The Broken Brain

You know what's hard? Managing your weight, fitness, and physical health is hard. Whether you need to loose weight, get yourself to eat healthier, or have a dangerous eating disorder, finding a solution isn't easy. Virtually all weight management plans (by themselves) have been demonstrated to be ineffective. Using principles of psychology, addiction recovery, and cognitive-behavioral therapy can help with weight and eating related problems, because these approaches look at the underlying causes of the problems.  Kwentin Kemp is a licensed professional counselor and the founder of The Greater U, a program dedicated to effective physical and mental treatment of weight related health problems. He and Chris Tittle join me today to discuss this tricky problem through the lens of mental health.  Also, check out Charles Duhigg's book that we talk about in the discussion, if you want to...

First of all...I'm not dead, I am very much still alive and a-podcastin'. This mini episode will explain the brief break in the program (the last 2 weeks) and let you know what to expect in the upcoming episodes of The Broken Brain Podcast.  BTW, the show is now a proud member of the Core Temp Arts family of podcasts, check out the website or the FaceBook Group to learn more about this network.  See you soon with more cool mental health based programming!

Social Media is a part of our life. We all life at least a little bit online these days.  Karly Beaumont and Cynthia Torres host the Podcast That Pop This Life, a look at Life, Pop Culture, and the Ridiculousness of it all. They talk weekly about internet crazes, modern cultural trends, and how to be a good internet citizen.  Make sure to be a good citizen yourself by listening and sharing this episode today!

Kathleen Brennan lives and practices psychotherapy in Chicago. She is an expert in trauma, a survivor of the nonprofit world, and an excellent podcaster, with her show On The Blue Couch.  Kathleen speaks with me today about the dynamic of Vicarious Trauma, the multiple ways that we can become traumatized through our own or other's exposure. The ACA has defined Vicarious Trauma as "compassion fatigue," or "the cost of caring," and although therapists are primed for this problem, it affects all of us in some way. Give our conversation a listen to learn some of those ways, and what to do about it.  Make sure to subscribe and listen to Kathleen's show as well!

Non Wells is a writer, podcaster, and a confirmed Joymonger. He loves Joy, there are no two ways about it. He even does a podcast where he and his wife talk about Joy.  However, he is no stranger to all emotions, joyful or non-joyful. Non is a well known enthusiast of knowing & accepting yourself for who you are. that's why its no surprise that he is here today to join me in a discussion about Mindfulness.  Mindfulness is a great therapeutic tool to reduce stress, manage expectations, and embrace feelings as you make your way through this dreary-weary world of ours. A big part of modern therapy, especially Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Mindfulness is a deep well from which Non and I drink deeply, hold it in our cheeks like chipmunks, and then spew the results into your ears through this podcast. 

Mike Denniston returns to the show (from the podcast War Machine vs War Horse) to watch and review a classic tale of family dysfunction, the funny and surprisingly touching Sundance Film Festival winner "Little Miss Sunshine." We use this as a backdrop to discuss triangulation, depression, hopes, fears, and insecurity, all within the family dynamic.   

Joel Manwill is a member of the Aspire Group of Mental Health Professionals, the Group Practice that I am also a part of.  He is also a highly experienced Pediatric Occupational Therapist, working with sensory processing disorder, autistic spectrum disorders, and other health concerns related to sensory processing.  This is a training Joel did for our team of therapists, in which he discusses over and under sensitive disorders, sensory seeking and sensory avoidant behavior. 

What did you do this weekend? Laura Murthum fought against human trafficking...Yeah, I know. I cleaned out my garage. Laura works for the nonprofit group Trucker's Against Traficking (TAT) an organization dedicated to providing training to on-the-road Truckers to help them in the fight against human trafficking. CLICK HERE to check out their website and learn what red flags to look for when you are out in the community as well.   Laura is a dedicated human service professional and a great human person as well, lot's of fun to talk to. Enjoy this interview, and should you want to get involved with stopping problems related to human trafficking, contact the National Human Trafficking Resource Center at: 1 (888) 373-7888

Jeri Young Returns to tell us more about Imposter Syndrome!  Jeri talked about Imposter Phenomenon on a recent episode of The Broken Brain, this is a recording of her providing more information to a team of therapists, in the Aspire Network. Although she touches on a lot of the same areas, she also goes into how to decrease the anxiety and depression associated with this dynamic, and tells us a bunch of helpful things about self-care. Watch for her next upcoming episode about Mind-Body techniques to defeat Imposter Syndrome! Links: Second Wave Feminism video (Jeri opens with this) About Women by Lisa Alther & Francoise Gilot Beyond Happiness: The Upside of Feeling Down (January 2016 issue of Psychology Today by Matthew Hutson) 

Happy Father's Day from the Broken Brain!  Dave Hart from Pop Culture Case Study returns to talk with me about being a dude. We discuss the complex psychological issues inherent to being a man in our culture, and our impressions of the psychological impact of the documentary "The Mask You Live In." by the Representation Project. Check out the documentary on Netflix or Amazon, and follow their Facebook page for ongoing discussion about this important topic. Follow Dave on Twitter, and listen to his podcast people! 

