The Anxiety Encyclopedia

Lorien wonders if the truth is out there; Katharine does not want to believe. Sources:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unidentified_flying_object https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/1947-year-flying-saucer https://www.ufofestival.com/about/ https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/03/politics/chinese-spy-balloon/index.html https://houstonherald.com/2023/04/pentagon-releases-video-of-ufos-over-conflict-...

Katharine tells Lorien about incels; she may be on a watchlist now. Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incel https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/oct/30/global-incel-culture-terrorism-misogyny-violent-acti on-forums https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/mar/16/involuntary-celibates-incels-threat-us-secret-ser vice https://www.splcenter.org/news/2023/05/23/after-incel-attack-male-suprema...

Lorien shares her emotional baggage related to her suitcase and she and Katharine pitch the next Pixar hit. Sources: https://www.allgetaways.com/packing-airport-security/odds-losing-luggage.html https://thepointsguy.com/news/lost-baggage-report-2022/ https://www.bts.gov/topics/airlines-and-airports/number-30a-technical-directive-mishandled-baggage-amended-effective-jan https://money.usnews.com/mon...

Katharine and Lorien take this opportunity to share their own wild Airbnb experience. Content warning: Mention of rape, murder, and sexual assault https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2021-06-15/airbnb-spends-millions-making-nightmares-at-live-anywhere-rentals-go-away   https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2018/many-airbnb-venues-lack-basic-safety-protections-new-study-suggests   https://www.forbes.com...

Lorien tells Katharine one of the reasons it may not be safe to go back in the water. Sources: https://www.cdc.gov/meningitis/amebic.html# https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/68/wr/mm6836a3.htm#:~:text=The case fatality rate for,transmitted by swallowing contaminated water. https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/naegleria/treatment.html https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1574-695X.2007.00232.x...

Katharine tells Lorien about an explosive anxiety, and Lorien calls Katharine the Grinch of summer. Sources https://www.foxla.com/news/lancaster-teens-hurts-fireworks https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11016825/Firework-disaster-kills-seven-year-old-boy-sister-24-Videos-rockets-firing-crowd.html https://nypost.com/2022/10/21/gender-reveal-party-goes-up-in-smoke-after-terrifying-firework-disa...

Lorien tells Katharine about detox teas, and they come down strongly on the side of not starving and/or actively dehydrating yourself. Sources: https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/statistics-research-eating-disorders https://www.therecoveryvillage.com/mental-health/deadliest-psychiatric-disorder/ https://www.eatingdisorderhope.com/information/anorexia/anorexia-death-rate#:~:text=The anorexia d...

Katharine tells Lorien about a serial killer who makes her wish we could go back to talk about the people of Atlantis sinking ships. Content Warning: discussion of violence, animal cruelty, sexual assault, mention of suicide Sources: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2019/10/are-serial-killers-more-common-than-we-think/596647/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel_Keyes https://murderped...

Lorien tells Katharine about her fear of getting TAKEN and some early 80s history. Sources: GQ Oral History:  https://www.gq.com/story/iran-hostage-crisis-tehran-embassy-oral-history https://www.safetravel.govt.nz/hostage-taking-and-kidnapping https://panopticsolutions.com/blog/12-000-to-15-000-people-held-captive-every-year/#:~:text=12 000 to 15 000 People Are Held Captive Every Year&text=Are...

Katharine has A LOT to tell Lorien about Slenderman. Content warning: discussion of mental illness, violence, and suicide Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slender_Man_stabbing Slenderman: Online Obsession, Mental Illness, and the Violent Crime of Two Midwestern Girls  by Kathleen Hale

Lorien (the real Lorien, definitely not a synthetic Lorien) convinces Katharine they should probably just drop off the grid. Sources https://www.opa.mil/research-analysis/personnel-security/insider-threat/deepfakes-and-unintentional-insider-threats/deepfakes-prepare-for-the-next-challenge-video https://www.dhra.mil/Portals/52/Documents/perserec/reports/20220413_PERS_Rpt_RN-21-14_Deepfakes.pdf http...

Katharine complicates Lorien's feelings about a cozy bear. Sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_S._Sadler https://thoughtcatalog.com/christine-stockton/2021/01/the-insane-true-story-of-the-racist-eugenics-book-your-inspirational-teabag-tag-might-be-based-on/ https://www.inverse.com/article/10731-cults-conspiracies-and-the-twisted-history-of-sleepytime-tea https://www.foodandwine.com/d...

Lorien walks Katharine through yet another reason it's better to just stay inside. Sources : https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2023/02/20/us/alligator-kills-woman-florida/index.html https://nypost.com/2023/02/23/terrifying-video-shows-alligator-snatching-florida-woman/ https://apple.news/AHB3oy27MQkecCPBgU1Kq6Q https://www.npr.org/2023/03/07/1161570130/an-unprovoked-alligator-attack-is-extremely-rare-bu...

