Inside Mental Health

After 25 years, Psych Central has received a makeover. Some things are the same, some are new, and some are different. Now that Psych Central’s founder, Dr. John Grohol, has retired from running the website, for the first time in our history, we have a new Editor in Chief. Join us for today’s show as we learn about the new Psych Central and meet our newly minted — and super cool — Editor in Chief,...

How do families and friends of an atheist or nonbeliever mourn their passing when the majority of our traditions are religion-based? Additionally, can someone build a community without religion — and is it even important to do so? Today’s guest is a “non-theist chaplain.” Join us as we find out what that means as he explains that atheism and ritual are not mutually exclusive. Listen Now! View the...

Most people believe that forensic science is an exact science that can always find the right perpetrator. But is that actually true? Today’s expert explains the reality behind fingerprint analysis, DNA, and other forensic sciences. Professor Brandon L. Garrett shares how a variety of cognitive biases and our basic psychology can cause crime labs to make devastating errors that destroy lives. Not o...

At last count, there were over 300 mental health-related apps in the app stores. With this many, how do you choose? How do they differ from each other, and do they actually help? Most importantly, how do we know which ones are safe?  On today’s episode, we discuss mental health apps with clinical psychologist, Dr. Nathaan Demers, and digital health marketer, Joe Conrad, who created the mental heal...

If you’re an introvert, can you become a leader? Are quiet people capable of leading at all or is a loud, charismatic personality a requirement of leadership? The author of “Quietly Powerful: How Your Quiet Nature Is Your Hidden Leadership Strength,” Megumi Miki, answers these questions and tells us more about introversion and extroversion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adch...

Many people have heard the phrase “inner child,” but what does that really mean? Today’s guest explains how she has reinterpreted the inner child archetype for the modern reader — delving into how metaphors of the sun child, shadow child, and inner adult will help you improve your life and relationships. Stefanie Stahl is a national board certified psychologist, bestselling author, and one of the...

In today’s episode, life coach Mike Bayer from the Dr. Phil show shares his philosophy on how to live authentically. Can one decision really be the key to a better life? What does living authentically even mean? Coach Mike shares exercises from his new book that he’s used with Dr. Phil, J.Lo, and other celebs. Coach Mike’s first book “Best Self” was a runaway success, hitting the New York Times Be...

When it comes to adoption, our understanding of the mental health needs of those involved seems to take a backseat. Concepts such as abandonment and trust issues, as well as acknowledging trauma, often remain unaddressed. Listen as our guest experts, Debbie B. Riley, LCMFT (Center for Adoption Support and Education) and Rita Soronen (Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption) help us understand mental h...

Police officers are much more likely to die by suicide than they are to be killed in the line of duty. While society works hard to prevent law enforcement fatalities, mental health and suicide often remain overlooked. Constable James Jefferson, a 13-year law enforcement veteran, shares his story of being involved in a fatal shooting and how that experience led him to have untreated PTSD for years....

What is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)? Is it just for select issues or can everyone benefit from ACT? Is there any evidence to support that ACT works at all? Learn about this form in of therapy in this episode. Steven C. Hayes is a Nevada Foundation professor of psychology at the University of Nevada. An author of 46 books and nearly 650 scientific articles, he’s ranked among the most ci...

Most people think they have good boundaries. But when pressed, they can’t often explain what their boundaries are, let alone maintain positive ones. Today's guest explains the importance of setting boundaries to show the world how we expect to be treated, and how to communicate these boundaries without offending our loved ones. Our guest, Nancy Kalina Gomez, currently helps clients through her web...

When Hope Edelman was 17, her mother died. Like many families in the 1980s, Hope’s family grieved her mother's death in silence. This climate of silence around death made her feel shame around the topic and disconnected from her mother. In this episode, Hope answers the question “Is grieving a lifelong process?” and helps us understand the importance of openly discussing death. Learn more about NY...

