that goal is quite complicated. For example, what does happiness even look like for you? Many of us haven’t defined it in our own minds. Then we get to more complex questions like, is it even possible for humans to truly be happy?   Join us as noted voice-over talent, podcaster, and actress Randye Kaye explains that our goal shouldn’t be happiness; it shoul...

Join us for a wide-ranging conversation about the power of positive thinking, the mind-body connection, and the realization that many of our limits are self-imposed. Dr. Langer even helps our host with some of his own insecurities and answers the question: "can positive thinking improve hearing loss and the need for glasses?" Dr. Ellen Langer is known as the “mother of mindfulness” and was the fir...

Comedian Liz Glazer and her wife experienced the trauma of their daughter, Leo Pearl, being stillborn at 33 weeks. Liz explains that, “Leo existed, but she never lived.” As a way to process this trauma, she did what she knows best and made a comedy album about the experience.   Join us as Liz shares a vulnerable and practical firsthand look at the experience and explains why she decided to make th...

Originally designed to treat diabetes, GLP-1 analogs are now prescribed as weight loss medications. But is this a good idea and should parents allow their kids to try this if they want to lose weight? Can these drugs increase the rates of eating disorders among young people? Diet pills have been around for decades and historically have been pulled from the market after noting serious side effects....

One day last fall, multiplatinum recording artist K.Flay woke up deaf in her right ear — hearing loss that she later learned was permanent. Suddenly losing half your hearing is traumatic for anyone, but what if you make your living as a musician? The only thing our guest, K.Flay, could think to do was head to the studio and start making music, which was difficult with all the sensory changes she w...

What is critical race theory and why does it make some people so uncomfortable? Join us as today’s guest, Dr. Joanne Lunceford, explains the legacy of slavery and the systems that were built during that era that are still with us almost 200 years after the Emancipation Proclamation.   Dr. Lunceford has a deep understanding that while no one currently alive has ever owned or been a slave, the legac...

We all have people with “high conflict personalities” (aka jerks) in our lives. They are the people we have to walk on eggshells around, the ones who are always instigating an argument or causing drama. So how should you deal with them? Do you have to cut them out of your life or just reconcile yourself to being at war forever? And what if one of these people is in a position of authority, like yo...

Quelling anxiety and relaxing are common reasons people give for smoking or vaping. But is that really possible? Will nicotine help relieve anxiety or other mental health conditions? Robin Koval, CEO and President of Truth Initiative, discusses the nuances between vaping and smoking and their impact on mental health and anxiety. We also delve into some common beliefs about nicotine and answer the...

Many people believe that young children and preteens are incapable of dying by suicide. However, it's important to understand that it isn’t just teenagers and adults who struggle with suicidality — young children, including 7- ,8-, and 9-year-olds, can also feel this way.   But how do you even begin to talk about a subject like suicide to children so young? Join us as today’s guest, a pediatrician...

There are lots of books written by doctors aiming to help people manage mental illness or families help their loved ones — all from a purely medical perspective. But today’s guest, NAMI's Dr. Ken Duckworth, wrote a book that, in part, shares the collected wisdom of regular people living with mental illness as well as the perspective of their family and friends. Join us as we discuss the National A...

A few decades after Max J. Friedman’s parents died, his grandson wanted to understand more about the family, including his grandparents, a pair of Holocaust survivors who met in a Swedish refugee camp. Friedman realized he knew very little about who his parents really were, especially about their lives before they met one another. They never spoke of their lives before the Holocaust and very littl...

Why do so many former NFL players seem to have mental health concerns when they retire? Could we be doing more to address their emotional needs during their playing days, and if we did, do they have the tools to take action? Former NFL player Derek Price became a doctor after retiring from play and now heads up Sierra Tucson, one of the nation’s largest mental health treatment centers in the count...

Why would someone cheat on their spouse? Would it surprise you to learn that according to Johns Hopkins University and Ashley Madison (yes, that Ashley Madison), the answer is not as simple as wanting more sex or being dissatisfied in the relationship.  New research tells us that the reasons vary from emotional connection to ego boosting to seeking adventure. But wanting to break up with a romanti...

We’ve all seen depictions of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in pop culture: characters like Sheldon Cooper from “The Big Bang Theory” or Detective Adrian Monk from “Monk.” Their compulsions are portrayed as annoying, but ultimately it just makes people with OCD appear quirky. However, those depictions don’t even scratch the surface of what OCD really is. Imagine being obsessed with images of...

What do human potential and self-actualization really mean? We hear buzzwords like this often, but how can we use these concepts to better our everyday lives? Can we use them as part of our educational system to help kids who are managing mental health issues to achieve more?  Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman, host of The Psychology Podcast, calls in to discuss all this and more on this week’s episode. To...

Does it seem like these days no one can take a joke? Every time you turn around, someone is getting offended and the soul who said the “offensive” thing is canceled, never to be heard from again.  But is that true? Has anyone actually ever been truly “canceled”? Join us as today’s guest, comedian and journalist Emma Arnold, explains what cancel culture is – and isn’t – and why she isn’t worried ab...

You are walking down the street, having a good day, when suddenly you remember something you did 10 years ago — something you regret. How do you deal with that?   Should you dwell and ruminate on it? Should you let it go and never think of it again? Or, as today’s guest suggests, should you try to learn from it and move on? Join us as Robert Leahy, a pivotal figure in the development of Cognitive...

A new survey reports that a whopping 14% (1 in 7) of American physicians note that they have used alcohol or a controlled substance while working. Additionally, 46% mentioned consuming alcohol or a controlled substance up to 12 hours before their shift. We can all guess that healthcare workers have been stressed out since the pandemic started, but what is going on? And, perhaps most importantly, i...

Existentialism is a philosophy that emphasizes the existence of the individual person as a free and responsible agent who determines their own development through acts of will. So, what is existential therapy and how can this philosophy be used to better our own lives through counseling?  Join us as today’s guest, Dr. Christopher S. Taylor, tells us more about this therapeutic practice and what ba...

A lot of people don’t want to volunteer. Who wants to give up a Saturday and not get paid for it? But what if volunteering and being of service to your community could not just improve the world, but also your mental health?  Join us as today’s guest, Travis Van Winkle, talks about how being of service led him to a profound emotional transformation. To learn more -- or read the transcript -- pleas...

Movie and TV star Romina D’Ugo shares what life is like for a woman in Hollywood. She also shares a deeply personal story of how a nude scene was sprung on her without her consent.   Society often paints people who identify as feminists as frigid or man hating. But, is that truly what the term means or has it been hijacked? Join us as Romina shares why feminism became important to her. To learn mo...