The Psych Central Podcast: Psychology Made Simple

In today’s age of digital dating, the act of ghosting -- ending a relationship by suddenly stopping communication with a person -- has become more common, and even normalized to some degree. For the person being ghosted, however, it can feel incredibly painful and confusing. So why do people ghost others? Is it out of cruelty? Listen as Dr. John Grohol, founder of Psych Central, discusses the act of ghosting, why people do it, and whether it’s ever ok to ghost someone, including your therapist.

How do we start preventing mass violence in this country? Should we focus on mental illness? What is the link between the two anyway? Listen in as our guest, the medical director of the National Council on Behavioral Health, shares surprising answers to these questions and more from the new comprehensive report “Mass Violence in America: Causes, Impacts, and Solutions.”

What exactly is psychosis? What happens in the brain of a person with schizophrenia who is hallucinating? Schizophrenic Rachel Star Withers shares her personal hallucinations and delusions and Dr. Joseph Goldberg, who specializes in researching what goes on in the brain when someone is experiencing psychosis, joins to break down how the brain functions during psychotic episodes.

The centuries-old phrase “boys will be boys,” is often used to excuse boys and men of acting in rough, noisy or chauvinistic ways -- traits commonly associated with masculinity. But is this healthy? Is it time for us to evolve our idea of masculinity? Today’s guest introduces us to the idea of “sacred masculinity,” a balanced state of being which integrates both healthy masculine and feminine aspects -- such as open emotional expression -- ultimately allowing men to reach their full potential.

Anxiety is the enemy, right? Or is your body just trying to tell you something? If you struggle with anxiety and aren’t sure how to handle it, this episode is for you. Today’s guest, therapist and reverend Connie L. Habash, offers several key steps to help you work with your anxiety, rather than against it. She shares how to sit with your emotions, feel them in your body and listen with compassion.

Does your brain seem to have a “mind” of its own? Does it jump in the driver’s seat and take you places you’d rather not go? In today’s episode, a licensed psychologist explains how we get trapped in cycles of ruminations -- those dark, repetitive thoughts that won’t leave us alone -- and how to escape this cycle by living with intention. When we realize that every decision we make is just one option of many, it reduces our anxiety and makes us feel more in control of our lives.

Does a certain song take you back to your childhood? Maybe your dad played it on family road trips, and now it never fails to make you smile. We know music has the power to elicit specific emotions and to spark feel-good neurotransmitters in the brain. But what if we could harness the power of music and make it a part of therapy? Today’s guest is a psychotherapist who creates personalized music soundtracks to help her clients change their brain chemistry and bring out their inner “badass.”

Do you know someone with 6 toasters? Or a closet full of old newspapers or unopened shoe boxes? Or maybe it’s more subtle: Perhaps your friend is successful and tidy, but they just can’t stop accumulating things they don’t use -- they get an intense thrill with each new purchase. What is hoarding, anyway? Is it always disorganized and dirty? Today’s guest, a hoarding behavioral specialist, explains the myths around hoarding, its treatment strategies and who is at risk.

The word "schizophrenia" tends to conjure dramatic imagery, people don't think of the boring parts that consume many with schizophrenia, like lacking the motivation to get out of bed or be social. Host, Rachel Star Withers and CoHost Gabe Howard explore avolition.

Do you consider yourself a perfectionist? Do you highly value strength, resiliency, always counting your blessings and keeping a smile on your face? But perhaps, on the inside, you feel lonelier each day. Maybe you have trouble with intimacy and vulnerability and sometimes feel like nobody knows the "real" you. In today’s episode, psychologist Dr. Margaret Rutherford explains the epidemic of “perfectly hidden depression.”

Did Grey’s Anatomy get the psychiatric hospital scene right? Do emotional support animals really work? Can you ever be friends with a former therapist? In today’s “information age,” there is a lot of “misinformation,” particularly when it comes to mental health. Tune in to hear why today’s guest, a practicing psychiatrist and popular writer, feels called to help people make sense of the medical misinformation they often encounter in the media.

Who doesn’t love cartoons? Especially ones that are informative, engaging and based on mental health issues? PsychHub.com has more than 100 free animated videos on a variety of mental health, substance use and suicide prevention topics. Join us as CEO and co-founder Marjorie Morrison explains how Psych Hub got started, what types of videos they have, how to find credible information in the internet age, and how for some, animated videos can be the best choice for an information source.

In the US, fewer than 100 kids per year are diagnosed with very early onset schizophrenia. Chrisa Hickey, founder of the Parents Like US Club, walked this road with her son, Tim, who is now 25 years old. Listen in as Chrisa describes her family’s journey through childhood schizophrenia and how she became an advocate for other parents like herself.

Everyone complains about work. Having to go to work every day, working too much, not getting paid enough- working can be challenging for so many reasons. Today's episode of Inside Schizophrenia focuses on working while having schizophrenia. 

Contrary to media hype, most mass shooters do not have mental illness. Rather, many of these offenders hold heavy grievances against people or situations in their lives they feel are out of their control. Listen as Dr. John Grohol, founder of PsychCentral.com, discusses the difference between mental illness and mental health issues and explains why using mental illness as a scapegoat for this critical issue will not resolve it.