Katharine tells Lorien about a close-to-home abduction. Trigger warning: brief mention of physical and sexual abuse of children. Sources: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/kidnapped-shawn-hornbeck/ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/caught-between-parents/2011 12/kidnapping-victims-and-the-psychological-ties-bind https://www.reuters.com/article/us-wisconsin-missinggirl-data/kidnappe d-children-mak...

Lorien tells Katharine about all the ways people can pretend to be you; it's not a joke, Jim. Sources: https://www.experian.com/blogs/ask-experian/what-is-identity-theft/ https://www.idtheftcenter.org/thank-you-2/ https://www.experian.com/blogs/ask-experian/identity-theft-statistics/ https://www.identitytheft.gov/#/ https://identitytheft.org/statistics/ https://www.experian.com/blogs/ask-exper...

Katharine teaches Lorien where Bermuda is. Sources: https://www.history.co.uk/articles/five-of-the-most-mysterious-bermuda-triangle-disapp earances https://www.discovery.com/exploration/explore-these-majestic-sand-dunes----in-colorad o https://www.vice.com/en/article/zmkyp8/scientists-claim-to-have-solved-the-mystery-of-t he-bermuda-triangle https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/bermuda-trian...

Lorien walks Katharine through the likelihood that they or their snacks will just burst into flame. Sources: Sources  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spontaneous_combustion https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autoignition_temperature https://www.tastingtable.com/850505/do-pistachios-actually-combust/ https://www.metaflix.com/a-devastating-look-at-the-1937-fox-vault-fire/ https://www.npr.org/2017/04/10/523...

Katharine tries to figure out if the Last of Us is actually a nature documentary. Sources: https://www.npr.org/2023/01/30/1151868673/the-last-of-us-cordyceps-zombie-fungu s-real https://www.vox.com/culture/2023/1/21/23561106/last-of-us-fungus-cordyceps-zomb ie-infect-humans https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/cordyceps-zombie-fungus-takes- over-ants https://www.dailymail.co.uk/healt...

A mildly Covid-y Lorien tells Katharine how the first five minutes of one episode of ER scarred her for life. Sources https://www.analoxgroup.com/blog/carbon-monoxide-v-carbon-dioxide-do-you-know-difference https://www.cdc.gov/dotw/carbonmonoxide/index.html https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/carbon-monoxide/symptoms-causes/syc-20370642 https://www.texastribune.org/2021/04/29/texas-carb...

Katharine tells Lorien about a secret society that also loves to throw parades.  Sources:  -   https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/06/07/ellie-kemper-apology-debutante-ball/ -   https://www.stltoday.com/news/archives/veiled-prophet-symbol-of-wealth-power-and-to-some-racism/collection_8076f8b4-98a5-5935-9b57-134bcda6068e.html#24 -   https://www.theatlantic.com/politi...

Lorien's Old Yeller trauma and fear of tiny rabbits come out as she tells Katharine about rabies.  Sources:  https://www.cdc.gov/rabies/about.html https://www.who.int/health-topics/rabies#tab=tab_1 https://www.cdc.gov/rabies/animals/bats/index.html https://www.batcon.org/about-bats/bats-in-homes-buildings/ https://www.americanhumane.org/fact-sheet/rabies-facts-prevention-tips/ https://ww...

Katharine causes Lorien to have an existential crisis regarding her Target cardigan collection. Sources: https://www.retailgazette.co.uk/blog/2022/10/shein-workers-paid-3p-per-garment-for-18-hour-days-investigation-reveals/ https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/marketplace-fast-fashion-chemicals-1.6193385 https://www.thecut.com/2022/10/shein-is-treating-workers-even-worse-than-you-thought.html https://...

Lorien invites Katharine to sleepwalk this way through an exploration of the disorders that can make people talk, walk, and maybe even murder (?) other people in their sleep.  Sources: https://stanfordhealthcare.org/medical-conditions/sleep/nighttime-sleep-behaviors/confusional-arousals.html https://www.sleepfoundation.org/stages-of-sleep https://www.sleepfoundation.org/parasomnias/sleepwalki...

Both of this podcast’s hosts have equally lovely dads; however, both equally lovely dads did not equally understand the assignment.

Katharine tells Lorien about the  worst thing you can get in the mail.  Sources: https://www.cdc.gov/anthrax/basics/index.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2001_anthrax_attacks https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/amerithrax-or-anthrax-investigation https://www.propublica.org/article/new-evidence-disputes-case-against-bruce-e-ivins https://www.cdc.gov/anthrax/bioterrorism/threat.htm...