Bernadette & Andrew Peirce are a wonderful couple who do a movie podcast (the AB Film Review), and are just fun and cool people. We got together to discuss the dynamic of psychological burnout, a condition that affects physical and mental health, as well as the economy. Andrew has worked in the Veterinary Nursing industry, and Bernie has provided addiction recovery and crisis stabilization services within Mental Health Treatment facilities. They are both acutely aware of the reality of mental health and burnout needs upon individuals and society. We discuss stigma of mental health treatment, acceptance of self, finding an outlet, and avoiding falling off the cliff of burnout.   

Dave from Pop Culture Case Study rejoins the show to talk addiction recovery, a specialty of his.  We tackle the difficult but vital issue of building (or rebuilding) social support in sobriety maintenance. Addiction has many costs, but a big one is the damage it does to our family and friendship relations. And few things are as helpful to recovery from addiction than a healthy support system. We talk about experiments with RATS, finding new friends, repairing existing relationships, and allowing for a damaged sense of delayed gratification.  Quick links from our talk: check out Refuge Recovery, the HAMS network, and Meetup.com (or any of the social meet-up sites).  Make sure to check out Dave's show, especially his latest few episodes about The Nice Guys, and X-Men movies.

My friend Jeri joins the podcast to discuss Imposter Phenomenon, and the genesis of that term within psychotherapy. Imposter Phenomenon has been used since the 1970s and is a name for a specific type of anxiety and intellectual self-doubt. Jeri Young is a friend, a colleague, and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who specializes in Mind-Body Bridging, Chronic Pain management, and a bunch of other cool stuff.  ALSO, you should totes click on this sentence to READ this cool paper about Imposter Phenomenon by Clance & Imes.

Arianna Jeret (author and relationship expert) & David Hart (Podcaster, Addiction Therapist, and Doctoral Candidate) join me to answer some of the listener's questions. We talk about online articles that "diagnose" celebrities, watching out for online experts without training (and how to spot real professionals), and getting medical advice for psychological conditions. Specifically we are glad to see questions from the online group Podcast Party addressed in this episode.  Keep your questions coming! Tweet them @breakabrain or with the hashtag #AskATherapist, or email me directly at dwighthurst@gmail.com

Joe Capozzi is an actor, and is the writer & producer of the short film "Confession," directed by his wife, Angelique Letizia-Capozzi. Confession is a 15 minute film telling the story of Joe's experience beginning his recovery from persistent sexual molestation from a Catholic Priest. Joe shares his full story and the story of how he used his artistic skills as a therapeutic outlet and a method of raising awareness of abuse and recovery. Joe's film is a gripping and realistic depiction of anxiety, PTSD and invasive suicidal thoughts. Confession does an effective and tasteful job of depicting the abuse process, from grooming to the terrible aftermath. His experience in therapy and with his family is a great example for survivors of abuse everywhere.  Big thanks to Joe,and to Chris Revill of the Lets Chat! with Revill and Friends Podcast for introducing us, and making this interview possible. 

Buck Black is the Trucker's Therapist, or at least that is one of his specialties. Buck is a LCSW who provides online and in-person therapy with on-the-road truckers who might otherwise never get to see their therapist. He is also a certified sex therapist and a general practitioner in the community of Lafayette, Indiana. Lucky for me, and you (the listeners), he is also a spirited, energetic, and delightful human being.  Being delightful, Buck is also involved as a volunteer with a host of community organizations, including St Christopher's Fund (a medical and support fund for truckers and their families) and the group Women in Trucking. 

Raney Mills Keiley rejoins us after her long sabbatical to field your questions. Mike and I assist by making dumb jokes as she answers your questions about tricky family communication with a needy or controlling parent, and whether or not therapists are emotionally bulletproof enough that we are impervious to freaking out. Plus we fondly recall the time she made us make tinfoil statues of ourselves in an Art Therapy group.  Make sure to ask your questions for our panels of therapists at #askatherapist on twitter, or tweet at me @breakabrain, or just shoot me an email at dwighthurst@gmail.com.  

Dr. Calli Estes, the Addictions Coach, is the founder of the Addiction Academy and a friend of the show. She joined me today to talk about the news regarding the death of cultural icon and rock star Prince. We discuss addiction, the risk of overdose, and how shame, indulgence, and denial of the problem risk people's lives. 

Michael Denniston (of the War Machine vs War Horse Podcast) has joined us before and will join us again, but never before has he joined us to discuss M Night Shyamalan and how everyone pretends they didn't love all his movies once upon a time.  The emotion of Fear plays a large role in the lives of everyone. In the movie Signs, we are shown a story of an alien invasion, in which the real villain seems to be fear and an ongoing loss of faith by the main character. We discuss, riff, joke, and ponder the implications of this story as it relates to fear, narration, and the logical survival mechanism of hitting an alien with a baseball bat. 

Mike Fitch & Lee Messersmith, the OG Broken Brain Gang join for an ask a therapist segment, with newcomer and therapist intern Chris Tittle! We talk about more than just Lee's new guitar, which is made out of an oilcan. We answer listener questions about relationships, incompatible sex drives, and some parenting stuff.  Get your questions to our AskATherapist segment through twitter @breakabrain, email dwighthurst@gmail.com, or tweet #AskATherapist and we will assemble our panel. Listeners like this sort of thing so we plan to do an AskATherapist panel once per month on the show.