Finding out that someone you know is self-harming can be confusing and unsettling. In today’s episode, Dr. Mark Mayfield, a board certified counselor and founder of Mayfield Counseling Centers tells us more about this behavior and what causes people to self-injure. How common is it? What type of person self-injures? Most importantly, is this something people can overcome, and how? Learn more about...

I'm here to tell you that The Psych Central Podcast is changing its name to Inside Mental Health and we are now associated with Healthline Media. Don’t worry, it’ll stay the same great podcast complete with the same host and simple explanations to help you better understand mental health and psychology. If you are already subscribed to The Psych Central Podcast, you don't have to do a thing. It'll...

Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the US and over 3x more people will die by suicide than will be murdered every year. What types of people die by suicide? Is it only people with mental illness who consider this tragic step? And most importantly, if someone is suicidal, what can you do -- is suicide preventable? Join today’s guest, Dr. Doreen Marshall, vice-president of the American Fo...

The stigma associated with borderline personality disorder (BPD) is well documented and undeserved. In this week’s episode, Dr. James Seymour explains this complicated condition, discusses the “borderline” label, and explores the role past traumas may have in the development of BPD. Psychiatrist Dr. Seymour is the director of the Sierra Tucson’s Chrysalis Program. Learn more about your ad choices....

While schizoaffective disorder and schizophrenia both share the prefix “schizo,” they remain two separate diagnoses. Hosts Rachel Star Withers and Gabe Howard divulge their personal experiences with schizophrenia and mental health conditions as they explore the newer-termed condition of schizoaffective disorder. Guest Dr. Michelle Maust from MindPath Care Centers joins to give a medical perspectiv...

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a common and misunderstood psychiatric disorder. In this episode, Dr. Joseph W. Shannon describes the hallmarks of BPD, and shares best practices for treatment. Dr. Shannon is an expert on personality disorders, and works to train fellow clinicians on diagnosing and treating BPD, and advocates a different approach to achieve better treatment results. Joseph...

Do you suffer from self doubt? Do you want to make changes in your life and develop new habits but find yourself repeating old patterns over and over? Today's guest, NY Times best selling author Jen Sincero, offers frank advice from her new book, Badass Habits. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are you curious about TMS therapy? What is it, exactly? In today’s show, two psychiatrists explain how Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation works and how it can help many patients with depression, OCD or smoking addiction.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is there hope after a heavy drug addiction? What if you quit but then relapse? Can you quit again? Absolutely. In today’s show, our guest Daniel McGhee shares his long, but ultimately victorious, journey through alcohol and heroin addiction, incarceration, treatment centers and relapses. Now he is giving back to the community that he feels he took so much from.  Learn more about your ad choices. V...

Let’s discuss bipolar disorder. How have treatments evolved over the last two decades? In today’s podcast, we welcome Dr. Francis Mark Mondimore, a professor of psychiatry at Johns Hopkins and the author of Bipolar Disorder: A Guide for You and Your Loved Ones, which is now in its fourth edition. For more information and a complete transcript, visit https://psychcentral.com/blog/podcast-inside-bip...

Chronic loneliness is on the rise. But how can this be when we’re more connected now than ever? In today’s show, Dr. J.W. Freiberg, a social psychologist-turned-lawyer, explains that loneliness is not an emotion like happiness or anger. It’s a sensation like hunger or thirst. For more information and a complete transcript, visit https://psychcentral.com/blog/podcast-loneliness-and-litigation-a-law...

Schizophrenia has been around since the dawn of time but actually treating it has only been around the past 100 years. In this episode host and schizophrenic Rachel Star Withers takes you through the dark and disturbing evolution of schizophrenia treatments. From systematic euthanasia to hydrotherapy, electroconvulsive therapy to the infamous lobotomy.  Were these doctors "mad scientists" torturin...

We’ve made it to the end of 2020! From polarizing politics to raging fires to COVID-19, it’s been a real doozy. And now the Holidays… Do we celebrate with loved ones and risk COVID or take a pass? Today, Dr. John Grohol, founder of Psych Central, explains how this isn’t going to be our regular holiday season and that’s okay: We can make lemonade out of lemons. For more information and a complete t...